Autumn Watch

NorthFace

I wouldn't complain about the return of Simon King either.

Oh yes, where's Simon?
He'd be welcome 🙂

JaneJudge

crikey I live rurally and quite like him, for balance

I am a bit concerned about the red kites though. In recent years there has been a population increase and they are really bullying the other birds especially the buzzards and they are HUGE

The problem when animals are introduced or re-introduced it can create an imbalance.

ExperiencedNotOld I do understand your pov, it is finding that balance that is difficult.
The more the human population increases, the more land we need for food production and we then encroach on wild habitats or have to import food from overseas where the habitats of some species are being totally destroyed.

where deer have to be culled to stop disease and herd imbalance

I think that Chris Packham and you may agree in the need to cull but for different reasons.

Chris Packham:

“Overgrazing by deer is driving the decline in nightingales. Since we have no large predators – no lynx, no wolf, no bear – we have no choice in the UK but to manage our deer population otherwise we’ll lose nightingales,” he said.

“Scientifically informed culling is unfortunately an artefact of our lives. If we want to preserve a rich mosaic of species and habitats, we have to accept that,” he continued.

If read in conjunction with Northface's post, it appears that it's not Chris Packham who is the extremist - it's those on the extremes of the argument who seek to discredit him.

The problem, I find, with the Watch programmes are the presenters - all of them. I can bear their breezy, professionally learned, style of communicating to the public. If it was only the animals, it would be fine.

Dislike, of course. That goes for Countryfile as well. Shows past their sell-by date. I can see the attraction of Jeremy Clarkson's show; more realistic.

The article mentioned by Northface was from 2015 and Chris has made many changes since then. Including a plant based diet and an anti shooting stance.

Indeed it is. The 2019 article I took it from makes it clear his anti shooting stance is against certain forms of hunting – specifically, ‘bloodsports’ such as foxhunting and ‘driven’ grouse shooting. Adopting a plant-based diet doesn't mean you don't accept that the countryside needs to be managed to control natural animal populations. I eat a plant-based diet but accept that, for example, deer culls are necessary. Meat from healthy animals goes into the food chain and that's fine.

NorthFace

The Countryside Alliance have long been out to discredit Packham as have vegan organisations. This this is what he says and what was reported by Vegan Marketing:

… Packham strives very hard to disassociate himself from so-called ‘animal rights extremists’. Whilst mulling over the Countryside Alliance’s accusations that he is an ‘animal rights extremist’, he admits that he doesn’t have any problems whatsoever with animals being killed – and that only those who ‘take pleasure’ in killing should be condemned:

Packham says: “To me, it has to have a psychopathic element, if you’re taking pleasure from killing things, just for that pleasure. If you’re going to eat it, if you’re culling an animal that is otherwise damaging the environment because it’s too abundant, I have no problem with killing animals.”

Packham’s belief that it’s OK to kill animals to eat puts him entirely at odds with the vast majority of the so-called ‘animal rights movement’.

He“only minds some forms of shooting: driven grouse shooting; woodcocks, which are on a very fast decline; hen harriers, which are a protected species”. He thinks that it's perfectly acceptable to kill an animal so long as it’s not a protected species, if the animal’s corpse is eaten, and to ‘control’ a supposedly over-populated species.

which is not what you seem to be claiming ENO.

In honesty, living the kind of life indicated in my post, do you really think I spend too much time considering the vegan aspect? I’ve no issue with anyone that chooses to follow that discipline but I’ve yet to meet on in the flesh - vegetarians yes, a vegan, no.
I’m well aware of the Countryside Alliance stance, as bourne out by this quote of yesterday: 'It comes after rural audiences slammed the BBC's countryside programming for failing to 'represent rural issues' in August last year. In a survey, Countryside Alliance members said Springwatch and Autumnwatch failed to adequately represent their way of life'.
Ergo, he was not someone that serves the people that feed the nation.

Boz

Dislike, of course. That goes for Countryfile as well. Shows past their sell-by date. I can see the attraction of Jeremy Clarkson's show; more realistic.

Only last night a group of us were discussing how Countryfile has turned back to more essential issues. The recent programme on shooting focussed on too different experiences and allowed the viewer to consider a managed estate against a rewilded area. There’s good and bad in both. But the British countryside you know and love is the result of generations of management. If too much balance is lost the. That way will disappear, and quote quickly. The same with any argument - always consider the other side.

It comes after rural audiences slammed the BBC's countryside programming for failing to 'represent rural issues' in August last year. In a survey, Countryside Alliance members said Springwatch and Autumnwatch failed to adequately represent their way of life

But that's not the ethos of Springwatch. It's not about farming but about Britain's wildlife.
It might touch on how farmers are helping to preserve habitats but it's not the point of the programmes.

Countryfile is supposed to cover that but often doesn't.

Ergo, he was not someone that serves the people that feed the nation.

No, because that is not what his career is.
He's a wildlife presenter, conservationist, naturalist and photographer.

There is a plethora of farming programmes on Channel 5.