Birds On Television

Bernard McGurrin · Status: Offline

RE: Birds On Television

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Tim Wilcox wrote:

Wigan Flashes and Willow Tits on Countryfile right now

Yeah I saw it Tim, quite interesting, had no idea there were 20 pairs there.

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Wigan Flashes and Willow Tits on Countryfile right now

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Watching Autumnwatch off tape and Sarfraz Hayat had his picture on the show. Nice one Sarfraz

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Wednesday 29th of October 2014 10:44:35 PM

Tony Darby · Status: Offline

Steve Suttill wrote:

Tony O'Mahony doing an excellent Bill Oddie impersonation on Inside Out North West (BBC1) last night

Yes, he scrubbed up well for the cameras and was very patient with a not very knowledgable interviewer.
Plus, it goes without saying that his binocular wrangling was top quality. smile

-- Edited by Tony Darby on Tuesday 7th of October 2014 09:34:18 PM

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Tony O'Mahony doing an excellent Bill Oddie impersonation on Inside Out North West (BBC1) last night smile

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Flock of Pink-footed Geese heard flying over Gleneagles as Justin Rose was putting out. Pied Wagtails picked up by the mics all over the course

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Saturday 27th of September 2014 08:55:55 PM

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

Mike Savage wrote:

The Big Year struck me as quite a 'British' film - big stars doing cameos, the lead actors not completely hogging it, sedate pace. And great birds!

Worth three quid of my hard earned cash then Mike lol biggrin

Mike Savage · Status: Offline

The Big Year struck me as quite a 'British' film - big stars doing cameos, the lead actors not completely hogging it, sedate pace. And great birds!

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

Thanks for that, Craig smile

May nip & get it as I haven't seen it! Does this mean it's due on TV soon too? smile

Craig Higson · Status: Offline

Mark Rigby wrote:

For anyone who hasn't seen it, "The Big Year" is being sold on DVD at Sainsbury's for £3.

I don't really like to admit it, but I quite like this film. Some stereo typical nonsense, some factually dubious stuff, all to make it more interesting of course, but actually its better than a lot of other films I've seen.

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

For anyone who hasn't seen it, "The Big Year" is being sold on DVD at Sainsbury's for £3.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Only able to listen on the radio at work. Commentators have named two of the pigeons Brian (Close) and Dickie (Bird) disbelief

Neil McCall · Status: Offline

Treat at the English cricket today - the TV cameras captured a Red Kite flying over the ground at Headingley. Ian Botham remarked on seeing a load whilst driving between Leeds and his hotel in Harrogate.

Rick Hall · Status: Offline

Thought they were kites, but having zero knowledge of Indian birdlife, I wasn't confident. There are loads of them!

Tanmay Dixit · Status: Offline

Very true doc, pity the 'impartial' BBC does this. Rick, I've not been watching the IPL religiously, but most of what I've seen have been feral pigeons and black kites - the bangalore stadium I seem to recall seems to have a sky full of kites whenever the camera pans upwards!

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

Tanmay Dixit wrote:

On 'Britain's natural world: unnatural history of london' tonight 7pm bbc4, the presenter says 'most birders are solitary types, gatherings of birders are uncommon.' And implies that birders don't like others 'intruding' on their patch - this is called poaching apparently. Am I being unreasonable when I think that this is both inaccurate (I quite like birding with other like-minded people personally) and misleading to the general public? I imagine that if I was a non-birder I might think 'whoa these people are really weird' given only this information. Some nice footage of peregrines etc however, though I admit the earlier comments have put me off a bit.

I agree totally Tanmay, unfortunately the media like to portray us as stereotypes and one of those is the antisocial, loner, wierdo types sneaking around alone with binoculars......... I think the majority of us are NOT like this at all!!!

Rick Hall · Status: Offline

Tonnes of birds streaming over the top of each of the grounds in the IPL. I can't identify any of them, but there are raptors, gulls, pigeons, stork type things.. all sorts. At times, it's more interesting than the cricket!

Martyn Jones · Status: Offline

There's a short feature on the Glaslyn Ospreys on BBC Breakfast this morning.

Tanmay Dixit · Status: Offline

On 'Britain's natural world: unnatural history of london' tonight 7pm bbc4, the presenter says 'most birders are solitary types, gatherings of birders are uncommon.' And implies that birders don't like others 'intruding' on their patch - this is called poaching apparently. Am I being unreasonable when I think that this is both inaccurate (I quite like birding with other like-minded people personally) and misleading to the general public? I imagine that if I was a non-birder I might think 'whoa these people are really weird' given only this information. Some nice footage of peregrines etc however, though I admit the earlier comments have put me off a bit.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Caught the end of tonight's "Inside Out" on BBC1 featuring a very Summery Leighton Moss. May be worth a look on I-player.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Interesting programme on BBC2 at the moment on Vultures

Simon Gough · Status: Offline

There was a great sequence featuring Golden Eagle in the first show. Its all on iPlayer though I think

Charles Farrell · Status: Offline

Haven't managed to watch all 3 episodes of Winterwatch but did really enjoy the Dipper action in episode 2 and the all too brief Hen Harrier segment in episode 3. I also regret missing 'Lekking Live' on the webcam.

Simon Gough · Status: Offline

It might be a bit late so apologies if so, but the episode of Winterwatch Unsprung from last Wednesday 22/01 was ace, it had the 5 UK owls all on gloves in the studio. They sat there as good as gold, it was brilliant to see the size and plumage differences. The Short Eared looked the meanest, as you'd expect.

Better than this were episodes 2 and 3 of Wild Arabia on over the weekend. Episode 2 had a spell-binding sequence showing Verreaux's Eagles hunting in Oman. The 3rd episode showed the significance of irrigated farm land in UAE for migrants. Had some brilliant footage of Pied and Yellow Wagtails, with loads of other birds dotted in to the edit, Bluethroat and Woodchat Shrike for instance. But the icing on the cake was the footage of raptors hunting the small birds. I think I ID'd Long legged Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard and Black winged Kite which the narration didn't mention but they focussed on Hen Harriers, and showed a female hunting with some brilliant footage. Slightly different backdrop than Parkgate Marsh to be sure. Ace programme despite the current ubiquitous slow-motion footage with virtually no real time shots to compare to.

Wild Arabia was on BBC2, if it doesn't get repeated I'll be amazed. Winterwatch is on iPlayer

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

No problem, Keith, Toffee's Trauma, if there is to be any, won't happen until Monday this weekend. biggrin

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Sorry Mike..... I'm still Suffering from today's Trotters Trauma!.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Sorry, Keith, I was replying to Mike Passant. I should have clicked "quote" not "reply"........but I guess it fitted your post as well. biggrin

Mike

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Mike Chorley wrote:

Hi Mike.

Yes, it's a great series. I think this is about the third re-run, so with luck you'll get to see Part One sometimes. Alternatively, as it's a series Part One might still be on Iplayer, although that doesn't always happen with repeats. Always worth checking BBC4 for stuff like this.

Regards, Mike

Hi Mike ,
Quessed it might be a repeat, and did have a quick look down this thread but If it's on I missed it.
Anyway It's a must to watch.

P.S.It's Keith by the way smile

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Hi Mike.

Yes, it's a great series. I think this is about the third re-run, so with luck you'll get to see Part One sometimes. Alternatively, as it's a series Part One might still be on Iplayer, although that doesn't always happen with repeats. Always worth checking BBC4 for stuff like this.

Regards, Mike

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Just watched ''Wild China'' tonight BBC 4

South West China...amazing limestone and granite rock scenery.
50% of the program on birds:
Red-rumped Swallows, Black-tailed Godwits, A massive Little Egret colony, Slave Cormorants, Tundra Swans,
Siberian Cranes, 200,000 Chinese House Swifts in one Cave, 400 year old Turtle, 1000 year old trees. Giant Salamanders, Bats. Many more birds featured.
Fantastic!

-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 18th of January 2014 08:26:46 PM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

Almost ready to turn in last night, I indulged in a bit of channel hopping and came across "Lost Land of the Volcano" (BBC4 10pm) and was immediately hooked as it was about a team of biologists exploring remote caves and forests in Papua New Guinea.
The team were soon sharing their finds with the cameras; new species of frogs and insects, whilst others were going deep into terrifying subterranean caves down steep fast flowing rivulets with barely any headroom and using lazer tracking to map out new routes.
The highlights though for me were stunning shots of a stonking male King Bird of Paradise (both "in the hand" and also displaying to an interested female), a male Beautiful Fruit Dove (only one of the 45 or so Doves and Pigeons to be found on PNG), two displaying Raggiana Birds of Paradise, (one of which secured matings with two bedazzled females), and finally a Hook-billed Kingfisher, also in the hand.
I missed the first episode last week but cannot wait to see the final one next Thursday when the group, on the quest for new species, will enter a heavily forested volcanic crater with walls so steep that apparently hunters do not venture there, and which potentially offers the promise of being an effective "lost world".

On a sobering note, even though the indigenous people there really want to keep their forests (which they legally own) intact, they suffer from lack of income to afford schooling and antimalarial drugs, and the ever present temptation is to allow in logging, with the ever greedy Chinese and Indonesians waiting in the wings....

Charles Farrell · Status: Offline

The BTO are tweeting the following: "@BirdTrack: Check out #Countryfile @BBCOne this time tomorrow (7PM Sun 10/11). @tomheapmedia's piece on citizen science features #BirdTrack and @BTO_GBW."

Martyn Jones · Status: Offline

The Great British Year on BBC 1 has had some fantastic bird videos over the last three programmes.Tonight has had stunning shots of a Hobby catching dragonflies, a Nightjar churring and slapping wings as part of the mating ritual (via infrared camera) and newly fledged Little Owls catching worms.

There's one more program left in the series at 9pm next Thursday, but you can catch them all on BBC iPlayer here:

Winter - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01db15t/The_Great_British_Year_Winter/
Spring - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01dfksf/The_Great_British_Year_Spring/
Summer - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01dfl7j/The_Great_British_Year_Summer/
Autumn is yet to be made available

There is also a website for the series here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01db10t

And the best clips from each programme are available here:

Winter http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01db15t/clips (Great Crested Grebes, Knot, Garden Birds)
Spring http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01dfksf/clips (Guillemots, Shags, Eider)
Summer http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01dfl7j/clips (Nightjar, Hobby, Little Owl)
Autumn http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01dflmb/clips (some landscapes but still to be broadcast)

There are some great shots of other wildlife and seasonal landscapes too.

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Wednesday 16th of October 2013 10:43:16 PM

Martyn Jones · Status: Offline

Ah, remember the 90's? GMTV when Eamon Holmes was thin(ner), when Mr. Motivator was keeping us fit and 'Watching' was on TV. Well here's some GMTV video footage from the Leigh Ornithological Society's archive about a rather special little bird that popped into Pennington Flash for a few weeks back in 1994. Cut and paste the link below to see it.

http://leighos.org.uk

I knew I'd saved my VHS player for a reason. I bet some of you even remember the actual interview!

P.S. You can also click on the LOS link below.

-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Saturday 5th of October 2013 08:12:02 PM

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Sound of Ring-necked Parakeets in the background of tonight's Antiques Roadshow from Cirencester

Rob Creek · Status: Offline

Louis Hill wrote:

Britain's Big Wildlife Revival - 5:35pm on Sunday 18th August.

-- Edited by Louis Hill on Saturday 17th of August 2013 08:00:01 AM

It annoyed me when he was ringing the Peregrine chicks and he said...."I love Hawks and Owls" I nearly threw my tea at the TV shouting "it's a bloody Falcon you idiot!"

Louis Hill · Status: Offline

Britain's Big Wildlife Revival - 5:35pm on Sunday 18th August.

-- Edited by Louis Hill on Saturday 17th of August 2013 08:00:01 AM

James Walsh · Status: Offline

At least David Gower knew it was a Wagtail, I also saw the scenes you refer to, perhaps David Gower & Shane Warne could do with booking a place on the next Salford Quays Urban Safari to brush up on their "twitching" skills biggrin

Martyn Jones · Status: Offline

I'm always amazed at the amount of inane drivel that cricket commentators can come up with when it's raining and today David Gower failed to disappoint. He interrupted another pundit (I think it was Shane Warne) who was at least talking about cricket, to say that the most interesting thing that the camera could find was a Wagtail on the pitch near the covers.

He kept saying it was a Wagtail as if he had some knowledge of the subject (but couldn't say it was a Pied Wagtail) and made a comment that it looked lonely out there on it's own - well there certainly was an absence of cricketers on the pitch. He then said that it was usually a solitary bird, and so actually he didn't feel too sorry for it out there on it's own. He finished his little ornithological piece with the statement that "proper birders are called 'Twitchers' of course".

Perhaps you'd like to tweet him on my behalf.

Louis Hill · Status: Offline

Not really birds, but bees.

Horizon - What's Killing Our Bees?

Watch it on Iplayer if you missed it last night!

Nick Hilton · Status: Offline

sid ashton wrote:

GM Local Record Centre wrote:
URBAN JUNGLE - BBC 1 Thursday 1st Aug 19:00 to 19:30
Filmed in Manchester over recent weeks. This is a film about urban wildlife which is well worth watching.
Urban Jungle It features some of Manchester's iconic birds as well as a host of other wildlife to be found in our metropolis.
Nice to see James Walsh giving an interesting account of the birds of Salford Quays on the programme

Great stuff from James Walsh, even got them a shot of Gary the Goldeneye !!!! I can see a future double act on Britains Got Talent !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well done mate.

GM Local Record Centre · Status: Offline

And if you missed it you can watch it on the BBC i-player Urban Jungle

There was also some footage shot in Southern Cemetery of a Coal Tit nesting under a gravestone! Due to time limitations this didn't make it into the programme but can be viewed here Coal Tit

sid ashton · Status: Offline

GM Local Record Centre wrote:
URBAN JUNGLE - BBC 1 Thursday 1st Aug 19:00 to 19:30
Filmed in Manchester over recent weeks. This is a film about urban wildlife which is well worth watching.
Urban Jungle It features some of Manchester's iconic birds as well as a host of other wildlife to be found in our metropolis.

Nice to see James Walsh giving an interesting account of the birds of Salford Quays on the programme biggrin

GM Local Record Centre · Status: Offline

URBAN JUNGLE - BBC 1
Thursday 1st Aug 19:00 to 19:30

Filmed in Manchester over recent weeks. This is a film about urban wildlife which is well worth watching.
Urban Jungle

It features some of Manchester's iconic birds as well as a host of other wildlife to be found in our metropolis.

Paul Risley · Status: Offline

another webcam link that should be interesting when the eggs hatch is this Hobbies nest in hungary, also qualifies for unusual nest sites, its in a nest box put up for Saker Falcons, cracking scheme they have going over there.
www.mavir.hu/web/mavir-en/monitoring-birds-of-prey-with-cameras

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

Watch BBRC on The One Show, BBC1 7.00 pm TONIGHT, Thursday 4 July

gary mills · Status: Offline

I know this isn't exactly TV but the rspb have set up a webcam on a Marsh Harrier nest at Leighton Moss which makes great viewing. Just access the rspb web site and follow the links for Leighton moss.

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

I feel as though I ought to put on my BTO hat and comment on this matter, though the Nest Record Scheme is organised on a national basis and I have no official authority.

I did not see the programme in question as I can't bring myself to watch Springwatch these days. I can't cope from it veering from serious science one minute to childish trivia the next - and that seems to be the problem here.

The data that is collected from nest records certainly does outweigh the minimal disturbance that is caused by a properly trained and responsible researcher. However, from the comments below, I get the impression that this message was not made clear in the programme.

Nest recording, ringing, fitting transmitters, etc. all cause some amount of stress to birds, but so does getting too close to a Blackbird's nest whilst you hang out your washing. What's important is to be responsible with regard to the birds' welfare and make sure the data collected is submitted to the relevant recording scheme.

Nick Isherwood · Status: Offline

Henry Cook wrote:

I agree Sid.

I'm all for raising awareness, and although tapping is conducted by a currently small number of experienced ornithologists every year, I question the need to attempt to popularise to such a large extent this rather specialised activity.

The BTO had this to say on twitter in response to the issue raised:

"disturbance is always concern for us but if people follow basic guidelines it can be done safely & data extremely valuable"

Are all the potentially millions of people going to follow the 'basic guidelines' tomorrow when out on a walk, doubt it...
Henry.

I think the damage they will do will far outweigh any data that's recorded. I can appreciate that they're trying to get people interested but in my opinion this was a reckless thing to broadcast.