Autumnwatch

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by ron1863

he looks like a hot perspirer.

Very diplomatic!
Doug

[mh68]

Originally Posted by ron1863

Absolutely no problem but really, Bill must be stinking. I don't know how long that shirt's been on his back but it will soon need to be peeled off. The man's working under hot lights when indoors and he looks like a hot perspirer.

Maybe if they`d plonked Bill and his smelly jumper in that clearing, the big male Wild Boar may have come in to investigate the odour

Mark H

[Gaina]

He might just have several shirts of the same type - have lots of black, white and red t-shirts because they are my favourite colours, but I still smell nice!....
I think

I'm sure the Beeb wardrobe people wouldn't let him stink

[Monkster]

Why all the fuss
About poor little Bill?
The way you are talking
You'll make yourselves ill!

Who cares what he's wearing
And whether he's smelly
He's not going to harm you
He's inside your telly!!

I can't see what's wrong
With the excitable chappy
But will seeing him sacked
Make some people happy?

So for all of us others
Who enjoy the chatter
Three Cheers for Bill Oddie
As mad as a hatter!!

[agrumpycow]

Originally Posted by Monkster

Why all the fuss
About poor little Bill?

Excellent!

[Gaina]

Haha, nice one Monkster - you should post that on the Autumn Watch message board!

[sleipnerofasgard]

I really like autumnwatch and the nature of britain and the users guide,i have particularly enjoyed the last two alan titchmarsh programmes as they featured both my favourite and local type of habitats and i have learned something new from all these programmes,i live about 15 minutes from martin mere by bicycle and it is also very easy for me to get to southport and i feel very lucky to have two such wonderful places on my doorstep and having been at martin mere and southport today you could see the effect that these programmes have had on so many people.
and all i can say is if you already know everything about the subjects covered on these programmes then don't bother watching them and as they are in their early stages of developement i'm sure that every year they will try to find new things to show us.some people seem to have a personal thing against a particular presenter on both shows ,all i can say is i don't know any of them personally but i have no dislike of any of them .i understand some of the comments about the autumnwatch content but lets face it they just cannot compete whith spring for action can they?

[hedgehog whisperer]

I have tried to log on to Autumn watch as Hedgehog whisperer and someone has taken this name, very upset. I know I am petty

Has anyone else tried to log on to this site under his or her WAB name?

[The Black Rabbit]

Sorry Hedghog whisperer! Not me.
Maybe there are a few of your ilk, nationwide?!

I thought the bloke with the Pine Martens was superb last night!
Doug

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Gaina

He might just have several shirts of the same type - have lots of black, white and red t-shirts because they are my favourite colours, but I still smell nice!....
I think

I'm sure the Beeb wardrobe people wouldn't let him stink

Thanks for being logical Gaina: I too have several shirts and t-shirts the same - it makes sense when something fits, washes well and doesn't need ironing (thats the important bit - no ironing!) to buy 3 or 4

I do agree with sleipnerofasgard tho - and I've said it before - if Autumnwatch is reaching its targeted audience then its doing its job - and despite whether the presenters are annoying - personally I find the slow way David Attenborough speaks quite irritating after a while, yet I don't get this with Alan Titmarsh cos he speaks the way he always speaks - you can tell its his normal speech pattern - he's not putting anything on for tv.

I am older, have been around natural history a long time, have seen a lot of interesting things and been to a lot of these places featured - but I still get a kick out of the footage - I enjoy recognising some of the places I've been and the critters that live there (tho not the Formby Fox at the moment with his bad leg - I suspect he may have been clipped by a car). As good as Simon is - and he has got better and more relaxed in front of the camera - the programme wouldn't be half as good if it was just him or just him and Kate. You cannot present wildlife to folk with no real knowledge of it as a dull and very serious subject - they would turn off in droves - then where would the next generation of naturalists come from?

Pauline

[mh68]

Annoyances aside, its better to have stuff like this on tv than not at all.It was good to see a bit of footage about Harlequin ladybirds last week,outlining what effect theyre having on other species.And nice to see them not shying away from showing predation when it has occured at martin Mere etc.
The Pine Marten footage last night was top class, not a species you see a lot of on tv

Mark H
PS my comments about Bill and the Wild Boar were very much tongue in cheek should anyone have thought otherwise

[SweetRocket]

The footage of the damage the Beavers have done to their habitat came as a shock to me (not knowing anything about their behaviour before) but on what I saw I would definitely not like them to be introduced back into Britain. Developers do enough damage to our countryside without the Beavers giving them a helping hand, besides as was mentioned on the show by someone, they don't belong in modern Britain.

[KatRaven]

Originally Posted by SweetRocket

The footage of the damage the Beavers have done to their habitat came as a shock to me (not knowing anything about their behaviour before) but on what I saw I would definitely not like them to be introduced back into Britain. Developers do enough damage to our countryside without the Beavers giving them a helping hand, besides as was mentioned on the show by someone, they don't belong in modern Britain.

Agree. I didn't see the damage footage, but Bill was saying the other night that they can bring down the really big trees, and I just think that that is the last thing we need in this country - we have precious little ancient or mature woodland left as it is

They are lovely creatures, but maybe we should just leave things as they are?

[mh68]

Yes agree too. The UK has changed a lot since these creatures last inhabited it.I`m not sure if it would apply to UK populations but in N.America/Canada Beavers pass on a disease known as Beaver fever , or Giardia(similar to Weils from memory)a water borne disease, which could end up posing a major health risk in some areas if they were reintroduced.

Mark H

[MalcolmX]

two Beavers escaped from a lake in east grinstead(Beaver farm) and one turned up on a carp lake in tunbridge wells and started to cut down trees but all the trees were willow or alder the hardwoods were not near the bank and were left alone .
I think controlled reintroduction maybe worthwhile as it would take a long time for any appreciable numbers to appear . inland trees away from lakes would not bee affected so i don't think they are a great threat to our woodlands

[mh68]

I think the more remote areas with larger expanses of water would be the only sensible option if reintroduction went ahead.Then we`ve got the recent problems of flooding, which Beaver dams wont help in many situations.Then as mentioned the possibility of infection of water supplies, and additional water treatments if required by the water authorities.Its a very tricky situation.I`d love to see them back properly, but I think too much has changed.

Mark H

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by mh68

I think the more remote areas with larger expanses of water would be the only sensible option if reintroduction went ahead.Then we`ve got the recent problems of flooding, which Beaver dams wont help in many situations.Then as mentioned the possibility of infection of water supplies, and additional water treatments if required by the water authorities.Its a very tricky situation.I`d love to see them back properly, but I think too much has changed.

Mark H

There has been a lot of discussion up here in Scotland regarding re-introducing them. Many people think it could be viable, especially far up north where the human population is sparse and they could be monitored. Personally I am all for it as it was a native species and according to science, actually helps the environment.

[mh68]

Yes Ron, those were the areas I was thinking of,and if it did happen then the more remote areas of Scotland would be the ideal place to attempt it

Mark H

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by PMG

Thanks for being logical Gaina: I too have several shirts and t-shirts the same - it makes sense when something fits, washes well and doesn't need ironing (thats the important bit - no ironing!) to buy 3 or 4

Pauline

Hi Pauline,

I know what you mean as too have T-shirts, jeans etc that are alike and wear them, but I would never wear the same colour/style one for three or four days in a row if I was appearing on telly. My partner commented on the green striped shirt that the Odd Bod wore all week.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by ron1863

Hi Pauline,

I know what you mean as too have T-shirts, jeans etc that are alike and wear them, but I would never wear the same colour/style one for three or four days in a row if I was appearing on telly. My partner commented on the green striped shirt that the Odd Bod wore all week.

Hiya ron - exactly! But shouldn't the production team be in charge of that kind of thing - are they not there to give advice and ultimately have the last say in how a programme looks - as in - 'Bill stop arguing and change your shirt - NOW'

Pauline

[honeybee]

When Beavers would have naturally occured, most of the British Isles would have been forested Maybewe could employ them in sustainable coniferous plantations as lumber jacks.

My mum wants to know if they will intervene with the Fox with the bad leg at Formby?

[PMG]

Originally Posted by honeybee

When Beavers would have naturally occured, most of the British Isles would have been forested Maybewe could employ them in sustainable coniferous plantations as lumber jacks.

My mum wants to know if they will intervene with the Fox with the bad leg at Formby?

Dunno honeybee - if the Fox does get some help I suspect it will be via one of the local residents - maybe the lady who brings him fish and chips will put some antibiotic powder in it But to be serious - no I doubt it - unless the locals get the rspca and he gets taken to a vet for treatment. That in itself will bring problems - the Fox will lost his trust after an espidode like that even if his leg gets better - and if his leg is badly broken - the vet may put him to sleep........ I'm hoping its nothing too serious and he improves.......

Pauline

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by PMG

Dunno honeybee - if the Fox does get some help I suspect it will be via one of the local residents - maybe the lady who brings him fish and chips will put some antibiotic powder in it But to be serious - no I doubt it - unless the locals get the rspca and he gets taken to a vet for treatment. That in itself will bring problems - the Fox will lost his trust after an espidode like that even if his leg gets better - and if his leg is badly broken - the vet may put him to sleep........ I'm hoping its nothing too serious and he improves.......

Pauline

Thanks Pauline... we will wait and see!

[mh68]

Originally Posted by PMG

Dunno honeybee - if the Fox does get some help I suspect it will be via one of the local residents - maybe the lady who brings him fish and chips will put some antibiotic powder in it But to be serious - no I doubt it - unless the locals get the rspca and he gets taken to a vet for treatment. That in itself will bring problems - the Fox will lost his trust after an espidode like that even if his leg gets better - and if his leg is badly broken - the vet may put him to sleep........ I'm hoping its nothing too serious and he improves.......

Pauline

Could be something as simple as a foreign object lodged in its paw creating an infection (the pad looked really badly swollen).At least its in a place where it wont starve in the meantime.

Mark H