Dawn Chorus: A Traitors-style castle at the price of a Shepherd's Bush terrace, the very hungry otter, and Octopus's garden at Chelsea and our Quiz of the Day

The hugely popular BBC show Traitors and a hungry (and very brave) otter make our Dawn Chorus round-up today.

uTaxXCbDHTAB7yKHnSjqEB.jpg
(Image credit: Knight Frank)

Otterly brilliant

'When you think of wildlife films, you tend to think of those film makers who camp out for six months just to get the killed shot of a wolf cub being born, or a pride of lionesses chasing down a wounded zebra,' we wrote of this short clip yesterday. 'You don't expect nature to pop up in broad daylight in the heart of one of Britain's most popular tourist destinations.'

Video: Courtesy of Charlotte Yarnold

The fish, we're told, is a zander — and the River Avon in Stratford will — apparently — probably be better off without it.

Quiz of the Day

1) Gymnophobia is a fear of what?

2) In which internal organ would you find islets of Langerhans?

3) Which is the only London borough to span the River Thames?

4) If something is cordate, what shape is it?

5) Which 101-year-old film star was born Issur Danielovitch Demsky?

Keeping the faith(ful)

My wife hates reality TV. With two exceptions: Strictly and The Traitors.

But while I doubt she'd want to live in the Grand Ballroom at Blackpool, I've a feeling she would go for a television-inspired house move if it involved this gorgeous castle in Devon,

(Image credit: Knight Frank)

It even has its own round table, ideal for either discussion banishment, or setting up a new branch of the Knights of the Round Table. The house is for sale via Knight Frank at a stunningly reasonably-sounding £1.5 million, which is the sort of money you'd have to pay to live in a terraced house in Shepherd's Bush.

In an octopus's garden, by the sea The Thames

Scottish marine conservation charity Seawilding has earned plenty of column inches since unveiling its plans for an underwater seagrass garden at the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. But as far as we can tell, only the Daily Mail's Colin Fernandez cited Spongebob Squarepants and the 1969 Beatles song Octopus's Garden as its inspiration.

A photo posted by on

That's it — we're back tomorrow

Quiz answers

1) Nudity

2) Pancreas

3) Richmond

4) Heart-shaped

5) Kirk Douglas


Credit: Inigo

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Toby Keel

Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.

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