Unsprung animal superstitions and your questions 6th November
Post categories: AW Unsprung
| 21:57 UK time, Friday, 6 November 2009
We've all heard loads of superstitions to do with animals (magpies, black cats, rabbit's foot etc). We'd love to hear about any ones you know... the weirder the better. Please tell us about them below.
And, of course, please keep posting your wildlife questions for the team to try to answer on Unsprung.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~58~RS~)
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HI THERE, REALLY ENJOY THE SHOW AND HOPING YOU CAN HELP ME WITH A QUERY. RECENTLY ONE OF THE BLUE TITS WHICH COME TO MY GARDEN TO FEED HAS BEEN TAPPING ON MY WINDOW, IT DOES THIS EVERY DAY AND I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN WHY IT DOES THIS
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP LISA
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From East Sussex Wildlife Rescue: We rescued a 2 week old baby fallow deer on the 18th October. This is the first time we have come across one born so late in the year. Have you guys come across such late baby deer?
Photos at http://www.twitpic.com/n6k0y
Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7LIEAeEGao
Trevor Weeks
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue
www.wildlifeambulance.org
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The Tree O'clock is a fantastic idea and a great way to get everyone envolved in tree planting, but...... why is the planting hour 11:00 - 12:00, when it's called tree (Three) O'clock?
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I was interested in the booklet you had on identifying skulls. I could have done with it a few months ago when I found one that I think was a bank vole, but struggled on the internet to find enough detail/pictures to definately identify. I know there are books available, I saw one but it was £30, bit expensive for ocassional use! I'd like to know more on the one you had please?
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My daughter had a rabbit that would play happily in the garden, I would play tig with it and when I stopped chasing it, it would come to me and run around me in a tight circles. Has anyone any idea why it would do this? My wife seems to think that it saw me as a parent is there any truth in this theory?
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Grey Squirrels are cute but they are vermin
They cause so much damage to plants and the mess distruction!!, i tried to grow tomatoes last year and one of my neighbours tried to grow strawberries.All where distroyed, of course it does not help when people keep feeding the grey squirrels!!! Even though they have been told to stop by the local council.
Any ideals how to keep squirrels away?
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My wife would like to know why it now seems that cheesebugs (woodlice) do not seem to roll up when touched as they did when she was a child (a long time ago.......)?
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Animal superstitions ? According to Roman lore if you hear an owl hoot then someone you know is going to die. The louder i.e. the closer the owl is to you, the cloer the relative and the more times you hear it the closer the death ! I heard two different tawny owls hoot and keewit tonight right outside my front door as I was unloading the car ! I wonder "who" is going to be next !!! Yes - I HAVE registered the on the Tawny Owl survey !
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Around thirty years ago I was walking my girlfriend home through Gorleston(which is a large town in Norfolk)and we saw a large number of owls.They were both Tawny and Barn owls;they were on the ground,in trees,on cars and on roofs.If I remember correctly we saw around fifty over a distance of a mile.Has anyone else ever seen anything like this?Has anyone got any ideas as to why there were so many and what was going on?P.S This was long before Harry Potter!
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HI there, really enjoying the show. We feed birds in our garden all year round and really enjoy watching them feed and bathe. However, we have now attracted brown rats who are taking all the food. We really don't want to feed rats as well as birds, so do you have any ideas how we can discourage the rats (or do we have to kill them?)especially as feeding birds is really important at this time of year and we don't we want to stop feeding them.
thanks
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Hi,to all the team you are doing an excellent job. My question is, WHERE HAVE ALL THE STARLINGS GONE FROM WINSFORD IN CHESHIRE? I am 35 now but when i was younger there were loads of starlings, they were probably the most common bird in the town but now i hardly see a single one, sparrows are still common but i miss the starlings lovely colours and there lively attitude.Please can you give a possible reason for this.THANK YOU from efcvin ps. LUV CHRISS AND HOPE BILL IS OK thanks again
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My wife and I have heard Tawny Owls calling during daylight hours and wonder why they do this?
We very much enjoy the show and congratulate you on the enthusiasum and energy in the program. We will be planting trees.
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We keep horses, and in there fields there is sometimes a big gathering of doves. About 30-40. Is there a reason for this? I hardly ever see doves, let alone that many at one time? Is there any reasons for this? Are they having a last minute chance before winter to fatten up? Or are they trying to finda mate?
Any Ideas?
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Hi team
on springwatch you had a family of kestrels and I was wondering if any of them fledged?
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Why isn't the Isle of Lewis on the tree planting list of places, as other Islands are??
Superstition- bird flies into a window, means a death or bad luck for you!!
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Hi, I was just watching the video of Gordon in scotland getting close up with Killer Whales, i wondered where he was in scotland and what time of year they come out, could you help me thanks, Carla age 8. I LOVE THE SHOW .
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On the subject of birds imitating other sounds, I can remember a clip where Starlings in the Scottish Isles had inherited the sounds of farm animals and equipment.
This after decades of the croft farms being in disuse.
Great shows AutW and unsprung, really well done to all team.
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My son Robin took these pictures of fungi that we found in the garden we would like to know what type they are./Users/ianbrown/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2003/Robin's Mushrooms/DSCF0172.JPG/Users/ianbrown/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2003/Robin's Mushrooms/DSCF0170.JPG
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Hi All.My husband and I watch your programme every week and find it very interesting.We have a question fo you. We have a large Buddlia (butterfly bush) in our garden, it flowered heavily this yearand attracted the butterflies well. However it also seems to attract a host of sparrows,they come in their droves and spend ages pecking at the now dead flowers. Are they eating the seeds or are there insects on the bush that we don't know about? We live in rural France so are hosts to lots of wildlife either knowingly or not.Yours sincerely Joyce A.Robinson
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Hi guys, Love your show.
I just wanted to mention an urban fox I saw last Tuesday night in the grounds of Royal Alexandria Hospital in Paisley (just outside Glasgow).
After quite a traumatic night where my son Lewis was admitted to hospital with breathing problems brought on by a chest infection, I left my wife with him and was about to get in my car when I saw the fox outside searching for bugs etc. in the grass. I stood about 10 feet away a watched it for about 10 mins. It was a great experience.
Mark from Greenock
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Hi Team
We live in SW France and we're avid fans of the programme in fact, it should be on all the time and called SeasonWatch! Anyway, over the years we've noticed white cocoon-type things in some pine trees. They appear about now and disappear in the early Spring. They are oval in shape and about 6 to 12 inches long. They're hard to the touch. What's in them?? Any ideas please? Do they appear on British pine trees?
regards, FlamingoFrancaise
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Great show. I am interested in the tree planting record attempt. Is there a way for me to find a local event that I can get involved with on the day? I am aware that some local authorities do not like people randomly planting trees, however well intentioned. I live in Durham. Thankyou!
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I watched your piece on Tawny Owls with great interest tonight. I found out first hand just how territorial and aggressive these owls could be several years ago when I moved from the town to a small holding out in the middle of nowhere. I had a captive breed Tawny Owl and when I moved I put him in what I thought was a secure brick shed so that he had plenty of room to fly. Over a period of time the villagers noticed an increase in owl activity around my land and theirs. This continued for over a year with several actually settling on the roof of my barn and stable block. Then one morning I went to feed my owl and found another Tawny Owl in the shed with him. I could not find how this owl had got into the shed at the time but a few weeks later I discovered my owl dead on the floor and a piece of the corrigated sheeting which made up the roof was bent back leaving a small gap between the roof and the wall. We still have a few owls about but nowhere near as many now.
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I was thinking about the basking sharks and how they swim at different depths in america to when they are in england. Could this be because there are different depth nutrient rich currents where there would be a higher density of plankton?
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We hardly see any Starlings or Blackbirds anymore. Where have they all gone? We saw this week a yellow wagtail in our garden we have never seen one before.
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Administrators - Please see Flickr site ie 'Any Tips Please' I think we could be onto something here. Young Matty is after info regarding starting in wildlife photography and lots of people seem to want to help. How about the AW team chipping in. What about a programme about wildlife photography? How to start, what equipment is needed, fieldcraft, tips and tricks and how to process the pictures. I know both Chris and Simon know their way around an DSLR and if they don't know an answer to a question they know someone who does.
So come one AW team, how about it.
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OUR GARDEN BACKS ONTO FARMLAND AND WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF TAWNY OWLS IN THE AREA WHICH WE HEARD EACH NIGHT UP UNTIL ABOUT A WEEK AGO. I HAVEN'T HEARD THEM LATELY BUT RECENTLY WE HAVE HAD A LARGE BUZZARD IN THE AREA. HE REALLY IS MAGNIFICENT AND FLIES LOW OVER OUR GARDEN ALMOST EVERY DAY - HE'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A RED KITE (THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AS MANY RABBITS IN THE FIELD BEHIND OUR GARDEN SINCE HE'S ARRIVED). COULD HE HAVE SCARED AWAY THE TAWNY OWLS??
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Superstitions: I remember when I was a child in Yorkshire in the 1950s being shocked to hear comments on two different occasions, the first one being that a fried mouse was a cure for whooping cough (I had had w c without anyone suggesting this remedy, thankfully) and the second was that a fried mouse was a cure for bedwetting. Yuck
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I think Autumnwatch, is a brilliant program. wether it be in the old format, or the new one. From a personal point of view, I think the old time schedule was the best, due to the amount of youngsters who were able to watch it. After all, they are the new blood and the one's we should be encouraging, for the future of wildlife.
Russ Jones.
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I have just bought a three acre marsh which houses a small wood, pond and is generally a sanctuary to escape to. Are there any suggestions on how to manage the woodland area. A friend is a bird ringer and is going to put an owl box up. Would you suggest bat boxes, bird boxes??
Is there anywhere I can go to find out more about woodlands management? as we are complete novices.
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Hello, are there any records on the state of the Red Squirrel population before the grey population exploded? Could it be that it is not just the Greys that have caused the decline, but us too. If Pine Martens were re-introduced, do you feel that the damage this would cause to bird life would be too much to justify. So our best cause of action like Chris said, is to let the Greys be,and only interfere when there is no other choice.( I holiday on the Isle of White juust to see the reds)
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HI all, love both spring and autunm watch, compulsive veiwing for me. I spend all year round feeding the birds and looking for wild life in my garden. I have a pond with fish and many frogs, a log area for visitors, bird boxes and insect houses. I have many birds visit and nest in the trees and ivy in and around my garden. I have had black birds nest constantly in my garden that have become very friendly. Sadly over the past few weeks there has been an absence of any black birds. Could you tell me please do they go to warmer climes in winter or could they have been scared away by the many cats that live in the area.
thank you.
Polly
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When do the bugs start going into the Bug Box? As I have just put it out after my husband made it following your brilliant pogram. Mokey
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Hi
Whilst the debate over the red and the grey squirrels go on, i have had a visit from a predominently white squirrel. only its head appears to have a grey tone but the rest of its fur is white. Is this a grey squirrel with particularly unusual markings, or a white squirrel? i have not heard of another similar to this as its eyes are dark and so maybe wrongly im ruling out an albino.
Grreat show.
Reece
Birmingham
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question for Chris Packham
I feed the birds in my garden and have possibly 200 to 300 birds a day . I have noticed recently there are 3 chaffinches 2 hens and a cock all immature but they have what appears to be a grey lichen on their legs and feet which means they have difficulty perching and landing properly but also means their feet cannot be retracted like all birds do possibly slowing them down in the air.They seem to have a reasonably healthy appetite and apart from the fact that they look really fed up they seem ok. however due to my being a silly old sod I worry and would be grateful if on the next show if you could tell us what the problem is what the eventual outcome is and what if anything we can do about it
a great show give my regards to Kate
TONY lOCKER
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Seeing the item this week about Tawny owls reminded me of an occasion earlier in the year when I came across a juvenile tawny owl roosting in a tree adjacent to the path I was on. At first I thought the owl had not registered my presence but, as I walked slowly past, I noticed that his head followed me. He then proceeded to lower his head so that his eyes were obscured by the branch in front of him as if it was thinking like a small child - "If I can't see him, then he can't see me". I have some nice photos of this behaviour but I've no idea how to post them here.
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Hello!
This is my first comment and I read your notice about weird superstitions. I remember when I was small my friend told me it was unlucky to see a single magpie,crow or blackbird.
I also have a question: like normal bird lovers, I put out bird seed for my birdie friends. But I can't seem get rid of one particular squirrel. I have tried loads of stuff from hanging my feeder on the washing line to putting it innocently on the garden table but I can't get rid of the squirrel! Can you give me some suggestions on how to get rid of the squirrel without hurting it or getting me to buy one of those ridiculously expensive squirrel-proof feeders!
Yours sincerely,
Miss Green 10
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Hi guys! Love your show! It was interesting watching last week about basking sharks around britain, but what about seals? We live near a river near Southend and have a lot of wonderful wildlife around us, but was surprised to hear from my neighbour that she had recently seen a seal twice in the last few weeks! Why do we get seals down here and why do they come that far up the river? Is there a certain time of year that they do this and when is the best time to see them?
Thanks for your help. Keep up the good work.
Loyal watcher
Vix
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I have been visiting Carradale in Kintyre, Scotland for over 40 years, and I've often seen harbour seals there. Recently I have observed the seals are much less timid and twice in the last 3 years seals have come right to the side of our boat and taken mackerel from the fishing line as we got the fish to the surface right beside the boat. (I've uploaded a video entitled "Carradale Seal" of this behaviour.) I'd like to ask you why you think the seals might do this now, when they did not obviously do it 20 or 30 years ago. If anything the seal numbers seem smaller, but they are seen more often near the village harbour. I wonder if the change in seal behaviour is related to the change in the local fishery which is now principally for shellfish (prawns and scallops). No-one locally has fished commercially for salmon for many years. Thanks, Evan Grant
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when are you going to show the filming from I C B P we have been waiting all series and all we saw was Adam with the red kite, this lady really knows her stuff come on you lot get it on. great show we have a pair of tawny owls that are active most nights and have been in the woods near our home (bb5) for three years
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Hi Martin
Can you help me I am a member of a Red Squirrel Group in N.Ireland and I was wondering if you can give us a mansion on one of the programs it just I thin that Autumn watch has forgot N.Ireland when they were talking about the Red vs Grey problem.
We are the Glens Red Squirrel Group we have a web site that is www.glensredsquirrelgroup.com and we have a hotline number to report sightings of reds or greys it is 08713157376.
We are in and cover the 9 Glens of co.Antrim. We are trying to make people know that we have an area with red squirrels BUT the GREYS are coming and we need people to know and we need their help.
The Problem is that the biggest majority of people don’t know that there are red squirrels in N.Ireland and Ireland as a hole because they are in so very few areas.
If you can we would be very Grateful.
Thanks Daniel
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hi love the the show.for the last week or so ive had two siskins comeing to my feeders im on the out skirts of ipswich is it early in the season for these birds thank you
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I really need a book on identifying different animals but i dont know where to get one could ytou help me please.
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Hello team, but this one is for Chris,
I,m from the south east of England (colchester) close to woodland, we hear all types of noises and i can identify most of them. After watching the last show on the 7th november re; Tawney owls, the female makes one call and the male another call, we only hear the female call. Is this normal for this time of year? or is it likely the male has been killed some how?
Lee n Jenna
colchester
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Hello, I was wondering the team would have a go at identifying a strange insect that I took a photo of in April this year, and if so how do I send the photo to you? Thanks very much,Leanne.
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Why do so many queen wasps try to hibernate in my bed? Seven last year and eight so far this year. Not all at once, usually one a night, but have been three at once. I am an octogenarian and all for female solidarity but I did get badly stung last year.
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Whenever my nana saw a raven, (likely a big crow lol) she said that the raven was once a beautiful white bird. However, when Noah sent it out of the Ark to test the waters for land, it failed to return to deliver its message. As punishment God turned the bird black and condemned it to eat nothing but dead carrion.
My nana was full of wisdom.
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Kate,
You said on the last episode to keep feeding garden birds.
I put food out all the time and strangely enough one week i cant keep the feeders filled then next week the birds just don't appear. I thought birds followed a regular routine when feeding from gardens?
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Chris,
What looked like a female Black Redstart landed on my front fence, Sunday just gone. I could be wrong in that I didn't get a good look at the breast colouring and the body colouring seemed more grey than brown, with an orange flash along the tail feathers. She gave a couple of flicks of her tail and was gone! I live in East Hoathly, East Sussex, so if it was a Black Redstart would she have been on her way to migrating? We have a lot of woodland around.
Thanks.
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We really enjoyed Simons piece on the Salmon this Saturday. We are currently running a Salmon project with local schools in the North York Moors National Park. We put a tank and Salmon eggs in a classroom and the children look after them. Once they hatch the children feed the Salmon and change the water and monitor their progress. After 3 months the Salmon are big enough to return to the River Esk so we take the children to the river and release the Salmon. This takes place right when you're doing the springwatch shows. The children really love looking after the Salmon and learning about their amazing lifecycle which is crucial for the endangered Fresh Water Pearl Mussels lifecycle as well - which we also have living in the River Esk. Do you want to come and see this brilliant project?
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Regarding the lady golfers who chased the crow carry a golf ball, when the crow dropped it did was she able to play the ball from where it landed, or did she have to play another shot from the tee?
Is this covered in the Golf Rule Book!!
Concerned Pete in Scunthorpe
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A male blackbird feeding on berries on a tree in my garden has a bald head, whilst the upper mandible is twice the length of the lower are the anomilies related? It arrives in the company of a female blackbird is the pair bond so strong?
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This is just really to say having fed the birds in Suffolk and now feed them here in Kerry, Ireland since July when I returned here. I have never had so many blue tits, Great tits and Coal tits, and others but they came first and are the most prolific. It was great to see that coal tits sometimes hid food away for later, as I was wondering why sometimes they take the sunflower seed and don't eat it on a nearby branch. Thank you for that. I LOVE autumn watch - never stop it, except of course in spring.
And a question.Is it late to see big moths?? We have them here and the weather has been very wet and cold and windy.
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Hi Martin,Heres a few animal suprstitions for you,To get rid of a wart peel an apple rub it and feed it to a pig.
It's unlucky for a hen to sit on an even number of eggs so remove one.
The dried body of a dead frog worn around the neck in a silk bag will stop a person from having fits.
Finally the kingfisher got it's colours when Noah released the animals from the ark,he flew first and picked up the red from the sunset on his breast and azure from the blue sky on his back,thought you might like that one Martin.Have a great last unsprung lots of sillyness please,i will really miss it.
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I'm too late to ask a question for 6th Nov Unsprung, so I was wondering if it would be possible to send it forward to this week's instead?
We are due to move house in the coming weeks and we have three feeding stations that both birds and mammals love. We have come to recognise some of our local wildlife residents and hate the fact we are leaving them. We started off with three grey squirrels at the beginning of the year and they have had a good breeding year and we now have eleven! And I saw a hedgehog earlier in the year, which was brilliant but haven't seen one since.
OK, the problem is that because we are moving out of the area, will this create a problem for local birds and mammals to find food or will they just travel further? And when is it the right time to stop feeding them; should we gradually reduce the amount of food we put out until we leave? There are only two other residents in the area that put out food but only one on a regular basis. We will, of course, be putting the stations up at the new house.
Love the programme and it's sad we are near the end of another series already!
P.S. I love all of the crew (Kate, Chris, Simon, Martin, Gordon and everybody behind the scenes) and the way you all work together...but do you think Bill will be coming back in the Spring? Please keep Chris too!
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Dear Team, please check out my little egg photo via the flickr link on your site.
Hopefully it has worked and can be viewed as it was difficult enough to send!
A. Mcfadden
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Dear Team, really enjoying the show especially Unsprung with Martin - you are very entertaining! Our question is why does a dog have a smooth tongue and a cat have a rough one? - Does it have anything to do with fur balls?
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Cannibal flies - I've noticed flies killing and decapitating other flies is this normal and do they eat them? no doubt this is one for Chris also we have a wasp's nest in our loft built against plasterboard and a dark stain has appeared bubbling up the paint do we assume there is something in the wasps saliva to cause this damage - it has happened twice in the last two years.
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Hi Martin
Can you help me I am a member of a Red Squirrel Group in N.Ireland and I was wondering if you can give us a mansion on one of the programs it just I thin that Autumn watch has forgot N.Ireland when they were talking about the Red vs Grey problem.
We are the Glens Red Squirrel Group we have a web site that is www.glensredsquirrelgroup.com and we have a hotline number to report sightings of reds or greys it is 08713157376.
We are in and cover the 9 Glens of co.Antrim. We are trying to make people know that we have an area with red squirrels BUT the GREYS are coming and we need people to know and we need their help.
The Problem is that the biggest majority of people don’t know that there are red squirrels in N.Ireland and Ireland as a hole because they are in so very few areas.
If you can we would be very Grateful.
Thanks Daniel
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Have just watched last Friday's program when mention was made of the wagtail roost.
Following on from your piece on wagtail roosting, the office I work at is in the middle of a town with a back garden and every afternoon at dusk we get a cloud of wagtails descend to roost in shrubs in the garden. When you stand on the fire escape you feel like you are surrounded by a flying cloud of them. There is a busy bus station behind us but they don't seem put off.
Normally when you see a wagtail it is on its own! I posted this on the messageboard and had a reply that they are communal roosters and come from a wide radius. How far would they have come bearing in the mind we are on an Island?
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I would like to complain about your unfair representation of the American mink on Autumnwatch Unsprung the other week. Whilst I agree that it is a travesty that these animals have been released into the wild, where they have contributed to reducing numbers of water voles, I must point out that they did not do this by themselves. If water vole populations had not already been fragmented by urbanisation of our waterways, then mink would not have had such a devastating effect (I refer you to Lawton + Woodroffe, 1991; Strachan + Jefferies, 1993). Therefore, we must take some responsibility ourselves, rather than blaming mink entirely for depletion of water vole numbers.
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forgot to mention how great the rest of the programme is!
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Hi Everyone, I have a question for Chris or Simon.
I have recently come across an old barn/shed which appears to be used by a Little Owl as a roosting site (seen there on and off since May this year and there is now a pile of pellets on the floor beneath the roosting perch). However, I have also seen signs - a couple of feathers and one or two much larger pellets - of what may be a Barn Owl in the same shed and I was wondering whether this is normal behaviour. Would both these owls normally live so close together or would they be aggressive towards one another?
Love the program and the current format and will definitely be getting a copy of the pellet recognition leaflet Chris mentioned last week! Keep up the good work from badgerwatcher.
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Hi all,
I have badgers visit my garden every night, one will even put his front paws up on my wall to the open window waiting for more peanuts. However they like to dig in the flower borders and lawns. Does anyone know how golf clubs prevent badgers from digging up their fairways and greens ?
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I recently read that the Red Deer in the New Forest failed to rut this year due to too many people gathering there to watch them - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/10/red-deer-failed-rut. Does the team think that this is a cause for concern, and what advice would they give to people who go to see rutting deer?
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My garden has been visited for the past two or three weeks by what I think is a pied blackbird. I haven't seen one before and just wondered if they were common.
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Hi there I've heard that acorns are poisonous to red squirels is this true?
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Much on the mimicry of Starlings..But..Have any of our older viewers..Like me..Have the classic LP " Bird Sounds In Close Up " By Victor C Lewis..Circa 1970 ?
Here are stunning recordings of the mimicry of Sedge/Reed Warblers...Next Spring take time out to listen to Sedge Warbler song & see how many other bird calls you can identify within its song..
Victor C Lewis was well ahead of his time as a great Naturalist/Sound recorder.
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Hi to everyone
;I have just gone out in the garden and couldn't believe my eyes, the first snowdrop in my garden is out. I have seen primroses out in December in Dorset but didn't think that bulbs could come out this early. Is it because of the mild weather earlier in October?
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Having been most impressed by the pied wagtail roost in a car park, and now enjoying the birds on our feeders, my question is about their roosting: tits, finches, house sparrows, great spotted woodpeckers, robins, nuthatches: will they roost together, or are they territorial about their roosts?
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Hi Team
On Sunday about 3pm we saw a female muntjack deer which is quite a common occurance where we live in rural Suffolk but what did seem unusual was that she had a VERY young fawn probably only a few days old. Is this unusual for this time of year and do you think it will survive the winter. We thought the young were born in the spring to take advantage of the spring and summer months, what time of year do muntjack deer usually give birth?
Thanks for such a fab programme...we love it!
Kind regards
Carol & Brian Walpole Sudbury, Suffolk
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hi team just a quick question i was down at my local reserve hanningfield reservoir and i was observing some swimming cormorants. suddenly i herd splashing and could see that one cormorant was beating the water with its wings harshly for about 10-15 seconds then dived down for about 5 seconds then resurfaced. soon all the cormorants were doing the same thimg all together about 15 of them. this lasted for about 10 mins.
i would like to know what the cormorants were doing and is this normal behavior as i have been observing cormorants for a long time and have never seen this happen. were they just cleaning?
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All today a Moth has been staying in the exact same place on the outside of my conservatory window, I tried to pick it up and it seemed very lazy and not able to fly well, is it unusual for moths to be out in the cold day light like this and is this moth going to be able to survive?
By the way if anyone can tell me what type of moth it is that would be great, I have a photo here:
http://twitpic.com/p0lyf/full
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We have some annoying Muntjac nearby causing havoc in the allotments which seems to be annoying a few people, is there a way we can keep them away without being evil?
Also, did anyone see this in the paper and do you think it is a good or bad solution?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6316530/Stockholms-rabbits-burned-to-keep-Sweden-heated.html
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when fishing from the beach at night there are hundreds of small insects jumping around my feet and equipment what are these and do they bury themselves into the sand because in the morning the sand is covered in what seem to look like tiny mole hills above the water make are they Liked?
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Hi Team,
when fishing from the beach at night there are hundreds of small insects jumping around my feet and equipment what are these and do they bury themselves into the sand because in the morning the sand is covered in what seem to look like tiny mole hills above the water make are they Linked?
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Hello Autumnwatch team
When out doing horses at 6am, my husband and I often hear several pairs of tawny owls calling to each other - it does sound like a conversation! Are they....
a) Comparing notes about the night's hunting
b) Saying 'goodnight' (or 'good morning'!)
c) Warning each other to keep off their teritory
d) Warning each other not to steal their mate
or something else?
We love the show and learn loads each week.
Kind regards
Peanutshuggybear
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HEY!
This is a question that my mum would like to know the answer to please!
A while ago we had a mouse living in our kitchen which was eating my cat's biscuits. One morning we came downstairs to find that the mouse had left a trail of biscuits from the packet all the way to where it was hiding under the sink. Each biscuit was perfectly placed a quarter of an inch apart from the next.
Is there any reason why it did this?
Thanks!
Charlotte.
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Hi there
Can anyone tell me if Quail are a rare sight in the north west of England? Last Saturday morning (7th November) we looked out of our window to see one wandering around our garden feeding on sunflower seeds on the ground that had fallen from our feeders. Amazingly, it stayed for around two hours before flying into the farmer's fields next door and off into the undergrowth. Unfortunately, it hasn't been back since.
My fiancé took various pictures of the bird. Please feel free to have a look by going to http://www.imagepalette.com/_quail
I have read on the RSPB website that they are the only migrating game bird and they can be seen in the UK between May and September, but their distribution map did not show Cheshire as an area that they frequent. Also, this would suggest that they would have left for a sunnier climate by now. Could this one have been late leaving due to our mild October, just passing through on its way south? Also, can you tell me where they migrate to since the RSPB web site didn't say?
Hope you can help with this.
Love the programme, long may it continue!
Many thanks
Rebecca
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Having watched a nature programme where peanut butter was used to attract pine martens, my friend and I tried the same to attract badgers to our gardens. We now get badgers, but should we stop doing this as the sugar in it must be bad for their teeth. Should we stick to peanuts,eat the peanut butter ourselves and worry about our own teeth?
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We live on the outskirts of Ayr and have flocks of rooks visiting the garden every day when I put out food.I was very interested when Chris said last week that it was possible the black crow families of birds may not look black at all to other birds but may even be brightly coloured.
On Monday we had low brilliant winter sunlight that picked out the rooks sitting on my garage roof - my son and I couldn't believe what we were seeing!Suddenly those plain black birds were subtly coloured with a shiny aquamarine greeny blue head and fantastic lilacy pink wing feathers. As soon as they lost the direct brilliant light they appeared plain black again.
I would never have thought to look at them so carefully till Chris mentioned it.Dull is never in fact dull, in nature at all. Christine
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Primary 1 and 2 of Wallace Primary School in Scotland have been learning all about animals and plants in autumn. Primary 2 have transformed their classroom into a garden. We have even built our own shed. Both classes were wondering do ladybirds really have stinky feet? We would love to send you pictures of our fantastic work.
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Hi there,
My names Alec, I’m 14 and I’d like to have a career involving wildlife. I was wondering if some of you could briefly describe how you got to where you are now and what i should be looking to do in the future. Keep up the great work, I’ve been watching spring and autumn watch since it started and it’s getting better every time!
From Alec.
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A question for Kate really about her beloved geese, loved the spot on Simon and the Barnacles, about the same time we were on Lindisfarne watching a flock of Pink-foots dropping in, and fully intend to return soon to catch the Pale Bellied Brents. However, the point I would like to make is what constitutes a real wild goose,is it just migration?
We were watching Barnacles in September in the Looe estuary and Pink-foots mixed in with the Greylags in the lakes in June, feral I believe the word is, to use birding terminology are these ticks or not?
I have a feeling that our Barnacles, although splendid, are not the real deal, what is your stance. Steve.
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I saw a WHITE SQUIRREL last Sunday 8th Nov while out walking with a friend in Guisborough woods,Yorkshire, it was amzing to see. I will go back to the woods and try to get some photos as I have been told it has been seen there before.
Can you tell me how rare are these white squirrels and are they from the Red or Grey family?
Thanks,
Love the show
Mazz
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Hi.
We are writing from Nottingham Emmanuel School, and we have some questions about Autumn that we've all been wondering about, and we hope that you can answer some for us..they are quite hard!
Why do swallows fly back to Africa in Autumn?
Where do kingfishers go in Winter?
How come daffodil bulbs can survive frosts?
Why do leaves fall off the trees in Autumn?
Why don't conifer trees grow fruit (like apples)?
We all love the programme and especially Mr Keeling who, like Simon, enjoys small islands like Simon. He can get away from the crowds there.
Thanks very much
Uno
(Morning Registration Group)
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Together with my daughter, I watch Autumnwatch every Friday evening. We are from the Netherlands and because of this program we learn the english names of birds and animals, fantastic!
We think you are a very lovely team.
I don't have a question, just a big hug to all of you!!!!!!!!!!
Greeting from Tineke and Eva!
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Woodcock drops into Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium during a race meeting.
On Friday evening a Woodcock dropped into Wimbledon Stadium during a race. Thank god it landed on the centre green and not on the track during a race! After a while it tried to fly back out of the stadium but flew into the windows of the grandstand and fell to the ground. My wife who works at the track, rescued the bird and brought it home after a quick check by the duty vet.
In the morning we checked the bird and it seemed OK. I thought it was a Bar Tailed Godwit (a wading bird) and contacted the RSPCA who told me to release the bird close to where I found it. I was not content with this advice as it is a very built up urban area. I then contacted Animal Aid Charity at Leatherhead who's vet identified it as a woodcock and gave the all clear for it to be released on some local heath land where there's a flock of woodcock.
My Question is:
If this bird was migrating was it OK to release it as we did (away from where it was found) and are Woodcocks territorial - if so could this prove to be a problem for it.
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Hi Last week I noticed a crow standing on an overhead telephone wire running at a slope down to a house,It proceded to hang upside down from the wire and slid down the cable before letting go, It then came back and did the same another 3 times, once only hanging by 1 foot.I could hardly believe what i had seen, ( I do not drink ). The same thing happened again today,Can anyone explain this behaviour ?
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Hi there again, I forgot to mention that the birds in our garden like cooked rice and pasta ( without salt of course ), is this okay?
Tineke ( from the north of the Netherlands )
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I'd like to ask about tawny owl vocalisations, as I'm puzzled by what seem to be two schools of thought. Chris said that males make the hooting sounds and females the "ke-wick", and I've certainly read this before. But "Birds of the Western Palearctic" concise edition, vol 1 page 909, indicates that both sexes use a variety of calls, both hooting and ke-wick. Your comments would be much appreciated. Many thanks. Sue Hill
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WE HAVE JUST MOVED BACK INTO OUR HOUSE IN THE HIGHLANDS AFTER AN 18MTH POSTING WITH THE ROYAL AIR FORCE IN THE FALKLAND ISLANDS....AWESOME WILDLIFE THERE!...AND WE HAVE BEEN SERENADED IN OUR GARDEN EACH NIGHT SINCE JUNE BY TWO TAWNEY OWLS, A MALE AND A FEMALE. WE BROUGHT A FALKLAND CAT BACK WITH US, HE IS ALONG HAIRED TABBY AND LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A SCOTTISH WILDCAT, THE OWLS SEEM TO GO OVERBOARD WITH THEIR CALLING WHEN REBUS IS IN THE GARDEN.IS THIS BECAUSE THEY FEEL THREATENED OR ARE NERVOUS OF HIM? HE IS QUITE A LARGE CAT EVEN THOUGH HE IS NOT QUITE 2YRS OLD YET. WOULD THE OWLS EVER ATTACK HIM? OR IS IT MAYBE BECAUSE REBUS IS HELPING HIMSELF TO THEIR SUPPER AS HE CONSTANTLY BRINGS IN SHREWS,RABBITS AND EVEN CAUGHT A CROW RECENTLY. WE LOVE THE SHOW, WELL DONE TO EVERYONE.
P.S. I HAVE JUST FINISHED READING SIMON'S BIOGRAPHY, EXCELLENT LIFE STORY... SO FAR.... LOOK FORWARD TO PART TWO! REGARDS, SUE AND TONY FRANCIS
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Hi Team. Thank you so much for such a great programme which has really inspired & fired up my son Daniel (nrly 10). He has got us signed up to 'tree o clock', out listening for barn owls, is desperate to see a red squirrel & save the dormouse! He has spent a lot of time on the Autumn Watch website, showing his friends & family & preaching the conservation message far & wide! The odds are stacked against him, as we live near the centre of Birmingham! He has sent in a question about where to find a book about how to identify animals, I know it is a simple answer, but to get an answer from the team or even a mention, it would really give him a boost. I am also sure that he is not alone, perhaps you could give some advice Chris about how youngsters can get involved in wildlife projects & get some hands on field work experience? Good to have you back by the way, I have found your enthusiasm contageous ever since you appeared on 'The Really Wild Show' with a blonde mohecan! :)
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Hi! I have a question for the team: I was recently walking by my local canal and saw a molehill about 5cm from the bank; do moles ever dig right through the bank and fall in the water; and if so, do they drown or can they swim?
Also, what's the difference between a mushroom and a toadstool? Is the classification based purely on toxicity?
p.s. To Chris on the subject of the hippocampus being smaller in females - I have overcome the issue of losing my car in the supermarket car park by driving a yellow beetle - who needs a big hippocampus when you've got one of them?
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Hi Martin
Can you help me I am a member of a Red Squirrel Group in N.Ireland and I was wondering if you can give us a mansion on one of the programs it just I thin that Autumn watch has forgot N.Ireland when they were talking about the Red vs Grey problem.
We are the Glens Red Squirrel Group we have a web site that is www.glensredsquirrelgroup.com and we have a hotline number to report sightings of reds or greys it is 08713157376.
We are in and cover the 9 Glens of co.Antrim. We are trying to make people know that we have an area with red squirrels BUT the GREYS are coming and we need people to know and we need their help.
The Problem is that the biggest majority of people don’t know that there are red squirrels in N.Ireland and Ireland as a hole because they are in so very few areas.
If you can we would be very Grateful.
Thanks Daniel
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Hi Martin
Can you help me I am a member of a Red Squirrel Group in N.Ireland and I was wondering if you can give us a mansion on one of the programs it just I thin that Autumn watch has forgot N.Ireland when they were talking about the Red vs Grey problem.
We are the Glens Red Squirrel Group we have a web site that is www.glensredsquirrelgroup.com and we have a hotline number to report sightings of reds or greys it is 08713157376.
We are in and cover the 9 Glens of co.Antrim. We are trying to make people know that we have an area with red squirrels BUT the GREYS are coming and we need people to know and we need their help.
The Problem is that the biggest majority of people don’t know that there are red squirrels in N.Ireland and Ireland as a hole because they are in so very few areas.
If you can we would be very Grateful.
Thanks Daniel
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A question for Chris.
I am an arachnophobe (when it comes to BIG spiders) but I have two spider related questions:
1) In a corner of our bathroom by the shower is a little spider who never seems to catch anything in its web but I often see it apparently 'drinking' the steam/condensation on the wall and in its web. Can it survive just be taking in water?
2) I work in a pathology lab and a few weeks ago we had a few HUGE house spiders running across the floor. I was told that conkers deter them - is this true?
Steph in Devon.
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I was in my school playground last week when I saw two wasps mating in the middle of the ground. I was watching them for about five minutes when the one underneath flew off with the other one still sitting on its back like it was riding a scooter. It was really funny to see and I wanted to know about any particular reason for it flying off with the other one still on top of it. (From Nicholas aged 12)
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Hi
I took this shot in Cannock town centre on 5th October but I'm not sure what type of owl it is. Unfortunately I didn't have a telephoto lense and I couldn't get close enough to see. Can you help?
Full photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44580578@N07/4098672101/in/pool-bbcautumnwatch
Cropped version:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44580578@N07/4098672247/in/pool-bbcautumnwatch
Karen
from Stafford
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Hi, I went to the celebration in Jersey of 50 years of Durrell and saw the video message from the autumnwatch presenters. I was just wondering if you could give Durrell a mention on the show as it is not only important in Jersey but also worldwide. Thanks xx
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I hope the BBC wont't mind...but I have put a small video on YouTube, where Martin couldn't stop mentioning the name of Simon. To me it was very funny :-)
Greetings, Tineke ( The Netherlands )
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A couple of weeks ago Kate mentioned a piece on identifying different birds of prey. We've been watching every week but the piece hasn't appeared. Please show it! It would be really useful - we see lots of different birds of prey down here in West Cornwall and have trouble working out what's what from the various angles and distances we see them at. We love the new format, by the way!
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Hello all, I really enjoy Auntumnwatch and Unsprung :-)
Not really a wildlife question, but does Martin have hinges on his ears for his glassess?? :-)
Bob
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Great programme - would you be kind enough to help me to identify the following 2 bugs , please?
The butterfly I found in the shed a couple of weeks ago, and the little 'fly' has several cousins taking up residence all over the house. They are both very pretty, but what are they?
Thank you all very much
PS The little 'fly' has a 2cm wing span and actually has 4 wings although it only looks like 2!
Woops - how do I send a photo?
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Dear Kate, Chris, Simon and Martin, Loving the show this year! Wanted to ask 2 questions - Firstly could we see pictures of SIMON'S PONY TAIL from the archives - we've seen Chris's 80's hair cut, so how about it?
Kate you do so well putting up with the guy's, first Bill and now Chris - you deserve a medal! Girl Power!
Secondly, Is there any chance of seeing WAXWINGS IN DORSET - my friend gets one visiting his garden near Malvern but I think they are mainly on the east of England aren't they?
Thanks for all the fab coverage of our beautiful Autumn - there's nothing like it! You're all so knowledgeable on your subjects and refreshingly you don't take our wonderful wildlife for granted even if you've seen it many times before. It sooo comes over how captivated you are by it all!
We are lucky enough to have lived in Poole in Dorset for the past 11 years, so have an amazing array of wildlife even just in the garden.
Keep up the good work and thanks again!
Ann Grisdale
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Re: Superstitions
When I was little my mum used to say that if a bird pecked at your window it was trying to bring you news.
Also I would like to agree with kernowmaids, I too have been waiting patiently on the piece about bird of prey identification, what happened?
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hello team no need to tell you all that you do a great job we all love it my husband & me went to Martin Mere last sunday & what a great thrill it is to be there we are going again in Nov 22nd when i was talking to one of my brother,s about it he rather cheekly said did Simon King & Kate Humble say hello i just said dont be daft but i had a thought would all the team say hi to Malc & Els so i can say yes they did & he will be watching so he will no keep up the good work & Autumn watch unsprung els thank you hoping!
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Having seen the unpleasant death on the deer rutt a couple of weeks back, I'd like to ask Simon: obviously you'd never intervene in a fight, but if you came across a dying deer (or other wild animal) would you ever consider putting it out of it's miser?
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It has been raining today and there has been no bird song. But about 15minutes before the rain stopped the songbirds began to sing heralding better weather. Have you an explanation for the birds behaviour. This action seems quite usual and my wife and I rely on the expertise of the birds!
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Chris, as a woman of a certain age, I am currently experiencing facinating (if rather uncomfortable) hot flushes.
During an unusually hot and sleepless night this week, I started to wonder whether birds and small mammals experience a similiar 'end of reproductive usefulness' turning point, after which they enjoy a fulfilling 'retirement'. Or are my suspicions correct that there is no 'life after sex' for them, indeed the rigour of reproduction ends their little lives?
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After storing bird food in the garden shed, and discovering that it was being eaten, by something, we've discovered that we now have field mice living in the shed. They've made a bed in the lawnmower from various paper and foam they've collected....but....we're now worried they might get more adventurous and start coming into the house, as the shed is very close to the back door. I REALLY don't want to start trapping or poisoning them, but we don't want them in the house either. Any advice??
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Whilst making my bug hotel, I came across a long string of yellow/gold coloured eggs, the size of childrens beads. They were
under a pile of sycamore leaves. Can anyone tell me what they
are please?
Helen. Age 10
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Would it be possible on the last show, episode 8, for the team to shpw the photo's from the flickr group that the team have picked as their favourites. It would be nice for the photographers concerned, the vast majority of them enthusiastic amateurs, to see their work shown on the program or Unsprung.
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Dear Martin and the team,
I wonder if you could help explain what's going on at our house!
We have a very large Crow that comes and sits on the roof and attacks the chimney.
I'd better point out our chimney is a modern stainless steel affair rather than bricks.
It does it every day and we are wondering whether it can see its own reflection and believes it to be another Crow.
The thing is, Crows are supposed to be intelligent birds and we were hoping this one would learn pretty quickly that it was just blunting its beak rather than fighting off a rival, but its been doing it for three weeks now and shows no sign of getting the message
What can we do?
Thanks for a great show - does it really have to end next week!
Andrew (aged 9) and Thomas (aged 6) Marriott
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question for chris we live near open fields in shropshire we see on a regular basis up to seven or eight buzzards on the field all at the same is this usual behaviour
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Hi all love the show, please please read out my question I would love it...I have recently had a butterfly in my house for the past couple of months not moving at all (could it be hibernating?) and then the other day it flew near the window and isnt moving again, should I let it out? What is it doing?
Camilla, 18, North Yorkshire.
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I have very recently seen a Pied Crow in my area which is likely to be an escapee, as I know they are kept as pets in the UK because of their talent for mimicking and speech. They are native to Africa.
Having seen a post on the Autumnwatch Noticeboard about Mandarin ducks now having a feral population in the UK, I wondered if this would be likely to happen with for instance the Pied Crow and if so are pet exotic species controlled enough to avoid this.
It may be the poor bird I saw is doomed as I'm not sure how hardy it will be.
Would appreciate your views on this.
Thanks,
Jeanette from Erskine, Renfrewshire.
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I live near to Glasgow Airport and was passing it today when I noticed a flock of Hooper swans in a field beside the airport. In the flock of swans was a Black Swan. Why was it there and where would it have come from?
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We have a Robin that comes into our back garden every day. It keeps flying into our patio doors and flapping its wings. We have fed it each day, but it keeps doing the same thing, for several hours every day. We have the blinds over, but it still keeps doing it. Why does he do this and is there something we should be doing ?
Thankyou,
Charlie Thomson, aged 8
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One for Simon re Otters? At my local W.Yorks reserve a dyke runs through a drain into the river Aire,Sitting on this drain on the dyke side a large splash in the mouth of the drain,watched a trail of bubbles snake up the dyke for around 20 feet.Not fish! I think large mammal and nostril bubbles, not grubbing in mud. Lots of rats in area, past confirmed sightings of mink and on the website recent possible sightings of otters! This was 10.30 in the morn, nobody else around, I'd been there for a while. What is you best guess, can rats swim that far underwater, if not which of the other two?
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Hello Martin,
Can you say hello from me to Lloyd Buck the bird trainer man. I helped him a few years ago now, look for Lady his Peregrine Falcon who unfortunatly went missing after filming the speed record. I would just like to ask him for an update on Lady. And I wish him well with Arnie.
Regards
Vicky
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Hi Unsprung
A question for Kate.
Please, Please, Please can you tell me where you got your badger mug from which I see every week during the unsprung show?
I would love to get one to add to my collection of all things BADGER.
Hope you can reply, keep up the good work everyone
Thank you
from tinyladybrock
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Dear All at Autumnwatch Unsprung,
I want to bring something most important to your attention! At the start of July, one of Ireland’s rarest creatures, a Pinemarten started to come around, probably enticed by the fact that I've got a number of cats who live outside, and eat in the conservatory at the back door.
This single Pinemarten was coming around at times varying from 06:30 - 08:15hrs in the morning, and again from 20:12 - 21:30hrs in the evening.
Within one or two days you could see the Pinemarten appear anytime from dawn till 21:42hrs approximately. With many visits taken within this time.
I've read that Pinemarten are very secretive and solitary creatures, and are normally nocturnal, except when they are nursing females.
From about day three or four of paying our cats' food a visit, the apparent nursing female had started to have one and then two other Pinemarten in her company. These I presume were two of her young, despite being much the same size and length, just a bit lighter looking in weight.
They have quite happily allowed me to watch and photograph them -from as little as eighteen inches away!
A few weeks ago one of them even took food from my hand!
Is this normal behaviour for Pinemarten?
Two days ago I lost one of my prized Free-Range laying pet hens to one of the Pinemarten.
What does or can their diet normally include? As my mother and I have a few free-range pet hens? Are they likely to continue to attack them, despite my continuing to put food out for them? Are they like Mink, which we also have in the immediate area, who are known to kill indiscriminately -almost for fun?
How can I protect the Pinemarten as they are protected by law, while still protecting my chickens?
Please advise me.
Thanks,
Yours,
Peter Findlay
Co. Leitrim.
Ireland.
[Personal details removed by Moderator]
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Having been brought up on a diet of 'Lions of the Serenghetti'(sorry, don't know how to spell that!)Springwatch and Autumnwatch have been a breath of fresh country air! At last I am able to learn more about British wildlife, which I have a chance of seeing in the flesh rather than just on TV! I would like to make an observation, though: whereas Spring may be able to be 'Unsprung', I'm not sure that Autumn can - wouldn't 'Autumnwatch Unwound' be a better title for the later part of the show?
Hazelcontortia
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Hi all!
I love love love the show, and we have always watched it as a family. My child is named after Kate, and we love ALL of you!
Thankyou for the joy you [and the team] bring to us on chilly evenings.
Love to all, Annie
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My 10 year old daughter and I made a hedgehog box at the weekend and within 2 days we had a resident hedgehog. We live by the coast in north Essex. Did we just get lucky or are hedgehogs to be found in most rural gardens? What signs should you look for to find out if you have hedgehogs visiting your garden?
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Dear All at Autumnwatch Unsprung,
I want to bring something most important to your attention! At the start of July, one of Ireland’s rarest creatures, a Pinemarten started to come around, probably enticed by the fact that I've got a number of cats who live outside, and eat in the conservatory at the back door.
This single Pinemarten was coming around at times varying from 06:30 - 08:15hrs in the morning, and again from 20:12 - 21:30hrs in the evening.
Within one or two days you could see the Pinemarten appear anytime from dawn till 21:42hrs approximately. With many visits taken within this time.
I've read that Pinemarten are very secretive and solitary creatures, and are normally nocturnal, except when they are nursing females.
From about day three or four of paying our cats' food a visit, the apparent nursing female had started to have one and then two other Pinemarten in her company. These I presume were two of her young, despite being much the same size and length, just a bit lighter looking in weight.
They have quite happily allowed me to watch and photograph them -from as little as eighteen inches away!
A few weeks ago one of them even took food from my hand!
Is this normal behaviour for Pinemarten?
Two days ago I lost one of my prized Free-Range laying pet hens to one of the Pinemarten.
What does or can their diet normally include? As my mother and I have a few free-range pet hens? Are they likely to continue to attack them, despite my continuing to put food out for them? Are they like Mink, which we also have in the immediate area, who are known to kill indiscriminately -almost for fun?
How can I protect the Pinemarten as they are protected by law, while still protecting my chickens?
Please advise me.
Can you please let me know how I can send you a couple of films or photos of the Pinemarten eating and at play.
Thanks,
Yours,
Peter Findlay
Co. Leitrim.
Ireland.
[Personal details removed by Moderator]
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My chickens for some reason decide to hide all there eggs in one place. This happens with all of the chickens. We found they weren't laying, and then we found a stash of 30 eggs. Why do they choose to lay their eggs in secret instead of in their nest boxes?
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Birds pooing on your head being good luck...hrmmm, not too sure about that but that's what they say...!
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good morning
first thank you very much for these very interesting evenings discovering about wildlife. It became a weekly "must see" so we are sad we do not see autumnwatch for a while ! I enjoy the quiz though the pictures are better(precise) on my PC screen than on the TV screen, I like too these "brain"subjects like this one with animal and superstition.
I remember -as I was 10 years old- to have heard about the owls being "nailed" on a door to keep misfortune away. As a child quite all animals are gentile (except the woolf in "the Red Riding Hood") and it was a big shock and all adults became ridiculous at once.
What I found interesting is that these animal supersitions exist in different countries in the same pattern, ex. the black cat.
I am interested, in fact very interested to see how your autumnwatch prepares the broadcasting = the background (setting up the cameras and all the material, waiting for the right moment..).
vive the next springwatch !
rgds
CatherineII
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Tremendous programme, thank you to the entire team.
Magpies: 1 for sorrow, 2 for mirth, 3 for a wedding, 4 for a birth. Seems there are a variety of rhymes. Whilst in China I learnt that they too say 1 for sorrow, 2 for joy based on an ancient story of a princess falling in love with a village boy that she met on the village bridge. This angered her wealthy father and the couple had to choose between never seeing one another again, or for the boy to be turned into a magpie, after which he would be allowed to fly down to the bridge once a year to visit his daughter. He couldn't bear the idea of never seeing her again and became a magpie - 1 for sorrow! So where does our rhyme come from - did we borrow it from the ancient Chinese myth?
Best wishes to all, Anne
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I came across a white deer a while back and took a photo of it ,but last night in the same area I came across Five! Is it unusual to find a herd like this and what is it that makes them white?
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Having read the latest comments I still maintain we have a duty to protect our red squirrels and if that means culling some grey squirrels then I am afraid it just has to be. With regards to some comments about racism I think that is just stupid.
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