Background
Ashby was born in Cumberland, England on 19 January 1918.
Ashby was born in Cumberland, England on 19 January 1918.
When he was 16, Ashby"s first article, "Bird photography: an ideal hobby for boys", was published in Boy"s Own Paper. His first full-length film, The Unknown Forest (45 minutes) was shown on the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1961. Ashby had spent four years of his own time making lieutenant
The writer Richard Mabey says that this film "permanently changed the standards for home-grown wildlife documentaries".
Among Ashby"s other films was 1963"s The Major, the British Broadcasting Corporation"s first wildlife film made in colour. Though originally broadcast in black and white, once screened in colour, in 1967, it became one of the Natural History Unit"s most repeated shows.
Unlike many of his early contemporaries, Ashby refused to film tame animals, preferring to painstakingly film natural activity, This led to Sir Peter Scott coining the nickname "The Silent Watcher" for him. Ashby used the name as the title for his second television film.
He also developed the habit of making cameo appearances in his documentaries, as a figure half-seen in shadows, watching wildlife.
He otherwise kept a low profile, shunning public appearances. He died on 6 February 2003. He bequeathed his complete film and photographic archive to the charitable conservation project ARKive.