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Stunning photographs accompany Attenborough's Wild Isles show

These images from a companion book to David Attenborough's new documentary series celebrate the wildlife of Britain and Ireland

By David Stock

29 March 2023

thermal night vision grab of starlings roosting A group of common starlings come in to roost after dark ? shown using thermal imaging cameras, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall Page 235, Wild Isles book

Thermal night vision image of starlings roosting

Mark Yates/Silverback Films

WHEN David Attenborough says in his new documentary series, Wild Isles, that Britain is one of the most nature-depleted places in the world, his words resonate. Yet an accompanying book by Patrick Barkham and Alastair Fothergill brings together photographs that celebrate the stunning wildlife of Britain and Ireland. A reminder, perhaps, of the things we should cherish before it is too late.

Often seen in huge, shape-shifting flocks, starlings (main picture) are actually in decline. To capture their nighttime roosting behaviour, the Wild Isles team deployed thermal cameras, with the birds’ warmth causing them to show up in bright white. “There’s something very Christmassy about it,” producer Chris Howard said in the show, “all these trees festooned with light.”

Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) pair performing courtship displaying at dawn, backlit and surrounded by mist, Cheshire, UK, April. Highly honoured in the Birds Category of Nature's Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards Photography Competition 2013.

Ben Hall/naturepl.com

Great crested grebes, (pictured above) during a courtship dance, were once hunted almost to extinction. Today, their numbers are on the rise, but changing weather patterns brought on by climate change made it difficult to predict and photograph this behaviour. “Ten, 15, 20 years ago, it would have happened almost like clockwork,” Howard told New Scientist.

male adders sizing one another up Evenly matched male adders will wrestle, writhe and rear up in an attempt to see off their competitors and secure a female for themselves. P98, Wild Isles book

Male adders sizing one another up

Harry Yates

Two male adders above battle for dominance, in the hope of securing a female. After sex, the males are dragged around by the female, bound together by dozens of penis barbs.

seal sleeping at surface, nose above water A grey seal sleeping vertically in the water, its nose poking out to breathe. This is known as bottling P245, Wild Isles

Nick Gates

A grey seal sleeping vertically in the water, its nose poking out to breathe (pictured above)

scallop escaping from starfish predating 'A stealthy starfish will pull apart and devour a scallop. But the scallop can defend itself by rapidly snapping its shell, creating a jet of water that propels it away from the sluggish predator.' p269 Wild Isles

Doug Anderson/Silverback Films

The image above shows a scallop escaping from a starfish by rapidly snapping its shell, creating a jet of water that propels it to safety; and pictured below a white-tailed eagle hunting a barnacle goose in Islay, Scotland.

Eagle attacking barnacle goose A young white-tailed eagle hunts an adult barnacle goose at RSPB Loch Gruinart on the island of Islay, Scotland Page 33, Wild Isles book

A young white-tailed eagle hunts an adult barnacle goose

Jesse Wilkinson

New Scientist video
Watch the unique behaviour of some of the rarest UK birds from Wild Isles youtube.com/newscientist

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