0:00:02 > 0:00:05For me, watching wildlife is one of life's greatest pleasures.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10And my favourite place to do it is right here,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12in my beloved West Country.
0:00:13 > 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 > 0:00:29- Oh, come on, no way!- Yeah.
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 > 0:00:36This is great, this is measuring an eel.
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Whoa, whoa!
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Pants! Off, off! Oh, there's one inside my...
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..with the help of a band of dedicated nature lovers.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Some of the patterns on the feathers, they are beautiful!
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- Good spot. Look, look, look, look! - Wonderful! Oh, that's so cool!
0:00:53 > 0:00:54There's one in my hair now, Poppy.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I'll share the thrill of the chase...
0:00:57 > 0:01:01- Do you hear them?- I heard something. - Yeah, they're in there.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02ANIMAL CALLS
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Yes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06..the sheer joy of the encounter...
0:01:06 > 0:01:08- She's so golden. - She's fast asleep.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10It's OK. Shh!
0:01:10 > 0:01:11That's amazing.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15..and I'll pitch in to help these local heroes...
0:01:16 > 0:01:20..safeguard the future of our precious animals.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Bye-bye.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22There she goes.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25Whoa!
0:01:25 > 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 > 0:01:33This will be a year-round adventure...
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Straight ahead!
0:01:35 > 0:01:41..as we explore the natural wonders of the UK's very own Wild West.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Today, I'm in the shadow of Glastonbury Tor, where my quest
0:01:55 > 0:01:59for enlightenment has brought me to Somerset's own secret kingdom.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04This labyrinth of sparkling waterways and misty wetlands
0:02:04 > 0:02:07has a special place in England's history.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11It's called the Avalon Marshes.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17This extraordinary landscape has always been a kind of sanctuary,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20almost hidden away from the outside world.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24So naturally, it's a haven for wildlife.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28But it's also a place where people are connecting with nature,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and being inspired to protect it.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32And I'm really looking forward
0:02:32 > 0:02:35to meeting some of the people who are doing that.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Of course, I'm also hoping to make that magic connection myself.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43The Avalon Marshes lie at the heart
0:02:43 > 0:02:45of the Somerset Levels,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47a vast flood plain covering
0:02:47 > 0:02:50around 650 square kilometres.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51Rising above it
0:02:51 > 0:02:53is Glastonbury's famous tor,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55a landmark linked to the legend
0:02:55 > 0:02:56of King Arthur.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Winter is a quiet time
0:03:13 > 0:03:15for much of our wildlife.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19But here in Somerset,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23it's the moment to witness one of the UK's great natural spectacles.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30So, I've hit the road, and I'm hoping that today,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33I might see it for myself for the very first time.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36And if I do, it should be the perfect introduction
0:03:36 > 0:03:39to my exploration of the Somerset Levels.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45At this time of year, starlings roost together in vast flocks
0:03:45 > 0:03:49to survive the harsh winter nights.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53There's safety in numbers, and the birds share their body warmth
0:03:53 > 0:03:56as well as information about the best feeding sites.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00And the Avalon Marshes is home
0:04:00 > 0:04:04to one of the UK's largest and most impressive gatherings,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08made up of hundreds of thousands of birds from across the county.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13The starlings swoop and dive in unison,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17creating massive flowing flocks called murmurations.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22It's surely one of the avian world's most breathtaking sights.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27For those in the know, this spectacle is a big local attraction.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31And today, I'm planning to join them.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36This will be a first for me, but not for our soundman Gary.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Gary, are you a bit of an old hand at the starling murmurations?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I guess I've been to see them on a regular basis
0:04:43 > 0:04:44for the last ten years.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49I've never seen them. I feel I have seen versions of it,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52kind of almost out of the corner of my eye or maybe when driving,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55big swirls of starlings sort of at the end of vision,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58quite a long way away, but I've never been to have a look,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01sort of purposely made a date with the murmurations.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03OK, no pressure, then!
0:05:07 > 0:05:09I'm glad to have Gary as my guide.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13When it comes to the murmurations, he's a true aficionado.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23The reason these birds come together in such vast numbers is for safety.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26They'll drop into the reed bed, they'll pour in like water,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30you'll think the display is over, but something will trigger them.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33A few birds might get nervous, might panic, and they'll move.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Then suddenly, the whole lot will go again.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Peak viewing for the murmurations
0:05:39 > 0:05:42is from mid December through to February,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45and it happens in some form or another most nights.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50But the timing and precise location can change from day to day.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53So finding the best place to watch it is never easy.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58- There's a starling hotline, run by the RSPB...- Really?- ..that you can
0:05:58 > 0:06:01- ring and they'll...- And you've got... I bet you've got the number.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- I have got the number.- Brilliant.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04I'm going to ring the starling hotline.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08It should be the location the starlings were the night before.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11And that's the best bet for where they'll be tonight?
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- Best you've got to go on?- The best you've got to go on, yeah.- OK.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Welcome to the Avalon Marshes Starling Hotline.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Last night the starlings roosted on Ham Wall.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Ham Wall, is that a location you know?
0:06:26 > 0:06:28I know Ham Wall, but it's still a very big reserve,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30it's the RSPB reserve on the Somerset Levels.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37The RSPB reserve at Ham Wall is one part of the patchwork of wetlands
0:06:37 > 0:06:40that make up Avalon Marshes.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43But it's still a large area, so it's a bit of gamble
0:06:43 > 0:06:48deciding exactly where to go for the best view of tonight's avian show.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I'm hoping our cameraman John Walters
0:06:52 > 0:06:55might help to get us front row seats.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00He's another murmuration veteran and is exuding confidence.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02So this will probably be the best spot for tonight
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- because they've just moved and have taken to a fresh bit of marsh.- Yeah.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09I think they've sort of completely flattened the reeds elsewhere,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- and now they've come for... - That's what happens, is it?- Yeah.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15- They flatten a patch, then move on? - Yeah, fresh reeds and a fresh spot.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Nice bit of hard ground to set your tripod up.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Absolutely.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22How are we doing for time?
0:07:22 > 0:07:23Oh.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- Ooh.- Ten past four?- Hm.- 20 minutes?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30At least. Well, I'd say, half an hour.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31Yeah. 20 minutes, half an hour.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- So we just enjoy the, er, waterbirds till then.- Yeah.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41The Avalon Marshes are home to a vast range of bird species.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45And it's best known as a great place to see all kinds of waterfowl,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47waders, herons and swans.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Tonight, these lovely birds are just the warm-up act.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55But it's a great way to settle in.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57So Gary's brought his own stool.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Look, it's actually a folding rucksack stool.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02What a pro, eh?!
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Is it really comfortable, Gary?
0:08:04 > 0:08:05Well, it's the first rule of wildlife watching.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- Any fool can be uncomfortable. - Any fool can be uncomfortable.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- Absolutely.- That'll be me, then.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15The murmuration is best seen on bright, still, crisp days.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17And it looks like we've picked a good one.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24The birds can start to appear about an hour before dark.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27As dusk approaches, the sense of anticipation
0:08:27 > 0:08:31among the gathered spectators is definitely building.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33They look like old hands, somehow,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36they look like they've been here before and they know what to expect.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39I'm starting to wonder if I'm the only murmuration virgin.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Here they come, here they come.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47That's fantastic!
0:08:50 > 0:08:51That's beautiful.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56They are moving in the most extraordinary way.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Twisting and turning.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Look, see on the horizon there?
0:09:04 > 0:09:06- Oh, my goodness!- Massive, massive.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07That's insane!
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- That's huge flock.- That is a huge flock.- That's many thousands.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20Right on cue,
0:09:20 > 0:09:25shape-shifting swarms of starlings stream in over the reedbeds.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Wow, they keep coming.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40In midwinter, Somerset starling population is boosted by more flocks
0:09:40 > 0:09:45from northern Europe, making for one mighty murmuration.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52Still going on in the distance.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12- Quite a spectacle.- It is, isn't it? - Amazing.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Are you a teeny-weeny bit disappointed
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- that they weren't closer? - It would be nice.- It would be nice,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- but then if you could foresee it... - We can come back.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21..it wouldn't be the same, would it?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- No, but it whets your appetite. - It does, doesn't it?
0:10:24 > 0:10:25Have you been before?
0:10:25 > 0:10:27No, it's the first time.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30That's strange, cos I thought I was the only first timer, somehow.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I thought everyone else looked like they knew when you were doing.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- Can you still see them? - Yeah, there's a big crowd of them.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Look at the trees. They're still around there. We thought
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- that they'd gone down but they all came back up again.- Oh, yeah!
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- There's a wave, there's a wave. - Look at them all piling down there.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- What did you think?- It's fantastic.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- Have you been before?- I came on Tuesday for the first time.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- How was it on Tuesday? - It was different.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58It was lots of sort of little ribbons of birds that came.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- Right.- And it was lovely,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02but you didn't get that huge crowd that we got today.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04It was just very different.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07There's something quite nice about lots of people coming out here.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08It feels like a bit of a party.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- Yeah, it's lovely.- Shame nobody's brought any mulled wine.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I've got some hot tea, but, you know, just enough for me and Sue.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- Hot, sugary tea.- All right, I... I get the picture.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17Not enough for you.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21- You can...- I'll open it.- You can have a bit in that top lid.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22Do you want me to open it for you?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- There we go.- You can have some of the top part.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- See what you think. - That's very kind.
0:11:30 > 0:11:31Oh, that's lovely, hot, sweet tea.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32It is nice, isn't it?
0:11:34 > 0:11:35I've had such a lovely time,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I can't believe that I've been living in the West Country
0:11:38 > 0:11:40for so many years and I've never done this before.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It's just so mad.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Why didn't I do it before?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Anyway, I've done it now, and I'm definitely going to do it again.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Wherever you are on the marshes,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03the striking landmark of Glastonbury Tor dominates the view.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07It's easy to see why it entered the mythology of ancient Wessex.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13But just a few miles away,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16another patch of high ground is earning a place in local legend.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21This is Green Down, and in midsummer,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23a little miracle is taking to the wing...
0:12:24 > 0:12:26..the large blue butterfly.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31You've got something here in Somerset
0:12:31 > 0:12:34that would be the envy of every country.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36I think that makes it very special.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Almost 40 years ago,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44this globally endangered species was declared extinct in the UK.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50But now it's back, thanks in part to entomologist David Simcox.
0:12:50 > 0:12:56In 1992, we put 281 caterpillars on the site,
0:12:56 > 0:13:0126 generations later, we've got over 170,000 large blue eggs.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05They're on the wing for just a few weeks
0:13:05 > 0:13:08when they must mate and create the next generation.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11It's a vital window for David to monitor their progress.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Whoa!
0:13:13 > 0:13:15This steep hillside is the best place
0:13:15 > 0:13:17to see large blues in the world.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Let's just keep looking.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23But that doesn't mean they're easy for David to spot
0:13:23 > 0:13:24or for John to film.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26We've got a blue. We've got a blue.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27Have you got it?
0:13:28 > 0:13:29Can you see it still?
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Still got it?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I'm not sure I'm filming it, but... certainly not in a steady mode.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39Good spotting.
0:13:41 > 0:13:42Are you ready, John?
0:13:44 > 0:13:47The other thing to bear in mind is once she's laid an egg,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50there's a good chance for about two seconds she'll open her wings.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Hold on.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Large blues are incredibly fussy.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00They only lay their eggs on the buds of wild thyme flowers.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03This is a beautiful patch of thyme.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05These have huge flowers on them.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10So sites that have thyme with large flowers are good sites.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15But there's something else about this special spot
0:14:15 > 0:14:18that makes it just right for the large blue.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21And it only came to light after years of meticulous research
0:14:21 > 0:14:23by David and his team.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27The large blue has a really quite extraordinary life cycle.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30The female will lay her eggs right in...
0:14:32 > 0:14:35..the tips of the flowers of wild thyme.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39And after about five or six days, those eggs will hatch
0:14:39 > 0:14:43and a very, very tiny caterpillar burrows into the flower.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47And all it actually eats at this stage are parts of thyme flowers.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51When it gets about six or seven millimetres long,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55it loses interest in actually feeding on the flower,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and it drops onto the ground, and it sits there and waits.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03And what it's waiting for is one of these red ants to come and find it.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07The large blue caterpillars undertake a deceit
0:15:07 > 0:15:09on which their whole future,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and indeed the future of the species, depends.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Caterpillars are releasing pheromones that tell the ant
0:15:15 > 0:15:17that it's there.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It also has little glands that it produces a sugar solution,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22which the ants start to feed on.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The caterpillar is fooling the ant into thinking
0:15:25 > 0:15:27it's one of its own grubs.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31The ant will pick the caterpillar up, put it in the ant's nest,
0:15:31 > 0:15:32and at that point...
0:15:33 > 0:15:36..the large blue caterpillar stops being a herbivore and,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39for the rest of its life, it will just eat ant grubs.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42After gorging on its unsuspecting hosts,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46the crafty caterpillar completes its metamorphosis underground,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49until it's ready to emerge as a butterfly
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and start its search for a mate.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56The ant trick is played by a few other types of butterfly,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58but for the large blue, it's very risky.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02The team have discovered that some ants
0:16:02 > 0:16:05are wise to the caterpillar's con.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07And that can have deadly consequences.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10There are four or five different species of red ant.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Any of those will pick up the caterpillar
0:16:12 > 0:16:14and take it into its ant's nest,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17but landmark research over five years
0:16:17 > 0:16:21showed four of those species quickly recognised it was an impostor
0:16:21 > 0:16:22and killed it.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26And just one species, called Myrmica sabuleti,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28were unable to detect it was an impostor.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33The butterfly had learnt perfectly to mimic ant grubs.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37This sneaky secret of the large blue's life cycle has made it
0:16:37 > 0:16:39a very tricky species to reintroduce.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Without exactly the right kind of ant to serve it,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46this butterfly simply won't survive.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52Today, David's also taking an ant census to ensure the right red ant
0:16:52 > 0:16:56that the large blue depends on is present and correct.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57And I'm now going to pick one up.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59And to get the ants where he can see them,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03he deploys a few crumbs of trifle sponge.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Ants love sweet things, so they love trifle sponge.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11And the ants very quickly will come and find it,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14and there are ants running around already.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17And I can see this one is exactly the ant that we want to see.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23But keeping the right red ants here on Green Down is no piece of cake.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Taller the turf gets, the cooler the ground gets.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30And as it cools down, a different species of red ant
0:17:30 > 0:17:34will very, very quickly, just in a matter of weeks, come in
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and take over the ants' nest that Myrmica sabuleti has.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41So we need to keep it warm in the spring and particularly warm again
0:17:41 > 0:17:44in the autumn, and grazing is how we manage that.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50To me, it's mind-boggling just how many delicate variables there are
0:17:50 > 0:17:54to manage for both the large blue and the ant it depends on.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58No wonder it's taken David and his team almost 30 years
0:17:58 > 0:18:02of relentless attention to detail to get this habitat in shape.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08But their fantastic fieldwork has been richly rewarded,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11as these demanding, devious,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15but delightful butterflies now have a vital stronghold.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20It's not just the biggest population in this country,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24but actually it's the biggest known population anywhere in the world.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42A few miles north of Green Down across the flatlands of Somerset
0:18:42 > 0:18:46lies the watery heart of ancient Avalon - the marshes.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52These reedbeds are home to a variety of British birds.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Crisscrossed with waterways,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58they're also an ideal habitat for mammals like water voles and otters.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07I've come back in the summer and the starling murmurations are long gone.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11It's such a peaceful spot that it would be easy to believe
0:19:11 > 0:19:14that not much has changed here in the marshes for centuries.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19But in fact these beautiful wetlands were created relatively recently,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and that takes a huge amount of vision and hard work
0:19:22 > 0:19:25from some very dedicated people.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30And one whose story really stands out is Sally Mills,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33a lifelong wildlife obsessive.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36As a child I used to be around,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39trying to see birds in the local quarry and the local woods.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41And... And I was just collecting, like,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44bits of eggshell and trying to identify what they were,
0:19:44 > 0:19:49and, much to my mum's distaste, I used to also pick up dead birds
0:19:49 > 0:19:52that I found so that I could paint them and I used to keep them
0:19:52 > 0:19:54in the freezer at home, and she didn't realise
0:19:54 > 0:19:57till she got to the bottom of the freezer and found them there,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00but, yeah, these things you do as a kid.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05Sally's childhood passion led her to a career in conservation
0:20:05 > 0:20:09and, ultimately, to a truly daunting assignment after the RSPB
0:20:09 > 0:20:13acquired a new site with an amazing opportunity.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17In 1994, work began to turn Ham Wall,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20where peat had been dug on an industrial scale,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22into a wetland wildlife reserve.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28When I first started, it looked a bit like what I imagine the surface
0:20:28 > 0:20:29of the moon to look like,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33cos they harvest the peat right down to the clay, and I thought,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35"Here we are, trying to establish a wetland.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37"I'm never going to do this by myself."
0:20:37 > 0:20:39And so we put an advert out for volunteers,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and I remember advertising that
0:20:41 > 0:20:45there was free tea and cake on this evening if volunteers came,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and we were... we had about 50 people turn up.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53It was the start of a cake-fuelled people-powered revolution.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Sally and her team of volunteers
0:20:56 > 0:21:01planted thousands upon thousands of reed seedlings, all by hand.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03They used to be, like, with spade handles and bits of broomstick.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It was great, I mean, all right, it was hard work,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08but it was an easy job for people to do,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10but they were really...felt they were making a difference.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Reeds are a tough form of grass.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16They thrive in flood plains and provide much-needed cover
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and sanctuary for all kinds of animal life.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Among them lives a very curious British bird that with the decline
0:21:25 > 0:21:29of the UK's wild reedbed habitats had very nearly gone extinct.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Bittern was our main target species at a time
0:21:34 > 0:21:37when we started back in 1994. They were in massive decline.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I think it was just down to 11 booming males
0:21:40 > 0:21:42in the whole of the country in '93.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45The bittern is a member of the heron family.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48But no other heron can do this...
0:21:48 > 0:21:51BITTERN BOOMS
0:21:57 > 0:22:00This is Britain's loudest bird.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03The male's distinctive mating call, or boom,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06is made by belching gulps of air.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It can be heard from a distance of two kilometres.
0:22:10 > 0:22:1520 years ago, this eccentric bird was on the brink of extinction,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19but thanks to new reedbeds like this, it's making a comeback.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24The marshes here are now home to 45 breeding male bitterns.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27It's a very different picture from when Sally started.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30It makes you draw breath, really. If you got it right for the bittern,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33then you're going to get it right for so many other species.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38So I feel very, very lucky to have been involved,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and it's just brilliant to see how the site has...
0:22:41 > 0:22:43has developed, and I think will continue to.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49The transformation of this place has been a great success story and
0:22:49 > 0:22:53the benefits of what's been achieved here go beyond the wildlife.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57What's also great is to see the people that got involved in...
0:22:57 > 0:23:02in making this project work still here, still enjoying it, and still,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05whether it be watching the wildlife or still volunteering,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07and...and it's just... feels very complete.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09THEY CHUCKLE
0:23:13 > 0:23:18For Sally and her team, the years, in some cases decades, of hard work,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20have been their own rich reward.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Newcomers like me and the tens of thousands of delighted visitors
0:23:25 > 0:23:29who come here every year owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36To maximise their value as habitat,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40man-made reedbeds like this need a lot of maintenance.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44To keep the ditches clear and the water flowing
0:23:44 > 0:23:47is a year-round task for the volunteers.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51And it's just brilliant to see all their amazing hard work paying off,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54as every year brings greater diversity and new species arrive
0:23:54 > 0:23:56that haven't been seen here before.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01There are hundreds of British bird species
0:24:01 > 0:24:02that now call this place home.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06But in recent years,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09the startling white plumage of some exotic newcomers
0:24:09 > 0:24:11has been spotted through the reeds.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16For the whole reserve, this is a very exciting development.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22Today, volunteer Alison Morgan wants to confirm the latest sightings
0:24:22 > 0:24:24with the help of an eye in the sky.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35We've got this new species coming in, they're beautiful, they're new,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37they're big birds, they're about this big.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38They're just incredible birds to watch.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44This is the great white egret,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47once an incredibly rare sight in Britain.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53When a single pair was spotted here on the Avalon Marshes in 2012,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55it was big news in the bird world.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00But more remarkable still was the discovery
0:25:00 > 0:25:04that the pair wasn't just passing through. They were nesting.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06It was an all-time first in Britain.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Since then, more new pairs have been attracted
0:25:13 > 0:25:15by the newly-created marshland,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18and now the team wants to help them settle for good.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22- There we go.- That's the nest.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24There's the nest.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Oh, look, what a wonderful location.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Oh, yeah.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Great white egrets hunt by stealth, stalking fish and frogs,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35which they catch with a deadly jab of their bill.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42Reedbeds provide fantastic cover, and for egrets that's essential
0:25:42 > 0:25:46for finding a nest site where their chicks can stay safe from foxes
0:25:46 > 0:25:48and other land-based predators.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53It makes monitoring the progress
0:25:53 > 0:25:55of these precious newcomers a challenge.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01But with the help of the drone, some of their secrets are being revealed.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08The egrets nest over water, constructing a home in the reeds.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12It's on a quite flimsy platform, isn't it?
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Yes, it's a very flimsy platform. Yes, it's surprisingly flimsy.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Sometimes quite...about a metre high, you'll see the water,
0:26:19 > 0:26:20and there's just these sticks,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22then they build a platform on top of the reed sticks,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24so the whole thing is very precarious.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Today's aerial investigation is revealing more good news.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Got these three birds nesting very closely together, haven't we?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- Yeah.- They're supposed to be colony nesting birds.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41These early signs of a possible colony are a thrilling discovery.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44If these pairs breed successfully,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Alison and the team will be the guardians
0:26:47 > 0:26:50of Ham Wall's next generation of great white egrets,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53so keeping a close eye on the chicks is paramount.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56We know that one nest has got at least one chick,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58and we want to check whether it's one
0:26:58 > 0:26:59or whether it's more than one now,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01cos they tend to lay up to three eggs.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03The other two nests, we want to know what's going on,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05we think they're both incubating. From that we can calculate
0:27:05 > 0:27:07the dates, so that we know when they hatch.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13But for now, it's time to leave the egrets in peace,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17and it's the end of a very satisfying day's work for Alison.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19It's just a fabulous way of being outside
0:27:19 > 0:27:21and seeing what life there is all around us.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23It's good for your mental health,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26it's good for your spiritual health, it's just great fun.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28And the sight of these egrets
0:27:28 > 0:27:32is a spectacular seal of approval for this man-made habitat.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Just such a privilege to connect so closely with birds,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38with the natural world.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41We're just a small part of it and it's an amazing and beautiful thing
0:27:41 > 0:27:42to be able to do.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Alison will return in a few weeks to see how the new colony's
0:27:46 > 0:27:50getting along, and she'll be hoping to find some brand-new chicks.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Summer in the marshes is not to be missed.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01It's when life here is teeming...
0:28:02 > 0:28:04..and there's another exotic newcomer
0:28:04 > 0:28:08that's made the hop here from mainland Europe.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10It might not be as elegant as an egret,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14but it could be having a vital role in their success.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Ecologist Andre Blacker has invited me to join him as he patrols
0:28:18 > 0:28:22the marshes on the lookout for this easily alarmed amphibian.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Are we stalking frogs at the moment?
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Yeah. This morning there were a couple over here in this ditch.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31They're really, really jumping, so if you get...
0:28:31 > 0:28:32Stop it! Frogs?
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Never! Jumpy?
0:28:34 > 0:28:35Surely not!
0:28:35 > 0:28:38There's so many herons and predatory birds around,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41they're just like a coiled spring, so, you know...
0:28:41 > 0:28:43- Softly, softly.- Softly, softly.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45OK. So I shouldn't have laughed loudly.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47- No. If we're too...- You said the frogs were a bit jumpy.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49I'm sorry. That was what set me off.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56We're trying to find a jumpy, shy, noise-averse, well-camouflaged frog
0:28:56 > 0:28:58in the thick cover of a reedbed.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00Surely that's a cinch!
0:29:06 > 0:29:09But it's possible that a heron was here before we got here
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- and might have frightened them. - Or eaten them.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15- Or eaten them.- Yes. - They're definitely heron food.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18But we're not giving up easily.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23Hang on, what's that there?
0:29:24 > 0:29:27- Bit of leaf.- Yeah, that's it, yeah, there we go.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28Got one, well done.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31- Bright green.- Aren't they beautiful?
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Stunning, stunning.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35So that's an Iberian water frog.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38- So he's come all the way from Spain? - Portugal, Spain or southern France.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43How on earth did Iberian water frogs end up here on the marshes
0:29:43 > 0:29:45- in Somerset?- We're really not sure.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47They could have been released deliberately,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50but they're more likely to have been brought in with the fish stock.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53Oh, so maybe somebody brought some carp over
0:29:53 > 0:29:55- for one of the angling lakes here. - Yeah, that's...
0:29:55 > 0:29:58- Tadpoles came in with the carp or something.- Yeah, yeah.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02This Iberian arrival really is rather smart.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05The striking patterns and that vibrant shade of green
0:30:05 > 0:30:08make it very different from our common British frog.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10It's also a lot more vocal...
0:30:10 > 0:30:11FROG CROAKS
0:30:14 > 0:30:15..and that's helped to make it
0:30:15 > 0:30:17a very notable presence in the marshes.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24I've done some rough calculations, and I think in this habitat here
0:30:24 > 0:30:28there are probably 2,000 adults per hectare.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Come on. 2,000 adult...
0:30:31 > 0:30:34- Per hectare.- That could look like a bit of a problem,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37a kind of invasion of a frog that's not meant to be here.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Is it proving problematic for the ecosystem here?
0:30:40 > 0:30:42We've not recorded any problems.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45These frogs have been here since the 1960s and we would have seen
0:30:45 > 0:30:47a problem by now, we would have seen one of our native...
0:30:47 > 0:30:51- 50 years.- Yeah, we'd have seen one of our native species in decline
0:30:51 > 0:30:52and they're thriving.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55They're now part of the food chain whether we like it or not.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59The sheer numbers are clearly a boost
0:30:59 > 0:31:01for the birds that like to eat them.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05And I'm wondering if their vocal tendencies could be a factor, too.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Is it possible that the fact that they're noisy makes them easier prey
0:31:08 > 0:31:11for herons and bitterns and the birds that are doing well here?
0:31:11 > 0:31:13I personally think so, yeah.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Yeah. Cos they call at night, erm, a lot of bird species
0:31:16 > 0:31:19migrate at night, it could be acting like a homing beacon.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Egrets, herons, bitterns...
0:31:22 > 0:31:23- Yeah.- Little bitterns,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25they're probably all piling into the Iberian water frog.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Yeah, they all predate frogs.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Any species. And because we have so many,
0:31:29 > 0:31:31it could be the reason they're doing quite well here.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Andre regularly conducts DNA tests on these frogs,
0:31:36 > 0:31:41and today the task of catching one falls to his new field assistant.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46I'm going to stalk the Iberian water frog for a good scientific reason.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49It's not just for show,
0:31:49 > 0:31:52and I'm guessing you're not rating my chances.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04I'm no heron, but I can be pretty stealthy when I want to be.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17Oh!
0:32:17 > 0:32:19And guess what?
0:32:22 > 0:32:24I thought I had him.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Nice try. I thought you were going to...
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Sorry about that, I really thought I had him.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- It's OK.- I got within a couple of inches and he plopped...
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- ..just into there.- They're so fast, aren't they?
0:32:37 > 0:32:39- God, he did move fast.- Yes, yes.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41I've no idea where he is now.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47But the Iberian water frog has eluded this famous amphibian catcher
0:32:47 > 0:32:49that you've got with you today.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- That's all right. Nice try. - Thank you.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Luckily, Andre's research isn't dependent
0:32:57 > 0:32:59on my frog catching skills.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02He's already gathered some prize specimens.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Is he allowed out?
0:33:04 > 0:33:07We can't let him escape because technically it is illegal
0:33:07 > 0:33:11to put them... Although they came from here, technically it's illegal.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Oh, because it's a non-native species?
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Yeah, so these will have to live out their natural lives at home with me.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- That's quite bizarre.- It is.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- But the rule is there to protect the countryside...- Exactly.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23..from non-native species even if they are already here.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28- Wow. A very bright, jade green body. - Yeah.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32And then speckledy brown flanks and legs. Very distinctive.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36And the sheer amount of water here, the big ponds, the standing water,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39the little pools, he can exploit all those habitats.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41They can also exploit salty water
0:33:41 > 0:33:44and they can tolerate different pollutants.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48So it's a tough frog but its undoing is the heron and the bittern?
0:33:48 > 0:33:50- Exactly.- He can't do much about them.- No.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52They can still make lunch, tea and dinner of him.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56But there's no such fate in store for this frog.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59He'll be heading home with Andre to live in his garden refuge.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03So you'd think he'd be happy to go back in his box.
0:34:03 > 0:34:04Whoa!
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Come on, Jumpy.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17I notice you have got a couple of reptiles with you as well, Andre.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Yes, two grass snakes.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21I haven't seen a grass snake for years.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23- Can we have a look?- Yeah, of course you can.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25There we go. It might musth on you.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29It's strong. I've got him, I've got him.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30I've got one as well.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33I can hear yours making a squirty noise.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Your hands end up stinking, but it's worth it.
0:34:36 > 0:34:37They're amazing, aren't they?
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Stunning, stunning.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Yeah, I'm getting that smell,
0:34:42 > 0:34:44definitely getting that smell.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- That is a musth, is it? - It's a defence mechanism, yeah.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Some people say it smells like rotten frogs,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51- which is probably what it is. - It doesn't smell good...
0:34:52 > 0:34:55..but they're so fascinating and amazing to handle
0:34:55 > 0:34:56that I'm putting up with it.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59It's not just herons and bitterns who are booming
0:34:59 > 0:35:02on the frog population, these guys are also frog eaters.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05They are, yes, specialist predators of amphibians,
0:35:05 > 0:35:09so we have a substantial population of grass snakes.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- They're doing well here? - They're doing very well, yeah.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14The last time we surveyed them was in 2015
0:35:14 > 0:35:17and they're one of the most numerous reptiles
0:35:17 > 0:35:18we have on the Somerset Levels.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Are grass snakes also prey as well as predator here?
0:35:21 > 0:35:22Yeah, absolutely.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Wow. These guys obviously are natives,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26so they are allowed to go back.
0:35:26 > 0:35:27What are your plans for them?
0:35:27 > 0:35:31As soon as we finish, these can go back to where they came from here.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34They're obviously quite keen to get back in the grass.
0:35:34 > 0:35:35- Yes.- Shall we let them do that?
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- Yes.- OK, grass snakes, back into the grass with you.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Oh, he's fast and into the water.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Quick.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52- This one is making its way a little bit more slowly.- Mm.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Well camouflaged, aren't they?
0:35:54 > 0:35:56There he goes.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57Beautiful.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00And away.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02It's great that not only are amphibians thriving here,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05but also snakes that we barely stop to think about
0:36:05 > 0:36:07being part of UK natural history.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09Mm, grass snakes are doing really well,
0:36:09 > 0:36:11a really healthy population.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12Good news.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17They don't smell great, though.
0:36:17 > 0:36:18THEY CHUCKLE
0:36:22 > 0:36:26These marshes are inspiring for any budding wildlife watcher,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30and they've certainly got me looking to up my game.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34But I am still way off the pace of one man
0:36:34 > 0:36:38who must be among the Levels' most dedicated nature lovers.
0:36:45 > 0:36:51I supply, install and maintain air conditioning and heat pumps.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Even in his day job,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Stephen Hemry can't stay away from the local wildlife.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Sorry, you've got a nest.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04No eggs.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08It's quite dry, so obviously from last year.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12So they were very busy here last year, which is good.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16He seems to me to be a man with a keen sense of work-life balance.
0:37:17 > 0:37:22Finish work maybe six o'clock, go home, have a bit of tea,
0:37:22 > 0:37:24spend a bit of time with the family and then off out.
0:37:30 > 0:37:37I was born and bred in Somerset so it is a special place, very special.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40The wildlife is absolutely fantastic.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43This infectious passion for his local patch
0:37:43 > 0:37:46isn't something Stephen can keep to himself.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50I like to get out there, see it, film it, photograph it,
0:37:50 > 0:37:51share it out.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55This evening he's out with his camera as usual,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58seeing who's to be found around some of his spots.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03This is West Sedgemoor, a big open moorlands, which do flood...
0:38:03 > 0:38:06They are flood plains, so in the winter
0:38:06 > 0:38:08this would all be under water.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11And what happens?
0:38:11 > 0:38:12All the wintering birds come in.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16As a child I was always into my birds,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18but then you grow up, you get jobs,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20you go to work, you get married,
0:38:20 > 0:38:23you have children and those sorts of things fall by the wayside.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32It's a familiar story, but since he rediscovered his passion,
0:38:32 > 0:38:36Stephen's developed a knack for getting close enough to wild animals
0:38:36 > 0:38:38to film and photograph them.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41I could see the footprints, found a hole,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45sat and waited for a while and, yeah, I got one on film.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50I love water voles, they're great to see.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Very elusive, don't see them very often.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Plenty of roe deer out here.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Often see them playing around.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06You stay still, you've used the landscape as your hide,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08you don't need to come out here and build a hide,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11you use what's natural here to hide behind,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13let those mammals come in close, and they do.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Keep the wind in the right direction,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20keep the noise down and you'll get them in,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23and you get them in nice and close for the good close-up shots.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24It's beautiful.
0:39:25 > 0:39:26They don't know you're there.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28You're not disturbing them.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31That's the key, don't disturb anything, let it come to you,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33don't chase it, let it come to you
0:39:33 > 0:39:35and you can get your shots, it's great.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42She came out and walked about 15 feet in front of me,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and she's just happily eating the thistles.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48And she looked up a couple of times, she saw me there,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51wasn't bothered at all, and, like I say,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53closest I'd ever come to a roe deer.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55That was absolutely fantastic.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01I'm able to film these things and put them out on my Facebook page
0:40:01 > 0:40:02and people really enjoy it.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11There's no sign yet this evening of Stephen's favourite badger family.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13But the clues aren't far away.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19In the puddle here, there's a couple of dog prints,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21which are really quite obvious.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23But there's also something else.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25That's actually a badger print.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28So a badger's passed through this way at some point.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33But you can tell by the length of the claw that it's a badger
0:40:33 > 0:40:35as opposed to being a dog.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Stephen's stealth and field craft often gets him and his camera
0:40:38 > 0:40:41in the right place at the right time.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46I spotted the fox in the margin, and he's making his way up through.
0:40:46 > 0:40:52And then there's a big commotion, the crows started to chase it off.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54So, yeah, one of them had to leave,
0:40:54 > 0:40:59and there were more crows than foxes, so the fox lost!
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Think a heron got involved as well somewhere along the line there.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05It's really quite interesting to see.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Whilst I was actually filming that,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12a stoat came out of the gateway.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Just out there hunting, looking for food.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Went in and out of the hedgerow a few times, and I managed to get it
0:41:19 > 0:41:22onto film, so, yeah, I was very pleased with that.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Stephen's midsummer outings usually end in a sunset appointment
0:41:30 > 0:41:32with some old friends.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I know where the hare are.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37I do like to try and get shots of the hare.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42There's one particular evening out on Curry Moor,
0:41:42 > 0:41:47I was sat quiet in the gateway and then slowly came along the hedgerow
0:41:47 > 0:41:48just to my right.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Came really close, less than six feet away from me, I suppose,
0:41:55 > 0:41:56and stopped.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Having one so close, I had to stop...
0:42:04 > 0:42:06stop filming and take some photographs.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10He makes it sound easy, but hares are famously skittish,
0:42:10 > 0:42:14so to get close-ups like these are a great testament
0:42:14 > 0:42:16to Stephen's dedication and skill.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21And he's always alive to every opportunity to watch and wonder.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29I've got one out there. It's very low at the moment.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35It's obviously heard me, so it, it's...
0:42:35 > 0:42:39But give it a few minutes and it should settle down.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42If I stay quiet, it should show.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48So we'll wait and see if a couple more come out.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Hares tend to feed at night
0:42:53 > 0:42:56when they'll be less obvious to potential predators.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02When called for, those hind legs can propel them at over 40mph.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06For Stephen, whatever they're up to,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09every minute in their company is time well spent.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16There you go, that was nice to see.
0:43:16 > 0:43:21We stayed quiet and he eventually came up out of the grass,
0:43:21 > 0:43:24had a bit of... bit of a trot across,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27and a bit more feeding and then has run off into the distance.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Great. Happy days.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48One thing I've learnt from the devoted wildlife watchers
0:43:48 > 0:43:51of the Somerset Levels is always to keep my eyes open.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55And every time I come here, including today, I'm asking myself,
0:43:55 > 0:43:57"What am I going to see today that I've never seen before?"
0:43:58 > 0:44:00And it doesn't have to be big.
0:44:01 > 0:44:02What are those?
0:44:05 > 0:44:06Come and have a look at this.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15On the water.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20Hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny aquatic insects.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24They look like little beads, little beetly things.
0:44:24 > 0:44:25Just have to get a closer look.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Are they going to scarper?
0:44:29 > 0:44:31They've sensed my presence and they're just heading off.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33I don't want to scatter them too much,
0:44:33 > 0:44:35but they're definitely reacting to me.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Just raise a hand and they start spinning,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40like, doing crazy circles.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44They're stunning, like little jewels in the sunshine.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49Catching the light in the most brilliant way,
0:44:49 > 0:44:51they're absolutely mad.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Some of them are just spinning round and round like crazy tops.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59And there's a load over there, too...
0:45:00 > 0:45:03..just at the bottom of the reeds on the other side.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05You can see the tiny little sparkly dots.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10Every now and then they go absolutely nuts,
0:45:10 > 0:45:12and I wonder if that's basically a kind of defence.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Cause such confusion with the spinning movements that any predator
0:45:15 > 0:45:17doesn't really know which way to go.
0:45:19 > 0:45:20Never mind the starlings.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22This is aquatic invertebrate murmurations.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25But what are they? That's what I want to know.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30I'm either going to have to find somebody who knows
0:45:30 > 0:45:32what these little guys are, or,
0:45:32 > 0:45:36by the time this is actually on telly, I'll have done my research
0:45:36 > 0:45:38and I could do you a nice little piece,
0:45:38 > 0:45:39tell you exactly what they are
0:45:39 > 0:45:41and a little bit about their natural history.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45As promised, I've done my homework,
0:45:45 > 0:45:49and now I can tell you that these little whirling dervishes
0:45:49 > 0:45:52are actually aquatic beetles called whirligigs.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58This out-and-out specialist is perfectly equipped for life
0:45:58 > 0:46:00on the surface of still water.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03They're actually predators feeding on tiny insects
0:46:03 > 0:46:06trapped in the surface tension.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10They have extraordinary split-vision eyes that allows them
0:46:10 > 0:46:12to keep a lookout for danger,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15both from the air above and the water below.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19And as for that crazy gyrating movement,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22it's thought to be something whirligigs do when they're hunting
0:46:22 > 0:46:25to panic the tiny insects they feed on.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30But also, as I suspected, as a defensive manoeuvre
0:46:30 > 0:46:34to confuse any threatening presence, birds, fish,
0:46:34 > 0:46:37or the occasional passing wildlife enthusiast.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42There's something about them just caught my eye, which,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45at the beginning of the year, probably wouldn't have happened.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48I'm definitely much more tuned in now, I spot stuff.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50I'm getting better. It's so exciting.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56These curious bugs are just one part of the explosion of life
0:46:56 > 0:46:59here at Ham Wall over the summer.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03The reedbeds everywhere are bustling with newly-hatched insects.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06And, of course, it's a crucial time for the birds.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11It's been a few weeks since the great white egrets
0:47:11 > 0:47:15started hatching chicks, suggesting these relatively recent arrivals
0:47:15 > 0:47:17are really settling in here.
0:47:17 > 0:47:22Alison Morgan is certainly hoping so, and today she's catching up
0:47:22 > 0:47:25with the progress of the precious offspring.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27There's the cloth on the string.
0:47:27 > 0:47:28Yeah.
0:47:30 > 0:47:31That's the rings.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39Alison and her colleague Richard Hearn
0:47:39 > 0:47:43are taking to the water to check on the chicks.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47As we approach, the adults come off the nest.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49They remain within sight of the nest.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52The young ones don't have too many options about where to go,
0:47:52 > 0:47:54and we put them back quite quickly, and then the parents
0:47:54 > 0:47:57will normally return 10 to 15 minutes after we've left.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59We've got a special disturbance licence,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02because obviously these are rare breeding birds.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05The mission for the day is to ring all the chicks.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10It's important that this happens before they're strong enough to jump
0:48:10 > 0:48:13from the nest, which is always a risk if they get spooked.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16As the nests are over water,
0:48:16 > 0:48:19a chick that falls or jumps out could easily drown.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22I'm just going to stand up.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25To minimise the disturbance,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28they've left the crew behind and are filming it themselves.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Yeah, they're pretty big. I think they're too big to go anywhere near,
0:48:31 > 0:48:33personally. They're completely feathered.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37They're going to see us come in and they're over water,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39and to me that just changes everything.
0:48:41 > 0:48:42For the welfare of the chicks,
0:48:42 > 0:48:46Richard and Alison decided to back off the burgeoning colony.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49The chicks just look too big - they're feathered.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51And so that means that if we go in and ring them, they'll jump off
0:48:51 > 0:48:54the nests into the water - all sorts of dangers that we need to avoid.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58And the other nest is so close to it that we'd disturb the first nest
0:48:58 > 0:49:00if we went in.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03The third nest, the chicks are too young still probably to ring, anyway.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06So, that's how not to ring great white egrets.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16It's a frustrating start, but there's another nest on the list...
0:49:18 > 0:49:19..and this one's on its own.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25Yeah.
0:49:28 > 0:49:29There she goes.
0:49:35 > 0:49:36They look a nice size.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48Good shot, Richard.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50The cloth over the chicks helps to keep them calm...
0:49:52 > 0:49:54..before popping them in a pillowcase
0:49:54 > 0:49:56for a comfortable move on to the kayak.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59There's one.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03There's the other one.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06It's important to gather all of the data that they need
0:50:06 > 0:50:07in the shortest possible time.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10- CHICK CHEEPS - Yeah, excellent.
0:50:10 > 0:50:15And these old hands have got this down to a pretty slick routine.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17Total head is 111.1.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21Feathers are taken to determine the chick's sex...
0:50:24 > 0:50:27..and leg rings help with future identification of each bird.
0:50:32 > 0:50:336.50.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36- That's the actual weight.- 6.50?
0:50:38 > 0:50:40- CHICK CHEEPS - Ta.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42Oops, he's just left his breakfast on your bag.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49You're number two, aren't you? Looks good.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Job done, in more ways than one.
0:50:51 > 0:50:52Great.
0:50:56 > 0:50:57That's good.
0:50:57 > 0:50:58Textbook.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06The great white egrets are thriving and giving us all hope
0:51:06 > 0:51:10of what could be a long-term nesting colony here in the Avalon Marshes.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19Just a few weeks later, the chicks have flown the nest.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23It's successes like this that make the long struggle to recover
0:51:23 > 0:51:25and preserve this wetland habitat
0:51:25 > 0:51:29from an industrial site incredibly worthwhile.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31It's been fantastic. It's been the best so far.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35This year we had eight nests with 18 chicks fledging.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37And there's more exciting news.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41It looks like the egret chicks ringed here just a few weeks ago
0:51:41 > 0:51:46could be colonising other wetland sites across the country.
0:51:46 > 0:51:52AAJ was reported less than a week after we know that it was still here
0:51:52 > 0:51:55from Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory in Kent.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59And just a few days ago we discovered that a AAH has been seen
0:51:59 > 0:52:01at Dungeness Bird Observatory in Kent.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04So we reckon both birds probably travelled together.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06The timing seems to suggest that.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09We don't know why. Maybe there was a strong west wind,
0:52:09 > 0:52:12maybe they just went along the coast and stopped when they ran out
0:52:12 > 0:52:15of land, but we have successfully exported them to Kent.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Whether they'll come back we don't know.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19We rather hope they will, but time will tell.
0:52:22 > 0:52:27In my visits here, I've seen so many species, both new and native.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31It's clear just how important this place is for wildlife.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36And it's certainly done wonders for my bird knowledge,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40and that's something I now realise can be a never-ending quest.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45But there's one famous resident that has eluded me so far -
0:52:45 > 0:52:47the booming bittern.
0:52:47 > 0:52:48BITTERN BOOMS
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Today I'm returning to the exact spot where I watched the starlings
0:52:54 > 0:52:57back in the winter, hoping finally to see one.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00I'm with the reserve's warden, Steve Hughes,
0:53:00 > 0:53:04and the ever-dependable team of John and Gary.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07- Hi, John.- Hi, Hugh. How are you doing?- Got your short sleeves on.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10- Yeah.- You wouldn't have had that on in February.- No, not in winter.
0:53:10 > 0:53:11How's it going?
0:53:11 > 0:53:13There's some egrets about.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15- Marsh harrier.- A marsh harrier, was it?
0:53:16 > 0:53:19- Very amazing chestnut colour, isn't it?- Mm.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21- It's just going down into the reeds. - Yeah.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Also there's meant to be some bitterns flying about, but I haven't
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- seen any yet.- OK, well, that would be exciting.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- Have you filmed a lot of bittern? - No, no.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34They're difficult because, I mean, you can see them,
0:53:34 > 0:53:36but by the time you pick them up,
0:53:36 > 0:53:39they're often just already dropped into the reeds, so...
0:53:39 > 0:53:40- Yeah.- Yeah. I mean, yesterday,
0:53:40 > 0:53:44I think was actually the first time I got a decent shot of a bittern.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- Really?- Yeah, and I've been here many, many times.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52John's making it sound like I'll be lucky to see a bittern today.
0:53:52 > 0:53:53Do you see the little...
0:53:55 > 0:53:56Is it some duck in there?
0:53:56 > 0:53:59There's a duck just to the right of it?
0:53:59 > 0:54:01I don't think that's a bittern.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05But I'm learning that when you're looking for a wild animal
0:54:05 > 0:54:06you haven't seen before,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09a glimpse is all it takes to get the pulse racing.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11Is that a bittern? Can you see him?
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Yeah, he's come out from this side now, you can see him clearly.
0:54:14 > 0:54:15Amazing, that's a bittern.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23I did not think I would come here and see a bittern.
0:54:25 > 0:54:26Marsh harrier, the other bird.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28So, marsh harrier crossing a bittern there.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31How amazing. Big bird.
0:54:31 > 0:54:32Bigger bird than I expected.
0:54:35 > 0:54:36How was that for you, John?
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Just got the last bit as he dropped into the reeds.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41OK, that was phenomenal.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44I have to say, my heart's still thumping.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47I mean, that's magic for me to see a bittern.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49I've never seen one before.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52- Fantastic.- Yeah, no, really, really great.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54That's just blown me away, actually.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56And the marsh harrier at the same time.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59It's one of the only places in the UK I think you could probably
0:54:59 > 0:55:01come and get six species of heron, if you want, in a day.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03So that would be the grey heron.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05- Grey heron, yeah.- The bittern.
0:55:05 > 0:55:06- Yeah.- The little bittern.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08Yeah.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11The cattle egret, the little egret, and the great white egret.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13- Indeed, yeah.- Have you ever seen them all in a day?
0:55:13 > 0:55:15I have done them all in a day, yeah.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18- Have you?- Been pretty lucky. - That's heron bingo, isn't it?
0:55:18 > 0:55:19- Full house.- It is, yeah, indeed.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21Is that a bittern?
0:55:22 > 0:55:26- I think so.- They're a bit further away this time.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Yeah, bittern up underneath the mast.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29- Are you on him?- It dropped in again.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32- It's gone in.- It's gone in at the exact same spot again.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34We've seen him drop in there twice,
0:55:34 > 0:55:37once from the left and once from sort of behind and to the right.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41That feels like we're getting a fix on the nest.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44- Possibly.- Possibly?- But we need to take a view over a much longer...
0:55:44 > 0:55:46I'm getting overexcited. I'm pushing you to conclusions
0:55:46 > 0:55:48you're currently reluctant to make on the evidence.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50We take a few weeks, I think,
0:55:50 > 0:55:52to be able to decide whether it's a nest or not.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- What, rather than three minutes? - A few surveys. Yeah, we like to get
0:55:55 > 0:55:57a bit of evidence behind it rather than just...
0:55:57 > 0:55:59What I'm trying to tell you is I've found you a bittern nest, Steve.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Come on, give me some credit here.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03I appreciate the enthusiasm.
0:56:05 > 0:56:06Well, I'm super enthusiastic.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11I'm being treated to a parade of some really hard-to-see species
0:56:11 > 0:56:14all making the most of this wonderful wetland.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20This distinguished iridescent plumage belongs to the glossy ibis.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26I just saw an egret pop up.
0:56:26 > 0:56:27Yeah, it's a little egret.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30That's the little one just behind the reeds there.
0:56:32 > 0:56:33Great white egret flying.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39You really see the heron in him there.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41- Yeah.- With that sort of S-bend in the neck.
0:56:46 > 0:56:47Just dropped in behind the reeds there.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Ah, is that a bittern I see?
0:56:55 > 0:56:58- I think so. - A bit further away this time.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00Yeah, bittern underneath the mast.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Are you on him? It dropped in again.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05It's gone in, but I did get it.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Well done.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10That bittern has treated us all to a stunning show.
0:57:11 > 0:57:16It's a fitting end to my time amongst the captivating wildlife
0:57:16 > 0:57:17of the Avalon Marshes.
0:57:19 > 0:57:25It's been so heartening to see this man-made environment looked after
0:57:25 > 0:57:29by such a dedicated team, enriching our world for wildlife
0:57:29 > 0:57:33and giving so much pleasure to visitors like me.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40Saw all sorts of things I didn't expect to see today.
0:57:40 > 0:57:41Ibis, marsh harrier and bittern.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44- It's not bad, is it?- It's not bad.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47- And great egret.- Yeah. - And great egret.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56If you'd like to explore Britain's diverse landscapes in more detail
0:57:56 > 0:58:00and find out how to create your own wildlife habitats,
0:58:00 > 0:58:03the Open University has produced a free booklet with bookmarks.
0:58:05 > 0:58:06Order your copy by calling...
0:58:10 > 0:58:11..or go to...
0:58:15 > 0:58:17..and follow the links to the Open University.