Ghost of the Mountains (2017)

 

 

Few screenshots from the documentary on irbis, the snow leopard, this time from the national park deep in China plateau. 

You can also help a bit here: https://snowleopard.org/

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.

 

[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.

Enchanted Forest (2020)

 

 I have to say, Doclights/ZDF documentaries quickly moved into my top 10 movies this year. It's not heavily sensationalized, overly dramatic or full of gimmicks like other companies (PBS, I'm looking at you). The narration is calm but explains everything that needs to be explain with a dash of humor.

Islands of Wonder 2/3: Borneo (2020)

 

In this episode we visited Borneo - and its inhabitants. Like gliding reptiles (over 20 species), pitcher plants that feed on insects or bat's guano, orangutans who know what and how to apply for arthritis, and a dwarf forest with dwarfed trees.

Islands of Wonder 1/3: Madagascar (2020)

 

If you thought Australia was weird - meet the Madagascar menagerie: a pelican spider that hunts other spiders (and looks like a pelican too), a tenrec that can produce a litter of 35, and in danger rubs spikes on their back to sound the alarm (the largest litter of all the mammals and the only one that does this kind of warning), a tiny chameleon that lives for 4 months only, aye-aye with one creepy finger from your worst nightmares...

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.

Owls: Masters of the Night (2020)

  

In this one we meet few families of owls as they try to raise their young. A very informative documentary with phenomenal cinematography.

Into The Wild Colombia: Finding a Family 5/5 (2018)

With this last episode we bid farewell to Colombia's forests, monkeys, frogs and birds. In it, we follow Mona - a young cotton-top tamarin monkey.She left her family in search of her own. And she saved her new one from the big, bad snake.

Into The Wild Colombia: Warriors of the Llanos 4/5 (2018)

In this episode we follow a herd of capybaras as they brave the scorching season of drought, ans also a tiny family of burrowing owls as they race time to bring up their offspring before the coming rainy season. Then we learn about the jacana birds - here the females are territorial and they leave males right after laying the eggs, so it's the guys job to raise the chicks.

Into The Wild Colombia: The Hummingbird's Quest 3/5 (2018)

 

 In this episodes we had three Moms raising the next generation, but not always with success.

Into The Wild Colombia: A Capuchin's Tale 2/5 (2018)

 

 

In this episode we follow a young capuchin monkey, Blanco, as he starts his life at 6 months old. I kind of don't like monkeys so the pics are what they are. 

I do like apes though, especially gorillas.

Into The Wild Colombia: Romeo and Julieta 1/5 (2018)

With this documentary we are moving to South America, and to be more specific - the Choco rain forest in Colombia Where t rains around 300 days per year). The first episode tells the story of a little golden dart frog, a poisonous little cutie, who is in search of a mate. And she has only 4 days to do it. And the rain forest is dark and full of dangers.

Africa's Hunters Series 1: Survivors of the Plains 6/6 (2015)

 

 In this episode I learned that female hyenas have so high levels of testosterone, they have a false penis.

Africa's Hunters Series 1: Teenage Pride 5/6 (2015)

 

In this episode we had the last look at the Nsefu lion pride. And we learned that teenagers are dumb and reckless regardless of species. And some die because of that. We also learned that a male lion, having all the females in his pride, is having something on the side going on. Men...