WILDLIFE PRESENTER Michaela Strachan and the 'Autumnwatch' team are due to broadcast from Tentsmuir in Fife, next week.
The series will also capture the grey seal pupping season on NatureScot’s Isle of May National Nature Reserve (NNR) in the Firth of Forth – where around 2500 pups are born each autumn.
Tentsmuir is best known for its magical combination of forest trails and coastal dunes, with a huge array of wildlife including red squirrels, seals, otters, badgers, white-tailed eagles, kingfishers, waders and sea ducks.
Tentsmuir is a rich haven for otters (Photo - Steve Buckland)
Manager of Tentsmuir NNR, Marijke Leith commented: “We are really excited to welcome the hugely popular Autumnwatch to the reserve and we’re sure that the local wildlife won’t disappoint! In these unprecedented times, and as the days grow shorter, nature can offer real solace, and we hope that this autumn we can help many more people connect with the amazing wildlife at this special site, especially those who are perhaps not able to get outdoors so easily at the moment,” she explained.
Foresty and Land Scotland chief executive, Simon Hodgson, revealed what Tentsmuir has to offer: "This stunning mix of tall trees and open sand dunes is a special haven that is rich in wildlife, from otter to badgers, bats to red squirrels, and of course white-tailed sea eagles. That part of the site is a National Nature Reserve testifies to its unique character and we are pleased that the viewing public will see the benefit – at least in part – of the ongoing work that we do with our NatureScot partners to conserve this wonderful site.”
A huge array of wildlife including red squirrels can be spotted on Tentsmuir (Photo - Steve Buckland)
Meanwhile on the Isle of May, a live camera will capture the grey seal pupping season at the NatureScot reserve, which is home to one of the most significant grey seal pup nurseries in the UK.
Manager of NatureScot’s Isle of May NNR, David Steel, said: “The grey seal pupping season is one of the great autumn spectacles along our shores and each year the Isle of May is transformed as the youngsters take over.
“As the island is closed to visitors during the season to give the pups and mothers peace, it’s a spectacle that usually not many people get to witness," he continued. "It’s fantastic that thanks to the Autumnwatch cameras this year we can bring all the joy and drama of the colony live to people right across the UK.”
Viewers can catch Autumnwatch at 8pm on BBC 2 from Tuesday Oct 27.
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