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Wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin spends the autumn travelling across the UK to track down and film some of the most hidden wildlife spectacles that the British Isles have to offer.

Hamza heads to the south Devon coast to attempt to spot Atlantic bluefin tuna. These incredible, huge fish have made an impressive comeback in British waters, and every autumn we are inundated with leaping tuna on the hunt for small bait fish. But finding them won’t be easy – they can appear at any moment, and Hamza only has a split second to film them as they launch themselves into the air from the rough waves.

Next, Hamza heads to Walthamstow Wetlands in London to see a bird that, surprisingly, he’s never managed to lay eyes on. The streams and channels here are a perfect autumnal refuge for one of our most colourful and most recognisable birds – the kingfisher. To help him finally track one down, Hamza is joined by wildlife trust warden – and wildlife social media star – Lira Valencia, who works at Walthamstow and knows this reserve like the back of her hand.

Sticking in London, Hamza heads to the world-famous Highgate Cemetery in search of a nightly visitor. Thankfully, it’s not the Highgate vampire but rather a family of urban foxes who have made the cemetery their home over many generations. In the moody, atmospheric urban landscape, Hamza has an unforgettable close encounter with our most familiar wild mammal, which for most people is a fleeting glimpse at best.

Hamza then heads to Ireland in pursuit of alien life. Well, nearly. Throughout the UK, miles upon miles of cave systems lie right below our feet, hidden and out of sight. In County Cavan, on the border with Fermanagh, caving experts Pam and Tim Fogg have been exploring their local cave systems for years and have discovered strange creatures lurking in the dark. Braving the autumnal rainfall and cold temperatures, Hamza joins them on an expedition deep into White Father’s Cave to discover hidden species of cave spiders. And more weirdly, the fungus that turns them into zombies.

In Lancashire, there’s a small bird that’s very rare in the UK. In fact, just 700 pairs of bearded tits live here, and people flock from all over the place to try to catch a fleeting glimpse of one. They are fast, flighty and, more often than not, completely hidden in the reed bed. On a frosty autumn morning, Hamza heads out with his camera to try and get the perfect shot of one, but what he finds is something he could never have hoped to witness. A flock of bearded tits, in plain sight, feeding among the reeds.

Just down the coast, Morecambe Bay stretches out for 120 square miles. It’s a globally important mudflat, providing homes and feeding grounds for countless species, and in the autumn months, it is inundated with thousands upon thousands of ducks and wading birds. Hamza heads to the shore to film the birds as they flock together, creating beautiful shapes. Not only does this offer an incredible spectacle, but the wildlife here forms the basis for a pioneering new scheme to help improve people’s mental health. Hamza heads to Morecambe town to meet people who are being prescribed access to nature on the NHS – and discovering the many benefits of getting outdoors and into the wild.

Autumn is a time of plenty – and for life that feeds on fallen leaves and decay, it's a time to shine. Literally. Right under our feet, countless species of fungi cover the forest floor up and down the country. And with the right kit, Hamza and his friend and fellow camerawoman Katie Mayhew illuminate the weird and wonderful world of this amazing kingdom. By using special UV lights and filming equipment, Hamza and Katie reveal a totally new look at an already hidden world, and the results are nothing short of spectacular.

To end the autumn, Hamza heads to Dartmoor to experience the ultimate in night-time encounters – the starry night sky in one of the best places to see it in the whole country.

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