Autumn marks a special time in nature’s calendar – is there a favourite wildlife moment you have managed to capture?
One of my all-time favourite British wildlife experiences was a spectacle we filmed in late Autumn early Winter when we were in Arne in 2017. It happened near Poole Harbour in Studland and it was a Starling murmuration. We were incredibly lucky to see it as it was the first time it had been seen there since 1986/87 and since then, apparently, it has been very unpredictable. But that night, it was a truly memorable performance.
The sunset was stunning and provided the most gorgeous backdrop to the unique aerial ballet of thousands of starlings swirling and swooping up above, making extraordinary patterns in the sky before funnelling down into their winter roost site in the reeds. The sight and sound was utterly beautiful.
You captured the largest colony of horseshoe bats in the UK. Is Devon home to any other interesting wildlife?
Well, a starling murmuration is a pretty good start! You should be able to find one in Devon, the Exe Reedbeds are worth checking out as well as over Burgh Island. Do a bit of research though as they do change from year to year and sometimes only start around November. But if you’ve never seen one before, I’d really recommend it. Autumn is when red deer stags are in full showing off mode and the red deer rut is always worth an outing to the moors.
Watching the drama unfold, to see which impressive stag will win his harem of hinds and deserve the right to mate, is just as exciting as the Rugby World Cup and definitely more exciting than the cricket World Cup! Take a camera as you should get some awesome photo opportunities with a bit of patience and obviously respect for not disturbing or getting too close. If you’re looking for cute then head to some of the sheltered beaches and coves where grey seals are pupping, like Lundy Island or Ilfracombe Harbour. The pups are very sensitive to disturbance, so again, obviously keep a respectable distance.
Take a trip to the tidal mud flats at the Exe Estuary to see thousands of wildfowl and waders. Our shores are a hotspot for birds migrating from further north to overwinter here and feed up on the abundance of food found in mud flats. Take your binoculars and a bird book and try and identify different species. It’s a great time of year to take a walk in the heathlands and enjoy the gorgeous purple and yellow colours of the heather and gorse and of course a fungi foray into the woods is always an autumn treat.
Source
BBC One
