Natural World (The Harpy Eagle)

John · #1 (**permalink**) 08-07-2010, 09:29 PM

ok I know this is a British Wildlife programme but that doesn't stop us from watching programmes about wildlife abroad.

Tonight I recorded BBC2's Natural World, which was on between 19.00 & 20.00 and have just finished watching it. It was about the Monkey eating Eagle named the Harpy Eagle and what a stunning programme it was, slightly spoilt by an idiot of a narrator that continuously called the Eagles and the chick they raised as his Eagles and his chick.

That aside this programme was brilliant with some excellent birdlife as backup to the eagles, especially the sight of some other incredible raptors on view. The close ups of the adults then the chick when it was a year old was phenomenal, especially the last few minutes when the year old chick came to check out the camera crew and earlier in the programme when the mother came to attack one of the crew when they ascended the tree to clean a camera they had installed above the nest.

I don't know if it will be on BBC iPlayer (it isn't as I type this) but if it does get added I urge you to watch it. I think you will enjoy and at times just drop your jaw in amazement at these giant birds.

John

Kayleigh · #2 (**permalink**) 08-07-2010, 09:34 PM

Watched it too and thought the same about the narrator but the footage was brilliant, I had to miss some of it as I was cooking the tea.

Richard G. · #3 (**permalink**) 08-07-2010, 09:42 PM

Same chap who made the Highland Haven program around Loch Maree last year I think. I don't mind him to be fair, better than Alan Titchmarsh...

posie · #4 (**permalink**) 08-07-2010, 10:30 PM

I saw most of it as well John, and agree it was stunning camera footage..actually well worth a second look...

Posie

JB9302 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-07-2010, 06:44 AM

Really enjoyed it , stunning footage as stated above , the setting and the Harpy Eagle reminded me of something out of the Lost World films.
Incredible power the bird has which was tempered by its gentleness when it was feeding the chick .
Know what the op meant re the film maker ( bit similar to some posters on here , look at my Fox etc ) , but I tended to regard him as background noise and was more riveted to the footage.

Julian

John · #6 (**permalink**) 09-07-2010, 05:21 PM

If anyone wants to view it it is now on BBC iPlayer under factual then yesterdays natural World (Thursday)

John

rlchew · #7 (**permalink**) 10-07-2010, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

.... what a stunning programme it was, slightly spoilt by an idiot of a narrator that continuously called the Eagles and the chick they raised as his Eagles and his chick ....

I totally agree John.

This use of "my" and " our" in the conext of ownership of wild living things really irritates me. Of course, it is not just the narrator of the Harpy Eagle programme that does this .... even some of the more well known wildlife filmakers do it too.

Nonetheless an awesome bird and a stunning film.

Richard

posie · #8 (**permalink**) 10-07-2010, 08:04 AM

Early hours of this morning, on BBC1 'The great rift, Africa's wild heart..Johnathan Dimbleby' there were 3 Vultures in flight, the big cats were catching zebras and the vultures were going to 'clear up'. I couldn't watch the kills 'cos I'm a woose where that's concerned, but the footage of the birds in flight was superb. earlier in the programme there was a wolf, stalking a giant herbivore Vole?...the footage of the stalking wolf was awsome. Really worth a watch if it's on again.

Posie

JeffH · #9 (**permalink**) 10-07-2010, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

.... slightly spoilt by an idiot of a narrator that continuously called the Eagles and the chick they raised as his Eagles and his chick......John

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlchew

I totally agree John......Richard

and so do I John.

I also thought the programme was a little too drawn out with far too much footage of the narrator walking through the forest gazing into the treetops or sat at the foot of the nest tree.

That said, the footage of the birds was tremendous.

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls & Avocets)

thebeard · #10 (**permalink**) 10-07-2010, 06:07 PM

i thought it was a great programme with some awesome footage. i didn't particularly mind him expressing his familiarity with the animals, as although its generally a no-no in wildlife filming, if one is filming one family over an extended period, then an emotional connection is bound to be formed with the animal. i quite like this man, and his 'highland haven' film last year is one of my favourite nature films.