Butterfly's and Moth (ers) TV BBC4 7:30

[Dan Salter]

Heads up...

I know a thread exists but this is the best way to catch peoples attention

Born to be Wild on bbc4 at 7:30 pm (in an hour)

Buterfly and Moth (ers)

[Dan Salter]

Well i enjoyed it.

[ron1863]

Sorry Dan, missed this thread and the programme

[Dan Salter]

Just noticed bbc4 repeats in a loop so if you really want to see the prog or record it, its on in a moment at 12:00 pm(am?) and again at 2:30 am !

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi

caught it at 2.30,after watching Journeys Into The Ring Of Fire which was also very good. I enjoyed it but wish it had been an hour instead of just half.

neil

[ron1863]

Thanks for the PM Dan, I watched the repeat, excellent and enjoyed the two old boys and the Butterflies, very dedicated men. Great programme.
There was a similar one on a couple of weeks ago about the man who has studied Dragonflies at the same site for 30 years.

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Just noticed bbc4 repeats in a loop so if you really want to see the prog or record it, its on in a moment at 12:00 pm(am?) and again at 2:30 am !

Caught it at midnight AND 02.30am. Very interesting, particularly the moth trapping: the man said he 'traps nearly every night of the year'.

How many species are still active during autumn and winter, then?

[djackso]

We didn't like the bit were he killed them then cut off their genitals. My other half was disgusted.

[Jason Green]

I agree, though it's 'scientific' and that it did seem a little OTT to kill one for the sake of a record, on a personal level. I did wonder if it was geuinely killed during the filiming, or if it t could have been 'acted' for want of a better word to demonstrate what he would do if that suituation arose.

It just seemed unlikely that a man with his experience (though everyone get these these mysteries at some point) would come up with an un ID'd one, just on the day of filming?

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi

yes, but how many times have you trapped a dozen melanic minors ( his was a Cloaked Minor) and just let them go because you can't ID them and like me you wont kill them to find out what they are.
At the end of the day someone's got to kill them to find out about distribution etc. Not nice I know.
To me they're just " black 'uns"

neil

[oxycera]

Originally Posted by djackso

We didn't like the bit were he killed them then cut off their genitals. My other half was disgusted.

I think that it would have been a bit of a cop-out not to have shown that (faked or not); it's what the top men do after all.

[djackso]

I find it very hard to believe there isn't a more scientific way based on DNA. Not that expensive these days. Must be more reliable. Whether the moth needs to die or not.

Oh well, the arguments against will be the expense, esp. the initial outlay designing and testing suitable primers, lack of lab facilities etc, etc.

But I have a feeling the depth of knowledge gained would be vast.