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Live Updates

the Autumnwatch team

All times stated are UK

  1. Farewell... for now

    We're going to be back here at RSPB Arne for Winterwatch in January 2017 when the wildlife and the landscape will be revealing new wonder for us all. We can't wait!

    You can relive moments from the Autumnwatch wildlife cameras with a delightful selection of clips created for your delectation.

    Not only that, you can catch up with each day here at Arne so far with our Autumnwatch In A Nutshell episodes.

    And here's a little look at some of the sensational sights that have graced our screens this week...

    Video content

    Video caption: The best from RSPB Arne and Autumnwatch

    See you next year! Keep up to date with the all things Watches on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr.

  2. Remember when you were at school...

    Laura Thorne

    Autumnwatch Digital Producer

    I had an idea, more of a flashback to when I was at school. We used to have a nature table in the corner of the classroom and over the seasons, we'd add to it with leaves from trees in the playground or pinecones we might have found over the weekend. Sometimes things would feature in glass jars fished out from the pond.

    Before Autumnwatch this year I enjoyed a few walks in the Mendips. 

    My eyes were darting everywhere just noticing the sheer quantity of beautiful autumnal bounty that lay about the place. After collecting a big bag of conkers for a forthcoming championship it occurred to me I could probably manoeuvre the presenter team into humouring me and creating the ultimate nature table at Autumnwatch! 

    View more on instagram

    The film below is the result of their nature foraging when we first arrived at Arne. My thanks to Rob Farrington of RSPB Arne for showing us the best places to find all sorts of treats. Thanks also to Chris, Scotty and Josh for filming the chaos that ensued and to Tom for making sense of it all! 

    Nature table
    Image caption: After...

    Video content

    Video caption: Two Autumnwatch teams go foraging for nature's bounty
  3. Live chat with Chris Packham

    Coming up in a few moments, for a live chat with Chris Packham on our Facebook page (and right here on this page too). 

    If you have any questions for Chris about the series or about wildlife in general, now's your time to ask! 

    Chris Packham
  4. A beautiful friendship

    Fungi are very common here at Arne and autumn is the best time to see hundreds of different species!

    Many mushrooms we see have an intimate relationship with trees. They carry nutrients from the soil into tree roots and in return receive sugars and other useful nutrients.

    One example is the familiar red and white mushroom, known as the fly agaric, which only grows alongside scots pine and birch trees.

    Fly agaric
  5. Find the fungi

    There are thousands of mushrooms to look out for this autumn. Why don’t you start by searching for these common species:

    The parasol mushroom grows on heaths and sandy soils. Parasols are one of our largest wild mushrooms, growing up to 20cm wide.

    Common parasol mushroom
    Image caption: Common parasol mushroom

    Shaggy ink-caps, or lawyer wigs, often turn up on our lawns and look like white busbies. They can digest themselves and turn into black ink, which was once used for writing. Here's a great guide on identifying them.

    Puff balls are round fungi that sprout from dead wood or bare soil. When they dry out and burst they release millions of spores, which look like little puffs of smoke.

  6. Survival in the woods

    These clips have been added to our Flickr group by Sandra Standbridge. 

    A keen contributor to the group, Sandra's videos really caught our eye and not least for the fabulous quality. 

    The young hedgehog is seen eating a dead rabbit, which had previously been killed by a stoat. Juvenile hedgehogs need to be between 600 and 700 grams before they can hibernate – if they fail to put on enough weight before hibernation, they're very likely to perish over the winter. 

    This hedgehog fed for six hours on and off on Sandra's camera traps. Scroll down for a video. 

    Hedgehog eating a dead rabbit

    Other animals which came to feast on the rabbit included the stoat that killed it, a brown rat and a tawny owl. Sandra received praise from her peers on Flickr and when asked about how she captured the images said... .

    Quote Message: It is field work mostly and exploring the area you are staying, looking for signs of where wildlife is using certain tracks daily. As for the Stoat and co, that was just luck, as I had heard the rabbits piercing screams and knew immediately it had been caught by a predator, which turned out to be the Stoat. The Stoat did try and drag the wild rabbit kill away but as it was in a wooded area it was getting caught up in the fallen branches, so it decided to eat it where it was and was coming back time after time for a feed from Sandra Standbridge Wildlife photographer and enthusiast
    Sandra StandbridgeWildlife photographer and enthusiast
    Quote Message: It does not always work out as good but you have to put the hours in for any sort of results. Luck and patience play a major roll and a passion for watching wildlife.
    View more on flickr
  7. Picture perfect

    Autumn is a great time of year to visit the River Wye – and no one enjoys it more than wildlife cameraman Robin Smith. He uses a canoe to travel down the river and set up camera traps along its banks. 

    Robin Smith
    Robin Smith

    Over the years he’s captured footage of lots of different fauna, from hedgehogs to foxes and otters. 

    Otter
    Image caption: Otter leaves its scent on the river bank

    When one of his cameras records a lot of movement, Robin knows to go back to that site with his main camera. He sets up camp on the river bank for the evening, in hope he’ll capture the perfect picture. 

    Robin Smith camps on the river bank
    Image caption: Robin Smith makes himself at home

    He says misty autumn mornings are particularly good for capturing really atmospheric wildlife photographs.

    River Wye
    Image caption: Mist settles over the river
  8. Mouse Maze: the final frontier

    Did the mice have the muscle and mettle to master the vertical maze?

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    Video caption: Did the mice have the muscle and mettle to master the vertical maze?

    They managed to find their way speedily to the top of the maze in a mere 17 seconds. Not bad considering they were travelling up hill!

  9. Mouse Maze: the earlier time trials

    All week, we've been putting the mental and physical agility of the mice of Arne to the test. 

    To earn the prize of a stash of nuts, the mice had to navigate a maze. They record for this first challenge was 8seconds. Swift.

    We then turned it 180 degrees to test whether they were using external light sources to help them find their way through. After some initial confusion, the mice successfully found their way to the nuts, and got their time trial down to 9seconds. Respect.

    Then we ramped it up a gear. We flipped the maze over, meaning the route was entirely new to them. They were undaunted, and got there in 7 seconds, though it did take them a while to do this. Boom.

    Video content

    Video caption: The lowdown on the mouse maze antics so far

    And then last night, we took it to a new level...  

  10. Blooming gardens!

    Not only is it Wild About Gardens week run by the Wildlife Trusts, but the RHS have been championing Britain in Bloom for 52 years now - a nationwide community gardening campaign to transform cities, towns and villages. 

    Over 1,500 groups participate each year transforming spaces and enabling people to get stuck in with gardening. Over the summer when we launched the Do Something Great campaign, hundreds of people were able to get involved with their local groups and really make a difference by way of this scheme. 

    Find out more on the Britain in Bloom website. 

    View more on twitter
    View more on twitter
  11. What's in store on the weather front

    Nick Miller

    BBC Weather

    There may be a window of opportunity for Sacha flying with those Bewick’s swans later in the weekend.

    Right now low pressure is making it wet and windy in Estonia with headwinds from there to the UK. Later in the weekend into Monday the winds should ease as pressure builds briefly but next Tuesday it looks like we are back to square one with low pressure and headwinds.

    Of course that’s not just an issue for the swans but for any birds wanting to migrate here from Scandinavia or eastern Europe. So far this autumn they’ve had an easy ride on easterly tail winds but life is getting more complicated now!

    Next week in the UK it looks like winds will try to turn north/northwesterly bringing to an end this very mild weather we’ve been seeing.

    Looking further ahead into November there are signs temperatures may edge a little below the seasonal average for a time but strong autumn storms look less likely than usual. That’s good news for vulnerable grey seal pups around our coasts. The last thing they need is stormy seas and big waves crashing into the shore.

    Of course that’s not just good for those pups but for us too. What do you want to do after a week of Autumnwatch? Get out and see autumn for yourself near you. If the rest of November goes to plan, the weather won’t get in your way.

  12. Soaring with Sasha and the swans

    This week we've featured a remarkable project in which one woman takes on a 7,000 kilmometre journey to find out what it's like to fly with Bewick swans. 

    For all the latest updates on this extraordinary trip, you can track her progress on the Flight of the Swans website 

    Quote Message: One woman. 7,000 kilometres. 11 countries. By paramotor.
  13. Sasha’s incredible journey

    Sasha Dench, from the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, has embarked on an extraordinary expedition. She’s the first person attempting to follow Bewick's swans on their epic migration, from the Arctic tundra in Russia to their winter home in Britain. She’s tackling the 7,000km journey in a paramotor – a fragile aircraft in which she’s exposed to all the elements.  

    Sasha sets off on her journey

    By following them on their journey, Sasha hopes to understand more about the threats Bewick's swans face – such as power lines and habitat loss.

    Bewick's swan

    In September, the swans left the tundra before the Arctic weather set in. Sasha followed eagerly in their wake to experience the world as they do.  

    Tundra
    Quote Message: Once you get airborne it’s totally awe-inspiring… like nothing I’ve ever seen before. from Sasha Dench WWT
    Sasha DenchWWT

    Sasha’s luck was short-lived when her paramotor’s engine failed on the first day. But it was soon fixed by a team supporting her on the ground and she continued to follow the swans towards the coast of the Baltic Sea. 

    After five exhausting days, Sasha made it to the southern edge of the tundra – completing the first stage of her journey.

    Flying over the tundra
  14. The latest on badgers

    Tonight's film focused on the latest research into badgers. 

    For information from across the BBC on badgers and on bovine TB, you can read more here.

  15. Making a statement

    Last night, a stag was spotted wearing some particularly stylish headwear.

    But it's not a fashion statement – this is an important behaviour at this time of year to mark their territory. Sika deer have large scent glands under their eye, which they rub on twigs and vegetation to spread their smell. The elaborate foliage headwear is a by-product of this.

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    Video caption: A sika deer stag has some interesting headgear...
  16. Our sika family

    We’ve really enjoyed getting to know the sika deer this week. Our impressive stag has been busy holding his harem together and continues to keep a watchful eye out for the young males, known as ‘prickets’, who are lurking on the edge of his territory.

    Stag guards his hinds

    The prickets presence means the rut is lasting longer than usual, as they are trying to sneak a mate. They will probably end up mating with the younger females as the more experienced hinds join the rut early.

    Pricket

    At least 90% of thehinds herewill give birth to calves next year, although many of them already have young that were born in the spring or last year. 

    After the rut, the hinds will move away from the stag and form small groups. Female calves tend to stay with their mothers, while young males break away after a year or two to form bachelor groups.

    HInds
    Hind and calf
  17. The original sheep pigs come to the rescue

    Mangalitsa pigs

    What a babe! But this pig and its friends are much more than pretty faces. They're helping RSPB Arne with some fairly extensive conservation work.

    Known as 'sheep pigs' because of their woolly appearance, the Mangalitsa breed has been introduced locally to help restore the reserve to the pristine heathland it once was.

    Bracken and leaf litter left by pine trees inhibit heather from growing. To clear them, the team would usually hire diggers, but this can be costly and damaging to the environment.

    Pigs are able to do the same job in a much more effective, environmentally friendly way… and are much more fun!

    Find out more about the hairy porkers with BBC News

    Mangalitsa pigs
  18. Meet the Mangalitsa pigs

    These small, woolly pigs come from Eastern Europe. Around two decades ago the Mangalitsa pig was very rare in Britain, with only 150 females breeding across the country. Now, thanks to a change in our tastes, its rich marbled meat is coming back into fashion – both on our dinner tables and in our forests, where the pigs have become conservation tools…

    Mangalitsa pigs