Episode 1 Hugh's Wild West


Episode 1

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For me, watching wildlife is one of life's greatest pleasures.

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And my favourite place to do it

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is right here, in my beloved West Country.

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This captivating corner of the British Isles...

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There's six right underneath us.

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..has a cast of creatures that is as awe-inspiring,

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extraordinary and magical as any.

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Oh, come on, no way!

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I'm hoping to get as close as I can to as many as I can...

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Right, I'm ready.

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This is great, this is measuring an eel. Whoa, oh,

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Ants! Off, off! There's one inside.

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..with the help of a band of dedicated nature lovers.

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Some of the patterns on the feathers, they're beautiful!

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-Good spot.

-Look, look, look!

-Wonderful.

-That's so cool.

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There's one in my hair now, Poppy.

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I'll share the thrill of the chase...

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-Do you hear them?

-I heard something.

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Yeah, they're in there.

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Yes.

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The sheer joy of the encounter...

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-She's so golden.

-She's fast asleep.

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-OK, ssh!

-That's amazing.

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And I'll pitch in to help these local heroes

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safeguard the future of our precious animals.

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Bye-bye. There she goes.

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Whoa!

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I can't believe I've been living in the West Country for so many years

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and I've never done this before.

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This will be a year-round adventure...

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Straight ahead.

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..as we explore the natural wonders of the UK's very own Wild West.

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This is the Wye Valley.

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From its gently gurgling shady streams,

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to its dramatic ravines with their thickly forested slopes...

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This dappled and diverse landscape is the perfect hideaway

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for some rather particular species of British wildlife.

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Catching up with them isn't always easy.

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But simply being in these tranquil, secluded surroundings

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is always a pleasure.

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As soon as you arrive in this part of the Wye Valley,

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you know you've found somewhere really special.

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It feels like one of nature's secret gardens,

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and I just can't wait to uncover some of those secrets.

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The Wye Valley straddles the border

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between England and Wales.

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To the east of the river

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is the wooded wonderland

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of the Forest of Dean.

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The scenery here inspired an

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18th-century tourist boom,

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with spots like Tintern Abbey

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among its star attractions.

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In the sun-dappled woodland around Tintern, this torrent of clean,

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clear water is typical of the tributaries of the Lower Wye.

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These fast-flowing woodland streams are a really special habitat.

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The combination of dense vegetation and clear, pure water

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makes for an abundance of invertebrate life in the stream.

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And that's an opportunity for all kinds of creatures.

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But for one special bird, this place is pretty much paradise.

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This is the dipper.

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At first sight, it doesn't look that unusual.

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A brown bird about the size of a thrush, with a tell-tale white bib.

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But the understated appearance hides a remarkable talent.

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Its ability to dive and swim in fast-flowing water singles out

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the unassuming dipper as a total one-off.

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It's Britain's only aquatic songbird.

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In many parts of the UK, dipper numbers are falling sharply,

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so the Lower Wye really is a very precious stronghold.

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Although the dipper's doing well here,

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it's such a specialised bird that needs a really pristine habitat,

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and that means its success

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is not something we can ever take for granted.

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It needs all the help it can get.

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So, it's great news that, round here,

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the dippers have a remarkable champion - a lady whose devotion

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to this little bird knows no bounds.

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It's April in the lower reaches of the Wye Valley.

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Stephanie Tyler is the dippers' local hero,

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and she's fast becoming one of mine.

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Every spring for the past four decades, she has been out on her

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regular rounds with her ladder and waders checking on dozens of

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dipper nests along the streams of the Lower Wye.

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It started off like a dipper nest,

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but it's now a lovely little wren nest, but nothing in it.

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I'm going to check some of the other holes.

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Just getting to each nest site puts this grandmother of five through an

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aquatic assault course.

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I've been prancing up and down the rivers for nigh on 40 years now.

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So I started as a young woman.

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Some of the sites are quite difficult to get to.

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I've got to scramble down tree roots...

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..climb up ladders in tunnels and hoist the ladder up after me.

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And check the nest in the tunnel.

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You just have to be careful.

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Don't fall in deep water in waders.

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I've done that, and it's not much fun.

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I do it for the pure joy of doing it and the fun of doing it.

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But also, to collect the data.

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Because over the 40 years, I have seen changes,

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you know, the dipper population has declined somewhat.

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I've got the data on occupancy of about 50 territories, give or take.

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Clearly, there's no stopping Steph.

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I'm pretty sure there isn't a single nest in this part of the Wye

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that she can't find a way to reach.

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I've just climbed down to the nest,

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and it's a beautiful big mossy dome hidden in all the moss.

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So nobody would see it, it's just so beautifully camouflaged.

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Long-term studies like this are the only way to get a grip on how the

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dipper is doing.

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I've got a licence to do this, not everybody should.

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She's one I'm familiar with, she's an old bird.

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Beautiful plumage.

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And that lovely chestnut eye.

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And these strong grippy legs and a lovely white breast,

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hence the white-breasted dipper.

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Just to weigh her.

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Despite being unfunded,

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Steph's study has provided a wealth of information on the dipper.

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58 grams.

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Steph has measured, weighed and ringed around 9,000 of these

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little birds over the years.

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Right, I think we'll let her go now and she can get back to her eggs.

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I've finally caught up with Steph, which is clearly a feat in itself.

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I've jumped at the chance to help her ring some of the season's

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newly hatched chicks.

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So, where is this nest you're after?

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Well, that tunnel there,

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it's about seven or eight metres into the tunnel.

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-We'll have to crawl up that.

-Oh, really? It looks dark in there.

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It is a bit, but you get a bit of light as you come through.

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So, I'm going to use this...

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..little mini cam, see if I can get some pictures of you

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-getting the chick from the nest.

-OK.

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Dippers like to nest in concealed spots where their chicks are safe

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from the hungry eyes of predators like sparrowhawks or jays.

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-Right, I'm ready.

-OK, watch your head, it's quite low.

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Normally I'd do this with waders on

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because the water's normally pouring down.

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That's OK. I can get wet.

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It's your knees, your knees will get wet.

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You're quicker than I am in here, Steph, I can tell you that.

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Oh, well, I've spent a lot of my life crawling up tunnels.

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I can see the nest. I might be able to get a shot of it.

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Get a bit of light on it there.

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So, there's you, Steph.

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Beautiful structures, aren't they?

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And here's the nest.

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Right here. You can see the opening.

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In you go.

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Yep, there is still chicks in here.

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I'll just bring one out, there's only or two.

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Ooh, let's have a look! Let's have a look.

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-Oh! Big beaks.

-Yes.

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Well, they need that big flange, don't they?

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Really impressive big beak.

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The parents can see where to pop the food.

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And so, that's what sort of age?

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-That's about seven days old now.

-Seven days.

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They haven't grown very well.

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In fact, they started off as four, and there's only two now.

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Oh, dear. So you really want to...

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-You're really hoping that these two will...

-Will survive, yes.

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The other one, let's see...

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Yes, that's roughly the same.

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It's slightly bigger, that one.

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Are you going to bring them both out?

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No, because if the parent comes back from there and finds the nest empty,

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I hate the thought of that.

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So we'll leave one in, and then I'll come back for it.

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HE CHUCKLES This is quite something.

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You found another way of travelling through this.

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-I'm like a crab.

-Yeah, I quite like it!

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Different technique to exit the cave.

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OK.

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-That was brilliant.

-OK. It's a nice nest, isn't it?

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-Nice and safe.

-I'm the intrepid cameraman, me!

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Ooh, he's got an enormous gob on him, hasn't he?

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And they've also got these very strong legs.

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You see, even at this age, they can grip onto things.

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And that's for gripping onto the rocks underwater while they are

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-hunting for insects and invertebrate?

-That's right.

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And it might look brutal,

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but it doesn't touch the leg at all, it just rounds it up.

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You can press as much as you like

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and you're not going to impinge on the leg.

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-That's big enough to stay on even as it's an adult?

-Yes.

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I mean, they often have a bit of puppy fat at this age,

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so the legs of the adults get slightly longer, but not any wider.

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So it's the right ring size for the whole of its life.

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Anyway, I'll pop this one back and go and get the other one.

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That's a slightly bigger one.

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Yes, stronger legs.

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-Does that look to you to be a pretty healthy chick?

-It's OK.

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It's just getting towards the end of the season now for dippers.

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And this is timed with the explosion

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of insect life and larvae in the water itself?

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In the water before all the mayflies and caddisfly emerge.

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They're that much earlier cos

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they want to get the larval stage in the water?

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The larvae and the nymphs, that's right, yes.

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Once they are adults, the dippers can't catch them.

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Wagtails can, but not dippers.

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-You really love these birds.

-I love them, and I can't stop.

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My husband's really keen that I stop, you know?

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But when you've got a long-term monitoring programme and you know

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each individual site so well,

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I can't resist to go back to see what's happening each year.

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If your husband's trying to persuade you to stop,

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I think he's got a job on his hands.

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-It's not going to happen, is it?

-He knows that.

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-He knows that, yes.

-It's not going to happen any time soon.

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I don't think so.

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With apologies to Steph's husband,

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I'll be stealing her away for a little bit longer today,

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to see what more I can find out about the delightful dipper.

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On the English side of the River Wye is a majestic treescape.

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The Forest of Dean.

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BIRD SINGS

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Once the private hunting ground of Norman kings, it's home

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to some of England's last surviving patches of ancient woodland.

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And it provides plenty of cover and hiding places for some

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very special British wildlife.

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It's a late February morning and spring hasn't quite arrived.

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This is a good time to see another winged wonder of the region.

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If you know where to look, that is.

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There's one main way in and out, really.

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And that's the way we go.

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The Clearwell Caves were formed naturally, then extended by

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the ancient Britons, who mined them for iron over hundreds of years.

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This is my playground, really, this is where I grew up.

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It was a great place to bring friends and have a look round.

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Jonathan Wright's family owns these caves, and still mines them,

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not for iron, but for one of its by-products.

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Ochre.

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This red mineral makes a powerful dye,

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which has been used by artists for millennia.

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We get lots of different shades, you can just rub it off.

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And if you rub it on your hand, you get quite a nice colour immediately.

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And you can see why the ancient Britons would have used this.

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And pigment from this mine has been used by people like Michelangelo.

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Which I find mind-boggling, really.

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Walk very carefully.

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Today, these dedicated nature lovers

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are looking for something else entirely.

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A cave dwelling creature that's

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found only in south-west England and Wales.

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This is what's called the bear pits.

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There are no bears here, obviously.

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So we have five up in this chamber.

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But there are a lot of bats.

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Lesser horseshoe bats.

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We've got several bats here...

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The caves here in the Dean are the winter home to more than 1,000

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of this highly endangered mammal.

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Bats are considered by the miners

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to actually be like canaries in the mine, so they actually...

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If you see a bat, you know the air and the conditions are good.

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It's a sign, an omen of good luck, really.

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41 so far.

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Jonathan and the team are from the Gloucestershire Bat Group.

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They have a special licence to survey these caves, which make up

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the largest lesser horseshoe hibernation site in Britain.

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These little bats are about the size of a plum.

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They feed mainly on flying insects

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like midges, lacewings and caddisfly.

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But they are themselves an important prey species for raptors like

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sparrowhawks and barn owls.

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With only 50,000 left in the UK,

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it's good to know that these ones are carefully monitored.

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David Priddis has collected bat data here since the 1970s.

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I just got hooked!

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Just because so many things about them seemed so strange.

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One of those strange quirks is the bat strategy for saving energy

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over winter, when there just aren't enough insects to eat.

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They allow their body temperature to drop from a cosy 37 degrees -

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about the same as ours - to a chilly seven centigrade.

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This takes them to a state of semi-hibernation, known as torpor.

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So, if we use this little thermal imaging camera at the rock,

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you see it's not showing up an awful lot of very warm areas of rock.

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But if I turn around to you,

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then I'm getting a massive flare

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of the heat coming through your caving suits, and your faces.

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Very warm, glowing.

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And if I put it up here where the bat is...

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..there's a bat hanging there.

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It's just glowing slightly warmer than the rock, but not very much.

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But the contrast with my finger,

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you can see how much hotter my finger is than the bat.

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Every ten days or so,

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they shiver their way out of the torpor to forage for food again.

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And as the weather warms, those feeding forays become more regular.

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And when spring arrives, it's time for the bats to break cover.

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Horseshoe bats navigate their way out of the caves using echolocation.

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Emitting high-pitched squawks from the horseshoe-shaped nose

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that gives them their name.

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They detect the reflected sound to locate their prey, too.

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So effectively, they can snap a moth out of the air in mid-flight.

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Their eyes are almost blind but their sonic skills give them sight.

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COCKEREL CROWS

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A few miles away,

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this lesser horseshoe has found a perfect spot to hang out and

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devour its latest catch.

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In the porch of a house.

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A tell-tale sign of a bat perch are the mouse-like droppings underneath.

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But not all homeowners know their bat poo as well as this one.

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So you can tell bat poo because when you squeeze it like this,

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it turns into dust.

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When wildlife fanatic Gareth Jones realised he had bats roosting in his

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porch, he jumped at the chance to get a close-up view.

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The bats rest at the top here,

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and I've got a camera and an infrared light here so it

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doesn't disturb them or anything like that.

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Now Gareth can indulge in some armchair wildlife watching,

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while Horace the horseshoe bat goes about his nightly routine.

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Here's Horace, our bat, he's a bit wet at the moment,

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um, where he's been out hunting.

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And what he's doing is cleaning his wings before he goes back out again.

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So, it's amazing when you see them pushing through his wing,

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and you can see his little mouth as he goes and cleans there.

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There's another one that's just flown in there around the back.

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And, also, he's holding on to nothing, really,

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it's just the end of a bit of wood that keeps the light up.

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It's incredible dexterity to do that.

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The bat's powerful grip is down to an impressive adaptation.

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It works the opposite way to our fingers and hands.

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Bats flex their muscles to release their grip and their talons shut

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when they relax.

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So a resting bat's foot is in autolock,

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with the tendons pulled taught by its own body weight,

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enabling the bat to dangle by one leg almost effortlessly.

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You see him doing everything.

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You know, weeing, pooing, anything, really.

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It's pretty clear that this continuing saga has a

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dedicated viewer in Gareth.

0:21:110:21:13

It's his very own bat soap opera.

0:21:130:21:16

It's certainly more interesting than most of the TV around.

0:21:160:21:19

Which is why Gareth has taken things a bit further.

0:21:220:21:24

Bugging and rigging his garden

0:21:280:21:30

to see what other wildlife he can watch.

0:21:300:21:32

Gareth's garden is now chock-full of mini cams, CCTV and trail cams.

0:21:350:21:40

The ground is crisscrossed with buried data cables and his shed is

0:21:410:21:45

converted to a high-tech hub.

0:21:450:21:48

It's all way beyond my technical know-how.

0:21:480:21:51

But Gareth is in IT, so naturally,

0:21:510:21:54

he knows all the tricks of the trade.

0:21:540:21:57

Have you tried switching it off and then on again?

0:21:570:21:59

Yeah, that is the standard one!

0:21:590:22:00

With his own personal wildlife network,

0:22:020:22:04

Gareth has privileged access to some very special garden visitors.

0:22:040:22:09

You've got goshawks, you've got peregrines, you've got ravens,

0:22:090:22:12

you've got fallow deer, muntjac deer, roe deer, you've got the boar.

0:22:120:22:17

Badgers, foxes, you've got otters, you've got polecats,

0:22:170:22:20

you've got all sorts of things that really,

0:22:200:22:24

people don't really see unless they start looking.

0:22:240:22:27

But the arrival of a tawny owl

0:22:280:22:30

family could give Gareth's garden gogglebox

0:22:300:22:33

its most gripping story of the year.

0:22:330:22:35

Meanwhile, I'm back on the river to learn more about Britain's only

0:22:430:22:47

aquatic songbird, the dipper.

0:22:470:22:49

And I'm with one of the most devoted wildlife watchers I've ever met.

0:22:530:22:58

40 years of research have made Steph a world authority on dippers,

0:22:580:23:03

so I'm thrilled to be spending a bit of time with her.

0:23:030:23:06

What's the net for, Steph?

0:23:060:23:08

Well, I was going to do some kick sampling.

0:23:080:23:10

So, put the net downriver and then kick amongst these stones,

0:23:100:23:15

and see what invertebrates we can dislodge.

0:23:150:23:17

-Kick sampling?

-Kick sampling, yes.

0:23:170:23:18

-That's a thing, is it?

-Yeah, absolutely.

0:23:180:23:20

-Want me to hold the net?

-Yes.

0:23:200:23:22

If you could hold the net and I'll

0:23:220:23:23

just try and move some of these stones.

0:23:230:23:25

So, it is quite literally...

0:23:250:23:26

Kicking the stones and getting them into the net.

0:23:260:23:30

Right, let's see what we've got.

0:23:300:23:32

Oh, lots of big stones.

0:23:320:23:33

Let's put these out into a tray.

0:23:330:23:36

Quite a lot of critters coming out.

0:23:400:23:42

What we're looking for are some mayfly nymphs,

0:23:440:23:46

and they're funny little invertebrates, flattened,

0:23:460:23:49

and they've got three tail prongs, and they have gills.

0:23:490:23:52

Is that there...?

0:23:520:23:54

-Yep. Yes, that's one.

-Beautiful.

0:23:540:23:58

Freshwater shrimps, would they be food for the dipper?

0:23:580:24:01

They'd certainly be food for the dipper,

0:24:010:24:03

and it eats a lot of freshwater shrimps.

0:24:030:24:05

Particularly in the winter months.

0:24:050:24:07

And it will also eat small fish as well in the winter months.

0:24:070:24:10

Presumably, anything in here that wriggles...

0:24:100:24:13

-Is dipper food.

-..is dipper food.

-Yeah.

0:24:130:24:15

I think we've got a caddisfly larvae still in its casing there.

0:24:150:24:18

-Do you see, with its antennae coming out?

-Oh, yes.

0:24:180:24:21

It's amazing just how much invertebrate life there is

0:24:230:24:26

in this stream.

0:24:260:24:27

This lot really did turn up after just a few kicks along riverbed.

0:24:270:24:31

These streams are the perfect dipper habitat.

0:24:330:24:36

Clean, rocky, fast-flowing stretches of water

0:24:360:24:40

with plenty of shallow ripples.

0:24:400:24:42

All containing an abundance of good dipper grub.

0:24:420:24:45

So we must have at least four species here.

0:24:470:24:51

We've got mayflies, we've got freshwater shrimps,

0:24:510:24:54

we've got case caddis and we've got the web-spinning caddis.

0:24:540:24:57

But they're tiny little things. The dipper's got to catch

0:24:570:24:59

quite a few of these to feed those hungry chicks.

0:24:590:25:02

It has got to catch a lot, but it can take nine or ten.

0:25:020:25:04

And it can provision, you know, 30 times an hour if it wants to.

0:25:040:25:08

-So, it can get the food into them.

-Really?

0:25:080:25:12

But don't forget, at this time of the year, a lot of the bigger caddis

0:25:120:25:15

and the bigger mayflies are already on the wing,

0:25:150:25:18

so it's lost that food source.

0:25:180:25:20

The natural bounty in the stream doesn't last long.

0:25:220:25:25

So female dippers have to time their brood carefully,

0:25:250:25:28

then forage tirelessly.

0:25:280:25:30

They're just superbly adapted.

0:25:300:25:32

I mean, they've got very short wings for a bird of their size.

0:25:320:25:36

And very, very strong musculature,

0:25:360:25:38

so they can use them like little flippers to stay down.

0:25:380:25:40

-Almost like penguins.

-Like penguins, yes.

0:25:400:25:42

And then they've got the very strong legs and strong claws

0:25:420:25:45

to help them stay down.

0:25:450:25:47

They've got the good eyesight and they don't get wet.

0:25:470:25:50

They've got a very large preen gland and they're forever preening,

0:25:500:25:53

as you've probably seen.

0:25:530:25:55

And they just keep the feathers beautifully waterproof.

0:25:550:25:57

The dipper's famed underwater agility is something I'd love

0:26:010:26:04

to catch on camera.

0:26:040:26:06

That won't be easy.

0:26:060:26:08

But I've heard about another local dipper obsessive who has a better

0:26:100:26:13

chance than most of filming it.

0:26:130:26:15

Wildlife cameraman Robin Smith makes his living filming animals

0:26:170:26:21

all over the world.

0:26:210:26:23

But he lives right here in the Wye Valley,

0:26:260:26:29

and today his filming location is just a short stroll from home.

0:26:290:26:34

-Knock knock.

-Just scooch in.

0:26:340:26:36

It's a little bit snug, I'm afraid.

0:26:360:26:37

-Perfect! How are you doing?

-Yeah, good.

-Great to see you.

-You too.

0:26:370:26:41

What a brilliant spot.

0:26:410:26:43

Yes, it's pretty special, really.

0:26:430:26:45

Robin's expert eye has honed in on a dipper with what must be the

0:26:460:26:50

most picturesque nest site in the country.

0:26:500:26:54

I just get them in the frame for you. We're about there somewhere.

0:26:540:26:57

So, just behind that plume on the weir there,

0:26:570:27:00

there's a nest just up in the little culvert.

0:27:000:27:02

The nest is literally in there?

0:27:020:27:03

Literally in there, yes.

0:27:030:27:04

This is an ingenious place to keep the chicks safe from predators.

0:27:050:27:09

Robin's been watching the parents fly food into the chicks,

0:27:120:27:15

straight through the middle of the waterfall.

0:27:150:27:18

Now I'm hoping to see a repeat performance.

0:27:180:27:20

But first, our dipper needs to find some food.

0:27:210:27:24

And that little stick out of the water, that's the perch?

0:27:240:27:27

Yes, she'll come up on that perch,

0:27:270:27:29

and then when she's happy the coast is clear,

0:27:290:27:31

she'll just fly up into the weir there

0:27:310:27:32

and just go behind the waterfall. There she goes.

0:27:320:27:35

Oh, fantastic.

0:27:350:27:37

That's beautiful.

0:27:390:27:40

And that little rock, is that a favourite perch, too?

0:27:410:27:43

Yes, she seems to stop on that, not that often -

0:27:430:27:46

she was there this morning, actually.

0:27:460:27:49

I love those white eyelids when they flutter those.

0:27:490:27:51

Can you just see that white eyelid?

0:27:510:27:53

When she blinks, yes, that's amazing.

0:27:530:27:55

She's got to move soon, hasn't she?

0:27:550:27:57

Yes. She's preparing herself for a flight or a swim.

0:27:570:28:00

Come on. She's thinking about it.

0:28:010:28:03

Here she goes, here she goes.

0:28:040:28:06

Ooh! Nice.

0:28:060:28:08

Perfect.

0:28:180:28:20

So, from here, there will be a dive through the waterfall?

0:28:200:28:22

Yeah, pretty much.

0:28:220:28:23

You'll hear the chicks.

0:28:250:28:27

Oh, brilliant. And out again.

0:28:270:28:30

-Did she deliver the goods there?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-That was quick.

0:28:300:28:33

-Yeah, oh, yeah.

-Blimey.

0:28:330:28:34

She doesn't hang about.

0:28:340:28:36

Absolutely brilliant, Robin, that's made my day.

0:28:360:28:39

And you've seen a tonne of that, basically?

0:28:390:28:41

Quite a bit.

0:28:410:28:42

-My first time.

-It never gets old.

0:28:430:28:46

-No, wonderful.

-It's always good.

0:28:460:28:48

Absolutely wonderful.

0:28:480:28:49

This fantastic feeding-flight shows how at home the dipper is

0:29:010:29:06

in this watery world.

0:29:060:29:07

But it's only whetted my appetite.

0:29:080:29:10

Now I really want to see how it moves and swims under the water.

0:29:100:29:14

It almost looks like they fly under water,

0:29:150:29:17

so they use their wings,

0:29:170:29:19

and they, literally, they go negatively buoyant,

0:29:190:29:21

they get right under the surface. They've got really strong claws,

0:29:210:29:23

they can grip onto the rocks underneath the surface.

0:29:230:29:26

They can almost...

0:29:260:29:27

The rumour used to be that they could walk on the bottom.

0:29:270:29:29

I think that's a bit of a myth.

0:29:290:29:30

Actually, it's more like they are flying.

0:29:300:29:33

So, is there any way of getting shots of them

0:29:340:29:36

doing this amazing swimming action?

0:29:360:29:38

Yes, I mean, that's the Holy Grail, really.

0:29:380:29:41

Well, that's a challenge.

0:29:410:29:43

And it's pretty obvious that Robin can't resist taking it on.

0:29:430:29:47

Our best chance to capture the dipper's underwater flight

0:29:470:29:50

on camera is right now.

0:29:500:29:53

The chicks are due to leave the nest any day.

0:29:530:29:56

So the parents are at their busiest, diving over and over again

0:29:560:30:00

to find enough food for their hungry brood.

0:30:000:30:02

So the hotspot is just the other side of the waterfall.

0:30:060:30:08

So, as soon as Mum delivers

0:30:080:30:10

another beak full of dinner and moves upstream,

0:30:100:30:14

we leap into action to set up some of Robin's kit.

0:30:140:30:16

The little waterproof mini camera.

0:30:160:30:19

With a bit of luck, this could give us the perfect view

0:30:190:30:21

of a dipper dive.

0:30:210:30:23

So what we will do, Hugh, if you just want to plonk it down,

0:30:230:30:26

you have to sort of go into the river.

0:30:260:30:28

But only if we can entice them to this precise spot.

0:30:280:30:31

For that, we need to use a wildlife cameraman's trick of the trade.

0:30:320:30:36

Mealworms. A favourite bird table food

0:30:380:30:41

that also happens to work underwater.

0:30:410:30:45

Now, just think of the start you're giving those chicks,

0:30:450:30:47

the calorific content in those mealworms for a small chick...

0:30:470:30:50

-It's a real boost, isn't it?

-It's a real boost.

0:30:500:30:53

It's a great start to life, those things.

0:30:530:30:56

I'm very excited that I actually got to place the camera

0:30:560:30:58

because if we get this shot,

0:30:580:31:01

which, as far as we know, has never happened before,

0:31:010:31:04

I actually get some of the credit!

0:31:040:31:06

So, the stage is set, and now, for Robin, it's a waiting game.

0:31:100:31:15

But these wildlife cameramen are used to that.

0:31:160:31:18

Dippers are one good sign of a healthy river.

0:31:290:31:31

And as we've seen,

0:31:330:31:34

that health begins with the small stuff

0:31:340:31:36

that's food for everything else.

0:31:360:31:38

With that in mind, I'm off to look for a tiny fish

0:31:440:31:47

that's very close to my heart.

0:31:470:31:50

It's pretty much at the bottom of the fishy food chain,

0:31:500:31:53

but it's been delighting me ever since I first caught one as a boy.

0:31:530:31:56

Local fishing guide, the appropriately named Adam Fisher,

0:31:570:32:01

knows just the place to look.

0:32:010:32:02

A stunning spot, Alan.

0:32:020:32:04

-It's great, isn't it?

-And the fish.

0:32:040:32:07

-Oh, look. I can see...

-Yeah.

0:32:070:32:10

..tons of little guys.

0:32:100:32:12

These are the small fry that play a big part in the life of a river,

0:32:120:32:16

and the one we're after is the minnow.

0:32:160:32:19

I've come prepared, with the kit I've used to catch them for decades.

0:32:200:32:24

-So, I brought this...

-OK.

0:32:250:32:28

..for that old-school minnow trap,

0:32:280:32:29

where you cut the top off and turn it round.

0:32:290:32:31

I haven't done that for a while.

0:32:310:32:33

-If you can you remember the right way round to do it...

-I'll try.

0:32:330:32:35

They get in, they can't get back out. Yeah?

0:32:350:32:37

What have you got there? That looks a bit fancy to me.

0:32:370:32:39

This is a slightly more modern version, off-the-shelf.

0:32:390:32:41

This is an off-the-shelf minnow trap?

0:32:410:32:43

-It is off-the-shelf, yeah.

-I didn't know those things existed.

0:32:430:32:46

Nor did I.

0:32:460:32:47

So, we're going to have a bit of a minnow-off.

0:32:480:32:51

I think so. What bait have you got?

0:32:510:32:53

Classic. Somewhere, I've got a bread roll.

0:32:530:32:56

Have you got something more fancy for your bait as well?

0:32:560:32:59

Well, of course. More modern bait to match the modern trap.

0:32:590:33:02

I'm not sure if they like brown bread, but...

0:33:020:33:04

Oh, you think they prefer sliced white?

0:33:040:33:05

Yeah, I think they do!

0:33:050:33:07

-What have you got?

-Well, a bit of a secret.

0:33:070:33:10

That's some kind of proprietary trout-pellety type thing?

0:33:100:33:13

It is, it's oily, and they love the oil, and they just swarm round it.

0:33:130:33:16

There could be some skill involved too,

0:33:160:33:18

and that's picking the location.

0:33:180:33:20

OK.

0:33:200:33:21

We'll get to that, but first I need to engineer my trap.

0:33:220:33:26

So, it's as simple as that.

0:33:290:33:31

That's the theory. Minnow swims in here...

0:33:310:33:34

..a little bit of food in there,

0:33:360:33:38

stone to anchor it to the bottom.

0:33:380:33:40

Minnow swims in, swims around, can't really find its way out.

0:33:400:33:46

It's the lobster-pot principle,

0:33:460:33:48

a kind of funnel taking it into the trap,

0:33:480:33:50

but it's not to say he'll never get out, but it will take a bit of time,

0:33:500:33:54

and hopefully while he's in there, I can pick up the trap

0:33:540:33:56

and we'll have ourselves a minnow

0:33:560:33:58

to get a really close look at.

0:33:580:34:01

I'm telling you, they don't like brown bread.

0:34:010:34:03

Stop it! Stop it!

0:34:030:34:05

It's mind tricks, isn't it, Adam?

0:34:050:34:07

You're just trying to dent my confidence, get the upper hand!

0:34:070:34:09

Yeah, well, it's a competition of sorts, isn't it?

0:34:090:34:12

Apparently you've made it one!

0:34:120:34:14

Are they carnivorous or are they vegetarian?

0:34:150:34:18

I think, like most fish, they are omnivores,

0:34:180:34:20

they'll eat a bit of everything.

0:34:200:34:22

They're opportunist, there's weed there, there's going to be larvae,

0:34:220:34:26

there's going to be insects washed in.

0:34:260:34:28

-There is all sorts. So, yeah, they'll eat everything.

-OK.

0:34:280:34:31

-Including bread?

-Apart from brown bread.

0:34:310:34:33

I'm pretty sure Adam's pulling my leg,

0:34:350:34:38

but there's only one way to find out.

0:34:380:34:39

So, the opening facing downstream?

0:34:470:34:49

-You've got it.

-OK, here we go.

0:34:490:34:50

Right, well, I'm ahead of the game, Adam.

0:35:020:35:04

Yeah, I think so. I'm itching, if I'm honest.

0:35:040:35:06

You just don't want to get your feet wet, is that it?

0:35:060:35:08

Well, if I don't have to...

0:35:080:35:10

..then I won't.

0:35:120:35:14

That's it.

0:35:140:35:15

It's as simple as that, is it?

0:35:160:35:17

I think so, I think that's bang on.

0:35:170:35:19

I hate to tell you this, but they're already going in there.

0:35:210:35:23

You're kidding.

0:35:230:35:25

Very casual.

0:35:250:35:27

You think you've... Go on, prove that,

0:35:270:35:28

if you really think in ten seconds...

0:35:280:35:30

Come on, let's see it right now. In ten seconds, you've caught a fish.

0:35:300:35:33

-There you go.

-Unbelievable.

0:35:340:35:36

I think there's two in there.

0:35:380:35:39

-That's extraordinary.

-One's definitely a minnow,

0:35:390:35:41

I'm not sure what the other one is.

0:35:410:35:43

-That's insane.

-It's the fisherman in me, sorry.

0:35:430:35:47

I think my old-school trap might need a little more time to work.

0:35:500:35:54

But there are worse places to wait.

0:35:540:35:56

Look at this, Alan, look who's coming down the river.

0:35:580:36:00

I know, magnificent, aren't they?

0:36:000:36:01

They own the river, don't they?

0:36:040:36:05

Yeah, they certainly do.

0:36:050:36:06

They certainly do, they've got a presence, for sure.

0:36:060:36:08

Above the water, all is calm,

0:36:100:36:13

but beneath the surface it's a different story.

0:36:130:36:16

I have lured them all over here.

0:36:160:36:17

So there is literally a feeding frenzy going on.

0:36:170:36:20

Pete, see if you can pick this up because it's quite interesting.

0:36:200:36:22

They are on a pellet, that's why.

0:36:220:36:24

Can you see the grey that they are on?

0:36:240:36:27

Yeah.

0:36:270:36:28

-That's one pellet.

-That's one of your pellets?

-Yeah.

0:36:280:36:31

It's literally caused a feeding frenzy.

0:36:310:36:33

Well, enough's enough.

0:36:350:36:36

Time to show Adam how it's done old school.

0:36:360:36:39

If you can get two in ten seconds,

0:36:390:36:41

surely I can get a couple in ten minutes.

0:36:410:36:43

They can't hate brown bread that much!

0:36:430:36:45

ALAN LAUGHS

0:36:500:36:52

Stop cackling!

0:36:520:36:54

Sorry.

0:36:540:36:55

-I shouldn't laugh.

-There is not a single minnow in here.

0:36:560:36:59

Hiding under the stone? No.

0:36:590:37:01

Let's have a look what your magic pellets can do in a few minutes.

0:37:020:37:06

There's that many fish down there,

0:37:080:37:10

I can't really see the minnow trap.

0:37:100:37:12

Stop it! ALAN LAUGHS

0:37:120:37:14

Oh, wow!

0:37:160:37:17

-Big guys.

-Yeah, proper ones, eh?

0:37:190:37:21

Proper grown-up minnows, and maybe seven or eight of them,

0:37:210:37:24

and a few little ones, too.

0:37:240:37:26

I have to say, that is stunning.

0:37:260:37:29

I mean, look at this guy there.

0:37:290:37:30

That golden line, there's a luminous golden line

0:37:300:37:34

just above the lateral line.

0:37:340:37:36

Lovely silver belly, little black spots down the tail.

0:37:360:37:39

I mean, almost any fish, when you look at it close-up,

0:37:410:37:43

-just reveals its beauty, doesn't it?

-It does.

0:37:430:37:46

Any fish is admirable close-up, as you say.

0:37:460:37:48

But these guys, you know, you catch them when you're young as kids,

0:37:480:37:52

and then you look at them now, and they are awesome.

0:37:520:37:55

And of course they are a massively important food source.

0:37:560:37:59

Yeah, they are a massive part of the food chain,

0:37:590:38:02

they're really important.

0:38:020:38:04

They are there for other fish to feed on,

0:38:040:38:06

they are there for avian predators,

0:38:060:38:08

fish-wise we're looking at perch and pike,

0:38:080:38:11

avian predators, kingfisher,

0:38:110:38:13

cormorants, although they like larger fish,

0:38:130:38:16

they are going to eat these, too.

0:38:160:38:17

The fact that everybody wants to eat these guys,

0:38:170:38:19

and there are still thousands or millions of them in the river,

0:38:190:38:22

that's pretty good news as far as the ecology of the river goes.

0:38:220:38:25

Well, I think so. It's sustainable, isn't it?

0:38:250:38:27

If there is that many of them,

0:38:270:38:28

you can just see that lots and lots of minnows, you know,

0:38:280:38:31

is the sign of a good, healthy river.

0:38:310:38:33

And it's time for this mob of minnows to get back to the shoal,

0:38:350:38:39

and their precious but precarious position

0:38:390:38:42

at the bottom of the fishy food chain.

0:38:420:38:44

There is little doubt that the River Wye

0:38:510:38:53

is absolutely teeming with life.

0:38:530:38:55

And so too is the forest around it.

0:39:000:39:02

In Roman times, this place was prized for its wild game,

0:39:070:39:11

and in the Middle Ages,

0:39:110:39:12

it was protected by the Royal Court as a hunting ground.

0:39:120:39:16

This is some of Britain's best-preserved ancient woodland.

0:39:190:39:22

So it's no surprise in this rare and very special forest

0:39:230:39:27

that a complex variety of life has found a place to flourish.

0:39:270:39:32

The mature deciduous woodland isn't just a habitat,

0:39:340:39:38

it's an amazing diversity of different habitats,

0:39:380:39:42

each of which provides for an extraordinary array of wildlife.

0:39:420:39:45

The tree tops here in the Forest of Dean

0:39:470:39:49

are a stronghold for the elusive goshawk, the phantom of the forest.

0:39:490:39:54

And above our heads, squirrels and woodland birds

0:39:560:39:59

make good use of branches and tree holes.

0:39:590:40:02

But an equally vital sign of a healthy forest

0:40:030:40:06

is what happens beneath the canopy.

0:40:060:40:09

The rich forest floor is a world of its own,

0:40:090:40:12

where creatures of all shapes and sizes forage for food.

0:40:120:40:15

Embedded in the rich mulch of decaying leaves

0:40:160:40:19

is new plant life, too -

0:40:190:40:21

seedlings and saplings that support all kinds of bugs and invertebrates.

0:40:210:40:25

Including over 30 species of butterfly.

0:40:260:40:30

Like this one, the critically endangered Wood White.

0:40:300:40:33

Its slow lumbering flight makes it stand out from a distance

0:40:340:40:39

from any other species of white butterfly.

0:40:390:40:41

In spring, a carpet of bluebells are an early source of nectar

0:40:450:40:50

for burgeoning insect life.

0:40:500:40:52

And a sure sign of a woodland that has stood for hundreds of years.

0:40:520:40:55

Of all the animals that prosper in this timeless woodland world,

0:40:580:41:02

one in particular stands out.

0:41:020:41:05

Not least for its size.

0:41:050:41:07

A big and beautiful herbivore.

0:41:100:41:13

And a great success story of our woodland habitat.

0:41:130:41:16

Just a glimpse can be electrifying.

0:41:160:41:18

It's the fallow deer.

0:41:200:41:22

Their coats vary from reddish-brown

0:41:230:41:25

with distinctive white spots to a more muted grey.

0:41:250:41:29

The antlers are flattened out like the palm of a hand.

0:41:290:41:32

Not a native species, it was brought here after 1066 by the Normans,

0:41:340:41:39

who stocked the forest for hunting.

0:41:390:41:41

And with no natural predators

0:41:420:41:44

since the wolf's demise soon after the fallow arrived here,

0:41:440:41:47

they've prospered,

0:41:470:41:49

browsing freely on the fresh vegetation to be found

0:41:490:41:52

among the taller trees.

0:41:520:41:53

A recent estimate has put the number of deer

0:41:560:41:58

in the Forest of Dean at over 1,000.

0:41:580:42:01

We're really entering a state that hasn't existed before.

0:42:050:42:08

The numbers of deer we have in the British Isles now

0:42:080:42:10

are higher than probably they've ever been.

0:42:100:42:12

Dr Markus Eichhorn has been investigating

0:42:140:42:17

the impact on the forest of all these deer.

0:42:170:42:20

So, that's clear deer damage.

0:42:200:42:22

That one there has very clearly been nibbled.

0:42:220:42:25

And you can see here on this tree,

0:42:250:42:28

you can see where something has shredded the leaves off.

0:42:280:42:31

The signs are easy to spot.

0:42:370:42:38

But without an accurate measurement,

0:42:400:42:42

it's impossible to assess the extent of the problem.

0:42:420:42:45

That calls for a more scientific approach,

0:42:460:42:49

and a modern piece of kit being pioneered

0:42:490:42:51

by Markus and his colleague, Joe Ryding.

0:42:510:42:53

Basically, what this does,

0:42:530:42:56

it's going to project a laser all the way round the forest.

0:42:560:43:01

So, if you think of it like taking a panoramic photo.

0:43:010:43:05

Is it a dangerous laser?

0:43:050:43:07

No, no, it's not going to cut anybody's parts off, no.

0:43:070:43:11

This is where we have to keep up with the scanner

0:43:140:43:17

so we don't get a laser in the face.

0:43:170:43:19

This is the first time this technique

0:43:200:43:22

has been used for conservation.

0:43:220:43:24

Marcus and Joe have scanned 40 locations in total,

0:43:250:43:29

and thanks to their work, the bigger picture is now becoming clear.

0:43:290:43:32

So, we've got the animation here.

0:43:350:43:37

It hasn't snowed.

0:43:370:43:38

No!

0:43:400:43:41

You can see very clearly that there is no foliage on the trees

0:43:410:43:45

below a certain level.

0:43:450:43:46

Their data has revealed a startling fact.

0:43:490:43:51

Two-thirds of the foliage has gone from the lower part of the forest,

0:43:520:43:57

that's below head height.

0:43:570:43:58

The area that you actually see as you walk around,

0:43:580:44:00

the stuff that you're picking your way through in the forest.

0:44:000:44:03

When there's lots of deer,

0:44:030:44:04

two-thirds of those leaves have gone.

0:44:040:44:06

The fallow deer's true impact on the forest is starting to emerge.

0:44:070:44:12

You can see the level at which the deer are browsing.

0:44:130:44:17

Because they can only reach so high.

0:44:170:44:19

They'll reach up with their necks,

0:44:190:44:21

and some of them will walk up the side of a tree,

0:44:210:44:24

and will bite off the foliage that they can reach,

0:44:240:44:26

but they can only reach so far,

0:44:260:44:28

and that gives you this characteristic line

0:44:280:44:30

in the understorey of the forest.

0:44:300:44:32

The scale of the impact is leading to concern

0:44:350:44:37

for the very future of the forest.

0:44:370:44:40

In a healthy woodland,

0:44:450:44:46

these smaller shrubs and saplings

0:44:460:44:48

are not only an important habitat for wildlife...

0:44:480:44:51

..they are also the nursery for the new canopy trees,

0:44:520:44:56

the forest's precious next generation.

0:44:560:44:58

Right now, all of that has been eaten away, it's been stripped away,

0:45:040:45:07

so there's no habitat left at ground level.

0:45:070:45:09

You could walk through this without hitting a bush or a plant

0:45:090:45:13

or getting your feet tangled,

0:45:130:45:15

in fact, you could drive a car through this.

0:45:150:45:17

Markus's data makes clear that the density of the deer population here

0:45:190:45:23

is a threat to this ancient forest's survival.

0:45:230:45:26

The question now is what's to be done?

0:45:270:45:30

Fencing out the deer would mean enclosing forest

0:45:330:45:35

that people have had access to for centuries.

0:45:350:45:38

One suggestion is indeed the reintroduction

0:45:410:45:44

of the deer's natural predators, the lynx and the wolf.

0:45:440:45:48

But in such a populated and visited forest,

0:45:480:45:51

that is going to be a hard sell.

0:45:510:45:53

So Markus favours a more practical way

0:45:550:45:58

to deal with the UK's booming population of deer.

0:45:580:46:01

So, I've got a much simpler alternative

0:46:030:46:05

that I'm trying to encourage people to do,

0:46:050:46:06

and that's to eat them.

0:46:060:46:07

We should be eating wild-caught British deer.

0:46:090:46:13

It's free-range, they are widely available, they are easy to catch,

0:46:130:46:17

and if we found those in our butchers and restaurants,

0:46:170:46:21

and if those became a characteristic feature

0:46:210:46:23

of the British diet once again,

0:46:230:46:25

then I think that we collectively could do a great deal of good

0:46:250:46:28

for conservation just by changing what we eat and eating British deer.

0:46:280:46:32

In fact, here in the Forest of Dean,

0:46:350:46:37

this idea is already being implemented.

0:46:370:46:40

A controlled annual cull by trained marksmen

0:46:400:46:43

aims to bring down the fallow deer population

0:46:430:46:46

to reduce the impact on young trees

0:46:460:46:48

and allow the forest to regenerate.

0:46:480:46:51

The resulting venison is being sold in local butchers,

0:46:510:46:54

which in turn helps finance the cull.

0:46:540:46:56

Wildlife enthusiasts living near the Forest of Dean

0:47:070:47:10

don't have to travel far to get their fix.

0:47:100:47:13

But local IT specialist Gareth Jones has elevated the art

0:47:140:47:18

of stay-at-home wildlife watching to a whole new level.

0:47:180:47:22

Probably a bit excessive sometimes,

0:47:220:47:24

and probably takes up too much of my time.

0:47:240:47:26

A great variety of the Forest of Dean's animals

0:47:270:47:30

pass through his garden,

0:47:300:47:32

and Gareth encourages quite a few of them to stick around to be filmed.

0:47:320:47:37

So, we have a nest box down in that tree over there.

0:47:370:47:40

I put up a new nest box just here.

0:47:400:47:42

The box next to that, I have tree bumblebees in.

0:47:430:47:46

Quite often, we feed the badgers just down there.

0:47:460:47:49

We can have all different sorts of birds.

0:47:490:47:51

We also sometimes find harvest mice nests.

0:47:510:47:54

Great tits, blue tits, long-tailed tits.

0:47:540:47:57

This is my latest camera.

0:47:570:47:59

We get glow-worms as well.

0:47:590:48:02

We have around about three pairs of bullfinches.

0:48:020:48:04

We get through 25 kilos of sunflower seed in about three weeks,

0:48:040:48:08

so it can become an expensive thing.

0:48:080:48:10

This year, Gareth's owl box

0:48:130:48:15

gave him a rare peek into the family life of the tawny owl,

0:48:150:48:19

one of our most captivating raptors.

0:48:190:48:22

It's a saga I'm ready to get stuck into.

0:48:220:48:24

So, these are my cameras here.

0:48:240:48:26

So, at the moment, I've got pictures of the tawny owl up.

0:48:270:48:30

Tawnies are our most common owl,

0:48:320:48:34

and they've adapted well to living close to people.

0:48:340:48:37

Gareth's cameras recorded pictures and sound

0:48:400:48:42

of this nocturnal predator around the clock.

0:48:420:48:45

OWL WARBLES

0:48:450:48:47

The story begins when the tawny owl pair decide to set up home

0:48:470:48:51

in Gareth's nest box.

0:48:510:48:53

I think the noises that tawnies make are just so much more

0:48:560:48:59

than the too-wit, too-woo that everyone thinks.

0:48:590:49:01

The warbling and all that courtship type of noises

0:49:010:49:04

that they make are really different,

0:49:040:49:05

and something that you just don't know unless you have a nest box

0:49:050:49:08

with sound in it.

0:49:080:49:10

OWL CALLS

0:49:100:49:13

Once her courtship calls have successfully attracted a mate,

0:49:160:49:20

the female bird gives the nest box a makeover

0:49:200:49:24

and scrapes a hollow for her eggs to rest in.

0:49:240:49:26

She's been incubating her first egg for a week

0:49:280:49:31

when she lays a second one.

0:49:310:49:33

It's a deliberate strategy.

0:49:330:49:35

The second will only survive if the food supply is good.

0:49:350:49:38

And the 28-day incubation period isn't without distractions.

0:49:400:49:46

We've seen a mandarin duck try to take over the nest box.

0:49:460:49:51

You can just see the beak pointing in there.

0:49:520:49:55

And then going in. That's the female mandarin.

0:49:550:49:59

And it's sent packing by the tawny.

0:49:590:50:02

Then one evening in April, the first chick begins to hatch.

0:50:080:50:12

Here is the female...

0:50:140:50:16

..and she is helping to break the egg open.

0:50:180:50:20

You can actually see the chick coming out.

0:50:240:50:27

Trying to work its way out of the egg.

0:50:290:50:32

Mum just helping her, really.

0:50:320:50:34

You know, it's a privilege for you to see that sort of thing, really.

0:50:370:50:40

But this intimate view of the owl family

0:50:420:50:45

takes a less heart-warming turn.

0:50:450:50:46

The first chick grew quite quickly,

0:50:480:50:51

and the second chick didn't grow so quickly, so in the end,

0:50:510:50:54

unfortunately, what happened was that the second chick perished.

0:50:540:50:59

The harsh reality is that tawny owls often hatch two chicks,

0:51:010:51:05

but only rarely do both of them survive.

0:51:050:51:08

The mother's priority now is to get her remaining chick to adulthood.

0:51:110:51:15

And she hunts tirelessly to feed its growing appetite.

0:51:170:51:20

At four weeks old,

0:51:310:51:33

the chick's almost ready to emerge from the nest.

0:51:330:51:35

As it got bigger,

0:51:380:51:40

it moved out and onto the platform and onto the little perch.

0:51:400:51:44

And in the end, it made the big jump to jump up onto the top of the box.

0:51:440:51:48

And the first time that Mum came back, she dived into the box,

0:51:520:51:56

looked around and thought, "Where has my chick gone?"

0:51:560:51:58

And then the chick was calling on top and she hopped up and fed it.

0:51:580:52:02

I think it was the second day, it was around there,

0:52:070:52:10

made the big flight,

0:52:100:52:11

the first flight, and disappeared into the undergrowth.

0:52:110:52:14

Tawny owl chicks don't simply fledge and leave the nest.

0:52:200:52:24

Like most raptors,

0:52:240:52:26

they continue to rely on their parents for food

0:52:260:52:28

and for hunting lessons

0:52:280:52:30

for a good couple of months after they can fly.

0:52:300:52:32

But before long, this tawny youngster will have to go it alone.

0:52:350:52:39

The parent birds will protect their territory

0:52:400:52:43

and drive the young owl away if needs be.

0:52:430:52:46

So, it's goodbye from Gareth to these tawnies for now.

0:52:470:52:51

Let's hope this family, or another, uses the nest box next year,

0:52:510:52:55

and keeps Gareth's wildlife show on the road.

0:52:550:52:58

I am back with dipper expert Steph and cameraman Robin,

0:53:070:53:11

to see if our mission to film these lovely birds diving underwater

0:53:110:53:15

has come good.

0:53:150:53:16

We've rigged some of Robin's special camera kit

0:53:190:53:22

in a prime spot in the stream.

0:53:220:53:24

And with a bit of luck, we'll have captured a dipper-cam first.

0:53:240:53:28

So, the moment of truth.

0:53:280:53:31

Right. I need my glasses for this.

0:53:310:53:33

-Ready?

-Robin's playing his cards close to his chest,

0:53:330:53:37

but I think he's looking pretty pleased with himself.

0:53:370:53:40

Ready? There we go.

0:53:400:53:42

-Oh, come on, no way!

-Brilliant.

-No way!

0:53:440:53:48

-There he is.

-That is brilliant.

0:53:480:53:50

And it's the male, yeah.

0:53:500:53:52

-Clever boy.

-Oh, fantastic.

0:53:520:53:54

That is just brilliant.

0:53:540:53:55

Steph, have you ever seen any footage like this before?

0:53:570:54:00

Not like this, not like this, no.

0:54:000:54:01

Something about the way it's using its wings...

0:54:060:54:09

-..it's just a brilliant swimmer.

-Oh, they are incredible.

0:54:090:54:12

The way he's using his feet to steer.

0:54:140:54:16

Yeah, it's not using its tail much, is it?

0:54:160:54:18

Rudders. No, it's the wings and the feet.

0:54:180:54:20

It's the wings and the feet, yeah.

0:54:200:54:21

A little turn away to just come up again with a flick of the feet.

0:54:210:54:25

Yeah, the tail might be important.

0:54:250:54:26

Look at that little foot, one on the rock.

0:54:260:54:28

It is beating the tail there a bit.

0:54:280:54:30

-Just a little.

-Yeah, just using it as a rudder.

-Yeah.

0:54:300:54:32

These rare shots show the effect of some very special adaptations

0:54:370:54:42

that make the dipper so well suited to these underwater stunts.

0:54:420:54:45

Special flaps of skin protect its nose and eyes from the rush of water

0:54:480:54:52

as it dives.

0:54:520:54:54

And unlike most birds, the dipper's bones aren't hollow, but solid,

0:54:560:55:00

making them less buoyant,

0:55:000:55:02

and allowing the bird to stay submerged for longer.

0:55:020:55:05

Does this footage tell you anything you didn't know

0:55:090:55:11

or confirm what you were thinking?

0:55:110:55:13

Well, it confirms, I mean,

0:55:130:55:15

the brilliant eyesight and the brilliant ability

0:55:150:55:17

to dive and find prey.

0:55:170:55:19

When Robin told me about trying to get it,

0:55:210:55:24

I had my doubts that he would.

0:55:240:55:25

-Sorry, Robin.

-That's OK, I had my doubts, as well!

0:55:250:55:29

Well, the two of you are both incredibly good at what you do,

0:55:290:55:32

and for me, it's been such a treat.

0:55:320:55:34

-Look at that.

-Just brilliant.

-Yeah.

0:55:340:55:36

-Great job.

-Absolutely superb.

0:55:370:55:39

But these dippers haven't revealed all their secrets just yet.

0:55:460:55:50

Early the next morning, Robin witnesses a very special moment.

0:55:520:55:56

Just starting to see the first little sign

0:56:010:56:03

of a beak at the waterfall.

0:56:030:56:05

Just a little...

0:56:050:56:06

..head looking out. Just trying to gauge what...

0:56:070:56:10

..the outside world is all about, I guess.

0:56:110:56:13

So, so close, come on, you can do it.

0:56:150:56:17

Then, for the very first time in their life,

0:56:200:56:23

two brave little dipper chicks take a leap into the unknown.

0:56:230:56:27

Finally, the youngsters our dipper parents

0:56:440:56:46

have been working so hard to feed are off their hands.

0:56:460:56:49

Well, almost.

0:56:510:56:52

The chicks will rely on their parents to provide their meals

0:56:550:56:58

for another week or two, quivering their wings to beg for food.

0:56:580:57:01

And it will be another month or so before they moult

0:57:080:57:10

into their glossy waterproof adult plumage.

0:57:100:57:13

These birds have had an incredible start to their lives,

0:57:190:57:22

and within hours of fledging,

0:57:220:57:24

they are already demonstrating the delightful behaviour

0:57:240:57:27

that gives the dipper its name.

0:57:270:57:28

But despite decades of research into this signature dipping movement,

0:57:360:57:40

there is no definitive theory as to why they do it.

0:57:400:57:43

All I can say is if they didn't dip, well,

0:57:460:57:50

they wouldn't be quite the fantastic little birds they are.

0:57:500:57:53

If you'd like to explore Britain's diverse landscapes in more detail

0:58:010:58:05

and find out how to create your own wildlife habitats,

0:58:050:58:09

the Open University has produced a free booklet with bookmarks.

0:58:090:58:12

Order your copy by calling...

0:58:140:58:15

Or go to...

0:58:190:58:21

..and follow the links to the Open University.

0:58:240:58:27

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