RSPB Arne has bid a fond farewell to the BBC's Winterwatch cameras - following another successful series from the Purbeck peninsula.

The nature reserve, which boasts one of the most diverse habitats in the UK, took centre stage in the live broadcasts last week.

Presenters Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Martin Hughes-Games anchored the show, which is one of the UK's largest outside nature broadcasts.

Highlights of this year's series included the stunning starling murmurations and the 'spoonbill cam' - a concealed camera in a lifelike robotic version of the wading bird.

The RSPB's Tony Whitehead said: "At the heart of the show is the wildlife. Of course we've all come to admire the national treasures that are Packham, Strachan and Hughes-Games, but every single time they are upstaged by the animals. As of course they should be.

"Winterwatch from RSPB Arne has been a veritable feast of fantastic creatures."

Mr Whitehead also praised the way the RSPB team came together at Arne. "Staff and volunteers, building support, recruiting new members en masse, finding the wildlife, parking the cars, cooking food, selling stuff in the shop, solving problems.

"A murmuration perhaps? But unlike the starlings, we know why we do this - to inspire people to give nature a home."

RSPB Arne, which also hosted Springwatch last year, remained open to the public throughout the week of filming.

Signing off during the last episode on Thursday evening, presenter Martin Hughes-Games said: "We'd like to thank the RSPB, our hosts here, they've been absolutely amazing, all the organisations that have got involve online, the British Trust for Ornithology, and most of all to you for watching."

Springwatch will return to television in May - coming from a new, currently undisclosed, location.