P262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:05/21 1/14 O programmer on BBC tv and radio this week TUESDAY RADIO 4: 11.33 THE LIVING WORLD Growing a National Park An !mbitious to multiply one of the rare tropical dry forests sjvenfold BBC2: 11.00am TREES: LIFE ON A TREE A look at some of the things that live on trees MoreP262 CJEFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:26/24 2/14 programmer on BBC tv and radio this week THU5SDAY BBC2: 2n0p WATFH Trees: Life on a Tree (Broadcast last Tuesday) FRIDAY RADIO 4: 11.48am BUSHY TBLJS A Worm's Eye View of a Buffalo's Bottom An unexpected encounter with dangerous animals while tracking in the Virgunga mountains of Africa - MoreP262 CJEFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:26/53 W p0 3/14 +pppp0 j-£ W W country diary News jrom the Wildfowl Trust at Sliobridgj is thbt there are Q2 +hire- fronted Geese newly arrived; Wigeon, Teal and Pintail are coming into full plumage and a Peregrine is being seen daily. From Martin Mere there is news of 1,400 Pintail, 2,u00 Teal, 4,000 Pink- footed Geese, 10 Hen Harriers and one or two Merlins. Cajrlaverock has 10,300 Barnacle Geese and five Whooper Swans. MortP262 CJJFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:07/35 W p0 4/14 Wpppp0 j-£ W country diary This week there is a sprinkling of rare birds, but it is still very quiet for October. There are still a few Yellow-browed Warblers around from the east coast to the Scillies, and Beachz Head reports a Scarlet Rosjfinch and Red-throated Pipit. Little Buntings have been seen at +unl; and Spurn, a Cattle Egret was jound near Lincoln, a Pectoral Sandpiper was present at Newcastle, and the Baird's Sandpiper is still on Teessidj. MoreP262 CEJFAX 2v2 Mon 20 Oct 21:07/06 W p0 E 5/14 W country diary In the west of the country a Yellow- browed Wardler and a Pectoral Sandpiper were found at Upton Warren, Worce;tet- sheri. A Richard's Pipit was seen on the Gower, south +ales, five Glossy I"isis on the Hazle estuary in Coznwall and an Isabelline Shrike at njarbz Nanquidno. The Isles of Scilly have been jaitly quiet, although the Semipalmated Sandpiper and Rose-coloured Starling are still present.P262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:08/38 6/14 Wpppp0 j-£ W WJ country diary Once again, Fair Isle bwasts all the activity: a Collared Flycatcher wQs found on 8 October; a Little Bunting, Short-toed Lark and three Bluethroats turned up on the following day. A Pechora Pipit was discovered on 10 October and also a Blackcap and a Belgium ring. A Scarlet Rosjfinch, another Little Bunting and a Long-tailed Skua arrived on October 11. MoreP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:08/08 W p0 7/14 country diary A flock of 40 +axwings was seen to fly over Fair Isle about a week ago, but no further reports have been received. A male Parrot Crossbill was found on October Q3, along with two Great Grey Shrikes and 2u0 Bramblings. The only mammals seen during this period were a Porpoise on October 11 and a small unidentified bat - there have been only six previous sightings of bats on the island. MoreP262 CJEFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:0Y/39 8/14 +pppp0 j-£ W country diary Each year, many thousands of birds are shot as they pass over Spain but this autumn there should be a reprieve from the hunters' guns. Spaniards have been warned not to eat birds which are migrating from Northern Europe to winter in Africa. The authorities plan to test migrating "irds for radioactivity contamination, following the Chjrnobzl nuclear power station accident. MoreP262 CJJFAX 2v2 Mon 20 Oct 21:02/19 9/14 Wpppp0 j-£ country diary As winter approaches, many marine animals begin their annual reproductive cycle. In shellfish, such as oysters and mussels, there is a steady growth of the gonad, while crabs, shrimps and some fish will lay eggs, which should complete development in the spring. The advantage in all cases is that larvbj hatch in early spring when planktonic food is is at a peak. MoreP262 CJJFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:05/53 10/14 Wpppp0 j-£ *jj5j5j5j5".% $ country diary During his journeys through southezn England, in the sixteenth century, botanist John Gerrard jound a shryb which hj called the +ayfarer's Tree. A member of the honeysuckle family, it has bright oval berries which turn black when mature. It grows no more than 20 feet in height and has opposite leaves with regular teeth and djnsj hairs on the undjrsidj. MoreP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:13/16 11/14 country diary The Juniper Carpet Moth iu a pale jawn coloured insect with ripples of black and white on its broad wings. No longer dependent on wild juniper, it can be found in gardens in any part of the country - look, by torch-light, on the shrub's outer shoots. More than 400 moths were recently counted on a two-metre tall garden bush; if you find that you have a colony please contact Paul +arink, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford, OX3 0BB. MoreP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:13/46 W p0 12/14 Wpppp0 j-£ W country diary Scentless Mayweed is still in fower, and you may be able to spot its large, daisy-like flowerheads around the edges of fields and on wasteland. The plant continues to grow and remains in flower until the first frosts kill it oftn MoreP262 CJJFAX 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:14/26 W p0 13/14 country diary The BBC Natural History Unit is interested in hearing of strandings or sightings of unusual marine animals from anywhere in the world. If you think you have seen a strange creature out at sea, in an estuary, or washed up on a beach, please let us know. Please write to: Michael Bright, BBC Natural History Unit, Broadcasting House, Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2LR. MoreP262 CEEFA( 262 Mon 20 Oct 21:12/32 W p0 14/14 Wpppp0 j-£ W W country diary Information this week was compiled with help from Dr Peter Hayward, Joan Tubbs, Pazl Wbring, Anne-Maria Brennan, The Wildfowl Trust, British Birds, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Fair Isle Bird Obsjtvatotyn More