Not any more… what about you? Do you know where the nearest Salmon jumping/leaping location is in your area? I would absolutely recommend seeing this breathtaking Autumn spectacle if you are out and about just now.

For those visiting/living in Perthshire, Scotland you can find a list of some locations here. I’m going to check out a few others now! This is the thing, I’ve found with garden/nature watching over the last five years, you often miss what’s in your own garden/on your own doorstep.

If you have any Salmon Leaping locations you would like to share (from whatever part of the world) please do add them in a comment or email me them. If I get lots of locations I’ll update this post listing them at the end.

Last year, visiting The Hermitage at exactly the same time, we were completely oblivious to what was going on in the River Braan and especially at the main waterfalls – which I now know are Black Linn falls. Last year, I didn’t take my video camera. I was just out trying to get pretty Autumn photos but that post took an unplanned topic change with pretty and ugly images.

We would always take the walk from the car park to the viewpoint at Ossian’s Hall to see the incredible loud and fast flowing waterfalls. On our visit last Sunday, we had great difficulty getting parked in either of the two car parks at this National Trust for Scotland location.

The carks parks were certainly buzzing with people. Lots of walking boots, cameras and locally made ice creams & takeaway drinks could be seen. My daughter and I enjoyed ice creams while other families were seen with picnics.

I’d like to briefly step on a ‘picnic table’ here and say (in my opinion) television programmes like BBC’s current series of Autumnwatch have had a role in the increasing numbers of people getting outdoors and enjoying what it has to offer. I’m sure many will feel healthier both physically and mentally now too.

It will be an absolute travesty if any future BBC cuts take progammes like this off our screens as they ultimately connect to an audience (especially children) that could offer support to wildlife conservation now and in years to come when it is likely to be needed – be it volunteer/financial. I’m off my ‘picnic table’ now 🙂

I’d like to dedicate my Salmon Leaping video, shown below, to the team behind BBC Autumnwatch. Don’t laugh now… I know it’s not remotely to the standard of film captures of Leaping Salmon by Charlie Hamilton (in Scotland) shown on the programme last Friday. However, after seeing this I was inspired to head outdoors to see this spectacle for myself. Being completely honest, when I carried my tripod along to the likely viewpoint I didn’t expect to be using it… how thrilled I was that I did. I’m in awe of these Salmon now 🙂

Finally, just a couple more plugs for Autumnwatch, Salmon watching and BBC Wildlife filming. The Autumnwatch programme has live cams on Badgers this week if you want to see them. I’ve taken a few looks but so far haven’t spotted any Badgers. You’ll find times when the Live Badger Cams are running here. Now that I’ve posted this link I’ll be back this week checking it out. Sorry, don’t know if this works outside the UK – you could try.

When I upload videos of subjects I’ve never covered before I always take a look at what is already out. Two videos of Salmon Leaping caught my eye. The first was also taken at the Hermitage and at first glance appears like a family video – but stick with it. I particularly enjoyed the footage shown in the last third of the film taken from steep edges of the river to the side of the waterfall. I wasn’t brave enough to go that close sticking only to the path edge.

At first glance, the footage by The BBC shown below showing Grizzly Bears catching Salmon does feel a bit horrific on the Salmon when you consider the exhausting journey they take. Yes, I know the clever bears need to eat too. However, as Sir David Attenborough narrates, the sheer numbers of Salmon secure hundreds of successful passes by the Bears for every Salmon caught.

Is that not just amazing to see? Needless to say this last video wasn’t taken in Scotland 😉

Just a couple more links for you today – this time to a fellow blogger who isn’t new to watching Salmon leaping. I didn’t spot this post by David at Orchids, Nature and My Outdoor Life before I went out Salmon watching, capturing video or starting this post. He’s got nice photos and from memory he has shown video footage in a past post.

Ah… reading David’s post… I see now why the car parks on my visit to the Hermitage were so busy… BBC Autumnwatch posted a few salmon watching links on a blog post on their site – which included David’s area and ours. I’ll now take a look through the comments there to see the chat.

So there you go, more proof that nature programmes on television screens takes people outdoors. Oh yes… and for those that are unable to get outdoors or travel to see wildlife spectacles like this… television can allow them to wonder at them too. Just brilliant… well done guys 🙂

This post was written by Shirley for shirls gardenwatch in October 2011.