RSPB's Jamie Wyver, gives us the low-down on last night's third airing of #autumnwatch at Dorset's glorious RSPB Arne nature reserve...
The show begun with a look at RSPB Arne’s sika deer – I’m happy to add that I saw some of these beautiful animals on the reserve today. As Chris pointed out they are looking their best at this time of year, trying to impress one another during the rut. They’re also making plenty of noise right now, with some sounding like Hammer Horror effects.
(Photo 1: Sika deer by Terry Bagley)
The leaves are all changing colour at RSPB Arne at the moment, and this morning’s dewy start was particularly lovely to see with glistening cobwebs and shades of russet and saffron in the trees.
(Photo 2: taken by Jamie, Ross and Chiara from RSPB HQ)
Robo-Spoonbill has captured some real spoonbills on camera and even managed to show us a spoonbill live on TV! There are plenty of other birds on the move too and Martin was outside to listen out for migrating flocks overhead. Many birds migrate at night to avoid predators like peregrines, and the crew had captured some great footage of one of these raptors hunting dunlin.
(Photo 3: Spoonbill by Terry Bagley)
Grey seal pups at this time of year. A risky strategy given the more inclement weather and choppy seas, so the RSPCA often have to rescue young seals who have been washed off the beach and into danger. Michaela joined rescue centre staff to see how seal pups are rehabilitated.
The mice faced a greater challenge as the mouse maze was flipped: Michaela described this with poetry and Chris with a graph. There’s been a mouse-off! A mouse battle ensued as two of the tiny mammals met each other in the maze, with the loser very quickly finding its way back out. We learned that mice wee 3,000 times a day! The maze is now turned vertically which will be a mental and physical challenge for the mice.
Then it was time for some more heathland highlights! Gillian was introduced to the stunning and elusive ladybird spider, rediscovered in the 1980s in the UK. Ladybird spiders are incredibly hard to find, even when you find their tiny sheets of silk on low vegetation. Even the females, without the red and black colouring, are attractive little animals – Gillian described them as velvety midnight blue. Gillian has also encountered a wasp spider at RSPB Arne, and Chris had a raft spider to show her in the studio.
(Photo 4: Ladybird Spider by Ian Hughes)
Hen harriers at RSPB Geltsdale were up next, with a dedicated team of conservationists enduring wild weather and midges to keep a 24 hour watch on the birds’ nests. Supplementary feeding and nest protection is helping these birds successfully raise their chicks: seven have fledged.
A tawny owl then attempted to steal the show, interrupting Chris and Michaela! During the show sound recordist Magnus had picked up the “seep seep” calls of redwings flying through the night. It was fantastic to hear the sleigh bells sound of a waxwing too!
After a spot of live deer mating, Martin introduced other ways to amplify the sound of migrating birds passing by, and Chris revealed that sandhoppers have assymetrical antennae.
David Lindo revealed the wildlife renaissance in Sheffield. The city’s formerly polluted river is now full of life, including grey wagtails. One of Britain’s smallest nature reserves, Sunnybank, is home to frogs, birds and butterflies. A brand new species of giant harvestman has been discovered in Sheffield and David showed how this animal avoids predator with a strange, bouncing movement.
The Golden Eagle chick now has three names shortlisted: Hermione, Freya and Highlander. You can vote for your favourite on the Autumnwatch website: bbc.co.uk/autumnwatch
The show closed with the presenters donning their night migration listening gear – Chris and Michaela wearing ‘Cones of Shame’!
In the next episode: a journey down the river Wye, a badger update and Gillian meets the local bats! BBC TWO, 8PM