Spent the last half hour watching little owls' nest on the red button. They are the most enchanting birds, the youngsters no less so. Three of those in this nest, presently huddling for warmth with each trying to get into the centre of the group and so furthest out of the wind - sounds like it's blowing something fierce down at Minsmere. The parents are doing well to keep hunting in the conditions.
Love the Seasonwatch programmes. This will, no doubt, come as little surprise to those of you what have me on Facebook. Jackets, birds, animals and that. Wonderful, gentle, informative telly. Up there with Coast, and Railway Journeys. And documentaries about bears in Alaska.
Thanks Kev, I've been wondering when they would announce the new series for weeks. Is it always this late in the spring? I mean, May 29 is virtually summer, I feel like I've already watched most of Spring by actually going outside...
That was a really unexpected highlight, wasn't it?
I rather liked the format they fell into for the latter part of the run, with Chris and Michaela anchoring things from the Cotswolds and Martin and/or Gillian reporting in from various places around the country. I assumed they started the run with all four of them on-site to ease the transition to a Chris/Michaela/Gillian combo once Martin jetted off to all points of the compass (not to mention possibly ousting him for good, going by media reports the other month), but she did seem incredibly nervous and a bit stuttery in front of the live cameras during the first week – so I wonder if her also vanishing from the main broadcasts and linking up with Martin in the Scilly Isles or wherever was always the plan or if they rejigged her role partway through to help ease her into things a bit more gently.
Looks like they’ve stuck with the format of Gillian as off-main-site reporter (she’s on Islay, Chris, Michaela & Martin are in the Cotswolds). I do wish she was a bit more comfortable in front of the camera, though.
Yes, she still appears more comfortable in pre-recorded segments – which was how we were originally introduced to her a year or more ago. In the live pieces she still comes across a little jittery, even though she seems better away from the main site where the heart of the live broadcast is.
Speaking of nerves, the piece tonight about how wildlife experiences stress, putting heart rate monitors on seals, was fascinating. It's a bit bothersome that the very fact of observing animals may be causing their hearts to race even when they look superficially unbothered.
Damn it, only just seen this Kev. I hope it's genuinely his own decision after all that, not some shoddy cloak-and-dagger manoeuvring behind the scenes.
He's been terrific this week, it's true. Iolo comes in next week, who will be great too of course.
The whole thing still seems a little odd, in that the original rumours were that M H-G was being none-too-gently edged out so that the BBC could buff up their diversity quota instead of having the programmes presented by three white middle-class (shock, horror) people. Yet so far they're replaced him with other white people, whilst it appears they still don't trust Gillian as one of the 'anchor' presenters and have instead banished her to the likes of Shetland as their roving reporter. Unless they bring in David Lindo or someone for the third week it's all a bit as-you-were.
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