Autumnwatch 2013 Returns 29th October (4 Viewers)

[Mono]

I thought it was a great run.

It was mentioned that Winterwatch will be in Scotland again. Talking to the staff at Leighton Moss, it has been considered as a site for Springwatch but it doesn't have the space to accommodate the huge production facilities needed to run the 3 week live programme.

As regards lack of bitterns, I think two factors come into it; they are bloody difficult to film and they are aren't exactly a success story at LM despite all the efforts of the RSPB there has been no breeding since 2009. There may have been only one bird summering there this year.

 

[perlin]

I have to agree with Cheshire Birder and Punta,but,there was one very interesting piece,about the Barn Owl hunting and eating starlings.

 

[Farnboro John]

Did anyone else notice that throughout the final program, Chris was walking around with a piece of cake in his hand?

CB

Ha ha ha - TV series rather than actual war film but to the point..... I was surprised he didn't remark when the Otter dived that it had decided to run silent run deep.

John

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Ha ha ha - TV series rather than actual war film but to the point..... I was surprised he didn't remark when the Otter dived that it had decided to run silent run deep.

John

I think he did mention "run silent, run deep" at one point John, along with 633 Squadron, Von Ryan's Express etc. etc.

 

[MalR]

Another one he mentioned was Hell in the Pacific when he was talking about arctic tern migration.

Malcolm

 

[Bird-Nut]

I have to be honest and say i was bored for large portions of the program. PLUS why are there three presenters, when one would suffice.

The Ray Mears series wild Britain was more my cup of tea.

I second that

 

[West End Birder]

If you took the bird bits out it is all so predictable, foxes, badgers, otters, deer, red squirrel. I just fast forward it these days and stop at bits that look interesting. Totally agree about Nick Baker, very good and also agree that perhaps three presenters are too many. Trouble is they have to appeal to all the people all the time which is not easy at all.

 

[JTweedie]

They don't seem to present as many short films as they used to, the three main presenters get so much more air time, not too bad when they're talking about something interesting, not so when they're rehashing the same stuff over and over again.

For me the best bits were John Aitchison's films and the tracking the foxes bit.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

I seem to be in a minority of one here. I was amazed at how bad Nick Baker was as a presenter. He obviously knows his stuff and came alive in the discussions on Unsprung, when he could demonstrate his knowledge, but the rest of the time he looked out his depth fronting a live programme. I suppose they did have a lot of glitches and minor catastrophes in the red button output and he was suffering from a cold which didn't help. As everyone else liked him, I guess it is I who am in the wrong.

Ron

 

[AlanTh]

I thought that the whole series was a bit naff. That is why I wondered if they were wiring the reserve for a better show in winter.

 

[Himalaya]

I normally watch any of these series twice but this time I have only managed it once and dont have a strong desire to watch each programme 2 times now. i have learnt from it and there will always be good stuff in there however, I had high expectations of this one yet it failed to live up. Most of this series has been bland, rushed, too much time wasted on irrelevant issues such as Chris's taste in music, their clothes etc. I have no idea why he constantly talks about his love of punk rock on a wildlife show and his pet dogs. Although, the latter have not been mentioned much this series. They talked about the importance of Morecambe Bay yet the time they set aside for it was trivial. They visited Gait Barrows and gave it very little air time.

I discussed the Autumnwatch series with a regular at a hide in Leighton Moss a week before it started and asked what could be shown? They mentioned Otters, red Deer, Peregrines at Warton and i thought please no! They did mention Bittern, Bearded Tits and Morecambe bay but the first 3 have been covered extensively.

It would be good for Winterwatch but snow is not regular in that region. If they are going back to Scotland expect overkill on Pine Martens and otters.

Springwatch at Leighton Moss would be good but I can see why they would lack the space. I am surprised they got Autumnwatch in. Maybe they need to share with another location in the vicinity of Leighton Moss so they can get the technological equipment in. in Lancashire only Martin Mere and Brockholes appear to have the extra room for studios. There must be others.

 

[Himalaya]

The new format does not help at all. Autumn is about change and I remember one series possibly in 2011 when the first one or two programmes were like sunny summer days and at the end snow in Scotland. It gave them the opportunity to show change and film anything new at the location.

Nothing was shown from the Eric Miorecambe hide even though I read somewhere they had taken over a hide. Had they arrived in September or early October they would have seen Curlew Sandpipers, Greenshank and Spotted Redshank all close to the hides.

 

[Robert Wallace]

I seem to be in a minority of one here. I was amazed at how bad Nick Baker was as a presenter. He obviously knows his stuff and came alive in the discussions on Unsprung, when he could demonstrate his knowledge, but the rest of the time he looked out his depth fronting a live programme. I suppose they did have a lot of glitches and minor catastrophes in the red button output and he was suffering from a cold which didn't help. As everyone else liked him, I guess it is I who am in the wrong.

Ron

I have to agree with you Ron, I thought Martin H-G was a better presenter of Unsprung for all his faults.

 

[Farnboro John]

I have to agree with you Ron, I thought Martin H-G was a better presenter of Unsprung for all his faults.

Perhaps the solution is to go 2+2 and have Michaela and MHG do Unsprung while the two naturalists do the prowling and getting down and dirty?

John

 

[JTweedie]

Perhaps the solution is to go 2+2 and have Michaela and MHG do Unsprung while the two naturalists do the prowling and getting down and dirty?

John

Good idea. I like Strachan as a presenter, but I sometimes wonder what she brings to the main programme considering Packham is the one doing all the explaining and describing.

With her experience in nature programmes she should be given more to do, but she seems to just be filling the Kate Humble role of being the link between the audience and the "expert" presenter.

Perhaps they could borrow the model used on Dara O Briain's Science Club. He's the main presenter around which the programme revolves, but he has experts in - one guy doing live experiments, a couple who go out making short films about various topics, and other guests from academe brought into the studio to offer their expertise.

Strachan could be that anchor, with Baker, Packham and others.

How about someone from the BTO to talk about latest migration research, or the RSPB talking about their environment scale reserves and how they should make a difference. People from universities and the research bodies talking about their latest work exploring the natural world. Who they get depends on what they want to talk about, perhaps it could even be topical like the badger culling issue.

Someone mentioned further back in this thread about the old way Autumnwatch was presented of one episode a week - for me this was a brilliant format and allowed them to really explore the changing season. They would not have to be based out at a reserve, a studio based format would work well as long as they've still got people out making films in the field (which is obviously an essential aspect of this type of programme!)

I don't intend it to become too "intellectual", it should still be accessible to a wide audience, especially those who have stuck by it over the years, but Packham has gradually been making the series more informative, so my suggestion would be just an extension of this. Unsprung would continue and would still provide the light hearted side of things.

 

[Farnboro John]

Unsprung is great, not least because of the quizzes. I don't know anybody who can resist a quiz and they are so well thought out that I don't know about you but I hardly ever get everything right. I've seen about enough Starlings, both murmuring and up close in the studio, to last me a lifetime, though!

John

 

[Bird-Nut]

"How about someone from the BTO to talk about latest migration research, or the RSPB talking about their environment scale reserves and how they should make a difference. People from universities and the research bodies talking about their latest work exploring the natural world. Who they get depends on what they want to talk about, perhaps it could even be topical like the badger culling issue.

Someone mentioned further back in this thread about the old way Autumnwatch was presented of one episode a week - for me this was a brilliant format and allowed them to really explore the changing season. They would not have to be based out at a reserve, a studio based format would work well as long as they've still got people out making films in the field (which is obviously an essential aspect of this type of programme!)

."

I think your idea to bring in someone frorm the BTO is an excellent one, and one which would have really brought "Migration-Watch" to the fore and informative. I felt the series of programmes over the 4 nights failed largely to illustrate the wonders of migration in autumn - just highlighting the species, waxwing, redwing, and brambling (I know others where mentioned briefly throughout the week) but as a whole it was woefully insufficient to illustrate the subject of migration.

I agree with other posts that the present format doesn't help with presentation - and that a return to the previous format of once a week gives more time and space to present the facts.

I couldn't see what the point of anyone going out in the pitch dark in a vehicle to observe wildlife - it didn't add anything to the programme.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Someone mentioned further back in this thread about the old way Autumnwatch was presented of one episode a week - for me this was a brilliant format and allowed them to really explore the changing season. They would not have to be based out at a reserve, a studio based format would work well as long as they've still got people out making films in the field (which is obviously an essential aspect of this type of programme!

I agree with this completely. I would much rather have one hour-long programme per week spread over several weeks, to allow us to see the seasonal changes developing. I really can't see the point of them sitting in the dark, broadcasting live. With one programme per week they should be able to accumulate plenty of content from their cameramen and expert contributors to really pack a studio-based programme with interesting features and little or no padding.

Ron

 

[derek marsden]

I remember I was at minsmere in September 2012 were I first seen a kingfisher a bittern and my first avocet.i will try to get to Leighton moss sometime.i went to Martin mere in 2011.i do think the autumn watch was not on long enough 4 nights went very fast I think it slough of been on for 2weeks.

 

[Himalaya]

They need to start filming from October ie when autumn starts. The filming live in the dark is pointless that is for sure.

Have Glossy Ibis really started to breed in Britain or was it a mistake from Chris?