A chat with Mike Dilger
Mike is a naturalist and wildlife broadcaster, best known as The One Show's wildlife expert. Passionate about British wildlife from a very early age, his obsession with the tropics began when studying the biodiversity of moths for his Masters' thesis in the Ecuadorian cloud-forests. Joining our tour of the Hebrides in September, Mike sat down with us to talk about his life and career, and what to expect on tour.
When did you first have an interest in ecology?
My paternal grandmother was a very keen gardener and used to take me around her garden in Sheffield teaching her willing disciple all the scientific names of the plants. But that initial spark then caught fire with a book my parents bought me for my ninth birthday. Bruce Campbell's guide to 'Birds in Colour' contains 256 British birds, with superb portraits by the artist Karl Aage Tinggaard, and I thought to myself 'I want to see every bird in that book'. Roll forward 50 years and I'm still eight short of the full set!
What is about British fauna and flora that you find so fascinating?
I've spent five decades studying our native wildlife and still feel I have so much more to learn. But with each passing year, a few more pieces of this huge never-ending jigsaw puzzle slot into place. I also adore the fact that British wildlife is so accessible, and can be enjoyed anywhere - from just beyond your doorstep to Scotland's remotest islands.
Whilst incredibly familiar, British wildlife (for me) never breeds contempt and being immersed in it makes me happy. The wonderful changing of the seasons also gives you plenty of reasons to be constantly looking forward. Spring heralds the dawn chorus and blooming of the countryside, while summer marks the zenith for everything from butterflies to dragonflies. Autumn, however, is the season for fungi and tree colour, while winter is synonymous with the arrival of millions of waders, geese and ducks from across the northern hemisphere.
Please tell us a few highlights of your career
Where do I start?!
Working on BBC1's The One Show has to be right up there. During my 19 years on the programme I've presented over 450 short wildlife films - on everything from bumblebees to basking sharks. Travelling everywhere from the Isles of Scilly to Shetland and Suffolk to Skomer, I doubt there are many folk who've seen more of the UK than I have.
During my extensive travels abroad I've also been lucky enough to catch up with some of the planet's most fabulous fauna. Over five years spent working in the tropics of Ecuador, Tanzania and Vietnam has afforded my privileged access to everything from spectacled bears in the High Andes to gibbons swinging through the trees in the forests of Indochina.
My current highlight is making nature films with my son Zachary for The One Show. Wildlife must compete in a crowded marketplace for children's attention these days. And with video games, social media and streamed content offering such an easy and quick 'fix', perhaps one of our biggest challenges is ensuring that the next generation are given the opportunity to spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors, which must surely be infinitely preferable to staring at a screen in a darkened room!
And finally, for a while at least, I held the Guinness World Record for the number of snails on my face (37!), which was achieved on the set of The One Show in 2009!
And what about some of the most challenging moments
Having worked in the back-of-beyond for the best part of five years I've picked up an impressive array of diseases along the way, including malaria, bilharzia, leishmaniasis and septicaemia, earning me the moniker of 'Britain's most Diseased Man! However, I must stress, the only thing you are likely to catch from me on the trip is my enthusiasm for the natural world!
What makes the Hebrides special for you?
This wonderful archipelago has always been sparsely populated, making its one of the landscapes least altered by humans right across Europe. Comprising a diverse array of habitats, such as machair (a highly unusual coastal grassland), peat moorlands and sea lochs, these are (in many cases) managed sympathetically via traditional methods.
The low population and sustainable conservation practices benefit the wildlife hugely, with the result that 'the Hebs' has one of the highest densities of golden eagles in Europe. The islands are also a prime location to catch up with white-tailed eagles, hen harriers and short-eared owls and one of the few places where corncrakes and red-necked phalaropes still breed. The surrounding waters offer plenty of opportunities to see a wealth of marine life too, with seabirds, seals, dolphins and even whales moving centre stage.
Can you give us a teaser of what you will be talking about on the trip?
Err me! I'll be giving a fun and informative talk answering two questions: however I got into wildlife and how I got into television! This will be interspersed with a few short, fun films showcasing some of the highlights from my career on The One Show.
What do you think are the real highlights of the trip?
I'm excited about everything! From the boat to and from the islands, to sharing wildlife sightings, while also giving the guests the opportunity to step off the carousel for a few precious days and immerse themselves in island life.
What kind of wildlife can guests expect to see?
I will be working hard to ensure the guests have an opportunity to observe both native species of eagle - the golden and white-tailed. Along the coast I'll be working hard to find otters, while September is also a fabulous month for spotting whales, dolphins and unusual seabirds.
Where is your favourite destination to visit and why?
Within the UK, I adore spending time in the Scottish Highlands, where I'll spend at least five or six weeks a year searching for everything from crested tits to crossbills and red squirrels to pine martins. However my favourite international destination is to the cloud forests of Ecuador. These tropical forests clothing the Andes are the world headquarters for hummingbirds, colourful tanagers and orchids, plus they are also home to (in my opinion) the world's most exciting bird: the Andean cock-of-the-rock.
Is there anywhere on your bucket list?
Having been lucky enough to visit Papua New Guinea to see Birds of Paradise, I'm now desperate to go back to West Papua to see if I can see Wilson's Bird of Paradise, a bird I've wanted to see for 50 years.
And finally, please could you tell us about your most memorable wildlife encounter on The One Show?
I can't tell you too much as it would spoil my talk wouldn't it?! Suffice to say it was out in the Sea off Hebrides (and not far from where we'll be) and involved orcas!
