Final Day Autumnwatch Unsprung

APPLAUSE Thank you very much. You're very

kind. Fellow! We're live from the wonderful

WWT Caerlaverock reserve in Dumfriesshire,

our home for this week. If you have been watching us this

week, you will know what a fantastic place it is. 25% of the UK's salt

marsh is here. And because it is Autumnwatch, we have a few other

birds and some badgers and deer as well. But this is Unsprung, not the

main programme, normally it comes afterwards, but today it is before

the party. This is the programme where we reach

out into some slightly different Tonight we're delving into art with

wildlife painter extraordinaire Darren Rees, and we'll talking

literature and conservation with He is a man who doesn't pull

punches, and we need a few more of those in conservation. Later, Martin

will be here with a bit of history. And Michaela Strachan is going to be

performing live. APPLAUSE

A little tear! I am very excited as well because I

can introduce an old friend at this point, a man who I met in 1981 in

the back of a smelly Cortina, Mr Darren Rees.

APPLAUSE He has gone on to own better cars,

and has become one of the leading wildlife artists of the UK. We will

be talking to him about his work and looking at some of it a bit later

on. We are in advance of the main programme today, but we can't take

comments about what we have got wrong or right, but what have we

got, Lindsey? We have so much coming in.

We're here throughout the year on social media.

You can follow us on Twitter via @BBCSpringwatch and like us

I have had so much coming in that I want to show you some of it. Let's

take a look at this piece of footage which has been sent in, and this was

taken at Caerlaverock just the other day. The Foxes in the foreground,

and Barneys in the background. And just watch this unfold. It is clear

he isn't stalking them in broad daylight, this is an opportunistic

scavenger hunt, will be going out to see if he can sniff any that didn't

make it through the night, and look at all the dot, as well. They are

all swirling around, letting him know that they won't be taken by

surprise. Great footage there. And we have over 250,000

pictures on our Flickr group. But are they any good? I think they

are! If you're not on there,

do have a look, because So we've put together a short

montage of some of the very best I have to say, there were some very

nice photographs there. There were a couple of stray fence posts, some

pylons, a few bits of grass and leaves. I will keep an eye on things

during the show and keep updating it as we go along. Thank you. Let's go

straight over to our first guessed this evening, Darren Rees. Darren,

thank you very much. When we met, rather strangely for an aspiring

artist, you were studying maths attics. Yes, and I have been

painting by numbers ever since! Cerulean blue is number seven. We

used to enter the same competition, bird illustrator of the year. You

won, and I didn't. No, I didn't. Nor did I! I still have the lovely

illustration you did of a kite. You left me behind in terms of art. I

was doing all these black and white illustrations. This was one of the

first illustration jobs I did for a book on Falklands, and it was my

master Charles Tunnicliffe, because in those days, there were very few

artists around, so I got his influence. He sketched a lot, and we

have some of your sketchbooks here. There is a beautiful sketch of some

cranes here, which is lovely. Which is the one from the Skerries? I was

watching the broadcast yesterday, from the Skerries, and I did some

sketching the bird impressions for the first book I did, and there is a

whole chapter on the Skerries. And I was just leafing through these last

night, and I thought they would be fun to bring, because a lot of the

time I'm sketching on-site, some of these will hopefully go into books.

You don't work from photos, do you, ever? I will use photographs

occasionally. I will maybe talk about the Svalbard stuff later on.

But I mostly use raw materials, the encounters I have with wildlife,

making notes. These are lovely. I will use video reference, too. I

think what has always attracted me to your work is that it is not

illustration, it is often quite impressionistic. You are after

capturing the feel of the place of the animal, not every meticulous

detail. I guess that is what I want, when I am looking at a painting, I

don't want further by further detail. That is for the

photographers. And there are great photographers around. I guess it is

the feel and experience but I try to get. Often I will be leaving the

paintings in these raw forms, increasingly now I am trying to look

at some of these larger works. There is a beautiful one I'm looking out

over your shoulder, and I kind of wish you had done that in Scotland,

the walls. I thought I would bring that along. George Monday -- Monbiot

was here on Monday, and I did that in Yellowstone, and it is having

that cascade effect, the deciduous forest coming back, and the aspens.

So this is called Restoration. I thought trophy cascade was a bit too

much. And what about this marvellous piece you have behind, this huge

piece of glacier? And down in the corner, a polar bear. I thought

there was a connection here. Because of all the geese, they come from

Svalbard. Again, I have been lucky enough to go a couple of times, and

it is the most amazing place. The first time you experience something

like that, you think, I am an artist, how can I make sense of

this? A few sketches doesn't do it, so I wanted to get that impact of

the big races, and we know the story now, we are familiar with climate

change affecting these retreating glaciers, and as they are

retreating, they are revealing these fingers of land that have never been

charted before. And I thought in this case here, this finger of land

echoed the bowhead whales that were once plentiful up there. So I tried

to weave the narrative into these paintings. Sometimes I think the

smaller sketches don't convey that, so I try to tackle the larger

canvases. I was always into art from young age, mum used to take me to

galleries. When were younger, we would quite disappointed with

wildlife art, I think it is fair to say. There were not people pushing

the boundaries in doing this. Tell me about the piece you did with the

leaf cataracts. That was really, I started looking at the leafcutter

ants, I went to the Amazon a few times. As we went, you could see

more effects of deforestation, and I started to play around with ideas of

a leafcutter ant painting. You have the red soil, and the Green going

across, and I did lots of sketches, and I thought, so what? So I started

to get a feel of a texture on a large canvas, and placing green

slabs, it wasn't enough. So I started a three-dimensional feel and

putting these fins of green going across, and I thought, I wonder if I

could push it the key thing is, they are carrying dollars, of course. If

you look at the original, there are also Royal Bank of Scotland pound

notes in there. But the key thing was, I called it in God we trust,

because that is what is written on the dollar bill. Thank you for

coming in to show us all of these. Thank you very much. Absolutely

beautiful, beautiful paintings. Everyone who comes to us has two

sketch a Barnetta goose. You have ten minutes. We have high

expectations from you! Perhaps not quite so high from my colleague. We

are hoping you will give a little bit of tuition. You have ten

minutes, starting now. Off you go. Don't feel threatened by me, OK.

Normally at this stage, I provide you with a cultural interlude. But

tonight I can hand you over to Martin. He is going to tell you

about some of his famous war heroes. It is coming up to Remembrance Day,

and I have always wanted to talk about the PDSA Dicken medal. It is

the animal VC, it is sometimes called. It is awarded to any animal,

they can receive it while serving in conflict,. It has been awarded 65

times since its inception in 96 to three by Maria Dicken. Pigeons have

won it, horses have won it, one cat is won. A lot of dogs have won. We

have Colonel Stuart Campbell with us, and grace. Colonel, Grace didn't

win the medal herself, but we have a picture of her wearing it. Can we

see that picture? There she is, and there is the medal. She got it for

somebody else, didn't she? She did. Lance or Leo Paschal, his dog Theo

was serving with him, and he was tragically killed in March, and the

dog died later in the day. Together they were a very successful team,

and Theo was posthumous awarded the Dicken medal for his exceptional

devotion to duty, and for undoubtedly saving lives. What was

Theo's actual job's he is unarmed explosives search dog. So he was

looking for explosives? That's right. He would go out on patrol

with soldiers in Afghanistan, and they are called search and control

support. They would go up the front, looking for hidden weapons, hidden

bombs, and particularly improvised explosive device is, finding them

before they can harm anybody. And Theo here's a record breaking dog.

He made 40 confirmed fines. That is more than any other dog has ever

found. I urge you, do go to the PDSA Dicken medal website. There is a

link to it on our website. The story is there are incredibly moving, some

of them. Lots of animals have got it. This is Upstart. We're not quite

sure which of the horses is upstart, but he was awarded a medal in 1947.

Bethnal Green, there was a flying bomb that exploded within 75 yards

of him, showered him and the rider with broken glass, and he remained

quietly on duty with his rider controlling the traffic. And lots

and lots of agents have won the Dicken medal. They used to be

carried by pilots in bombers, and when the pigeon went down, the --

when the aircraft went down, the pigeon would tell people where the

downed aircraft was. This one is called Commando, awarded in 1945,

delivered messages from agents in occupied France on three occasions,

twice under exceptionally adverse conditions. Absolutely fantastic. Do

go to that website and have a look. I can't shake your hand, I will

shake her poor. I am off into the muddy wild, and I will see you a bit

later. Lindsay. Lots and lots of comments coming in. Hold on. If

those pigeons were carrying messages from spies, they could have been

working on Her Majesty Secret Service. We have had a lot of

problems about Goldfinger tonight! Michaela, people can't wait! Chris,

I've got some results. Earlier in the week we asked you to get in

touch with ideas for a word to describe, a collective noun for

Autumnwatch presenters. Things like a murder of crows. Or a charm of

goldfinches. Loads of people got in touch. Benchmark we asked them to be

polite! They were not all polite, which is the best and put them in a

poll and I've got the results. We've got quite a lot of presenters here,

Richard Taylor-Jones and Brett. I'm ready to give you the results.

Please give me a drum roll in the studio. The winner is, well it's a

dead heat. This is unbelievable. Enthusiasm, all food! We need to

have an audience vote, either enthusiasm, or food. Who likes

enthusiasm. Who likes hoot! There you go, it is a hoot of presenters.

Are you happy with that? I've been looking through social media and

chosen a couple of pictures I really like and I want your critique. This

is the first one. Geese in a rainbow. This was from Mike. This is

good, the lower flock has one stray bird at about 11 o'clock and I would

have taken that out on the computer. I think that's lovely. Look at this

second one from David John Peake. Autumn leaves from underwater. I

like that. There's a photographic artist named Susan who does things

that are very similar. She puts the paper on the bottom of the stream

and exposes it with Moonlight and things. It really looks very much

like this. Pretty good. A time check on the challenge, you have had six

minutes, four to go. Our next guest is the author Simon Barnes.

Journalist and author. APPLAUSE

I have been reading your work for years, you capture the sense of

place and your personal involvement, it is all from the heart. I don't

know any other way of doing it. By fat animated discussions with a

potential employer on that subject. To me, it becomes a general thing.

It isn't about me, it is about me being a conduit so that others can

Richard Phil own, excitement, disappointment, enthusiasm,

whatever, my response to what I see. You also do sports journalism.

Recently you have packed that in and went off and reconnected. Yes, I was

chief sports writer for the times for the Times waiters and years and

I parted company with them, in unfortunate circumstances -- chief

sports writer for the Times newspaper, for years. And and when I

should have been checking in for 13 days in a darkened room hammering

out copy at 1 million miles an hour... You are not selling

journalism to anyone! About Wimbledon. You don't see much light

at Wimbledon. It is exciting but it is a slog. And there I was on a rock

in the channel surrounded by thousands of gannets and Lindsey.

Lindsey and I on this rock surrounded by these birds with wings

as wide as you and I are tall. It was like being in the company of

angels. And I thought the natural world will pull you through. It was

a bit smelly, be honest. I could overlook that. Such a wonderful

bird. This wonderful gannet city that we shared. Your last book was

called 10 Million Aliens. I thought you had miscounted and it was about

us. It wasn't. You're writing about insects. I set off to write about

insects and I had a great title, I was going to call it Six Leg Good.

So then I thought I would rattle on about the invertebrates and call it

Spineless. -- write a book about the invertebrates. Then I thought it is

about the continuity with us. We need to show that we are connected

to everything else that is alive on this planet. We are mammals,

vertebrates, connected with all the other mammals and there. So I wanted

to write a book on absolutely everything. It almost killed me! S

it was wonderfully thrilling and rewarding. What was the trickiest

thing to put on a page and make it interesting to everyone? They all

started off being difficult and they all ended up being quite easy. I

thought, what on earth can I find to say that is interesting about

this... And then you think, that can't be real, can it? It is true!

And you try to interpret it. There was this wonderful group of

tardigrades. They can't be very interesting. If we humans are

interested in our own survival we should have been tardigrades because

they are fantastic and not dying. It is their great talent. But Mac

fantastic and not dying. You can take them close to absolute zero and

they don't die. Boiled them, nothing! Put them in 151 degrees,

they don't die! I hope you haven't tried this at home! You can radiate

them, they have even been shot into orbit and come back alive. Those are

the tardigrades. The animal kingdom is weirder than we are capable of

understanding. The next book is coming out in January? This one is

called The Sacred Coombe and is deeply personal. It is about the

secret, special magic places that we all have. Sometimes an imaginary

place or a mythical place like Eden or Shangri-La. Sometimes it is in

memories of a great day of childhood, or a doomed indirect love

affair sometimes a special place that we dare not go back to. Without

pre-empting the book, where is your special place if you have only one?

The valley in Zambia where high have spent a lot of time. I knew I had

come home when I woke up in the middle of the night there, I was

woken by elephants were eating the roof of my house. I thought, this is

it. Part of my heart will be here for ever. We very much look forward

to it and we hope that your heart continues to beat and you put all of

its passion on the page. Simon. APPLAUSE

Simon. We asked you to draw a barnacle goose. You'll have not

drawn one, you have come up with an inscription. I'm afraid I draw

almost as well. I thought I'd better write this down. It is a poem by an

18th century Japanese writer. Up to today, with great perseverance, wild

geese, wild geese. Pretty good, I have to say.

APPLAUSE For stretching the rules, and great

imagination and a beautiful piece of poetry and for not telling me so I

brought my classes I will put it at the top. What about that? We will

have to try to top that. Art is not my strong point, tried to be

creative with my little talent and I have drawn a flock of barnacle keys

on a foggy day going to the mudflats. Don't be disparaging. I

was not kind words about children's art on fridges and this would never

go on my fridge. I'm sorry. We'll put it alongside Brian's. Another

one, by Darren. How do you compare that? What about that!

APPLAUSE He wasn't even looking at a barnacle

goose. What I like is the attitude. It is listening. That is the

difference between someone who can draw and someone who is a good

artist. Top work, mate. It will have to be joint top because I like Simon

's idea. Let me tell you, Chris, this marvellous poster was designed

by hours of short media team, it is called Geese, based on the film, and

includes You're The One That I Want. It inspired people on social

media to come up with things. We had You're The Wildlife I Want, Grebe

Lightning. With these I was inspired to write a ditty and celebrate what

we have seen this week. The first one is Geese Lightning. We will join

you, pictures, we watch your pictures, please join in audience,

this site is automatic, systematic, had dramatic, it is geese flying.

We've got some overhead lifters about head, geese flying, geese

flying, barnacles are rotting and they are taking up all the space.

With got to get the footage. It is a spectacle visual 40,000 geese or

more black and white and they are all... Geese Lightning!

APPLAUSE Did not stop there, I went on to

these swans that we have been enjoying all week. We named Bates

one Obi-SWan Kenobi and we have suggestions for its mate, Princess a

player, or May, after made the force be with you. Would you like the next

song, this is a pastiche of super trooper. It's like a superb Wilber

landing at Caerlaverock, hoping for a rest. And was quite a test,

leaving Iceland and a cosy nest! I will save the best for last. I

will sit down! This was inspired by the rotting that we filmed -- the

rotting dear. The one who lost his antler, get up, stand up, rut your

funky stuff. Get up, stand up, rut your funky stuff. How we're going to

be the attraction if you've only got one antler? Grab yourself a piece of

the action, you've got to get up and rut or lose your harem, get up and

rut at full steam. I did my best! APPLAUSE

When you are young you had aspirations to go onto the stage? I

did, I was a professional performer, don't sound so surprised!

And just glad you missed on to wildlife and television. -- I am

just glad that you moved on to wildlife and television. We have

bedrooms next to each other and I heard that all last might through

the wall. Lindsey. I can't beat that backs to Mac coming up, we will see

your best bird ever. A big moment. This is Alan Macfadyen. He is

responsible for showing them to you. It was pretty emotional for him as

well. Meijer just a bit! This is a video that you two made inside the

hide. The great man in tears. You were so

happy, you were weeping. That's a result of the pressure was under.

Absolutely fantastic. You delivered the bird. And you will get to see it

on the main show! Don't go away because just in a few seconds time,

in one minute's time we will be back with Autumnwatch. We will see with

them. The knives are sharpened and the heat

is on. It can only mean one thing. Britain's best chefs

are back in town. They're here because they want

this title. I'm really excited. MasterChef: The Professionals

starts cooking...