0:00:22 > 0:00:26Today, we're on Tiree, one of Scotland's most stunning islands,
0:00:26 > 0:00:27in the Inner Hebrides.
0:00:27 > 0:00:33And we're here to celebrate the UK's astonishing variety of seabirds.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Almost eight million of them arrive in the UK every summer
0:00:36 > 0:00:37from all over the world,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41ready for four of the most important months of their lives.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And many of them come here.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48The Hebridean islands are a hot spot for seabird spotting.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Seabirds are intrepid travellers, by nature,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56and even once stationed in their colonies here,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00they still take flights of up to 500km in a day.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02But where are they going, and why?
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I'll be joining a team of scientists
0:01:04 > 0:01:09investigating how we can track a seabird's movement in real time.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11It's pretty much live data,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14within a few hours or so, of exactly where the bird is.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17It's very exciting. It's the first time this has really been done.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22And I'll be meeting the offspring of the nation's favourite seabird.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24This little ball of fluff is a baby puffin,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26known as a puffling.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And trust me, they're as cute as the name suggests.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31And all week, we're joined by
0:01:31 > 0:01:33wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36today on a mission to turn a feathered foe
0:01:36 > 0:01:37into a feathered friend.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41When we live in a world where wildlife is vanishing all around us,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44how can you not enjoy the gulls?
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Personally, I admire a survivor.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54We'll also be joined by some familiar faces
0:01:54 > 0:01:57sharing their best past experiences of marine wildlife.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Of course, these birds are here in the UK for one thing -
0:02:02 > 0:02:05to breed - and so they must find food for their young.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Lots and lots of it.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12One seabird famed for its appetite is the gannet.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17These birds go on extraordinary journeys for their fish suppers.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22In some parts of the world, a gannet will fly up to 450km a day
0:02:22 > 0:02:24to bring back food for its young.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29But now a new threat has started to appear in the gannets' flight path,
0:02:29 > 0:02:30as Lindsey found out.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34I'm heading offshore to Alderney.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38This small island is home to a huge colony of gannets.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43This summer, scientists are tagging them for a ground-breaking project.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46But these aren't just any old tags.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49The technology being used here is so advanced
0:02:49 > 0:02:52that it allows the team to see everywhere the gannet goes
0:02:52 > 0:02:55in real-time, for the very first time.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00In the English Channel, seabird populations
0:03:00 > 0:03:03have declined dramatically over the last 50 years.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06But gannets are one of the few success stories.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Today, the team are hoping to catch and tag some of the birds,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14and they've invited me along to help.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21This is Les Etacs.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25In 1940, a single pair of gannets nested here.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Now, there are over 6,000.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31At this time of year, the adult gannets
0:03:31 > 0:03:35are not only feeding themselves, but also their rapidly growing chicks.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39To reach fish, they perform incredible plunge dives.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Holly Marshall is from the Alderney Wildlife Trust.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Their new 3G tags use the mobile phone network
0:03:51 > 0:03:53to send back real-time data.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Holly, from what I can feel, there's a real buzz of excitement
0:03:56 > 0:03:57around this project already.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00There really is. This is the first time we've used 3G live tags
0:04:00 > 0:04:02on our seabirds. I'm really excited to find out
0:04:02 > 0:04:05where they're going when they're not on the rock.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07What are you hoping to get back from this project?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10There's proposed wind farms and tidal turbines in the Channel,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13so there is the risk of collision, but also there's a risk
0:04:13 > 0:04:16of interrupting the gannets' foraging path.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19By tagging the birds, the scientists can get accurate maps
0:04:19 > 0:04:21of the gannets' foraging trips.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25This means their movements can be considered by the government
0:04:25 > 0:04:27and developers before the wind farms are built.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31But first, we need to make it on to the island.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's not as easy as I made it look!
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'Helmets and safety glasses guard us, in case of attack
0:04:37 > 0:04:39'by these protective parents.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43'In one swift manoeuvre, we have our first gannet.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45'Running the project is Vicky Warwick-Evans
0:04:45 > 0:04:47'from Liverpool University.'
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Vicky, they're extremely impressive birds, when you're up close to them.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Where do you put the tag?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So, we put the tag on the central tail feathers,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58because they hit the water with such power when they're plunge diving,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01if we stuck them to the back, we'd lose the tags very quickly.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03That looks like quite a big tag.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06It's actually less than 2% of the body weight of the bird
0:05:06 > 0:05:08so actually it doesn't really make much difference, at all.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11How does it work? The bit you can see on the top is the solar panel,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13so that charges the battery underneath,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and there's also a GPS chip, which has the SIM card,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19so every time it comes within mobile phone range,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22it'll download the last location fixes that it's collected.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27It's pretty much live data, within hours or so, of where the bird is.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29So, it's very exciting.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31It's the first time this has really been done.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34All the birds in the project have been given names,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37so individuals can be easily followed online
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and only one name's sprung to mind...
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Hugh, this one's for you.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Ah, thanks, Lindsey.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55You know, I am genuinely chuffed to share my name with a gannet.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59They are, without doubt, my very, very favourite seabird. Really?
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Yeah, absolutely. Definitely.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Well, that one was a stunner. And what a brilliant take-off. I know.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Actually, I've got a bit of an update for you,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10because it turns out that Hugh the gannet was rather lively
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and, unfortunately, he has since lost his tag...
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Just the sort of thing I would do - lose my tag.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17But we do have an update.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20This is a map of his last recorded journey,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and you can see that he's actually a bit of a Francophile,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26because he much prefers French waters to our own.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28I'm not sure what that says about you, Hugh.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Well, perhaps it's just that Hugh the gannet and I
0:06:31 > 0:06:34both enjoy having fine wines with our seafoods. Maybe that's it.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Now, it isn't just migrant birds like the gannet
0:06:37 > 0:06:40that enjoy exploring our shores.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42We also have a population of resident birds
0:06:42 > 0:06:44on our coast, as well.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Waders like the oystercatcher live here all year round.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Their home is our shoreline.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Well, that's where they SHOULD be.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56But oystercatchers have been adapting to our shifting seascape
0:06:56 > 0:06:59and over on Scotland's east coast,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02they've found other unusual homes,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06as Springwatch's Iolo Williams found out a few years back.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Aberdeen's oystercatchers have abandoned the beach
0:07:10 > 0:07:12and are choosing loftier places
0:07:12 > 0:07:15to raise their young. Welcome to the penthouse suite.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17BIRDS CALL
0:07:24 > 0:07:27So, why have Aberdeen's oystercatchers
0:07:27 > 0:07:29taken to the rooftops?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Alistair Duncan used to teach at this school in the city.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37One day, he noticed a pair of oystercatchers
0:07:37 > 0:07:39nesting on the school roof.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Back in his classroom,
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Alistair tells me how this moment sparked a life-long interest.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The first nest we saw was about 1967.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52There was a pair on a flat-roof school in Aberdeen
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and then other pairs started to appear.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Why do you think the first pair decided to nest on these roofs?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01There was a building boom in the 1960s
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and a lot of roofs were very flat.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08But they put gravel on the roofs, so they adopted them.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11The flat roofs of the new building
0:08:11 > 0:08:13were protected with a layer of gravel,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and this turned out to be crucial.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18BIRDS CALL
0:08:27 > 0:08:29In their natural habitat,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31oystercatchers usually lay their eggs at ground level
0:08:31 > 0:08:33on shingle beaches.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Nests are a simple scrape in the ground.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44These gravel-covered roofs mimic the oystercatcher's
0:08:44 > 0:08:47natural nesting territories on shingle beaches,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52but up here, they have the added bonus of being 50ft up in the air
0:08:52 > 0:08:54and that means that the eggs and the chicks
0:08:54 > 0:08:58are safe from ground predators like foxes and cats
0:08:58 > 0:09:00and, because of that,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04high-rise nesting here in Aberdeen has really taken off.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Remarkably, over 200 pairs of oystercatchers
0:09:17 > 0:09:19now nest on rooftops in the city.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22They're found on many different buildings
0:09:22 > 0:09:24but over the years, Alistair's noticed
0:09:24 > 0:09:28that the birds favour Aberdeen's educational establishments.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32And this is the reason why.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Playing fields like this are found adjacent to most of the city's
0:09:36 > 0:09:39schools and colleges and they're important for the birds,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43because they provide a plentiful and nutritious supply of food,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45in the form of earthworms.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Although oystercatchers do occasionally eat oysters,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54they'll actually feed on many kinds of invertebrates.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57They also have a chick-feeding strategy
0:09:57 > 0:09:59that's rare in wading birds.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02They can carry food to the chicks in the nest,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06instead of their chicks having to follow them to the food.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10So, this allows them to raise their young on Aberdeen's rooftops.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Oystercatchers are very territorial.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Once they've found a good rooftop, they'll return there every spring.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Alistair's seen some birds come back to the same roofs
0:10:24 > 0:10:26for over 20 years,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30but over that time, things have started to change.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Some of the oystercatchers returning to the city now
0:10:33 > 0:10:35are encountering a problem.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Over the past few years, many of the flat roofs
0:10:38 > 0:10:40have been resurfaced,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and the fashion for pebbles has long gone.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48But fortunately for them, Alistair has come up with a solution.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52I got the seed trays from the garden centres,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56half-fill them with gravel and put them on the school's roof,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and the birds adopted them very readily.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00I find that amazing. You've got this whole roof,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03you've just got one little bit of gravel,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05and the birds will go in there? Yeah.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09They're very adaptable birds. Very adaptable. Very adaptable.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16These oystercatchers have now accepted Alistair's trays
0:11:16 > 0:11:18as a substitute for the beach.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22And because of this ability to adapt,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25they're thriving, right in the heart of Aberdeen.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Nowadays, there are breeding oystercatchers in towns and cities
0:11:31 > 0:11:34all over Europe, but we mustn't forget
0:11:34 > 0:11:39that the trend was started here in Aberdeen, more than 50 years ago.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Over my 18 years of working with British wildlife
0:11:57 > 0:12:02I've filmed a huge number of our British seabirds in great detail.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05From puffins to Arctic terns,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09I've enjoyed every minute spent with these beautiful animals.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11But there is one group of seabirds
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I've never been asked to film before.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16And that's these guys - gulls.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19There is no such bird as a seagull.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23There are actually eight resident species of gull in the UK.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And from the giant greater black-backed gull
0:12:26 > 0:12:28to the dainty kittiwake,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31they vary in size and behaviour hugely.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34But there is one gull in particular
0:12:34 > 0:12:38we are most familiar with at the seaside - the herring gull.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41We've got some classic herring gull behaviour here.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46Stalking a chap trying to quietly eat his lunch.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49This chap here, well, he seems to be offering them
0:12:49 > 0:12:52a little bit of their lunch and that one down there got it.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56But not everybody is quite so amenable to gulls.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00In fact, an awful lot of people find them really, really annoying.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Well, they are annoying, because they break off your food.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Well, there's been a lot of bad things on the news.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09I think they're quite dangerous.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11They can be a pest.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And they pooh on you from a great height.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18They live so long and there's just so many more of them.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Just every year, they seem to double in numbers.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25We live in a world where many marine plants and animals
0:13:25 > 0:13:30have been under huge pressure, as humans have taken over the coast.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Most species have struggled to keep up.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35But a few, like herring gulls,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38have been clever enough to live alongside us.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Now, when we live in a world where wildlife is just vanishing
0:13:41 > 0:13:46all around us, how can you not enjoy the gulls
0:13:46 > 0:13:49that have reclaimed the streets, that are fighting back?
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Personally, I admire a survivor.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56But I know gulls can be a pain,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59especially now that they live in our towns and cities.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03I've come along to meet Ed Edwards,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06who has had a big problem with them in his own garden
0:14:06 > 0:14:08but has found a solution, too.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Come on in. Thank you.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14So, Ed, where are these problem gulls of yours?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Basically, last year, it started up on that chimney.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Where you can see I've spiked now. Yep. And what they were doing,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23they were sitting up there with the chicks below
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and they were swooping at us in the garden when we were sat here
0:14:26 > 0:14:29eating, swooping at the dogs. And, obviously, birds' droppings.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32And being a total pest, basically. The gulls are still around,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36but I understand you do have another couple of ways...
0:14:36 > 0:14:37Yes. ..of dealing with them.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Well, I've made this stick... Yeah. ..which is out of bamboo.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Taped together. That's a big stick. How tall is that?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48That is four six-foot sticks together, bamboos together.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50And, basically, what I do is, just hold it up there
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and they tend to keep away.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54I've also got a water cannon, for when they perch on the roof
0:14:54 > 0:14:57or on the ridges. I can guess what's coming now.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Now, what we do is just shoot it up at the house like that
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and it scares them off. Just like a bit of rain falling down. It is.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05And it's not going to hurt them.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09It's just a gentle deterrent to stay away. And it's working.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12It's a case of standing your ground in your own garden.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Ed's now watched the chicks grow up
0:15:15 > 0:15:19and fledge the nest in safety, without being attacked.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20How do you feel about gulls now?
0:15:20 > 0:15:22I don't feel they are so much of a pest,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26as I've, kind of, enjoyed watching them learn to fly off.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31Obviously, they are an animal and, you know, they are meant to be here.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I'm really impressed with Ed's balanced approach to gulls
0:15:34 > 0:15:35who are, after all,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39just being good parents trying to protect their young.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42It seems he is learning to share his space with nature
0:15:42 > 0:15:44and I'm really pleased about that.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48You see, if you hadn't guessed it,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I think gulls have a lot going for them.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51They are great survivors.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53They are good at being mum and dad.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58And if that's not enough, I think they're incredibly beautiful, too.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I've got a lovely large adult herring gull in front of me here.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05And I can see in really close detail
0:16:05 > 0:16:09those beautiful grey feathers on its back,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11the bold white chest
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and, of course, that striking yellow bill
0:16:14 > 0:16:17with the piercing eye just above it.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21These really are magnificent birds.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23And if they were rare,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26just imagine how many people would flock to see them.
0:16:26 > 0:16:32And, as it happens, this species has decreased by 40% since the 1970s.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Herring gulls certainly aren't having it all their own way.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42There are still over 130,000 of these birds in the UK.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47So the days before they become rare is likely to be some way off.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50But I hope it never comes to that and that, maybe,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53you might like to think about them differently, too.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56So, the herring gull is hanging on in there,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00despite the threats that we throw at it. And you know what?
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Richard's not the only person that believes they need protecting.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Under British law, in order to cull the gull,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09you have to obtain a special licence first.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13And gulls aren't the only tough old birds travelling our oceans.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Some seabirds have almost superhero-like qualities
0:17:16 > 0:17:18of stamina and endurance.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22This is a Manx shearwater.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24They only come ashore at night.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27They are one of the longest-lived birds in the UK.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29They can live over 50 years.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Quite remarkable, considering most of those years are spent out at sea.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Just take a look at this. Wow!
0:17:35 > 0:17:37It's the skull of a gannet.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39And just look at that shape. It's incredible, isn't it?
0:17:39 > 0:17:42It's so streamlined, just like a Concorde.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45And, in fact, that shape helps minimise the resistance
0:17:45 > 0:17:49as it hits the water at an incredible 100kmh,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51going after those baitfish.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Not only that, it's also got air pockets inside the back of its skull
0:17:55 > 0:17:58and they act as, kind of, shock absorbers,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01taking out some of the pressure, as it hits the water at that speed.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02It's just incredible.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07And one of our seabirds actually appears to walk on water.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09This is the storm petrel.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12They hover just above the waves to feed
0:18:12 > 0:18:13and, as their name suggests,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17these delicate birds weather the sea's roughest storms.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19They are found particularly around the Channel Islands,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22where zoologist and Coast presenter Andy Torbet
0:18:22 > 0:18:24went to meet them a few summers ago.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27In the English Channel in the 1950s,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31it was thought there was 10,000 storm petrels.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Today, it's less than a tenth of that number.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Increased pollution of our seas hit the storm petrel population hard.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I'm going to try and track them down.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Looks like I'll have to go the extra nautical mile or so to find them.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I'm heading to a storm petrel breeding site.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Appearing now off the bow is Burhou Island.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05And that's a welcome sight for birds
0:19:05 > 0:19:09that will spend the vast majority of their life out at sea
0:19:09 > 0:19:12and they come back to land, on these rare occasions, to breed.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18I'm joining a team of scientists, here to study the petrels.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20SEAGULLS CALL
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Liz. Hi.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30'Heading up the conservation efforts is Liz Morgan.'
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Welcome to Burhou.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36'Most storm petrels won't come back till after dark,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40'but a few may still be on their nests, deep in this old wall.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43'Liz has a trick to find out.'
0:19:43 > 0:19:44This is a storm petrel call,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47that if an adult's on the nest, it should, er, reply.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49SQUAWKING
0:19:53 > 0:19:55You hear a little beeping noise.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56Yeah, I can hear that.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Yes. Yes, that's a storm petrel click.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01The chicks are probably sat there by themselves.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03The adults out at sea fishing
0:20:03 > 0:20:06won't come back to land while it's light,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09because of predators, like the gulls.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Under the cover of darkness, that's the only time they feel safe.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15That's it.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16My first storm petrel.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22'With baby home alone, the parents can't be far away,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25'but they won't be back till night.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28'As darkness falls, Liz and her colleagues set up nets
0:20:28 > 0:20:30'to ring and monitor Burhou's population.'
0:20:34 > 0:20:39These nets normally do very well, as the birds sweep in off the sea.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Stretched across their flight path,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43these nets are specially designed to catch,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46but not damage, these little birds.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50'Now, we have to wait.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51'And hope.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55'Got one.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59'And another.'
0:21:00 > 0:21:04With the nets filling up nicely, Paul Veron picks the petrels out.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07It's not actually doing any harm, is it?
0:21:07 > 0:21:10No, they hit the net, and drop into this little pocket
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and then we have to go and take them out.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Imagine that bird riding out the fiercest storms
0:21:15 > 0:21:17that the oceans can throw at it.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21'In all, we get 61 birds,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24'a great sign for petrel population,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'which Paul now reckons is around 1,000 breeding pairs.'
0:21:32 > 0:21:33'This fragile little chap
0:21:33 > 0:21:37'somehow manages to survive the perils of the sea.'
0:21:37 > 0:21:40You're not going to get any closer than that.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Paul, shall I release it now? Yes, please. Just on the grass.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49'Designed for a nomadic life, bravely roaming the oceans,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52'the storm petrel is almost helpless on dry land,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54'where they stumble around, like little drunken sailors.'
0:22:09 > 0:22:12One species without which no celebration of our amazing
0:22:12 > 0:22:16seabirds would be complete, is the puffin.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19I had my first closing encounter with these colourful clowns
0:22:19 > 0:22:20a few weeks ago.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34I'm heading out to where the Firth of Forth meets the North Sea -
0:22:34 > 0:22:38about 20 miles, as the gull flies, from Edinburgh.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42The big lump of rock behind me is the Isle of May and, at this
0:22:42 > 0:22:46time of year, it's the breeding ground for over 200,000 seabirds.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54The puffins arrive here in early spring to breed.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01And now that summer is with us, their little pufflings -
0:23:01 > 0:23:03as the young puffins are called - are getting ready to
0:23:03 > 0:23:06leave their burrows and head out to sea.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09I'm hoping to catch up with one or two of them before they depart.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14'David Steel, reserve manager on the island,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16'is the perfect man to introduce me to these birds.'
0:23:19 > 0:23:23What is it about puffins that you feel so gripped by?
0:23:23 > 0:23:25They're just a fantastic little bird.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28There they are, this little clown of the sea, as they're described,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30and you've just got to be in awe of these, you know.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33They'll go out and they'll spend eight months of the year just living
0:23:33 > 0:23:35out at sea - they don't see land.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37And then, they come back and breed underground.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Fantastic little characters.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42David, I'm sure you saw this headline a few weeks back
0:23:42 > 0:23:45suggesting that, from a European perspective,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49the puffin's in quite a bit of trouble? Yeah. It's really worrying.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52The last sort of ten years has been a real concern for puffins.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54We've seen numbers crash.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58We lost 30% of our population in just five years.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00What are the challenges facing puffins?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03And what are the problems causing some of these population...?
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Well, I've got a few concerns about a few things,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07things like climate change.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09But also overfishing, as well.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12These birds rely purely on sand eels. That's what they feed on
0:24:12 > 0:24:14at this time of year, that's what they feed their chicks,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16and there's a distinct lack of them.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17And it is very worrying, indeed.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21'This summer, things are cautiously looking up,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25'with David noticing a gradual increase in puffin numbers.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28'As part of his work monitoring the population,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31'he's invited me to help him ring a puffin family.'
0:24:31 > 0:24:35So I might be about to see my first puffling? Fingers crossed.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Here, Hugh... is your first ever puffin chick.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Oh, my goodness! Am I allowed?
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Yes, you can, absolutely.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Oh, my goodness! That is...
0:24:45 > 0:24:50This is the first time this puffin chick has seen the outside world.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Oh! What a shock for it - the first thing it sees is me
0:24:52 > 0:24:54and my bright yellow jacket.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58He looks, to me, a long way from being able to fly.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Certainly, he's a good couple of weeks away before he's
0:25:00 > 0:25:03actually ready to fledge.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Here comes the parent.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Look at this bird.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10So, we're going to put a small metal ring on its leg
0:25:10 > 0:25:11which is going to stay on for life.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14And this metal ring has got a little identification code
0:25:14 > 0:25:15unique for this bird.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18So, if it's found anywhere else in the world, we will know
0:25:18 > 0:25:20exactly where and when it was ringed.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23A token of your affection? Indeed!
0:25:23 > 0:25:26It's all part of the scientific work on here,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30because these birds, these incredible little stocky birds,
0:25:30 > 0:25:31can live 30-35 years.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34No! In fact, the oldest is 43.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38We'll put the adult back down and release him safely. OK.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43'With the parent ringed, it's now the puffling's turn.'
0:25:45 > 0:25:46Put it on...
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Very comfortable.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51And there you go, sir.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54So there is the number. Number 912.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56How long before you will see him back here again,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59as a possible parent? Well, he's got a hearty lifestyle ahead of him,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01because when he leaves here,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03he's not going to see land for another three years.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06He's actually just going to go and sit on the sea
0:26:06 > 0:26:08for the next three years of his life.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10What, just fishing and eating and growing? Fishing and growing.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13And then, hopefully, come back to colonies down the east coast
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and be the future of our puffin colonies.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17You've got quite a story ahead of you.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Is it all right if I pop him back in? Certainly is.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Put back in there and he'll be delighted to go back home.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26In you go, fella. How many more of these have you got to ring?
0:26:26 > 0:26:28SHARP INTAKE OF BREATH A few hundred more to go, Hugh.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30What, today? DAVID LAUGHS
0:26:30 > 0:26:32'With the tide turning, it's time for me to go.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35'But David's not letting me off that easily.'
0:26:35 > 0:26:37David, what a day.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Fantastic. Thank you very much, Hugh.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42But your job's not finished, because I've got one final special job.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46We have a puffin fledgling which got lost last night. You're kidding?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Ended up in the house. So, if you could go a few hundred yards
0:26:49 > 0:26:50off the island and release it
0:26:50 > 0:26:53into the big wide world, that would be very much appreciated.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Extra passenger onboard, Roy. Are you all right for that?
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Right, fella.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07OK. So this is a fledged puffin, no clown beak for him.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14He's just...ready to get in the water for the very first time.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Not quite how it's meant to be, but given that he got lost,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20this is now his best chance.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22OK, here we go. Off you go.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Wow!
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Oh! That's just the most incredible thing!
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Within... Within seconds, he was diving under the water
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and he's popped up over there.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I felt very anxious just dropping this baby bird into the water.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44But he knows what's meant to happen. And within a few seconds,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47he was diving a couple of metres under the water.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52But that's his new home for the next three years.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Looks to me as if he's going to love it!
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Well, that is all from us here on Tiree.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03For more information and inspiration on how to enjoy
0:28:03 > 0:28:06and get the very best out of our marine life here in the UK,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11head to our website...
0:28:12 > 0:28:15We'll be back tomorrow, when we're in the South West,
0:28:15 > 0:28:16exploring the huge variety
0:28:16 > 0:28:19of treasures that we have on our seashores.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21I'll leave you to work out what this is.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23For now, though, we'll leave you with some of the UK's
0:28:23 > 0:28:27most impressive resident and visiting seabirds -
0:28:27 > 0:28:30something that Britain really does do best. Goodbye.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03What do our homes say about us?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05And who lived here before you did?
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Oh, the vice consul for Germany!