Autumnwatch Live returns this evening in the UK, with presenters Michaela Strachan, Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games bringing us unique insights into some of the UK’s iconic wildlife.
Autumn colours in the United States
This year, Autumnwatch will be presented from two new and exciting locations. Firstly, the team will be taking in some of the fantastic autumn colours at the Forestry Commission’s National Arboretum at Westonbirt.
The second half of the series will be based at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, where the presenters will experience the spectacle of some 35,000 migrating wildfowl. Among these will be the Bewick’s swans, arriving after a long migration from their breeding grounds in the Arctic.
Bewick's swan taking off
Rare autumn visitors arrive in UK
Autumnwatch will also be covering the recent story about the influx of continental moths to the UK. Researchers from the charity Butterfly Conservation have attributed the arrival of moths, some of which have flown for three or four days, to the recent warm weather. The rare flame brocade moth (Trigonophora flammea) has been seen in its highest numbers in the UK for 130 years.
Mark Parsons of Butterfly Conservation said of the influx, “Autumn is usually a good time for immigrant species, but it’s the sheer number and diversity this year that’s special.”
Autumn species
Here are a few species you might be lucky enough to see if you go for a stroll in the UK this autumn…
The Autumnwatch team will be on the trail of the elusive wild boar this series
Red deer stags begin their annual ‘rut’ in autumn
Beech trees displaying their autumn colours
Fly agaric fungus
Got a favourite autumn species? Let us know!
Visit the Autumnwatch homepage for more information on the upcoming series.
Read more on the BBC news story – Rare flame brocade moth is established in the UK.
View Autumnwatch presenter Michaela Strachan’s scrapbook of favourite species on ARKive.
Becky Moran, ARKive Species Text Author
Leave a reply