BBC Autumnwatch 2020 Part 8

 

And with this post we end the wonderful observations of the nature in UK. In this episode we learned about the fantastic physiological adaptations of the Gannet birds (the dive with the speed of over 83 km/h and as the scientists experimented with the models - they could have, they never do, but could have reached the speed of around 286.5 km/h), the in-built GPS of he salmon (even in the embryos), and about the animals that start to colonize even the active industrial complex such as the glass factory.

BBC Autumnwatch 2020 Part 7

In this episode we spent the most time in Tentsmuir in Scotland watching, of course, seals, but also bearded tit, a very colorful and cute bird whose reed habitat was destroyed by a fire in April but rejuvenated by the time Autumnwatch was filmed. Also, I learned what a speculum is - it's a patch of iridescently blue wing feathers on both male and female mallard duck. The hypothesis as to why it's exactly the same is tentative - probably it refracts the light to avoid predation from hawks or falcons.

And also fungi and ther network. I love fungi, as probably some of you know, so seeing a tiny segment on them made me happy.

BBC Autumnwatch 2020 Part 6

 

In this, yet another informative episode, we learned how cephalopods are changing colors (which is actually quite amazing as they see the world in black and white), how flapper skate eggs look like (I did not know that) and about the danger that our hedgehogs face.

 

BBC Autumnwatch 2020 Part 5

This episode, again, was highly informative and talkative, therefore less pictures to provide. But we learned about the reappearance of the fox spider in the UK, about one species of a goose that has males to migrate to Norway for molting, and about the pockets of wildlife in the heart of London.

And also - how to recognize many animals' droppings.

[Rearview Mirror 2020] Documentaries

 

In the series of 2020 reviews, first - documentaries. I have watched 83 documentaries, both standalone movies and several-part series. I count 6-part series as one documentary though. You can say I have watched 83 titles.

This is just in case someone wants to watch something.

 

BBC Autumnwatch 2020 Part 4

In this episode we learned about the imported grey squirrels pushing the red squirrels, native to Europe, from their habitsts (sadly it's happening everywhere) and natural methods of culling the greys' population. There was a whole, wonderful segment on the life of an oak. Also - how a spider's legs work.

BBC Autumnwatch 2020 Part 3

Again, this is a highly talkative show that gives lots of information about the local environmental issues, but I managed to snap few pics.

BBC Autumnwatch 2020 Part 2

Not many screenshots from this episode as it was mostly talk and explaining, etc.

BBC Autumnwatch 2020 Part 1

Autumnwatch 2020 takes us to 4 locations: southern tip of the island, the middle part, Scotland and Wales.

BBC Natural World: The Monkey-Eating Eagle of the Orinoco (2010)

 

In this documentary we follow a small family of three of the harpy eagles. We witness how protective a mother can be (and females are around 1/3rd bigger than the males), how smart they can be (using natural insecticide in plants) and how magnificent those birds are.

BBC Natural World: Wild Cuba A Caribbean Journey Part 2 (2020)

In this episode I learned about cenote (a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath - Wikipedia), a manjuari fish that lives in them and mogote - isolated hills.

And Cuban crocodile - the most aggressive and agile of them all.

BBC Natural World: Wild Cuba A Caribbean Journey Part 1 (2020)

 

It is narrated by Colin Stafford-Johnson who explores the less explored corners of the island. His narration is very personal and it's obvious he loves what he presents. It is also a bit bittersweet, as he talks about the extinction that comes silently and no one ever notices. It is almost a poetic narration. 

BBC Blue Planet Revisited 2/2: Great Barrier Reef (2020)

In this episode we had fish. And coral reefs. And more fish.

Also - turquoise water, known better as pearl aqua waves.

BBC Blue Planet Revisited 1/2: A Sharks Tale (2020)

There be sharks. Lots and lots of sharks.

They also explained that the chance of getting killed while taking a selfie is higher than being killed by a shark.

And during the time that it takes to watch this episode, 11500 sharks will be killed.

BBC South Pacific 6/6: Fragile Paradise (2009)

In this episode we did not get as many calming scenes as in the previous parts, mostly because of the fact this episode deals with how fragile the south Pacific actually is, about solutions to preserve what we are left with and dangers looming with population grow. However, we met a sea snail, called sea butterfly that uses elongated leg to well, kind of fly in the sea (it's nicknamed as: potato chips, because it's so widespread and eaten by almost everything bigger than itself), a female tiger shark nicknamed Scarface that's inquisitive but doesn't bite the spectators.

In the whole - it was a really nice, informative series. 

Beware - there be sharks.

BBC South Pacific 5/6: Strange Islands (2009)

In this episode we got: a kangaroo that lives and thrives on the treetops, a white bird with deep amber-red eyes, the method of fishing involving a spider's web, a tuatara - a reptile that lives very very slowly (can take one breath per hour), a festival involving pig debt on Vanuatu (I need to read more about it, it's fascinating and I already have found the book that, I hope, can mention that: Living Kinship in the Pacific (Pacific Perspectives: Studies of the European Society for Oceanists) [Christina Toren, Simonne Pauwels]) and a penguin.

BBC South Pacific 4/6: Ocean of Volcanoes (2009)

In this episode we had many many islets and atolls that were once domineering volcanoes and now they are slowly sinking under the waves. 

There was also a marvelous scene of penguins swimming just under the surface filmed from below the whole and they truly looked like a flying squadron of tiny fighters. Surreal.

BBC South Pacific 2/6: Castaways (2009)

 

In this episode we had info about how some animals can colonize islands way way beyond their reach, the giant saltwater crocodile and the initiation rite for youngsters of one of New Guinea group (Crocodile People), a mourning gecko that does not need a man in her life and some fishies. 

Also, the soundtrack is out there, available and, my dears, it's very very nice.

BBC South Pacific 1/6: Ocean of Islands (2009)

I have started a new documentary series about the South Pacific. It is narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch and it presents not only the wildlife of the remote islands, but also the lives of human settlers on these tiny pieces of land.

BBC Horizon: Hubble - The Wonders of Space Revealed (2020)

This documentary is like a week old and it's very pretty. It presents the story of the cosmic observatory and shows both people who took care of Hubble and the images provided by the little helper.

I admit, I grew up watching images provided by it and I can't imagine my school years without them.

Hubble is 30 this year.