[Hawk_Eye]

If you could what sort of wildlife documentary would you like to make or see?

[Sandra]

One about the large whales that come to the south west of Ireland each winter would be nice.

RTE devoted one of their "Living The Wildlife" programmes to the subject last year. We were treated to great footage of fin and humpback whales, common dolphins too. The part where the hydrophone was lowered into the sea and the humpbacks were recorded singing was particularly special.

Somehow though, half an hour just wasn't enough. There are minke whales, bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises all inshore as well.

Also, in other areas, a blue whale was photographed in Irish waters in 2008 and the first validated sei whale sighting in Irish waters was in September last year.

[url=http://www.iwdg.ie/article.asp?id=2130]http://www.iwdg.ie/article.asp?id=2130[/url]

[url=http://www.iwdg.ie/article.asp?id=2326]http://www.iwdg.ie/article.asp?id=2326[/url]


There were a few sightings of orcas last year, the most recent being off Galley Head in Cork over the Christmas period while (perhaps coincidentally) numbers of dolphins were observed (maybe hiding) in nearby coves. These orcas have been identified and are a group that travel down from the west coast of Scotland each year. Surely that would be worth a documentary too.

[url=http://www.iwdg.ie/article.asp?id=2344]http://www.iwdg.ie/article.asp?id=2344[/url]

[Hawk_Eye]

I'd to would like to do/see a programme on whales specifically Orca's but the subject I'd really like to film/see is on lemurs. I would like to see more programmes on lesser known animals or habitats. Don't get me wrong programmes like [i]'Planet Earth'[/i], [i]'The Blue Planet'[/i] etc are brilliant but I think some programmes/series are starting to repeat themes, footage and information. Could just be me though......

[drew97]

I'd like the chance to make a documentary about leopards.

[Pross1]

Would love to do a fresh water doc. Hippos, crocs, alligators, fish, manatees, otters, beavers and mostly underwater.

[Hawk_Eye]

Also birds of prey. Predominantly following them on the wing rather than filming from the ground.

[Pross1]

You mean with mini-cameras attached to the birds?? That could be great. Following an osprey for a year from summer in Scotland to winter in Africa, the perils of migration.

[Hawk_Eye]

Love those mini-cams. But they rarely get used like that. I understand why that may be with wild birds but there are 'tame' ones which could be used if only to have the 'birds-eye-view' as it were of flight and them chasing prey.

[Sandra]

I've seen footage from cameras attached to sperm whales. After a while the cameras detached themselves and floated up to the surface to be retrieved.

One drawback I could forsee with attaching cameras to migratory birds would be retrieving said cameras if the birds came a cropper in the middle of the Sahara or were blasted out of the sky over Malta.

[Hawk_Eye]

Yes that could be a problem. Don't the ones they;ve attached to Sperm Whales have a transmitter which sends out a signal so that the researchers can track it down? Given how small these sorts of things are getting there's probably some company out they that would be able to produce something that would work. OR you could do it in the way that film 'Fly Away Home' with a couple of microlights. You could follow the migrants all the way then and get some cracking footage.