www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Matthew Oates was on the One Show again this evening taking about Winston Churchill's interest in butterflies. I imagine you can catch it online for a week or so if you're interested.

I do love watching Matthew on telly. I still think he should have his own programme.

Susie wrote:I imagine you can catch it online for a week or so if you're interested.

Allow me.

This link to the programme is valid until next Monday (4th April):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0100h0q#synopsis
and the butterfly-related item begins around 23:00.

Paul

Just watched it. Very interesting stuff though what Churchill was trying to do 70 years ago would have him pilloried by the politically correct community circa 2011.

Susie wrote:I do love watching Matthew on telly. I still think he should have his own programme.

I think he should be BBC controller. Get rid of the dross (and there's a considerable amount of that) and replace the lot with natural history programmes that look beyond birds, badgers and deer. A focus on Lepidoptera would be appropriate

Cheers,

- Pete

Hear Hear Pete,
... and you can also get rid of many of the Big Cat Diary type programmes too... IMHO I think by now we all know what a lion's backside looks like . Let's see some creatures that rarely, if ever, get mentioned please. We have such a rich diversity of wildlife in the UK, so there is plenty of scope for wildlife programmes. Something like the old "Survival" programmes that I used to watch as a kid would be just the ticket. PS: Birds nests full of fluffy chicks are all very well to start with, but oh so boring after a few years of the same old coverage.


Trev

Felix et al
I find SpringWatch very frustrating.
They have some excellent presenters, and the bulk of the programs are very good indeed.
However, there is little or no Lep content.
At a time of year when "we" are probably at our most excited with all the spring specialists out and about.
I know I haven't seen all episodes, but I can only remember a very brief Lep inclusion when Bill Oddie pointed out some moffs that had been attracted to the lights overnight. There was the obligarory Pop(u)lar Hawk Moth I recall.
Really they could do a whole program on Marsh, Glanville, S P-B P-B and Heath frits. Not to mentiond the Grizzled and Dingy Skippers. I reckon the Duke could warrant an entire program to itself.
It starts again in May.
Ho Hum. Probably nest boxes and badger setts will dominate again.............

Rogerdodge wrote:I find SpringWatch very frustrating. They have some excellent presenters, and the bulk of the programs are very good indeed. However, there is little or no Lep content. It starts again in May. Probably nest boxes and badger setts will dominate again.............

I agree with you Roger, I do enjoy it and normally find out something I didn't know. There was a small feature in 2009 on the Painted Lady invasion if I recall.

Also, isn't Chris Packham one of the vice presidents of BC? And he's also on Twitter....if UKB/enough of us 'tweet' him to have a word, it may just work!

Cheers

Lee

Rogerdodge wrote:I know I haven't seen all episodes, but I can only remember a very brief Lep inclusion when Bill Oddie pointed out some moffs that had been attracted to the lights overnight.

I remember Simon King presenting an item about Adonis Blues, possibly last year.

Though it made a welcome change from the standard fare, it was quite short, and fairly superficial.

Paul

There are some pertinent points made on this thread, which begs the question: why, when Britain is acknowledged to be the nation in which butterflies are studied more than any other, do we so rarely see airtime given to these insects?

Everyone seems to like them, and our climate is such that we probably don't take them for granted as much as people do in warmer countries. They are perhaps more cherished here than they are anywhere else.

I was going to post a note about Springwatch 2011 starting soon, but I see it's been mentioned. First show is on Monday 30th May (Bank Holiday Monday).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/uk/

They're setting up camp for this spring's opener in Ynys-hir, which is in Mid-Wales (above Aberystwyth and just before the South section of Snowdonia National Park). Should be an interesting change for anyone here that posts from Wales, especially those in North Wales. Don't get confused, like I did though, with Ynys-hir which is also in South Wales near Mountain Ash!

To defend Springwatch: firstly, were biased here because we want Lepidoptera segments. I'd like to point out that I do find the concentration on Birds a bit irritating sometimes, but since Bill Oddie pretty much started the series it's been that way inclined since the creation of the series. I think the series has improved dramatically since Chris Packham has taken over - he has a in-depth knowledge of a wide variety of subjects, plus he's pretty funny, and he also is a pretty accomplished photographer in his own right. I'd say, however, that the BBC is probably unwilling to change a winning formula (i.e. concentrating on birds and badgers etc) so don't expect any big changes this season. On the plus side, Ynys-hir is probably quite near to a good number of butterfly sites so maybe there will be some coverage this time.

I don't know how many twitchers there are in Britain, but I'm betting their numbers outweigh Butterfly enthusiasts. And the BBC is always going to want to achieve good watching figures. And I'd rather watch a first class nature series with a bias towards birds than no nature programme at all.

So I'll be watching the new series and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. And it should be great in HD too...

Michael

Here's a bit on Murlough's Marsh Fritillaries. So that'll probably be shown on Springwatch.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Marsh_ ... y#p008d7c9

Michaeljf wrote:So I'll be watching the new series and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. And it should be great in HD too...

I can't help thinking that it shouldn't really be called 'Springwatch' this year.

Paul

Pawpawsaurus wrote:I can't help thinking that it shouldn't really be called 'Springwatch' this year. Paul

Paul,
Agreed - though in the previous years, I've never really thought it should be called 'Springwatch, as it always seems to be on our TV at the start of Summer!
Michael'

With regards to Springwatch I am in a quandry this year whether to bother with it...my advice and opinions to improve it would be:

1.) Bin Kate Humble. Am I the only person in the country that finds her intensly annoying? She does nothing but ask questions and then interupt the person answering the question, often continuously, never letting them actually finish their answer!
2.) Keep Chris Packham
3.) Bring back Bill Oddie
4.) Launch it about a month earlier
5.) Focus on a much wider range of flora and fauna (butterflies in particular)

Grumble/rant over, thank you for letting me vent

Cheers

Wurzel

Kate Humble is the obligatory female and very welcome in my opinion.

Bill has seen better days with his bipolar and was becoming very unfunny last time he was on.

Chris Packham probably just charges too much for his appearances.

Get some newbies who are knowledgeable and not full of their own self importance I say.

I do sound bitter and twisted don't I.

Sorry forgot to say I agree whole heartedly with points 4 and 5.

Paul Wetton wrote:I do sound bitter and twisted don't I.

Hi Paul,
yes, slightly, but we can all feel that at times Especially if we have a skill that isn't - shall we say - monetarily awarded! I don't have a problem with Kate Humble (though I know another friend that doesn't like her too). I don't know how much Chris Packham charges, but as far as I'm concerned, he's worth it. Also, I think he works well with KH. Bring the show at least two weeks earlier and bring in a bit more about Lepidoptera, would be my suggestions. Plus they could employ Paul on a daily basis for the HD butterfly shots. There we go, problem solved As if it were that easy!
Michael