Autumnwatch returns to our screens on BBC 2 from Tuesday Oct 27th with an extraordinary double helping of live programmes across two weeks. With live camera feeds and some of the BBC's finest wildlife presenters based across the whole country, including Chris Packham, live from his New Forest patch with stepdaughter Megan ready to assist, Michaela Strachan in the glorious Tentsmuir Forest in Fife overseeing the grey seal pupping season, Iolo Williams, at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and Gillian Burke at RSPB Old Moor in the heart of South Yorkshire, there's sure to be a range of wildlife stories to follow.
We chatted to Chris, Michaela and Gillian to find out more about what Autumnwatch has in store for us this year...
There’s something to love about every stage of the year. But what do you love most about autumn?
Gillian: Do you know what, I’m going to answer this slightly left field – I look forward to Strictly Come Dancing, I get really excited about Strictly happening! I know we’re supposed to be talking about nature. But I really do love it! Nature-wise it's that sense of cosying up, I love that feeling. Obviously, with Autumnwatch thrown in all of that, we will have quite a lot to do and I may not have as much time to cosy up at home and hibernate. But it'll be my first journey out of Cornwall since lockdown, so that's going to be quite exciting.
Chris: For me, it's the dynamic nature of the season. Really, spring is quite predictable. Things have to be predictable in spring, because it's a very brief season where everything needs to mate. But Autumn is different every year, it’s dependent on the seasons that have preceded it, it is dependent on the weather. I like that unpredictability. Even very simple things like the leaves falling off the trees is a fairly momentous event. At my home in the New Forest, for the last three or four months, I haven't been able to see the woods for the trees because all the leaves have been in the way, but in the next couple of weeks the whole structure of that landscape will change. Then it smells good. I think autumn is the best smelling season. You know, you've got that rich dense humus sort of smell, you can smell all the leaves. I love the smell of cold fog when you breathe in, and it sort of hits your nostrils and chills your face and all of that stuff. So yeah, I'm a massive fan of autumn, it might be my favourite season!
Michaela: What I love about autumn is the colours, I just love the richness of it all. Sometimes you pick a leaf off the forest floor, and you just cannot believe that that's a natural colour. You know, it's so vibrant when you get those yellows and those oranges. I actually miss having a young child at this time of the year, my son is now 15, but when he was little, I used to love that thing, where you pick the leaves up, and then you make patterns with the leaves. And you know, you can lay all the different colours out. Although it's not my favourite season, I'm going to jump in, I'm going to enjoy it. I'm going to get those leaves, I'm going to relish in the colours and relish in the unpredictability.
Do you have any advice on how people can get involved with autumn and the wildlife at this time of year?
Gillian: For me, the simplest thing that people can do is to go out and notice the little details, like the smell of the wood. That doesn't require any expertise, it doesn't require you purchasing any binoculars or any equipment at all.
Chris: I think it is a time for those Sunday afternoon walks where you get involved with your environment, really look at what you find, explore. And I always say to people don't just go to the big stuff, go for the little stuff. Fungi for example are fascinating. They can be very beautiful and also easy to photograph. Fungi are excellent for novice photographers because they don't move, but they can be striking in terms of their structure and coloration. Also listen out for those early signs of winter, the foxes vocalising, the owls calling. Exercise those senses, use your nose, use your ears, look at the little stuff, don't just go for the big stuff.
Michaela: We're incredibly lucky in this country that there are so many wildlife organisations that cater for any level – for beginners, advanced, intermediate, and you only have to go on their websites, the RSPB, the Woodland Trust, the National Trust, there's always stuff going on. I don't think unless you live away from the UK, you realise how fortunate we are to have so many of these organisations that provide you with stuff to do. The other day I was at an inner city reserve and it was absolutely brilliant. They gave out this checklist of birds and so I went with my binoculars. And you feel satisfied by the end of the day, because you’ve learned something.
Michaela, how does it feel to be back with the team for Autumnwatch?
Michaela: I watched Springwatch from home and it was very frustrating to not be a part of the team, but I was really, really proud of what they managed to achieve. I thought it was a really great series and despite everything that was going on, I'd feel great after the programme. It was just such a nice escape.
I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to spending over two weeks immersed in British wildlife in a fantastic spot. I love the storylines of the wildlife, so it’s great that this series is a two week series, it means we can follow the characters and get to know them better. I'm really excited to be able to block out Coronavirus for two weeks of my life, and completely immerse myself in British wildlife in in such a beautiful spot.
What are you most looking forward to seeing this year?
Gillian: I am looking forward to going back to a part of the country I haven't seen for a while now. And I'm looking forward to reconnecting with the landscape and the people. For me, I just love all of that. I mean, obviously the nature, the wildlife, and the species are exciting. But for me, it's context and having the opportunity to connect people's stories with nature.
Chris: For me it's all those little things, those surprising little things that happen in my local woodland. It's your patch, and you may think you know everything about it, but you take the time to stop and look and there’s so much more to discover. There are so many great stories going on at this time of year.
Do you have any tips for taking care of wildlife this autumn and helping animals get through the colder months?
Gillian: On the RSPB website they’ve got brilliant advice on how to build your own hedgehog hotel. I think in the spring, we focus a lot building bug hotels and all that sort of stuff. But this time of year hedgehogs could do with extra habitats. So try not tidying up and clearing up too much of the summer growth, because that will provide opportunities, not just for hedgehogs, but for all kinds of creatures that will overwinter in what looks like a mess to us, but actually is really valuable to them.
Chris: The message is feed, feed, feed really. And make sure you clean the bird feeders out before you top them up. If you've got table scraps, you can put them out for other animals. Although bear in mind that you’re not putting out things that will do more harm than good. Hedgehogs for example need a slightly more specialised diet. Also think about the means of dispensing the food you’re putting out, you don’t want to just end up fattening up next door’s cat! Autumn/winter is a tough time for wildlife, with all these young animals becoming independent from their parents. They've been mollycoddled all summer long and now they have to fend for themselves. So anything we can do to give them a helping hand in terms of shelter and feeding.
Michaela: Picking up from Chris and Gillian, make sure you're feeding the right things. We have a wealth of information at our fingertips, so there's no excuse – if you’re not sure something is a good thing to put out for the birds, check it first. Porridge for instance is not a good thing to put out for your birds as it will expand in their stomach. So look it up, you're bound to find the answer on the internet these days.
I remember years ago, we did a piece about cleaning your bird feeders. And even Chris was quite surprised how regularly you should clean them. Because the thing is, if one bird is ill and comes to your feeder, it will pass it onto all the other birds who come to your feeder. So you do have to clean your bird feeders regularly. It's not just about washing our hands anymore, you’ve got to wash your bird feeders!
One of the biggest problems with wildlife these days is the loss of biodiversity. Through lockdown we’ve all spent a lot of time in our gardens, if you're lucky enough to have one. So think about biodiversity and how you can increase it in your garden. Maybe get rid of the roses and put in a patch that will really attract birds and insects.
How can people use nature to make them feel happier and boost their morale, during what might be a tough autumn/winter?
Gillian: I’d say go out for a walk, and leave the phone at home, or silence it if you don’t want to leave it. But take that screen break. Reduce the number of access points that the stresses of modern life have on you. I love getting out and I'm very lucky where I live, I can get onto the coast path quite easily without having to get into the car. But I've also lived in places where that's not possible. When I lived in London the only thing I could see that wasn't manmade was the moon. So if that's all you can do, look up into the sky. Can you see the moon? What's the moon phase? Is it a cloudy night, a starry night? Just that could be your little window into the natural world.
Chris: It's a great time of year for collecting things, or maybe doing a photo montage on your phone. I picked up some beautiful conkers this morning, and as an object it was just exquisite, so shiny, so glossy, like a little bit of amber. Take photos of what you see, share it, share your enthusiasm. And in a way those sorts of pictorial notebooks document a journey, if it's a walk you take through the woods, or fields or wherever. I like engaging on that level, picking up feathers and conkers actively engaging with nature.
Michaela: During the lockdown I found enormous calmness sitting in my garden with my binoculars watching the bird feeders. Despite the fact that I'm a wildlife person, I actually realised that I didn't often have the time to just sit and watch them. I like to be a busy person, and I also like to feel in control. So I found the beginning of Covid, and the pandemic and lockdown, an extremely anxious time, because suddenly the control was taken away from me. I found that very difficult, as I know billions of other people did.
Every time I found myself getting stressed, I would go and sit in my garden, and watch the birds. I think it’s important we hold on to the simple things like that, especially in these times, when we're being bombarded with information all the time. And it's not just Covid, it's Brexit, it's what's going on in America, it's all so confusing, it's so chaotic, and it's so out of control, that you've got to find those simple things that you can connect with that bring you back down into a solid place.
What's an easy way people can help wildlife?
Chris: I'd say try and involve your community – if you are very passionate wildlife gardener, but you live in an area where no one else is, your garden won't prosper that much. Because there'll be lots of dead space in between yours and the next one, with all of your neighbours who aren't interested. So it's about spreading the word, spreading the enjoyment. It's about sharing a passion locally, and trying to build a community of people who will turn their care into some meaningful action.
Things like hedgehog street have worked really well, cutting little holes in fences to allow the hedgehogs through from garden to garden without going out onto the street and getting run over. And that's really taken off. So sometimes very simple ideas will work to benefit the wildlife. I would look into whatever space you've got, from a window box to a country pad. And think, what can I proactively do to make winter a little bit easier for wildlife?
Michaela: I can think of something very simple that an awful lot of people can do. And that is something that I do myself: clearing up rubbish. I live near a beach and I often take my dogs for a walk on the beach. And certainly where I live, there's a lot more rubbish on the beach. So every time I go to the beach with my dogs, I pick up rubbish. It doesn’t take all that much effort, but it will make a massive difference to wildlife if everyone pitches in and does their part.