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| Firecrest - early star of the series |
WITH its first setting being on the stirring Cornish coast, the three-part 5 TV series, Sam and Dave Go Birding, was off to a promising start.
As the bird on the county's emblem, it was inevitable that the Chough should feature, but there were also sightings of more familiar species such as Little Egret, Raven, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Wigeon and Kingfisher.
Because their friendship is still in its formative stage, the bind between Samuel West (an actor) and Adam Edmondson (a comedian) is not yet fully forged, but there was still something touching and engaging about their light-hearted chit-chat during the 60 minutes of this first episode.
For viewers who are birders, Sam, as a birder himself for some 20 years, is the more interesting character. He uses Swarovski optics - binoculars and scope - the former carried on a cross-the-shoulders strap to ease strain on his neck.
Although he never said anything particularly profound, or even new, about the hobby, he clearly knows his stuff.
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| Sam West - enthusiastic and determined |
What is more, he is, unlike his colleague, prepared to rise at 6am, or earlier, in his quest to see interesting birds when they are likely to be at their most active and conspicuous.
Most importantly, he seems to have a kind and trusting, good-humoured and gentle nature - the sort of person who anyone would welcome as a companion.
Ade is the edgier of the duo and, for those who are not birders, perhaps the more interesting of the pair.
With his sardonic humour, he had the funnier lines, not infrequently at the expense of birders and birding.
This is a fellow who, in common with most people, likes his birds to be close-up and friendly-looking. Every sighting of a Robin delighted him.
He also warmed to the Redshank and the Heron, but he seemed unmoved by a Firecrest - possibly because he struggled to get a glimpse of it through his Leica binoculars (presumably bought or loaned to him for the length of the series).
At the start of the programme, Ade lamented - with a degree of shame - that, though he reckoned he could identify a penguin, the rest of the bird kingdom had mostly been a closed book for all his life.
Nor, at least in this first episode, did he seem particularly intent on changing his ways.
When, towards the end of the three-day trip to West Cornwall, Sam sought (unsuccessfully) to twitch a Yellow-browed Warbler - a relatively rare visitor from Siberia - Ade resented the amount of time spent lingering, more in hope than expectation, outside a sewage treatment works when there were far more congenial places in the county waiting to be visited.
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| Ade Edmondson - curious but somewhat cynical |
Clearly bored by the pursuit, he went on to describe it as "weird" to be "looking for something that doesn’t want to be seen or may not be there".
Later, there is another reported sighting of the same species, this time in a car park at Land’s End, but the duo’s quest to see it is cut to less than 20 minutes because Ade resents the prospect of outstaying the period of free parking
The series' next episode will see the duo visit the other side of the country, Norfolk - sometimes described as "the birding capital of England".
The programme screens at 8pm on Tuesday April 21.
