Iwerddon Antur y Gorllewin


Iwerddon

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-Dear me, what a journey...

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-..and what an adventure.

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-Crikey, what a place!

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-I'm travelling along the west coast

-of Europe, from the Azores...

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-I've always wanted to swim

-with these.

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-..all the way up to Iceland.

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-I'm swimming here...

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-..between two continents.

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-I'll take you

-to as many places as I can...

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-..to see incredible wildlife

-and amazing views.

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-Everything we see

-is here for one reason...

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-..the influence of the Atlantic.

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-The wind whips in

-all the way from America.

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-The Atlantic

-defines the climate and wildlife...

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-..of every country

-in Western Europe.

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-We've seen the wonders

-of Portugal...

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-..Spain...

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-A lynx. A lynx, lads, a lynx!

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-France.

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-There are birds everywhere.

-It's a paradise for me.

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-The Channel Islands.

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-Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

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-It's the first one I've seen

-in Britain, so I'm happy!

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-And we're only halfway.

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-More new and exciting adventures

-await me in Ireland.

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-Eire, Ireland, land of legends...

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-..music and persistent rain

-from the Atlantic.

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-Torrential storms rip through here.

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-But travelling

-Ireland's west coast...

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-..gives me a rare chance

-to hear a familiar old voice.

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-RASPING BIRD CALL

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-It's great to hear it again.

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-I explore remarkable worlds

-underground and underwater.

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-I don't think I've ever seen

-such a rich habitat on any mainland.

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-I witness

-unforgettable sights and landscapes.

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-The Skellig Islands,

-the Cliffs of Moher...

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-..and the Burren.

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-It's a long trip, all the way

-to Donegal and Inishbofin...

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-..in the extreme north-west.

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-But my journey begins in the south,

-on the shores of Bantry Bay.

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-I'm searching the Glengarriff Woods

-for a rare and unexpected plant.

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-It's a rather special cabbage.

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-This is St Patrick's cabbage.

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-It might be called a cabbage...

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-..but it's a species of saxifrage.

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-It's one of those odd plants...

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-..that are found in pockets,

-here in the south-west of Ireland...

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-..and nowhere else in Europe

-apart from Western Portugal.

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-Why does it only grow

-in those two places?

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-Nobody is sure,

-but it's thought...

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-..that early settlers brought it

-from one country to the other.

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-They thrive

-in the west of both countries...

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-..due to the sea's influence.

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-The climate is wet all year round.

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-That enables these plants

-to grow and thrive.

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-The same is true of another species

-of saxifrage that grows nearby.

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-This is kidney saxifrage,

-named for its kidney-shaped leaves.

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-It's only found in County Cork

-and County Kerry...

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-..and in the Pyrenees

-or Cantabrian Mountains in Spain.

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-And what about this animal?

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-Did its ancestors stow away

-on a ship from Spain centuries ago?

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-That's true of every flower, insect

-and animal that flourishes here.

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-After all, Ireland is an island.

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-Everything made its way here

-after the Ice Age, but how?

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-That remains a mystery...

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-..but it must have been

-some journey and some adventure.

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-I head to the west

-of County Kerry...

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-..and the picturesque bay

-of Ballinskelligs.

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-It's not the end of a journey

-but the beginning of another.

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-I'm heading towards

-the two islands on the horizon.

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-The Skellig Islands.

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-Once you pass Bolus Head,

-the journey to Little Skellig...

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-..is 12 kilometres,

-around seven miles.

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-But in an old boat,

-bobbing about on the waves...

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-..going up and down,

-up and down all the way there...

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-..it feels like twice that distance.

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-From afar, Little Skellig

-looks like a white island.

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-But it's not the rock

-that gives it its colour...

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-..but the thousands of birds

-and the blanket of excrement.

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-What a sight -

-30,000 pairs of gannets...

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-..covering the entire island.

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-I doubt there is

-an inch of space left.

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-You won't get a better sight

-anywhere in the world.

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-There is some debate over the size

-of this nesting colony.

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-Grassholm or Bass Rock or here...

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-..is the second largest in the world

-after St Kilda in Scotland.

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-But who's counting

-and what does it matter?

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-Wherever they are,

-it's a privilege to watch gannets...

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-..especially

-in such a magical place.

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-There's also another reason

-why I've come to Little Skellig.

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-If the rock above the water

-isn't enough of a wonder...

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-..the 70 metres of rock

-beneath the surface...

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-..is also teeming with wildlife.

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-It's time to find out for myself.

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-Away you go, Iolo.

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-Look at this forest.

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-This is kelp.

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-It's just as rich

-as any tropical forest.

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-Look closely and you'll notice

-lots of crabs, lobsters, anemones...

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-..and all kinds of creatures.

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-You have to swim carefully because

-there are so many creatures here.

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-The sea is incredibly fertile...

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-..partly because of the gannets...

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-..all 30,000 of them...

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-..excreting into the water.

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-Furthermore...

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-..it's here

-that the cold North Atlantic...

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-..meets the warm Gulf Stream...

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-..all the way from the Caribbean.

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-When both oceans combine...

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-..they provide an abundance of food

-for marine life.

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-Wow! There are starfish

-dotted all around.

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-Incredible.

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-These are jewel anemones.

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-I saw some in the sea around Sark,

-but nothing like this.

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-This is a colony of thousands

-of small animals cohabiting...

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-..and creating

-their own pretty picture.

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-On them, like a big hedgehog,

-is the sea urchin.

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-It normally grazes on seaweed...

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-..so it's more of a sheep

-than a hedgehog.

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-Look at these anemones.

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-Thousands of them everywhere,

-and so many different colours.

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-The majority of these

-are dahlia anemones.

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-They're remarkable.

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-There are starfish everywhere too.

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-They eat shellfish.

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-I don't think I've ever seen...

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-..such a thriving habitat

-on the mainland.

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-Little Skellig

-is caught between two worlds.

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-Between the cold North Atlantic

-and the warm Gulf Stream...

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-..and also between the wildlife

-that relies on the sea...

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-..and the bird life that has

-evolved into a nesting colony.

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-But for many centuries...

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-..Skellig Michael,

-the larger island...

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-..has also been caught

-between two worlds.

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-The real world

-and the spiritual world.

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-It is to Skellig Michael

-that I travel next...

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-..to see a remarkable monastery...

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-..and to hear strange noises

-echoing among its ancient walls.

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-Skellig Michael

-is an extraordinary place.

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-It's worth coming here...

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-..just for the view

-of Little Skellig in the distance.

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-It's no wonder the island is now

-a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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-The monastery buildings

-have been here for 1,400 years.

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-Though uninhabited,

-the monks' dwellings remain...

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-..resembling six stone igloos

-or old-fashioned beehives.

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-Two small chapels also remain.

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-Strange noises are still heard

-among these ancient walls.

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-That isn't a myth

-or a bit of blarney!

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-Thousands of people

-come here each year...

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-..to visit

-this remarkable monastery.

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-It took two centuries to build.

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-By building such thick walls,

-purely by chance...

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-..the monks provided

-the perfect habitat for a bird...

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-..called the storm petrel.

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-It is a nocturnal seabird.

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-I won't be able to see it,

-but if you listen...

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-..you can hear one calling.

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-I saw a storm petrel

-in daylight recently.

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-Not in Ireland, but at the start

-of my journey, off the Azores.

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-Petrel is a derivative of Peter.

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-It refers to a bird that sticks out

-its legs while flying...

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-..as though it were trying

-to walk on water...

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-..like St Peter in the Bible.

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-From the enchanting

-Skellig Islands...

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-..I return to the mainland

-and the Killarney National Park.

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-It's a beautiful area...

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-..that attracts tourists

-from around the world...

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-..to enjoy the views

-and tranquillity.

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-But I'm here to see

-this unexpected habitat.

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-Reenadinna Wood.

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-This is a very odd place.

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-When I came here...

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-..I felt as if I was walking

-into a different world.

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-These are all yew trees.

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-There is very little on the ground

-apart from moss.

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-The surface is littered with stones

-covered in a thick blanket of moss.

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-I don't think I've ever been

-in a forest in springtime...

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-..that's as quiet

-and lifeless as this.

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-I can't hear a single bird singing.

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-It's silent.

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-It might be an odd place,

-but it's also a very rare habitat.

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-There are only three yew forests

-in the whole of Europe.

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-Why yew trees, I hear you ask.

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-The reason for that is because

-there is limestone underfoot...

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-..and very little soil.

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-The yew's roots

-extend far and wide...

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-..so they're able to survive

-where other trees can't.

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-Maybe that the lack of diversity

-is behind the lack of birds.

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-It's very moist, of course.

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-That explains the covering of moss.

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-It's a very interesting place,

-with a remarkable atmosphere.

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-I can't say I enjoyed the haunting

-ambience of the yew forest...

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-..but I'm glad to have seen it.

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-It was a memorable experience.

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-Near another

-of Killarney's woodlands...

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-..is something closer to my heart.

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-I catch my first glimpse of one

-of Ireland's rarest creatures.

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-Red deer.

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-It's incredibly difficult

-to get close to red deer.

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-Those in the distance

-are mothers with their young.

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-They're staying

-on the edge of the trees.

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-At the first sign of danger,

-they retreat into the forest.

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-The smaller deer are lying down.

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-If I approach,

-I know they'll run away.

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-Red deer

-have an interesting history.

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-These are the only

-native red deer in Ireland.

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-They've been here

-since the end of the Ice Age.

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-There are other species of deer

-in Ireland nowadays...

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-..but they were all introduced

-to the country.

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-A century ago, only 100 red deer

-were left in this region.

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-The young are smaller in size...

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-..and have a mottled coat.

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-When they lie down

-in dense undergrowth...

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-..they are impossible to spot.

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-That's as near as we'll get.

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-They're starting to huddle together.

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-They'll vanish into the trees

-if I get any closer.

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-Having been privileged

-to spend a short time...

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-..with the Killarney deer, I return

-to the wonders of the coast.

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-It's somehow hard to believe

-that the Atlantic's ferocity...

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-..is responsible

-for what we consider beautiful.

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-The picturesque bays

-along the west coast.

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-The marshlands.

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-The cliffs.

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-In County Clare,

-the pinnacle of the battle...

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-..between land and sea is evident.

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-The world-famous Cliffs of Moher

-stretch for eight kilometres.

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-They rise to 700 feet,

-or over 200 metres, above sea level.

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-It's a constant battle

-between land and sea here.

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-The sea

-gradually erodes the coast...

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-..creating majestic cliffs

-and nesting habitats for seabirds.

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-Looking down there,

-I can spot gulls...

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-..fulmars...

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-..razorbills and guillemots

-in their thousands...

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-..going to catch fish

-and returning to their nests.

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-I'm looking down at them,

-circling above the white waves.

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-They're like

-industrious bees in a hive.

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-Your eyes are drawn to the waves...

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-..and the thousands of seabirds.

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-Sometimes, you forget to look up.

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-There are peregrine falcons about.

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-I saw a male earlier,

-but he has disappeared for now.

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-I was studying the graceful flight

-of the fulmar...

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-..when I spotted

-a single falcon circling overhead.

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-I think he was showing off

-rather than hunting.

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-That's when you realize

-he's the true master of the sky.

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-The female is darker

-and slightly larger than the male.

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-Look carefully at her wings.

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-One of the main flight feathers

-is missing on both wings.

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-They moult once a year.

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-If they shed one feather

-from their right wing...

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-..the same one

-on the left wing is also shed.

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-It keeps them perfectly balanced.

-It has to be that way.

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-The male has returned.

-He must have been hunting after all.

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-He has passed her some food -

-a fledgling.

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-There must be a nest

-somewhere on these cliffs.

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-On the next leg of my journey,

-I follow a hare.

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-I've spent all morning

-looking for them...

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-..and now three turn up at once.

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-I also explore

-beneath Ireland's famous Burren.

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-It's an incredible habitat.

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-The little village of Doolin.

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-During the summer,

-musicians the world over...

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-..come here to enjoy the craic.

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-Good luck to them, I say...

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-..but I prefer the music

-of the Irish woods and fields...

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-..and the craic of discovering

-another of Ireland's rare treasures.

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-I've been looking for this

-all morning.

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-There are three of them

-in this field.

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-It's like waiting for a bus.

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-Nothing for ages

-and three turn up at once.

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-It's a hare,

-but not the one we're used to.

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-This is the Irish hare.

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-It's a subspecies

-of the mountain hare...

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-..that's found

-in the Scottish highlands.

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-The mountain hare

-turns white during the winter.

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-The Irish hare doesn't.

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-The hares we have in Wales

-are European hares.

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-They're lighter,

-a sandy brown colour.

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-This is much darker.

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-This one is squatting -

-I can only see its head.

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-The hares at the far end

-are further away and feel safer.

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-They're feeding happily.

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-I'm going to have another look

-at this one.

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-This one has started to feed.

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-She's now used to my presence

-and is far more relaxed.

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-On the whole,

-they're very shy creatures.

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-These are the first ones I've seen.

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-They're shot usually...

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-..but we're in a village

-that attracts many tourists.

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-I think they're left alone here.

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-That's why they aren't as shy

-as the others.

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-I hope she stays

-so that I can watch her.

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-Less than five miles

-north of Doolin...

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-..I reach an area that excites

-scientists and visitors alike.

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-This is the Burren.

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-The word burren means a stony place.

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-Yes, the Irish tell it as it is.

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-This is the habitat that's always

-associated with the Burren.

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-Limestone, especially

-limestone pavements...

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-..with these long crevices

-in the rock...

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-..more commonly known as grikes

-by geologists.

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-Most of the plants

-grow in these crevices...

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-..because this is where

-the soil is located.

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-Strong winds

-sweep in from the sea...

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-..and plant life can only survive

-in these crevices.

0:25:400:25:44

-Over 70% of Ireland's native species

-can be found in the Burren.

0:25:440:25:50

-That's about 700 different types

-of flowers, ferns and so on.

0:25:500:25:55

-It's an area

-of international importance.

0:25:560:25:59

-Some of these plants

-have been here since the Ice Age.

0:25:590:26:05

-They also grow in the Alps.

0:26:050:26:07

-Alongside those

-are other plants...

0:26:080:26:11

-..that we normally associate

-with warmer Continental countries.

0:26:110:26:17

-This is the only place in Europe...

0:26:170:26:19

-..where both kinds of plants

-grow side by side.

0:26:190:26:23

-It's a unique place.

0:26:230:26:25

-Take this flower, mountain avens.

0:26:260:26:29

-It grows on Y Gribyn and Creigiau

-Gleision, and in Cwm Idwal.

0:26:300:26:33

-It's an upland plant

-of the Arctic and the Alps.

0:26:340:26:37

-Here, it's found on the shore.

0:26:370:26:39

-Growing within a stone's throw

-is bloody cranesbill.

0:26:400:26:44

-It's common on sand dunes

-and limestone rocks...

0:26:440:26:49

-..on the Great Orme and the Gower.

0:26:490:26:51

-Here, it grows with mountain avens.

0:26:510:26:54

-It's a mystery, but there might be

-some kind of explanation.

0:26:540:26:58

-Ireland is a turning point

-on my journey.

0:26:590:27:03

-Influences from north and south

-meet and mix.

0:27:030:27:07

-It's worth noting

-that we're so far north now...

0:27:070:27:10

-..that we should be seeing

-icebergs in the sea.

0:27:110:27:14

-As an Arctic and highland plant...

0:27:140:27:17

-..mountain avens

-should feel at home here.

0:27:180:27:22

-The reason that there are

-no icebergs here...

0:27:270:27:31

-..is the Gulf Stream's warmth.

0:27:310:27:34

-It brings the heat

-of Central America to Ireland...

0:27:340:27:38

-..and sustains plants

-growing in the Burren.

0:27:380:27:42

-It also brings something else

-synonymous with Ireland.

0:27:420:27:48

-Rain.

0:27:480:27:49

-This combination of rain and heat

-make Ireland a truly green island.

0:27:500:27:56

-The rain, slightly acidic...

0:27:560:27:58

-..is responsible for these splits

-in the Burren limestone.

0:27:590:28:03

-Drop by drop,

-the water eats into the limestone.

0:28:030:28:08

-It creates the grikes

-and shapes the landscape.

0:28:080:28:12

-No matter where you look...

0:28:150:28:18

-..the effect of the rainfall

-on the rock is very evident...

0:28:180:28:23

-..even across those hills.

0:28:230:28:25

-The limestone stretches for miles

-in every direction.

0:28:260:28:30

-What's even more surprising

-is the lack of water on the surface.

0:28:300:28:35

-There are hardly any lakes,

-streams or rivers.

0:28:350:28:38

-If you want to know what happens

-to the water, look underground.

0:28:380:28:42

-Yeah, grand. Trying to get myself

-around a bit here.

0:29:120:29:16

-In the water. Thanks, lads,

-you never told me about this.

0:29:200:29:23

-These caves are very dangerous.

0:29:320:29:34

-OK, Tom, I'm off.

0:29:350:29:37

-I can't tell you how glad I am

-to have Tom Chapman's company.

0:29:370:29:42

-He's the one in yellow

-and he's an expert on ropes.

0:29:420:29:46

-Terry Casserly is very familiar

-with the Burren caves.

0:29:460:29:50

-My safety, even my life,

-is in their hands.

0:29:510:29:55

-There's water underground.

0:30:060:30:08

-It's everywhere underfoot...

0:30:080:30:11

-..but when you look

-at the smooth cave walls...

0:30:110:30:14

-..one thing becomes evident.

0:30:140:30:17

-A powerful river of water

-created these tunnels.

0:30:170:30:21

-This waterfall is evidence

-that water flows...

0:30:360:30:39

-..not only underground,

-but far underground.

0:30:390:30:43

-I'm around 15 metres

-under the surface.

0:30:430:30:47

-It's strange to think

-that millions of people...

0:30:480:30:52

-..visit the Burren every year

-to see the natural wonders...

0:30:520:30:56

-..but hardly any of them

-venture underground.

0:30:560:30:59

-One river, the Caher,

-does flow on the surface.

0:30:590:31:04

-It flows north-westwards.

0:31:040:31:07

-The water down here, and the cave,

-runs south-eastwards.

0:31:080:31:13

-In an entirely different direction.

0:31:140:31:16

-There's something very Irish

-about that!

0:31:170:31:20

-There's another strange quirk.

0:31:250:31:27

-I may well be 15 metres

-underground now...

0:31:270:31:31

-..but I'm walking through rocks

-that formed millions of years ago...

0:31:310:31:36

-..under the sea.

0:31:360:31:38

-I'm walking through the graveyard

-of billions of tiny creatures...

0:31:390:31:44

-..that died, fell to the seabed

-and formed a layer of limestone.

0:31:440:31:49

-That layer

-is 700 metres thick in places.

0:31:500:31:53

-There are some incredible

-natural shapes in these caves...

0:31:530:31:59

-..but they were formed

-by a simple process.

0:31:590:32:03

-The acidic rain falls on the land

-above us and erodes the limestone.

0:32:030:32:08

-When the water

-filters underground...

0:32:080:32:13

-..the rock re-forms slowly

-to create remarkable shapes.

0:32:130:32:19

-I remember a friend telling me

-that he'd visited the Burren.

0:32:440:32:47

-He said the underground rock

-was like a lump of cheese.

0:32:480:32:51

-I didn't realize what he meant

-until I came down here today.

0:32:510:32:55

-It's incredible.

0:32:550:32:57

-Around 250km of caves

-have already been mapped out here...

0:32:570:33:02

-..but I'm sure there are more

-hiding underground...

0:33:020:33:06

-..waiting to be discovered.

0:33:070:33:09

-It's an incredible habitat.

0:33:090:33:12

-The water doesn't flow

-to the valley in the Burren.

0:33:150:33:18

-It flows deep underground.

0:33:180:33:20

-From the Burren's

-subterranean beauty...

0:33:230:33:26

-..I head back to the open air.

0:33:270:33:30

-After the break, I'll take you

-across Galway Bay to Connemara...

0:33:300:33:36

-..and on to a tiny island

-further north...

0:33:360:33:39

-..where I hear an old familiar call

-in an unfamiliar place.

0:33:400:33:44

-I expected to hear this bird,

-but I didn't expect to see it.

0:33:450:33:48

-.

0:33:510:33:51

-Subtitles

0:33:540:33:55

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

0:33:550:33:57

-The wilds of Connemara

-are stunningly beautiful.

0:34:050:34:08

-You can see the cold footprint

-of the Ice Age wherever you look.

0:34:090:34:14

-Take Clew Bay, for example.

0:34:170:34:19

-They say that it has 365 islands,

-one for every day of the year.

0:34:200:34:24

-That's clearly nonsense.

0:34:250:34:27

-There are only 117,

-and most aren't even islands.

0:34:270:34:31

-They're drumlins,

-gravel and rock deposits...

0:34:310:34:35

-..left behind as glaciers thawed

-and flowed towards the sea.

0:34:350:34:40

-Next, I head back to the hills...

0:34:450:34:47

-..to County Mayo's

-Ballycroy National Park...

0:34:480:34:51

-..to search for the golden plover,

-a favourite rare bird of mine.

0:34:520:34:56

-I'm joined by Cameron Clotworthy,

-one of the park's wardens.

0:34:570:35:02

-He has studied these little birds

-for many years.

0:35:020:35:06

-How far are we going to go

-up here, Cameron?

0:35:060:35:09

-Another kilometre,

-up to the trigonometry point.

0:35:090:35:13

-We've got a really nice

-blanket bog habitat up here.

0:35:130:35:17

-It's actually a designated site.

0:35:170:35:20

-It's good-quality bog

-and hopefully we'll spot a plover.

0:35:200:35:25

-I'm going to go up here

-and have a look.

0:35:300:35:32

-We've reached the top,

-and it's very flat.

0:35:360:35:40

-It reminds me of Elenydd,

-where I used to seek golden plovers.

0:35:400:35:45

-Cameron says there are

-between 15 and 20 pairs here.

0:35:450:35:49

-That's quite a lot

-in such a small area.

0:35:490:35:52

-Finding them is the challenge,

-especially in this wind.

0:35:520:35:56

-This wet, peaty land

-is the perfect place.

0:35:560:36:01

-They nest on the dry areas and take

-their chicks to the wetter areas.

0:36:010:36:05

-We've heard one calling

-and we're looking for it now.

0:36:050:36:10

-I'll go after Cameron now.

0:36:100:36:12

-There are around 300 pairs

-of golden plovers in Ireland.

0:36:160:36:20

-It doesn't sound like a lot...

0:36:200:36:22

-..but there are only

-some 40 birds in total in Wales...

0:36:220:36:27

-..they should count their blessings.

0:36:270:36:31

-They face the same problems now

-that we faced 20-30 years ago.

0:36:330:36:39

-Alien Sitka and pine trees...

0:36:390:36:42

-..are a perfect habitat

-for crows and foxes.

0:36:420:36:46

-After hours of searching,

-surely I'll see one golden plover?

0:36:470:36:53

-Can you see it now, Cameron?

0:36:550:36:57

-It's just dipped

-behind a mound there.

0:36:580:37:00

-That was the male, with the lovely

-black chest and breast.

0:37:010:37:06

-Absolutely - the really prominent

-plumage colouring on the breast.

0:37:060:37:10

-He's just gone

-behind that mound over there.

0:37:110:37:14

-I've got you.

0:37:140:37:16

-He has good eyesight.

0:37:200:37:22

-He has found a male

-on one of the little mounds.

0:37:220:37:28

-The male has a dark breast...

0:37:290:37:32

-..and the golden feathers

-that give it its name.

0:37:330:37:36

-It shows you how difficult it is

-to find these birds.

0:37:360:37:40

-We're in an area

-where there are at least 15 pairs.

0:37:400:37:43

-We've been searching

-for almost four hours.

0:37:440:37:47

-This is the first bird we've seen.

0:37:470:37:50

-The female and her eggs

-are going to be somewhere nearby.

0:37:500:37:55

-Cameron thinks the male will take

-over from her and sit on the eggs.

0:37:550:38:01

-He'll sneak in slowly

-and she'll take off.

0:38:020:38:06

-I haven't seen the female,

-only the male.

0:38:060:38:09

-He has disappeared now.

0:38:090:38:11

-They're such beautiful birds.

0:38:110:38:14

-If you head north-west

-through County Mayo...

0:38:370:38:41

-..you reach one

-of the least-populated areas...

0:38:420:38:45

-..not only in Ireland,

-but in the whole of Europe.

0:38:450:38:48

-I can say one thing

-and truly mean it.

0:38:480:38:50

-The wilds of Donegal

-may have been hostile...

0:38:510:38:55

-..to humans over the centuries,

-but the views are breathtaking.

0:38:550:39:01

-Here in the Derryveagh Mountains

-is Glenveagh National Park.

0:39:070:39:12

-For geologists,

-this valley is quite wondrous.

0:39:120:39:16

-It follows a fault line

-in the earth's crust...

0:39:160:39:20

-..that runs from here

-to Loch Ness in Scotland.

0:39:210:39:25

-But why am I here?

0:39:250:39:27

-After all, there are no deer,

-eagles or rare plants in sight.

0:39:270:39:32

-No, there's something else.

0:39:350:39:37

-The place itself. It's enchanting.

0:39:370:39:41

-It's so remote and so wild,

-yet so beautiful.

0:39:410:39:46

-Once again, I realize that I'm meant

-to be in places like this.

0:39:470:39:53

-Is there sometimes a danger

-of romanticizing too much?

0:39:570:40:00

-I don't really know why I decided

-that today was the day...

0:40:030:40:07

-..to challenge

-the Atlantic's wild waves.

0:40:070:40:10

-I'm crossing to Inishbofin

-and the weather is terrible.

0:40:130:40:18

-It's only a ten-minute journey

-from the mainland...

0:40:180:40:22

-..but it's very dangerous

-in such strong winds.

0:40:220:40:26

-I'm looking forward

-to getting over there.

0:40:260:40:29

-The islanders' way of life

-hasn't changed for decades.

0:40:290:40:33

-Electricity didn't arrive

-until fairly recently.

0:40:330:40:37

-The farming methods mirror those

-of Wales over 50 years ago.

0:40:370:40:41

-Birds like the corncrake

-can still be seen there.

0:40:410:40:45

-I haven't seen one for many years

-and I can't wait to get there.

0:40:450:40:50

-Even before landing,

-I see two magnificent birds.

0:40:520:40:58

-This is a great northern diver...

0:40:580:41:01

-..and a male eider duck.

0:41:010:41:03

-Two beautiful birds

-usually found in northern climes.

0:41:040:41:08

-On the beach,

-I see a number of common birds...

0:41:090:41:14

-..such as the ringed plover,

-another northern bird.

0:41:140:41:18

-Rock pipits are everywhere here,

-and that's the point.

0:41:230:41:28

-The sheer number of birds make this

-a paradise for bird lovers.

0:41:290:41:34

-I love hearing the call

-of the lapwing.

0:41:520:41:54

-Peewit, peewit.

0:41:550:41:56

-There are five or six pairs

-flying above us here.

0:41:570:42:01

-In the fields behind me, there are

-up to a dozen pairs of skylarks.

0:42:010:42:06

-It feels as if someone,

-50 years ago...

0:42:160:42:18

-..ripped a piece off Ireland

-and threw it into the sea.

0:42:190:42:23

-It's a great place,

-two and a half kilometres long...

0:42:230:42:27

-..and a kilometre wide.

0:42:270:42:29

-There's such a rich tapestry

-of wildlife in such a small area.

0:42:300:42:34

-There's another one

-flying over there.

0:42:340:42:38

-I said earlier that I was coming

-to Inishbofin to see the corncrake.

0:42:450:42:51

-And no, I haven't been disappointed.

0:42:510:42:54

-I've been pleasantly surprised.

0:42:540:42:57

-RASPING BIRD CALL

0:42:580:43:00

-This is something I expected

-to hear but not to see.

0:43:230:43:27

-This is a corncrake.

0:43:280:43:31

-A male has popped its head up

-and is calling out.

0:43:310:43:35

-It's quietened down now.

-There it goes again.

0:43:350:43:38

-It's in the middle of the field.

0:43:390:43:41

-Very rarely do you see this bird.

0:43:410:43:43

-It's been hiding among the nettles.

0:43:430:43:46

-There's another one the other side

-of a wall over there...

0:43:460:43:51

-..answering this one's call.

0:43:510:43:54

-Because there are two,

-they're very noisy.

0:43:540:43:57

-Back home, an area of land like this

-would have been transformed.

0:43:590:44:03

-The nettles would have been

-sprayed with weedkiller.

0:44:040:44:07

-But this land

-has been sacrificed to the birds...

0:44:080:44:12

-..and they're flourishing.

0:44:120:44:14

-Here, and in parts of Scotland...

0:44:140:44:16

-..are the only places

-you'll see and hear these.

0:44:170:44:20

-Taid told me

-that when he was a youngster...

0:44:200:44:23

-..in the late 19th century

-in Llanrug...

0:44:240:44:26

-..these were so noisy

-during the night...

0:44:260:44:29

-..that the dogs were sent out

-to keep them quiet.

0:44:300:44:34

-They've disappeared completely

-from Wales.

0:44:340:44:37

-It's so nice

-to hear this sound again.

0:44:380:44:40

-RASPING BIRD CALL

0:44:410:44:43

-They're very strange birds.

0:45:000:45:03

-I was wrong.

-There are four here, not two.

0:45:040:45:07

-This one's very close,

-beyond the wall.

0:45:070:45:10

-There's one

-at the top of the field...

0:45:100:45:13

-..one in the next field

-and one in the distance over there.

0:45:130:45:17

-You can see a head popping up

-every now and then...

0:45:170:45:20

-..and the beak opening and closing.

0:45:210:45:23

-It makes the sound

-in one direction...

0:45:230:45:25

-..and turns its head and makes

-the sound in another direction.

0:45:260:45:29

-You think there's one

-over there and one here...

0:45:290:45:33

-..but often, there's only one bird.

0:45:330:45:36

-It lowers its head and disappears

-into the undergrowth.

0:45:360:45:40

-Then its head pops up

-and it calls out again.

0:45:410:45:44

-This is the male calling out.

0:45:440:45:46

-The female is somewhere

-in this undergrowth...

0:45:460:45:50

-..sitting on eggs.

0:45:500:45:52

-I love listening to these birds,

-I really do.

0:45:520:45:56

-Listening to the corncrake

-creates a longing inside me.

0:46:010:46:05

-I'm on a tiny island in the west

-of Ireland, facing the Atlantic.

0:46:060:46:11

-The sound of a bird makes me long

-for so many things...

0:46:120:46:16

-..that have almost disappeared

-from fields back home in Wales.

0:46:160:46:20

-This is an exhilarating experience.

0:46:220:46:25

-It has made me excited

-about the next leg of my journey.

0:46:250:46:29

-Next week, I'm in Scotland,

-one of my favourite places.

0:46:320:46:36

-It's a huge country

-with incredible views...

0:46:380:46:41

-..of islands and highlands.

0:46:420:46:44

-Scotland is also full

-of natural wonders.

0:46:440:46:47

-It's a wonderful evening.

0:46:480:46:51

-There's fur...

0:46:510:46:52

-There are two chicks!

0:46:530:46:55

-..feathers and fish.

0:46:550:46:57

-Wildlife that bridges the boundary

-between land and sea.

0:46:570:47:02

-You always hope

-to see an otter here.

0:47:020:47:05

-I never expected to see one

-this close to me.

0:47:060:47:08

-In the west of Scotland,

-the adventure is sure to continue.

0:47:090:47:14

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

0:47:420:47:44

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