Autumnwatch. (1 Viewer)

[palval147]

A very good AW again tonight. I liked all the prog. I'm not bothered by Crane flies. I don't remember seeing many this year, but some years there have been hundreds. Not good the mother seal suckling those pups that aren't hers. I can see that being a big problem. I did enjoy the city wildlife too & even the rutting deer.||

 

[Peewit]

A most enjoyable programme this evening! Heart warming to see the Seal mum fostering the pups, fingers crossed that it will be a happy outcome. The bats, piglets, Cattle & Little Egrets all good to see and hear about! I found the New forest feature particularly interesting regarding the acorns. I never knew they were a danger to horses when eaten in large quantities!:eek!:

Good news with our inner cities!:t: Do you reckon the powers that be read this thread then, Brian! Cor blimey, best watch we are saying about the rutting then!o

The Crane flies were fascinating...weren't they, Ruth? It's ok, you can come out from behind the settee now, they have gone!:-O

Hi Pam

I love the program tonight and enjoyed it a lot, and all what you have mentioned yourself Pam.

The Red Squirrels where great fun to watch.

I have got to admit I did not know about the Acorns being a danger to the horses if eaten in large quantities. We live and learn.
Loved the pigs and the piglets wow they love to snuffle about and eat everything they can. Never knew a nose ring could stop them from rooting up valuable Flora.

Loved the Dartford Warbler too - what a handsome bird and very distinctive to see with its long tail. The grey and chestnut colouration is very eye catching.

Hi Brian

So you are famous and have a special place on Autumnwatch. Good for you stating your thoughts about about the inner areas of suburbia. They do need a mention as much as everywhere else. :t:

The inner city film portrayed that wildlife really does exist everywhere you least expect as the film showed. To see an otter in the middle of a city is something else even though they stole fish out a back garden pond - cheeky monkeys!

 

[Kits]

Oh yes, I forgot about the pigs! That was actually my favourite part of the whole programme. I knew about acorns and horses. I do like pigs, and those were particularly handsome ones.

Same here, Val, daddylonglegs don't bother me either.

 

[Pam_m]

A very good AW again tonight. I liked all the prog. I'm not bothered by Crane flies. I don't remember seeing many this year, but some years there have been hundreds. Not good the mother seal suckling those pups that aren't hers. I can see that being a big problem. I did enjoy the city wildlife too & even the rutting deer.||

Very few Crane flies seen around here also, Val! I wonder why? The damp summer we had perhaps?

Ruth is not very fond of Crane flies, that is why I mentioned them! She will just love the reminder in the morning when she reads this thread!o

For you, Ruth!:flowers

 

[Ruth Daniel]

Very few Crane flies seen around here also, Val! I wonder why? The damp summer we had perhaps?

Ruth is not very fond of Crane flies, that is why I mentioned them! She will just love the reminder in the morning when she reads this thread!o

For you, Ruth!:flowers

Thanks Pam!!!!!
Actually I missed the Crane Fly footage.......but will be brave and watch it later!
Fascinating about the Brummie Otter!!

 

[NIK III]

It was a good programme last night. Lots of interesting stuff. The Squirrel, Otters and Seals in particular. Now I know why I had so many Crane flys in the kitchen a couple of months ago. I got a bit fed up of climbing on the work tops to cup them in my hands and let them out. I've never liked killing them. My moment of the show was the slow motion Avocet. It gave us time to soak up the elegance of the bird.

 

[Kits]

Actually I missed the Crane Fly footage.......

You didn't fall asleep again, did you, Ruth? :-O

 

[bill moss]

Hi Folks,

Slightly traumatic visit to the dentist yesterday so didn't come onto the Board, but I did watch last night's effort. (Just in case you are wondering 4 'small' fillings and on that measure of small I'd hate to have a 'big' one).

Brian, I thought at first that it was a Rough-Legged Buzzard (white rump) so went back onto the Beeb iplayer and had a stop-frame look; now I think that it was a young pale-phase as the white area wasn't extensive enough and the tail end was just a large dark area, not a proper band. You may think different, have a look and let me know.

Interesting about the Spoonbills, I shall keep an eye on that; it was certainly mating display behaviour but then they may just nip off back to the Netherlands (or S to France) when the time comes. I won't be able to get to Brownsea itself next week but I'm hoping that one (or more) of them might venture off into the Harbour. Haven't got a decent shot of a Spoonbill, only a 'banker'.

I really shouldn't be surprised that Moths migrate at night but I was a bit. Must admit that so far I'm enjoying the Insects bits rather more than the Deer.

I'm another who's finding the slo-mo stuff fascinating. Again shouldn;t be surprised at the Squirrel using it's tail as a balance, that's why they have them for nipping around in trees, but it really got a work-out along that line; the Greys seem to be much more at home on wires/ropes but that might just be practice.

Great to see the Otters re-colonising the cut and the other previously mucky bits of water. Never seen a wild Otter.

Loved the Piggies.

Ahhhh, the Snowy! Why can't one of them come a bit closer? Then I could hang up my bins a happy man when the time comes. (For those of you who don't already know, that is my 1 bird 'to see before I die', but it has to be in the UK).

Bill

 

[Bea]

I kept missing bits of last nights programme as I was fiddling with my new camera. Did I hear right, Otters along the Tyne in Newcastle? I'm not surprised because they've been see by the Aire in Leeds too. Amazing really when you think how heavily polluted these rivers once were.

I like pigs too but I'm not familiar with the breed we saw last night. Does anyone know? My grandad kept a few pigs and I remember them having rings in their noses. Their rooting made a mess of the field, down went their snouts and the turf was lifted in no time. I'm not sure the rings made much difference really.

Strangely enough I haven't noticed many Crane Flies at all this year, interesting creatures aren't they.

 

[brianfm]

I kept missing bits of last nights programme as I was fiddling with my new camera. Did I hear right, Otters along the Tyne in Newcastle? I'm not surprised because they've been see by the Aire in Leeds too. Amazing really when you think how heavily polluted these rivers once were.

I like pigs too but I'm not familiar with the breed we saw last night. Does anyone know? My grandad kept a few pigs and I remember them having rings in their noses. Their rooting made a mess of the field, down went their snouts and the turf was lifted in no time. I'm not sure the rings made much difference really.

Strangely enough I haven't noticed many Crane Flies at all this year, interesting creatures aren't they.

Yes you heard correctly Bea. Otters have been back on the Tyne for sometime, if they were ever in fact away. They are often seen in a local reserve in the city and are also seen in Jesmond Dene just off the city centre. I fear that since the Otters arrived at the reserve (also featured at some point on tv with Bill Oddie) there are less birds on the water. I am not the only one to say this. There are photographs in the hide taken by a local birder of an Otter dragging off a Cormorant into the reeds for lunch. One of my very early posts on BF (before exbeeb began)was to report that Otters where then being recorded in over 100 cities and towns in the UK. It says much I think for the general clean up of our rivers. All is not doom and gloom. Salmon in the Tyne have also been a focus on the Animals on the Move series on Radio Four. Some were tagged and followed. Sadly one was caught by a fisherman. (Sad for the Salmon, anyway).

An elderly lady was reported in the local papers to be buying buckets of fish to feed to an Otter from the dene. I suspect this was put an end to when the Otter became greedy and began to take her neighbours ornamental fish! Anoher lady reported a 'Crocodile' in the dene's burn. On investigation it turned out to be an Otter. Not enough water with her drink perhaps!

Bill......Interesting. I will take a look again later. I think I may need the books out though. I knew I wasn't dreaming. The camera man seemed to realise he was onto something a little unusual. I'm surprised it went on without at least some comment from one of the presenters. I began to wonder if it was just a Common Buzzard, as they come in all varieties.

 

[Ruth Daniel]

You didn't fall asleep again, did you, Ruth? :-O

lol....no,I wanted to watch Little Doritt and we were already recording something else......so the Crane Flies had to go!o

 

[palval147]

I usually watch Little Dorrit on BBCiplayer, as it clashes with so much.

Going back to crane flies. When we used to go out on the horses, a few years ago, my friend & I, up on Dartmoor, the crane flies & there were millions, used to fly up under the horses hooves & swarm all around us. The horses used to snort & toss their heads in disgust, they hated them. I haven't seen them in such numbers since.

 

[Peewit]

lol....no,I wanted to watch Little Doritt and we were already recording something else......so the Crane Flies had to go!o

Little Doritt is a lovely little program worth watching anytime.

Charles Dickens stories are very worh the stories that they are worth watching anyday!!!

I usually watch Little Dorrit on BBCiplayer, as it clashes with so much.

Going back to crane flies. When we used to go out on the horses, a few years ago, my friend & I, up on Dartmoor, the crane flies & there were millions, used to fly up under the horses hooves & swarm all around us. The horses used to snort & toss their heads in disgust, they hated them. I haven't seen them in such numbers since.

Hi Val

I never knew how much Craneflies have such a life of what we expect from seeing 'Craneflies'.

Yes, they are an influence when it comes to horses, but horses are wise to all the torment they can endure from all types of biting insects.

Or, so it seems!!!!!!

 

[Bea]

I didn't know that Otters had such bad habits Brian, I thought it was only Mink who did that sort of thing!

 

[Pam_m]

An interesting programme this evening, much better than last nights. I felt more information on migration should have been given than the almost scant mention it was given last night. However, I thought the feature on the Ravens this evening was fascinating. Such clever birds!

I did feel uncomfortable watching the Sea Eagle chicks being fitted with the satellite transmitters, surely in these days of high technology a less obtrusive transmitter could have been fitted! Having said that I appreciate the value of tagging and tracking the daily activities and whereabouts of these majestic birds.

Fun on the Farnes this week with the arrival of the Bulls!!!! Move over Sika Deer, the Seals are going to steal the limelight this week!

 

[palval147]

The Ravens feature was interesting & seeing the tame one yesterday too.
I think the transmitters on the young Eagles are a super idea, to find out where they are going. They did it to the Geese last year.
I liked the Fox story, bet that lady has a lovely home & a very expensive one.
The seals are deffinately going to out shine the deer rutt.

 

[Peewit]

An interesting programme this evening, much better than last nights. I felt more information on migration should have been given than the almost scant mention it was given last night. However, I thought the feature on the Ravens this evening was fascinating. Such clever birds!

I did feel uncomfortable watching the Sea Eagle chicks being fitted with the satellite transmitters, surely in these days of high technology a less obtrusive transmitter could have been fitted! Having said that I appreciate the value of tagging and tracking the daily activities and whereabouts of these majestic birds.

Fun on the Farnes this week with the arrival of the Bulls!!!! Move over Sika Deer, the Seals are going to steal the limelight this week!

Hi Pam

I thought the information about migration was scant too. even the rare breeds mentioned was a bit thin on the ground. I did love the look of the Hooded Mergs. What handsome birds

I know what you mean about the satellite transmitters on the WTE's. I think they they appear cumbersome.
I had a vision of a Sea Eagle flying close to trees and the aerial of the Transmitter getting caught in the branches of the trees. :eek!:

As for the Ravens - they are fascinating birds and they are so big - two feet long (looked up my books). That is some size. Loved Mystic the captive Raven. It is good that someone has set up 'Raven Haven' for sick and injured Ravens.
Ravens know how to get their food (hopefully not to many McDonald's ). Loved the way they have the knack of knowing what are hard enough surfaces (car parks) for cracking winkle and cockle shells (and similar)

The Ravens feature was interesting & seeing the tame one yesterday too.
I think the transmitters on the young Eagles are a super idea, to find out where they are going. They did it to the Geese last year.
I liked the Fox story, bet that lady has a lovely home & a very expensive one.
The seals are definitely going to out shine the deer rutt.

Hi Val

I have seen the idea about the transmitters used on WTE in Mull on animal 24:7 on BBC 2 (when it comes on). In this program we where treated to seeing everything from a birds prospective (like we where sitting on the birds back) seeing out of an eagles eyes. Really interesting stuff. Have to admit I hope that the transmitter aerial is not an issue (causing the bird distress if they get stuck somewhere).

The Bulls are so intimidating. I am pleased I am not a female seal. What scary looking 'boys' :eek!:
There will be plenty of entertainment tonight about the Bulls no doubt. :-O

 

[charlierocky]

The Ravens feature was interesting & seeing the tame one yesterday too.
I think the transmitters on the young Eagles are a super idea, to find out where they are going. They did it to the Geese last year.
I liked the Fox story, bet that lady has a lovely home & a very expensive one.
The seals are deffinately going to out shine the deer rutt.

I don't think the WTSE will have much of a problem with the transmitters. If they are the same type as the ones that have been fitted to the Ospreys recently and they migrate 3000-3500 miles then the WTSE with it's 8 foot wing span should be no problem.

 

[Peewit]

Just to let you know Autumnwatch is on 7-8pm tonight on BBC 2 - changed schedule fro some reason.

Also Sir David Attenborough is on One show at 7 - 7.30pm tonight

So both programs are over-running each other. Thank goodness for BBC i-player for both programs.

 

[Bea]

Just to let you know Autumnwatch is on 7-8pm tonight on BBC 2 - changed schedule fro some reason

Probably due to whats been happening in the USA Kathy :king:.Just watching Simon diving now.