0:00:02 > 0:00:05Britain's wildlife needs your help.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Many of our favourite wild creatures are under threat.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11From persecution.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12From pollution.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13And alien predators.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Others are losing their homes.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Suffering from injury or disease.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Or just struggling to survive in the modern world.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30Some could be extinct within our lifetime if we don't act now.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35There's nothing in the sky or even in the trees there, is there?
0:00:35 > 0:00:37But you can help bring them back from the brink.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Together we can fight their enemies.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Restore the places where they live.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43And stop their decline in its tracks.
0:00:48 > 0:00:49Release.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Whoa! Whoa!
0:00:51 > 0:00:53So join our campaign.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54To save our wonderful wildlife.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57For us all to enjoy.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Oh, look!
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Ah. Hello to you!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I mean, how can you not just fall in love with that?
0:01:17 > 0:01:19The British coast.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23For many of us, it evokes memories of summer holidays on beautiful
0:01:23 > 0:01:27beaches, exploring rock pools and splashing in the sea.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32That's just one tiny aspect of this amazing habitat.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37The beaches, the sea cliffs, the headlands
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and the islands that make up our coastline.
0:01:45 > 0:01:51Mainland Britain has over 11,000 miles of spectacular coastline
0:01:51 > 0:01:53and 6,000 different islands.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59No-one in Britain is ever more than 70 miles from the coast
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and our nation's history,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05culture and traditions have been shaped by our close ties to the sea.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Some of Britain's most incredible wildlife lives along our coast.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16From huge grey seals to tiny sea horses
0:02:16 > 0:02:18and the ocean's giants,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and sea bird colonies that rank amongst
0:02:21 > 0:02:24the biggest and most impressive in the world.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Yet for animals living along our shores, things are never easy.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35From the daily rise and fall of the tides
0:02:35 > 0:02:37to the battering by the wind and waves,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39it's a tough place to survive.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49But now the animals that make their home here are facing
0:02:49 > 0:02:53even greater threats in the form of oil spills,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58over-fishing and climate change and if we don't do something to
0:02:58 > 0:03:02save them, some of them could disappear altogether.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07But we are determined to fight back.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Our team meets some of the animals that need our help.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Bill Oddie discovers the threats facing our favourite sea bird.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Ladies and gentleman, meet the puffin.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Miranda Krestovnikoff has an amazing encounter with dolphins.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! I'm not going to stop smiling all day.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32And Iolo Williams fights to save our biggest bird of prey.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37These birds still face dangers today and it makes my blood boil.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48I know everybody says they love coming to the sea, but for me,
0:03:48 > 0:03:53what it does it is make me sit and gaze
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and I wonder if it's because the sea is so huge
0:03:57 > 0:04:03and so untameable that essentially it just puts me in my place.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It's hard to imagine how our actions can make
0:04:09 > 0:04:11any impact on something this vast.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16For many of us, ocean wildlife is all the way out there.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20It's out of sight and out of mind and that means that any
0:04:20 > 0:04:24problems or any threats that they face, we simply cannot see.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Beneath the waves, our seas are suffering.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31We've taken out too many fish,
0:04:31 > 0:04:37destroyed huge areas of the sea bed and put in too many toxic chemicals.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Those are just some of the problems affecting
0:04:40 > 0:04:43the wildlife along our coast, as Miranda Krestovnikoff
0:04:43 > 0:04:47discovered as she went in search of our best-loved sea mammal.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58There are some animals which just, to put it quite simply,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02they just make you smile and I defy anyone to have an encounter
0:05:02 > 0:05:06with the animal I've come here to see without being moved in some way.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10And to meet them
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I haven't had to take a flight to Florida or the Bahamas.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I've just come here to Wales
0:05:15 > 0:05:18to this beautiful bay that's home to dolphins.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24The bottlenose dolphin,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27one of the largest species of dolphin in the world.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31It's struggling to survive the effects of chemical pollution,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34disturbance from boats and climate change.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41The bottlenose dolphin is one of more than 20 species of whales
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and dolphins regularly seen in our waters.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49It can travel at up to 30km an hour, lives mostly close inshore
0:05:49 > 0:05:51and can grow up to four metres long.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Whenever I've encountered dolphins, I've always been struck at how
0:05:56 > 0:05:59curious and intelligent they are.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01They seem to want to seek us out, whether we're on a boat,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03whether we're diving under water.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07They seem to want to interact with us and maybe that's why people,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10including myself, are so passionate about dolphins.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Studying dolphins is difficult
0:06:14 > 0:06:18and we need to make sure our entry into their underwater world doesn't
0:06:18 > 0:06:22affect the precious few populations we still have around our coasts.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29One way we can learn more about them is, sadly, once they've died.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Rod Penrose is the strandings officer for this region
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and it's his job to assess what has killed the dolphins,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40whales and porpoises that occasionally wash up on our beaches.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44These are animals that live way out at sea so it's very
0:06:44 > 0:06:47hard to find out information about them in the first place.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48They're extremely valuable.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50I mean, it's the only way we can tell what's going on with
0:06:50 > 0:06:54the population out there, really, so we recover as many as
0:06:54 > 0:06:57we possibly can and we carry out a full postmortem.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59And what are the major causes of strandings, then?
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Pollution has been a problem.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I mean, it's...monitoring for PCBs and heavy metals.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10PCBs have declined over the years because they've been banned but
0:07:10 > 0:07:13unfortunately, they are still in landfill sites
0:07:13 > 0:07:14and they're leaching out.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15It really upsets me
0:07:15 > 0:07:19that even though these industrial chemicals are no longer used,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22there are still traces of them in our seas and they're still
0:07:22 > 0:07:26making their way up the food chain via the fish that the dolphins eat.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28So Rod's research is vital
0:07:28 > 0:07:31to help us understand how to keep them from harm.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34We know we have a resident population out there.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36We know we can see them and want to study them
0:07:36 > 0:07:39but to get the actual carcases is actually quite a rarity.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42And that's why it's critical that if anybody finds a dolphin
0:07:42 > 0:07:44or a bit of a dolphin lying on a beach,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46- that they get in touch with you.- Yep.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I can't stress enough, yes - we rely entirely on the public
0:07:49 > 0:07:52and we would like the public to report everything on the beach.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Even a part of. It's still important.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00And people power is making a big difference here.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Cardigan Bay in west Wales is a protected area, thanks to the
0:08:05 > 0:08:07high number of dolphins here.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Volunteers for the local marine wildlife trust,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14like Phoebe and Sarah, keep a careful watch over them.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16I guess a lot of people come here
0:08:16 > 0:08:18and have no idea there are dolphins out in the bay.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21For sure. It's a big part of conservation.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Making people, local people
0:08:22 > 0:08:27and people from away, aware of what we have got on our doorstep.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Sometimes we get asked what time they get fed.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- No way. - Which is quite interesting.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34When you're looking out
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and you're doing your survey, what information are you gathering?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Well, day to day, we're here nine to five, doing two-hour shifts.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44We're basically taking the weather conditions,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48the wind direction and any species we see.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52So we take data of dolphins, grey seals and porpoises,
0:08:52 > 0:08:53harbour porpoises.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57And the main thing we're focusing on is the boat encounters with
0:08:57 > 0:08:58any species we see.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Is it mainly boat traffic or are there other risks as well?
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Boat disturbance is a threat. Possible bycatch.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06I mean, that's not a big issue in this area
0:09:06 > 0:09:10but use of netting for fishing is a potential issue.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13And obviously pollution is always one of those threats.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14They're like the apex predators.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17If they disappeared, then there's certainly something going on
0:09:17 > 0:09:18lower down in the food chain.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21So it's really important that we are here monitoring them.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27The land-based surveys help to build up a picture of the dolphin
0:09:27 > 0:09:30activity in the area but there's only one way
0:09:30 > 0:09:33to study their behaviour close up and that's out to sea.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37And I've been lucky enough to be invited to join
0:09:37 > 0:09:41the Sea Watch Foundation on one of their research trips.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Ah. Oh, look!
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Oh! I'm almost crying.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I'm just surrounded by dolphins.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Ah, I'm not going to stop smiling all day!
0:10:10 > 0:10:11Hello. Good morning.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Daphna Feingold is in charge of monitoring the dolphins
0:10:14 > 0:10:16here in Cardigan Bay.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18The mother is Spot with her calf.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20This calf was born last year.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23This one in the front, this big male, this is Bond.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- James Bond?- James Bond. He has a licence to thrill.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- He's big.- He's very big. - He's really mean, yeah.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31The dolphins in Cardigan Bay are probably
0:10:31 > 0:10:33one of the biggest in the world.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- They can get up to about- four metres. Wow.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41And how on earth do you go about estimating
0:10:41 > 0:10:42how many dolphins there are?
0:10:42 > 0:10:44I mean, when they go beneath the surface,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46you don't know what they're doing.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Well, we have two main monitoring techniques.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51The first is line transect.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Daphna and her colleagues travel the same route each time they do
0:10:55 > 0:10:58a survey, recording every dolphin they see, to try
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and work out how many dolphins live here.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- The second way is through photo ID. - Yeah.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10I'm taking photos of their fins
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and as you can see, Bond has nicks on the trailing edge of his fin and
0:11:13 > 0:11:18through those nicks, we can identify him and we have a catalogue.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22We can then estimate the number of dolphins there are in the area.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Woo-hoo-hoo-ha!
0:11:27 > 0:11:29And there's another way to find out more
0:11:29 > 0:11:31about these fascinating creatures,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34using a special underwater microphone called a hydrophone.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37You can hear little clicks.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41The fraction of the behaviour that we see over the water is so small
0:11:41 > 0:11:44than what they're actually doing under water.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Because they might be mating now.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50The mother might be teaching her calf to hunt,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- which we can't see any of it, you know.- And we don't see any of it.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- Whereas you can hear it now.- Yeah.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57Dolphins find their prey
0:11:57 > 0:12:02and navigate through the oceans using echolocating clicking sounds
0:12:02 > 0:12:05that travel five times faster under water than they do in the air
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and, as very sociable animals, they also communicate
0:12:08 > 0:12:10through high-pitched whistles.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And they live in this incredibly acoustic world, communicating
0:12:14 > 0:12:17with acoustics, but surely there's a negative effect as well with
0:12:17 > 0:12:19the noise of boats.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Well, worldwide, I would say the background noise in the seas
0:12:23 > 0:12:27has risen and we do see that the whistle characteristics change
0:12:27 > 0:12:32when there is a high activity of boat traffic.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33It's like us, you know,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36when you're standing on a highway and you're talking to your friend,
0:12:36 > 0:12:41you'd need to raise your voice and it's the same with dolphins, really.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44So, yeah, it's getting all these regulations in place.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47We need to keep an eye on these dolphins.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49We need to try and understand them as best we can
0:12:49 > 0:12:53and we need to really make sure that they're not harmed
0:12:53 > 0:12:57or affected by any human activity and I don't want to sound
0:12:57 > 0:13:00cliched in any way but there's something about being with
0:13:00 > 0:13:04these creatures that really makes you feel glad to be alive and that
0:13:04 > 0:13:07is a feeling that I want people to feel for many generations to come.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21I'm in for a bit of a treat
0:13:21 > 0:13:24because I'm heading to what's been called one of the greatest
0:13:24 > 0:13:27wildlife spectacles in the northern hemisphere.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30The Farne Islands.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34These islands, just a couple of miles off the coast
0:13:34 > 0:13:37of Northumberland, are home to an amazing array of wildlife,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41including an incredible number of sea birds and seals.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46We have some of the best sea bird colonies in the world
0:13:46 > 0:13:49in this country and this is a cracking example of what we get.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53This whole cliff face is packed with sea birds,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55all the way from the rocks
0:13:55 > 0:13:59at the very bottom, right the way up to this grassy cliff at the top.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01And it's a racket. What have we got?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05We've got shags here, feeding a chick. There's guillemots there.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06There's a razorbill.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09One of my favourites, the markings of a razorbill.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11It's absolutely gorgeous.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15There's fulmars and kittiwakes and it's noisy and smelly!
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It's really hard to describe the smell.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20It's kind of urine mixed in with fish.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23But the surprising thing of all is that at the end of summer,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27come the autumn, the whole cliff face will fall silent
0:14:27 > 0:14:30and these birds will head out for a life at sea.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38These tiny lumps of rock attract birds from across the world
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and the greatest global traveller of them all,
0:14:41 > 0:14:46the arctic tern, sets up home in a rather unusual place...
0:14:46 > 0:14:48right next to the research centre.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53You have to run this gauntlet with me. These arctic terns...
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Here's one right here. Hello. ..are less than welcoming, shall we say.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00Oh, I tell you what.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03The anticipation of being pecked is worse than
0:15:03 > 0:15:05being pecked itself.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08And the reason that they're this unwelcoming is that if you look down here...
0:15:08 > 0:15:15They've nested right next to the path. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Not happy.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21I'm getting pecked in the head. Ooh. Oh, my goodness.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26That's terrifying and it's the price you pay for being here.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28They may not seem too pleased to see me
0:15:28 > 0:15:31but they actually choose to nest right next to the path
0:15:31 > 0:15:35as the human traffic keeps away the gulls that attack their tiny chicks.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Once the young have fledged, these birds will set off
0:15:40 > 0:15:44to Antarctica on a 20,000-mile round trip.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46In their lifetime, they can clock up
0:15:46 > 0:15:49well over half a million miles on the wing.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52They look like quite graceful birds
0:15:52 > 0:15:54but the more they come to you,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57the more you realise how spiky they are.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Spiky bill. Even their tail streamers look spiky.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Ooh!
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Oh, my goodness, they're really unhappy.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Wah! Got me.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Ow! This is not fun. Not fun.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16I'm going to take refuge in here.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21It's actually drawn blood from my head!
0:16:22 > 0:16:26The terns' exposed nests on the ground are very vulnerable
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and that is one of the reasons
0:16:28 > 0:16:31the Farne Islands are such a good breeding site.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35There are no mammal predators such as foxes or rats on the islands
0:16:35 > 0:16:38so the young have a far greater chance of survival.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Living alongside these highly protective parents
0:16:42 > 0:16:46is National Trust Conservationist Ciaran Hatsell.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Coming here and seeing all these sea birds,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50you'd think they're doing absolutely fine,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53but there are still threats to them, aren't there?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56There certainly are. We don't always get weather like this.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59One of the main things that does threaten the sea birds
0:16:59 > 0:17:00- is harsh weather.- Right.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03So during the summer we can get some big storms
0:17:03 > 0:17:05and they're obviously quite precarious nesters.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Some of the birds actually lay their eggs on the bare rock
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and the big storms can wash them down.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12So the eggs will go just in bad weather?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14The eggs will go and a lot of birds will actually put all that
0:17:14 > 0:17:17energy and all that effort into one egg per season, so that season
0:17:17 > 0:17:21is pretty much a wipe-out if it happens at this time of year.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23What about the arctic terns? How do you get used to it?
0:17:23 > 0:17:27My head is still stinging from doing the run.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- Basically, you're putting up with it every day.- Yeah.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32But I know for people coming on, it could seem quite daunting.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34These birds are pecking at you.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36It looks like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Although, if they nest in the Arctic,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41they do exactly the same thing and attack adult polar bears.
0:17:41 > 0:17:42So they punch well above their weight.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45They're not scared of anything or anyone but if you wear
0:17:45 > 0:17:48a hat with some bubble wrap underneath, that does the trick.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- Is that the trick? - A bit of padding is fine.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52No-one told me about the bubble wrap before I got here.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- That would have been useful to know. - That's a good plan, yeah.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56What can we do to help sea birds?
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Something as simple as coming and visiting a place like this
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and not just the Farnes but all the sea bird reserves around Britain.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05So all the money that we earn here and on other reserves as well,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09it all comes to the conservation work that we do here which is vital.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Why do you spend months of the year out here?
0:18:12 > 0:18:16No running water, only just recently had electricity.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18You know, it's not plush accommodation, is it?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Why do you do this?
0:18:20 > 0:18:23For me, the sea birds, you get to work so closely with them.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Just from our house, we can watch a bird
0:18:25 > 0:18:28turn from an egg into a chick into a flying bird that's going to migrate
0:18:28 > 0:18:31thousands of miles and it's a really special place to live, you know.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34You see that on your doorstep - it's pretty stunning.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35It's all about the sea birds for us.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37For me, that's just so special.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Here on the Farnes, we can get incredibly close to these birds.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Yet once they leave our shores, their lives remain a mystery.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58But perhaps not for much longer.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Bill Oddie travelled to the Welsh island of Skomer,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03where new technology is starting to reveal the secrets
0:19:03 > 0:19:05of the nation's favourite sea bird.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14It's no secret, really, is it?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17I am a bit of a bird-watcher.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20In fact, I'm a lot of a bird-watcher.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21I've been doing it all my life
0:19:21 > 0:19:26and, um, the question I'm often asked is, what is my favourite bird?
0:19:26 > 0:19:30It's got another name. Sometimes it's called a sea parrot.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Ladies and gentleman, and definitely children, meet the puffin.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39It's very upsetting to think
0:19:39 > 0:19:42of this lovely little bird as being threatened, but it is.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Over-fishing, climate change, oil and chemical spills.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50It's susceptible to all the perils of an ocean-going lifestyle.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Like most sea birds, puffins breed in colonies on remote islands
0:19:55 > 0:19:59and one of the best known is just off the coast of south west Wales.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Skomer.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03I like little boats but I tell you what,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05I like getting off them even more.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Thank you very much.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10It's nice, isn't it?
0:20:15 > 0:20:18This place was cut off from the Pembrokeshire mainland
0:20:18 > 0:20:20after the last ice age.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23It's a national nature reserve and it's bulging with wildlife.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Rocky outcrops and grassy hillsides are dotted with rabbit burrows
0:20:30 > 0:20:34and these are perfect places for the puffins to nest in.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Saves a lot of digging, too.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42You know, they say you never forget your first puffins and it's true.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47I certainly remember mine. It was, er, 1955. I was 14.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49I was on the Farne Islands in Northumberland.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52We were actually catching them with a bunch of scientists
0:20:52 > 0:20:55and putting rings on them to see where they went.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Well, it was that first encounter, where I actually held a puffin
0:20:59 > 0:21:04in my hands, that I think gave me an affinity for them, if you like.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10I'm now hoping to get up close to them again
0:21:10 > 0:21:16and I'm also hoping that you may become as fond of them as I am.
0:21:16 > 0:21:22BILL WHEEZES Ooh. I'm turning into a PUFFIN. Get it?
0:21:22 > 0:21:27The life timetable of a puffin is pretty extraordinary.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29They lay one egg, just one.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Eventually, the little chick will hatch.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35It stays in that burrow
0:21:35 > 0:21:37for getting on for a couple of months, virtually.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Now here's the extraordinary bit.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43When the baby is big enough to leave the burrow,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47that baby crawls out of the burrow,
0:21:47 > 0:21:52goes to the top of the cliff and throws itself off
0:21:52 > 0:21:59and that is the last time that Mum and Dad will see that baby.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03It can be out there for something like four or five years
0:22:03 > 0:22:07before it comes back when it's old enough to get a mate of its own
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and youngsters of its own.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15With such a precarious lifestyle,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18puffins certainly need all the protection they can get.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Which is exactly what former Skomer warden Mike Alexander has been
0:22:24 > 0:22:25doing for ten years.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32If in the '80s we were counting 8,500 birds, now they're
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- counting 11,500 birds. - So they've gone up.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37And that's the difference. They've gone up substantially.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Quite a few of the colonies up north in particular are decreasing.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Yeah. The northern colonies are decreasing
0:22:44 > 0:22:49and we suspect generally that it's because of a shortage of food.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Puffin chicks starve to death in the burrows
0:22:51 > 0:22:55because the adults haven't been able to bring enough food back.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Here they rely on sand eels
0:22:57 > 0:23:05and, critically, we have been able to manage not just the island.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07This, around Skomer, is a marine reserve
0:23:07 > 0:23:08and that is critically important.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14So that's good news.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17In this area, puffins have plenty of food to raise their young,
0:23:17 > 0:23:22but elsewhere, if fish stocks are low, puffins are resorting to
0:23:22 > 0:23:24feeding their chicks pipe fish,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28a bony relative of the sea horse, which can choke them.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Look, there's little rafts of them all round the bay.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36They've been out at sea, we know that much,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38but we don't know any more than that.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Did they go a long way today and how about in the whole year?
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Where do they get to, for example, during the winter?
0:23:46 > 0:23:49This is scientist Tim Guilford and he and his team have been
0:23:49 > 0:23:52using the latest hi-tech gizmos
0:23:52 > 0:23:56to track the puffins' movements.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Now, Tim, back in the old days
0:23:58 > 0:24:00we used to put one of these things -
0:24:00 > 0:24:02you recognise that, I'm sure -
0:24:02 > 0:24:05a little ring, onto the leg of any bird.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09This, I have no doubt, has been replaced by something magical.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10This is what it is. There you go.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14This is a geolocation device to track birds precisely
0:24:14 > 0:24:17so we can then plot that on a computer screen like this
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and we can see where the bird has gone.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21In this case out towards Greenland
0:24:21 > 0:24:25and back through the North Atlantic and then down towards Portugal
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and the Bay of Biscay in the late winter and then back up to Britain.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31So that really did a big circuit, that one, and then back home.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34That's right, and we've now tracked this bird for three years in a row
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and we see that this bird does the same thing each year.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- It always does the same, does it? - Yeah.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41All this information is absolutely wonderful
0:24:41 > 0:24:46but is this helping to explain why we're losing a certain
0:24:46 > 0:24:50percentage of the population in the north of the British Isles?
0:24:50 > 0:24:56Well, I think knowing now as we do that the Pembrokeshire puffins
0:24:56 > 0:24:59go to very different areas in the winter to the areas that
0:24:59 > 0:25:03birds from the Isle of May go to is beginning to tell us
0:25:03 > 0:25:07something about the causes and that difference must be related
0:25:07 > 0:25:10to the difference in conditions of these two areas of the ocean.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11And what's your theory?
0:25:11 > 0:25:18Well, the two most likely causes are the decline in the sand eel
0:25:18 > 0:25:22because of over-fishing and a decline in sand eels
0:25:22 > 0:25:24because of a decline in their food,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28which ultimately comes down the food chain to the plankton,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31because of rising sea surface temperatures...
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- Right.- ..in the North Sea.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Now, I don't know that either of those two are true.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- No, I appreciate that. - But those are my best guesses.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40This is just the start of understanding why
0:25:40 > 0:25:44puffins from the north of the UK are declining so rapidly.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50The biggest threat that puffins face is a lack of food
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and the food are sand eels,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57that little silvery fish that amazingly they can get about
0:25:57 > 0:25:59a dozen into their beak at the same time,
0:25:59 > 0:26:04but the evidence is that around the northern coast, in particular,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07sand eels are now becoming scarce.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09So if there's no food for the birds to eat,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11eventually, the birds will have a problem.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18What we need is more research into what is happening to our seas,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22otherwise the worst could happen.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Let me make a point. Think back.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26There was once a big sea bird -
0:26:26 > 0:26:28it looked a bit like a puffin - called a great auk
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and there were thousands of them
0:26:30 > 0:26:32until the middle of the 19th century.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35There was another bird which also happened to live on islands.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38The dodo. We've all heard of that.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41The great auk. Dodo. Completely extinct.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47It could happen so let's make sure it doesn't.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Do you agree? Yes. He agrees.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56The drop in puffin numbers that Bill was talking about
0:26:56 > 0:26:58is a problem hitting us here too.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01These wildlife rangers busy at work on a cliff top
0:27:01 > 0:27:02are led by David Steel.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09On the Farnes, every five years they conduct a puffin census to see
0:27:09 > 0:27:12how their numbers are doing.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Now, the last one in 2008 found that their numbers
0:27:14 > 0:27:16were down by more than a third,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20from 56,000 to 36,000. How are you doing, David?
0:27:20 > 0:27:24- Hello, there.- I've got to tread lightly round here, haven't I?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- There's burrows everywhere. - It's a bit of a minefield.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- It is, isn't it?- Come closer.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- I'll need some assistance here. - Good. I'm excited.- Indeed.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34I'm about to ring this bird, this adult down here.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37I'm also going to see what's down there because a lot of the birds
0:27:37 > 0:27:40are still on eggs and hopefully we'll have one or two chicks.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- It will be fascinating to find out what's going on.- OK.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44So here we go.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46They're long, aren't they, these burrows?
0:27:46 > 0:27:49They go down normally about an arm's length, so about three foot,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51so some can actually go much further.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53So let's see how far this one goes.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56I'm just going to have a check here. Here we go.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57Sometimes they can bite you as well.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01As you can see, I'm going to get my hand very much well and truly dirty.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- We do have a puffin.- Yeah.- That's the good news. We have a puffin.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05Are you getting bitten?
0:28:05 > 0:28:10No. She's quite gentle. Ooh. Look at this. This is a surprise.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11I wasn't expecting this today.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13- Let's have a look. - And here we go. This...
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- Oh, a chick! - This is a puffin chick.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20I'm just going to let you put it in your hand.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- Can I?- Absolutely. You've got a good hold there.- Oh, my goodness.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26You're not allowed to say cute when you're a naturalist, are you?
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- No, no.- But how could you not?!
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Exactly. It's amazingly cute. Look at that.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34It's probably about... In fact, it's not even two days old.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36- It's probably just a day old. - How can you tell?
0:28:36 > 0:28:37You can actually see it's...
0:28:37 > 0:28:40- This white spot there. You see that little white spot?- Yeah, yeah.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41That's called an egg tooth
0:28:41 > 0:28:44and it actually uses it to chisel out of its egg.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48- So this puffin chick is probably about a day old.- Oh, wow.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52'David has been checking up on these little balls of fluff for years.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55'He knows handling them doesn't do them any harm.'
0:28:55 > 0:28:56I'll get the adult out now,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59- which is usually a little bit more interesting.- All right.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00They can be a little bit more feisty.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04So we'll give it a go and see what she does.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Is she fighting you? Ah, what a beaut!
0:29:08 > 0:29:09Here we are. Ah, stunning.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Gorgeous colouring. Wow.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13I know what she's just done to my ringing equipment.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Oh, that's lovely, and I'll be using that in a second, won't I?
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- You will indeed.- Fabulous(!) - The pleasures of ringing birds.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21I could do with a ring, please, if that's all right?
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Fantastic. Can I just read the ring number out?
0:29:23 > 0:29:29- Yeah, go for it, yep. - So it's EY13253.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33'Ringing the adults helps track the puffins' declining numbers.'
0:29:33 > 0:29:36So here we go and that's it. He's got its little ring on there
0:29:36 > 0:29:39and it's spinning round quite nicely.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- Plenty of room.- So that's him ringed so that's great news.
0:29:42 > 0:29:43So that's one job.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46So we're just going to take his wing length.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49He's about the size of a bag of sugar with two wings and a beak.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54- 153.- 153. There we go.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56That's the job done and that's him ringed.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Lovely, and why is it important that you do this census at all?
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Well, it's really important.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Just in my time I've seen a 33% decrease in numbers
0:30:05 > 0:30:08on the Farnes, so it's a good barometer,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11not only for puffins, but for sea birds in general.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14If these guys are doing well, then everything else is doing well.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Flip side, if they're not, then we've got issues
0:30:17 > 0:30:20and we've got to find out what's going on with them.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23There's the adult back. Now for the little fella. Is he all right?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- Give us a look.- I reckon.- Oh, he's looking very good. Ah, bless him.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29- I feel sad to let him go.- I know. Come on, little ball of fluff.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- Isn't that gorgeous?- Good luck, little fella. Good luck in life.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34- He might need it.- Absolutely.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Let's hope we see him back in future years.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39The thought of not having them in this country is quite a sad one.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41That might be my only close-up experience.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Indeed. So I'm just going to just reunite him with mother.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46There you go. Fantastic.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- Very good. - And that's one happy family.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49And one very sore thumb.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52And one very sore and mucky thumb indeed!
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- It's off to the cleaners next. - Good work.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Puffins dig these deep underground burrows
0:31:04 > 0:31:08both to find safety from predators and also to escape the strong winds
0:31:08 > 0:31:11that blow here even in summer. Away from the elements
0:31:11 > 0:31:14they have a nice warm, dry nest for their young.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Finding shelter along our exposed coastline
0:31:20 > 0:31:22is a challenge for any animal,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26but can we lend a hand in a coastal garden?
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Mike Dilger has been finding out.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Comparatively few of us in the UK live within sight of the sea,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44but there is a problem for coastal gardeners
0:31:44 > 0:31:46that many of us can relate to as well,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49and that is keeping out the driving wind.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57With the possible exception of a gull riding the breeze,
0:31:57 > 0:32:00few animals seek out a blustery spot.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04So a good wildlife garden must provide one very important factor -
0:32:04 > 0:32:05shelter.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13This can be done even in a really exposed spot
0:32:13 > 0:32:16such as here at the most southerly point in Dorset.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25The Isle of Portland juts out into the English Channel,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28and with few trees to slow down the on-shore wind,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31the breeze fairly whistles off the coast,
0:32:31 > 0:32:36and so for any animal looking to escape these brutal winds
0:32:36 > 0:32:41there is a garden just down here that represents the perfect shelter.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46The team at Portland Bill Bird Observatory have been
0:32:46 > 0:32:50transforming their strip of coastline over the last 50 years.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Warden Martin Cade is in charge
0:32:52 > 0:32:55of what is now a perfect garden for birds.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00So, Martin, since the lighthouse became a bird observatory,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02how have the grounds changed?
0:33:02 > 0:33:03Oh, absolutely immensely.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05The field we can see in front of us
0:33:05 > 0:33:10used to be a bare open farmer's field surrounded by a dry-stone wall.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Really nothing for little insectivorous birds at all.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15So everything we see here,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19all the bushes, are all 50 years' worth of sort of planting by us.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24I'm curious to see how successful they've been
0:33:24 > 0:33:26at cutting out that biting wind.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30I've got a lovely view of the English Channel here.
0:33:30 > 0:33:31I'm just outside the garden
0:33:31 > 0:33:34and I can feel the breeze hitting me on the face.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36I've got a special piece of equipment here
0:33:36 > 0:33:38called an anemometer that measures wind speed.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42If I lift it up there... 24kmph...
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Oh, peaking at 30kmph speed.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50I'm going to now walk inside the garden and feel the difference,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54down these footpaths, and you can see the edge of the garden here
0:33:54 > 0:33:57with the elder and this lovely evergreen shrub
0:33:57 > 0:34:01which actually is called Japanese spindle euonymus,
0:34:01 > 0:34:05and this basically has leaves on all year round,
0:34:05 > 0:34:10and if we pop down here you'll find it's much more sheltered.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14When I lift the equipment up again, look at the difference.
0:34:14 > 0:34:181.3, 1.2. It's so much calmer in here.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22This Japanese spindle can also cope with salt spray
0:34:22 > 0:34:25coming in from the sea that will kill many plants.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28If you're by the coast you'll need to choose salt-resistant plants
0:34:28 > 0:34:31like this one as your first line of defence.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36Of course, you don't have to use Japanese spindle in your garden.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40You can use all manner of evergreen or deciduous shrubs like holly
0:34:40 > 0:34:44or ivy or evergreen oak, hawthorn or blackthorn,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46and they all do the same thing -
0:34:46 > 0:34:50create a much calmer, warmer, sheltered environment inside.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58As soon as the wind speed is reduced
0:34:58 > 0:35:01and the salty spray has been filtered out,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03more delicate plants can take hold,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06such as this gorgeous cluster of primroses
0:35:06 > 0:35:09and this lovely periwinkle.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Now, these produce a fantastic source of nectar
0:35:12 > 0:35:14and pollen for all manner of insects.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21And this is the trick to creating a successful wildlife garden.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Once you've got shelter, plant nectar-rich flowers
0:35:24 > 0:35:27to feed the insects, and they in turn will bring in the birds.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32The garden at Portland is a perfect example.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35This proves a real honey pot.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37Oh, yeah, absolutely. We're the sort of landfall.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40We're the oasis. All the summer migrants that are coming in
0:35:40 > 0:35:43to spread all over Britain and northwest Europe
0:35:43 > 0:35:45sort of pass through us.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48So how many species of bird will you actually see in the garden?
0:35:48 > 0:35:51We maybe get 200 species a year.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Sort of 300 ever in this sort of garden.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57I once worked out that more birds have been seen in this little spot
0:35:57 > 0:36:00than any other single place in the UK.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04The bird observatory keeps careful records
0:36:04 > 0:36:07of all the species arriving in the garden.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09The birds land in the fine mist nets
0:36:09 > 0:36:11and then are brought in for a check-up.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14It's a blackcap.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18It's a nice male, as well, and this bird will need lots of insects
0:36:18 > 0:36:20to refuel itself after its journey.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22That's right. It's pitched in overnight.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24It's got the bushes to feed up in.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27It needs lots of little bugs to feed on to keep it going
0:36:27 > 0:36:29and then it'll be on its way.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35'I've invited some of the local kids for a rare chance
0:36:35 > 0:36:38'to get close to the incredible birds flying over their homes
0:36:38 > 0:36:41'and stopping in the observatory garden.'
0:36:41 > 0:36:42- And release.- Whoa! That was crazy!
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Now, this is Britain's smallest bird.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48A nice male goldcrest.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50It's absolutely minute.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Fantastic!
0:36:53 > 0:36:58This bird weighs the same as that. Isn't that astonishing?
0:36:58 > 0:37:01Any idea where this bird might have come from?
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- Er, a tree. - Yeah, they live in trees.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09- Any idea what country it might have come from?- France.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13France. Absolutely. This bird has probably come from France
0:37:13 > 0:37:14where it spent the winter
0:37:14 > 0:37:18and Martin tells me it's going all the way up to Scandinavia,
0:37:18 > 0:37:22possibly even as high as Finland. So, who would like to release it?
0:37:22 > 0:37:25- Oh!- Oh, I think your hand came up first.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Right, goodbye, goldcrest. Best of luck
0:37:27 > 0:37:29on your journey to Finland.
0:37:30 > 0:37:31Wahey! There he goes.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38- Wow! Look at that.- Wow!
0:37:38 > 0:37:40- How cool is that?- It looks like a video game character.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Have a look at the colour in that wing.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47- Wow!- Isn't that beautiful? - He's well cool.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49This bird is a goldfinch.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51- It's really nice. - Isn't it a gorgeous bird?
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Are you going to release it?
0:37:53 > 0:37:57- OK.- I'm just going to let it settle down in your hand.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Whoa!
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Wasn't that brilliant?!
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Did you hear it calling as it flew off?
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Where did it go?
0:38:05 > 0:38:07It went flying off.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Brilliant. Hopefully we've got some new bird-watchers in the making.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19You know, shelter can have an enormous impact on wildlife
0:38:19 > 0:38:22and if you've got one of those gardens
0:38:22 > 0:38:24where the wind howls through,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28why not plant yourself a hedge or put a few evergreen shrubs in?
0:38:28 > 0:38:32You'll be amazed at how the wildlife will be enticed in
0:38:32 > 0:38:35and once it's in, why not encourage them to stay?
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Put up a bird box or two.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41Create a huge big flower border packed full of nectar.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47That way you'll turn a cold exposed garden into a warm wildlife refuge.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52For more inspiration on how to turn your garden
0:38:52 > 0:38:55into a haven for wildlife, Mike has advice on our website
0:38:55 > 0:38:58and find out what events are taking place where you live
0:38:58 > 0:39:00in the BBC's Summer of Wildlife.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Still to come,
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Iolo Williams joins the team looking out for our biggest bird of prey.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Here he comes. Look at that! Look at that! Oh, wow.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14And I have an underwater encounter
0:39:14 > 0:39:18with a species making a great recovery from persecution.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21- That was amazing! - I'm glad you enjoyed it.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30There is a complex web of life in the ocean,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33starting with microscopic life forms
0:39:33 > 0:39:35and building up to the giants of the sea.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40We might think that warm tropical seas are best for wildlife,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43but there is a huge diversity of creatures
0:39:43 > 0:39:45around our own coasts as well.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50You might be surprised by what you can find beneath the surface
0:39:50 > 0:39:52even here in the North Sea.
0:39:54 > 0:39:59This is a hermit crab which is using a dog whelk shell for its home.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05Very fabulous, and it's one of many organisms in a single rock pool.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07We've got loads of limpets here
0:40:07 > 0:40:09which everyone will recognise
0:40:09 > 0:40:10and they're fascinating
0:40:10 > 0:40:13because when the tide goes out they return to the same spot,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16the home scar, as it's called.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21This is a butterfish which provides food for the sea birds here.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Now, this one has been caught in this rock pool during this tide,
0:40:24 > 0:40:30but they can live down to 50 metres so they do get affected by trawling.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Some kinds of commercial fishing such as bottom-trawling and dredging
0:40:39 > 0:40:41can cause massive damage to the sea bed,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44destroying delicate habitats.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47If this took place above ground instead of beneath the waves,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49we would all be outraged.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55The good news is that there are now plans
0:40:55 > 0:40:58to create a network of under-sea nature reserves,
0:40:58 > 0:41:01known as marine conservation zones, around our coasts,
0:41:01 > 0:41:05places protected from the most destructive fishing methods,
0:41:05 > 0:41:09allowing time for damaged areas to recover.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11This really cannot happen soon enough.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19And there is something we can all do to help our seas,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21and that's to take care of what we throw away.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25We've been using the seas as a global litter bin for centuries,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28presuming everything will break down and disappear.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32But with our modern materials, that just doesn't happen.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39This is what's known as a mermaid's tear.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42It's one of the building blocks from the plastics industry
0:41:42 > 0:41:45and one of the most common pollutants in the ocean.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49It never biodegrades and so it gets eaten by marine wildlife
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and ends up in the food chain.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55The sands on the Northumberland coast
0:41:55 > 0:41:58are some of most pristine I've ever seen.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02But even here a shocking amount of litter quickly accumulates.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06One of the volunteers keeping the beach clean
0:42:06 > 0:42:10is Gabe Davies from Surfers Against Sewage.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14This is what's been found in the last few hours on Northumbrian beaches
0:42:14 > 0:42:16that the volunteers here have just picked up.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19What's the weirdest thing you've found here?
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Literally anything you can imagine gets washed up.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23This crazy donkey here.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26We like him, but he's going to float round in the sea for years.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28Stuff like that comes high on the list -
0:42:28 > 0:42:30a container saying "corrosive liquid", washed up on the beach.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33That was found by some school kids earlier today.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34That's like industrial waste.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38Yeah, pretty much. Fishing nets. The dog mess bags.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40You name it, it gets washed up.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43It's in the environment and it takes years and years to get rid of.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46A couple of key things that are super easy to spot,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50these are cotton bud sticks.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53An indicator of raw sewage.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Basically, that's been flushed down the toilet.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57Someone in their house, probably a million miles away,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59flushed a cotton bud down the toilet
0:42:59 > 0:43:02and it's going to float round in the sea for years and years and years.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06Cigarette butts, again, may not have been dropped by someone on the beach.
0:43:06 > 0:43:07It might have washed down a river.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11They last 12 years in the environment and pollute three litres of water.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13The plastic is the main worry for me
0:43:13 > 0:43:16because that stays in the environment for hundreds of years.
0:43:16 > 0:43:17Absolute nightmare.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Birds and sea mammals are going to ingest that plastic
0:43:19 > 0:43:23as it disintegrates, and obviously that goes in the food chain
0:43:23 > 0:43:24and that's going to affect us all.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27This must personally drive you crazy.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31- What is your message to people? - Yeah, I mean, I do.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33I get livid when I see the state of beaches.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35I mean, there's really quite simple things
0:43:35 > 0:43:38like, watch what you flush down the toilet.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40You don't want that cotton bud floating around the ocean.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Don't leave it on the beach.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Real simple messages that everyone can take home.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47Most of this is totally preventable.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57This plastic becomes more and more concentrated
0:43:57 > 0:43:59as it travels up the food chain,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02from plankton to fish to sea birds
0:44:02 > 0:44:05and our largest ocean predators.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08One coastal creature at the very top of the food chain
0:44:08 > 0:44:10is the spectacular sea eagle.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13This giant bird of prey has been making a modest return
0:44:13 > 0:44:16from total elimination a century ago.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20But they're still under threat from persecution by us,
0:44:20 > 0:44:24as bird man Iolo Williams discovered when he visited the Isle of Mull.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35I'm on my way to see the biggest bird of prey in Britain.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Now, these birds have a wingspan of 2.5 metres.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41No wonder they call them the flying barn doors
0:44:41 > 0:44:43and although numbers are on the increase,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45they're still under threat today.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52The sea eagle. There are only about 60 breeding pairs
0:44:52 > 0:44:57of these mighty raptors in Britain, all in the wilds of Scotland.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03I can't begin to tell you just how excited I am about this.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07Way back in 1991 when I was working for the RSPB,
0:45:07 > 0:45:12I took two weeks' leave to come up to help warden these birds.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14They were exceedingly rare at that time,
0:45:14 > 0:45:17maybe two, three, four pairs.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21I come back here 22 years later and it's the same two birds,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24the same pair here. I think that's amazing.
0:45:25 > 0:45:31These incredible creatures mate for life and can live beyond 30 years.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34With no natural predators, they should have been safe,
0:45:34 > 0:45:38but over centuries, farmers, landowners and gamekeepers
0:45:38 > 0:45:41shot and poisoned them for eating livestock,
0:45:41 > 0:45:43driving them to extinction.
0:45:44 > 0:45:49The very last breeding pair was killed on the Isle of Skye in 1916.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55Thanks to ground-breaking conservation work in the late '60s,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58sea eagles from Norway were re-introduced into Britain.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06And it's taken almost 40 years of dedication to give them
0:46:06 > 0:46:10a secure foothold here on the Hebridean island of Mull.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14I've come back here to help the RSPB once again
0:46:14 > 0:46:17as they check on a chick born earlier this year.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20And all that climbing is well worthwhile.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24This is a nest of a sea eagle and it's an enormous nest.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26It's taller than I am
0:46:26 > 0:46:31and in it is one very, very healthy-looking chick.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37If we can ring it before it leaves the nest, we may be able to learn
0:46:37 > 0:46:41more vital information about these magnificent birds.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45One of the adult birds has landed in a tree
0:46:45 > 0:46:48just maybe 100m away and the adult birds are quite concerned
0:46:48 > 0:46:49because we're here
0:46:49 > 0:46:53and that's why we're going to do this job as fast as we possibly can.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Justin and Roger from the RSPB
0:46:58 > 0:47:01are very experienced at getting close to the birds.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05Chicks have been ringed here for the past 22 years.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07And there we are. Down safely.
0:47:10 > 0:47:146kg on the dot. OK?
0:47:14 > 0:47:18Wow! Look at the size of that.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24'At six weeks old and only halfway to leaving the nest,
0:47:24 > 0:47:26'this chick is unaware of any threat
0:47:26 > 0:47:29'and is not distressed at being handled.'
0:47:29 > 0:47:31You are a little beauty.
0:47:31 > 0:47:36G1/12.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40I used to ring hen harriers and goshawks and peregrines,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43but this looks ten times more complex than that.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48It is. It's the biggest size of rings we put on British birds, anyway.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52The hope is if someone sees this bird, takes a picture
0:47:52 > 0:47:56and sends it in, the RSPB can work out how the birds are moving
0:47:56 > 0:48:01around Scotland and ultimately where they're settling down to breed.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05If you've handled goshawks and kites, you know what you're up to.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07We put the chick back as soon as we can,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10much to the relief of its anxious mum and dad.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18It's thanks to the dedication and work of people like Dave Sexton
0:48:18 > 0:48:20that these fabulous birds are thriving here.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Well, Dave, looking at the Mull coastline here
0:48:23 > 0:48:27it's easy to see why it's so good for sea eagles.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29It's classic sea eagle country,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32but you've also got all the inland, upland habitats
0:48:32 > 0:48:35and freshwater lochs where they'll go hunting as well.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37But we're talking about a top predator.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40Does everybody welcome it back?
0:48:40 > 0:48:43It's a challenge living back with these big predators.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Sea eagles nesting in forestry - that is an impact.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Foresters have to work around them.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Farmers have concerns about livestock.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54The age-old question of eagles and lambs rages on.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57We know they eat them, but do they kill them?
0:48:57 > 0:49:00And there are projects like the Sea Eagle Management Scheme
0:49:00 > 0:49:03which is a positive scheme that rewards farmers
0:49:03 > 0:49:05and landowners for having these birds.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08- Are they out of danger? - They're safe here.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11Once they leave Mull and head for the mainland
0:49:11 > 0:49:13there are some of those old threats -
0:49:13 > 0:49:16issues like poisoning, which is the biggest threat of all, really -
0:49:16 > 0:49:20to these birds. We hope we can one day wipe that out altogether.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25Mull is a safe haven, but a small one,
0:49:25 > 0:49:27so in order to safeguard the eagle's future,
0:49:27 > 0:49:31the RSPB has released birds on the east coast of Scotland
0:49:31 > 0:49:33to help grow the population.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Rhian Evans is in charge of monitoring
0:49:37 > 0:49:41and tracking the birds' movements on the mainland.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43The reintroduced birds that you're in charge of
0:49:43 > 0:49:44are on the east coast
0:49:44 > 0:49:46and you've come over onto the west coast.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48These birds have travelled a long way.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51They have, and they're so nomadic when they're immature.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54They travel the length of Scotland looking for suitable habitats.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56But because they move so far, that must put them
0:49:56 > 0:49:59in so much more danger than if they stayed in those areas
0:49:59 > 0:50:01where they were released in the first place.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Yeah, unfortunately, they do hit bad spots, and they are
0:50:04 > 0:50:08exposed to poisoning, shooting, rail collisions,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11power line collisions and disturbance,
0:50:11 > 0:50:13so there's all sorts of risks that face them.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16We've only got to lose a handful of adult birds
0:50:16 > 0:50:18and that's a major blow for you.
0:50:18 > 0:50:19They take so long to mature as well,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22and because they don't breed until they're five years old,
0:50:22 > 0:50:24it's important that we don't lose those adult breeding birds
0:50:24 > 0:50:26to make sure the population survives.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34Persecution and poisoning is not just damaging to the eagles.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36It also affects the local economy.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39But the people of Mull are determined to make the most
0:50:39 > 0:50:41of the eagle's presence.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44This is one of a whole range of cruises that take tourists out
0:50:44 > 0:50:49to see these magnificent birds, and on the Isle of Mull alone,
0:50:49 > 0:50:56eagle tourism is worth between £3-5 million every year.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Here he comes. Here comes the eagle now.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04He's coming straight in towards me. Come on. Come on.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07Here he comes. Look at that. Look at that! Oh, wow!
0:51:07 > 0:51:10Wow! I could hear that.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12I could almost feel that as he went overhead
0:51:12 > 0:51:14and he just plucked the fish off the top of the water.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Absolutely incredible.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23I worked for the RSPB for 15 years
0:51:23 > 0:51:27and I dealt with incidents of illegal poisoning,
0:51:27 > 0:51:29illegal shooting and trapping
0:51:29 > 0:51:32and it makes my blood boil to think that
0:51:32 > 0:51:37these birds still face those dangers today.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40We've lost this magnificent bird of prey once from our skies
0:51:40 > 0:51:44and it would be an absolute tragedy if it happened again.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Our coastal species face both old and new threats
0:51:53 > 0:51:54in their battle to survive,
0:51:54 > 0:51:58but amongst all the doom and gloom of declining numbers
0:51:58 > 0:52:02there are some animals making a spectacular comeback from the brink.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Britain's wild creatures don't get much more successful
0:52:08 > 0:52:10than the one I'm about to see.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16The waters around the Farne Islands are a great place to see grey seals.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19These bulky marine mammals were once ruthlessly hunted
0:52:19 > 0:52:23for their skins and meat, while fisherman killed them because
0:52:23 > 0:52:25they competed for fish stocks.
0:52:25 > 0:52:31In the early 20th century, there were fewer than 1,000 in the UK.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Ben Burville is a local seal expert.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36- How are you doing there, Ben? - Hi, Ellie. Come and have a seat.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39Thank you. So seals are doing all right around here, then?
0:52:39 > 0:52:41They are in this particular area of the North Sea.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43They're growing about 6% year on year.
0:52:43 > 0:52:50Around the UK, the seal numbers, the grey seal numbers, are still increasing slightly in most areas.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Grey seals became the first species anywhere in the world
0:52:54 > 0:52:57to be protected by modern legislation
0:52:57 > 0:52:59almost a century ago in 1914.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03This banned hunting during their breeding season
0:53:03 > 0:53:06and the population gradually recovered.
0:53:06 > 0:53:12Now we have close to half the world's population of grey seals here in the UK.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17So the fact that we look after them is important for the global ecosystem, really?
0:53:17 > 0:53:20It is, really. They are the third rarest seal in the world,
0:53:20 > 0:53:22and it's important to remember that,
0:53:22 > 0:53:24despite the fact that the numbers are growing slowly,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27they're really just returning to what they should be
0:53:27 > 0:53:28for the environment around the UK.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31You see them all the time because you're out here all the time.
0:53:31 > 0:53:32Have we got a good chance?
0:53:32 > 0:53:35- There's a relatively good chance. There's a few pups in the water.- Yep.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38There's a good chance of you being able to see them underwater.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41So it's a case of waiting for a while and building up their confidence?
0:53:41 > 0:53:45Definitely. They're inquisitive animals and they just take a bit of time to get adjusted.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48OK. Well, I'm excited about getting in there.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51- Let's get our stuff together. - OK, let's go.- All right.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58The seal's demise was totally at our hands.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01We persecuted these creatures for years
0:54:01 > 0:54:04and I wouldn't be surprised, given the way we've treated them,
0:54:04 > 0:54:06if they now chose to stay away from people.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Ben's advice is to be patient
0:54:16 > 0:54:18and hopefully curiosity will bring them in.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39And, sure enough, they decide to come and say hello.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46Wow! That was amazing.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53They are incredible creatures,
0:54:53 > 0:54:56able to stay underwater on a single breath of air
0:54:56 > 0:55:00for up to 20 minutes and dive down to 300 metres.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06Absolutely incredible!
0:55:06 > 0:55:08You've had some really, really close experiences.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12I know you're a man of science, but how does that make you feel?
0:55:12 > 0:55:14It makes you feel amazing, to be honest.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17It's a really wonderful, it's a magical time, really,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20when a wild animal chooses to interact with you.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22You've got to ask yourself why they're doing that
0:55:22 > 0:55:24and there's a variety of reasons.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26They're very inquisitive animals,
0:55:26 > 0:55:28but there's something fantastic
0:55:28 > 0:55:32when you grab hold of a seal's hand, its front flipper,
0:55:32 > 0:55:37and you squeeze it and it squeezes back, that's pretty magical.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39That's the only word for it, really.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49This water is not warm, but they have a natural wet suit -
0:55:49 > 0:55:51a thick layer of blubber.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54It's so effective that even small seal pups
0:55:54 > 0:55:56can hunt in icy cold waters.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03- Ben, that was amazing! - I'm glad you enjoyed it.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07I reckon we probably had five around us at any one time.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10This is a good spot because there's so many pups,
0:56:10 > 0:56:12and they're inquisitive.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14That was awesome. Absolutely awesome.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16Everybody always says they're like dogs.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18That's a bit of a thing when you're in the water with them,
0:56:18 > 0:56:20but there's something almost a bit alien.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24You're dressed in an alien outfit. You're in an alien environment
0:56:24 > 0:56:28and you have that magical close-up and friendly encounter
0:56:28 > 0:56:30with an alien. It's like we're in their world
0:56:30 > 0:56:33and yet they still offer a friendly encounter and they don't have to.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36I think the magic, really, is that you're interacting
0:56:36 > 0:56:37- with what is a wild animal.- Yeah!
0:56:37 > 0:56:40It's not a pet. It's not a domesticated dog.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43This is a wild animal that fends for itself in pretty harsh conditions
0:56:43 > 0:56:45and it's choosing to interact with you.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48Yeah. It's incredible. I recommend it to anyone. It's fabulous.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54Thanks to long-term conservation efforts,
0:56:54 > 0:56:57the grey seal is now our most common sea mammal
0:56:57 > 0:57:00and can be seen all around our coasts.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05What's amazing about this place is that the wildlife
0:57:05 > 0:57:09is really easy to see and it's just a short boat ride from the mainland,
0:57:09 > 0:57:11and just being here reminds me
0:57:11 > 0:57:14of what a wealth of marine and coastal wildlife
0:57:14 > 0:57:16we have right here in Britain.
0:57:20 > 0:57:25Britain's coasts and seas and the spectacular wildlife that lives here
0:57:25 > 0:57:28are at the very heart of our natural heritage.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32We need to ensure they're also part of our future.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36These places are perhaps the hardest habitats of all to protect
0:57:36 > 0:57:38because so much of what happens to them
0:57:38 > 0:57:42depends on what goes on beyond our shores,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to cherish
0:57:45 > 0:57:48and to save them before it's too late.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53Next time on Britain's Big Wildlife Revival,
0:57:53 > 0:57:56I discover the secret inhabitants of our cities.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59I still find it hard to get used to seeing them here.
0:57:59 > 0:58:04Mike Dilger reveals how to create your very own urban wildlife oasis.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07I love getting my hands dirty.
0:58:07 > 0:58:11And our team of experts champion three city-dwelling species
0:58:11 > 0:58:12battling to survive.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15This is a magical, magical experience.
0:58:38 > 0:58:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd