On the trail of Tarka. (1 Viewer)

Ruth Daniel · Oct 24, 2006

On the trail of Tarka.

Hi all,
Just to let you all know that tomorrow night at 8pm on BBC 2 another Philippa Forrester film this time following in the footsteps of Henry Williamsons "Tarka the Otter".
The film follows a year in the life of a family of Otters living in the same river as the book was based on some 80 years ago....even the Kingfisher still nests in the same place apparently! :t:
There is some superb footage from inside the holt too and the whole program beautifully filmed by Philippa's husband and narrated by herself in her usual wonderful style.
Get out those blank videos!!!
Best wishes,

Bridie · Oct 24, 2006

Ruth Daniel said:
On the trail of Tarka.

Hi all,
Just to let you all know that tomorrow night at 8pm on BBC 2 another Philippa Forrester film this time following in the footsteps of Henry Williamsons "Tarka the Otter".
The film follows a year in the life of a family of Otters living in the same river as the book was based on some 80 years ago....even the Kingfisher still nests in the same place apparently! :t:
There is some superb footage from inside the holt too and the whole program beautifully filmed by Philippa's husband and narrated by herself in her usual wonderful style.
Get out those blank videos!!!
Best wishes,

Thanks Ruth for the info. Will remember.

Bridie

pie · Oct 24, 2006

Oooo! Thanks Ruth

brianfm · Oct 24, 2006

Thanks Ruth. Sounds good and I will try not to miss it.
I was only recently reading about Henry Williamson as I had set a related question in a quiz at the RSPB meeting. I understand HW gained much of his knowlege of Otters from having joined Otter hunts and the bit in the book where Tarka kills a hound is based on a factual event. I have always mixed up Tarka the Otter with the story Ring of Bright Water written by Gavin Maxwell. Nice film. I belive the Otter in Ring of Bright Water was based on a species of Otter brought back to the UK from Iraq. I seem to remember that there is something along the lines that Maxwell claimed some credit for discovering a new species which in fact had been found by Wilfred Thesiger during his stay amongst the Marsh Arabs. I think it led to Thesiger and Maxwell who had been longstanding friends falling out irretrievably. I am full of facts tonight, hope they are at least, almost correct. lol Nowt to do with the programme you mention but at least wildlife related! lol Anyway, now that I have built up a head of steam I can reccomend the fairly recent biography of Wilfred Thesiger to anyone interested in travel. Quite a man if somewhat odd, but aren't we all? Now there you are i have raised the tone and littery(SP) standards of exbeebers to a new level!

Thanks also for the info on that album Chris mentioned. Unfortunately there is not enough of each track to listen to the lyrics related to birds which I was interested in. May have to be a cool guy and buy it.

that will impress Chris when he returns from his drunken debauchery in Edinburgh. (sorry if you see this mate, only joking. Hope that you had a good time) Lots of modern music I do like, if not quite up to the standards of Dire Straits!!! lol Do you remeber that thread on the BBC? Seems ages ago now. Qiute a few faces involved in that thread that are not around now. I wonder what happened to Silverlady?

take care

Kits · Oct 24, 2006

I saw the interview with Phillippa Forrester on the Breakfast News this morning and it looks as though it should be a lovely programme.

Ruth Daniel · Oct 25, 2006

brianfm said:
Lots of modern music I do like, if not quite up to the standards of Dire Straits!!! lol Do you remeber that thread on the BBC? Seems ages ago now. Qiute a few faces involved in that thread that are not around now. I wonder what happened to Silverlady?

Hi Brian and all,
Yes remember that thread well Brian.....seems a long time ago now though! I often wonder what became of Silverlady,Collared Dove and Keith Lester....remember them?
Oh dear I'll be getting out me old 45's if I go any further down memory lane!!!
Dire Straits still get played regulary here along with Meatloaf (can't wait to hear his new one...it's on my xmas wish list!) and the likes of Elton John,etc...(his new album is superb btw)
Back to Otters.....yes Ring of Bright Water was written by Maxwell,we visited the spot in Dumfries and Galloway where he used to watch the Otter on the beach.....there is a lovely sculpture of the Otter high up on the cliffs there,see pic.
Best wishes,

Wendy Morris · Oct 25, 2006

It was a great programme. Everything was good, but I have to say that I liked the bit inside the holt the best when they were settling to sleep. Real `ah` factor for me.

Renee Redstart · Oct 25, 2006

I completely missed out on this one, but now notice that it's repeated on Sunday - saved! I really enjoyed Phillipa Forrester's Wild Wood programme, so wouldn't want to miss this.

brianfm · Oct 25, 2006

I missed it too. Football on the radio. I like a break from wildlife occasionally, although there tends to be a bit on the football field.. Magpies won for a change. Anyway I shall watch it on Sunday now that I know it is repeated.

Cheers

Silvershark · Oct 26, 2006

Good programme! The only thing that bothered me was the bit at the end with the otter after his Tarka had been missing for months...was he suggesting it was "his" Tarka?

Sue Wright · Oct 26, 2006

Silvershark said:
Good programme! The only thing that bothered me was the bit at the end with the otter after his Tarka had been missing for months...was he suggesting it was "his" Tarka?

Thanks Kat, not just me after all then. Great programme though and I must admit to liking Charlie Hamilton James' approach to Nature, am sure we'll see a lot more of him in the future after his good start off with BO, I think??

A lovely insight to what the Holts are like as well as the wonderful behaviour shown between them whilst in there. Terrific photography using the river mist to great advantage, we were both very impressed!

Sue.

Ruth Daniel · Oct 26, 2006

Silvershark said:
..was he suggesting it was "his" Tarka?

Hi all,
Kat,Sue........we all tend to use "our" birds when we talk about the birds in our gardens etc,so I think thats all he meant? And after a years watching and filming to that degree I think very understandable to use the word.
Sue.....BO????
Great prog overall though wasn't it?
With some amazing shots and the footage was inside the holt was just gorgeous,weren't they sweet?!!!
I didn't realise they could take a Moorhen though!! :eek!:
Glad you all enjoyed it!
Best wishes,

Linda Beaumont · Oct 26, 2006

Wendy Morris said:
It was a great programme. Everything was good, but I have to say that I liked the bit inside the holt the best when they were settling to sleep. Real `ah` factor for me.

Bonjour, y'all ! :hi:

Ruth, many thanks for pointing out the Tarka programme to me - I might otherwise have missed a real treat (fortunately it was shown on the Beeb - we can't get ITV here, so no Corrie for us - probably just as well!!!). :t:

Like Wendy, my favourite bit was the "settling to sleep"... aaaaah !!! (there's my Disney side showing again... sorry!) :bounce:

No problem with "my" or "our" birds. Just a term of endearment, I feel, not of possessiveness. On the other hand, when I call you "my" friend, Sue, I'm feeling VERY possessive!!! LOL !!!! :loveme:

Ed and I are coming over to Canterbury for a few days on Saturday - we'll be able to revisit Dungeness - not the right time of year for the migratory birds, I fear, but a bracing walk (and they have an excellent RSPB shop!)

Warmest wishes to you all -

Ruth Daniel · Oct 26, 2006

Linda Beaumont said:
not the right time of year for the migratory birds, I fear, but a bracing walk (and they have an excellent RSPB shop!)

Glad you enjoyed the prog Linda!
So you'll not be doing much twitching then my friend?

But plenty of slurping B

and shopping eh? 3

Have a great time whatever you do!!!!

Silvershark · Oct 26, 2006

Ruth Daniel said:
Hi all,
Kat,Sue........we all tend to use "our" birds when we talk about the birds in our gardens etc,so I think thats all he meant? And after a years watching and filming to that degree I think very understandable to use the word.

No I mean was he suggesting that it was the same male otter he had been watching? If he couldn't tell whether the dead otter on the road was Tarka or not how can he suggest (at least it seemed that way to me) that a random otter that appeared in March was the same one?

Ruth Daniel · Oct 26, 2006

Silvershark said:
No I mean was he suggesting that it was the same male otter he had been watching? If he couldn't tell whether the dead otter on the road was Tarka or not how can he suggest (at least it seemed that way to me) that a random otter that appeared in March was the same one?

Ah I understand now,sorry!
Yes it was a little confusing at the end wasn't it?
Maybe a deliberate ploy for a happy ending if it was Tarka on the road....do you think??

Judo · Oct 26, 2006

Hi Ruth & All,
I agree wholeheartedly with you all, it was a lovely prog. very well made, and lovely film inside the Holt, (group AAAHHHH!!).
With ref. to the "my Tarka", I think like us all when we grow attached to 'our' birds, he wanted to believe that it was 'his Tarka' that survived, and who can blame him for that! I wanted to believe it too!! I know it's sentimentalising Nature, but does that really matter?? in this instance anyway.
Did anyone else see the little ten minute film of the Ravens that followed? I enjoyed that too. Clever birds, and so enjoying their 'wind-surfing'!!
All in all a very enjoyable hours viewing.
A BIG Thank you to Ruth for reminding us of it :clap: :clap: or I for one would have missed it.
All the Best to You All, Judo.

Silvershark · Oct 26, 2006

Ruth Daniel said:
Ah I understand now,sorry!
Yes it was a little confusing at the end wasn't it?
Maybe a deliberate ploy for a happy ending if it was Tarka on the road....do you think??

Yup, the ending actually ruined it for me. Okay, maybe a little bit of sugar coating is nice but if they wanted to do that they could have just said he'd left to find a territory of his own or something and not said anything about the one killed by the car. Especially when male otters travel large distances to find new territories it comes across as a bit silly and clinging to a "happily ever after" scenario.

the Raven film afterwards was great though!

There should be more Ravens on TV lol

brianfm · Oct 26, 2006

Ruth Daniel said:
Ah I understand now,sorry!
Yes it was a little confusing at the end wasn't it?
Maybe a deliberate ploy for a happy ending if it was Tarka on the road....do you think??

Lol and I was just about to jump in and say yes of course your right Ruth. Good job I read on. From what everyone is saying it sounded a very good programme and I shall make sure I watch on Sunday. In the meantime I am off to feed my Balckbirds. I think I must get around to reading 'Tarka the Otter'.

Cheers

Ruth Daniel · Oct 26, 2006

Hi all,
I agree Judo and Kat the Ravens were wonderful weren't they AND on my favourite island too.....another excuse to re-visit! :t:
I love to hear them croak.....we have a pair locally and they very often fly over croaking as they go....almost announcing their arrival.....a real treat to see and hear for sure! :t:
Brian......another book on the list eh? Not enough hours in the day is there?
Best wishes to all,

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