0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07(You can call me Steve.)
0:00:10 > 0:00:14I'm on a mission to find the Deadly 60. That's 60 deadly creatures.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17I'm travelling all over the world
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and you're coming with me, every step of the way.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Shark.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Today on Deadly 60, we're in the west coast of Scotland.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33We're here.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39Behind us is the famous Isle of Skye.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Off there in the distance is the Isle of Rum
0:00:41 > 0:00:43and behind us is the Knoydart Peninsula.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48It's got some of the most rugged wilderness in the whole of Britain
0:00:48 > 0:00:50and it's an absolute haven for wildlife.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Of all the different types of animals found here in the UK,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02there's one particular family that has a reputation
0:01:02 > 0:01:05for ferocity, bravery and punching above their weight.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07And that's the weasel family.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Have a look at this.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Every member of the weasel family is an awesome predator.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Fast, fearless and armed with razor-sharp teeth and claws,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23they're happy to take on prey that's at least as big as they are.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Probably my favourite out of this whole group of animals,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and certainly the most beautiful, is the otter.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41What have a pig's tail and 5:30 in the morning got in common?
0:01:41 > 0:01:43They're both too early. (Twirly.)
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Anyway, that's the time that me and the crew
0:01:49 > 0:01:52had to get up to maximise our chances of seeing otters.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56And we've barely even started before we catch a glimpse.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01This is the absolute chaos of wildlife film-making.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Just spotted an otter right down at the seafront
0:02:03 > 0:02:05as we were driving along.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07We've all gone into absolute scramble.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12You can see Cameron, the sound man, trying to fix up super quick
0:02:12 > 0:02:16while I'm just trying to make sure that the otter doesn't disappear.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20No more than about 30 metres in front of us.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27He's just off the rocks in front of me.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Steve!
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Oh, my goodness! Just in front of us.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44There. It's a youngster.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Can you see him? Look.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50He's little more than a pup.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57He's just a young otter. Not much more than a cub, really.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I say "he", but actually he's very sleek and slender.
0:03:00 > 0:03:01Probably a female.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08At the moment, she's ducking underwater, almost like a seal,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12fishing in amongst the kelp that's right in close to the shore here.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Probably catching crabs, molluscs and crustaceans.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Wonderful sight.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Just as fast as she appeared, she was gone.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29While we continue on our search, check this out.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34On the surface, otters look cute and cuddly.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37But once they're in the water and hunting,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41they turn into fast, ruthless killing machines.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Their long, slim bodies and short, powerful limbs
0:03:44 > 0:03:47make them super-streamlined underwater,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51using their webbed paws and muscular tails to power them along.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54They're protected from the cold by their thick fur,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56which acts as insulation,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59trapping layers of air, which keeps them warm.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03They feed on fish, frogs, water birds and crabs
0:04:03 > 0:04:08and have some of the most powerful jaws for a creature of their size,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12which they use to crunch through the shells
0:04:12 > 0:04:14and rip apart their prey.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Time to call on a hero of mine
0:04:16 > 0:04:19to help us find these elusive creatures.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Terry Nutkins has been a TV presenter and naturalist
0:04:22 > 0:04:23for over 30 years.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27He's studied and worked with otters for most of his life.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29That's a lovely little otter you've got there.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31He lives up here,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34amongst the incredible wildlife of the Scottish coast
0:04:34 > 0:04:37and he's taking us to a particular spot
0:04:37 > 0:04:40where he's watched otters many times before.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Oh, look!
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Along the way, we're joined by porpoise
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and even some seals come to say hello.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Look at that. How about that for seals on the doorstep? Jealous?
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Very jealous, yeah.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- The last few just heading in now. - Isn't that nice?- Beautiful.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01That's the youngest one, I think.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02Oh, yeah. That's tiny.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Whee!
0:05:08 > 0:05:12- Have you seen any otters?- No.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17This is beautiful.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21I grew up about two miles round the point there and we had pet otters.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25And they're a bit wacko, really, you know.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27We did rescue a couple of cubs.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30We called them Mossy and Mundy.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32We hand-reared them and we let them free.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Some of these otters round here could be descendants from that.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40But it's luck of the draw, you know, where they are.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Something.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- Yeah. Otter.- I've got it as well.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54Right, well, that one may well come closer in.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I'm so lucky to be in a situation
0:05:56 > 0:06:00where I can literally walk out into the garden in front of the house
0:06:00 > 0:06:04and see an otter, probably every other day in the spring
0:06:04 > 0:06:08and probably twice a week at this time of year,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10depending on the weather conditions.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16And there it is. Back up again in front of that rock.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Do you see it?- I got it, yeah.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21You're talking about otters being part of the weasel family,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25which, as we know, is a group of the bravest, most ferocious,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27most fearless animals on the planet.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31You've actually got some very real evidence of that, haven't you?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34You actually lost parts of your fingers to otters?
0:06:34 > 0:06:40Yeah. These two fingers here were bitten off at the same time.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44This is when we first learnt about how volatile they are.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47It was quite simple, someone came to stay.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The otter bit her in the back of the leg.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Nobody thought any more about it.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53When she left, she gave me her jumper.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55A couple of weeks later, I put it on.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58I was in the house on my own and the otter, her name was Edal,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01wanted to go out for a walk because be walked them like dogs.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04I went up to get her and I sat on the end of the bed
0:07:04 > 0:07:07and I had the jumper on for the first time.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12With the scent of the woman she'd taken a dislike to?
0:07:12 > 0:07:17Yeah, before I could do anything, she tore my welly boot off.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18Just tore right into there.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22So me, being so naive at that age and not knowing, not being aware
0:07:22 > 0:07:26of the crushing jaws that otters have got, because they need them,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29put my hand down to get her off, and of course she got my hand.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32She literally ripped my hands to shreds.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Then got hold of that finger.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38I'm tugging away and all I remember is her chewing and crunching.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43So I picked her up with this hand, and this hand's still in her mouth
0:07:43 > 0:07:44and I threw her.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49And as I threw her, she twisted round and took that finger with her.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Just went "pyung!" like that.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Then I shot out the room. I threw the jumper away.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- I bet you did.- Never wore that jumper again!- Unbelievable.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01They're wild animals. They're not domestic animals.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04You can tame an animal as much as you want,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08but, you know, they're still wild and they're unpredictable.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11And otters, out of all animals, or the weasel family,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13are unpredictable.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18They may well be Britain's most endearing mammal,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21but they've also got to be one of the most elusive.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26There's also no doubt that they are a fierce killer.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I mean, try to imagine if you were a sand eel or a trout,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33down in amongst the kelp here
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and all of a sudden, out of nowhere,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39a giant water weasel came plunging through the seaweed
0:08:39 > 0:08:42in a fierce frenzy of teeth and claws.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45You wouldn't last a second.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48And that's why the otter is going on the Deadly 60.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Formidable predators in the water,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59fast and agile, with jaws that can bite through bone,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03the otter has earned its place on my Deadly 60 list.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10We're in eastern England in the Suffolk fens.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12A fen is a kind of very flat
0:09:12 > 0:09:16sort of boggy area of land with bits of standing water.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Very pretty, but you might think
0:09:17 > 0:09:21the most unlikely place on the planet to find deadly wildlife.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Mind you, get into these pools
0:09:23 > 0:09:28and you find lots of tiny creatures with enormous appetites.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Let's see what we can find.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36OK, imagine you're the size of a tadpole.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Then this pond, and these guys, are your worst nightmare.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49So, who are the top predators in this micro world?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52First up, we have the water boatmen.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57They use their feathery legs to hang just under the surface,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00waiting to ambush tadpoles and small insects.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06They have bright, burning red eyes and a beak called a rostrum
0:10:06 > 0:10:10which they'll use to paralyse and suck the juices out of their prey.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12And they're not too fond of humans either.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Now, believe it or not, if you handle one of these,
0:10:15 > 0:10:19there's a good chance that you might get bitten and it can be very sore.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23In fact, it's a bit like pushing a needle into your hand.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24I have to say,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27one of the most unpleasant bites I've had in this country.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Next up, the diving beetle.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38They swim down to the bottom and cling to grasses or pieces of wood
0:10:38 > 0:10:40until prey passes by, and then strike,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43trapping them between their front legs
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and then biting down with their mandibles.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50They are nightmare creatures.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Absolutely amazing hunters and great swimmers.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55And very weird looking!
0:10:57 > 0:11:01He is an absolute horror of the deep.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05And lastly, the dragonfly nymph.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Dragonflies live their young years underwater,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12sometimes for as much as two years,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16catching other insects, small fish and tadpoles.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20They can fire out the bottom half of their face like a detachable mask
0:11:20 > 0:11:23and impale anything that swims too close.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27They can also fire themselves forward at great speed
0:11:27 > 0:11:29by squirting water out of their bottom.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34This is an absolutely awesome jet-propelled predator.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43They're all ferocious creatures, but they're not going on the list,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48as there's another predator that would have these guys for breakfast.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51To find it, I'm gonna have to get wet,
0:11:51 > 0:11:56which explains why I'm dressing up like some demented fisherman.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58If, however, you don't have waders like this,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02you could always do what our cameraman Mark's done
0:12:02 > 0:12:04and get yourself a 1980's scuba suit.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05Be aware, though,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09you may have low flying planes trying to land on your head.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11PLANE ENGINE
0:12:14 > 0:12:19Right, this water can be a lot deeper than it looks.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24A lot deeper than it looks!
0:12:24 > 0:12:27OK, I'm going to try and move quite slowly,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31firstly because I could, all of a sudden,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34end up up to my neck and it's quite cold.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Secondly, I don't want to spook off
0:12:39 > 0:12:42our next deadly animal.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Oh! It's all muddy and horrible!
0:12:50 > 0:12:51Aah!
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Success already.
0:12:56 > 0:13:02OK, it's pretty much the same depth here.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04So just come forward slowly.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Right, just sitting in front of me here
0:13:13 > 0:13:18is our next Deadly 60 hero.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23This is a great raft spider.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29We've been granted special permission to see these spiders,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32as they're endangered and a protected species.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37She is the largest spider that we have here in Britain.
0:13:37 > 0:13:44At the moment, she's actually sat clinging on to an egg-sack.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I think that's an old one.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Bright yellow stripe running down the abdomen.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54She is wonderful. And a good size as well.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Triumph!
0:14:00 > 0:14:02It's a bit late in the season now
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and she's looking a little bit the worse for wear.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Earlier on, when she would actually have had her egg-sac
0:14:09 > 0:14:11full of tiny little legs,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13as many as 600 spiderlings would erupt out
0:14:13 > 0:14:18and cover this nursery tent silk in tiny little scurrying black dots.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Now they've all dispersed, you can see the remnants.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25That kind of brown, worn-out old silk.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30How about that? We've found one already.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32But we can do better than that!
0:14:36 > 0:14:39So, there's no doubt this is a very big, beautiful spider,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43but if I'm going to convince you that they can be deadly,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45I'm going to have to show you one hunting.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48If we were going to wait for that to happen out there,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50I reckon we'd be here for about a month.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54So, we've set up a special Deadly 60 experiment.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56This tank is filled with the exact life
0:14:56 > 0:14:58that you find out there in the ponds.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Just the sort of things that this spider will be feeding on.
0:15:01 > 0:15:07Mark, the cameraman down here, has a super-high magnification lens,
0:15:07 > 0:15:11so hopefully we'll get to see this spider hunting.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15All we need to do now is sit and wait and hope for some action.
0:15:17 > 0:15:23Raft spiders spend most of their life half in, half out of the water.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26They sense ripples along the surface
0:15:26 > 0:15:30that lets them know that their dinner's approaching.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43The reason the spider's managed to make
0:15:43 > 0:15:46this environment so much its own
0:15:46 > 0:15:49is down to its use of surface tension.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50For very small creatures
0:15:50 > 0:15:53and for creatures that can spread the weight efficiently,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56the surface of the water becomes like a sort of elastic sheet
0:15:56 > 0:15:59that it can skate about over the top of.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02You can see this one here standing up on its tiptoes on the water,
0:16:02 > 0:16:03almost as if it was solid.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07It can still, however, duck beneath the surface
0:16:07 > 0:16:10and catch things that are swimming around,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12just underneath the water.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20But this spider can do something even more amazing.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27He's just ducked beneath the surface. Now, look.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28That is amazing.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34All of that silvery sheen to the exoskeleton
0:16:34 > 0:16:36is just trapped air bubbles
0:16:36 > 0:16:40which are held under tiny, tiny little hairs all down the legs.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44It makes him look like he's been wrapped up in BacoFoil or something.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Just turned into a robot spider!
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Amazing!
0:16:49 > 0:16:53That they can stay submerged like this on a single breath of air
0:16:53 > 0:16:55for perhaps as long as an hour.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Which kind of shows why it's pointless flushing a spider
0:16:59 > 0:17:01down the sink or down the bath.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Look at that. Going right down.
0:17:03 > 0:17:09Actually, he's right by a water boatmen at the bottom of this reed.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11This could be about to happen.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16We could be about to see raft spider hunting in progress.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Ooh! That was close!
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Did you see that? The spider's definitely getting more active.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Oh!
0:17:25 > 0:17:28You're in trouble! Just missed it.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Oh! Got it!
0:17:38 > 0:17:42That was absolutely formidable.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46The spider just absolutely lunged forward,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49caught hold of that water boatmen,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53which themselves are quite ferocious predators, and it's all over.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Right now, the venom is being injected into that insect
0:17:57 > 0:18:01and it's going to start digesting from the inside out.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03And it's history.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05All over in a flash.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08You can't tell me that's not deadly.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15A spider that fishes for its prey may sound bizarre,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19but where most animals would sink, our spider thrives.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22It's super senses and it lightning fast reactions
0:18:22 > 0:18:26definitely get the raft spider on my Deadly 60.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Our largest and probably one of our rarest native spiders,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37a truly veracious hunter with an awesome way of catching its prey.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41The raft spider is definitely going on my Deadly 60 list.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Over the years, the absolute bane of my life has been people
0:18:48 > 0:18:53complaining about peregrines pooing on the ground while they're talking.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Thank you! You've just completely upstaged me!
0:18:56 > 0:18:59At least it didn't get the car!
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Over the years, the absolute bane of my life
0:19:01 > 0:19:05has been people complaining about British wildlife,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07saying it's too tame and too boring
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and where are the lions and great white sharks?
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Well, in answer to that,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15let me present you with the peregrine falcon.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Peregrines are resident British birds
0:19:21 > 0:19:24found in mountainous, rugged parts of the country.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28And they are the fastest creature that has ever lived.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Ever.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Full-stop.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34They've been clocked at an incredible 180 mph
0:19:34 > 0:19:38when they're going into a dive known as a stoop.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43They hunt medium-sized birds such as water fowl,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46but they're particularly partial to a pigeon supper.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Stooping to hit them with their clenched talons,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51they knock the bird unconscious
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and then weave around to catch the bird in flight.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57It's all over in seconds.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04A peregrine hunting is one of the most dramatic, explosive,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06dynamic sights in the animal kingdom.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08And in order to demonstrate that,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10we've come up with a Deadly 60 experiment
0:20:10 > 0:20:12for which we'll need Lucy here,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14a seven-year-old, captive-bred falcon,
0:20:14 > 0:20:20this stupidly fast, flashy car, and of course, a moody black sky.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Cue Top Gear filter.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33So, the basic idea is that the car will take the place of a pigeon.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35And I've got to drive it.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Now, I'm up against one of the world's best hunters
0:20:38 > 0:20:41so I need to have a quick test drive.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43# Lose yourself in the music The moment, you own it
0:20:43 > 0:20:46# You better never let it go You only get one shot
0:20:46 > 0:20:48# Do not miss your chance to blow
0:20:48 > 0:20:51# Cos opportunity comes once in a lifetime
0:20:51 > 0:20:55# You better lose yourself in the music, the moment, you own it
0:20:55 > 0:20:56# You better never let it go... #
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Horrible!
0:21:03 > 0:21:05It was really scary!
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Peregrine falcons are absolute specialists,
0:21:10 > 0:21:14totally designed for hunting other birds while they're on the wing.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17So, for the purpose of this experiment,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21you have to imagine that this big, black, shiny car is a big pigeon.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Basically, the peregrine is going to hunt us.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28The handlers use bits of meat
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and a bright yellow lure to get Lucy's attention.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35So now she can see us. She can see the lure.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39She's instantly really, really excited, really ready to go.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Full of energy, she's ready to hunt.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44I must say, I'm quite excited, too.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47I can feel the adrenaline surging already.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Time for the bird's handler, Lloyd,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52to jump in with the lure in his hand.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54The chase is on.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56She can see us.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57The wings are spread.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Off she goes!
0:22:03 > 0:22:07She's heading straight for us, I can see her in my rear view mirror.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10OK, here we go, we're speeding up, speeding up.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13We're getting faster, up to 40 mph,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16she's right in close to us!
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Quicker, quicker, quicker, faster!
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Whoa! Right over our heads.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28This is unbelievable, she's keeping pace with us without even trying.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33You can just see her coming side to side, like a jet plane.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35She's absolutely extraordinary.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38She's right alongside us! I can see her in my mirror.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42She's just hanging, metres off the side of the car.
0:22:42 > 0:22:48Wow, right in close! Across the back of the car, she's right in close.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50She's up alongside Mark!
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It's incredible, she's a foot away from the camera.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57You can see that anchor shape, that distinctive falcon shape.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Filming like this allows us to take a close look at how Lucy flies.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Effortlessly keeping up with a sports car,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08but a moving pigeon would be even harder to tail.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14If I was a pigeon in the wild, the peregrine would attack from above,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17accelerating into a stoop to take me out.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20OK, we're coming to the end of the runway now, Lloyd.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22We're out of space. Whooooa!
0:23:25 > 0:23:27And up she goes.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33That was out of this world.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I don't believe it!
0:23:39 > 0:23:44Well, I've just had a quick look at what it must feel like
0:23:44 > 0:23:49to be a pigeon with a peregrine coming out of the sun towards you...
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Absolutely terrifying!
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Honestly, the power and pace of that bird is breathtaking.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58There's no other word for it.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03That was so much fun, I think we might have to try it again.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14OK, so while Lucy carries on exercising,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17here's some more about the peregrine falcon.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23In order to withstand speeds of 180mph,
0:24:23 > 0:24:28peregrine falcons' bodies have some added pieces of kit.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29At these speeds,
0:24:29 > 0:24:34airflow rushes through the nostrils and would press on the brain.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37This would make the peregrine just fall unconscious in flight.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42So peregrines have small cones just inside their nostrils
0:24:42 > 0:24:44to deflect the shockwaves of air.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46The pigeons they feed on
0:24:46 > 0:24:49are some of the fastest birds around in straight flight -
0:24:49 > 0:24:52but no match for this speed merchant.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Woah!
0:24:56 > 0:24:58God, she nearly took my head off!
0:24:58 > 0:25:02That's exactly what it would be like to be hit by a peregrine.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06It's that moment where they fold their wings
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and all of a sudden they hit maximum velocity,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11travelling at as much as 180mph.
0:25:11 > 0:25:17We're talking about an acceleration of 0-60 in about 0.6 seconds,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20to make this car look like nothing.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Just hanging high, he's a good 20 metres above us.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Oh, my life!
0:25:31 > 0:25:33That was too close.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Lloyd, you just nearly got me scalped by a peregrine falcon.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44He nearly took my head off!
0:25:50 > 0:25:54I don't know how that looked to you, but I felt his feathers,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57just the wing tips flicked my ears
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and saw this big pair of talons coming at my face.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02He must have been an inch from me.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07My goodness.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Argh!
0:26:13 > 0:26:15You gave me the fright of my life!
0:26:15 > 0:26:18I thought you were going to take my head off.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20There's no doubt, though, as beautiful as she is,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24as a high-speed hunter, the peregrine falcon has no equal.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26The fastest creature on Earth.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28For that reason alone,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32peregrine falcon is definitely on the Deadly 60.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Yes, you're beautiful, aren't you?
0:26:35 > 0:26:36And you know it.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42The peregrine is the largest falcon in Britain.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46It's the fastest animal on the planet ever,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and its beak, talons and raw speed
0:26:48 > 0:26:52make it one of the deadliest predators we've had on my list.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Coming up next time on the Deadly 60...
0:26:59 > 0:27:00Get him over here!
0:27:05 > 0:27:07There, there!
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:21 > 0:27:24E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk