A WILDLIFE camera has released a book on Goshawks returning to the New Forest and nature reclaiming the land during lockdown – after being granted special permission to film there.

James Aldred, who has worked with Sir David Attenborough several times, was commissioned to film the life of a family of Goshawks in early 2020 in the New Forest.

When the pandemic hit he was granted permission to carry on filming and documented his 'unique experience,' of being one of the few people in the forest, in the form of a book.

Bournemouth Echo: Goshawks in the New Forest by author and cameraman James Aldred

The cameraman said the “allure” of the goshawk was his motivation behind filming the bird of prey.

“There’s an extra charisma about them and they get into your head a little bit. They're a world class predator,” he told the Daily Echo

Goshawks were eradicated through persecution in the 19th century, but have managed to “re-colonise old lands they exterminated from without much help, all right under our noses because they’re so secretive," added Mr Aldred.

Read more: Throop Nature Park plan for SANG at Hicks Farm is approved

Not only did the 46-year-old, who lived in the New Forest as a child, film the Goshawks but he saw nature take over.

He said: “It was crazy. Nature is highly opportunistic, all it needs is half a chance and it will come back out of the woodwork.

“If we stopped to exist I think nature will do very well and that's kind of the underlying theme."

Read more: Bid to save green space in Boscombe

The wildlife expert has many fond memories of the New Forest having grown up there and is still one of his favourite places with “trees and ecosystems which don’t exist anywhere else, it’s a naturalist’s paradise."

Looking back on the time he spent in the forest filming last year Mr. Aldred shared some of his favourite memories.

He said: “The goshawks are obviously up there, just being in complete silence and hearing the winds in the trees, watching these birds do what they do.

Bournemouth Echo: Goshawks in the New Forest by author and cameraman James Aldred

“That could have been in any century, say 500 years ago, which I thought was quite in keeping with the mediaeval history of the forest – it really was like time travel and that was wonderful.”

Adding that sitting in his hide “listening to the forest waking up” with the dawn courses was “just beggars belief” without intrusion from aircraft or the A31 “was truly magical."

Read more: Dozens of trees set to be felled in Hillbourne, Poole

To hear more about James Aldred’s unique experiences he has produced a book titled Goshawk Summer which was released at the end of July and is available to purchase online.