There we were settled on the sofa to watch the start of Winterwatch, listening to the introduction featuring Waxwings, when Michaela Strachan explains about the “slodge” of red on the wing resembling the old wax-seals. “That’s funny” says me, “I sent one of those”, when lo and behold, this happened…

I’d heard that Winterwatch was going to be at RSPB Arne because of listening to BBC Radio Solent’s Dorset Breakfast Show on Monday and just thought it would be fun to send Michaela a little letter written with a feather off Swanage beach and sealed with wax. We’d bumped into Michaela and Chris Packham back in January 2017 when the murmurations were taking place at Studland, so it was just to send the photo of them and our two because it was quite cute, and a poem I’d written (embarrassing) about the amazing spectacle.

We had no idea that the letter would feature on the live show, 6 minutes in! As always, I love the power of a handwritten letter to make an impression. I hope she liked my waffly letter when she did eventually open it.

The lovely THLAS Scouts were out in force and my phone lit up with notifications to let me know in case I hadn’t seen it. Thanks so much, it’s really appreciated!

Dinah