The Bittern is part of a series commissioned by Future Places Centre at Lancaster University in collaboration with Leighton Moss RSPB.

With many thanks to Jarrod Sneyd, RSPB Leighton Moss, for embodying this Bittern.

"For me, they just bring joy, particularly when the atmospherics are right. You can be in Leighton Moss, or nearby in Silverdale, for example, where there's been five or six booming male Bitterns, and the sound echoes and reverberates. If you were to try and write it down and capture it, it's constant, it's impossible to do. And so you've got this cacophony of Bitterns booming all around you and echoing and bouncing. And it's actually just incredible when you get that. It's not like that every morning or every evening." Jarrod Sneyd, RSPB Leighton Moss

Producer, Presenter: annabel@annabelross.com

Thank you to Jarrod for his superb sound recordings.

Thank you to Noemie Lina for the illustrations.

The European Eel is part of a series commissioned by Future Places Centre at Lancaster University in collaboration with Leighton Moss RSPB.

With many thanks to Kath Smith, RSPB Leighton Moss, for embodying this European Eel.

"Eels are just fantastic. They've been around for hundreds of years but, we still don't really know much about them. It's only in the last few years we've realised that they spawn and die, and that's only through observation. And the fact that they have that incredible migration journey to the Sargasso Sea and back, they're just fantastic. And people need to know that. It's not all about fluffy, cuddly squirrels and other species. We should think about the ones that people might think are a bit weird too." Kath Smith, RSPB Leighton Moss

Producer, Presenter: annabel@annabelross.com

Thank you to Noemie Lina for the illustrations.

The Reed Warbler is part of a series commissioned by Future Places Centre at Lancaster University in collaboration with Leighton Moss RSPB.

With many thanks to Beth Fox, RSPB Leighton Moss, for embodying this Reed Warbler.

"For these little birds, the reed bed can be a challenging place to raise chicks, there are quite a lot of predators. But they're dedicated parents. I think it's lovely that the male and the female raise their chicks together. It's such a joint effort. And obviously I admire the treacherous journey that they make. I think we all have to admire that don't we." Beth Fox, RSPB Leighton Moss

Producer, Presenter: annabel@annabelross.com

Many thanks to Lee Alder for the Reed Warbler recording.

Thank you to Noemie Lina for the illustrations.