0:00:02 > 0:00:05For me, watching wildlife is one of life's greatest pleasures.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12And my favourite place to do it is right here in 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 > 0:00:29Oh, 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 > 0:00:36This is great, this is measuring an eel.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Whoa, whoa!
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Ants, off, off! Oh, they've gone inside, mate!
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're beautiful!
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Good spot. Look, look, look, look.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53- 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 > 0:00:59- Do you hear them?- I heard something.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Yeah, they're in there.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06..the sheer joy of the encounter...
0:01:06 > 0:01:08- So golden.- She is fast asleep.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11That'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 > 0:01:29I can't believe that I've been living in the West Country for so
0:01:29 > 0:01:31many 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.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57I've come to Dartmoor - Devon's own big sky country.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07This vast open moorland, capped with craggy granite tors,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09has a spectacular, rugged beauty.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Up here, you're exposed to the elements and never far away from
0:02:16 > 0:02:20the kind of weather that is one of Dartmoor's defining features.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21Rain.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Two metres of rain fall on Dartmoor every year.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And when it hits the impermeable granite of the moors,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36there's nowhere for the water to go but down.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Whenever I come to Dartmoor, I'm as delighted by the rivers and
0:02:41 > 0:02:46streams that run through it as I am by the stunning moorland itself.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50The fast-flowing white-water carves up this landscape in the most dramatic way.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54And, of course, it's the lifeblood for much of the wildlife that lives here.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59To find out more about the creatures that depend on it,
0:02:59 > 0:03:05I plan to follow the course of all that water, from the high moor
0:03:05 > 0:03:06right down to the sea.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Dartmoor National Park is in South Devon.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16It's about 30km north to south, and east to west,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20and the source of a dozen of Devon's rivers.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24The Dart - that gives the moor its name - rises near Postbridge,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28and flows to the sea at Dartmouth, close to the fishing village of
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Brixham, where my journey today will end.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37I'm on the high moor.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41On a clear day here, the views seem to stretch out for ever.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Across this windswept expanse, there's little shelter,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48and few hiding places.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53So it's a perfect hunting ground for one of our great birds of prey.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56The buzzard.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03At home in Devon, I see the broad wings and fanned tail of the buzzard
0:04:03 > 0:04:07almost every day, as it soars above us, scanning the ground.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11And today I have a chance to get a much closer look,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14thanks to a tip-off from a couple who know this part of the moor
0:04:14 > 0:04:17intimately, because they live and work here.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Farmers, who are tuned into the natural world around them,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25can have an amazing experience of the wildlife year.
0:04:26 > 0:04:32Just a few miles from the source of the river Dart is a working hill farm
0:04:32 > 0:04:35with a history that stretches over 1,000 years.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Good girls, good girls!
0:04:40 > 0:04:44The current tenants of Challacombe Farm are Mark Owen and Naomi Oakley,
0:04:44 > 0:04:49farmers with a passion for conservation of this charmed piece of Devon.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55It's just a magical place to live, you know, amazing landscape,
0:04:55 > 0:04:56the wildlife...
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Just the life cycle as it sort of goes through the year,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02of things sort of appearing, moving on.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04It's really lovely through the seasons.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Among the farm's many delights is the exceptional birdlife,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and Mark has told me about a resident pair of buzzards that he
0:05:15 > 0:05:17now considers old friends.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20How many years have the buzzards been using these trees to nest in?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Ooh, probably ten years?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- Really?- Yeah, they seem to use the same nest every year.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29So... And I think we have two chicks this year.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31You've got two chicks? Have you been up to have a look?
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I haven't, no, you can see them from the field,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37but we tend to leave them alone, just let them do their stuff.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40There's a vantage point where, with binoculars, you can see through onto
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- the nest, or...?- Yeah, there's a little hole in the canopy where if
0:05:43 > 0:05:46you peer from the right direction, you can see right in onto the nest.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Well, it's obviously a great spot,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50they've got a lovely view of your amazing farm!
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Yeah, we're very lucky here.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55There's good hunting, I guess. Lots of rabbits, lots of cover,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57deep meadows.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59So should be lots for them to find.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04The female laid her eggs back in April and, a month later, they hatched.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08For the first fortnight, she stayed on the nest to guard her chicks,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11relying on her male partner to bring in food.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Now, the chicks are about four weeks old, and today,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19I've got an opportunity I don't want to miss.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22It's the ideal time to put leg rings on the chicks.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And that means climbing up to the nest, which gives me a chance to get
0:06:26 > 0:06:30a closer look at Mark's beloved buzzard family by rigging a camera
0:06:30 > 0:06:32that can watch them round the clock.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Climbing specialist Waldo Etherington
0:06:35 > 0:06:37is helping us get up to the nest safely.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39But before I go up,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42it's the turn of licensed bird recorder Mark Lawrence.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45What's your job this morning, what are you going up there for now?
0:06:45 > 0:06:47My job now is to go up there,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50get the chick and to lower it back down so Nick can ring it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53OK, so, the first thing is to check that those chicks -
0:06:53 > 0:06:56if there are two of them - are in good shape.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58So you'll give us a shout if it's good to go and send them down?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- Yes.- Have a good climb. - OK, thank you very much.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02MUSIC PLAYS
0:07:09 > 0:07:14The nest is a good ten metres up the trunk of this magnificent beech tree.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Can you see inside the nest, Mark?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22- Yeah.- How many chicks?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24- Just the one.- It's just the one, is it?
0:07:24 > 0:07:28- Yeah, they always tend to end up with one chick, buzzards.- Right.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32For safety, the surviving chick will be ringed on the ground rather than
0:07:32 > 0:07:34up the tree.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Is it the bird coming down now, Mark?
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- Yes, the bird's coming down now.- OK.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Waiting below for our backpacked buzzard is Nick Ward
0:07:41 > 0:07:44from the British Trust for Ornithology.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46- Got it.- Open it up and have a quick look.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Wow!
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- Quite a size!- Yeah.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52Well-feathered, as well, so...
0:07:52 > 0:07:56- Yeah.- Watch the feet. They're probably going to be a bit grasping.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59There we go. One buzzard chick.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00- In good nick.- Yeah, looks like it.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03But there were two and now there's only one,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05so sometime in the last week or so...
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- Yeah, sadly.- Does that happen quite often?
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Yeah, it's not uncommon, really, for one chick to be lost, to be honest.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13So... Either they haven't been able to find enough food,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16or maybe the wind has caught them, you know.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Because they'll be standing up and stretching their wings and very
0:08:19 > 0:08:22often, sometimes, they'll get blown out of the nest.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Just one of those things, unfortunately.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Even at four weeks old, the power you can see in these feet, I mean,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30that's quite a substantial bit of leg there.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- Absolutely.- And a hell of a claw on the end of it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35You understand if you're a rabbit, with one of these coming at you...
0:08:36 > 0:08:39..you wouldn't survive very long!
0:08:39 > 0:08:44The chick is about to become one of the 900,000 British birds ringed
0:08:44 > 0:08:45every year.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47So you have 76837.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Brilliant, thank you. Once that's put on the bird,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52it makes the bird an individual.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54If it's ever found again,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57hopefully someone will be able to report it into us.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59There's a little bit of wriggle room.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00It means the ring goes round on the leg.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- Plenty of movement there.- Exactly.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- It's not obviously going to come off the foot.- Yeah.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07It's like you and me wearing a wristwatch or a bracelet, really.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09It's so light for the bird.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12And in a few weeks' time, this chap will be learning to hunt?
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Absolutely, yeah. This will probably be another three weeks,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and then it'll be thinking about leaving the nest,
0:09:18 > 0:09:19following the adults around.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22The adults will help it to learn how to hunt and find its own food,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26and then at some point, the adults will be driving it out of the
0:09:26 > 0:09:29territory and it'll be on its own. He'll have to find all his own food,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32hunt for himself and find a territory and a mate next year maybe.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35So he's got plenty of challenges ahead but, as far as we can tell,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37he's in good shape to meet them when they come.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Yeah, I think so, he's looking good.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41So, we can send him back up the tree?
0:09:41 > 0:09:42I think so, get him back in the nest.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Mark's waiting back up there to make sure he goes back in all right.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51- Yeah.- OK, Mark, all yours.- OK.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57And once the chick is settled in the nest,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00we're ready for the second part of the morning's mission,
0:10:00 > 0:10:06which involves me and Waldo shinning up the tree and trying to fix a camera.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11The system we're using to keep an eye on the nest is a simple
0:10:11 > 0:10:13battery-operated CCTV camera.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17I have climbed up a tree to get access to birds' nests before,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21using ropes and tackle like this, quite a long time ago.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25In fact, nearly 20 years ago.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29So I'm hoping that muscle memory is going to kick in at some point.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30Lift this leg up in the air.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33There you go. Yeah, you just stand up and sit down,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35- and then you repeat that.- OK.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36Spot on.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41After a quick refresher course from Waldo, we're off.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Waldo, I'm not going under this branch, am I?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I'm just following my ropes?
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Yep. So, you just follow those ones up.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54I'm going to go round the back, is that the idea?
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Yeah, that's it.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Just climbing up this beech tree is an incredible privilege -
0:11:00 > 0:11:02it's such a beautiful tree.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04And I'm just a few feet away from the nest now.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06It's incredibly exciting.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Look at the thickness of this nest.
0:11:12 > 0:11:19And the depth of the nest from top to bottom must be nearly three feet or more.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24And there we are! That...
0:11:24 > 0:11:29That little chick, who only a few minutes ago was down at the bottom,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33now I'm up at the top and I can see him where he ought to be,
0:11:33 > 0:11:34which is sitting on his nest.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41And I'll tell you what seems to me to be quite precarious is...
0:11:43 > 0:11:48..there is some soft stuff there, but it's just a platform.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50It's not like he's really contained within it.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54No. It's easy to see how the other chick at some point could have just
0:11:54 > 0:11:56taken a tumble off the edge of the nest.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Now, where do you think we should move ourselves to, to rig this camera up?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04So, what I was thinking is...
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- I'm getting a bit...- Where you are there is kind of good.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10But what I was thinking is maybe having the camera somewhere around
0:12:10 > 0:12:12here, looking kind of this way back at the nest.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14That could be ideal, yeah.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- Up there looks good.- Up here, yeah.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Yeah.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22So, the camera in there? You got it?
0:12:22 > 0:12:23Yeah.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29How's that looking? You can see the chick?
0:12:30 > 0:12:31Great.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37This inexpensive CCTV rig is a great way to monitor the nest over a long period.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Well, that was just amazing!
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Beautiful tree, beautiful nest, beautiful chick.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50I can't wait to come and have a look at that shot of the nest.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- Well done.- Lovely.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- Thank you very much. - Thank you, I enjoyed that.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- Yeah, that was good, wasn't it? - Quite an adventure.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- Yeah, it really was.- It's an extraordinary thought that that nest
0:13:02 > 0:13:05has become a permanent feature, with the branches growing round it.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- Yeah, it has.- I hope it's there for another decade.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09Let's hope so!
0:13:12 > 0:13:15That's the shot you set up, which is great.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I mean, it covers a good two thirds of the nest.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Yeah. That's brilliant, isn't it?
0:13:21 > 0:13:24- Great job.- Nice!- So whatever happens on that nest over the next
0:13:24 > 0:13:25few weeks, we'll see it.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29I'm happy, Waldo's happy, but the most important thing is to
0:13:29 > 0:13:32make sure that the buzzards are happy,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35so they can return to their check.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36And here is Mum or Dad.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42So it's just pretty good timing, I think, if we can make ourselves scarce,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45that she can come in, feed the chick,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and we'll get some shots of her doing that, but it does look like
0:13:48 > 0:13:51she's now quite eager for us to get out of here so
0:13:51 > 0:13:53she can get back onto that nest and look after that chick.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59There's a busy time ahead for the parents.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01The chick needs feeding up fast.
0:14:01 > 0:14:07In less than a month from now, it'll take to the wing for the first time.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Then it must start learning to hunt so it can feed itself.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Dartmoor's fast-running streams and rivers are the domain of another
0:14:24 > 0:14:28skilled hunter that it's a huge privilege to catch sight of.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Without doubt, some of the most thrilling wildlife encounters I've
0:14:32 > 0:14:35ever had in Britain have been with otters.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38And it seems just incredible to me that, even within my lifetime,
0:14:38 > 0:14:43these beautiful animals were being hunted and persecuted almost to extinction.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47So it's fantastic news that, in the last couple of decades,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49they've really been making a comeback.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52But they're still incredibly elusive and very hard to see.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54If you want to have regular encounters,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57you've got to put in a lot of time and effort and, of course,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59it helps to have a house right by the river.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07When it comes to spotting otters, this is unquestionably a prime location.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13And today, owner Stephen Powles is having breakfast in the afternoon.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16His passion for otters means that when they're about,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18he's practically nocturnal.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Stephen lives beside a stream to the north-east of the moor,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26giving him an amazing chance to develop a rare and special
0:15:26 > 0:15:28relationship with a wild otter.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32He's grabbed it with both hands.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I found some otter spraint, and that was the clue.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36I had to work out what it was,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39make sure I learnt a little bit more about the otters.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44These territorial animals mark their patch with their droppings,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46called spraint.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Otters are so elusive that a sticky,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53bony poo is the closest that most people come to seeing one.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56The driving force was, the more I understood, the more I could watch them,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59the more I could film them, the more I could photograph them.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Otters are usually very wary of humans.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06They have an incredibly sharp sense of smell and great hearing.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08If they detect people nearby,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11they're likely to slip out of sight in an instant.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Obviously a very elusive animal,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18but if you want to be there and to see them, to watch them,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21to learn about them, to photograph them and to film them,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25then, obviously, you need to spend time with them, and thoroughly enjoy myself,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28hopefully, whilst learning about them, as well.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33Years of patience and perseverance have allowed Stephen to capture some
0:16:33 > 0:16:36precious and intimate footage of otter behaviour.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41His prime subject has been one particular female who stood out from
0:16:41 > 0:16:42the very start.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47There was a little mark right on the end of her nose that was in the
0:16:47 > 0:16:50shape of a hammer. And it's not a very ladylike name,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54but I've named her Hammer Scar after the mark on her nose.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Could have been a fighting injury, but when you see her fishing
0:16:59 > 0:17:02underwater, the speed at which she travels,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06it must be so easy for her to catch it on a branch and scrape the
0:17:06 > 0:17:08surface off the top of her nose.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Otters mostly hunt under cover of darkness,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18when the fish that are their main quarry are less wary.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21But Stephen has managed to get Hammer Scar used to his lights.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26She and her cubs carry on their nightly routine,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28seemingly oblivious to his presence.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36This is one of my really, really special spots on the river,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40because for two years, this is where Hammer Scar has introduced me to her
0:17:40 > 0:17:42cubs for the very first time.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46This year, Hammer Scar has a litter of two cubs.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Like most female otters, she's raising her young alone.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Hunting for three is keeping her very busy.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56There's a little hole in the bank, and so when she goes down river,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59she tends to leave them there, goes off on her fishing trip...
0:18:00 > 0:18:03On the first occasion, she caught a trout and then you could see her
0:18:03 > 0:18:07dispatch the trout and then take it in under the bank,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and three or four minutes later, two otter cubs appear.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15She trusts me that much that she's prepared to even bring the cubs out
0:18:15 > 0:18:16in front of me.
0:18:18 > 0:18:19What else could you ask for?
0:18:21 > 0:18:26Stephen has watched Hammer Scar raise several litters, and each time
0:18:26 > 0:18:30he's witnessed the cubs taking their first baby steps in the art of
0:18:30 > 0:18:31survival on the river.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Back earlier on in the summer, I was down by the river there,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42two cubs were then fighting over this one fish.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46It was a tug-of-war and a serious battle for control of this fish.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56It's easy to see how the antics of this charming otter family becomes
0:18:56 > 0:18:58compulsive viewing.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03And now, Stephen's come up with a way to watch it all from the comfort of home.
0:19:04 > 0:19:10So here we've got the CCTV system, and that is critical to my otter life,
0:19:10 > 0:19:11my otter obsession. Without that,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I wouldn't really have a very good handle on what the otters are doing.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Down here on the tree, we've got the CCTV camera,
0:19:18 > 0:19:24and then linked in to an antenna, which is in fact an old whisky tin.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And that's beaming the signals back to the house.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31And in case he's not paying attention, there's even an otter alarm.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Here we've got, between the two branches there,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39we've got the sensor, so that's the thing that marks the alarm,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41tells me that they're coming through, if I'm lucky.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45But that's totally dependent on them actually visiting the spraint rock
0:19:45 > 0:19:46that's just down there.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51This favoured rock is where Hammer Scar lets other otters know
0:19:51 > 0:19:52she's in residence.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55So it's a great spot to site the sensor and camera.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00But whenever the river rises, the spraint is washed away,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04so Hammer Scar patrols regularly to leave an update.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07They go over the spraint rock, and the alarms go off,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09and then we're in action.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15It's now several weeks since Hammer Scar's cubs left home to find
0:20:15 > 0:20:19a new territory of their own, leaving their mother behind.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25But Hammer Scare seems to have vanished, too.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Stephen's never gone this long without seeing her.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Yeah, not on a very good run at the moment.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34The alarm has been silent for days,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37and Stephen has no idea where she might have gone.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39She's not going through the sensors, and just remember,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43the sensors are on the spraint sites, so you begin to wonder,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46why isn't she using the spraint sites?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I spend my life worrying about her,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51because I know so much about what she's doing on the CCTV,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54then when I don't see her, or we don't detect her
0:20:54 > 0:20:57for three or four days, it's pretty traumatic.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59She's almost certainly five and a half,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03so she's already lived longer than your textbook otter.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06It's a nerve-racking time for Stephen.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11As the otter population grows, territories are in short supply.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15An older female like Hammer Scar could easily be pushed out.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19All Stephen can do is wait and hope he'll see her again.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26The continuing recovery of the otter here is wonderful news.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30But another mammal inhabiting our West Country waterways is having a
0:21:30 > 0:21:32much tougher time.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37The water vole is one of our most enigmatic and secretive small mammals -
0:21:37 > 0:21:41one that I've only glimpsed a couple of times in my life.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43For the last 30 years or so,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45they've been almost completely absent from Dartmoor.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50But now, at a secret location not very far from here, these busy,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53chubby little voles are getting a much-needed helping hand.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Coral Edgecombe is an ecologist with a project breeding water voles to
0:22:01 > 0:22:03put back into the wild.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07There are no water voles on Dartmoor at the moment,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11so these ones will be the first ones that we know of to go out.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Water voles hold an unenviable record.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19They're the fastest-declining mammal in the UK.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25The main problem has been the arrival in British waters of the
0:22:25 > 0:22:28American mink, after it escaped from fur farms.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31This is a voracious predator.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Small enough to squeeze into the voles' burrows,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39it's wiped out whole populations in sites across the country.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45But Dartmoor has now been cleared of mink,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48so water voles should have a chance to thrive here once again.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55And today, Coral is reintroducing the first eight of Dartmoor's new generation.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58These ones are deemed ready for release
0:22:58 > 0:23:00because they're above a certain weight.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02So they're juveniles that have been born this year, so they're
0:23:02 > 0:23:05ready to go out and become the breeding stock out in the wild.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12The site chosen has two essentials of water-vole habitat - secluded,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16earthy banks where the voles can burrow and raise their young safe
0:23:16 > 0:23:20from predators, and a plentiful and varied supply of plants to eat.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Water voles eat 80% of their body weight every day.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28As you can see, the habitat is pretty good,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30there's lots of different types of vegetation.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31The water's nice and deep,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35which gives them space to dive away from predators if they need to.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38And it's very slow-flowing, so they're not going to get washed away.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43These pioneering voles are too precious to be left to fend
0:23:43 > 0:23:45for themselves straightaway.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Secure holding pens give them a safe home as they grow
0:23:49 > 0:23:50accustomed to life in the wild.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55They'll be in these for about a total of a week.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00After five days, we adapt them so they can come and go,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and then two days after that, we take them away completely.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07To get them started, Coral provides food as well as lodging.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13We're putting four males and four females out, but we're pairing them,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and hopefully by the time they go out into the habitat,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20the female and the male will have mated whilst they're in the pen,
0:24:20 > 0:24:21so the female is going out pregnant,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23and that's the start of a new colony.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Water voles are sometimes known as water rats,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31hence gentle Ratty of Wind In The Willows fame.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33But these little rodents can be fierce.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37The tube is the water vole handling device, I suppose!
0:24:39 > 0:24:42We use this to handle them, because they are aggressive,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44and they do bite and it does hurt!
0:24:51 > 0:24:53So this is a male, and I'm just checking him over
0:24:53 > 0:24:55to make sure he's nice and healthy.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58They have very, very orange teeth,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00and that's because they're very hard for burrowing,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02so that's the keratin in them.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Their paws are quite large in comparison to their body size -
0:25:05 > 0:25:08that's also for burrowing.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10And he's going to in first.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12And then the female's going to go in after.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18This is a female, she is a little bit smaller than the male,
0:25:18 > 0:25:19which is what we would want.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23She's less likely to beat him up, then.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25And so this hopefully well-matched couple
0:25:25 > 0:25:28are ready to start their new life together.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31There's lots of bankside vegetation -
0:25:31 > 0:25:34gives them enough cover, so as soon as they come out of the pens,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36they have somewhere immediately to go.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Coral positions the pens along the bank
0:25:42 > 0:25:46to give each pair a bit of space to create their own territory.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50And that's now all eight voles in the soft release pens.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Success of the project depends on the vole couples feeling settled
0:25:54 > 0:25:58enough in their surroundings to mate and produce the next generation.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07After five days, it's time to start phase two of their release.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10I am letting the voles out,
0:26:10 > 0:26:15but we do it so that they can come back to the pen if they need to -
0:26:15 > 0:26:18come and get the food and use it for shelter.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Because it will take them a few days to get their burrows up and running.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22And this is the baffle board.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27It has two holes, it stops large predators from getting in,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29so the voles can still use it as a safe base.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Some voles will come straight out,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35other voles will take their time and come out when they're ready.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42And then they can leave when they like!
0:26:43 > 0:26:47It's not long before curiosity prevails.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51These are the first small steps in the water voles' long journey
0:26:51 > 0:26:53back into the wild here on Dartmoor.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57And if they can make a go of it,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01then there's every chance that this delightful animal could soon be
0:27:01 > 0:27:04settled in Devon's streams and rivers once more.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07We're hoping from here
0:27:07 > 0:27:11we'll be able to reintroduce water voles across Dartmoor,
0:27:11 > 0:27:15and we're hoping to have kind of a county-scale release,
0:27:15 > 0:27:16reintroduction of water voles.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27At Challacombe Farm, our buzzard chick is growing fast.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I'm back to see farmer Mark,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36who's been keeping an eye on the family's progress.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40It was about a month or so ago that the youngster fledged,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43and now has been hunting around,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46still calling a lot for its parents to keep feeding it.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Did you see what food the parents were bringing to the nest while they
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- were feeding the chick? - Not particularly.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56We tend to stay away when the nest is active, saves disturbing them.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59But, yes, it will be fascinating to find out more.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04When I was last here, we rigged a CCTV camera on the nest, and now
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Mark and I have a chance to review the footage.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08Have a look at this.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14- There's the chick. - He's quite fluffy, isn't he?
0:28:14 > 0:28:17This is just after we ringed it, so it's still pretty scrawny.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19But there's some food on the edge of the nest there.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Yeah, he's picking away at it, isn't he?
0:28:21 > 0:28:23And there comes the parent.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25What has she brought?
0:28:25 > 0:28:26- Oh, it's a frog.- It's a frog.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Yeah. That'll be from the bogs,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31the marshes down the bottom of the valley.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33What's he got there?
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Oh, that looks like a mole.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- That's definitely a mole.- Yep.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39What is that? That's a leg of somebody, isn't it?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42That is a leg of a hare or a rabbit, isn't it?
0:28:44 > 0:28:45With this varied diet
0:28:45 > 0:28:48from Dartmoor's diverse moorland habitats,
0:28:48 > 0:28:53in just a few weeks, the chick is almost the size of its parents.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Now, he's really starting to travel around the nest and work those wings a bit.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Yeah. Yeah, we see how he's sort of taking shape and growing.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01He's a good-sized bird now, isn't he?
0:29:01 > 0:29:04- And off he goes!- OK!
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Just off to the next branch.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09OK. That was the first bit of powered flight, as it were.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11- Yeah.- Just from the nest onto that branch.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13- Yeah, I saw that.- It's a great moment, isn't it?
0:29:13 > 0:29:18- Yeah - a great leap for buzzard kind!- Exactly!
0:29:18 > 0:29:20And after that short-hop flight,
0:29:20 > 0:29:24the fledgling buzzard is starting to get familiar with his surroundings.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27How far away from here are you now seeing the youngster?
0:29:27 > 0:29:29They're hunting over the whole of the valley.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31- So, a mile or two?- Yes.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33If I want to catch up with them at some point today,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- where do you think I should head? - Anywhere over the hill here,
0:29:36 > 0:29:37they hunt over the ridge quite a lot.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Now the chick is fully fledged,
0:29:43 > 0:29:46it will spend a couple of months with its parents learning to hunt.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50And that's something I'd love to see.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57I'm just on my way to meet Pete the cameraman in his hide,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00which is about 600, 700 metres up the hill there.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04But I can see buzzards right now on the ridge.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06It's fantastic.
0:30:06 > 0:30:07They're doing so well here.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Those three could be our youngster and his two parents.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18The hide isn't exactly invisible, but it does give vital cover
0:30:18 > 0:30:21for a pair of nosy humans and their camera.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25- Welcome.- Is there room for me to sneak past?- Yeah.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28What have you seen so far, before I got here?
0:30:28 > 0:30:31The youngster on the fence posts.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35He was sort of looking around and then he'd hop down into the bracken or the grass.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Hoping he might come across a beetle, or a worm or something?
0:30:37 > 0:30:39Yeah, and slugs, I think, as well.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Just literally anything I think that he can find.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47- Just learning to forage?- Yeah, and he's definitely sort of a bit ungainly,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51hasn't quite got the finesse of adult birds.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Any sign of the parent birds close by?
0:30:53 > 0:30:54They were always in the vicinity.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59I'm really hoping to see the youngster for myself,
0:30:59 > 0:31:04but the first to show are two adults with their distinctive darker plumage.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05Are they our pair?
0:31:05 > 0:31:07I can see... I can see two...
0:31:08 > 0:31:12I can see three birds now. Four. I can see four buzzards right now -
0:31:12 > 0:31:16- three to the right on the ridgeline, and one up there.- Yeah, yeah.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18So, that's four, that's one more than...
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- Oh, is there another one? - You know what?
0:31:21 > 0:31:24There's five, there's five buzzards here right now.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And it sounds like our chick isn't far away.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29It's a really persistent call now.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34There.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37That sounded like it was coming from straight out in front.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Yeah. OK, I think... I think there's one coming back round.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44And that is... That is a buzzard, and it's...
0:31:45 > 0:31:47..possibly not holding itself quite as well in the breeze,
0:31:47 > 0:31:48so that could be the juvenile.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- Oh, yeah, and you can see... - The legs hanging down as well.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56Exactly. The wing tips really spread out, like fingers.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And really working the wind.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Buzzards are superbly adapted to soaring flight.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06With a wingspan of up to a metre and a half, they catch
0:32:06 > 0:32:08the thermals and updrafts,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10adjusting their fanned tail
0:32:10 > 0:32:12for balance.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14From this steady vantage point,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17their incredible eyesight can spot a feeding opportunity
0:32:17 > 0:32:19up to 3km away.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24Buzzards eat plenty of carrion, as well as hunting small mammals
0:32:24 > 0:32:26and even insects and worms.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28And that's the one that's calling!
0:32:28 > 0:32:29I think that's the one!
0:32:29 > 0:32:30And... it's very pale.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37So, Pete, if that's the one we think it is, ten weeks ago,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39I held it in my hands...
0:32:39 > 0:32:40Yep, incredible.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44..while it was being ringed, popped it back on its nest,
0:32:44 > 0:32:49and there it is, completely boundless and free.
0:32:49 > 0:32:50It's a success story, isn't it?
0:32:51 > 0:32:55It's such a heart-warming sight to see our youngster in good shape.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Once, buzzards were targeted by gamekeepers
0:32:59 > 0:33:02and were almost hunted out of existence here.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04In the early 1900s,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07there were just 1,000 breeding pairs in the whole country.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Just swirling across in front of us now.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Over the past few decades, they've made a fantastic comeback.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Now, buzzards are our commonest bird of prey,
0:33:20 > 0:33:24with around 67,000 pairs at the last count.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27I'm so glad I saw him.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38I've had a wonderful afternoon in this very beautiful place.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42I've seen at least six buzzards flying into this stiff breeze,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and showing that they really are masters of the air.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49But funnily enough, the one I enjoyed watching the most
0:33:49 > 0:33:51was the least skilful -
0:33:51 > 0:33:54the youngster, still just finding its wings
0:33:54 > 0:33:57at the very beginning of its own aerial adventures.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Dartmoor is notoriously damp.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27Even in the height of summer, it's often shrouded in mist and fog.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34But there's one rare little beast here for whom wet is always wonderful.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38They're quite difficult to find.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40But you're looking for dead leaves,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43where they've eaten patches and moved on.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46On this suitably soggy August day,
0:34:46 > 0:34:51Simon Phelps is on the hunt for a creature that's only found on a plant
0:34:51 > 0:34:57that loves boggy meadows - the purple-flowering devil's-bit scabious.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01As you can see, this site here has large carpets of devil's-bit scabious like this,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04and that's the only food plant that they feed on.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Oh, yeah, we've got one here.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Yeah, cool.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12The bristly bunch hanging out on this scabious stem
0:35:12 > 0:35:15are caterpillars of the highly endangered
0:35:15 > 0:35:17marsh fritillary butterfly.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21So, within each group like this,
0:35:21 > 0:35:23there will be maybe 50-100 caterpillars.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Some down the bottom feeding on the leaves.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29These ones have come up here to sort of bask a little bit and try and get
0:35:29 > 0:35:30a bit of warmth.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34This lot are all from one batch of eggs.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Huddling together in one caterpillar clump is a common defence strategy
0:35:38 > 0:35:42for caterpillars of many butterfly species.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47And they could even survive the wetlands that they live in flooding,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50and sometimes when they have fires, they can survive,
0:35:50 > 0:35:52cos they are buried deep in the grass, so they can be protected.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56They hibernate over the winter months,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00so they bury deep down in the grass to sort of insulate themselves
0:36:00 > 0:36:02from the cold weather.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Come spring, Simon is back to see the caterpillars emerge from their
0:36:13 > 0:36:18metamorphosis as adult marsh fritillary butterflies,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21with their exquisite chequerboard patterns.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25These rare beauties are in severe decline across Europe.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Numbers have more than halved in the last 30 years
0:36:28 > 0:36:32as large areas of the damp, marshy pasture they need to survive
0:36:32 > 0:36:35are drained for agriculture or grazed heavily,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38killing off the scabious plants that the butterflies rely on.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Dartmoor is one of their last strongholds in the UK.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48It's almost like a flagship species for this wet grassland habitat
0:36:48 > 0:36:50that's so important for lots of other things.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56This marshy meadow has another resident that's equally diverting,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58and, sadly, just as scarce.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Despite its appearance, this is a moth.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06It's the narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10a curious creature that mimics the bumblebee to put off predators.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14They are quite difficult and can be confused with bumblebees,
0:37:14 > 0:37:15but once you get your eye in,
0:37:15 > 0:37:20you can see that they fly in a more direct and faster sort of flight
0:37:20 > 0:37:24pattern than bumblebees, and they've got sort of paler markings,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26and, as well, you can see their antennae
0:37:26 > 0:37:28stretching out quite far from the body,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31which bumblebees don't have.
0:37:31 > 0:37:37Simon is working to revive the fortunes of Dartmoor's hawk moths and marsh fritillaries.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40And after several years of campaigning to conserve the
0:37:40 > 0:37:43marshes and meadows they need for survival,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46the champion of these beguiling insects
0:37:46 > 0:37:48has made some encouraging progress.
0:37:48 > 0:37:49It took a few years,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52but after three or four years of the project starting,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55the butterfly numbers did start to rise,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57and they have improved and stabilised
0:37:57 > 0:38:00and colonised new patches of habitat
0:38:00 > 0:38:03that we've worked on with farmers, as well.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05So it has been a great success.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09These brilliantly distinctive creatures are living on the front line of
0:38:09 > 0:38:14changes in our environment - developments that seem small to us,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16to them can be calamitous.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20So, it's great that in Dartmoor, thanks to Simon's hard work,
0:38:20 > 0:38:23their habitat is now being protected.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33On this Dartmoor riverside,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37Stephen Powles is looking for a wild otter he's kept in regular contact
0:38:37 > 0:38:38with for years.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42He hasn't seen Hammer Scar for ten days -
0:38:42 > 0:38:44the longest time she's ever gone missing.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50At more than five years old, she's already outlived most wild otters.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59So, Stephen is anxious for any sign, and he's keeping a full-time watch
0:38:59 > 0:39:02on his specially installed CCTV system.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Days and hours pass without so much as a glimpse of an otter.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14But then, on day 11... DEVICE BEEPS
0:39:14 > 0:39:16That's her.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19She's on her way up. Let's go.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21We're going to try and go upriver and find her.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28But Stephen can't be sure that his sensor was set off by Hammer Scar.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36The only way to confirm it is seeing her in the flesh.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41So, we wait.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- WHISPERING:- I suspect she's given us the slip.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55By the time he arrives,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58the otter that triggered the sensor has melted into the darkness.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06But after all these years, Steven's not giving up on Hammer Scar.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10The next night sees another vigil, and the alarm is triggered again.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11DEVICE BEEPS
0:40:11 > 0:40:13She's gone through the sensor.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16In fact, she's now made it to the second sensor,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19so we are all in an otter panic.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Often Steven can identify Hammer Scar, even when she is in the water.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29But heavy rain has clouded the river with silt and runoff.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36HE WHISPERS:
0:40:37 > 0:40:41Otters can stay submerged for minutes at a time,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45covering long distances underwater without needing to surface.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Seeing any sign now would just be a matter of luck.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58A brief glimpse tells him everything he needs to know.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07There's no mistaking Hammer Scar.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10And she has spotted Steven, too.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22It's a huge relief to see Hammer Scar safe and well.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03She's a wild otter.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07I'm very privileged to have this contact with her.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16Hammer Scar has rewarded Steven's dedication
0:42:16 > 0:42:18with one of his best encounters yet.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24Well, that was the most amazing experience.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27I've had some great experiences with Hammer Scar, but,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30yeah, that's pretty well near the tops.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34It doesn't matter how much time you spend with her,
0:42:34 > 0:42:35it's never going to get boring,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37it's never going to get mundane.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41To me, that's the pinnacle of a wildlife experience.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45It's rare to even see a wild otter,
0:42:45 > 0:42:50let alone build the level of trust that's been developed by Steven
0:42:50 > 0:42:52over years of watching his beloved Hammer Scar.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58Hats off to him and to Hammer Scar for showing us all that the most
0:42:58 > 0:43:02patient of wildlife watchers can get their just rewards.
0:43:11 > 0:43:16I've come to a very special spot on a Dartmoor river in autumn.
0:43:16 > 0:43:17No matter how idyllic,
0:43:17 > 0:43:21it might seem a strange time of the year to be thinking about a dip.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25But this is Lydia Falls,
0:43:25 > 0:43:30and I've heard it's a good spot to catch one of nature's great migrations,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33which means I don't need asking twice to get into the water.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42This is when salmon and sea trout are making their way inland from the
0:43:42 > 0:43:45sea, into the cold, clear waters of Dartmoor's rivers.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50After a couple of years fattening up in the ocean,
0:43:50 > 0:43:52they return to freshwater to breed.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56This is known as the salmon run,
0:43:56 > 0:43:58an annual event on many British rivers
0:43:58 > 0:44:02from Cornwall to the northern tip of Scotland.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05But it's not easy to see the salmon in action.
0:44:08 > 0:44:09Fantastic.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13Plenty of small trout and one good-sized salmon.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17As the fishermen say, you know, one of those.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21A real cracker. I think I might have caught a glimpse of it on camera.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24I've only seen one salmon so far.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27I'll go and have a look in some of the other pools in a minute,
0:44:27 > 0:44:29but it does suggest they're starting to arrive.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Obviously waiting to head up through those waterfalls,
0:44:32 > 0:44:35through those rapids to their spawning grounds.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39And those numbers should keep building now, as the month goes on.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Swimming against the current is hard work.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46And even for the fish, this is an arduous journey.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50From the sea to its source on the moor,
0:44:50 > 0:44:54the River Avon rises to over 400 metres above sea level,
0:44:54 > 0:44:57and there are plenty of obstacles along the way.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01It's extraordinary that these fish
0:45:01 > 0:45:03can swim up these waterfalls.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05And to do so successfully,
0:45:05 > 0:45:10they need all the help they can get from the elements.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13The problem is it hasn't rained properly here for nearly two weeks.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16And there's just not enough water in the river,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19coming over those falls and through the rapids,
0:45:19 > 0:45:21for the fish to move up into.
0:45:21 > 0:45:22But when the water does come,
0:45:22 > 0:45:26that faster flow will put more water through the gills of those fish,
0:45:26 > 0:45:27more oxygen into their blood,
0:45:27 > 0:45:31and they'll get the energy they need to keep on pushing upstream,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34through those rapids, up the waterfalls,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37heading upstream to their spawning grounds where they themselves
0:45:37 > 0:45:39were spawned several years ago.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45Salmon are driven onwards and upwards by the urge to breed.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49At this time the males undergo a dramatic change.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53Their jaws become hooked and their normally silvery flanks
0:45:53 > 0:45:55take on a coppery-red tone.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Once in fresh water, the salmon don't eat
0:46:00 > 0:46:03but rely on their fat reserves to fuel them upstream
0:46:03 > 0:46:06as they leap those weirs and waterfalls.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Sadly, in recent decades,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14this seasonal spectacle has become an ever rarer sight on Dartmoor.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22The cause of their decline is a complex issue.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28But one pioneering team is honing in on a unique way to help.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36So, we released 200,
0:46:36 > 0:46:39which were attached with an ID.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Rupert Goddard and Matt Elmer are on the hunt.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47How many you find, we're not really sure yet.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50It depends on how far they've moved.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52What they're looking for could be anywhere in the river.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54But if they find some,
0:46:54 > 0:46:58they might hold the key to helping revive the salmon's fortunes.
0:46:58 > 0:46:59We're looking for rocks.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02- Yep, got one.- OK.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06- Go ahead.- 9-delta-4...56.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13So, this little tag will stick onto the rock
0:47:13 > 0:47:17with, like, a sort of glass fibre resin,
0:47:17 > 0:47:19and then as we come along the detector
0:47:19 > 0:47:23will generate the current that will excite these.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27The tag will produce a signal that the detector will then pick up.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29Alpha-Charlie-7.
0:47:31 > 0:47:36This Plymouth University project is tracking stones that were among
0:47:36 > 0:47:41700 tonnes of granite gravel added to various stretches of the river
0:47:41 > 0:47:42by the West Country Rivers Trust.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53This gravel could play a vital role in bringing back the salmon.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00Before the female salmon spawns, she makes a nest called a redd -
0:48:00 > 0:48:04a small hollow where she can lay her eggs for the male to fertilise.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09The right-size stones are important for holding the eggs.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13It's normal that stones are sometimes washed away by the fast-flowing water,
0:48:13 > 0:48:18and usually the pebbles are replaced by more from upstream.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20But not here.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22And this is why -
0:48:22 > 0:48:26in the 1950s, for the creation of a reservoir, the river was dammed.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30When you have a dam across the river,
0:48:30 > 0:48:35it stops the natural movement of stones.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39We end up with a channel that doesn't have the right kind of
0:48:39 > 0:48:43composition of stone sizes that would enable the fish to spawn in.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49In the breeding season, salmon travel many hundreds of kilometres -
0:48:49 > 0:48:52perhaps from as far away as Greenland -
0:48:52 > 0:48:55to return to the exact stretch of water where they were born.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59But if their spawning grounds have been washed away,
0:48:59 > 0:49:02they've got nowhere to start the next generation.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07So, by adding more stone into the river,
0:49:07 > 0:49:12we are increasing the available habitat for the fish to spawn in.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16And to find out if the plan is working,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19they need to know how far the gravel has travelled.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23So, the lazy ones, 3.7 metres.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25The adventurous ones, 90.
0:49:27 > 0:49:32The great news is that this project is already seeing a positive effect.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36A five-minute survey of one spot found 21 juvenile fish,
0:49:36 > 0:49:38where previously there were none.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41- Another one.- Yeah.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43We're certainly improving habitat,
0:49:43 > 0:49:47and these areas would not have been here before we started the project.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49If this method is proven to work,
0:49:49 > 0:49:52it could be used to help salmon and trout flourish
0:49:52 > 0:49:54in other rivers all over Britain.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01A journey down any of Dartmoor's rivers ends at the sea...
0:50:02 > 0:50:05..where the foibles of the flowing freshwater habitat
0:50:05 > 0:50:08give way to the great opportunities of the ocean.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13And for me today, that's a chance to encounter
0:50:13 > 0:50:15an animal that never fails to thrill me.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18I'm in the fishing port of Brixham,
0:50:18 > 0:50:22a stone's throw from where the River Dart flows into the English Channel.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29So, today's plan, we're going to be covering around 100, 105km today,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32at around ten knots. That should take roughly 5½ hours.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34Going to be recording our efforts.
0:50:34 > 0:50:38Rachel Davies and her volunteers from Marine Life make regular surveys of
0:50:38 > 0:50:42a creature that most of us are excited to even glimpse.
0:50:43 > 0:50:44Dolphins.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47The team are researching all cetacean activity in the
0:50:47 > 0:50:50southwest. In the past year even humpback whales
0:50:50 > 0:50:53have been spotted off this part of Devon's coast.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58What about today's conditions?
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Are they good for surveying cetaceans?
0:51:00 > 0:51:02Well, right now it's absolutely fantastic.
0:51:02 > 0:51:03We've got grey skies,
0:51:03 > 0:51:05which may not sound like it's the best conditions for us,
0:51:05 > 0:51:09but actually it really is, because when we get a little bit too much sunlight, we get glare.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12- So...- Too much glare is not good?
0:51:12 > 0:51:13Not good at all, for a few reasons.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16It can make it very difficult once you've actually spotted an animal
0:51:16 > 0:51:20to identify the species, because quite often you can just see a silhouette,
0:51:20 > 0:51:21so you can't see any colour markings.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24But also when there is light reflecting off,
0:51:24 > 0:51:28it can be very tiring for the eyes. And of course we want to keep our eyes fresh and we want to be rested.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32And your volunteer spotters have been doing this for a while.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35- Yes.- They're a pretty eagle-eyed bunch?
0:51:35 > 0:51:39The surveyors we have on board today have been doing this since the '90s, actually.
0:51:39 > 0:51:40Oh, so really experienced.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44Yeah, we've got Pete, who is a very, very keen birder
0:51:44 > 0:51:46but also an exceptionally experienced...
0:51:46 > 0:51:48Eagle-Eyed Pete, they call him?
0:51:48 > 0:51:50Oh, Eagle Eyed Pete. Yes, definitely.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56It's not too long before Eagle-Eyed Pete lives up to his name.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59- 300 metres, something like that. - 300 metres, but, Pete,
0:51:59 > 0:52:02you are going to know better than I am what we are looking at.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Yes, they look as though they are common dolphins.
0:52:05 > 0:52:06Common dolphins?
0:52:07 > 0:52:09I've seen about three or four.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11- Brilliant.- One, two...
0:52:11 > 0:52:13It's cool.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17This fleeting glimpse is proof that there are cetaceans out here today.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19And I'm desperate to see more.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22I mean, those weren't feeding, so there's nothing with them.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26But very often you're attracted to cetaceans by sea birds circling overhead.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31Cos if they're feeding, then there's scraps available,
0:52:31 > 0:52:35or even the gannets feeding might have drawn the common dolphins in.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39- So you'll quite often see sea birds feeding before the dolphins?- Yeah.
0:52:43 > 0:52:49Even on this flat, calm sea we have to keep our eyes keenly peeled.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51We've just had another sighting.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53The skipper called this one, actually.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56He thinks it's a harbour porpoise.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57Here it is just now.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02Looks like a solitary beast. Is it a harbour porpoise, Rachel?
0:53:02 > 0:53:05Yep. I can't see it at the moment.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08- I do...- I did see it pop up just a second ago.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11He will come up again, so we just want to keep an eye open in this area here.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19But if it was a harbour porpoise there, in these conditions,
0:53:19 > 0:53:22- if it comes up we will see it.- Yes.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24We just need to keep scanning.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Don't fix on one spot, just keep scanning.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34I think that might have been the mirage of the day.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37It was just a fleeting little black back on the surface, wasn't it?
0:53:38 > 0:53:41There it is. So that's the harbour porpoise,
0:53:41 > 0:53:43and you see what I mean by a fleeting glimpse.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45It's just the curve of the back and then it's down again,
0:53:45 > 0:53:46often for a couple of minutes.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Dolphins must break the surface regularly,
0:53:50 > 0:53:54exposing their blow holes to the air to breathe.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56But the whole thing happens fast.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59They can breathe in and out in less than a second.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02Sighting!
0:54:05 > 0:54:07Straight ahead.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11One's coming out of the water there.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14They're much more active than they were earlier.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Whoa! A tail slapping right in front of us.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20Now they're showing off.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Oh, right under the boat, there's six right underneath us.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25Right on the bow wave, that's fantastic.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29I'm literally on top of them.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33Dolphins can save a huge amount of energy by bow riding,
0:54:33 > 0:54:35using the pressure wave ahead of the boat
0:54:35 > 0:54:37to push them through the water.
0:54:37 > 0:54:38I'm just hoping I can get this
0:54:38 > 0:54:41little underwater camera close to them
0:54:41 > 0:54:43and get some shots of that amazing swimming action.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Whoa, here we go!
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Just in front of me now.
0:54:49 > 0:54:50Whoa!
0:54:53 > 0:54:55These common dolphins are so distinctive,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58with that amazing, creamy flank and underparts.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05Common dolphins can grow to lengths of 2½ metres,
0:55:05 > 0:55:07and have a lifespan of 30 years or more.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10They live in tight-knit social groups,
0:55:10 > 0:55:13communicating with high-pitched calls and clicks.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17They even have their own version of regional dialects.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22The best time to spot them in UK coastal waters
0:55:22 > 0:55:24is between July and October,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28and they're most commonly seen in the southwest.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30Whoa!
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Look at that!
0:55:33 > 0:55:34Amazing!
0:55:37 > 0:55:40I was watching all that from lying down,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42but that was absolutely amazing.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Really smacking the water with its whole body, there.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48What sort of behaviour is that, then, Rachel?
0:55:48 > 0:55:51I think they're having a bit of a play, to be honest.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58There's no single explanation for why dolphins breach and bellyflop.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01It might be another way they communicate,
0:56:01 > 0:56:04or perhaps they're dislodging parasites on their skin.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07But I'm happy with Rachel's theory -
0:56:07 > 0:56:11that these social, intelligent animals are simply playing.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15And it's impossible not to get caught up in the sheer glee of their
0:56:15 > 0:56:16delightful behaviour.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21It's great when you see them breeching out of the water.
0:56:21 > 0:56:22It's exciting.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26We've counted 12 dolphins and one porpoise so far.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Not a bad tally for a few hours.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31I'm pretty sure there's a juvenile in amongst them.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34And this one is certainly a little bit smaller, isn't it?
0:56:35 > 0:56:37We didn't record a juvenile last time, did we?
0:56:40 > 0:56:42You've been out here in Lyme Bay more than anybody, Rick.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45Do you have a sense of getting to know these dolphins now?
0:56:45 > 0:56:49Sort of. I mean, we have catalogues,
0:56:49 > 0:56:53numerous individuals that we've picked up upon regularly,
0:56:53 > 0:56:57so you do, I suppose, attach yourself to those animals, yes.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00So today we're a little piece of a big jigsaw puzzle...
0:57:00 > 0:57:06- Yeah.- ..but when we put it all together it tells us about the health, the success of the species.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08- Yes.- It just gives you a good feeling,
0:57:08 > 0:57:10knowing that you're doing something good
0:57:10 > 0:57:13for the animals that you like to get out and see and observe.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18It's not hard to see what brings these volunteers out here.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21The data they gather on our cetaceans is important,
0:57:21 > 0:57:25and today's trip will deliver its fair share of that.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28But spending time among dolphins is its own reward.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31There's so many creatures that you can be thrilled by
0:57:31 > 0:57:32when you see them,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35but for me, of all of them, the dolphins...
0:57:35 > 0:57:37You kind of want to know - what's it like to be one?
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- Yeah. Absolutely, yeah. - It looks such fun.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44Yeah, to be able to swim through the water at 25-30 miles an hour and...
0:57:44 > 0:57:46While chatting to your mates.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49- Yes.- Yeah. It wouldn't be bad to come back as a dolphin.
0:57:55 > 0:58:00If you'd like to explore Britain's diverse landscapes in more detail
0:58:00 > 0:58:03and find out how to create your own wildlife habitats,
0:58:03 > 0:58:07the Open University has produced a free booklet with bookmarks.
0:58:08 > 0:58:09Order your copy by calling...
0:58:13 > 0:58:14Or go to...
0:58:18 > 0:58:21..and follow the links to The Open University.