• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Autumnwatch 2013 Returns 29th October (1 Viewer)

Euan Buchan

The Edinburgh Birdwatcher
Supporter
Scotland
Autumnwatch Returns on 29th October on BBC2 and runs to 1st November. This year Autumnwatch will be at RSPB's Leighton Moss Nature Reserve Can't Wait.
 
Excellent! o:) I've had the date onf the new series pencilled into my diary for a couple of weeks now but wasn't sure where they were filming from.

Over the moon that it's Leighton Moss as I've spent MANY happy hours there over the years...since my first visit on my honeymoon in 2001 and had THE perfect wedding present of my first ever Bittern :t: Sadly I haven't been over the west side of UK since 2009 so got a real craving to get back to LM. Neil and I WERE planning to go and stay in a caravan in February/March in the vicinity of Silverdale/Morecambe so Autumnwatch will just wet my appetite :t:

Whoooo hoo Bitterns....Bearded Tits....and BEST OF ALL.....rutting stags!!!!!! :t: ;) :-O
 
Excellent! o:)
Over the moon that it's Leighton Moss as I've spent MANY happy hours there over the years...since my first visit on my honeymoon in 2001 and had THE perfect wedding present of my first ever Bittern :t: ! :t: ;) :-O

Glad to hear that Autumn Watch shall be back soon.
Also glad to know,I am not alone with a bird story during my honeymoon...! My honeymoon In 1986 was the time In Strathspey,that I came across my first Osprey nest,while out for a romantic walk.

My new bride,did not share the same passion as I did for watching the nest on a daily basis..! (From a safe distance,I hasten to add)
 
Brilliant....Leighton Moss......I hope they visit the Forest of Bowland.

Great idea, they could film the absence of Hen Harriers and publicise the problem massively.... dream on.

I saw my first ever Bittern at Leighton Moss - I can still see in my minds eye the huge stream of white it released as it thundered low across the reedbed!

John
 
Great idea, they could film the absence of Hen Harriers and publicise the problem massively.... dream on.

Thats a good point and not only from marshes but the situation of NO breeding pairs of Hen Harrier,within the total boundary of the Cairngorms National Park.
 
Typical we are going there shortly after, its normally busy with the Bearded Tits and Starlings when we go so it will probably be twice as busy and end up like a rugby scrum to see them.
It might make a star out of Keith [if my memory serves me correctly] that turns up most mornings [whatever the weather] to record the ringed Bearded Tits that come to the grit trays. He is such a lovely man and full of useful info about them...and always has seed in his pocket for the Robins that turn up.
 
Just been down to Leighton Moss for a Bearded Tit-less stake out of the grit trays and go some details of how Autumnwatch will work.

The main production area and studio for the evening show will actually be off site at Griesdale Farm, the farm at the far end of the causeway. The only bit of the reserve that will be out of bounds will be one end of Lillian's Hide that will be used for the Autumnwatch Extra programme that will be live on the Red Button throughout the day.

It is of course anticipated that there will be loads of extra visitors during the show so there will a park and ride minibus for off-site parking and possibly an on-site overflow car park, negotiations permitting. The normal car parks will available as all the production vehicles should be up at the farm.
 
I wonder if Winterwatch will come from Leighton Moss as well? Because last Autumn and Winter both series came from the same destination up in Scotland.
Ian.
 
Only problem is Leighton Moss is quite mild in winter but if they wanted snow the Lake District is very close although it does not have as spectacular wildlife as the Scottish mountains.
 
I did have a talk with a regular visitor at Leighton Moss this week and asked what they could show and he said:-

1. Otters - although I feel they are done to death in this series.

2. Peregrines at Warton Crag - another species which has got more coverage than so many others out there.

3. Red Deer Rut - not to keen on another rut but reedbed Red Deer make it a little different and maybe harder to film possibly?

4. Bitterns - a star species of the reserve and should be a must show.

5. Marsh Harrier - another reserve star species and if they stay around another must show. They have never focused on Marsh Harriers much have they?

6. Bearded Tits - another star species and not one that has had much coverage.

7. Marsh Tit - has it ever been shown before? A definite show!

8. Morecambe Bay Mud - plenty of waders out there and internationally important so a must show.

9. The feeders - they attract G S Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, all the tits barring Willow and Crested, usual Finches

10. Will they do a mammal stump?

What else could they do?
 
It be great to see wildlife they havent mention on the show as much as I like Otters,Pregrienes,Red Deer I agree they do kinda bore me when all they show is them would love to see more Waxwings or maybe Bittern.
 
With Waxies they are such a hit and miss species that you cant rely on them getting spotted. When we were staying abot 4 miles away from Leighton Moss about 3 years ago there was some in the trees nearby and they did stick around for about 3 days, but all the other times we have been ther over the past few years we have struck out.

Have managed to spot the Bittern at Leighton Moss a few times,my best one was last year in the Public Hide when I saw something take off out of the Reeds and fly over towads the main part of Leighton Moss, I said to Ian what is it and he confirmed it was a Bittern.
 
There have been more Bittern sightings in the last few days so some of the wintering birds have arrived. There are difficult birds to plan for, if they do get footage of any I suspect it will be the briefest of glimpses. Also the Bearded Tit numbers on the grit trays have dropped off!

I think most of the local content is going to be about waders on Morecambe Bay, plus a local, but not on the site, badger sett has been rigged with cameras.
 
Glad to hear that Autumn Watch shall be back soon.
Also glad to know,I am not alone with a bird story during my honeymoon...! My honeymoon In 1986 was the time In Strathspey,that I came across my first Osprey nest,while out for a romantic walk.

My new bride,did not share the same passion as I did for watching the nest on a daily basis..! (From a safe distance,I hasten to add)

Oh gosh, I'd completely forgotten about the Ospreys :eek!: Got married on Friday 31st August 2001 in Newcastle at Civic Centre and got straight into car and drove over to Lakes. Saturday we went to see the Ospreys near Keswick and then on the Tuesday, 4th September, went to LM and saw my first Bitterns. Luckily for me (or should that be him!) Neil likes to be outdoors too...tho' even after 16 years together I still cannot get him interested in knowing what the different species are! :smoke:
 
Marion and I married on 29th September 2001. About three weeks earlier I had been working in Kenya - 11th September 2001 - for a while I was left wondering how difficult it would be to drive a Land Rover from Nairobi to the English Channel...

I got back, managed to sneak away from wedding preparations to take in the Blakeney Point Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, then press-ganged Maz into trying for the Messingham Green Heron three days before the wedding. We dipped.....

Quite a few of the wedding guests were birders and most of them had connected by the auspicious date, providing a slightly grating background to our big day (note to listers, that's big day, not Big Day) and the day after we had agreed to stick around to see some of our guests who had travelled a long way to see us joined in happiness.

It was therefore 1 October before we set off on honeymoon. Our destination was the Isles of Scilly, but we went to Penzance via Messingham sand quarries and nailed the Green Heron on its last morning. Woo hoo!

John
 
Most enjoyable.

How many of Packham's "War film title" interpositions did you manage to spot?

Just three for me...
 
Warning! This thread is more than 10 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top