0:00:10 > 0:00:13We are an island nation.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Surrounded by seas and buffeted by winds.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21With weather and seasons
0:00:21 > 0:00:23like nowhere else on Earth.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Unpredictable, always changing,
0:00:28 > 0:00:29defining the nature
0:00:29 > 0:00:31of our extraordinary land.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35And giving us...
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Every year, Britain's landscape
0:00:52 > 0:00:55undergoes an extraordinary three-month transformation,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58into an oasis of abundance.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Every creature in the land tries to make the most
0:01:14 > 0:01:16of this brief window of opportunity.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40What separates the winners and the losers is one simple thing...
0:01:42 > 0:01:43..timing.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58At stake is life itself.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The race is about to begin.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The starting gun is a crucial planetary trigger
0:02:16 > 0:02:19which passes almost unnoticed.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22The spring equinox.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28For six months, the country has been under winter's cloak.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39The lack of light and warmth has taken its toll.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49But on March 21st, everything changes.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00For one precise moment, days and nights around the world
0:03:00 > 0:03:02are of equal length.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08For the next three months, the nights will grow shorter,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12while the days grow longer...
0:03:12 > 0:03:13and longer.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36The lengthening days bring a surge of life back to Britain.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45As the temperature passes seven degrees, a miracle happens.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Long before leaves adorn the trees,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00the forest floor comes to life.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05The plants that flower first have stored food in their bulbs
0:04:05 > 0:04:09through the winter and get a useful head start.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19And now the blossom bursts on the trees.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Britain is coming into bloom.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Blackthorn and pears are some of the first to flower.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45In a pear orchard in Somerset, the sweet smells and bright colours
0:04:45 > 0:04:47attract a very special insect.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Many weeks before it's warm enough for honey bees to fly,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59this solitary bee is already going about its business.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It may only be late March, but she has already laid eggs
0:05:07 > 0:05:09and is busy collecting pollen.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20She has a simple approach
0:05:20 > 0:05:23to pollen collecting.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Rubbing it all over her body.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33The more visits she has to make, the more flowers she helps pollinate.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Her early emergence is a gamble, in poor weather, she will struggle,
0:05:48 > 0:05:53but when weather is fair, she has the orchard to herself.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07While the returning sun is triggering life on land,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10the moon is stirring life in the sea.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Its pull gives rise to the high spring tides.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Where late winter storms meet high water,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34the results can be violent.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50But beneath the waves, nutrients are stirred from the deep.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Soon, even the ocean will bloom.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02When this happens, one little creature will be waiting.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Off Studland Bay, in Dorset, sea grass beds
0:07:10 > 0:07:14form the ideal habitat for one of Britain's most extraordinary fish.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The spiny sea horse.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26These shy and secretive animals have an enchanting life story.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32In the early morning light,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35males woo females with some fancy fin work.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00The female releases her eggs
0:08:00 > 0:08:02into the pouch of the male.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03It is he who will get pregnant
0:08:03 > 0:08:07and he who will have to raise and protect their young.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24His most crucial role is deciding when to let them go.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28By the next full moon, the nutrient-rich ocean
0:08:28 > 0:08:30will have been warmed by the sun.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33He must get his timing right if his babies
0:08:33 > 0:08:36are to make the most of the coming bounty.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46It is early April and, on land,
0:08:46 > 0:08:47trees are still bare.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52But within, a change is taking place
0:08:52 > 0:08:55that will have huge consequences for the bird life of Britain.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03The rise in temperature has spurred on the growth of leaf buds.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10And the minute creatures that live on them.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19Two months ago, a winter moth laid this tiny egg on an oak tree.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23The caterpillar inside is now ready to emerge.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30But it takes most of the night to eat its way out.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43It crawls to the developing oak bud,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46where it will shelter until the leaves unfold.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53Across the country,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57billions of caterpillars are doing the same thing.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06The stage is set.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10In a few weeks' time, there will be a bonanza of munching caterpillars
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and any animal which depends on them will have to be ready in time.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22CHURCH BELLS RING
0:10:24 > 0:10:28In our cities, spring declares itself in song.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36As the sun comes up over the dreaming spires,
0:10:36 > 0:10:41Oxford resounds to one of our most beautiful natural choirs.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44BIRDS TWEET
0:10:59 > 0:11:02The dawn chorus may fill humans with joy,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06but for the birds it's a serious business.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11This is how they lay claim to their territory and find a mate.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19All bird breeding is time-critical,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22but particularly so for our native bluetit.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Late breeders stand little chance of success.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31This young male must find a suitable nest site
0:11:31 > 0:11:33with which to woo a mate.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44In the meantime, resident birds have an extra problem to contend with.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Tourists!
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Around ten million of them
0:11:48 > 0:11:51arrive every year for the start of the breeding season.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02With so many extra voices, every bird needs to
0:12:02 > 0:12:06stake his claim as loudly as possible.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18It's the start of the great April race.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29As some of us run the longest race of our lives,
0:12:29 > 0:12:34all around us, the birds of Britain are racing too,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37busy building nests for their young.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04It's an activity that takes place even on our remotest islands.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10The Farne Isles, off the coast of Northumberland, may look
0:13:10 > 0:13:14lifeless in winter, but in spring, they become one of the most
0:13:14 > 0:13:17significant breeding colonies in Britain.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28The birds are drawn by the absence of predators.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35But nesting on this rocky island also brings problems.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45There just isn't much nesting material out here to be found.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54The thousands of breeding shags look out for rotting seaweed
0:13:54 > 0:13:58and washed-up sticks, but it's every bird for themselves.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15As the time for egg laying approaches,
0:14:15 > 0:14:16competition soars...
0:14:19 > 0:14:21..as does the local crime rate.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36Leaving your nest unguarded for a moment is asking for trouble.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It can take a long time to build a nest,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47but a very short time to destroy it.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00For the occupier, it's a rather bewildering homecoming.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10With this level of sabotage,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13it's amazing that nests are ever finished.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16But finally, the big moment arrives.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22The first eggs are laid.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Breeding has officially begun.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39After a frenzy of preparation, the trees
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and forests of Britain go strangely quiet.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Britain's birds lay an estimated 800 million eggs each spring
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and every one of them needs to be kept warm and dry.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Tricky in a country famous for its ever-changing weather.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19High above the land,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22scattered rain clouds form,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24bringing sudden downpours -
0:16:24 > 0:16:27our legendary April showers.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32# Under this national rain cloud
0:16:32 > 0:16:37# I'm getting soaked to the skin
0:16:37 > 0:16:42# Trying to find my umbrella
0:16:42 > 0:16:46# But I don't know where to begin
0:16:46 > 0:16:52# And it's simply irrational weather
0:16:52 > 0:16:57# I can't even hear myself think
0:16:57 > 0:17:01# Constantly bailing out water
0:17:01 > 0:17:06# But still feel like I'm gonna sink... #
0:17:06 > 0:17:09THUNDER RUMBLES
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Beneath the Forest of Dean, in Gloucestershire,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20lies an ancient labyrinth of limestone caves.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Sheltering inside is the world's most northerly
0:17:27 > 0:17:29population of greater horseshoe bats.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36They have hibernated together throughout the cold winter,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39dropping their heart rates and reducing their body temperature
0:17:39 > 0:17:42to just above that of the surrounding air.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It's finally time to wake up.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57The insects that they eat are taking to the air and so must they.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00But first, they have to warm back up...
0:18:00 > 0:18:01by shivering.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13It's a risky business, as it requires a lot of energy -
0:18:13 > 0:18:16the equivalent to six whole days of hibernation.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22They now desperately need to find food.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30But outside the cave, the rain has grounded the insects.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43A special night-time camera shows the warm-bodied
0:18:43 > 0:18:45bats as they take to the air.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50They flit around the cave entrance but, without eating,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52they're wasting valuable energy.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00They have survived the coldest weather
0:19:00 > 0:19:02that their species must endure anywhere,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and are now on the edge of survival.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Though tonight, they're in luck.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15The rain eases off and the insects emerge into the moonlight.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Different species of bats, from miles around,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34swoop in for a midnight feast.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47The bats can eat up to 3,000 insects a night,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50a third of their own body weight,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53just what they need after their winter fast.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Thanks to new camera technology,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07this magical spring spectacle can now be seen for the very first time.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22The feast doesn't last for long.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25As the evening cools, the insects disappear
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and the bats return to roost.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Just missing the returning rain.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41HEAVY RAIN FALLS
0:20:45 > 0:20:49April showers make life difficult for birds too.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55It's no fun sitting on eggs in the pouring rain.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Back on Farne, the shags are taking the egg-sitting in turn.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10On the other side the island,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13one of their neighbours isn't so lucky.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Female eider ducks are deserted by their mates,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and must do all their incubating alone.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32This female is part-way through a marathon 30-day brooding session.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Unable to leave her eggs even to eat,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49she will lose 40% of her total body weight.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Another group of neighbours faces a different
0:22:00 > 0:22:02set of parenting problems.
0:22:07 > 0:22:1150,000 guillemots live on these exposed cliffs.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19They don't waste their time with nests.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Instead, they simply rest their eggs on their feet like penguins.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32The eggs' conical shape reduces the risk of them rolling away
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and smashing on the rocks below,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38but every handover is still a precarious business.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Runaway eggs, however, are only one of their problems.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Herring gulls are everywhere...
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Gulls aren't the only ones feasting on eggs.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22It's Easter and the end of the Lent fast.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27At this time of year,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31chocolate eggs are seen as a celebration of new life.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35# Thank you for the days
0:23:35 > 0:23:39# Those endless days Those sacred days you gave me... #
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Hunted or given as gifts,
0:23:42 > 0:23:47every Easter, 80 million eggs are cast in chocolate.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51# ..I won't forget a single day Believe me
0:23:51 > 0:23:56# Days I'll remember all my life
0:23:56 > 0:23:59# Da-a-a-a-ays
0:23:59 > 0:24:04# Thank you for the days
0:24:04 > 0:24:08# Those endless days Those sacred days you gave me
0:24:08 > 0:24:11# I'm thinking of the days... #
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Spring is now in full flow
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and baby animals are appearing everywhere.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23# Days... #
0:24:34 > 0:24:40One of the most iconic signs of spring is one of its late arrivals.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48At the 11th hour, bluebells appear,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52transforming our green woodland floors into a carpet of violet.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Almost half the world's bluebells grow in our country -
0:25:08 > 0:25:12making this a world-class British spectacle.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23For the bluebells, this is their chance to reproduce.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Soon the tree canopy will close over
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and their light will be shut off.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39We have just a few short weeks to enjoy them.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53By May, the Great British oak is unfurling its leaves -
0:25:53 > 0:25:56one of the last trees to join the canopy.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Leaves are the trees' solar panels that will allow them
0:26:05 > 0:26:07to grow all summer.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14There are almost 1.5 billion deciduous trees in Britain.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24Between them, they unfold over 50,000 square miles of foliage,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27around half the area of the UK.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35The arrival of the canopy cuts off the light to the forest floor.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44The bluebells' brief moment in the spotlight is over.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54As the new leaves unfold, it's time for the winter moth
0:26:54 > 0:26:57caterpillars to have their moment in the sun.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Voracious feeders,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08they may eat up to 27,000 times their own body weight.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13But where there are hungry caterpillars,
0:27:13 > 0:27:14there are also hungry birds.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22The male bluetit finally found himself a mate,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24and they have a healthy clutch of chicks.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36At first, just the odd small caterpillar will do...
0:27:40 > 0:27:44..but as the chicks grow, so do their appetites.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Before long,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54the poor parents are supplying up to 500 feeds a day.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02That's 40 an hour, or one every 80 seconds.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11But just when the chicks are at their hungriest,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14their food starts fighting back.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21As the oak leaves develop, they begin to fill with poisons,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and so do the caterpillars that eat them.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32It's a fiddly job but each caterpillar must now be
0:28:32 > 0:28:35gutted before being fed to the hungry chicks.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48Parents work all hours of daylight to feed their young.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Unfortunately, this couple were late to lay their eggs
0:28:54 > 0:28:57and the caterpillar glut lasts less than a month.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Timing is everything.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16By late May, the country is filling up with babies.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25Life doesn't get any easier for the parents.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27A mother stoat has gone off hunting...
0:29:35 > 0:29:38..while the young play at being hunters themselves.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Catching dinner isn't an easy business,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08even for an expert.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Finally, the young are rewarded.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Where one family loses, another one wins.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45As life on land changes through spring, so does life at sea.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51The nutrients released by the winter storms, combined with
0:30:51 > 0:30:57the increased light and warmth, fuel an explosive growth of algae.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Eventually, they produce plankton blooms that are
0:31:00 > 0:31:03so enormous they can be seen from space!
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Indeed, half the oxygen we breathe is made,
0:31:09 > 0:31:13not by plants or trees, but by these algae.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17They are a foundation for life in our oceans.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30But you don't have to be big to appreciate them.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36The male sea horse has been carrying his young for four weeks
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and is now heavily pregnant.
0:31:40 > 0:31:45Until now, his brood pouch has supplied them with food and oxygen.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48But all that is about to change.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54As the May full moon appears, his contractions begin.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56The fry are now on their own,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58dispersed on the current.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11By timing their birth with the plankton bloom,
0:32:11 > 0:32:15their father has given them the best possible start in life.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26The spring bloom is critical to all life that feeds from the ocean.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30All around the country,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34animals have timed their behaviour to make the most of these riches.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43On the Farne Islands, chick-feeding is now in full flow.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47And there are a lot of mouths to feed.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51On these rocky outcrops,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54more than a quarter of a million birds are now in residence,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58including guillemots, kittiwakes, and more than 3,000 Arctic terns.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Despite the diversity,
0:33:16 > 0:33:21all the birds on the island feed on one thing - sand eels.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32In spring, these tiny fish feed in the sun-warmed, plankton-rich
0:33:32 > 0:33:36surface waters, bringing them within easy reach of divers.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46Each chick needs around five sand eels a day.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48During the breeding season,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52many millions of sand eels will be eaten in the Farne Islands alone.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01For the few spring months, these remote
0:34:01 > 0:34:05and rocky islands are transformed into a hive of activity -
0:34:05 > 0:34:10all thanks to one little fish and its love of plankton.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26For the female eiders, the long, lonely vigil is finally over.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Rather than bringing food to their chicks,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35these mothers can bring their chicks to the food.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46The chicks are less than a day old,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50but already taking their first steps to independence.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02The mothers are leading the chicks to a secluded pool
0:35:02 > 0:35:04for their first swimming lesson.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20The excitement is almost unbearable!
0:35:38 > 0:35:42But the new arrivals haven't gone unnoticed...
0:35:46 > 0:35:50On her way to the pool, one mother has been caught in the open.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21She has two chicks to protect,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24but neither realises the danger they're in.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51There is nothing left but to get her remaining chick to safety.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00At the pond, the mothers share the baby-sitting
0:37:00 > 0:37:03and the ducklings are safe for now.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18As May draws to an end, the sun gathers strength
0:37:18 > 0:37:20and our days continue to lengthen.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Finally, an event high in the atmosphere
0:37:32 > 0:37:34signals the start of our summer.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43The sun's movement pulls the jet stream north,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46leaving behind more settled weather.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53This is what one animal has been waiting for.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02At the River Bourne, on the Salisbury Plains,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05it's a perfect afternoon for fly-fishing.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23And a perfect afternoon for flying.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33For the last two years, the larvae of the true mayfly have
0:38:33 > 0:38:36been feeding in the shadows, but now their moment has come.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47While some animals take months to reproduce,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51mayfly need just one perfect day.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59It has finally arrived.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23It can take a while to get used to new wings,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25and many never do.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Against the odds, some make it up into the air.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34But danger is never far away.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43As more and more emerge, the air becomes thick with mayflies -
0:40:43 > 0:40:45more than any predator can eat.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53Adult mayflies have only one function - to mate and lay eggs.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02As the shadows lengthen, the males begin their first,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04last and only dance.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06For one afternoon only...
0:41:09 > 0:41:11..love is on offer.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16MUSIC: "Amoresque" by Sid Phillips Trio
0:41:52 > 0:41:55They fly into the air and parachute down,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58using their tails to break their fall.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23As the evening draws in, the fertilized females
0:42:23 > 0:42:27return to the water for the final act of their short adult lives.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29FLIES BUZZ
0:42:32 > 0:42:36While they still have energy, they lay their precious eggs.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Only a small fraction will ever make it to adulthood.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01As for the females, there's nothing left to do.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Their one day in the sun is over.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18At last, May turns to June -
0:43:18 > 0:43:22the driest and sunniest month of the year.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Dandelions become feathery clocks...
0:43:30 > 0:43:33..and cow parsley lines our country lanes.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42In Britain, it sometimes feels like summer barely arrives at all.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47But when the sun finally comes out,
0:43:47 > 0:43:52it feels, for a few perfect days, as if it will last for ever.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57# If I'm drinking, then I'm buying
0:43:57 > 0:44:01# And I know there's no denying
0:44:01 > 0:44:06# It's a beautiful day The sun is up, the music's playing
0:44:06 > 0:44:09# And even if it started raining
0:44:09 > 0:44:13# You won't hear this boy complaining
0:44:13 > 0:44:16# Cos it's a beautiful day
0:44:20 > 0:44:23# It's a beautiful day. #
0:44:28 > 0:44:31The 21st of June is the longest day of the year.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34On Farne, that means 17 hours of daylight.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43The guillemot chicks are now three weeks old,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45getting bigger and stronger by the day.
0:44:50 > 0:44:55But with 20,000 new chicks, space is becoming even more of an issue,
0:44:55 > 0:44:58and relations even more fraught.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08BIRDS SQUAWK
0:45:20 > 0:45:23All too often, it's the chicks that are caught in the middle.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31There's only one way off the island.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36But it's a long way down.
0:45:53 > 0:45:58It's a calm day and the tide has been rising all afternoon.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01Perfect conditions for takeoff.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06The mums wrangle from above
0:46:06 > 0:46:09while the dads call encouragement from below.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Some mothers turn to tough love.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34It's a bumpy ride...
0:46:36 > 0:46:38..but a soft landing.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Others aren't so lucky.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00It really is a leap of faith.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57As the longest day of the year draws to an end,
0:47:57 > 0:48:01the families begin their trek to the fishing grounds.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06The chicks won't touch land again for at least two years,
0:48:06 > 0:48:09when they too become parents.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11It's the beginning of an extraordinary journey -
0:48:11 > 0:48:17not just for them, but for all of Britain's young animals.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20The parents who have fed and protected them
0:48:20 > 0:48:22will soon begin to move away.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26And the young will have to learn the hardest
0:48:26 > 0:48:29lesson of all -
0:48:29 > 0:48:32how to survive on their own.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03The key to filming British wildlife is perfect timing.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06For any successful shoot,
0:49:06 > 0:49:09the crew needs to get the camera into the right spot.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11With the right conditions and, of course,
0:49:11 > 0:49:13the animals need to play ball.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17But when and what the animals
0:49:17 > 0:49:21and plants are doing is closely tied into the weather.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24And in Britain, as we know, that can be hard to predict.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29The team always knew it would be challenging.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33However, they could never have known just how big
0:49:33 > 0:49:36a part our British weather was about to play.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47This is now the fourth consecutive day of this awful weather.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52It's raining quite a lot. Mixed with hail.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56I can't feel my hands. It's horrific.
0:50:02 > 0:50:07We just have to wait for the wind to drop. And it to stop raining.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24As filming started, the team got their first surprise
0:50:24 > 0:50:27with the warmest March on record.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36To capture some of the key spring sequences,
0:50:36 > 0:50:39the team had targeted the famous sea bird
0:50:39 > 0:50:42hotspot of the Farne Islands, just off the coast of Northumberland.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48But first, they had to get a crew to the island.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52Cameraman Lindsay McCrae arrived with cameras and equipment,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55but the unusual warm weather had brought in fog
0:50:55 > 0:50:58and all the boats had been cancelled.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03We can't go over because of this fog. It's a curse, isn't it?
0:51:03 > 0:51:06Oh, right. I'm going out with some divers,
0:51:06 > 0:51:09so if you want a lift across, I'll give you a lift across. Now?
0:51:09 > 0:51:11In the next few minutes. A few minutes? Yeah, if you want a lift.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Brilliant, yeah.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19A bit of local help goes a long way in wildlife film-making.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23Now, with thick fog shrouding the island, there was
0:51:23 > 0:51:27just the small matter of being able to get a clear shot of anything.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Lindsay had been hoping to capture the cliffs
0:51:31 > 0:51:36before the birds arrived to nest, but the warm March
0:51:36 > 0:51:39had brought everything forward - they were already here.
0:51:39 > 0:51:44But these clouds had a silver lining - it gave him the
0:51:44 > 0:51:48opportunity to capture the devious shags stealing each others nests.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Spring had started earlier than anyone could have predicted.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10In the Wye Valley, in Gloucestershire, the team rushed
0:52:10 > 0:52:14to deploy their specialist thermal camera to capture a key moment
0:52:14 > 0:52:18in the lives of a colony of rare greater horseshoe bats.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Any sign on them? No.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31Not knowing if they were too late, all they could do was wait.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37It was that night in early April
0:52:37 > 0:52:40that the first few drops of rain started to fall.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48I'm glad you're protecting hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth
0:52:48 > 0:52:51of camera equipment with a plastic sledge. A toboggan.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53THEY LAUGH
0:52:54 > 0:52:57The bats finally emerged,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00but they didn't seem to think much of the weather either.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02As soon as they had left the cave,
0:53:02 > 0:53:05they very quickly flew back in again.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07A normal British year was bad enough,
0:53:07 > 0:53:10but this one was turning out to be exceptional.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Heavy rain causes more flooding
0:53:12 > 0:53:15and disruption across large parts of Britain.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17It's the wettest April for a century.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22Nearly 200 flood alerts and warnings are in force. More rain is predicted.
0:53:22 > 0:53:23THUNDER RUMBLES
0:53:23 > 0:53:25And back on the Farne Islands,
0:53:25 > 0:53:28it was having a serious effect on the birds.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34Despite most arriving early, breeding was now behind.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39On this visit, Lindsay was hoping to film the chicks,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42but found only adults sitting tight on eggs.
0:53:44 > 0:53:50It started off a lovely a morning but now it's just downright grim.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54I've been trying to get any behaviour, really,
0:53:54 > 0:53:55with all these birds -
0:53:55 > 0:53:57the kittiwakes, the shags, the guillemots.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59All the birds are on eggs.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01You'd think they'd have to swap at some point.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05With not much to film and terrible conditions to film them in,
0:54:05 > 0:54:10Lindsay decided to head back, but even this was problematic.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13This is now the fourth consecutive day of this weather.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17I lost a day at the start of the trip because the weather was so bad.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20The weather's been awful while I've been here.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23So we've really struggled to get what we were after.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26All I've got to do now is wait
0:54:26 > 0:54:29and just jump on that next boat to get back to the mainland.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31It's mad.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36Now, with strong winds and big waves, boats were cancelled
0:54:36 > 0:54:40and Lindsay was stuck again - this time, unable to get off the island.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45And the awful rain was showing no sign of letting up.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50NEWSREADER: 'It's the second wettest June in the UK since records began.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53'And we haven't got to the end of the month yet.'
0:54:53 > 0:54:56If there was one sequence that needed dry weather,
0:54:56 > 0:54:57it was the mayfly.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00To stand any chance of filming this, the crew needed help.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Assistant Producer Jo Avery was fast becoming best friends
0:55:03 > 0:55:05with the Met Office.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Just calling up for a weather update.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12I was wondering if there was any sunshine or settled weather
0:55:12 > 0:55:15forecast in the next week or so.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17SHE SIGHS Oh, great. OK.
0:55:20 > 0:55:25The forecast wasn't good, but the team had to give it a go.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27They headed to the River Bourne, in Salisbury,
0:55:27 > 0:55:30where mayflies had started hatching,
0:55:30 > 0:55:34but in this weather, capturing it on film was just about impossible.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40We just have to wait for the rain to stop, the wind to drop,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42the light level to rise.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45It's not a good day for filming mayfly.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50With spring 2012 now officially the wettest on record,
0:55:50 > 0:55:53the risk of completely losing this major sequence
0:55:53 > 0:55:55was becoming very real.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01But as the crew waited, their luck changed.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06At last, there was a break in the weather,
0:56:06 > 0:56:08and the team were in business.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15Of course, it wasn't just the crew waiting for this key spring moment.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19For many animals, this event was providing much-needed food.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31It was a timely reminder to the team that challenging weather
0:56:31 > 0:56:33can be life-changing for British wildlife.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51On the summer solstice, the crew returned to the Farne Islands
0:56:51 > 0:56:53for their final filming trip
0:56:53 > 0:56:57to try to capture the guillemot chicks jumping from the cliffs.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03For once, the weather was smiling on the team,
0:57:03 > 0:57:07but how would the wettest spring in decades have affected the birds?
0:57:11 > 0:57:13The terns seemed to have done OK.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16This time, it wasn't rain falling on the crew!
0:57:27 > 0:57:31So the tern chicks had survived, but what about the guillemot chicks?
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Good news. They were all safe on the cliffs.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39And Lindsay was in place to film as the chicks started to jump.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54For us, it had been a fraught spring,
0:57:54 > 0:57:58but for our wildlife, it had been a battle to survive.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13To get a free copy of this poster about British seasons,
0:58:13 > 0:58:17call 0845 271 0017.
0:58:17 > 0:58:21Or go to bbc.co.uk/greatbritishyear.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24Follow the links to the Open University
0:58:24 > 0:58:27and take part in our seasonal wildlife census.
0:58:51 > 0:58:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd