0:00:02 > 0:00:05For me, watching wildlife is one of life's greatest pleasures.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09And my favourite place to do it is
0:00:09 > 0:00:12right here in my beloved West Country.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16This captivating corner of the British Isles...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18There's six right underneath us.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22..has a cast of creatures that's as awe-inspiring,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26extraordinary and magical as any.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Oh, come on, no way!
0:00:29 > 0:00:33I'm hoping to get as close as I can to as many as I can...
0:00:33 > 0:00:34Right, I'm ready.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37This is great, this is measuring an eel.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Whoa, oh, oh.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Ants, off, off! Oh, there's one inside.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..with the help of a band of dedicated nature lovers.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Some of the patterns on the feathers, they're beautiful.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- Good spot.- Look, look, look. Wonderful.- That's so cool.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55There's one in my hair now, Poppy.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58I'll share the thrill of the chase...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01- Do you hear them?- I heard something. - Yeah, they're in there.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02BIRDS SING
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Yes.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07..the sheer joy of the encounter...
0:01:07 > 0:01:08- She's so golden.- She's fast asleep.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- Ssh!- That's amazing.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16..and I'll pitch in to help these local heroes
0:01:16 > 0:01:20safeguard the future of our precious animals.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Bye-bye. There she goes.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Whoa!
0:01:26 > 0:01:28I can't believe that I've been living in the West Country
0:01:28 > 0:01:31for so many years and I've never done this before.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34This will be a year-round adventure...
0:01:34 > 0:01:35Straight ahead!
0:01:35 > 0:01:41..as we explore the natural wonders of the UK's very own Wild West.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57This is the world-famous Jurassic Coast.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01A stretch of shore I know better than any other in Britain,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04because I've lived here for almost 20 years now.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10It's named after the incredible fossils that are a snapshot of life
0:02:10 > 0:02:12here in the age of the dinosaurs.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19But, for me, the real intrigue is the animals to be found here today.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Some of the creatures that live here
0:02:24 > 0:02:26seem every bit as weird and wonderful
0:02:26 > 0:02:28as any monsters from the past.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I'm never happier than when I can see the sea.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37So this is a quest I'm looking forward to.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Whatever this is today,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41I certainly couldn't call it work.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45The Jurassic Coast stretches for
0:02:45 > 0:02:4995 miles from Exmouth in Devon,
0:02:49 > 0:02:50all the way to Studland Bay
0:02:50 > 0:02:52in Dorset,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and includes the seaside resorts of
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Lyme Regis and Weymouth.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03This bit of coast is where my fascination with the marvels of the
0:03:03 > 0:03:05natural world all began.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Here, on childhood holidays,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13I'd spend days with a net and bucket hunting in the rock pools to see
0:03:13 > 0:03:16what strange beasts I could find.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19But, of course, out there in the open ocean,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23there are even more extraordinary marine creatures to encounter.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27One of them in particular has fascinated me for years.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It really does feel like it's come from another planet.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32And it's not just that, it seems like an alien,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34it's an intelligent alien.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40This is the cuttlefish.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43A life form with so many extraordinary features,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45it's hard to know where to start.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49It has three hearts, blue blood, and
0:03:49 > 0:03:53it can change colour in patterns that ripple across its body.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57A trick it uses for camouflage to
0:03:57 > 0:04:00attract a mate and to mesmerise its prey.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05During the spring and summer,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09cuttlefish move into our shallow coastal waters to breed.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10They aren't here for long,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13but I've heard from local fishermen that they're around right now,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15and I'd love to see them.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17And, if possible, film them.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19But that's not easy.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Getting good, clear shots of cuttlefish in the wild is
0:04:22 > 0:04:25a challenge, even for the professionals.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29But, I'm hatching a plan that might just get us some rare footage of
0:04:29 > 0:04:31cuttlefish courtship.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Have you ever filmed cuttlefish, Robin?
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Cuttlefish is a first, but I'm always up for a challenge.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41I've reeled in wildlife cameraman Robin Smith to help me try
0:04:41 > 0:04:42and pull it off.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- It's quite a charismatic animal. - Absolutely.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- That big eye, and there's a sense of intelligence about them.- Yeah.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52That whole group of animals is fascinating anyway, isn't it?
0:04:52 > 0:04:53- Cephalopods.- Yeah.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57And we've got this great population of cuttlefish in the UK,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59in the South West in particular,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01that come in for the breeding season,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03and I've never seen them on a dive.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06But I know they're there because the fishermen are out there catching
0:05:06 > 0:05:08them in quite good quantities.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14My idea is to borrow a trick from the fishermen,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16adapting the pots they use to catch cuttlefish.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Definitely come to the right place, Robin.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- It smells like it, doesn't it? I can smell welding.- Yeah.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- Is it Mick?- Yeah. It is, yeah. - This is Robin.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25Hi, Mick. How are you doing, mate?
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Mick makes the creels that fishermen use to catch cuttlefish.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33But I only want to catch one on camera and then let it go.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34This is a square pot.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- You could cut us an entrance here. - I'll make you...
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- But without the sort of anti-reverse net.- Yeah.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42We don't want this to be a trap, we just want it to be...
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- An open entrance. - ..an open entrance that they can
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- swim in and out of their own free will.- Yeah.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51This whole idea is based on a theory that fishermen once told me,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54which is that cuttlefish like going into these traps,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58they go in out of curiosity, it feels sort of like an interesting,
0:05:58 > 0:05:59secluded piece of habitat
0:05:59 > 0:06:02where they might be safe laying eggs or whatever.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04So, we should actually be creating
0:06:04 > 0:06:07somewhere that a cuttlefish wants to go.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- I think we're good to go, Mick. - Just give it a go.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- Give that a go.- Thank you, Mick.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- OK.- Nice one, thanks mate.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17In our modified pot, the cuttlefish can go in and out as they please.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21So if Robin can rig ours with an underwater camera,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I'm hoping we might see natural mating behaviour.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27First stop, my workshop.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- That might work for us.- That's got pretty much the whole pot covered.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Yeah, it has, yeah.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35OK, hold that up, then. Let's just clamp that on there.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Yeah, once that's fixed in the cage, that feels pretty good to me.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42Uh-huh. OK, good.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47It's always a fun thing about doing this sort of filming, really,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49you never get the same problem twice.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50So you're always problem-solving,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52working it out from scratch, pretty much.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Like the fishermen, we'll be using
0:06:57 > 0:07:00a lure to attract cuttles into our pot.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Something that I hope looks like another friendly cuttlefish.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06That looks pretty good.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07More or less.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Mind you, I've never seen a more sceptical-looking sound man in all my life.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12He's not convinced.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- He's not impressed, is he? - He's definitely not convinced.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Come on, cuttles.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Prove Gary wrong.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I think we've just got time to get this in the water this evening,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27and our skipper, Matt, should be standing by in West Bay.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32My friend, fishing boat skipper
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Matt Toms, knows these waters better than anyone.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38And I think he'll have a pretty good idea where we should put our pot.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47But if we've missed the breeding season, even by a day,
0:07:47 > 0:07:48those cuttlefish will be gone.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52It will be good to know what Matt makes of our plan,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54and of my all-important lure.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Very pretty, very pretty.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59What self-respecting cuttlefish could say no?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Well, that's what we hope.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04But, are there some self-respecting cuttlefish around at the moment?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07I hope so, we've got a good 50-50 shot.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11They're actually looking for a structure on the sea bed
0:08:11 > 0:08:14to lay their eggs, so they'll come and investigate any bit of structure.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17What's actually happening here on the Jurassic Coast with cuttlefish
0:08:17 > 0:08:18at this time of year?
0:08:18 > 0:08:20They actually move into the shallow water to breed.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23And as long as they get to breed reasonably successfully during the
0:08:23 > 0:08:26catching period, they should bounce back each year?
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Well, that's right. And what a lot of the fishermen do is actually
0:08:29 > 0:08:32leave the traps out once they've finished catching the cuttlefish,
0:08:32 > 0:08:33because the traps are covered in eggs,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36so they will leave the traps out until say, September,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38and give the chance for the eggs to actually hatch out.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Let's get it in the water, then.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44OK, cuttles, lights, camera and we hope...
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- Good to go.- ..action.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58And with our underwater cuttlefish photo booth safely installed in ten
0:08:58 > 0:09:00metres of water... Brilliant, Matt.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01- Yeah, good.- Thank you.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06..all we can do is wait to see who or what drops in
0:09:06 > 0:09:08over the next 24 hours.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Meanwhile, I'm off to meet a scientist who shares my fascination
0:09:13 > 0:09:15with the cuttlefish.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Here at the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Alex Harvey has just hatched a new brood.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25These little fellows are fantastic.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27- Aren't they beautiful?- How old are they?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29They're about seven days old.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31And why do you have these cuttlefish here at the NBA?
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Who's studying them and what are they trying to find out?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36One of the reasons we're interested particularly in cuttlefish is
0:09:36 > 0:09:39because of their intelligence. They have incredibly developed eyes,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41they've got a very complex brain.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It looks like they have the capacity to learn
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and to kind of process new information.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49So they're really interesting from that perspective.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52It's noticeable that there's quite a lot of colour variation.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55There's some very pale ones, there's some almost reddish ones,
0:09:55 > 0:09:56some much darker ones.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Cuttlefish have the ability to change the colour and the texture of
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- their skin.- I've just seen one do exactly that.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05So when I said there's pale ones and red ones,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08one minute they're reddy-brown, and the next minute...
0:10:08 > 0:10:11That one has just shot off little clouds of ink.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14In fact, I can see several clouds suspended in the water.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18The inking is held together like a globule.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Now, a lot of people misunderstand what inking does.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24A lot of people think that cuttlefish use it to kind of create
0:10:24 > 0:10:25a smoke screen to hide behind.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27That's not at all what it's for.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30It's actually supposed to make a mimic, like a kind of something that
0:10:30 > 0:10:32is shaped a little bit like a cuttlefish,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35so whatever predator is attacking the cuttlefish will attack the ink
0:10:35 > 0:10:37- instead of the cuttle.- And they are voracious predators,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40they will take anything that they can get their hands on.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43And just how voracious, I'm about to find out.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- Is that the food? - This is the food.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49We have a mixture of baby prawns,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52baby mysid shrimp and tiny little amphipods.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I'm fascinated that within just a week of hatching,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Alex is offering these baby cuttlefish live prey.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Oh, my goodness, that's unbelievable!
0:11:07 > 0:11:11And you see a really big size compared to the body.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12Yeah. There's another one.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21They're really fired up.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27And you see that extra long tentacle, the kind of hunting tentacle,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30coming out of the middle of the cluster of smaller tentacles.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34And that prawn is just whipped back in.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50Oh, my God! Sorry.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54That was just full-on.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55Look at this one.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02To avoid being prey themselves, these little hatchlings
0:12:02 > 0:12:06need to grow fast, and that means learning to hunt fast.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Their tiny tentacles are already deadly weapons,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12even to prawns half as big as they are.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17This is wild behaviour that's going on, in every sense of the word.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20It's actually making my heart pound a bit.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22They look super cute, like little cartoon characters.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25But now that those prawns are in there...
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- They're killing machines.- They're killing machines, they are.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30They are highly effective predators.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33This is an intelligent animal on A completely different side of the
0:12:33 > 0:12:36evolutionary tree from mammals, birds, fish.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39That's right. They've evolved completely separately
0:12:39 > 0:12:42from all other, what we would call intelligent life.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43And that's why they're so interesting.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47You know, we can learn about this sort of parallel evolution,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49even in things like their eyes.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53They have incredibly complex eyes that see at least as well as we do.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Strange. And every thing about them is sort of gripping and fascinating
0:12:56 > 0:12:58and otherworldly.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01And they're hunting prowess, I have to say, is second to none.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It's spring, breeding season for our sea birds.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29The spectacular cliffs of the coastline here provide many of them
0:13:29 > 0:13:32with isolated nest sites where they can raise their
0:13:32 > 0:13:34young in relative safety.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38But for one summer visitor, life is not so simple.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39This is the little tern.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46Each year in makes an epic 5,000km journey to get here all the way
0:13:46 > 0:13:49from West Africa, only to nest right on the beach.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52Here on the ground,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56they risk being disturbed by holiday-makers and dog walkers.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01And their eggs and chicks are easy prey for predators like foxes and ravens.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05So, perhaps it's no surprise that the little tern is one of our rarest
0:14:05 > 0:14:09sea birds. It really doesn't make life easy for itself.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13You almost want to remonstrate with the stubborn little birds.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Guys, this is not a good idea.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19In fact, ten years ago, it got so bad, that it looked like the little
0:14:19 > 0:14:22terns might disappear from the Jurassic Coast completely.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26So, it's fantastic to know that a growing army of supporters has
0:14:26 > 0:14:29gathered round them to help them through this critical time of year.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Every spring, one small band of little terns heads to their last
0:14:35 > 0:14:39surviving nest site in the South West, Chesil Beach.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44It's a natural wonder of the Jurassic Coast and an 18-mile long
0:14:44 > 0:14:45bank of shingle and pebbles.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49The stones are size-graded by the action of the sea.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51At the Portland end, they're as big as a fist...
0:14:53 > 0:14:55..and at the Bridport end, barely pea sized.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00It's April and on one small patch of shingle,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03preparations are under way for the arrival of the little terns.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Yeah. Just be really careful not to cross those wires.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Would not be a good idea.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Every year, out comes an electric fence,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16a flat-pack hut and a wooden walkway.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Vital kit to help the team watch over the terns and protect them from predators.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22That should be it.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The extraordinary life choices of the little tern mean that this
0:15:25 > 0:15:29long-suffering bird really needs all the help it can get,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33as veteran volunteer John knows only too well.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Does the door shut? Yes, it does.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39It's such a challenge. Because they are up against so much,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41little terns are the Homer Simpson of the bird world.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Right, get your 99s and your hot dogs here.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Chesil should be an ideal site for a tern colony.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Behind the shingle bank is the sheltered salt water lagoon,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02the Chesil Fleet, and the sheer length of the beach makes it
0:16:02 > 0:16:04easy to find a private spot.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10Only 20 years ago, the colony here had 100 breeding pairs.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12But by 2008,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16that number had crashed to just ten and there was a real danger that
0:16:16 > 0:16:19little terns would be lost from this site for ever.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23This project was set up to save them and ever since,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27volunteers have devoted their summers to Operation Little Tern.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30If you're volunteering, by all means you can paint the hide.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31I love little terns.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34They're very cute little birds.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36They're very noisy.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38They've got real character about them.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Much more so than some of the other terns, I think.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46The future of the colony depends on the volunteers keeping
0:16:46 > 0:16:48a round-the-clock vigil to ward off predators.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53The purpose of this hide is mainly to provide shelter for the wardens.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56We can sit in here and watch the birds and keep a watch out for
0:16:56 > 0:16:57predators to scare off.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02This year, the colony has a new chief protector.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Scarlet Hutchin is taking charge as seasonal warden.
0:17:06 > 0:17:07You get to really know the birds.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09You spend a lot of time watching them.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13So you get to know their behaviour quite well and it does become,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15it kind of becomes your version of celebrity gossip.
0:17:15 > 0:17:21Things that, to a normal outsider, would seem quite small details
0:17:21 > 0:17:26become quite big news if you're living in a little sea bird bubble.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30For birds who lay their eggs directly onto pebbles on a beach,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33predators are just one of many things that can go wrong.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Eggs can easily roll off the nest, cool down and fail,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41which is why John came up with this.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Every year, we put these pots of sand out,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46because they make a nice scrape in the sand.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It's like a nice little cup which keeps the eggs close together and
0:17:49 > 0:17:51then they can sit on the eggs.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Especially when they've got three eggs, it's harder for them to keep
0:17:54 > 0:17:57them all close together but when they're in sand, it's much easier.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Nobody can fault the volunteers for effort and the great news is that
0:18:02 > 0:18:05their hard work is starting to pay off.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11From 1997 to 2008, the population declined from 100 pairs down to just
0:18:11 > 0:18:16ten pairs and now the birds are back up to 39 pairs last year.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20And I fully anticipate it will go up to 50-odd this year, if not more.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Late in April, the little terns arrive at the end of their epic
0:18:29 > 0:18:30flight from Africa.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38As soon as they've had a chance to refuel after the long journey,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40the business of pairing up can begin.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44A male woos the female by offering her food.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50But even after successful mating, the dangers that lie in wait for
0:18:50 > 0:18:52eggs and chicks mean that the overall
0:18:52 > 0:18:55success of the breeding season is very much in the balance.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00No-one wants to be the person that drops the ball.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03You know, you can do everything right and still have a
0:19:03 > 0:19:06catastrophically bad season and that is not
0:19:06 > 0:19:08something that you have control over.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22It's great to see that so many local people are prepared to step up and
0:19:22 > 0:19:26get involved when they see an animal struggling to make a comeback on
0:19:26 > 0:19:30their doorstep, and I'm glad to say it isn't just adorable birds or
0:19:30 > 0:19:34cute mammals that are getting a helping hand.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37At the western end of Chesil Beach is the Isle of Portland,
0:19:37 > 0:19:42an isolated outcrop, jutting out into the sea.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44This is Dorset's southernmost point.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52And it's the lifelong home of retired naval senior rating Rodney Wild.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I certainly wouldn't want to live anywhere else and when I'm walking
0:19:55 > 0:19:59early in the morning with the dog, perhaps, and I look out
0:19:59 > 0:20:02at the sunrise and I say, "I don't want to go away for a holiday,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05"I'd miss this place too much," so...
0:20:06 > 0:20:13Last holiday I had was in Wales, but that was 1982.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16We had a fabulous time, but I love this place too much to leave
0:20:16 > 0:20:18it when I haven't got to.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Rodney is a man with a deep-running passion for his home patch and a
0:20:24 > 0:20:29long-held fascination with a strange little resident that has entered
0:20:29 > 0:20:30into local folklore.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Portland's got a lot of quirky stuff and there is a bit of
0:20:33 > 0:20:36folklore attached to them, which is at Southwell,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39they've got these creatures called Nanny Diamonds,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42which live in dry-stone walls and peer at people.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43Who knows?
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Rodney's first encounter with the Nanny Diamonds happened
0:20:52 > 0:20:55on a dark night over 30 years ago.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59When I was in the Navy and I was on the base down there,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02coming back from the Clifton pub and just suddenly saw them on the side
0:21:02 > 0:21:06of the road, where we came down and it looked like an ashtray
0:21:06 > 0:21:09that had been tipped out, except that they were green.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12I said, "What's that?" "Oh, they're glow-worms."
0:21:17 > 0:21:21It's likely that the real source of the legend of the Nanny Diamonds is
0:21:21 > 0:21:25indeed the glow-worm, a creature which Portland is lucky enough to
0:21:25 > 0:21:27have in relative abundance.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31This chance meeting 30 years ago sparked Rodney's interest.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36And tonight, after dark, he'll conduct one of his regular
0:21:36 > 0:21:40glow-worm walks and make a count of these beguiling bugs.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43There's a group of Dorset butterfly spotters.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47They came out last week and bringing a few friends with them this time,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and it has been advertised so, hopefully, may get one or two more
0:21:51 > 0:21:52people coming as well.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55I always follow the same route so you can compare statistics with
0:21:55 > 0:21:56last year.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Not much is known about the UK's overall glow-worm population,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03so public counts are a source of valuable data.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Through the summer, walks like Rodney's take place across the UK
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and the results are pooled to help build a national picture.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24When we get down the bottom, we'll spread out and as soon as you see a
0:22:24 > 0:22:25glow-worm, shout.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34In urban areas, ambient light from cars and cities can drown out the
0:22:34 > 0:22:35glow-worms' little show.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41It looks like a green LED sitting in the grass.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42Some brighter than others.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46We spread all the way across.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Found one!
0:22:50 > 0:22:51We found one!
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Ah, yeah, I see him.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57The glow-worm is actually a beetle.
0:22:57 > 0:23:03The female can't fly and uses her ethereal light to attract mates and
0:23:03 > 0:23:04deter predators.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09It's produced by a light-emitting chemical in a specialised organ in
0:23:09 > 0:23:11the beetle's abdomen.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16If all goes well, it's the climax of a brief adult life of just a few weeks.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- Down there.- It looks like wings.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21No, there are no wings on them.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Right, so there's two.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24Oh, that is the whole thing.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29When they mate, the light goes out and they go underground and die and
0:23:29 > 0:23:31lay their eggs before they die.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It is all part of life's rich tapestry.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40- This is my first time. - Yes, same.- Very good!
0:23:41 > 0:23:43There's another one.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53Rodney's glow-worm walks are a great way for locals to discover a marvel
0:23:53 > 0:23:55of nature right on their doorstep.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57One that's all too easy to miss.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I bring the dogs up here every morning.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01And we come down here every morning and the evening.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Sometimes the evening as well.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Never this time of night, so I didn't even know they existed.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Counts like this have recorded glow-worms
0:24:10 > 0:24:14in hundreds of sites across the UK where they were previously unknown.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16It's thought they're in decline,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18but until we get more data from more sites,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21we'll be in the dark about glow-worms a while longer.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25We got to 16, which is a pretty good number.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- I think everyone's enjoyed themselves.- ALL:- Yes!
0:24:30 > 0:24:32That's it. We're all going to bed now.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36I might go to the Clifton and have a last one.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Thank you very much everyone for coming.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- Thank you.- It's really good.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50So, next time you're wandering past thick hedgerows and tall grasses on
0:24:50 > 0:24:54a summer's night, peer into the gloom, and who knows,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57you, too, might catch a glimpse of a Nanny Diamond.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Out in Lyme Bay, it's time to check on the modified cuttlefish pot
0:25:16 > 0:25:19that we've left out at sea over the previous 24 hours.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26I'm hoping we might have picked up some rare footage of some courting couples.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Strange, isn't it? Because normally when you're pulling a pot,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37you're hoping there's something in it.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39And if there's something in this,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42then the plan hasn't quite gone right.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I just hope something has been in it.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50The lights are obviously off, as we'd expect.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54And there's a sign that something has paid our cuttle-cam a visit.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56- It's all good.- Some squid eggs.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57Any sign of eggs? Squid eggs.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00That's amazing!
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- They didn't take long, did they? - That is amazing.- Well spotted.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- You think that's squid, not cuttlefish?- That's definitely squid.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- They're like blackberries, cuttlefish eggs.- How extraordinary!
0:26:11 > 0:26:14The squid eggs attached to our pot may not be from our
0:26:14 > 0:26:19target cephalopod, but we'll give them the best chance we can.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I've got half of it off quite nicely.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26Good luck, squid eggs.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Though, in all honesty, they're probably more likely to make a meal
0:26:31 > 0:26:35for somebody than turn into baby squid, but you never know!
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Done our best.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I can't wait to see just what has visited our camera-rigged
0:26:40 > 0:26:43pot in the last 24 hours.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Did those cuttles come calling, or has a squid stolen the show?
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Once Robin's downloaded the footage,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54I'll be right over to see what we've got.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00So...
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- So...- I'm excited, but I don't know how excited I should be.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11So, when I've off-loaded the footage and... Interesting.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13I'm going to ask the crunch question up front.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Do we see any cuttlefish?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- No. I'm afraid not.- Oh, really?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21I'm afraid we don't. No.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25That doesn't completely surprise me because I spoke to a fisherman who's
0:27:25 > 0:27:29had his cuttle pots out and he said in the last three days, he's caught -
0:27:29 > 0:27:32in 200 traps - he's caught three or four cuttlefish.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33Really? That's interesting. OK.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37He thinks that the storm last week basically knocked the breeding
0:27:37 > 0:27:39season on the head and they've all moved offshore.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- OK, OK, OK.- Does that mean we're just looking at an empty trap for
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- several hours?- I mean the trap did what it was there to do,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48other than the cuttlefish. There's some interesting stuff in here.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50- So, let's have a...- You've had some visits?- We've had some visits, yes,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52definitely got some hits on the cameras.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- So...- It's a lovely clear picture, isn't it?
0:27:55 > 0:27:56I mean the lighting, the rig, it works.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Yeah, it seemed to do the business.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06There's a little tiny fish in there.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- Might be a poor cod.- OK.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15That's some kind of juvenile smelt, isn't it?
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Almost transparent. It is interested in the wavy glove.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Yes, the lure's definitely caught its interest.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22It's come in to check that out, for sure.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- And some kind of shark, isn't it? - Dog fish. Yeah.- Yeah.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30Also known as a cat shark.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34- Oh, really? OK.- Lesser spotted dog fish is also known as a cat shark.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Just to confuse everybody even further, great!
0:28:37 > 0:28:40No surprise there. A few crabs checking it out.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41Looks like a little spider crab.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43- Yeah.- Thinking of coming in.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46But changing his mind.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51It's a nice, clear shot.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53The set-up is working, isn't it?
0:28:53 > 0:28:54- Definitely.- The light works.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59The shot's clear. Hey, hey, it's a squid!
0:28:59 > 0:29:00- It is.- It's a squid.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- There you go.- That's amazing.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Is he coming in? So we have got a cephalopod.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- We have got one. Yes.- We've got the cousin and he's really interested.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12He's just hovering up and down the outside.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15He's definitely interested in that lure,
0:29:15 > 0:29:16the glove that we put in as a lure.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19He's coming back for another proper look.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22I mean, this whole rig has got him very inquisitive.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24- He's really interested. Yeah.- Is he gone now?
0:29:24 > 0:29:26- No, back again.- A big squid eye on the side there.
0:29:26 > 0:29:27Incredible. Those eyes are amazing.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31And also we had those squid eggs on the trap.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Maybe laid by this squid.
0:29:33 > 0:29:34Quite possibly. It could've been her.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37But we don't see that. We don't see the actual laying of eggs.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Sadly not. No.
0:29:39 > 0:29:40But I don't know...
0:29:40 > 0:29:44We've got a cephalopod. Yep. Or is it a SEPH-alopod?
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- What do you say?- SEPH-alopod, I would go.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48We've got a SEPH-alopod.
0:29:48 > 0:29:49We could go either way.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54- SEPH-alopod, CEPH-alopod, whatever it was, it was one of them.- Yep.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58The whole thing was set up to take advantage of this great annual event,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01- the cuttlefish breeding, and we've missed that.- Missed that.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03But what do you think about the rig?
0:30:03 > 0:30:05- The potential?- The potential's there, for sure.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09The great thing about this is, you do things like this and you think,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12next time, we can tweak this, we can tweak that and it's always work in
0:30:12 > 0:30:14progress. There's always more you can do.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19- Next time. Next time, we'll nail it. - Just less than one year away.
0:30:19 > 0:30:20Well, we'll get in a bit early.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24- We'll have to start in March next year.- That's fine.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28I can't pretend I'm not a bit disappointed,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30but I'm definitely not deterred.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35It's always a pleasure to explore this coastline
0:30:35 > 0:30:39and find new ways to observe the marine creatures that live here.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44And that often means using knowledge I've gained from one of my favourite pastimes.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Most of my encounters with fish along the Jurassic Coast start
0:30:47 > 0:30:51with a fishing rod in my hand and end in the kitchen.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54But I don't see any contradiction between enjoying catching and
0:30:54 > 0:30:58cooking fish and being absolutely fascinated by what they're up to
0:30:58 > 0:31:01when they're out there in the middle of the sea.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04One of my favourite fish in these waters is the bream.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07It's difficult to catch, delicious to eat,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10and apparently has an extraordinary personal life.
0:31:10 > 0:31:15So I certainly have time for anybody who could throw a bit more light on that.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21All along this stunning coastline are marine mysteries waiting to be
0:31:21 > 0:31:24uncovered by anyone prepared to put in the time.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30This is Sheilah and Martin Openshaw.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Right, that's it. We're good to go.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36- No, we're not. We've got to sort this out, first.- Sort those out, yep.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40This couple lead, what looks to me, like a pretty idyllic life here on
0:31:40 > 0:31:42the south coast.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Well, we're retired, so life just gets busy when you're retired.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Yeah, we've been diving
0:31:48 > 0:31:52as amateur divers for 20 years, just as a hobby.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54And we've thoroughly loved doing it.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Passionate as they are, even they didn't guess that their
0:32:00 > 0:32:04favourite leisure pursuit might lead to a scientific discovery with
0:32:04 > 0:32:06far-reaching implications.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12It started on a dive just near Kimmeridge Bay off the Dorset coast.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26We were in an area and there were these craters.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29It was like a lunar landscape.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31And we didn't know what it was.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37The couple asked local biologist Matt Dogget if he could shed light
0:32:37 > 0:32:38on this find.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40We'd known Matt for a few years.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42And Matt said about the bream, and we said,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44"Oh, yes, bream nests, that's what they were."
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Various sea fish build nests, especially reef dwellers,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52but the nests of black bream have rarely been documented.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Realising they were onto something,
0:32:59 > 0:33:03Matt began diving with Sheilah and Martin and filming their finds.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Every time we put the cameras down there,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12we discover something new about them.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17It's quite a unique fish, really. Especially in UK waters.
0:33:17 > 0:33:22You have a few species of fish which build nests, but not on the scale of
0:33:22 > 0:33:26a black bream. I mean, these nests can be two or three metres wide,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28huge excavations in the sea bed.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Found a wrasse cleaning station and a lobster,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33and some bream nests.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36No-one's ever done this sort of work before that we're doing,
0:33:36 > 0:33:37in the field.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41So it's a great pleasure and privilege to really be out here and
0:33:41 > 0:33:44see something that really hardly anybody else ever sees.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48It got quite exciting.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52You know, just looking at these things and seeing
0:33:52 > 0:33:54the male and female interact.
0:33:54 > 0:34:00It's something that we've got footage of and we couldn't find it anywhere else.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07In April, when bream come inshore to mate, the male fish looks to attract
0:34:07 > 0:34:11females by clearing a circular hatching ground or nest
0:34:11 > 0:34:13for their eggs.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Clearance work begins with a swish of the tail fin
0:34:15 > 0:34:17to shift loose sand and gravel.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22Larger stones are picked up by mouth and removed from the nest.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29At the end of one season, when the nests were left open and the bream
0:34:29 > 0:34:33had just gone, we went down and we did a sort of fairly careful
0:34:33 > 0:34:35measurement of the size of the nest.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40And we calculated that, you know, that one male bream had shifted 70
0:34:40 > 0:34:44kilos of gravel to create this one nest
0:34:44 > 0:34:46and that was a fairly typical sized nest.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51For an average black bream, that's more than 40 times its body weight.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53And the work doesn't stop there.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58The house-proud male needs to keep the place tidy to impress a mate.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02We believe the females go around and look at all these nests and then
0:35:02 > 0:35:07consider the suitability and pick the nest that they prefer to lay
0:35:07 > 0:35:09their eggs on.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13As females show interest, the male changes colour,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17turning almost black apart from a vertical white stripe.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20But the female doesn't stick around for long.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23The females, you know, once they've laid their eggs,
0:35:23 > 0:35:28they swim off and leave them to the male and the male does all the
0:35:28 > 0:35:32tending to the eggs until they hatch several days later.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37This dedicated team has uncovered some impressive bream behaviour that
0:35:37 > 0:35:39I, for one, have never seen before.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Black bream are attentive fathers-to-be,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45steadfastly guarding their eggs.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47And if the male leaves the nest for even a few minutes,
0:35:47 > 0:35:52then there's a risk of the predators going in and starting to eat the eggs.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56We've got footage from Poole Bay where we were diving one day.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59And the male was off the nest for a few minutes.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02And literally, about 40 other fish piled onto the nest
0:36:02 > 0:36:04and started eating the eggs.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11And that's something the male bream won't stand for.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16In all the footage that we've got of different egg predators,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19we've got huge Ballan wrasse from this section of coast
0:36:19 > 0:36:23feeding on the eggs, male coming in and fighting him off.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24And scaring him off the nest.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38I think, you know, the other wildlife, the other fish, perhaps,
0:36:38 > 0:36:40and things down there, they know what's going to happen
0:36:40 > 0:36:42if they wander onto the nest site.
0:36:42 > 0:36:43And they just don't.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50This project has revealed the doughty character of these feisty fish.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54The more I find out, the more I can't help but like them.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Research has shown that nesting fish like this,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04individual fish can have individual personalities,
0:37:04 > 0:37:05and different levels of aggression,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07and we've found sometimes you can
0:37:07 > 0:37:10pop a camera quite close to a nest and it will be ignored
0:37:10 > 0:37:13for three hours. Whereas, in other fish, they won't give the camera
0:37:13 > 0:37:16more than a minute or so before it's, it's laying into it.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21The big revelation is the role of the male as guardian of the next
0:37:21 > 0:37:23generation. And that's an important
0:37:23 > 0:37:27message when it comes to safeguarding the species.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34We've been able to show people, show fishermen, show the regulators,
0:37:34 > 0:37:38just how important the males are, and that's been instrumental in
0:37:38 > 0:37:41encouraging fishermen to return males that
0:37:41 > 0:37:43they catch to the nests.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47The team's curiosity and hard work has led to a new understanding of
0:37:47 > 0:37:52black bream, and with the cooperation of local anglers,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55including me, it could help to secure its future.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02This is a coastline that offers all of us the chance to make some
0:38:02 > 0:38:04exciting discoveries of our own -
0:38:04 > 0:38:07and you don't need to have scuba gear to do it,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10as I found out many years ago.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14When I was a kid, my bucket and spade holidays rapidly became bucket
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and net holidays. I was so fascinated by rock pools and the
0:38:18 > 0:38:22amazing instant opportunity to delve into another alien world.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27For me, a rock pooling foray is never complete without finding one
0:38:27 > 0:38:31characterful fish in particular.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Let's see if I've still got what it takes.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Beautiful, clear water, and lovely seaweeds.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38But where are the critters?
0:38:40 > 0:38:43I want something that moves, something with intent.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Give me a crab, give me a blenny. That's what I'm here for.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52There's some little fish here.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56You can see the shadows before you see the fish.
0:38:56 > 0:38:57Tiny little things.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01There's another little fish.
0:39:01 > 0:39:02That could be a blenny.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Got him!
0:39:08 > 0:39:09And some little shrimps, too.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Blenny and prawns. HE CHUCKLES
0:39:15 > 0:39:16This is just...
0:39:18 > 0:39:22This takes me back. I used to spend hours and hours doing this.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26And this is my favourite thing to catch.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28This is a little blenny.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32The blenny is one of the shoreline's great survivors.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37When waves are crashing on the rocks,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40it jams itself into tiny crevices to stay safe.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45These are good places to hide from predators, too.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49And that slimy covering helps it to carry on breathing, so it can stay
0:39:49 > 0:39:50alive, even out of water.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56I've had so much fun catching these guys, putting them in my bucket,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59looking at them for hours and hours,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01and then tipping them back in the rock pool at the end of the day.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05It just seems to me to be bursting with character.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07And some... Oh! There he is, back in the pool.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12But not for long. No, that was him.
0:40:12 > 0:40:13Catch and release.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16They do have a habit of doing that.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20They're crafty little flippers, and he flipped himself back in the pool.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25These days I've teched up a bit when it comes to rock pooling,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28using an underwater camera to give me some extra-special close-ups.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Some really pretty anemones just there.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39It's so easy to forget that these curious little things are actually
0:40:39 > 0:40:40animals, not plants.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44The green one with the pink tips
0:40:44 > 0:40:47on its tentacles is a snakelocks anemone,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49and the browny one is a beadlet anemone.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52The tide's just come over the edge of this pool,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55so it's starting to get a touch murky, but it also means the
0:40:55 > 0:40:58anemones are starting to move their tentacles with the
0:40:58 > 0:41:00incoming tide. There we go.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02Just a little swish.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05There's probably more chance of them getting a feed now that the tide's
0:41:05 > 0:41:06coming into the pool.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10What is that?
0:41:10 > 0:41:12The great thing about rock pooling is you never know
0:41:12 > 0:41:13what you're going to find.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15It's some kind of sea slug.
0:41:17 > 0:41:18Look at that.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23I think that is a sea hare.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27And I've never seen one of those in an English rock pool before.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Check this out. Sea hare in rock pool.
0:41:31 > 0:41:32Take one.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34First time ever.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43'The sea hare is a seaweed-eating mollusc. It may not be quite as
0:41:43 > 0:41:46'clever as its distant cousin, the cuttlefish...'
0:41:46 > 0:41:47It just looks so exotic.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51'..but it can fend off predators by squirting ink.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54'Those bunny ears, which is presumably how the hare got its
0:41:54 > 0:41:57'name, are organs called rhinophores,
0:41:57 > 0:41:59'that can detect the faintest smell.'
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Really want to see if I can get a close-up of those mouthparts.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Oh, he's just turning this way now.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07That might do it. Just...
0:42:07 > 0:42:10It looks as if he's staring straight down the lens of my
0:42:10 > 0:42:13underwater camera, almost like he's intrigued by it.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18But I think that's probably a bit fanciful, because he really can't
0:42:18 > 0:42:20have a very big brain, if any. HE CHUCKLES
0:42:24 > 0:42:28I've been sticking my nose in Dorset rock pools since I was six years
0:42:28 > 0:42:30old, but I've never seen one of these before.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33It feels just like being a kid again.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49Away from the shoreline, on a marshy ribbon of ground,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51even more surprises lie in wait.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58In this boggy field, just to the side of the B3351 in Dorset,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00are lurking things you won't find on the map...
0:43:02 > 0:43:05carnivorous insect-eating plants.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11Bog like this is their perfect habitat,
0:43:11 > 0:43:13and they're thriving here.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18I remember being fascinated by the idea of carnivorous plants as a kid,
0:43:18 > 0:43:22but for Tim Bailey, that's a thrill that never went away.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26I've been involved, dealing with carnivorous plants now for about 35
0:43:26 > 0:43:30years, since I was 15. I collected my first Venus fly trap.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33I was quite shocked to find that we actually have 13 native species in
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Britain and Ireland.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41It's just the fascination that they have, so much mystique and intrigue.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45This bog, there's probably more species represented than most parts
0:43:45 > 0:43:49of the, of the country. This is my own little personal cathedral.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52INSECTS BUZZ
0:43:54 > 0:43:58Carnivorous plants have evolved to live in low-nutrient environments.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02Unlike other plants, they take very little from the soil.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05It's passing insects that give them all the buzz they need.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10This bog, where sunshine and prey are abundant,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13is perfect for a range of carnivorous plants,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16including ones which hunt below the water.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20The bladderworts are one of the most advanced plants in the world.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23The actual trap's actually quite frightening.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25EERIE MUSIC PLAYS
0:44:26 > 0:44:31It could be straight from the pages of B-movie science fiction.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Beneath the bog, what horrors lie in wait?
0:44:35 > 0:44:38This is indeed an unusual organism.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42Bladder traps empty of water, creating a vacuum inside.
0:44:45 > 0:44:50The suction power of that vacuum is released by tiny hairs triggered by
0:44:50 > 0:44:51passing insect larvae.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55Once the trap is sprung,
0:44:55 > 0:44:59the larva is stuck inside with no chance of escape.
0:44:59 > 0:45:00And Tim has another favourite.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05Now, this is the most common of the sundews.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07It grows across Britain and Ireland.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09It's called the round-leaved sundew,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12and you can clearly see a sort of very round trap,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15which is where it gets its name from.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18It can catch quite sizeable, sort of, flies.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21Then, because these insects, when they're caught,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24they might urinate and create nitrogen.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27The plant responds to that nitrogen, and it sends lots more of its
0:45:27 > 0:45:30tentacles that will bend towards that prey.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35If it's really small, it quickly gets consumed, and in a matter of,
0:45:35 > 0:45:37you know, two or three days,
0:45:37 > 0:45:41there's just this little black globule of soup.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43And the plant then sucks
0:45:43 > 0:45:45that soup back into the plant.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50If insects have nightmares, these plants must surely be in them.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54And as Tim continues his survey,
0:45:54 > 0:45:58he finds that the nightmare has become very real for some of the
0:45:58 > 0:46:00bog's larger insects.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06These are damselflies, and they're clearly in distress.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Some of them look like they're feeding, but in fact,
0:46:15 > 0:46:19they're just using their mouthparts to try and get free from
0:46:19 > 0:46:21the sundew's sticky threads.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27I've just found a load of damsels
0:46:27 > 0:46:29that are caught in the fly traps.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31I haven't seen this concentration.
0:46:31 > 0:46:36It's like one's been caught, and there's another three on it as well.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39So perhaps the one being caught has attracted the others.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Not a sight you would normally see.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45You see the odd one trapped from time to time,
0:46:45 > 0:46:46but I've never seen that before.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51As you can see, they're quite substantial creatures.
0:46:51 > 0:46:55These plants do have antibacterial, antiseptic qualities,
0:46:55 > 0:46:59which sort of stop the prey from naturally rotting or going,
0:46:59 > 0:47:01you know, within there,
0:47:01 > 0:47:05so it gives a chance of the plant to actually digest it itself, to get
0:47:05 > 0:47:07the meal, because if the insect rots,
0:47:07 > 0:47:09it could actually rot the leaf at the same time.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14And there's another one at the back, and it's been completely immersed,
0:47:14 > 0:47:17so you can actually see
0:47:17 > 0:47:20that this creature has had pretty
0:47:20 > 0:47:23much quite a horrendous time, trying to escape
0:47:23 > 0:47:25the clutches of this plant.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Very interestingly, these are also caught, and there's
0:47:31 > 0:47:34a spider that's come along and is
0:47:34 > 0:47:37trying to get a free meal.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39And the predator has become prey.
0:47:40 > 0:47:46This rarely observed world shows plants at their most resourceful and deadly.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49It's definitely made this visit really worthwhile.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52So I'm a very happy man.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55I'm sure the damselflies aren't as happy as I am.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11GULLS SQUAWK
0:48:12 > 0:48:15GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC PLAYS
0:48:19 > 0:48:23It's June, and the little terns of Chesil Beach are busy feeding their
0:48:23 > 0:48:25hungry chicks.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30CHICKS CHIRP
0:48:36 > 0:48:40So far, things are going pretty much according to plan for the dedicated
0:48:40 > 0:48:45team of volunteers here to protect the ever-vulnerable chicks.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48The terns have nested in the specially prepared sites,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51and the electric fence has fended off the foxes.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55But for warden Scarlet and the team,
0:48:55 > 0:48:58the big worry now is the threat from the air.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02We had crows manage to get into the colony and take all the eggs out of
0:49:02 > 0:49:06- seven nests over four days, which was...wasn't a very good week. - SHE LAUGHS
0:49:07 > 0:49:09But we seem to have managed to, kind of, get the best of them.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11They're just showing up a lot less now,
0:49:11 > 0:49:14and the terns are doing a good job keeping them away as well.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19The terns that lost eggs mostly managed to lay again,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22and there are now more fluffy chicks than ever to guard.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26We've got around 40 pairs, and at least 26 chicks have hatched,
0:49:26 > 0:49:27which is really nice.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32But this is when the colony is most at risk.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37For hungry kestrels with chicks of their own to feed,
0:49:37 > 0:49:40this looks like one big baby bird buffet.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48The kestrel is a thing that keeps me up at night, basically.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51Kestrels in the past have caused a lot of problems here.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54So the kind of big question, when you're waiting to see if it's going
0:49:54 > 0:49:57to be a good year or not, is whether the kestrels start showing up
0:49:57 > 0:49:59a lot or not.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01And when a kestrel does show up,
0:50:01 > 0:50:04John uses decades of expertise to persuade it to leave.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06I will chase it off.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Hey, hey, hey, hey!
0:50:09 > 0:50:13We don't have any particularly highly technological anti-kestrel device.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14Hey, hey, hey, hey!
0:50:14 > 0:50:17Shouting, waving your arms, banging loud things with sticks.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21And on this occasion at least,
0:50:21 > 0:50:24there'll be no easy meal for the hawk-eyed hunter.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28- John, 1... - Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
0:50:28 > 0:50:30Kestrel, 0.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35In just two weeks, the chicks quadruple their weight,
0:50:35 > 0:50:37but until they're fully fledged,
0:50:37 > 0:50:41the job is not over for the adult birds or the volunteers.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45While they're still flightless, the
0:50:45 > 0:50:48team has a chance to ring the chicks, so they can know which birds
0:50:48 > 0:50:51are returning each year.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56But little tern chicks are so well-camouflaged,
0:50:56 > 0:50:58the challenge is not stepping on one.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Can you spot the chicks in this picture?
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Neither can these guys.
0:51:13 > 0:51:14There are actually two of them.
0:51:24 > 0:51:25How about now?
0:51:33 > 0:51:36Just check it is the right number.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42I'm hoping it carries on as it has been,
0:51:42 > 0:51:44because it's going really well.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46I don't think we've lost any chicks yet.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49We've got lots of chicks hatching.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52More pairs of terns than last year, by the looks of things.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55So I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for things carrying on
0:51:55 > 0:51:57as they are, really.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17Within a few weeks, the chicks that have made it through the summer are
0:52:17 > 0:52:19ready to take to the wing.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25The long migration south to Africa can begin.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34And by mid-August,
0:52:34 > 0:52:38silence has fallen once more on the tern colony of Chesil Beach.
0:52:40 > 0:52:45But how many chicks made it off the nest and into the air?
0:52:45 > 0:52:47It's been an amazingly successful season.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50We had about 73 fledglings survive this year, which is really,
0:52:50 > 0:52:55really good. And productivity of 1.92,
0:52:55 > 0:52:59so that's 1.92 chicks fledged per pair,
0:52:59 > 0:53:01and that's the highest we've ever had.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04It's brilliant. And when you think, only...
0:53:04 > 0:53:08back in 2008, and the early 2000s,
0:53:08 > 0:53:11we were getting one or two fledglings a year, if that,
0:53:11 > 0:53:13often none at all.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16So it's a huge, a huge improvement.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Yeah.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23For Scarlet's first year as warden,
0:53:23 > 0:53:26that must go down as a resounding success.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30When you get somebody coming in who doesn't know the site,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33it is always a challenge, but Scarlet's been brilliant.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48I'm back in Plymouth, at the Marine Biological Lab,
0:53:48 > 0:53:52where cuttlefish expert Alex has got some footage she wants to show me.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56So there's some competitive displaying between the males
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- before mating?- Yes.- Do you have any of that behaviour on
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- your film clips? - Yeah, I do, as well.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04And we see here this movement by the male,
0:54:04 > 0:54:06with this flailing of the tentacle
0:54:06 > 0:54:09and quite a strong zebra-stripe pattern on both sides.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12- He's displaying very graphically to that male...- Yeah.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- ..saying, "She's mine." - "She's mine."
0:54:15 > 0:54:17So we have a female here, and then a male on this side,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20and you see they actually mate face-to-face.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23- Yeah, they're really locked on. - Really. And so what the male is
0:54:23 > 0:54:26doing here is, he's kind of grasping her, all
0:54:26 > 0:54:29over her face. She's kind of putting her tentacles back,
0:54:29 > 0:54:31and then he is basically taking his very,
0:54:31 > 0:54:35very long tentacles and using it to pick up a spermatophore,
0:54:35 > 0:54:39which is like a packet of sperm, that he then passes to the female.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41- So we see the male has got his... - He's coming apart now.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44- That's it, and there we go. - And that's job done?
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- Job done.- How long after mating does the female lay?
0:54:47 > 0:54:50So it can be as short as a day.
0:54:50 > 0:54:51Sometimes, it takes a week or two.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53In this case, we were extremely lucky.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55You can see she's already laid one egg.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58- Oh, yes.- And then she's just approaching and attaching another.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03Everything about these curious cephalopods is a surprise.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07Locking heads to mate, and now laying eggs by mouth.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11She's literally wrapped her tentacles and mouthparts,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14as far as I could tell, around that strand of rope,
0:55:14 > 0:55:17sort of grappled with it for 30 seconds,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20pulled away and there's an egg stuck on the rope.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22- Yeah.- And how long between each egg?
0:55:22 > 0:55:26So there's usually about one to two minutes in between each egg,
0:55:26 > 0:55:30and she'll lay up to 300 or 400 in one succession.
0:55:30 > 0:55:31- That's going on all day.- All day.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34You managed to film the mating, the egg-laying.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Don't tell me you've got the hatching as well!
0:55:36 > 0:55:39We have got one very, very small clip of the hatching,
0:55:39 > 0:55:43and it happened literally yesterday, and really luckily, we had
0:55:43 > 0:55:46just the tail end of this hatching
0:55:46 > 0:55:48cuttlefish coming out of the egg.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51Quite a struggle for them, actually, to hatch out of the egg.
0:55:51 > 0:55:52So they form, like, a little hole,
0:55:52 > 0:55:55they quite often bite a little hole in the side of the egg,
0:55:55 > 0:55:57or the egg disintegrates a little bit so they can get out.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59And then they have to really kind of, you know,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02siphon and push backwards to kind of get out again.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05We're obviously learning so much from these amazing animals in the
0:56:05 > 0:56:08lab here, but what ultimately is their destiny?
0:56:08 > 0:56:11So we're going to keep a few back over the summer, just to grow on and
0:56:11 > 0:56:15look at their behaviour, but we've had such a successful hatching
0:56:15 > 0:56:18season that a lot of them are going to be released back into the wild,
0:56:18 > 0:56:21not far from where we picked up the adults.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23And actually, we're going to be doing a little bit of that today,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26- if you'd like to come along. - I would love to do that.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Just around the bay from the lab is Jennycliff Cove,
0:56:30 > 0:56:34which Alex has chosen for our juvenile cuttlefish to start their
0:56:34 > 0:56:37new life in the wild. Stunning spot.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39- It's beautiful, isn't it?- Why is it a good place
0:56:39 > 0:56:41to release these baby cuttlefish?
0:56:41 > 0:56:42So you can just see, like,
0:56:42 > 0:56:45how protected it is here from all the waves,
0:56:45 > 0:56:49and there's lots and lots of seaweed for them to hide in.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51I might just film the magic moment
0:56:51 > 0:56:53on this little underwater camera.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02There you all are. Oh, look, a few of them are
0:57:02 > 0:57:05inking at the arrival of the camera in their bucket.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12Let's get them ready for release.
0:57:14 > 0:57:15Come on, guys.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Out they go, out they go.
0:57:20 > 0:57:21Oh, yes!
0:57:24 > 0:57:26Look at that!
0:57:26 > 0:57:29You've got the whole ocean in front of you.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32Where are you going to go?
0:57:32 > 0:57:33What beautiful creatures,
0:57:33 > 0:57:38and thank you for giving me a new and amazing insight into their
0:57:38 > 0:57:40- extraordinary ways. - It's been my absolute pleasure.
0:57:40 > 0:57:45Thanks, Alex. Off you go, cuttles. The whole of the ocean is yours.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48Well, a nice bit of the Devon coast anyway.
0:57:50 > 0:57:54If you'd like to explore Britain's diverse landscapes in more detail
0:57:54 > 0:57:58and find out how to create your own wildlife habitats,
0:57:58 > 0:58:02the Open University has produced a free booklet with bookmarks.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Order your copy by calling...
0:58:08 > 0:58:10Or go to...
0:58:14 > 0:58:16..and follow the links to the Open University.