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Meet Pete, the woodland 'bird whisperer'

Kay Crewdson
BBC North West Tonight
BBC Pete is sitting in woodland filled with purple wildflowers. He is holding his dog in his arms with his second pooch sitting next to him. He is smiling directly at the camera.BBC
Pete Smith has been described as a "local legend"

Not far from the busy M61 motorway, you will find the quiet calm of Hall Lee Bank Park.

Driving through Landedmans housing estate in Westhoughton, Bolton, I thought I was lost. I couldn't picture the "magical woods" I'd heard so much about.

But, as I turned the corner, I saw a huddle of people and a man with a rucksack carrying a dog.

"Hiya, Kay," he shouted. This was clearly Pete Smith, who is also known as Pete The Birdman.

I had heard about Pete through a friend of his, AnnMarie.

She had been in touch to nominate Pete and the park for my 25in25 feature on BBC North West Tonight, which throughout this year will see me shine a spotlight on 25 people or places that make the North West a great place to live.

AnnMarie described Pete as a "local legend, the counsellor of the park" and the "bird whisperer."

I had been told that Pete could spend up to four hours a day in the woods, feeding birds from his hand and teaching others the art of patience, and I was keen to learn.

We set off into the woodland with his four-legged friends Bonnie and Clyde.

The first thing I noticed as we walked through the gate and down into the woods was the feeling of calm.

My phone was off as we were filming, but nonetheless it felt as though I had left the weight of the world at the car.

Pete is picture crouching down in a woodland with his arm stretched out. The palm of his hand is facing up and a bird is perched on his fingers.
Pete refers to the woodland as his church

As I stood amongst the trees, three roe deer ran by on my left, stopping to twitch their white fluffy tails. To my right, there was a sea of spring flowers, and all the while the tunes of birdsong never failed to cease.

We walked and talked, about how Pete can spend up to four hours in the woods, grateful to his "long-suffering wife" for accepting his passion for nature.

"This is my church," he told me. "A place I found when I felt lost".

He is not alone. Pete has, during his time in the woods, met a lot of new people. Some of whom found peace in their own grief by connecting with Pete.

He set up a crowdfunding page to raise money for the birdboxes which are dotted around the park, most of which are in memory of people's loved ones.

Gill Ellis, a friend of Pete's, described him as "Pete the poet, Pete the counsellor, Pete the environmentalist and Pete the massive friend".

Thanks to Pete, Gill has a birdbox in memory of her friend Jan who she lost last year to cancer.

"I'm not spiritual at all and I don't really have any faith, but it's just nice to have that box to say hello," she says.

"A loved one is near when a robin appears," Pete tells me.

An orb is captured on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph of a woodland.
Kay captured this photograph with an orb in the bottom right-hand corner

When I feel completely at peace, overwhelmed with calm and serenity, I often take a photo of the moment, of the place that has prompted that feeling.

As I stood in the woodland, I looked up, the warmth of the sun on my face, emotional as the birds sang their tunes and the water flowed by.

I took a picture. It was only when I looked back on my photos that I saw an orb which wasn't there when I took it.

I lost my friend Vicki to cancer almost six years ago, and this has happened a couple of times.

She was with me in that park, in Pete's "heaven on earth".

If you would like to nominate someone to feature in 25in25 then email [email protected] with their details and why they deserve to be recognised.

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