0:00:17 > 0:00:19Wales is not a big country,
0:00:19 > 0:00:24but packed into it is a vast array of different habitats
0:00:24 > 0:00:26and a wealth of wildlife.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33There are not many places in the world
0:00:33 > 0:00:40where you can walk from mountain top, through moorland, along rivers,
0:00:40 > 0:00:46through woodland, and on to the sea.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And all of that in just a few hours.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50My name is Iolo Williams.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54I've lived and worked with wildlife in Wales all my life.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59And I want to share my passion
0:00:59 > 0:01:02for Wales' wonderful variety of wildlife with you.
0:01:05 > 0:01:11In this series, I'll be taking you all over the country in all weathers.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15I'll be visiting fabulous landscapes.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18I'll be sharing with you the insights I've learned
0:01:18 > 0:01:22on this journey of discovery through Wales.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38In this programme, we'll travel to the uplands of Llangollen
0:01:38 > 0:01:40to see some extraordinary bird display.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Through the Bala area to find stoats.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48From there to Newtown to watch the best nest-builder in Britain.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Then to Radnor to see roe deer.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57And across the Cambrian mountains to Cardigan Bay
0:01:57 > 0:02:01for another amazing bird display and a rare lizard.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06And end in Aberystwyth to see an extraordinary exhibition by 20,000 starlings.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08I begin in northeast Wales.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19The beautiful Vale of Llangollen and the remains of Castell Dinas Bran.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Behind the castle is a large area of uplands,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33which was once one of the best grouse moorlands in Britain
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and the biggest in Wales.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Around 40 years ago, grouse shooting stopped
0:02:41 > 0:02:43and the birds went into decline.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47But today, there's a big drive to revive the grouse population
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and the heather's been cut to improve the birds' habitat.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57The best time to see the grouse is at dawn during early Spring.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15The moon is just dipping down below the horizon here now
0:03:15 > 0:03:20and there are at least 10 male black grouse
0:03:20 > 0:03:22displaying on the bank opposite me over there.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25That's my favourite noise.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28It always reminds me of my childhood because I grew up in an area
0:03:28 > 0:03:32where black grouse at that time were quite common.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33They're incredible birds.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36You've got to make a real effort
0:03:36 > 0:03:38to come out and see black grouse display.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41It's not something you'll see in your back garden.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43You won't see it from your own armchair.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45You've got to get up early.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50You've got to come to these really isolated but always stunning places.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54In Wales, it's on the edge of a moor, like this.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56When you hear the initial call...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59When the males first arrive they make this hissing call, like...
0:03:59 > 0:04:01IMITATES GROUSE CALL
0:04:01 > 0:04:05..the blood courses through my veins because I know I'm just about
0:04:05 > 0:04:09to witness one of the best displays in the whole of the bird world.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Close up, male black grouse are spectacular birds.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31This one is fighting for a carefully selected piece of land.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33An area of ground known as a lek.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Although black grouse numbers have declined dramatically
0:04:38 > 0:04:43over the rest of Britain, Wales has held on to its population.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46There are now around 200 displaying males in Wales
0:04:46 > 0:04:48and most of them live here.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56It's important to retain the best position on the lek,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00as it'll be the biggest and most powerful male at the centre
0:05:00 > 0:05:02who will mate with 80% of the females.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The battle for this position is intense.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31The red head parts, or wattles, are normally a quarter of this size,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35but during leking they're engorged by blood to make them more visible.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52The tail also transforms into a bright white fan.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02This is purely a threat display, but a very elaborate one.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09The dominant grouse is on the right.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Males will lek all year round, but it becomes more intensive
0:06:17 > 0:06:20at the end of April, when the females arrive.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28They've been attracted by the noise and the bright colours of the males.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38The females are quite drab birds and that's because once mated,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41they alone are tasked with incubating the eggs
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and raising the chicks.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58This dominant male is centre of attention for two females.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03The other males stay warily at the fringes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09His long battle for territory, which has taken a full year,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12has finally paid off, and mating takes place.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18All that for a couple of seconds.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27The holiday resort of Rhyl is not the obvious place
0:07:27 > 0:07:30to make a detour on a journey through the wildlife of Wales.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33But during the Winter, it's one of the key sites
0:07:33 > 0:07:36to see a very striking and tough little bird.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39These visitors have travelled thousands of miles
0:07:39 > 0:07:42to be here on this particular beach.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47These are snow buntings - smashing little birds.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52We tend to associate them with the Arctic or the tops of the Cairngorms
0:07:52 > 0:07:54and that's where they breed,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57but in Winter, they move down to lower ground.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00One of their regular haunts is this beach in North Wales.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02You've got to ask yourself, why come here?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05It's not the most scenic beach in the world.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06But the reason is seeds.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09They're seed-eaters, like all buntings,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11and seeds blown by the wind get caught up
0:08:11 > 0:08:15on the pebbles on the beach and amongst this vegetation,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18this marram grass here, so it's ideal for them.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20And because the beach is long enough,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23if they exhaust the supply in a small area like this,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27all they have to do is move along a little bit and move along again.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30There's enough food here to last them all winter.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35No other songbird migrates as far north as the snow bunting.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40In many parts of the Arctic, it'll be the only songbird present.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46It's incredibly hardy and flies north during the Spring to breed.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51The snow buntings can be seen on this beach
0:08:51 > 0:08:53most days during the winter.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56You just have to spot them carefully on the pebbles.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01They're no bigger than a sparrow, but a lot more colourful.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06It's remarkable that this small flock of birds
0:09:06 > 0:09:08have travelled so far to be on this beach.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents before them
0:09:12 > 0:09:14have probably made the same trip.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Each successive generation passing on the route
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and the location of their feeding site to their offspring.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36These are the Berwyn uplands.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45It might be going a bit far to call this landscape a true wilderness,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49but it is nevertheless a harsh environment
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and about as wild as it gets in Wales.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I was born not far from here and as a youngster,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06I used to walk these hills in search of wildlife.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10It's one of my favourite places in the whole of Wales.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16The wildlife here is difficult to find
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and you don't usually see much on a casual trek.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24But when you do find it, it tends to be very special.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30This is an interesting valley.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35It's Cwmpenanner near Bala and it's got its own microclimate here.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39It's actually spring, not that you'd think that when you look around.
0:10:39 > 0:10:45It also happens to be one of the best places in Wales to see stoats.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47The main reason for that are stone walls.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52Looking around here, you can se that they encompass most of the fields.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55They radiate out like spiders' webs.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Stoats love stone walls.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00They've got nesting birds in Spring,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04they're full of mice and voles and rabbits all year round.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07The stoats can den in here
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and stoats don't like to venture out into the open.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12So it means they can stick to the walls
0:11:12 > 0:11:14and travel all along the valley here
0:11:14 > 0:11:17without really venturing far from these walls.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I rarely see stoats these days,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30so seeing one is always a fantastic event.
0:11:30 > 0:11:36But finding one in white ermine fur is absolutely wonderful.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Not all stoats change to a winter coat.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Lowland animals generally retain their brown fur
0:11:49 > 0:11:51throughout the winter.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Usually, you only get a fleeting glimpse,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08but this one has been tempted out into the open by a dead rabbit.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I like stoats. They're great characters.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Busy, but always on the look out for danger.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26A stoat usually catches live prey,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29but in the winter months, it'll readily eat carrion.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41They're tough, feisty little animals.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50This spectacular falls is west of Bala in North Wales.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52In this area of uplands,
0:12:52 > 0:12:57water fuels an intriguing form of wildlife during the autumn.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02Here, the combination of damp ground, simple sheep grazing,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and lack of fertilizer, makes this particular patch of farmland
0:13:05 > 0:13:09a very special place for one group of fungi.
0:13:09 > 0:13:15They're waxcaps and they emerge from the ground usually around October.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Over 30 different species have been recorded
0:13:22 > 0:13:24on this small area of pasture.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29They grow in different colours and shapes.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Underneath, they have this wonderfully intricate structure.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38These are my favourites.
0:13:38 > 0:13:44These are pink waxcaps, but also known as the ballerina.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Just look at the shape here. It looks like a ballerina in a tutu.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49But it's also called the ballerina
0:13:49 > 0:13:52because they're so elegant and delicate.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56What's incredible is that this nondescript bit of farmland here
0:13:56 > 0:14:01is the best known site for waxcaps in the whole of the world.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Waxcaps are renowned for their variety in colour.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Yet, we have no idea why they're so colourful.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17It's not a defence mechanism to avoid being eaten.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20They're not toxic and all are edible.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Neither do we know exactly why this particular piece of land
0:14:25 > 0:14:28is so exceptional for them.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31But they certainly like what this ground has to offer
0:14:31 > 0:14:34because they thrive here.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Experts have tried to grow them in laboratories,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40but they refuse to grow.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43There are many mysteries surrounding waxcaps.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47But for the time being, the questions are unanswered.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Most of the Welsh uplands have been set aside for sheep grazing,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58as indeed they are in the rest of Britain.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04At Nant y Cyrtiau farm, north of Bala, a place has been set up
0:15:04 > 0:15:09to watch birds by a couple who share my passion for wildlife.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13This wonderful garden belongs to John and June Watkins.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- You've got a fair old place here, haven't you?- Yes.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- It's in a lovely location. You don't mind if I come in, do you?- No.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25To have a good look round.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- It's the kite time for you now as well.- There's two.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30- Coming into mating season, aren't they?- Yes.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33And there's greenfinches and all kinds of birds in here.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Goldfinches, greenfinches.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It's brought a lot of pleasure to us as well,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42seeing the colour, the excitement.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46The sparrowhawk, of course.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- People don't like the sparrowhawks. I like them.- Do you?
0:15:49 > 0:15:54People will pay big money to go to Africa to the Serengeti
0:15:54 > 0:15:56to see lions bring down wildebeest.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59But if you put out food in the garden for your birds,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02a sparrowhawk comes in, and it's just the same, except it's free.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- And you can watch it from home.- Yes.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07You've put out a variety of food
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- and that will attract a variety of different birds, won't it?- Yes.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13But it's alive here.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18The sounds as well. You listen to the sounds. It's lovely, isn't it?
0:16:18 > 0:16:20It is, really nice.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24- That hedge is full of sparrows at the moment.- Yes.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26And a buzzard calling as well.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32I tell you the one thing people forget about
0:16:32 > 0:16:34that you've got here, is water.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37People will put out food for the birds
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and forget that birds need water just as much.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42- It's just as important.- Yes.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Here they come, look.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Feeding them in the winter, when the snow's coming down,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52all the birds are flying around you
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and you really can't put a price on that.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57You really can't.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03It always amazes me what a few scattered nuts
0:17:03 > 0:17:05and lumps of fat will attract,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08especially here on the uplands where food is scarce.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14It doesn't take a lot of effort and the show is terrific.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25In the summer, Nant y Cyrtiau is a very different place.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29And it's the season for even more exotic visitors.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Some come from as far afield as Africa,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37like this beautiful male redstart.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43He's feeding his chicks in a nest he's built
0:17:43 > 0:17:45inside a hole in the barn wall.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50And here's the female.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Wales is one of the main destinations in Britain
0:17:56 > 0:17:58for these summer visitors.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00It's well worth keeping your eyes open
0:18:00 > 0:18:04if you're near countryside buildings in Wales during the Summer.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06They really are lovely birds.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Traditionally, the redstart is a woodland bird
0:18:15 > 0:18:17that nests in holes in trees.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20But it will readily take to holes in buildings too.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26This pair has discovered a perfect residence
0:18:26 > 0:18:28for two months in the Welsh uplands.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37Later, we'll be encountering the extraordinary sights of boxing hares
0:18:37 > 0:18:39and leaping salmon.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42But first, I'm heading to my home patch.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46I live in Mid Wales, near Newtown.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Near my house, there are many wonderful quiet lanes.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01During spring, the trees and shrubs along the lanes
0:19:01 > 0:19:03are full of nesting birds.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05If you keep your eyes open,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08you might see Britain's finest nest builder.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17This is a typical long-tailed tit's nest.
0:19:17 > 0:19:23It's tucked out of the way in a real jungle of thorns and bramble bushes.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28They're incredible things, when you consider that every single nest
0:19:28 > 0:19:30has got at least 1,000 feathers in it,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and some have even got 2,000 feathers.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36The difference depends on where the nest is.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40If it's in a fairly open, exposed area, it'll have more feathers.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44If, like this one, it's in a nice, sheltered, warm spot,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46it'll have fewer feathers.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48When the female lays her eggs,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50there's enough space in there for everyone.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54But when those eggs hatch, and the chicks are about two weeks old,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57like they are in this nest, there's hardly any room at all.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02So what they do is they weave spiders' webs into the nest.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06So as the chicks grow, the nest expands out.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09It's a remarkable feat of engineering.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The nest is like a small rugby ball made of moss,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17woven together with spider webs and hair.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22It's camouflaged on the outside with lichen.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26The adults are pink, black and white balls of feathers,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28with a long, long tail.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31The nest has taken around three weeks to build.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35The inside is lined with up to 2,000 feathers.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38The adults collect these off the ground
0:20:38 > 0:20:40in the surrounding woods and farmland.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Sometimes they will pick them from the carcasses of birds.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50The chicks grow quickly and need constant feeding.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59They are fed on insect larvae.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02And the adults return to the nest with food
0:21:02 > 0:21:05virtually every minute of daylight.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12They are also sometimes assisted by other adult long-tailed tits.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17No-one knows for sure what benefitthese adults get from doing this,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20but it's actually quite common in the bird world.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31The River Severn is not far from my home.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Here, it's only a few miles from its source
0:21:35 > 0:21:38in the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43At 220 miles, it's the longest river in Britain.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47From here, it will flow over the border into England.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Along its banks, between Newtown and Welshpool,
0:21:56 > 0:22:01lies one of my favourite nature reserves in Wales.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06It's called Dolydd Hafren, which translates to Severn Meadows.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10It's managed by the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17One of the characters I sometimes see at the reserve is Ivy Evans,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20one of the Trust's founder members.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26This is the part I particularly like because they planted this
0:22:26 > 0:22:30and it's like coming through a long archway.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Yes. And it's not too dark.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36- This is a nice bit. - This is a lovely walk.
0:22:36 > 0:22:43Say now, later on - March, April. Well, we are in March, but later.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46You've got all the birds in this thicket, haven't you?
0:22:46 > 0:22:50You've got great-tits and bullfinches and everything here.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52It's a really nice little walk.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Magpie's nest, Ivy. Not always welcome.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Do you know what, my taid, my granddad, tells this tale.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04I mean, taid was born in the 1880s.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06And he remembers, in the village of Llanrug,
0:23:06 > 0:23:11half the village going out to see this incredible bird.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13A beautiful bird.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16A lovely green sheen and pure white.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20And within 15 minutes, the local keeper had heard about this.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'Bang' and the bird was dead.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- What was the bird? A magpie.- Oh.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Until he was about 14, taid had never ever seen a magpie.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Shows you how things have changed.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- Gamekeepers, they'd kill them. - They'd keep them down in those days.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- Yes.- They really would. And they're nice birds.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Oh, beautiful.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45But then, if you have a little wren or a little house sparrow,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47they're beautiful!
0:23:47 > 0:23:52Yeah, you're right. You're right. We take them for granted, I think.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57For once, we are not at the reserve to look for birds.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59We are here to look for hares.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03It's one of the best reserves in Wales to see them.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05But not this particular morning.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Can you see anything?
0:24:10 > 0:24:12- No. - No, nor me.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Well, I can't see anything. They're probably in there.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Well, Iolo, you are that much taller than me,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23you can see into the ridges that I can't!
0:24:24 > 0:24:26LAUGHTER
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Come on, let's go and see what we can see down here.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I can see things down here, Iolo. See?
0:24:33 > 0:24:37You look for the mice and voles, I'll look for everything else.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Cos I'm too tall to see those.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The best time to see hares is at dawn.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48And generally when few people are around.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07This is a courting couple.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The male is trying to mate with the female.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17But the female is choosy.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23And if the male persists, it leads to a boxing match.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35It's the origin of the phrase, 'mad March hare.'
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Hares are usually shy animals,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41but during the spring, they change their behaviour.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45The need to mate brings them out into the open.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48They like traditional farmland,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51especially where there are crops to hide in
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and plenty of cover for themselves and their young.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And that's precisely what this reserve at Dolydd Hafren provides.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Its fields and hedges are managed like an old-fashioned farm.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07The perfect place for hares.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Not far from Dolydd Hafren is another wildlife gem.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25It's a beautiful woodland,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28set in the grounds of an old manor hall near Newtown.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Whatever season you come here, the trees are full of birds.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46BIRDSONG
0:26:47 > 0:26:50This is the woodland at Gregynog Hall.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53It's only a few miles from home, so it's my local patch.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58And on a spring morning like this, it's wonderful.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02It's really tranquil. Just me, the trees and the birds.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05And that's it.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It always mystifies me why people rush through Mid Wales,
0:27:08 > 0:27:13heading north to Snowdonia and Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsula.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And they'll head south to the Brecon Beacons,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18the Gower and Pembrokeshire.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22It's wonderful for me because I get places like this to myself.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24But it's a shame for those people,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28because they're missing out on some real gems like this.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31BIRDSONG
0:27:34 > 0:27:37There's been a hall at Gregynog since the 12th Century.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42And its 750 acres of ground are open to the public.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49The big conifer trees are particularly interesting.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54Like most conifers in Britain, they are not native trees.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59They've been introduced and planted here.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Before the 18th Century, these trees didn't exist in Britain.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08But they provide a welcomed additional habitat for one bird,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11especially during cold nights.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22This is a great tree. It's a Giant Redwood, or Wellingtonia.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Exactly the same as the big Giant Redwoods you have in California,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29only this is only about 150-years-old.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31So it's got a long way to go yet.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34One of the unique things about it is this thick, soft bark.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38And a common woodland bird takes advantage of this bark
0:28:38 > 0:28:42to roost overnight on these freezing cold winter nights.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46What it does, it digs a little hole, tucks itself in there
0:28:46 > 0:28:49until the early morning, and then flies off.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53But if we want to see it, we've got to come back here after dark.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04BIRDSONG
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- WHISPERS: - And this is it. The treecreeper.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16The bird has dug itself a little hole into that soft bark,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19knowing full well it is going to be insulated all around.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23His face and his belly and feet have gone right in,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27and all that sticks out are his dense, back feathers.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31He also knows that any passing owl is never going to see him.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Because those feathers blend in with the surrounding bark.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Now, that's a very cosy-looking bird.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45It'll stay here until dawn.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48Tucked in behind the bark,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52and relatively safe from predators and the elements.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02The county of Radnor is next to Herefordshire on the English border.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09It's a soft landscape, made up of farmland, rounded hills
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and occasional woodland.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17And it's in these woodlands that roe deer began to recolonise Wales
0:30:17 > 0:30:19around 20 years ago.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22Although a native species of Wales,
0:30:22 > 0:30:24for centuries, roe deer were extinct,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27as they were in most parts of England.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30They like a great deal of cover,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34and the loss of woodland contributed to their downfall.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39In the 1980s, they were reintroduced in Herefordshire,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41and they spread to Radnor.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46They can now be seen in many parts of Wales. A fantastic recovery.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55There is one species, however,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58that can truly be described as Radnor's very own.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02They can only be found here,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04near Hergest Ridge on the English border,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06and nowhere else in Britain.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14And it lives on these rocks,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17which also happen to be the oldest rocks in Wales.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26This is Stanner Rocks National Nature Reserve in Mid Wales.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30And this beautiful and rather delicate little flower here
0:31:30 > 0:31:33is the Radnor Lily.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Now, it's found on this one lump of rock,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and nowhere else in the whole of Britain.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Why is that?
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Well, a combination of factors, really.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48The rock is dark, so it absorbs the heat of the sun.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51The soil is thin, it dries out quickly.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56And because this, really, is a North Mediterranean plant,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59this location is absolutely ideal for it.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05The plant has a very good method of coping
0:32:05 > 0:32:07with hot and dry conditions.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12The leaves grow during the autumn and the plant flowers in March.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17The Radnor Lily then dies back and exists as a bulb
0:32:17 > 0:32:20during the hottest and driest part of the year.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27So we have a plant which has found Mediterranean conditions in Wales.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Now, that must be unique.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Heading west from the English border into Mid Wales,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40you quickly rise to a vast area of uplands.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43These are the Cambrian Mountains.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47They cover pretty much the whole central spine of Wales.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52They are Wales' last true wilderness.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55The biggest area of uplands in the country.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06And it is to this forgotten part of Wales
0:33:06 > 0:33:08that I escape during the summer.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Because that's the time to witness
0:33:10 > 0:33:13one of the finest aerial displays in Britain.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28A male hen harrier is sky dancing.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37It is the breeding season and he is displaying to attract a female.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02And here she comes, a very different bird.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Plainer, with brown feathers.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08She's probably already incubating a nest full of eggs
0:34:08 > 0:34:10amongst the tall heather below.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23The male hen harrier has just come in with food.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Probably a meadow pipit or a vole.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28And she is brown, she is all brown.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30So she's the one who incubates the eggs.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34She will sit in the tall heather down there, waiting for him.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37He will be the one who hunts. He will bring in food for her.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40When he gets above her, he whistles this low...
0:34:40 > 0:34:42BLOWS BETWEEN HIS TEETH
0:34:42 > 0:34:46Up she then comes. He will hold the food underneath him,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50she flips under him, he then drops it last-minute,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53she then takes that food and goes off to feed.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55It's what's called the food pass.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58And when you watch it in an area like this,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02it is just, it's stunning. It's absolutely fantastic.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05MUSIC PLAYS
0:35:49 > 0:35:54Many of the great rivers of Wales, including the Wye and the Dyfi,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57begin their life high up on the Cambrian Mountains,
0:35:57 > 0:36:02and numerous small tributaries join them along the way.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06As they cut into the hills, they form deep gorges
0:36:06 > 0:36:11which are particularly impressive in the autumn after heavy rainfall.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17This is the River Marteg,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20a tributary of the Wye near Rhayader.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23During the first two weeks in December,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26it's a great place to see salmon jumping.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34The salmon are on their way to their spawning grounds
0:36:34 > 0:36:36higher up in the mountains.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40These deep gorges must be a serious hurdle for them,
0:36:40 > 0:36:42especially during a big flood.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54But one of the most impressive gorges in Wales
0:36:54 > 0:36:58is near Cemaes Road, not far from Machynlleth.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02It's the River Twymyn, a tributary of the Dyfi.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06It's a very dangerous place during a big flood
0:37:06 > 0:37:10and a fall into the river would almost certainly be fatal.
0:37:17 > 0:37:22There are some impressive salmon trying to battle their way up river,
0:37:23 > 0:37:26but this gorge is so narrow and it's rained so much,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29that the power of the water here is immense.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34It's all froth, and the noise from the waterfalls is deafening.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37The fish will sit it out,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39dozens together in these deeper pools,
0:37:39 > 0:37:43wait for the water to subside just enough
0:37:43 > 0:37:47for them to make their way over this series of waterfalls,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50four kilometres up river to the spawning ground.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55This is one of the main routes for spawning salmon
0:37:55 > 0:37:59travelling into the Welsh uplands from the West Wales coast.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04Salmon can jump up to 10 feet. It's an incredible leap.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09To achieve a big jump, they need deep pools to pick up speed,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12they flap their tail fin vigorously
0:38:12 > 0:38:16and propel themselves out of the water.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28On the west side of the Cambrian Mountains
0:38:28 > 0:38:31lies the forest of Nant yr Arian.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36It's a conifer plantation typical of the Welsh uplands.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46The forest overlooks a dramatic landscape,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48especially in the autumn.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55It's also one of the strongholds in Wales for red kites.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06It's a place where you are guaranteed a view
0:39:06 > 0:39:09of these spectacular birds.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13That's because they are fed here daily by Ceredig Morgan.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23You still feed, Ceredig, on the bare green patch there, do you?
0:39:23 > 0:39:28Yes, the same place we've fed for the last, it's nearly 12 years now.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And look at the number of birds up now.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35They're here already and there's an hour until kite feeding time.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Have the numbers have increased over the past 12 years?
0:39:39 > 0:39:45We started with two, and when we got to four, we did throw a party.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Now, we're into the hundreds.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52What we're going to try and do is,
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Ceredig will put the food down in a fairly open patch over here
0:39:56 > 0:39:59and I'm going to... where do you think?
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Should I get in at the back among the tall trees?
0:40:03 > 0:40:08Come through from the back, into the front, will be the best.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- And you'll be safe. - Let's go and have a look.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14I think that would be nice if it works.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Kites are terrific flyers and to see them at close range
0:40:26 > 0:40:28is a rare privilege.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31It's a case of Ceredig scattering the meat
0:40:31 > 0:40:34and waiting for the first swoop.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47Hoo!
0:40:47 > 0:40:52For such a big bird, the kite is incredibly agile.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57They've been circling above me for 15 or 20 minutes,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59not quite sure whether to come down or not.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03A buzzard came in and all of a sudden the floodgates opened.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Look at this!
0:41:05 > 0:41:09From 10 metres up, they fold their wings and fall down,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13and at the very last minute the wings and tail opens out
0:41:13 > 0:41:15and the talons swoop down.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17They grab the meat, they don't land at all.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22They're up again and all of that in a split second.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26There they are. Wow.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32The wings and the tail are perfect brakes.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36You always think when you see them come down like this
0:41:36 > 0:41:39by the dozen, there's going to be a head-on collision.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42But there never is, there never is.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45They react like lightning. They'll swerve to the left or right,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48avoid each other, whilst picking up the food.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54The sky now is like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock film.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56It's full of kites.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09If you're heading west, Wales ends here.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12This is Cardigan Bay.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14You can see it's a bay.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17We're right in the middle of it and look north,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19that's the Lleyn Peninsula.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23It stretches right out and Bardsey on the tip.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26From here it looks like a series of islands.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30The other way, looking south, this is Cardiganshire
0:43:30 > 0:43:36and it bends around and we come to Pembrokeshire in the distance.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41When I first came to these dunes 30 odd years ago,
0:43:41 > 0:43:42they were much smaller.
0:43:42 > 0:43:47But the sea is constantly dumping sand so it's got wider and wider
0:43:47 > 0:43:51and it's one of a series of dunes in this part of the coast.
0:43:51 > 0:43:56It now forms an impressive barrier between the sea and the land.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01These are one of the most important wildlife habitats in Wales.
0:44:02 > 0:44:09Though you'll be lucky to see one, Britain's rarest lizard lives here.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15It's a sand lizard and he's looking for small insects
0:44:15 > 0:44:17amongst the vegetation.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21It's only found in a handful of locations in Wales,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24the north west of England and southern Britain.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31It's an endangered and protected species.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40They especially like dune ridges and thick marram grass growth.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43They're good places to hunt.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49They themselves could be hunted, particularly by crows and gulls,
0:44:49 > 0:44:52so they have good camouflage patterns along their bodies.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57The sand lizards at Tywyn
0:44:57 > 0:45:00form part of a nationwide reintroduction programme
0:45:00 > 0:45:03which has been in place for nearly 40 years.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07Here it has proved to be a great success.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10They're breeding well and extending their range
0:45:10 > 0:45:13along the dunes of Cardigan Bay.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24A few miles up the coast from Tywyn lies the Mawddach estuary.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34It's an exceptionally cold spell,
0:45:35 > 0:45:39so cold that parts of the salt marsh has frozen.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57I've never seen the Mawddach estuary look like this before.
0:45:57 > 0:46:02The ground is frozen solid, there are mini icebergs on the water.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05I think because we've had a succession of mild winters,
0:46:05 > 0:46:10we forget that in really hard winters, even the estuaries freeze up.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14That's bad news for the hundreds of thousands of birds
0:46:14 > 0:46:17that come here from the north of Russia and Eastern Europe
0:46:17 > 0:46:19to escape their hard winters.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22It actually looks like the Arctic here now.
0:46:33 > 0:46:38Despite the cold, hard ground inland, the mudflats are still soft.
0:46:40 > 0:46:45That's why an estuary is so important to so many birds.
0:46:45 > 0:46:51During a severe winter, it's the only place to feed.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56These curlew, like most other waders feeding here,
0:46:56 > 0:46:58are all migrants from Europe.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05There's redshank.
0:47:09 > 0:47:14And the black tailed godwit, using its beak to probe for worms.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23These icy conditions may seem at odds with global warming
0:47:23 > 0:47:27but severe short-term weather can occur in any climate.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Cold snaps such as this have occurred in Britain
0:47:31 > 0:47:33during the past two winters.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36When this happens, it can change the behaviour of local wildlife.
0:47:36 > 0:47:41There is a very good example of this south along the coast.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52Near the mouth of the Dyfi estuary, there is a large area of wetland
0:47:52 > 0:47:53known as Cors Fochno.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04The raised bog at its core is one of the largest in Britain.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12But during winter it too can freeze, causing some of its residents
0:48:12 > 0:48:14to move elsewhere to feed.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19It's a fantastic chance to catch a glimpse of animals
0:48:19 > 0:48:21normally hidden from view.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25In the river that separates the bog from the sea,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28I've discovered an otter hunting under the railway bridge.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34You can spend a lot of time looking for otters.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39You can stalk quietly in known hot-spots
0:48:39 > 0:48:41and try to be inconspicuous.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45But in reality, once they appear,
0:48:45 > 0:48:49they're usually not bothered at all with humans.
0:48:56 > 0:49:01This one is ignoring me and getting on with hunting.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04There's plenty of food for it in the estuary.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10Oh, wow.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14It's not often you get this close to a wild otter.
0:49:19 > 0:49:24He's up and down all the time, looking for fish maybe,
0:49:24 > 0:49:26maybe a few crabs in here as well.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31He's staring right at me.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51This one has caught a small flatfish.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59Although their main pray is fish, they'll eat whatever they can catch
0:49:59 > 0:50:02including frogs, birds and other small animals.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10And it amazes me how big and powerful they look
0:50:10 > 0:50:12when I see them out of the water.
0:50:12 > 0:50:17A very strong tail to help them swim fast, and sharp teeth.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23This otter would have had to dive fairly deep to get that fish.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33Climate change and sea level rise has had a dramatic effect
0:50:33 > 0:50:37on the Welsh coastline, as in the rest of Britain.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42Further up the Dyfi estuary, there is stark evidence of this.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47On a very low spring tide, these structures appear in the mud.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54If you're careful of the dangers of a rising tide,
0:50:54 > 0:50:56they can be examined.
0:51:00 > 0:51:05When you first come here and you see these big blocks,
0:51:05 > 0:51:08you'd swear it's wood that's been washed down by the river
0:51:08 > 0:51:12into the Dyfi estuary, but have a look at this.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14They're tree trunks.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18These tree trunks date back 5,500 years.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22You've got oak, pine, hazel and birch.
0:51:22 > 0:51:27At that time, a forest would have covered not just the land you see,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30but it would have extended out into Cardigan Bay.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33The Ice Age was still having a big influence.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37It was locking a lot of water into the polar extremities.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40All that remains are these few tree trunks.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43You've got to time your visit here perfectly
0:51:43 > 0:51:47because they're exposed only at the very lowest tide.
0:51:47 > 0:51:516,000 years ago, this would have been thick woodland
0:51:51 > 0:51:54growing on the side of a steep valley.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57But as the sea level rose, the land was flooded.
0:51:57 > 0:52:02Mud and sand sediment built up, which not only covered the trees
0:52:02 > 0:52:06but transformed the valley into a flat, muddy estuary.
0:52:10 > 0:52:15Journey's end - the university town of Aberystwyth.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Probably not the place you'd expect to witness
0:52:20 > 0:52:23a truly remarkable aerial display.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31This time it involves 20,000 birds.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39It's the end of a mid-winter's day.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Starlings are returning to town
0:52:43 > 0:52:46after feeding all day in the surrounding countryside.
0:52:51 > 0:52:56As the sun sets over the seafront, more and more arrive.
0:53:02 > 0:53:07They drop from the sky and head for the pier to roost overnight.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31Oh, wow! The sky is just full of starlings.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35It's like fireworks exploding here, there and everywhere.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37It's very hypnotic.
0:53:37 > 0:53:42The big advantage with Aberystwyth pier is that it's so short.
0:53:42 > 0:53:47The birds give this terrific display right over your head,
0:53:47 > 0:53:48back and forth.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Also, you can hear them.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54If you listen, you can hear thousands of wings.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57They call to each other constantly.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00Because you're so close to the spectacle here,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02you feel that you're part of it.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07Look at that. A wave of starlings coming over.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Oh, wow!
0:54:17 > 0:54:19MUSIC
0:54:42 > 0:54:46No-one really knows for sure why starlings do this.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50Whatever the reason, it's an impressive sight.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08The starlings roost under the pier.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11They do this partly to keep warm
0:55:11 > 0:55:15and partly to protect themselves from predators.
0:55:18 > 0:55:23No fox, cat or peregrine can get at them here.
0:55:25 > 0:55:30Nevertheless, they feel the need to jostle for the best perch.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38The birds in the centre of the roost will not only be warmer
0:55:38 > 0:55:39but safer too.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44By dusk, thousands arrive.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11Aberystwyth is one of only a handful of places in Britain
0:56:11 > 0:56:14where starlings roost in towns.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18Most of these starlings are birds from the continent.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22They've come to Wales to escape the cold winter temperatures
0:56:22 > 0:56:25and frozen ground of continental Europe.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30They'll return to mainland Europe during the spring.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38So we normally see this spectacle during the winter.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48In the next programme, I'll be visiting Snowdonia
0:56:48 > 0:56:52to see a magnificent osprey and relics of the Ice Age.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58I'll be tracking wild goats and deer in Meirionnydd.
0:57:00 > 0:57:04Enjoying the stunning beauty of Anglesey.
0:57:04 > 0:57:09And the seals and shearwaters of the Lleyn Peninsula.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21It's a journey to the rugged north west.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd