Winter Wonders

Anita Rani is at the world-famous Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, a centre of research and conservation founded by Sir Peter Scott in 1946, to discover some wonderful winter sights. Anita waits for one of the most magical moments in the Slimbridge calendar, the arrival of Bewick's swans. Having flown all the way from Russia, these rarest and smallest of swans land here to spend the winter in warmer climes – a phenomenon known to locals as ‘swanfall'. Anita meets Mary, one of the original ‘swan girls', who explains how she used to spend long hours silently observing the Bewick's. Anita also spends time with Slimbridge reserve manager Dave Paynter as he reveals the changes he's made during his 40 years working at the site. Anita also embraces the coming winter as she raids the Countryfile archives, reminding us of Ellie's wildlife safari in Scotland where she spotted wild mountain hares, and the time John walked with wolves.