Filming has taken place in Bridport for a BBC series.

A cameraman was spotted filming pied wagtails that have nested in the trees near Longs Fish and Chips on West Street for the new series of Winterwatch, which is currently being filmed in Dorset.

Bridport resident and keen birdwatcher Luke Phillips helped out with the filming.

He said: “The wagtails in Bridport are interesting in their own right.

"We have wagtails from all around the outer Bridport area. They all come to town in the evening before it gets dark, and they reside in the trees in West Street.

“I would say that there are between 350 and 400 of them. It’s amazing, people generally only see pied wagtails in ones or twos.”

The show, featuring presenters Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams is is live broadcasting from RSPB Arne near Wareham on a nightly basis on BBC Two at 8pm until Friday, January 19.

Luke explained that the film crews ended up in Bridport because he ‘mentioned it to a friend of his who was working on the show.’

He added: “They need to be somewhere safe to rest. They use trees in the town centre because they are often a little bit warmer, and they seem to prefer the trees outside of Longs Fish and Chip Shop.”

Luke’s passion for birdwatching comes from his childhood.

He said: “I am a lifelong bird watcher, ever since I was a child, both my grandads were keen on their birds. I moved to Dorset 15 years ago, partly because of the bird watching. It’s a really special county."

The pied wagtail is a small, long-tailed and rather sprightly black and white bird.

When not standing and frantically wagging its tail up and down, it can be seen dashing about over lawns or car parks in search of food.

It often calls during its bouncing flight and can be seen gathering at dusk to form large roosts in city centres.

Stories featuring the diversity of UK wildlife habitats and people passionate about wildlife will also be aired in Winterwatch.