The first week of Springwatch Live on Islay
Hello
Welcome to my first ever Blog. This is the first time I’ve ever written such a thing (and I’ve never actually read one) so please forgive me if it isn’t quite the norm. Whilst on the apologetic theme, apologies for not having a day-by-day Blog. It has been a busy time!
I have worked as the warden of the southern Shetland reserves since 2003, and am fortunate to have just spent a year on Islay as Warden at Loch Gruinart. It was through this experience, and Springwatch 2006 on Shetland, that I come to be writing this Blog.
On Friday 25th I took some time to look behind the scenes.
There are around thirty dedicated BBC people on Islay involved with bringing Springwatch to your screens. Director, producer, assistants, editors, runner, researchers, cameramen, communications, soundman…
Editors Nick and Lee spend their time locked in little vans surrounded by lots of technical equipment, computer screens and such. Their job is to put together all the non-live stuff to be broadcast. This is quite a process, with the pieces having to be timed to the second, rehearsed with Simon, then scripted and mixed accordingly (from 15hours of chough nest video, 20 seconds will be used!). On occasion, the farmer’s chickens will pop by the van for a visit.
Anna the researcher is the one who seems to keep everything together, communicating with RSPB, landowners, producer, director, camera etc. It has to be a woman doing this job for the whole multi-tasking thing! Then there is Martin the producer, Patti the director, Wendy (whose title I forget) who says “3, 2, 1, Camera 4!”. Each performs their own important role, before and during the show.
There are many men who walk around with cables and stroking their chins trying to solve problems such a where to sensitively position wires. These are the crew responsible for making sure communication runs smooth. It is difficult to tell when watching the show the efforts that has gone into producing an outside broadcast.
Then there are the cameramen. Some are out from 4am capturing images of Islay’s fantastic wildlife. There’s a lot of patience and stamina involved (and resilience to the lovely Islay midge!). Three or four cameras will be used during the live broadcast. Each camera with different specifications and requirements.
Of course, there are the stars of the show – Simon King and Islay herself. And yes, Simon is as splendid a fella as he appears on screen. Knowledgeable, passionate, enthusiastic, GSOH, approachable. And yes, Islay is as wonderful as it appears. With beautiful sky, sea and landscapes providing a marvellous backdrop for all the stories of the wonderful wildlife.
SUNDAY 29th May
Outside the Bridgend Hotel, supping a fine single malt I hear the words “It’s the leg-wrestler from Shetland isn’t it?!” Here were two of the Springwatch Outside Broadcast production team who had been on Shetland in 2006. It is good to catch up and remember last spring. As for the leg-wrestling reference – that’s to be forgotten through the mists of time (and whisky).
MONDAY 28th May – First night day
On a broadcast day in the morning, you will find the editors and researcher beavering away in the vans. Simon popping in to revise scripts and advise on material. Come half past one, everyone is on site. There is an undercurrent of first night nerves. Cables are being moved, Andy Schoffield (RSPB Warden on the farm reserve) conferred with on the sensitivities of corncrake, decisions made and remade regarding positioning of cameras, sound being checked...
Rehearsals take place from around three o clock. From here, running times can be checked, any problems solved (such as where the sun’s shadows will be at 20:37), scripts changed. There is considerable communication with the production team ‘down on the farm.’ Martin the producer says they are pulling out all the stops for the first night – shooting Simon from three locations, using all the technical bits of kit filming animals.
The actual live event seems to be quite calm. Cameramen positioned, a cluster of sound engineers, producers etc, the gallery (where you can see all the cameras and hear all the direction going on (in two wee vans)) is a hive of activity. My job for the evening is to act as spotter for Richard the cameraman. Unfortunately, no corncrakes appear, but hares look lovely, backlit by the setting sun.
There is collective relief at 9 o’clock. The show was a success. Whilst watching the show, it is difficult to appreciate the time, effort and skill involved in putting together such a programme. There is all the technical stuff requiring experience and knowledge. You can plan as much as you can, but there is always the chance of something going pear-shaped. Could starlings perching on the satellite dish stop transmission? Could a hare trip over a cable, pulling a plug? Could Simon get the quad bike stuck? The editors had to go without their cuppa tea for a while, as every time the kettle boiled, the power would trip – not good when trying to edit a story to precision.
As well as the efforts of the BBC crew, RSPB staff and volunteers must be mentioned here (though I’ll mention Margaret more later). As with any production, local knowledge is essential to the success of a programme. Andy Schoffield needs special acknowledgement. Andy has been instrumental to the success of Springwatch on Islay. Described as “infectious” – with regard to his enthusiasm! – Andy has an amazing knowledge of wildlife and special wild spots of Islay.
Ooh, I should also mention that the BBC has visited some local schools before transmission. Great that they are getting the children involved.
TUESDAY 29th May – Hare day
On the reserve today I find lapwing nests for filming. One of the first things to catch my eye is a rather bizarre bird. Large, grey on top, white underparts, black tips to the wings. It is what I would call a “Kitey-wake.” The farmer’s son had his fourth birthday yesterday, and Simon King had presented him with a kite. It was not to feature on the show.
Today seems much like yesterday – editors busy with Simon and Anna preparing for the hare story. People anxious about changing the golden eagle dummy camera to the real thing. Chough watcher Fiona, resting her bottom after being seated on a crate observing chough-cam for hours on end…
I speak with Margaret Brooke and her husband Ian - truly dedicated volunteers for, and great supporters of the RSPB - about their shelducks (to be shown this week). I am very grateful to Margaret’s help, humour, knowledge and enthusiasm (oooh, and cakes, muffins and other delicious home bakes) in helping with Loch Gruinart guided walks in 2006. Margaret first proposed that Springwatch feature her shelducks way back in winter. She keeps excellent notes on dates and times of behaviour of the shelducks which nest in view of her kitchen. Margaret had been getting up at 3am for three nights running, in fear of missing the ducklings leaving the nest. On the day of the great escape, Margaret phoned the cameraman; a team was scrambled to get to her house immediately. Fortunately, the female shelduck took three walks before deciding when to lead the ducklings away, just time enough for the crew to arrive.
I watched Margaret and Ian being filmed for the Scottish opt out for the forthcoming Nature of Britain series. They did brilliantly then, and am sure will do the same for Springwatch.
WEDNESDAY 30th May – Corncrake day
Ambitious plans are afoot to capture a corncrake live in tonight’s show. Corncrakes are the opposite of “Seen and not heard”. In the afternoon, some folk were gifted with the spectacle of a corncrake flying over a wall from one nettle patch to another. RSPB has invested considerable time, money and effort to provide corncrake habitat. Corncrake corners and corridors are provided, with plenty of early cover. Corncrakes require early cover for when they return from sub-Saharan wintering grounds. What from does this early cover take? Nettles and iris beds mostly. In fact, a job for me and the residential volunteers at Loch Gruinart in 2006 was to don wellies, gather some nettles and trample them into muck heaps (provided by the Society’s own cows).
I spent some time on site in the morning, but was swept off to another site to help film hen harriers. I was positioned on a hill, with walky-talky and binoculars, in site of cameraman Jamie. My job was to contact him whenever I spotted a hen harrier, so he could train his camera onto it. This brought back memories of playing with my brother as a bairn – except I didn’t have to make the “Crchchchch!” sound before talking into the hand piece. Over three or four hours, we did get some cracking views of a male harrier displaying, female harrier seeing off two hooded crows and a food pass. We finished our stint after 8pm, so missed most of the show. I was glad to catch Margaret and Andy on telly though. They did brilliantly.
THURSDAY 31st May – Hen harrier day
Everyone was relieved yesterday afternoon, of the news that the eagle camera was a success. The adult female appeared unaffected by the change. Eagles are truly magnificent birds. I had a chat with Simon, when I suggested that eagles are not that smart. He pointed out that you have to be very careful with this species that they are not unsettled. Even with the strong parenting instinct, and their obvious strength, they are indeed a sensitive species. Should the female have taken a dislike to the camera, behaviour could develop almost into an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, ultimately resulting in the abandonment of the chick. Again, the knowledge of RSPB staff, and of BBC crew, and the co-operation of the landowner was essential to the success with this.
This morning, James How (RSPB Land Operation Manager at Loch Gruinart) gives the go ahead for the cameramen to walk into the designated hen harrier nest. James has known the pair for years, observing them every year and monitoring their productivity. Over deep deep heather, we marched into the hide (which had been introduced previously), with cables, camera and such. Jamie and Alex of the BBC, and Michael and James for the RSPB hurriedly installed the set-up, whilst I moved some distance away.
From my position, I got fantastic views of both male and female harrier. Hen harriers are nothing but a pleasure to watch. I could draw comparisons with my delight with the glee of the farmer’s son watching his kite the other day. Jamie told me that’s how kites got invented – something to do with red kites and bridges in London many moons ago. Maybe the RSPB website can tell you more?
In the afternoon, there was nothing useful for me to do at the reserve. Instead, I help Jamie and John Atchison at the south of the island. Extra eyes are always useful when otter spotting. However, John had filmed a female otter for a few hours, and it seemed she had gone to sleep off her days fishing. I phone Andy, to see if he can direct us to some good merganser, eider or diver spots. The sea was so clear and calm, Jamie wanted some shots of the birds diving underwater. I joke about good sites basking sharks, Minke whales and otters, when Andy says “’hang on. There’s an otter outside my house right now. Actually, there’s three of them!” Walky talkys are “cchhhhchhchchchchhd” as I contact the cameramen, and we race to Andy’s house a few miles away.
Jamie and I position ourselves up the river, John takes a position over the bay. Good fortune was not ours. Wind was the wrong direction, light fading (it was almost 9pm), and joy-of-joys midges were out in force. Even with herbal and chemical repellents and Avon’s Skin-so-Soft – the wee blighters were unbearable. I do try to appreciate all nature, and the ecological importance of midges and other biting insect, but…
FRIDAY 1st June– Not otter day
Live broadcasts were at noon and 19:00 today. I continued to try spot otters, but no sightings for me (the cameramen had been out since dawn capturing footage). I did observe some interesting shelduck, great black-backed gull and mute swan behaviour.
I was delighted to hear that Simon King had squeezed time into his very busy schedule to visit Port Charlotte Primary School, where they were having a special event to open their new recycled greenhouse. It is so important to capture children’s interest in the natural world. RSPB offers a range environmental education services across the UK. We are committed to offering young people inspirational first hand experiences with nature, from minibeast hunts to watching thousands of seabirds. Whilst on secondment to Islay, I used my field-teaching experience from Mousa and Sumburgh Head reserves to develop some activities to get children interested in their local birdlife. Chough (as seen on TV) are an Islay speciality. To illustrate the importance of the effects of farming on nature, Liz Hathaway and I invented a game called “Choughed to Bits”. We created cowpats from homemade play-doh and inserted chopped up rubber worms. The idea of the game was for children to act like chough, feeding in cowpats using chopsticks as beaks. I am delighted to report here that all the schoolchildren that came to Loch Gruinart thoroughly enjoyed playing the game, and hopefully will have a greater appreciation of chough and cowpats!
THE WEEKEND – Rainy reflective days
My services were not required as a spotter, and I had to return to Shetland. I had time to fit in a ceilidh and re-acquaint myself with Loch Gruinart and it’s staff and some of my favourite cows! Loch Gruinart is a wonderful reserve to visit if you want to see what your membership and donations are supporting. The RSPB own and manage the reserve, which is farmed for conservation, but also to be as efficient as possible. In fact, one of our calves took a first in its’ category at the Islay Show. It is most rewarding to be able to observe the effects of habitat management on the reserve’s wildlife. Loch Gruinart has to be seen in winter and spring to be fully appreciated. Before I left, in March, I would listen to thousands of Greenland barnacle and white-fronted geese. Now, only a few weeks later, they are replaced by the sounds of corncrake, lapwing, swallows and an immense variety of birds.
Over the week, I was often asked “Which do you prefer, Islay or Shetland?”. This, to me, is an unanswerable question. Shetland is wild, it’s north, it’s home. I cannot really pinpoint what I love about it. After a long winter, it is a joy to have old friends return – the first glimpse of the white of a wheatear, the shrill call of an Arctic tern, the beauty of an Arctic Skua, the smell of a storm petrel. Then there is the excitement of springtime and autumnal strangers – my garden list boasts bee-eater, hawfinch, various warblers, waxwings, northern bullfinch, and woodcock. Being a Shetlander, I’d seen more pallid than hen harriers until I went to Islay.
So, what is so good about Islay? Well, with apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein, and Julie Andrews…
Red deer a-rutting and corncrakes a-crekking,
Pintail and wigeon all splashing and quacking,
Lapwing defending their nest on the wing
These are a few of my favourite things…
When the malt bites, when the nettle stings…
Not to mention– marsh fritillary butterflies, dragonflies, hen harriers, golden eagles, peregrine, barn owl, short-eared owl, roe deer, redshank, redwing, ringed plover, greenfinch, goldfinch, blue tit, teal, elm tree, treecreepers, brown hare, harebells, bluebells, snowdrops, snow-capped Paps of Jura, otters, chough, dunlin, oystercatcher, wild goat… all of which may be experienced from the RSPB Oa or Loch Gruinart reserves.
As I come to the end of my first ever Blog, I have a request for you. Experience Islay! Not just in spring, but in winter too. You certainly will not regret it.