0:00:02 > 0:00:05Britain's wildlife needs your help.
0:00:05 > 0:00:10Many of our favourite wild creatures are under threat.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12- From persecution. - From pollution.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15And alien predators.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20- Others are losing their homes. - Suffering from injury or disease.
0:00:20 > 0:00:26Or just struggling to survive in the modern world.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31Some could be extinct within our lifetime if we don't act now.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34There's nothing in the sky or even in the trees there, is there?
0:00:34 > 0:00:37But YOU can help bring them back from the brink.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41- Together we can fight their enemies. - Restore the places where they live.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45And stop their decline in its tracks.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Release.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51- Whoa!- Whoa!
0:00:51 > 0:00:55- So, join our campaign. - To save our wonderful wildlife.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57For us all to enjoy.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Oh, look! Ha, ha, ha!
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Ah! Hello to you!
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I mean, how can you not just fall in love with that?
0:01:18 > 0:01:24Britain's rivers. Arteries of life running through our countryside.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26There's an old saying that goes
0:01:26 > 0:01:29"You can never step into the same river twice,
0:01:29 > 0:01:34"because both you and the river will have changed."
0:01:34 > 0:01:40They are a dynamic swirling force of nature that never stays still.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Because of this constant change,
0:01:43 > 0:01:48our rivers are home to a fabulous wealth of wildlife.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56From handsome mallards to minute mayflies.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01Slippery eels to spectacular otters and dazzling kingfishers,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03to snow white swans.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06River creatures are a vital piece of the jigsaw
0:02:06 > 0:02:10that makes Britain and its wildlife so special.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17So just imagine if the amazing wildlife
0:02:17 > 0:02:20in our rivers were to die out.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25Well, that actually happened, not that long ago. Within living memory.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29And if we don't act now, it could well happen again.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32It's hard to believe, but 50 years ago,
0:02:32 > 0:02:37our rivers were so polluted that some were biologically dead.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Since then, we've cleaned up our act,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42but our rivers still face dangers today,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45as our team of wildlife experts discover.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Gordon Buchanan reveals the threats to the mighty king of fish.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54No matter how many times I see it, it just takes my breath away.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Miranda Krestovnikoff fights for a species
0:02:57 > 0:02:59on the very brink of survival.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04If we don't do something about it, right now, it could even go extinct.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08And Mike Dilger takes to the air...
0:03:08 > 0:03:09Up you go!
0:03:09 > 0:03:14..to show you how to turn your garden into a hot spot for wildlife.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26There are more than a thousand rivers in Britain.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29They crisscross our landscape, winding their way
0:03:29 > 0:03:33through our countryside, towns and cities,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37before reaching the open sea.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41The very nature of rivers is what makes them so good for wildlife.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46Animals drink, bathe and live in their waters.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49While rivers also create natural corridors,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53easy pathways for them to travel across our land.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57But rivers can be tough places to live.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02They may look very clean, but a single chemical or sewage spill
0:04:02 > 0:04:07and they could be ruined in a heartbeat.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10We humans have had a major impact on our rivers.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13From changing their flow and straightening their banks,
0:04:13 > 0:04:20to introducing dangerous, invasive species and causing pollution.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Now our changing climate means our rivers
0:04:23 > 0:04:26are suffering from a cycle of flooding and drought
0:04:26 > 0:04:29than can be deadly for our wildlife.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32So we need to always be on our guard,
0:04:32 > 0:04:37because any sudden shift in fortune can spell disaster for our rivers
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and our most beautiful bird is more vulnerable than most.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42As Philippa Forrester discovered.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54The creature that I'm looking for is Britain's most colourful bird.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It's our only member of a tropical family
0:04:57 > 0:05:00and even though it only weighs about two ounces,
0:05:00 > 0:05:05on a good day, this bird can catch upwards of 70 fish.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08The kingfisher.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12With three out of four kingfishers dying before they're one year old
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and only around 6000 breeding pairs,
0:05:16 > 0:05:22these beautiful birds are struggling to survive in Britain.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Kingfishers make their homes in holes in our river banks.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Kingfishers can't live anywhere else.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33They can't adapt to woods or fields or gardens.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37They need a clean river to fish in and the right kind of bank to nest in
0:05:37 > 0:05:41and that leaves them really vulnerable.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Floods are particularly bad for kingfishers.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Those nests can get filled with water
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and baby chicks can even end up drowning.
0:05:49 > 0:05:55The River Trent flows 300km from its source to the sea
0:05:55 > 0:05:57and with high banks and rich clay soil,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01has been a haven for kingfishers for many years.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04One man who's on a quest to help them survive here
0:06:04 > 0:06:07is local naturalist Andy Holt.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09So, I can see why this place is so special for you.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11It's absolutely gorgeous.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15The emotional involvement you get when you're observing wildlife,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17day in day out, I think it's just something
0:06:17 > 0:06:21that, you know, money can't buy.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Andy has filmed the kingfishers
0:06:25 > 0:06:29and the changing landscape here throughout the seasons
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and seen the effects of the wettest summer in the last 100 years.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36What do you see as the main problems here for the kingfishers?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39I think the climate has got to be an issue.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41The river just continually floods.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44If they are completely unable to breed along large stretches
0:06:44 > 0:06:49of our inland waterways, that's just going to be disastrous for them.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54But there is another deadly threat to the survival of the kingfisher.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56The American mink.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00This predatory mammal, introduced to the UK for its fur,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03escaped from captivity from the 1950s onwards
0:07:03 > 0:07:07and has been attacking our native species ever since.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11There are more than 100,000 of them living along our waterways.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15I watched, fairly horrified as the, er...
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I saw the mink swimming across the river,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22went straight up the bank to where the kingfishers' burrow was
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and started trying to access it. It just kept going
0:07:25 > 0:07:28until it eventually got into the burrow and at that point
0:07:28 > 0:07:32I contacted the local Wildlife Trust and...
0:07:32 > 0:07:36I then started, you know, like sort of...
0:07:36 > 0:07:40trapping the bank down by the nest area.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43With the support of his local Wildlife Trust,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Andy was given a license to trap and kill the minks.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Once you actually see what's happening,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53if you don't actually take a stance and do something,
0:07:53 > 0:07:58you're effectively sentencing a lot of the native wildlife
0:07:58 > 0:08:01to a death sentence, effectively.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I don't believe it's our automatic right to kill one species
0:08:04 > 0:08:07to save another, but I don't see any other way
0:08:07 > 0:08:11to save the kingfisher from a terrible fate.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15The kingfishers' future is still in the balance,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18but, thanks to people like Andy, we can still find these birds
0:08:18 > 0:08:20along our river banks.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24He set me up with a hide so that I can catch a glimpse of a pair
0:08:24 > 0:08:28in the throes of a new relationship.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I don't know if you can hear, but as they're sitting there,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33they're just chipping to each other.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Little high-pitched cheeps.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39When she decides that she's finally going to accept him as her bloke,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43she finally accepts a fish from him.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48Here they come. Right, so they're just below me.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51On the tree trunk.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56Courtship is occurring. The presentation of a fish.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I feel very, very lucky today.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01It's one of the best things you can see.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05These two are obviously setting up home together.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Very much in their honeymoon period
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and so I think for now, I'll leave them to it.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13But remarkably, it's not just the countryside
0:09:13 > 0:09:18where you can catch a glimpse of these beautiful birds.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21It's hard to imagine that the precious kingfisher
0:09:21 > 0:09:25can be found just a stone's throw from Twickenham's famous rugby ground.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32This is the River Crane.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34It's a tiny tributary of the mighty Thames,
0:09:34 > 0:09:40but it's here that people power is really keeping the kingfisher alive.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43One Sunday a month, for the past 20 years,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Ian McKinnon has rallied his neighbours
0:09:46 > 0:09:48to help restore this stretch of rivers
0:09:48 > 0:09:51here at the Crane Park Nature Reserve.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56They've created a haven for river wildlife, especially the kingfisher.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Isn't it wonderful? It's an urban oasis.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04We're in the heart of West London, really, and it's absolutely magical.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Block of flats there and you must be Ian?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- I'm Ian, yes.- Hello. Nice to meet you.- And you.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10What are these guys doing?
0:10:10 > 0:10:12They're clearing litter out of the river.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Lots of people would say, "Yeah, but I'm in a city.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17"I can't do anything to help wildlife."
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Oh well, I think we've proved differently here.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23We've created all sorts of different habitats on the nature reserve.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28Reed beds. Hedgerows. Wildflower areas. All sorts of things.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31And what's your star creature, would you say, Ian?
0:10:31 > 0:10:32Because I think we can probably guess!
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Ooh yes, my favourite, I think probably is the kingfisher.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40So much so, he's built them a special nesting site along the river bank.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- So, this is the kingfisher bank. - Yeah, so what's behind?
0:10:43 > 0:10:48So, you've got the front board there to stop the soil falling down.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50What's behind is a wooden room.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53The reason it's got a side walls and a back wall
0:10:53 > 0:10:57is I didn't want foxes digging in and getting the chicks.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59We didn't know if it would work, obviously,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02so they've voted with their feet and they've nested every year since
0:11:02 > 0:11:06- except last year. - And what happened last year?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09There was a pollution incident further up stream on the Crane
0:11:09 > 0:11:11and I'm afraid that killed all the fish.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15So after all that hard work, that must have left you really gutted?
0:11:15 > 0:11:18I think the kingfisher's probably my favourite creature on the reserve,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22so to lose that was really devastating.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27Ian's hoping conditions will improve, so that the kingfishers can return.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35And local ecologist, Joe Pecorelli, is helping him
0:11:35 > 0:11:37by monitoring the effect the pollution has had
0:11:37 > 0:11:40on the rivers' inhabitants and, most importantly,
0:11:40 > 0:11:45the kingfishers' favourite food. Fish.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48So how do we do it? How do we find out the state of the river?
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Well, the best way is to look at the invertebrates
0:11:51 > 0:11:53of the river by doing a kick sample.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56If we only find species that tolerate polluted environments,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- we know we have a problem here. - So, let's get cracking then.- OK.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- So, if I hold the net, you kick? - Yeah.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05SHE LAUGHS
0:12:05 > 0:12:08It's a two-person job!
0:12:08 > 0:12:09Here we go. Just do it for a little bit.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- Normally we'd do this for three minutes.- Yeah.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- And then shall we take it back and have a look?- Yeah.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18We've got, um, fresh water shrimps.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21The mayfly is intolerant of low oxygen,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23so we've got a few of those, which is very promising.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- And it's easy to spot the mayfly. They've got the three tails.- Yeah.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29The thing that's so important about this,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32it might look like we're jogging around in the mud looking at bugs
0:12:32 > 0:12:35which we are, of course, but the significance is that these are
0:12:35 > 0:12:39the base of the food chain and without them we don't have our fish
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and without our fish, of course, we don't have our kingfisher.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Your assessment then, is it good or bad news for the kingfisher?
0:12:45 > 0:12:49My assessment for the kingfisher is that the river is in recovery
0:12:49 > 0:12:54and if we can prevent future pollution events happening,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58the river will recover enough to sustain the fish
0:12:58 > 0:13:00that will then sustain the kingfisher.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09What would a British river be without the kingfisher?
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Well, for me, it would have lost some of its sparkle.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Something really magical.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20We need to make sure that never happens.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26In our busy lives,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30a beautiful river can be a quiet place for contemplation.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Somewhere to get in touch with nature.
0:13:40 > 0:13:46And my way of relaxing is to jump in for a refreshing dip.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Wild swimming is becoming more and more popular.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Make sure you find a safe, recommended place
0:13:54 > 0:13:58and then immerse yourself in cool, fresh water.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I feel like humans are really drawn to water
0:14:07 > 0:14:11and rivers give us a chance to get close to it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I certainly remember when I was a kid.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I used to swim in the river in my great-grandparents' garden
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and be all freaked out by the weed wrapping round my legs.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I'd also play in the stream at the bottom of my valley,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26just damming it up and mucking around.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30And now my children are doing exactly the same thing.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33They are great places.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Another great reason I enjoy wild swimming
0:14:38 > 0:14:43is that I can get a close-up view of some beautiful river dwellers.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52All along this river bank I am seeing tonnes of dragonflies
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and damselflies and, in particular, loads of these.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00Banded demoiselles, they are also called water butterflies,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03because the bands make it look like their wings are fluttering.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07They're EVERYWHERE around here!
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Oh, wow! And they have such an interesting life.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13A lot of it is spent at the larval stage, under water,
0:15:13 > 0:15:18sometimes up to a couple of years, where they are voracious predators.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22This stage, the adult stage, where they emerge
0:15:22 > 0:15:27and fly around is special because it only lasts for a couple of weeks
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and their sole purpose during that time is to mate.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34So you'll occasionally see a few of them coupled together.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Absolutely gorgeous. The males are this beautiful blue
0:15:38 > 0:15:42and yet the females are an emeraldy green.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Amazing animals.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49This gentle stream looks as if it's never been touched by human hand,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54but in fact there are hardly any rivers unaffected by us.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Not all that long ago, we straightened their sides,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00dredging out gravel to increase the river flow,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04so destroying essential habitat for wildlife.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Here in Dorset, river keeper, John Aplin,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11is helping to rebuild the diversity of this beautiful chalk stream.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14A quick dip is always a nice way to end the day.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- You've got a tough job! - Yeah, yeah!
0:16:16 > 0:16:18THEY LAUGH
0:16:18 > 0:16:21How far back do you and rivers go?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Erm, I think I first went to a river with my dear father, fishing,
0:16:24 > 0:16:30when I was 5 and for one reason or another, it's been there ever since.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I mean, what a place to have as my office.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35So what's so special about it?
0:16:35 > 0:16:39It's a big vein running through the Dorset countryside.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It brings life from the invertebrates that live
0:16:42 > 0:16:45on the bed of the river, the fish that eat them,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49the birds that eat them. The whole ecosystem, you know, it's all there.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It seems amazing that in a single lifetime
0:16:51 > 0:16:54they could have changed the way they managed rivers so radically.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Straightening it. Taking all the gravel out.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Then within the same lifetime putting it back to how it was again.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- It seems extraordinary.- Amazing. We had a machine driver on a project.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06He said to me, "30 years ago, I was taking this out
0:17:06 > 0:17:08"and now I'm in the very same place putting it back in."
0:17:08 > 0:17:12We're now healing what we thought was right 30, 40 years ago.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14We're putting it back.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18But there are some threats John can do little about.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Rivers provide much of the water piped to our homes
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and one out of three is now under threat
0:17:24 > 0:17:28from having too much water removed to meet our needs.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Do you have any worries about rivers and the future?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Um, my only worry for rivers of the future
0:17:33 > 0:17:37is the growing population and the growing demand on water.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39You know our rivers, they're fragile ecosystems.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43You know, when people say, "Don't flush the toilet so many times,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45"don't leave the tap running when you clean your teeth,"
0:17:45 > 0:17:48in the grand scheme of things, that really matters
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and it does make a huge amount of difference.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Today, it's my chance to give John a helping hand
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and I'm on weeding duty.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00What are we going to do with that piece of mean-looking kit?
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I'd like you to just cut a bit of weed.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- We're just trying to speed up the current through here.- Yeah.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Bring some oxygenated water through.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- OK.- It will keep this bit of gravel clear,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11ready for when fish come up and spawn later in the autumn.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13If you just hold the scythes like that.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Oh! So this is all too long around here, then, is it?
0:18:16 > 0:18:21Yep. Just trim some of that, just to channel the water through.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23- I've given it all a good old hair cut.- Very good.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26I'm sure it's not quite the right technique!
0:18:26 > 0:18:30There's different environments within a very short bit of river.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34In some of the margins, we like a little bit of silt to build up,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37obviously for the vegetation, for the rushes.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39But also for things like mayfly.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42The mayfly larvae love to live in silty bits of the river,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45so it's all about variety.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47I'm just looking upstream just now
0:18:47 > 0:18:51and the whole surface of the water is dancing, isn't it.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- It's just a throng with flying invertebrates.- Yeah, yeah.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57It's a sign of a really healthy river.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01When the insects thrive, you know the waters are clean
0:19:01 > 0:19:06and supporting plenty of wildlife.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09People like John have championed our rivers
0:19:09 > 0:19:13and worked incredibly hard so that now, they sing with life.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16But sadly, that doesn't mean we can congratulate ourselves,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19because new and unexpected threats are appearing
0:19:19 > 0:19:24all the time, as Miranda Krestovnikoff has been finding out.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32The animal I really want you to help me save
0:19:32 > 0:19:35is certainly not cute and cuddly.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It's got powerful claws, that can give you a nasty nip
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and most of us have never even seen one.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Yet it needs our help more than any other British creature,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49because if we don't do something about it right now,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52it could even go extinct.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02The white-clawed crayfish is being wiped out from our rivers.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06So here he is, the white-clawed crayfish
0:20:06 > 0:20:08and I know he's not going to win a beauty contest,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12but as a marine biologist with a passion for things wet and watery,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I'm here to convince you that this little creature needs saving.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17He's that important.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19The white-clawed is our only native crayfish
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and evolved in harmony with all our river creatures
0:20:22 > 0:20:28and plays a vital role in the natural food chain.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30But beneath the surface of Britain's rivers
0:20:30 > 0:20:37lurks an alien monster crayfish, and it's annihilating our native variety.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44The American signal crayfish is threatening river systems
0:20:44 > 0:20:46across much of Britain.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54This monster crustacean was brought here in the 1970s
0:20:54 > 0:20:59as part of a crayfish farming experiment that went horribly wrong.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03These foreign invaders escaped, spread and multiplied,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05killing and eating everything in their path.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Today, they've contaminated almost every river system in England.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Seemingly unstoppable, they go from streams to rivers
0:21:13 > 0:21:16and even march over land.
0:21:16 > 0:21:23But on the rivers of Hertfordshire, the fight back has begun.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26And it's being led by Crayfish Bob.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- Hi, Bob, how are you doing?- Hello, Miranda.- Lovely day for it.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Bob traps them for a living.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36It's a great chance for me to come face-to-face with the enemy.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40So this is the problem animal. This is the American signal crayfish.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43So called because they're meant to signal to each other
0:21:43 > 0:21:45with these red undersides of their claws
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and these little white flashes in the joint there.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52They're very much bigger than our native white-clawed crayfish.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56I mean, nothing's going to escape the crushing power of that big claw.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00But the American crayfish is also very tasty
0:22:00 > 0:22:04and Bob thinks we should be eating them for lunch.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- Look at this, you see. - Ah! Oh my goodness.- OK.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10It really feels like, as you were saying,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- the river bed is crawling with them. - It's crawling with them, yeah.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15We've got a massive problem here.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19It's not just one or two, there are hundreds, there are thousands...
0:22:19 > 0:22:21- There are billions of them. Yeah.- Billions of them.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25When we're dealing with quantities like this,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29is it really a realistic thing to try and eat them to get rid of them?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Well, it's gone!
0:22:31 > 0:22:32SHE LAUGHS
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Sadly, although we've taken a good number out of this river,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37this is just a drop in the ocean
0:22:37 > 0:22:42as the alien crayfish are in so many waterways across Britain.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44You also need a permit to trap them
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and you're not allowed to trap anywhere near the British crayfish
0:22:47 > 0:22:49we're trying to save.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53But Bob wants to encourage US-style crayfish cook-ups.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Wow! Look at that colour!
0:22:56 > 0:22:58It does them no harm to soak in there for a while.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01These guys will be happy to get out.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- Amazing. It smells really good as well, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Amazing how they could go from these menacing-looking creatures to dinner.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- In 10 minutes flat.- It's really something very attractive, yeah.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16OK. So the next stage is eating them.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- There are some superb flavours in there.- Wow. That looks really good.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24It is. You might, uh... these have been cleaned through, anyway.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Oh, it's beautiful and it's not that slightly fishy flavour
0:23:27 > 0:23:29that you get from lobster or crab.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33It's a really beautiful, mild, mellow... Mmm!
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Catching and eating the American invaders is one possible solution,
0:23:37 > 0:23:44but we may need an even more radical one to save our British crayfish.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46On the outskirts of Bradford, a group of volunteers
0:23:46 > 0:23:52are collecting white-clawed crayfish to move them to an arc site.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Just like Noah, they want to find safe havens,
0:23:55 > 0:24:00where the American crayfish cannot reach and move them, two by two.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03- OK, so that's a male. - They need isolating,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06because the American invader also carries a plague
0:24:06 > 0:24:09that is lethal to our British crayfish.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Morning, chaps.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Whilst we don't catch this plague, we have helped spread it,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16by moving between river systems.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20We just want to make sure that you're not carrying crayfish plague
0:24:20 > 0:24:26or pests or diseases that might affect the wildlife in this pond.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Ecologist Stephanie Peay has been protecting British crayfish
0:24:29 > 0:24:31for over 20 years.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Right, so all of us have got to be disinfected. Crew included.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36Including the crew, yes.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40OK. All right, I'll just have a bit of a scrub, then.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Right, that's me done, your turn.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- Yes!- I think we're in luck.- Oh, ho, ho. Good one.- Not just one!
0:24:56 > 0:24:59That's fantastic. What have you got? Two or three in there?
0:24:59 > 0:25:01There's two in the corner. There's three.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03- Wow! That's great. - A beautiful white-clawed male.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- Can I hold him? - Yes. Go ahead.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Let's get a good look at him.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11So he's not the most beautiful, charismatic, cute, cuddly animal
0:25:11 > 0:25:13in the universe, but you love them, don't you?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15You're really passionate about crayfish.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20Oh, well, they're not cute, but they're really interesting animals.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23This body plan's been around for millions of years.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27We've got binocular vision, you know, eyes separated out
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and we can hear whether a sound's coming from one side or the other.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Or they can smell whether the odour is coming
0:25:32 > 0:25:34from one side or the other.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- Because of these amazingly long antennae.- Yeah, yeah.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43'These dedicated volunteers have collected as many
0:25:43 > 0:25:45'of the British crayfish as they can.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47'The aim is to help them
0:25:47 > 0:25:51'escape the threat of plague by moving them to a safer site nearby.'
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- See, there's some really good places to put crayfish here, Miranda.- OK.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02That nice, slow flowing water is just what we want.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04- Right, just stick them down over there then.- Yup.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Let's have a look in the box.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10This is some of the ones we caught earlier. This is the first box.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- There's loads.- Would you like to choose a nice spot?
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- Say maybe...- Well, down there looks great, doesn't it?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19There's a nice slab there with a crevice underneath it
0:26:19 > 0:26:21on the right-hand side. OK.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28'This is just the start and we really do need to think big
0:26:28 > 0:26:31'if we're going to save our native crayfish.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34'Don't forget that this is the animal most likely to go
0:26:34 > 0:26:37'extinct in Britain today.'
0:26:37 > 0:26:41If we don't succeed in saving the British white-clawed crayfish
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and we allow the alien American species to take over,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47this could be absolutely devastating for Britain's rivers
0:26:47 > 0:26:51and streams, so let's not give up on this little creature.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Right, off you go, little chap.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Good luck cos you're going to need it.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08'Still to come on Britain's Big Wildlife Revival -
0:27:08 > 0:27:12'Mike Dilger gets a bird's eye view of a wildlife garden.'
0:27:12 > 0:27:13Unleash the hexicopter.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20'And I'm on the trail of a fantastic success story.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23'A top river creature returning to our waters.'
0:27:23 > 0:27:26You just don't know when they're going to pop up.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34'Rivers are not just a home for our beautiful wildlife,
0:27:34 > 0:27:39'they've also played a part in our development and history.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44'Providing a constant supply of fresh water and a natural transport route,
0:27:44 > 0:27:49'it's not surprising that behind every great city lies a great river.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54'Here in Newcastle the city is built along the banks of the River Tyne.'
0:27:54 > 0:27:59Rivers like the Tyne helped our civilisation grow and flourish,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01but that brought its own problems.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07'The growth of the city led to terrible consequences for the river.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12'Millions of tonnes of raw sewage poured into the Tyne
0:28:12 > 0:28:15'while factories on the banks added their toxic waste.'
0:28:16 > 0:28:19If I had been here at the beginning of the 20th century,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22I would have been overcome by the stench.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25In fact, by the 1950s, the River Tyne
0:28:25 > 0:28:28was the most polluted river in Britain.
0:28:28 > 0:28:34So much so that the local MP declared it a national disgrace.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37'The Tyne was dying
0:28:37 > 0:28:40'and the same was true for rivers right across the country.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44'But thankfully it's now a very different picture.'
0:28:44 > 0:28:49Today, the River Tyne is cleaner than it has been for decades
0:28:49 > 0:28:53and helping to keep it that way is the crew of the Clearwater.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59'For five days a week, 52 weeks of the year,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02'this boat patrols the river.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06'David Howsby has been pulling out anything from branches that could
0:29:06 > 0:29:10'hit boats to debris that can pollute the water and impact the wildlife.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:14- Are you all right there, David? - Yeah, I'm all right.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16- A massive piece of wood. - Yeah, it's quite big.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Is this normal for what you guys pick up?
0:29:19 > 0:29:22- Yeah, sometimes it's a lot bigger. - Really?- Yeah.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24What would you say is the most unusual stuff you've had?
0:29:24 > 0:29:29We've had pigs, sheep, a mobility scooter before. A bag of silver.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31- A bag of silver?- Yeah. - Did you get to keep it?
0:29:31 > 0:29:32No, we had to hand it in, like.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36Oh, you didn't! I'd have been on eBay that night.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41- What else have you had?- Er, shopping trolleys, fridges...- Wow.
0:29:41 > 0:29:42You name it, we get it.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48'It's a constant battle to keep the rubbish from piling up
0:29:48 > 0:29:51'and affecting the water quality, but it is working.'
0:29:52 > 0:29:56'And crucially there are now laws that prevent raw sewage
0:29:56 > 0:29:59'and toxic waste being pumped straight into our rivers.'
0:30:01 > 0:30:05'Keeping a careful watch on the health in this river is
0:30:05 > 0:30:08'the Environment Agency's John Shelley.'
0:30:08 > 0:30:12So, how bad was this river when it was at its worst?
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Well, at its worst, Ellie, the river was very bad indeed.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19There were virtually no fish swimming through the estuary and
0:30:19 > 0:30:23in the '20s and '30s the dissolved oxygen level was extremely low.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- Sometimes down to absolute zero... - Really?
0:30:26 > 0:30:30..so pollution took all the oxygen out of the water and obviously
0:30:30 > 0:30:35once the oxygen's out of the water, then the fish can't survive.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37So, now comparing it, you've got this oxygen probe in there,
0:30:37 > 0:30:39what are we getting a reading of?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42- I'll just give it a moment or two to stabilise.- All right.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45From that 0%,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49it is reading now 77% dissolved oxygen
0:30:49 > 0:30:50which is a really good reading.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54That'll help support fish populations and other wildlife.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59'As rivers like the Tyne were restored, one very special creature
0:30:59 > 0:31:01'became a real success story.'
0:31:02 > 0:31:06This mighty fish which travels far and wide,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09having once disappeared from these waters,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11made an extraordinary comeback.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15But just when we thought it was out of danger, it turns out
0:31:15 > 0:31:18we got it wrong, as Gordon Buchanan's been discovering.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34There's one species that no matter how many times I see it,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37it just takes my breath away.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39A bit like this cold water.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44This creature deserves the title, The King Of Fish.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51'The wild salmon.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53'Fish don't get more brilliant than this.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55'This remarkable fish swims
0:31:55 > 0:31:58'hundreds of miles out to sea
0:31:58 > 0:32:03'and then uses its in-built sat nav to find its way back home -
0:32:03 > 0:32:05'leaping over every obstacle in its path.'
0:32:07 > 0:32:10But now these unique creatures desperately need our help.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Because salmon have incredibly complex life cycles, it only
0:32:14 > 0:32:18takes one small environmental change to land this magnificent
0:32:18 > 0:32:19fish in big trouble.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25'So, what are the problems?
0:32:25 > 0:32:30'Well, at one time, it was pollution, but now incredibly we're losing
0:32:30 > 0:32:34'our salmon even in the pristine waters of the Scottish Highlands.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36'There are lots of theories why.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38'It may have started with over fishing,
0:32:38 > 0:32:42'but now salmon farms are also being blamed.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45'Another fear is that climate change may be causing
0:32:45 > 0:32:49'problems in the ocean where salmon feed.'
0:32:49 > 0:32:52'What we do know is that for every 20 salmon that head out to sea,
0:32:52 > 0:32:58'only one makes it back to the river to breed and this catastrophic
0:32:58 > 0:33:02'drop in the numbers of returning salmon means that fewer
0:33:02 > 0:33:05'and fewer are managing to leap over the barriers in their path.'
0:33:09 > 0:33:11This is Rogie Falls.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14The impressive thing about this place is not the waterfall itself,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16it's what the salmon do here.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19They have to leap more than twice my height to get past this
0:33:19 > 0:33:20natural barrier.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Some of the biggest obstacles that salmon
0:33:29 > 0:33:33encounter are right at the end of their migration,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37so we can give them a helping hand by putting in these fish ladders
0:33:37 > 0:33:42that enable them to get to the top without exhausting themselves.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Same can't be said for me.
0:33:48 > 0:33:53And typically the last one is the highest and for a salmon
0:33:53 > 0:33:57this is the point that it knows that it's nearly made it and they're
0:33:57 > 0:34:04looking for the final step which takes them beyond the waterfall.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07All the hardships that they've met in life are behind them.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13Then further upriver from here - that's where they'll spawn,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15that's where they'll die
0:34:15 > 0:34:18and that's where this incredible cycle of life starts again.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27'Despite the building of salmon ladders, very few salmon
0:34:27 > 0:34:31'are returning and the spotlight is currently falling on the
0:34:31 > 0:34:37'salmon-farming industry which has increased massively in recent years.
0:34:37 > 0:34:44'Today, incredibly, there are 50 farmed salmon for every one in the wild.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46'The fear is that these intensively-farmed salmon
0:34:46 > 0:34:50'are contaminating the waters with deadly lice.'
0:34:53 > 0:34:55'Fly fishermen were the first to notice the
0:34:55 > 0:34:58'huge decline of salmon in their rivers.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02'But now they're helping to revive their favourite fish.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06'On the River Carron in the Highlands they put back any wild salmon
0:35:06 > 0:35:11'they take, but this catch and release scheme has gone one stage further.'
0:35:13 > 0:35:18'Bob Kindness is on a one-man mission to return the salmon to his river.'
0:35:21 > 0:35:24So, what have we got in here? Can you tell through the net?
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Yes, this is a small hen.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29It's about 4lbs in size and if I take this back to the hatchery
0:35:29 > 0:35:32and then take eggs from it, I'll get about 3000 eggs from this fish.
0:35:32 > 0:35:39Wow. Oh, she's lovely, look at the colours. Amazing. Beautiful.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45It looks as if you've won the top prize at a fair.
0:35:45 > 0:35:46BOB LAUGHS
0:35:46 > 0:35:48It's a big goldfish.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54'Bob takes this female salmon away so that he can harvest the eggs for
0:35:54 > 0:35:58'his breeding programme with the aim of restoring salmon to the river.'
0:36:00 > 0:36:03So, what's the advantage of bringing this female in from the river?
0:36:03 > 0:36:05By taking this fish in and stripping her,
0:36:05 > 0:36:09- I'll get a success rate as high as 99%.- Wow.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13So, if that fish that I've just put in produces say 3000 eggs,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16I can be putting almost 3000 young fish back into the river.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Whereas that fish, if it was left to spawn naturally,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21would put a fraction of that back in.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24So, what you're basically doing in a hatchery is you're protecting
0:36:24 > 0:36:27the young stock from all the problems that they're likely
0:36:27 > 0:36:29to have in the wild.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33'Incredibly, Bob released 150,000 salmon into the River Carron
0:36:33 > 0:36:35'last year alone.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38'Time for me to help set the next batch free.'
0:36:40 > 0:36:45These fish are about six months old now, so it's time for them
0:36:45 > 0:36:47to head off into the river.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50Christmas has come early.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Just in about here? So, do I just..?
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Just beyond that stone in front of you. Yeah.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06'Without Bob, the vast majority of these fish would already have died.'
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Good luck to every one of you.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12So they just have to orientate themselves a little bit.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Yeah, you can see how quickly they move away.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16There you go. You're wild.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20It is fantastic to see all these little fish.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25When they get out to sea, they have this epic journey ahead of them
0:37:25 > 0:37:27before they think about returning back to this river
0:37:27 > 0:37:30and I think it's a testament to how incredible these fish are -
0:37:30 > 0:37:35the fact that some of these fish will return to this river as giants.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44'There are now enough salmon for the return
0:37:44 > 0:37:47'of the angling tourist like me.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49'On a catch and release basis, of course.'
0:37:51 > 0:37:53I've got the waders, I've got the rod.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56It's just the technique that's a bit rubbish.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00'This may all seem a million miles away from you,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04'but we can all do something to help the fish in our rivers.'
0:38:04 > 0:38:07For anglers, catch and release is a fantastic way of enjoying
0:38:07 > 0:38:11the environment, enjoying the fish and you're not taking anything away.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15Another great thing that everybody can do is join an organisation
0:38:15 > 0:38:18that helps keep this habitat clean -
0:38:18 > 0:38:20clearing up river banks. And that's something, no matter
0:38:20 > 0:38:23how old or how young you are, we can all do.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26'But in my view we also need to investigate why
0:38:26 > 0:38:30'so many salmon aren't making it back from the sea.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33'The big issues of climate change, fish farming and over fishing
0:38:33 > 0:38:38'can only be solved if we come together and make our voices heard.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43'Only then will we have a chance of saving the king of fish -
0:38:43 > 0:38:45'the wild salmon.'
0:38:53 > 0:38:57'Here on the River Tyne, the salmon have made a great comeback.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02'That's thanks to the efforts made to restore this mighty river to
0:39:02 > 0:39:04'a healthy state.'
0:39:04 > 0:39:10And there are some surprises right at the heart of Newcastle city centre.
0:39:12 > 0:39:19Above all the traffic noise down here, you can hear a racket of bird-calling up on the bridge.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23They're Kittiwakes and they're so-called, a bit like cuckoos,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25because of the sound that they make.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31And the really surprising thing is that they are true sea birds.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34I associate them exclusively with cliff faces and the ocean
0:39:34 > 0:39:38and yet here they are nesting five miles from the sea.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43And this is a truly unique site.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47No other colony of kittiwakes lives this far from the coast
0:39:47 > 0:39:49anywhere in the world.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55From March to September every year, these delightful birds come
0:39:55 > 0:39:57here to nest and raise a family.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01James Littlewood from the Tyne Kittiwake Partnership
0:40:01 > 0:40:05is up on the city's prime-viewing spot.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08James, why is there a sea bird colony right in the middle of this
0:40:08 > 0:40:10city along the river?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Well, firstly they're using the buildings as fake cliffs
0:40:13 > 0:40:15which is where they normally nest.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19They use the river for bathing, mainly,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21and they also take some food from the surface and they make
0:40:21 > 0:40:25their nesting materials from the mud and the seaweed at low tide.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27These birds are doing a 100 mile round trip to
0:40:27 > 0:40:30feed their young off the Northumberland coast
0:40:30 > 0:40:33so it's an incredibly long way to go to find food.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34But they're clearly thriving here,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37so there must be something on offer for them.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41Whether they're protected from storms and the sea...
0:40:41 > 0:40:45It might also be that when the young fledge, if they're on a sea cliff
0:40:45 > 0:40:48they have to cope with the wild North Sea, whereas here they've
0:40:48 > 0:40:51got a nice, calm river for them to get used to flying
0:40:51 > 0:40:53and develop into adult birds.
0:40:53 > 0:40:54And how do people view them?
0:40:54 > 0:40:56The people who live here and tourists?
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Well, I would say at least half the population of Newcastle
0:40:59 > 0:41:00think they're brilliant.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04It's absolutely wonderful to have a natural spectacular
0:41:04 > 0:41:06like this in the city centre that people can enjoy.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08They love the sounds.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12They think they're charismatic and a lot of people think they're actually part of Newcastle now.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17But obviously they do create a lot of mess with the nesting material.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20The ground below does not look grey as it should do.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23No. That's right and they're also quite noisy as well,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26but, you know, Newcastle is famed for its Saturday night out
0:41:26 > 0:41:29in Newcastle and on a Sunday morning, Newcastle city centre
0:41:29 > 0:41:33looks a bit of a mess anyway, so what difference do a few birds make?
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I love that. Brilliant.
0:41:37 > 0:41:38'The kittiwakes travel up
0:41:38 > 0:41:41'and down the river during the breeding season.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44'Not only do the clean waters of the Tyne provide them
0:41:44 > 0:41:47'with nesting material and the occasional snack,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50'the river also guides them to the coast.'
0:41:53 > 0:41:57'Many animals use rivers as an easy pathway
0:41:57 > 0:41:59'across our cluttered landscape.'
0:42:00 > 0:42:03'Providing routes for animals to travel along is
0:42:03 > 0:42:07'something you can also do much closer to home,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10'as our wildlife gardener Mike Dilger reveals.'
0:42:17 > 0:42:19'I'm really lucky to have a river flowing past
0:42:19 > 0:42:21'the end of my garden.'
0:42:23 > 0:42:26'It also winds past many of the gardens in my village -
0:42:26 > 0:42:28'drawing them together
0:42:28 > 0:42:33'and providing wildlife with an easy passage through the neighbourhood.'
0:42:33 > 0:42:36We often think of our gardens as private, enclosed spaces,
0:42:36 > 0:42:37but do you know what?
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Wildlife doesn't see it like that.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44'Many animals will drop in for a quick visit whilst
0:42:44 > 0:42:46'searching for food or shelter.'
0:42:50 > 0:42:53So, if we were to make our garden more attractive to mammals,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56birds and insects we have to think of our garden as one small
0:42:56 > 0:42:58jigsaw piece in a massive puzzle.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02'In my village, some of my neighbours are encouraging
0:43:02 > 0:43:05'connections between their gardens.'
0:43:08 > 0:43:12'In Penny Robinson's, there is a wealth of wildlife.'
0:43:13 > 0:43:15This is our badger sett.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Wow. Not everybody gets a badger living in their garden.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22That's fantastic. You're very lucky.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24We are. We sometimes see them in the morning,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26coming back from their forage.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29One year, we saw a mother take her babies across the garden.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31But they're beautiful creatures.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34And you've got a nice, porous fence at the back I can see,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36so they can come and go as they see fit.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39'They can easily travel into the field behind,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42'as well as into Lucy's garden next door.'
0:43:42 > 0:43:46- The great thing is your gardens all connect together.- Yes.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49What kind of animals have you seen moving between the gardens?
0:43:49 > 0:43:53We've got foxes and we've definitely had deer in the garden.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57We have Penny's badgers and hedgehogs.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00'A fence with gaps might seem simple,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03'but at night mammals are on the move and fencing that stops them
0:44:03 > 0:44:06'in their tracks can cause all sorts of problems.'
0:44:09 > 0:44:13'Hedgehogs have been particularly affected by solid garden boundaries
0:44:13 > 0:44:16'that block their nocturnal searching.'
0:44:16 > 0:44:19'So, plant a bush rather than a fence or at least
0:44:19 > 0:44:22'cut a hole in the base for animals like hedgehogs to use.'
0:44:24 > 0:44:27'Once wild creatures can move between gardens, you can start to
0:44:27 > 0:44:30'plan your area as one connected space.'
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Have you thought about trying to make your respective gardens
0:44:34 > 0:44:36all more wildlife friendly together?
0:44:36 > 0:44:39For example, do any of you have a pond or any fresh water in the garden?
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Not at the moment, but we have an old sand pit, which is quite a big area that we'd like to
0:44:42 > 0:44:45make into a pond around the other side of the house.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48I like the way you're talking.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Fantastic. What about the kids? Are they keen on wildlife?
0:44:50 > 0:44:52They are wildlife.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54THEY LAUGH
0:44:56 > 0:45:01'If your gardens connect, your patch doesn't have to provide everything.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04'A pond in just one of these gardens will be the drinking spot
0:45:04 > 0:45:06'for the whole neighbourhood.'
0:45:08 > 0:45:12'It takes a different tactic to help our insects.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15'They can fly over boundaries, but need food for their journey
0:45:15 > 0:45:20'and Penny's garden serves up a positive smorgasbord of nectar.'
0:45:21 > 0:45:24Oh, Penny, this area is lovely.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29We only mow this once a year, so try and keep it as wild as possible.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33We've got the dandelions, the fritillaries, the primroses
0:45:33 > 0:45:34and the celandine.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37It's just our wild area.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41'We're used to seeing the daytime visitors, but I want to show
0:45:41 > 0:45:46'the kids from the cul-de-sac the huge range of nocturnal callers.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49'I set up a trap overnight to catch what was passing by.'
0:45:51 > 0:45:53- Who knows what this is? - A moth trap.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57It is, Harry, it's a moth trap. So we'll lift that off.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01Whoa, look at these! They're called grey Muslin.
0:46:01 > 0:46:02Who'd like to hold one?
0:46:02 > 0:46:05Oh, I think Cameron's hand went up first.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09You can quite often flick them off. There we go.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11It feels ticklish.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14All the moths are moving between all the gardens
0:46:14 > 0:46:16and they've flown in from all around.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20So they could have been in that garden or that garden or that garden.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22There's a nice moth on that one.
0:46:22 > 0:46:27- Where's that? Ooh, yes, well spotted. Ooh...- It's flying!
0:46:28 > 0:46:30It's gone.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35That was an Early Thorn which has gone. Never mind.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37'Moths are the hidden creatures of our gardens
0:46:37 > 0:46:41'and just like butterflies need plenty of varied habitat.'
0:46:41 > 0:46:42So, what you've got here is
0:46:42 > 0:46:46you've got a beautiful moth called a Purple Thorn and a really boring
0:46:46 > 0:46:51one called a Clouded Drab, so you've got beauty and the beast there. OK.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Emily, there's one on your back! That's my one.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59There he goes. It's all right. It won't do any harm.
0:46:59 > 0:47:00CHILDREN LAUGH AND CHATTER
0:47:00 > 0:47:04There he goes. There! Where's he gone? Oh, look at this.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Look at this!
0:47:08 > 0:47:11'The other animals that will be travelling around the neighbourhood
0:47:11 > 0:47:13'are of course the birds.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15'Our gardens are part of the bigger picture
0:47:15 > 0:47:19'and in our village, surrounded by fields, birds will be
0:47:19 > 0:47:21'looking to the gardens for food and lodging.'
0:47:23 > 0:47:26I was envious before, Penny, but now I'm positively jealous,
0:47:26 > 0:47:28because you have a woodland in your garden.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32You've got horse-chestnut up here. You've got field maple.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34There's a massive ash tree behind.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37You've got loads of fruit and nuts for all manner of birds
0:47:37 > 0:47:41in the winter and places to breed, as well, in the spring and summer.
0:47:41 > 0:47:42There's just everything a bird needs.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46'It can be hard to imagine how our garden really looks
0:47:46 > 0:47:47'to the animal world.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51'The way they see our private patch is very different to us.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54'But I can give Penny an unusual insight into how the garden
0:47:54 > 0:47:58'looks to the birds and insects flying overhead.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00'By giving our camera wings.'
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Wow.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06'The camera rides underneath the helicopter blades to capture
0:48:06 > 0:48:08'a bird's eye view.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10'The images are then beamed down from above
0:48:10 > 0:48:13'to these futuristic-looking glasses.'
0:48:13 > 0:48:15- Ready?- Yeah.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Unleash the hexicopter.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26- Can you see yourself? - Yeah.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28Up you go!
0:48:37 > 0:48:41Oh, my gosh. We're above the trees. I can see the roof.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43The drive, the cars.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50The lovely thing is you're getting a perfect bird's eye perspective.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53The reason why your garden is so great is, first and foremost,
0:48:53 > 0:48:57you've got lovely, big, mature trees, but also, as well,
0:48:57 > 0:49:01lots of porous boundaries so the wildlife can easily move between.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10So, do you appreciate how your garden looks now from a wildlife point of view?
0:49:10 > 0:49:13Absolutely. You can see how they interlink.
0:49:13 > 0:49:14Yeah, they interlink, exactly.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16The wildlife doesn't know what's your garden
0:49:16 > 0:49:18and what's Lucy's or what's Ann's.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21It'll just hop over the fence and feed in yours.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25So the continuity of all the gardens together -
0:49:25 > 0:49:27the network of them is so important.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33That sounds close!
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Wow!
0:49:37 > 0:49:40- Have you ever seen your garden like that before?- No.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45That's absolutely amazing.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47Incredible. Really incredible.
0:49:50 > 0:49:55'It's easy to forget our gardens represent individual jigsaw pieces
0:49:55 > 0:49:57'in a much bigger puzzle.'
0:49:59 > 0:50:02'So, creating nature-friendly corridors between them will make
0:50:02 > 0:50:06'all the difference to the flow of wildlife across our landscape.'
0:50:17 > 0:50:21'If you've been inspired to turn your garden into a haven for wildlife,
0:50:21 > 0:50:24'Mike has lots more advice on our website.'
0:50:26 > 0:50:28'Along with more information about what's happening where you live
0:50:28 > 0:50:31'in the BBC Summer of Wildlife.'
0:50:38 > 0:50:41I'm coming to the end of my rivers journey and one thing that's
0:50:41 > 0:50:45become really clear to me is how connected everything is -
0:50:45 > 0:50:50how all the animals that live here depend on each other.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52And vital for any ecosystem
0:50:52 > 0:50:55are the animals at the apex of the food chain -
0:50:55 > 0:50:56the top predators.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01'This is the market town of Blandford Forum in Dorset,
0:51:01 > 0:51:03'founded over 1,000 years ago
0:51:03 > 0:51:07'when our Anglo Saxon ancestors made a river crossing here.'
0:51:08 > 0:51:11But today it's more famous for being one of the best places
0:51:11 > 0:51:16in Britain to spot the top river creature of them all -
0:51:16 > 0:51:17the otter.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24'It's not all that long ago that otters
0:51:24 > 0:51:26'were virtually wiped out in England.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30'Only hanging on in a few remote hideaways.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34'The decline began in the 1950s when agricultural chemicals,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38'persecution by fishermen and hunting with otter hounds drove them
0:51:38 > 0:51:40'to the edge of extinction.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43'40 years ago, otter hunting was finally banned
0:51:43 > 0:51:47'and they began a slow but steady recovery.
0:51:47 > 0:51:52'Now, incredibly, they've returned to every county in England.'
0:51:52 > 0:51:55What's fantastic here is that in broad daylight,
0:51:55 > 0:51:59on the edge of a busy town, I can see otters doing their thing.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03That at least is the plan.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Just the small matter of finding otters.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15'But today otters are proving elusive on these Dorset rivers.'
0:52:19 > 0:52:22'If there's anyone who can advise on otter spotting, it's the man
0:52:22 > 0:52:26'who spent years in pursuit of this elusive animal -
0:52:26 > 0:52:30'pioneering wildlife cameraman and local resident Hugh Miles.'
0:52:32 > 0:52:34You've filmed lots of different animals during your career
0:52:34 > 0:52:39as a wildlife cameraman, what is it about otters that have charmed you?
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Erm, well, they're such charismatic animals.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46They're extremely attractive. They're very playful.
0:52:46 > 0:52:51You can't help admiring them for all those characteristics
0:52:51 > 0:52:53and they're very effective hunters.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58'30 years ago, Hugh was celebrated for his incredible film
0:52:58 > 0:53:01'following a family of wild otters.'
0:53:01 > 0:53:05Can you remember how easy or hard it was to film otters
0:53:05 > 0:53:08when you first started your career?
0:53:08 > 0:53:10- Well, it had never been filmed before in the wild.- Wow.
0:53:10 > 0:53:15And to actually find otters, they were rare.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Hardly any in southern England. Almost extinct in Dorset.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23I had to go to Shetland to film them so I made a Wildlife On One
0:53:23 > 0:53:26which got an amazing, I'm told, 17.3 million audience...
0:53:26 > 0:53:28- Oh.- ..they were that popular.- Wow.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32'The female can now leave the cubs on their own for short periods.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35'They're three months old
0:53:35 > 0:53:38'and squabble over their fish like a couple of puppies.'
0:53:38 > 0:53:42In those early days of filming otters, how hard were they to see?
0:53:43 > 0:53:45Er, it could be tricky.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49Initially, I think I went nine days without actually seeing an otter.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52They were shy and people hadn't filmed them before, so I didn't know
0:53:52 > 0:53:55whether I could overcome their fear and I decided
0:53:55 > 0:53:59the only way really to get to grips with it would be to concentrate
0:53:59 > 0:54:03on one particular otter and try and habituate her to my presence.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06I wore the same clothes every day and crept around, and in the end
0:54:06 > 0:54:10the gulls would stop alarm calling at me which wouldn't alert
0:54:10 > 0:54:14the otter and then the otter, this particular female, would trust me.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17So now that you can just pop out from your house and film them
0:54:17 > 0:54:20here in the middle of the town, how does that feel?
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Brilliant. I don't have to drive to Shetland all the time.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25Well, 20 minutes!
0:54:25 > 0:54:27I used to say to Sue, my wife, that, you know,
0:54:27 > 0:54:30"I'm just popping out to Blandford, I'll film the otters, I'll be back
0:54:30 > 0:54:32"by lunchtime," and bingo!
0:54:32 > 0:54:34And I've never come here and not seen the otters.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36This morning I arrived 4.30,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39got out the car, walked up on the bridge and there's an otter cub. It's magic.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41Well, you did better than I did. I had some glimpses.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45- You weren't up early enough! - I was up pretty early!
0:54:45 > 0:54:49So, has it all been an unqualified success, the return of the otter
0:54:49 > 0:54:51to all of the counties in England now?
0:54:52 > 0:54:58Oh, absolutely. The recovery is remarkable in many respects.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00I think it's challenging for the otters,
0:55:00 > 0:55:02- but it is wonderful they're back. - It is.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05And if we care for our rivers better,
0:55:05 > 0:55:07then I think they'll do fine.
0:55:10 > 0:55:15Not to be denied a wild otter sighting, I make a dawn start
0:55:15 > 0:55:18and stalk the river looking for tell-tale signs of life.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25(Oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where?)
0:55:27 > 0:55:30'I'm looking for bubbles or ripples -
0:55:30 > 0:55:33'any clue that an otter might be lurking beneath the surface.'
0:55:34 > 0:55:38(The funny thing, you get up at unsociable o'clock,
0:55:38 > 0:55:43(so there's a lot riding on it, but it also builds the excitement.)
0:55:44 > 0:55:49(Oh, come on.) There's some movement on the water just down here.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51(There we go. There we go. There we go.)
0:55:51 > 0:55:53Get the binos on it. Come on. Come on. Come on.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Oh, it's a duck. Oh!
0:55:58 > 0:56:02It was a duck! It was a duck!
0:56:02 > 0:56:04I was punching the air for a duck!
0:56:08 > 0:56:11(I've got a definite mammal. Definitely a mammal.)
0:56:11 > 0:56:14All I saw was the back - a furry back.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17'It looks like they're heading downstream,
0:56:17 > 0:56:20'finding fish for breakfast, so we take chase.'
0:56:21 > 0:56:24Here we go. If you come on this way.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27They're moving down the river all the time, feeding as they go
0:56:27 > 0:56:30and we can't stay along the river's edge all the way,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32so we've got to go through these nettles!
0:56:38 > 0:56:42(This is not easy. We're right by the bypass now.)
0:56:43 > 0:56:46(We've ran down the river bank.)
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Unfortunately, some canoeists came at just the wrong time
0:56:48 > 0:56:50for the last shot.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54(So I live in hope.)
0:56:54 > 0:56:57'The crew spot one right beneath the underpass.'
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Oh, it's just gone under. Oh, it's just gone under.
0:57:03 > 0:57:04There's loads of ripples.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10We just had a little head popping out for a fraction of a second.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14Oh! That's how quick it was.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Never mind, there is proof that they are here.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29'So they are a little camera shy, but nettle stings
0:57:29 > 0:57:33'and early starts are a small price to pay for a glimpse of these
0:57:33 > 0:57:37'spectacular animals that have made such an incredible comeback.'
0:57:38 > 0:57:42Over the past few decades, our rivers have suffered terrible
0:57:42 > 0:57:48lows and great highs and yet still face all kinds of problems.
0:57:48 > 0:57:52But I think we should take heart from their capacity to recover,
0:57:52 > 0:57:54to come back from the dead
0:57:54 > 0:57:57and to support a wealth of incredible wildlife.
0:57:59 > 0:58:03'Next time on Britain's Big Wildlife Revival, I reveal
0:58:03 > 0:58:06'how a much-loved habitat is under attack.'
0:58:06 > 0:58:10All is not well in the heart of the British countryside.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14'Mike Dilger starts a wildlife revolution in your back yard.'
0:58:14 > 0:58:17We actually caught a...
0:58:17 > 0:58:22'And our team investigate three species in danger of disappearing for ever.'
0:58:22 > 0:58:25We need to unite together to help to protect it.
0:58:28 > 0:58:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd