Category Archives: BBC
DAWKINS ON HAMILTON
BBC Radio 4 has a series called “Great Lives”. The latest episode focused on the man who was probably the greatest evolutionary biologist in the second half of the 20th century, Bill Hamilton. His scientific papers are rather difficult to … Continue reading
THE GATHERING OF THE KNOT
Red Knot are rather unprepossessing waders, but at certain times of the year they gather in enormous flocks. The BBC’s programme Autumnwatch recently had an item on this amazing spectacle. [Unfortunately, neither video will work outside the UK...] Here’s an extract … Continue reading
Filed under BBC, Birds, Uncategorized, Videos
OVERFISHING AND GEOLOGY
November 2007 Two items on this week’s excellent The Material World (Radio 4). Both items look at the past, present and future of their subjects. There’s also a brief reminder of last week’s discussion of bombardier beetles. Click on “listen again”.
Filed under Audio files, BBC, Conservation
EUROPE 1.8 MY AGO – BBC GETS IT WRONG?
November 2007 Giant hyenas, giraffes and sabretooth cats roamed around Southern Spain 1.8 MY ago. A great collection of fossils have been unearthed at Fonelas in Granada. BBC article. Scroll down the BBC page – what’s wrong with the picture of the sabretooth? … Continue reading
SPOT THE MISTEAK
October 2007 This story appeared on the BBC website and the national press today. What’s wrong with it? My 9-year old daughter spotted it straight away (which is obviously more than the journalists did!). Clue: you’d only have to change one letter to … Continue reading
BBC STUFF
September 2007 A lot of you would like to get a job working with the BBC Natural History Unit. Here is a link to a set of blogs their journalists are writing during some of their projects. And there’s a weekly BBC podcast … Continue reading
Filed under Audio files, BBC, Conservation
CALEDONIAN PINE FOREST
March 2007 Very interesting Radio 4 programme about conservation in Scotland, around the Caledonian forest. Shows you the various sides to this particular issue. Listen again here. And while you’re there, here’s a good programme from 2006 about the badger cull/TB issue here.
Filed under Audio files, BBC, Conservation, Mammals
TRIPPY STARLINGS
March 2007 When you were all babies, the amazing sight of millions of starlings swirling in the sky before roosting was a daily occurrence in British cities. With the catastrophic urban decline of this species, that’s all changed. This spectacular BBC video shows … Continue reading
GETTING ZOO ANIMALS TO MATE
March 2007 Radio 4 programme about the difficulties faced by captive breeding programmes, in particular for the white rhino. Can be downloaded as MP3.
Filed under Audio files, BBC, Conservation, Mammals, Sex, Zoos
SAVING GORILLAS
March 2007 BBC ”From Our Own Correspondent” piece about re-introducing orphaned gorillas into the forest in Gabon.
Filed under BBC, Conservation, Primates
