I really am a novice when it comes to wildlife but undoubtedly television programmes like BBC’s Autumnwatch and Springwatch have helped raise the profile of watching wildlife here in the UK. We get a burst of ‘full on’ stories for two weeks following action like the survival of newly born seal pups in extreme weather to the introduction of beavers into the UK. These programmes do get a strong following and many people join the online Message Boardto discuss the stories shown and any other wildlife issues of their own. It certainly gets people talking – that’s good isn’t it?
Sadly, I have to say in this case – Not always! I don’t plan to join this Message Board the next time this programme is on. Why? Well, naively I joined thinking that all the people using it cared about nature! Instead I found many posts continually discussing the presenters often in a derogatory fashion. I did however enjoy a number of message exchanges and was able to share stories of our hedgehog visits and Camera Nestbox. I also found it a great way to hear of other sites and discovered two interesting ones that I would like to share.
Mike at Fen Photography has some fantastic wildlife photos and has recently started a Wildlife Blog . I was particularly pleased to discover this site as I love to discover wildlife photos in a blog – especially ones I will never get in my own garden. I absolutely love one of his red squirrel photos shown here on the fence . It completely transports me back to my childhood when I used to see them cheekily darting about in the woods.
Friends of Nature is a Wildlife Forum which you can browse through reading the comments but if you wish to make comments yourself you would need to join. I joined this one as I wanted to continue talking about wildlife and have found the members and moderators very friendly and helpful. Only last night I asked questions about our visiting juvenile hedgehogs and was given advice by a hedgehog carer – thank-you. I met a few of the members here on the Autumnwatch Message Board and they invited me to join.
Oh Shirl, I am so happy you posted about Mike’s blog. Doesn’t he have wonderful pictures?? I will definitely check on his blog often.
I am so excited to have found your site. I have been looking for someone else (anyone else!) who was doing a blog similar to mine and had similar interests. I have wildlife and bird videos/photos on my blog (many of them taken in my garden) – except I am way down in sunny Dorset…. I will be back again soon! Really, really great to find you. Jane at urbanextension.wordpress.com
Here is a link to one of my bird videos (green woodpecker in the garden)…. How do you get such great quality videos online? mine always seem really fuzzy, even though they are great before I save them for the internet. I need to pick your brain!
urbanextension.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/green-woodpecker-heaven/
Shirl, I enjoyed checking out Mike’s blog. He has stunning pictures. Thanks for sharing the info.
Hi again, Lisa and Robin 🙂
I’m glad you both enjoyed Mike’s blog and in response to that I’ve just posted on another you both might enjoy! Rich has fantastic photos but you will need to pour up a coffee and sit down with this one 😀
Hello, Jane 🙂
Thank-you! I have visited your site and I can see we will have lots to chat about! Lovely to see the woodpecker on your lawn – it must have been fascinating to watch!
Yes, video quality – that is a hard one. I’ve just posted with a request for help with this one 😀
Shirl’
Sneaking a peek at your blog again. Looking at the links in your latest offering, I found your entry in the forum. For hog carers, try hog blog. Nic(ola) posts most days, so i would think you would get a quick response.
She uses the blog as a journal but is caring for two at the moment.
Cut and paste this
hog-blog.blogspot.com/
Another blog (bird biased, but he is a true naturalist) is the boulmer birder@blogspot.com/
What a great photo of such a cute squirrel. I’m sorry to hear that you did not like the board that you visited. There are many others out there that maybe will be kinder.
Hi again st and Vanillalotus 🙂
St – thanks for the info. I’m sure I’ve come across both before but I will look in again 😀
Vanillalotus – It was a cute squirrel (thanks to Wikipedia) sadly I have never seen one in my area but a grey squirrel has visited my garden recently. I just didn’t like the presenters getting a hard time on the forum – if it hadn’t been for them perhaps the BBC would never have had such a success with this show and we wouldn’t have seen it continue on our screens. It was only a few that were unkind – but that’s the way it goes isn’t it!