Bumble...

[griff]

I stopped by the sea to watch the eagles and a photographer saw me getting a camera out. He told me he’s been following an otter around the coast but he’d lost it and hadn’t got any good shots. As soon as he’d gone I saw it and the next time it dived I moved to a rock about 20 feet from the shore. It came back up with a fish and climbed out and sat on a rock about 15 feet away where it sat for about 5 minutes eating the fish. We drew a crowd who stayed respectfully back on the road. I’ll never forget that I day, I was blessed.

Bumble’s right Chalky, if you don’t get out you’ll see nowt.

[Chauncey]

He told me he’s been following an otter around the coast but he’d lost it and hadn’t got any good shots. As soon as he’d gone I saw it and the next time it dived I moved to a rock about 20 feet from the shore.

Bumble’s right Chalky, if you don’t get out you’ll see nowt.

I think that him and me could be kindred spirits Griff
I do go out and look for wildlife,you know how much I've travelled trying to spot a red squirrel,from the Isle of Wight to Cumbria but as soon as they spot me coming up the path they are off,there's nothing I like more than spotting wildlife in their natural habitat and always try to get local advice where to go but I guess that I'm just unlucky,I've been sitting by the Trent for over ten years watching the bird life and loads of people told me about the kingfisher family that nest somewhere near where I sit and how many times have I seen them,chuffing twice and even then it passed at great speed and all I saw was a blue blur go past

[Bumble]

Bumble, how is it that there are so many good quality wildlife documentaries made? Surely the best place to make such documentaries is far from civilisation, where the wildlife is relaxed. Let's consider that the crew wish to film something for 3 months and they have in mind to film that which is very interesting but may happen at any time or not at all. So that means 3 months continuous filming far from civilisation. How does the technical side go? What about charging up their cameras with electricity when the location is far from civilisation, maybe in a desert or in the Arctic / Antarctic. It may be that in 3 months the crew never gets the important action on video and there is no interest in a tv company buying it? Is such work done freelance with the hope of the raw footage being bought by one of the big tv companies and moulded into their format?

It seems to be that someone takes a substantial financial risk in terms of a crew being paid for several months and possibly having the bad luck to not get the event that would make the venture profitable. Maybe some of these efforts are non-specific in that all the wildlife is filmed all the time. Thus what is initially regarded as a peripheral part of the scope may turn out to be a winner when the main point of the venture has been a let-down.

It's like a lot of things, we in GB have the reputation of being the best in the world at making wildlife programs. It's sort of self-fulfilling. If Attenborough is making a wildlife series, just that name raises the money, the best of the best photographers, videographers, and filmmakers all want to be involved and are prepared to drop everything to be involved. They know they will get paid well and given the time needed to do their job and get the kudos for doing it.

The logistics are immense. Batteries tend to run out very quickly in extreme cold. On a days shooting, they must have to take dozens with them each day, along with different lenses, cameras, tripods, never mind essentials like food. Base camp will have generators to charge batteries but there will be a load of stuff that has to be carried each day.

There is a financial risk for anyone making a career in photography. In many cases, it's the love of the job that gets people through the lean years. It's a strange job, one where having qualifications counts for less than in many jobs. Photographers tend to be chosen because of their past work, but to get to the point where their work is noticed and thought to be of the required standard, most have spent many thousands of pounds on equipment, gambling on jobs to come. There are people taken on from university but it's certainly not the only way.

Very, very few documentaries are made without being commissioned, a group of enthusiasts just don't have the money to put it all together.

[Bumble]

Saw some on Mull, Bumble. I think there’s a place there that specialises in getting sightings. Got really up close to an otter there too.

There was an otter staring at me as I parked at the coop last week, we seem to have two from last year's brood still hanging around, which is lovely. I think there are only two native British animals I haven't seen, pine martin and wild cat (and beaver if they count) and I don't expect to see either but it's nice to know they are holding on in the highlands.

If I can get my knee to behave a bit better I will go to Mull this summer. I haven't been since I was a kid and would love to go back.

[Chauncey]

There was an otter staring at me as I parked at the coop last week

FFS...

That's it,i'm not looking on this thread anymore 🙄

[griff]

Chalky, Frank was banging on earlier about how poor we are up here and have to be bailed out ny the South. We’re not; we have riches in abundance that just aren’t quantifiable financially.

Anyway, we take money off the grockles hand over fist so we’re minted anyway.

[postmanpete]

Used to see red squirrels almost daily when i had parcels round the Blindcrake (Cockermouth) area.

[griff]

Often see them driving up to Blindcrake from Isel in those trees on the hill up to the village.

[howoldboy]

Often see them driving up to Blindcrake from Isel in those trees on the hill up to the village.

Was this one of the ones you saw?

https://live.staticflickr.com/4255/3...7ea4f3f2_b.jpg

[Chauncey]

I spat out my 7am cuppa when I saw that howoldboy 😆