Autumnwatch has always been the hardest of the seasons for us to film. Whereas spring is full of new life and winter is a time of harshness and brutality - autumn is a transitory season, a time of imperceptible changes, felt rather than seen.
That means it is a season that is very hard to capture, and so the Autumnwatch series have tended to be as transitory as the season. We have been to more different locations for Autumnwatch than both Springwatch and Winterwatch combined, and we have tried covering it over eight weeks, two weeks and the current single week format.
Which is why this year, in a one-off experiment, we decided to really open our horizons and experience the season in one of the most famous Autumn spectacles on the planet – the New England Fall.
With blazing colour as far as the eye can see it’s no wonder that millions of people flock to the northeastern corner of the USA every October to witness the remarkable spectacle, and we can’t wait to join them.
The famous forests also happen to be teeming with autumnal life, much of it familiar. Grey, or gray, squirrels run around in their native trees, competing with reds. We'll be looking at how the two manage to live together somewhat harmoniously compared to here in the UK. Mink are found amongst the boulders of the forest floor and red fox patrol the clearings just like at home.
Our home, the iconic Squam Lake, made famous in the 1981 film 'On Golden Pond' starring Heny Fonda and Katherine Hepburn is nestled in the New Hampshire countryside. To the north, the White Mountains and to the south, the much larger Lake Winnipesaukee.
Squam remains much like how the Native Americans left it. Once under serious threat from pollution and contamination from logging, the lake is now a pristine wildlife haven and home to a huge cast of characters that we hope to bring you on camera.
Whilst spotting a chipmunk is remarkably easy around these parts, seeing the elusive and mighty moose is not! The largest deer in the world and the males, with their two metre antlers are rutting like the red deer in the UK. A porcupine steps in for our very own prickly hedgehog, and instead of wildcats the North American bobcat roams widely through these woods – competing for space with black bears.
Earlier in the year we installed some of our 'Springwatch' wildlife cameras into the nearby woodland and already we've seen grey and red foxes, flying squirrels, raccoons, porcupine and bears. With so much showing up already, we're anticipating a busy few weeks as we set up home in New Hampshire. And unlike at home in the UK where some beavers have been reintroduced but remain shy and elusive, so far the beavers we've observed locally in New England are bold and busy and remarkably easy to spot.
It will be an Autumnwatch like no other; but with the regular crew of Chris, Michaela and Gillian to guide us, and our usual cameras spread throughout the woods to capture the intimate lives of the animals – Autumnwatch New England will feel like home soon enough.
You can watch live from Monday 15th - Thursday 18th October on BBC Two. And don't forget, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for regular updates, clips, live action and more.
Head to the Autumnwatch website for more information, clips and galleries.