TV PRESENTER Chris Packham launched Hampshire Bird Festival this week. To mark the occasion, the Kestrel swooped to victory as the county’s favourite bird after winning a pole backed by the county council. The Bird festival is a year long celebration of birds in Hampshire, with a wide range of events running. Chris Packham commented: “The purpose of the festival is to generate awareness of the wealth of birds that we have in Hampshire.
“What I am particularly interested in is explaining to people who don’t know about this wealth of birds, that they are here on their doorstep.” Meanwhile Hampshire county council’s executive member for culture and recreation, councillor Margaret Snaith-Tempia, added: “Hampshire is blessed with an array of wildlife and it is fascinating to learn more about the different species of birds which frequent our towns and countryside.”
