Latest migration news 27th November
(Martin's currently away filming in Siberia of all place. So I posted this for him - Jeremy, Autumnwatch web producer.)
Another wonderful weekly catch up on bird world news from our friends at the .
Archives for November 2009
Flickr favourites part 3
The team have loved looking at the fabulous photos you've been sending in to the .
Here's another selection of our favourites from the last few weeks.
Filming ptarmigan in the Cairngorms
It was quite funny how it worked out. About ten days ago I was sitting in my favourite cafe in Glasgow writing an article for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Wildlife Magazine. It was a fieldcraft piece about how to find mountain hare and ptarmigan. Both are species that I love, mainly because of their mountain habitat, but also they are two species I have fond memories of from a time when I filmed them lots when I was 'learning' to become a cameraman.
Your ideas for Springwatch 2010
Now that Autumnwatch has come to a close, it's time for us to start thinking about next year's Springwatch. And that's where we need your help. Do you have any specific ideas about who, what or where we should feature? Are there any concepts, themes or debates we should bring up and discuss? If so, please post your comments below.
Autumnwatch website: how did it do?
Just like on the programme itself, on this year's Autumnwatch website we've been able to follow the whole season from start to finish. How do you think it's worked? What new features could we bring in? What should we do more of? What should we do less of? Which areas did you like the most?
Your thoughts on this year's Autumnwatch
I hope you've enjoyed Autumnwatch, which this year spanned the whole season. I've been amazed at how much wonderful wildlife the UK has been able to offer us. In order to bring you this range of autumn treats, we changed the shape of the series to one show a week. Have you liked this change? (And before you ask, don't worry, the shape of Springwatch will be staying the same as it ever was...)
Bird feeding: an endless source of fascination
A few years ago I gave my mother a bird feeder for Christmas. I thought it was a rather good present. As it turned out she didn't! A couple of months later I got the feeder back. "It doesn't work," she told me. "No birds came"...
Latest migration news 20th November 2009
Another wonderful weekly catch up on bird world news from our friends at the .
Tell us what you thought about Unpsrung
So we've come to the end of the madness and mayhem that was Autumnwatch Unsprung and we'd love to hear what you thought about it.
Where UK winter arrives first
Remember how Autumnwatch began? We were celebrating the end of summer at a cider orchard in Herefordshire. The team felt a stark contrast with this week's location, around Aviemore in Scotland. Travelling nearly 600 miles north helped, but seeing snow-capped mountains made it feel like winter had arrived.
Chris Watson's rook soundscape
Wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson made some special recordings of the roosting rooks at Norfolk. He managed to get a pair of microphones right under the roost in the trees and so was able to get sounds that you'd never be able to hear in real life beacuse you'd spook the rooks.
How and where to see rooks roosting
From James Smith, Simon King's producer/director for this year's Autumnwatch.
The rook and jackdaw roost Simon visited in Norfolk is by no means the only place you can witness this winter spectacle. From now until late February, when the birds' breeding season begins, possibly every rook and jackdaw in the land will be gathering at dusk and spending the night in an area of woodland, somewhere near you. It's a quintessential winter experience.
My album cover cue cards
Many people seemed to want and of course there were plenty more to go, particularly if I had strayed into Morrissey's solo career. But sorry, I'm not very good at staying in the same place, and even though there were other prolific and well-loved bands whose titles would have provided a challenge for me and amusement to the discerning viewer I'm afraid I felt that game had been played.
Unsprung quiz 13th November
Sniff... It's the last show of the series. Hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have.
A quick quiz this week... Can you identify this mystery object? Chris brought it in. He thinks it's the bee's knees (not literally).
How to help our seas and sealife
If you're a fan of marine wildlife you'll have cause to celebrate the Marine and Coastal Access Act. It passed into law on 12 November 2009 and applies to the coast of England and Wales. (The Scottish parliament is also considering a Marine Bill.)
Photostory: Filming our ospreys' winter home in west Africa
James Smith, Simon King's producer/director for this year's Autumnwatch, writes about the team's trip to west Africa.
This Autumnwatch, one of Simon's goals was to link Britain to the places our birds migrate to and from. He began by heading up to the Arctic to find and film barnacle geese before they set off for our shores. Last week, he completed the other half of the migration story by heading south, following Scottish ospreys on their 3,000 mile migration to west Africa.
Latest migration news 13th November
This week's migration update from the features a fascinating look at where our summer migrants will have got to by now, as well as looking at what's being done to help find out more about the worrying downward trends in many of their populations.
Why the beach is at its best in autumn
Autumnwatch goes coastal for its 13 November edition, focusing on marine wildlife in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales to show the beach is not just for summer.
Why I enjoy watching rather than picking fungi
It was late starting but by the end of October there were a good selection of fungal fruiting bodies in the woods where I'm walked by . There were good numbers of those marvellous pixie plinths, the , some deep crimson blushers, puffballs, brackets and those white specked red toadstools, the .
Guess the birds
Identifying birds is a real skill. Usually the challenge is in recognising something you see only fleetingly. We're giving you as long as you like to tell us what these birds are but we've tried not to make it too easy.
So guess what species these images show...
Unsprung animal superstitions and your questions 6th November
We've all heard loads of superstitions to do with animals (magpies, black cats, rabbit's foot etc). We'd love to hear about any ones you know... the weirder the better. Please tell us about them below.
And, of course, please keep posting your wildlife questions for the team to try to answer on Unsprung.
The red squirrel debate: Have your say
Red squirrel conservation, like most wildlife conservation, is a tricky and ongoing subject with many variables. Some argue the reds are doomed by the grey invasion. Others believe careful planning can save our native species.
But what do you think? Should we save red squirrels at all costs? Are greys pests or now as much a part of our natural surroundings as their red cousins? What methods should we use to save the reds? Please post a comment below.
Below we've laid out what we think are the key arguments and facts in the debate.
The wet wet woods of the Lake District
Well, it's week six of eight, and the plan was to capture the UK's autumn colour-scape in one of the most picturesque places in the UK, Borrowdale in the Lake District.
Unfortunately things don't always go as planned...
Latest migration news 6th November 2009
This week's news from the features a veritable explosion of fabulous-looking birds to give any fireworks display a run for its money!
Flickr favourites part 2
The team have loved looking at the fabulous photos you've been sending in to the .
Here's another selection of our favourites from the last few weeks.
