0:00:02 > 0:00:05For me, watching wildlife is one of life's greatest pleasures.
0:00:06 > 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 > 0:00:24extraordinary,
0:00:24 > 0:00:25and magical as any.
0:00:25 > 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 > 0:00:35Right, I'm ready.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38This is great. This is measuring an eel. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Ants, off, off! There's one inside my...!
0:00:40 > 0:00:44..with the help of a band of dedicated nature lovers.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Some of the patterns on the feathers, they're beautiful.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53- Good spot. Look, look, look. Wonderful!- Wow, that's so cool.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55There's one in my hair now, Poppy.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58I'll share the thrill of the chase...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01- Do you hear him?- I heard something. - Yeah. They're in there.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03BIRDS CHIRP Yes.
0:01:04 > 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 > 0:01:10OK, shhh.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12That's amazing.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16..and I'll pitch in to help these local heroes
0:01:16 > 0:01:19safeguard the future of our precious animals.
0:01:19 > 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 > 0:01:34This will be a year-round adventure...
0:01:34 > 0:01:35Straight ahead!
0:01:35 > 0:01:38..as we explore the natural wonders
0:01:38 > 0:01:41of the UK's very own Wild West.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55I'm on my old stamping ground, Dorset,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58home to a remarkable variety of wildlife.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03This is a charmed county, with no motorways or cities
0:02:03 > 0:02:06and a rich diversity of habitat.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09From its dramatic coast
0:02:09 > 0:02:13to the tranquil rivers and open heaths inland.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15But something else about Dorset
0:02:15 > 0:02:18entices this eclectic cast of creatures.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Its position right on the southern edge of the country
0:02:21 > 0:02:24defines the kind of animals that thrive here.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29The warm, mild climate provides a refuge for all kinds of species,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and that means there's often a chance to spot some wildlife
0:02:33 > 0:02:36rarely seen in other parts of the UK.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38I know it pretty well,
0:02:38 > 0:02:43but Dorset is always likely to deliver up a nice surprise or two.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Dorset's in the middle of southern England.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50One of the jewels of its coastline is Poole Harbour,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53a celebrated wildlife hot spot.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Further west, the famous Jurassic Coast centres on Weymouth,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01from where a narrow causeway leads to the Isle of Portland,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03the county's most southerly point.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Portland Bill, on the tip of the Isle of Portland,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13is where Dorset's dramatic coastline
0:03:13 > 0:03:16juts into the tidal race of the Channel.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21A lighthouse has stood on Portland Bill for over 300 years,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26alerting shipping to the dangers of this treacherous stretch of water.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31But come spring, Portland is a much more welcome sight
0:03:31 > 0:03:33for other ocean voyagers.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38Migrating birds on their epic journeys to the British Isles.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41For thousands of birds from among the hundreds of species
0:03:41 > 0:03:44that spend winter in Africa and the Mediterranean,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46this is first landfall.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49It's early May,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and some of these species are now appearing in numbers.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58To see them for myself, I'll need to make an early start.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And a lot of the birds we're interested in are night migrants.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07They will have actually pitched in in the hours of darkness.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08I'm with Martin Cade.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12For years, he's tracked the arrival of these intrepid travellers
0:04:12 > 0:04:15as they touch down in Portland for a pit stop
0:04:15 > 0:04:18after thousands of miles on the wing.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21They can fly in the night, they can land in the night,
0:04:21 > 0:04:22but they can't really feed in the night.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25They can't feed. They have to just pitch in in the trees,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28so they just roost for a little while and they tend to be
0:04:28 > 0:04:31very, very active for this first hour or so of the morning.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34And that is your opportunity to net them?
0:04:34 > 0:04:39And it's our opportunity to do our little bit of science and net a few.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Martin is warden of Portland Bill Observatory,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46a self-funded research station that for nearly 60 years
0:04:46 > 0:04:51has been monitoring the number and variety of birds coming to the UK.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Claire is doing something we wouldn't normally...
0:04:53 > 0:04:57The team's tried and tested method of knowing who's flying in
0:04:57 > 0:04:59is to use fine-meshed mist nets
0:04:59 > 0:05:02to catch a sample of the birds that land here.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05For me, it's a chance to be part of a pivotal moment
0:05:05 > 0:05:07in our wildlife calendar.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10After a quick crash course from Martin.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13When I was imagining what we'd be doing today,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I thought we'd be putting nets as high as we could
0:05:16 > 0:05:19to catch the migrating birds as they tried to zoom overhead.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20Shooting overhead.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22But, in fact, you're getting them
0:05:22 > 0:05:24as they work through the undergrowth looking for bugs feeding.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Everything's happening low down. This is where all the activity is.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31It's where their food is and so that's where they're going to be.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34A small, unexpected encounter with Martin and his nets
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- between them and a happy summer in the UK.- Yes, that's right.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39One more little bit.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44The clever part is the way the birds are attracted here.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47This isn't just a place for them to rest.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49It's an irresistible food stop,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51thanks to the green fingers
0:05:51 > 0:05:54of generations of Portland bird-watchers.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- You've got loads of different plants here.- All sorts.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03I mean, that's the key for us. It's food for the birds.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10All the stuff here, really, is just planted by the pioneer observers.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14I mean, this is about 60 years' worth of growth.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15Plants mean bugs,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19so, for birds, this garden is an insect pick and mix.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22The mist nets may briefly come between them
0:06:22 > 0:06:24and this tempting buffet,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28but do no harm, except perhaps to their dignity.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- What have we got? - We've got a spotted flycatcher.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Now, this is one of the last summer migrants to arrive.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40- It's quite a misnomer.- Yeah.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42- Can you see a spot on that? - Not many spots!
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- More like speckles or streaks. - Yeah.- Amazing bill, it's got.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Look at the shape of its bill. It's got a very broad, triangular bill,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and if we just tease its mouth open...
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- Oh, look at that! - Tremendous wide bill.- Gaping.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And you see the little bristles either side?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01It's helping them catch flies.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05This little globetrotter weighs only 17g,
0:07:05 > 0:07:10but its aerodynamic adaptations make it able to fly vast distances.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Generally, the longer the wings, and the longer and more pointed
0:07:15 > 0:07:18the wings are, the longer range migration they've got.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21This has got tremendous amounts of these flight feathers,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23so the shorter range birds,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26they tend to have more rounded wings than this.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29This is a thing that's flying thousands of miles
0:07:29 > 0:07:32from south-west Africa, and that's the sort of wing shape
0:07:32 > 0:07:36you need to do that very long migration.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39So this wing tells the story of a long migration?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Mmm, yeah. You can be my bag carrier, if you wouldn't mind?
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- I'll be your bag carrier. - In case we have a few.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47That's my status on this job.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Great.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50There we go.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- Got him.- Take that off. No more in there.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56We'll take that one off and process it.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59A soft bag keeps the bird calm until it can be ringed,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02while we continue to patrol the nets.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Our next find is a blackcap.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It's affectionately known as the Northern Nightingale
0:08:09 > 0:08:11for reasons that are obvious
0:08:11 > 0:08:13if you're lucky enough to hear one sing.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15BLACKCAP SINGS
0:08:16 > 0:08:19This little female blackcap might have come from where?
0:08:19 > 0:08:24These things mostly winter around the Mediterranean and North Africa.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Now, if you see how I'm holding it here,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- just between the first two fingers. - Yeah.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Martin is licensed to handle these delicate creatures
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and, under his supervision, so am I.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Kind of really exciting to hold a genuinely wild bird
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- just for a second...- It is. It's amazing.- ..and let it go.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46- You can feel the... Almost like a vibration.- Yeah, you can.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- You can feel it's alive.- Yeah.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- Whee! There he goes. - Oh, straight in the hedge.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54This blackcap's been ringed already, so it's free to go.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Another empty one here.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02The nets have to be constantly checked for new arrivals.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- Two here.- Two more!
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- Coming thick and fast now. - It's beginning to warm up, isn't it?
0:09:08 > 0:09:10You can feel the sun on your back now.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14It's really quite something to be greeting the spring migration...
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Oh, something here.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18..as it's happening.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- That is a willow warbler. - That is a willow wobbler.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Beautiful.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27And you can see in the sun, quite a striking yellow, actually.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29This yellow wash all across its underparts.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Very greeny above.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Thank you.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37And seeing this rich variety of visiting birds
0:09:37 > 0:09:40is a good work-out for my bird knowledge too.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- You've got something different here. - Oh, I think I know this one.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- You can see a clue straightaway. - Is this a wheatear?
0:09:49 > 0:09:54- This is a wheatear.- Yeah, because that really bright, white tail.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59Somebody told me that "wheatear" is in fact a sort of euphemism,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- which is "white arse."- Yeah, "white arse."- Have you heard that?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- That's exactly what old-timers on Portland called them.- Oh, really?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08It's one of those birds where, when you're going for a walk,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- they seem to just be ahead of you. - They always just chink along ahead.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- Waggling their white bums. - Just seeing the white bums.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16These latecomers are ever so richly coloured.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Ours we get in Britain are not as richly coloured as this.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- Lovely toffee colour.- He'll probably go up the west coast of Britain,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25and then he's got to strike off right across the ocean again.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27At a minimum, head to Iceland,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and they go right to Greenland as well.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33For birds like this lovely wheatear,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36on the way to their nesting sites much further north,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Portland is perfectly positioned for rest and refuelling.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Thank you. We'll get that back to the ringing shed.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55It's still only 8:00am,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59but the team is already a couple of hours into the job
0:10:59 > 0:11:02of logging the details of this year's arrivals.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- Quite a flutterer, this one. - Yes!
0:11:07 > 0:11:10At least we've got something to have a close look at.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13In the ringing shed, there's a simple but efficient process,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16ensuring none of the birds is left hanging around for long.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17Get on.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23This is a bit like, sort of, a kids' jamboree bag time.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25You're not quite sure what's coming out.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- So, that's a blackcap. - Getting good, aren't you?
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Once you bring a bird in here, what's the procedure?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Yes, this a bit of science we're getting up to.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36These are aluminium rings, ever so light.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39You've got all these different colour codes here.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41We've got rings that we use on a blackbird,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45right up to rings we use on something like a herring gull.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50The coded leg rings allow the birds to be ID'd wherever they end up,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53giving vital information about where they've come from.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58And you see that these birds, once they're out of the nest,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01that's the size they're going to be forever.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Recording size and weight helps to build a picture
0:12:04 > 0:12:07of the bird's health and alert conservationists
0:12:07 > 0:12:11to any worrying trends, such as population decline.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15And so the standard way that we measure them
0:12:15 > 0:12:17is to measure the length of their wing.
0:12:17 > 0:12:1972 millimetres.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Now, this is the slightly ignominious bit.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23We put it in a little pot here.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28So, 19g.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31That's sort of midway for a blackcap.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Martin's expert handling keeps the birds calm.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Seems to be just all right there.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41I'm holding it in a really appropriate way.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I mean, this part does take quite a bit of training
0:12:44 > 0:12:46to become a licensed bird ringer.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48It's not a thing that happens overnight.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56This little blackcap has had all her info taken down.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58I'm just going to release her.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Off she goes.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Bye-bye.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12As the morning wears on, more and more birds are arriving
0:13:12 > 0:13:14from their epic continental crossings.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- Wow!- Blimey, Glenn! You've been busy!
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Two, four, six, eight, ten, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25one in the hand... 20 birds exactly.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Let's see what they've brought us.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30This is a different one again.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32This one's called the lesser whitethroat.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- Is that quite a common bird? - Not a common bird.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37We're right at the edge of their range, here in Dorset.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- So that's probably the rarest thing we've seen today?- Definitely, yeah.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Can you pass me the next one, Hugh?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46A lovely little willow warbler.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48And quite lively. Quite a little squawker.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- 8.9 grams.- 8.9.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57So that's less than half the weight of a blackcap.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- That is a tiny bird. - It's a tiny, tiny thing.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03But this has wintered in south-west Africa.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05So a bird weighing less than nine grams
0:14:05 > 0:14:07has flown all the way from Africa?
0:14:07 > 0:14:10It's quite an amazing feat when you sit and think.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Another bit of hands-on, Hugh.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15SQUAWKING
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Have you noticed, Martin, now I've got him,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- he's stopped squawking?- You're a natural!
0:14:21 > 0:14:23LAUGHTER
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- Want to let that one go for me? - With pleasure.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30I've got my little job for the morning now.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32I'm the release guy.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38And that's definitely the best job, I think.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50The guys have processed 40 odd birds in just the last half an hour or so.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53In quick time. We're having a pretty bumper spring, actually.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Back along... Back at the second half of April, it was in the...
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Not the hundreds, but the thousands then.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03We ringed nearly 2,000 birds in about a fortnight.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06And the data that you're gathering here,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08how important is it for science and conservation?
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Through the ringing evidence, we've found that, for example,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15the British swallows almost exclusively go to South Africa,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17and the German swallows, for example,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21I think they go to West Africa. To Nigeria.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24So it's only through actually identifying them individually
0:15:24 > 0:15:28with the rings that we can work out where these things are going to.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32There's all sorts of little intricacies to their lives.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43The enthusiasm for these birds is totally infectious.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48It's just a joy to be here as these tiny ambassadors for their species
0:15:48 > 0:15:50arrive in the UK from far and wide.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53How good is this?
0:15:55 > 0:16:00Today, the team ringed a total of 225 birds.
0:16:00 > 0:16:0313 different species in all.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06What we're seeing today is a tiny piece
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- of one of the great bird migrations of the world.- Yeah, yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12These warblers and these little things coming through.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14You know, it's not only the migrations
0:16:14 > 0:16:16of wildebeest on the Serengeti.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18These things were thousands of miles away
0:16:18 > 0:16:21only just a handful of weeks ago, a month ago.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And they've still got quite a long way to go, some of them.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Holding these tiny little things in my hands has been lovely.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31It is exciting, and I can see, hopefully,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33you've got something out of it.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Something you've done thousands of times,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39I've done for the first time today and I've loved every minute of it.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45My day at Portland Bill Observatory has been a fascinating initiation
0:16:45 > 0:16:49into the complex and captivating world of monitoring bird migration.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53I'll never look at our tiny summer visitors
0:16:53 > 0:16:55in quite the same way again.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30I know from personal experience that getting close to wildlife,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33watching an animal behave while it's completely oblivious
0:17:33 > 0:17:37to your presence, can be really intense and emotional.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41For some people, it can even change the course of their lives,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43taking them in a completely new direction.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51That's exactly what's happened to retired policeman Mick Jenner.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53OK? Sit. Sit.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54Good boy.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59Mick has become so absorbed by watching and filming wildlife
0:17:59 > 0:18:03that he and his wife Pat have left their home behind
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and hit the road to pursue the animals they want to see,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08wherever it may take them.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Today, the freewheeling couple have parked up
0:18:12 > 0:18:16near the banks of Dorset's longest river, the Stour,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20and Mick wastes no time getting down to the water's edge with his camera.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23It's one of the best times of the day.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25I love the early mornings because it's peaceful, quiet,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28it gives you something to get up for,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and, well, what could be better when you're on the river bank
0:18:31 > 0:18:33than wildlife just comes to you,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36and... it's brilliant.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Mick's returning to the exact spot where he first managed to capture
0:18:42 > 0:18:46on film a creature that's been his Holy Grail -
0:18:46 > 0:18:48the otter.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54Today, he has high hopes he can reacquaint himself with old friends.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59The moment when he first trained his lens on these charismatic
0:18:59 > 0:19:02river hunters is certainly one Mick will never forget.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07You know, you get these magical days in your life.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And it started just a little bit further upstream,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14where I caught her coming off the island up there with her cubs.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19And I got the cubs sliding down from the bank, into the river.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Mum, well, was brilliant. She was actually catching some fish
0:19:23 > 0:19:25and teaching them how to fish and catch them.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28And it's one of those moments, you just sit there for about...
0:19:28 > 0:19:30about an hour and a half with them.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Otter mums raise their young alone.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38From four months, the cubs leave the holt every day
0:19:38 > 0:19:40to accompany her on hunting expeditions.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43They need to learn fast.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Within a year, they'll be leaving home
0:19:46 > 0:19:48to find a territory of their own.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52It was absolutely fantastic.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56And to get so close to watch the cubs, and, you know,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59the way they dealt with this fish, and the way Mum...
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Well, she was brilliant. She was brilliant at looking after them.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Mick was so smitten, he stayed around for months,
0:20:06 > 0:20:10filming as often as he could as the cubs learnt to fish for themselves.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16A year on, these youngsters could well be striking out on their own,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18and, in fact, Mick's had a tip-off
0:20:18 > 0:20:22that an otter has recently been spotted right here.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30This is the area she's been seen in the last few days.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33But it could be anywhere from 100 metres that way
0:20:33 > 0:20:35to a couple of hundred meters down that way.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Many of the territories along the river have been claimed by males.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45These dog otters are likely to defend their patch aggressively,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49so the young female could face a tough transition into adulthood.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Mick knows he could be in for a long stakeout.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59And, of course, he's ready to enjoy and film other visitors,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01like this egret.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Just an added bonus.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Well, the fishing here certainly looks good.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11There you are. There she is. Just below the weir.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19There she is. She's just coming up straight towards us now.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Lovely.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Careful, you can just see...
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Oh, beautiful. Straight up, straight looking at the camera.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Fantastic.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Yeah, look at that. Look. She's just looking at us now.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33Beautiful.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Oh, great. Fantastic.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39It seems the training that Mick watched her receive
0:21:39 > 0:21:41from Mum last year is paying off.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44She's certainly looking fit and well fed.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Ah, there she is. Do you see how quick she can move around,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53and you all of a sudden wonder where she's off to?
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Absolutely fantastic. We've actually seen her.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58I was getting a bit worried.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02And she's fishing within about ten metres of us.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10It's clearly days like today that feed Mick's passion
0:22:10 > 0:22:12and keep him coming back for more.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16At the end of a day's filming, if I can walk away
0:22:16 > 0:22:20having filmed the lives of my subjects
0:22:20 > 0:22:23without them realising I've been there,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26it's like somebody stepping onto an island and walking away without
0:22:26 > 0:22:30any footprints being there and nobody knows they've been there.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32I just feel so privileged.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54The dependably mild climate here in Dorset makes this area
0:22:54 > 0:22:58a favourable and forgiving habitat for all kinds of native wildlife.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01But for some rarer animals,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04this is actually the northern edge of their range.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06They're living at their limit here.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Survival for them is always going to be more of a challenge,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13but, luckily, there are dedicated naturalists and conservationists
0:23:13 > 0:23:17who are ready to give them a much-needed helping hand.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Bracketts Coppice Nature Reserve near Yeovil is a little jewel
0:23:24 > 0:23:28of meadows, hedgerows and precious ancient woodland.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33A variety of vegetation here supports an abundance of insects,
0:23:33 > 0:23:38which in turn are food for several species of bats.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40And to your left again.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Today, the reserve's manager, Colin Morris,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45and his team of bat fanatics
0:23:45 > 0:23:49are setting out to look for the scarcest of them all.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54Bechstein's bats are an incredibly rare woodland bat species.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Until 20 years ago,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59there'd only been perhaps 100 Bechstein's bats recorded
0:23:59 > 0:24:00in the previous 100 years.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Yet the fossil records show that Bechstein's were once
0:24:05 > 0:24:07the most common bat in southern Britain.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10But due to the loss of so much of our ancient woodland
0:24:10 > 0:24:15and changes in climate, it's thought we have only around 1,500 left.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19That makes this one of the rarest mammals in the UK.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24But in this bat-friendly wood, the Bechstein's are clinging on.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Just how well, Colin hopes to find out.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36It's midsummer, and bat breeding season is well under way.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Today is the team's first foray of the year to find the Bechstein's
0:24:41 > 0:24:43and make that all-important count.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Wishful thinking, I'm hoping to get 100 Bechstein's bats,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52so perhaps 60 adult females and perhaps 40 juveniles.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59The 80 or so bat boxes around the wood host a variety of species,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and there's no knowing which, if any,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04is home to a colony of Bechstein's.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09That's an adult bat, so you won't see anything.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11For the assembled bat buffs,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14this is a foray with a very special buzz.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19I'm always excited about finding the Bechstein's bat,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22but the people assisting me today, many of them,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24it'll be the first time they've seen a Bechstein's bat,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27so it'll be incredibly exciting for them.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31We're from Derbyshire, so we don't get Bechstein's up that far north,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34so it's really nice to be invited to come down and help out.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Seven different species of bat have been recorded in these woods.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43All the bats found today will be identified and logged.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Box number 47 has got around 20 brown long-eared bats in.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Adults and juveniles.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I've just collected a brown long-eared bat from this box.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I'm going to examine it, see what breeding condition it's in.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57Not surprisingly, it's got long
0:25:57 > 0:26:00ears, and it's brown, hence its name, brown long-eared bat.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Also known as the whispering bat.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04They actually emit their echolocation calls
0:26:04 > 0:26:06through their nose.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10One of the ways to tell if a bat's bred this year,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13if we look at the female's chest,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16the hair around the nipple gets worn away,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20which means she gave birth this year and suckled a young.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Number 37 has got a Natterer's bat in.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29That's one of the Myotis species. Myotis standing for mouse-eared.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Natterer's bats are fairly common,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36but very few of their summer roost sites have ever been documented,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38so this is an important find.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Three hours in and plenty of bats,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48but there's still no sign of the Bechstein's.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52There's just one other patch of woodland left to try.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Box is empty.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59It's got about 50 Myotis droppings.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Number 41.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Empty.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The bat boxes in this neck of the woods aren't holding much,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and hope of finding a decent size colony of Bechstein's
0:27:16 > 0:27:18is starting to fade.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20There's only two big boxes left.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28What have you got?
0:27:28 > 0:27:29This is the box
0:27:29 > 0:27:32with the maternity colony of Bechstein's bats in.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I don't need to open it, because I can put my ear to the hole
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and I can hear them scrabbling around in there and squeaking.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41So we can all sit down, make ourselves comfortable,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43because we're here for quite a long while now.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46When I first found the Bechstein's
0:27:46 > 0:27:49bats in one of these large boxes, I took the door off,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53and 90 of the 100 Bechstein's bats flew off before I could catch them.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58So now I've invented what we call a very large windsock.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00The good news is...
0:28:00 > 0:28:03it's absolutely full of Bechstein's bats.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09You can hear them getting excited now.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15SQUEAKING
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Thankfully, at the moment,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21the bats aren't trying to get out because they're all happy.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Hello, little bat.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Come to me.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31An entire colony of females and babies is being kept safe
0:28:31 > 0:28:33in these cotton bags, ready for their check-up.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35And it's on the other forearm.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41This is the extremely rare Bechstein's bat.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43One of the rarest mammals in the UK.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Now, if we look at this side over here, we can see she's got a ring,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50so she's an adult female, we've had her here before.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52OK. We've got Z for Zulu
0:28:52 > 0:28:546-4-1-7.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57It's always nice to see bats turning up with rings on,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59because we know they haven't been disturbed too much.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02If they were, they wouldn't ever return to the boxes.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04There we go, Steve. You have that one.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Like every bat species,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Bechstein's rear their young in all-female maternity roosts.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Have you upset that one? That one bit me.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Adult female that has never given birth.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18These boxes are almost exclusively used by female bats.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21They're quite social animals, gregarious species, if you like,
0:29:21 > 0:29:25and if their friends, sisters, aunties, mothers, are in a box,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28they like being with them. It helps with the juveniles as well.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33They stay in a nice warm cluster and it's sure to help the baby bat grow.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37When they aren't provided with cosy man-made homes,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Bechstein's bats roost in woodpecker holes,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44natural openings in tree trunks, or even behind loose bark.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49This is a juvenile Bechstein's bat.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54A great indication straightaway is that it's slightly smaller.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58So this one will have a new identification ring put on today,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and so in subsequent years, when we find it, we can say,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05this bat was born in 2017.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10Colin's work has shown that these bats can live for 20 years.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Amazing for such tiny animals.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15I've checked she's a female, but I rely on...
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Yeah.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21A-2-4-4-8.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25His decades of research have certainly given him
0:30:25 > 0:30:29a remarkable rapport with these precious Bechstein's.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35And without even looking at the ring number, this is T-7-3-5-8.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39She's very calm in my hands because she's been handled so times.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41So we'll just double-check on this one.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46And sure enough, T-7-3-5-8.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49She's an adult female with no chin spot
0:30:49 > 0:30:51and I hope she's bred this year.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Yeah, she's post-lactating.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58So, she's had 11 babies in her life since I ringed her first in 2000.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00So, there we go.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04As far as we know, this is the oldest Bechstein's bat in the UK.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07And, as you can see, she's extremely calm
0:31:07 > 0:31:10because she's been handled so many times before.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16Once recorded, each bat is put straight back in the roost box,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20none the worse for its encounter with Colin and the team.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Aside from being reacquainted with that amazing matriarch,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Colin's delighted by today's findings.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33Extremely good. That bat box had a total of 91 bats in.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Had a total of 39
0:31:35 > 0:31:37baby bats ringed this year.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39So a very good day.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44The Bechstein's bat certainly appreciates Dorset's relatively mild
0:31:44 > 0:31:48climate, but they are, of course, nocturnal creatures.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52However, there is another southern speciality
0:31:52 > 0:31:56that's best seen and heard when the sun is blazing.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02This is Lorton Meadows near Weymouth.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04And on a scorching afternoon,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07it's alive with a sound forever associated
0:32:07 > 0:32:10with long, lazy days in the sun.
0:32:10 > 0:32:11CHIRPING
0:32:11 > 0:32:15This continual chorus of chirps is so summery,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17it's positively mood enhancing.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26In truth, I don't know a whole lot about the creatures that make it.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28The decision was taken by the Trust
0:32:28 > 0:32:31to leave this as what we call, really, a woodland pasture.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34But with grasshopper guru Vicky Ashby as my guide,
0:32:34 > 0:32:36that might just change today.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40I'm very, very excited to be here today, because I have to say,
0:32:40 > 0:32:44when it comes to grasshoppers, my ignorance knows no bounds.
0:32:44 > 0:32:45Oh, that's no problem, because
0:32:45 > 0:32:48we've got grasshoppers and crickets on the reserve.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50Well, there's a very good example of my ignorance,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53because I'm not sure I even knew we had crickets...
0:32:53 > 0:32:56I think of crickets as being, like, a tropical thing.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59No, we have them, and we've got wonderful species on the reserve,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02including one of the UK's largest - the great green bush-cricket.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- And we might see one today?- Fingers crossed.- That's very exciting.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08The great green bush-cricket?
0:33:08 > 0:33:11That sounds like a character to set our sights on.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14With plenty of sun and scrubby grasslands
0:33:14 > 0:33:16to make them feel at home,
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Dorset is a great stronghold for the UK's crickets and grasshoppers.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24If we're lucky, what have we got in here?
0:33:24 > 0:33:27- That's the dark...- I can't see what you're looking at.- ..bush-cricket.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31- If I come this way.- Oh, yeah, yeah! Quite brown.- Quite brown.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34But you can see it's a female because of something called
0:33:34 > 0:33:36the ovipositor at the back. Looks a bit like a spike.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Can you see? And that's for burying the eggs in the soil.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42They make a hole in the soil to put the eggs in?
0:33:42 > 0:33:44They jab into the soil.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46- So ovipositor is egg placer? - Exactly.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48You're telling me this is a cricket?
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Yes. There's a foolproof way of telling the difference.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52My time has come.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55What's the difference between a cricket and a grasshopper?
0:33:55 > 0:33:58If you get a grasshopper, he's likely to have two short antennae,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01just poking forward at the top of the head.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04However, if you get a cricket, they have long, very thin antennae
0:34:04 > 0:34:07that go up, generally over the back, or sometimes pointing out the front,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- but they're much, much longer. - So it's all about the antennae.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Little, short, spiky ones, grasshopper. Long, sweeping...
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Yeah, that's going to be your cricket.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19For eager students like me,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22here are three more crucial differences to note.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27Firstly, grasshoppers make a slightly more low-pitched sound
0:34:27 > 0:34:29than crickets.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31Here's the grasshopper... CHIRPING
0:34:31 > 0:34:34And now the cricket... HIGHER-PITCHED CHIRPING
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Secondly, most crickets are crepuscular,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40meaning they tend to sing at dawn and dusk,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43while grasshoppers are busiest in the day.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47And, lastly, grasshoppers are vegetarian,
0:34:47 > 0:34:52while most crickets are omnivorous and will eat other insects.
0:34:54 > 0:34:55Urgh!
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Is this a busy time of year for crickets and grasshoppers?
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Late summer, warm day?
0:35:01 > 0:35:03It's a pretty good time of year to be looking for them.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06We're going to have the adults out, the males are going to be singing
0:35:06 > 0:35:09to the females, and we've got the perfect habitat here,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12so you'll even hear them singing into the evening.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14CHIRPING
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Ah, right. So, I've got something.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21- Can you see here? - Yes, that stripy fella.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- That's your grasshopper. - What type of grasshopper is this?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27I think that's likely to be a meadow grasshopper.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Can you see the movement? That's what they call the stridulation,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33so that's where they're singing, if you will.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37The meadow grasshopper is one of our most common British grasshoppers,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41but, unlike most other species, it can't fly.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Is it stretching it a bit to say that the male is singing
0:35:45 > 0:35:47- to the female there? - No, it's not stretching it.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50If they are the same species, that could be what they're doing.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52The wings are amplifying that noise.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Grasshoppers and crickets actually make the noise in a different way.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Grasshoppers rub a wing against a leg.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Your cricket rubs their wings together.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- Either wing and leg or wing-wing. - Yeah.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06- It's a wing-wing situation. - Ohhh!
0:36:06 > 0:36:08SHE LAUGHS
0:36:09 > 0:36:11So if we have a look this way and keep listening.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16It's easy to pick out these insects' mating calls,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19but tracking down the critters themselves
0:36:19 > 0:36:20is proving to be a bit harder.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24It's very thick thistle in there. I can't see anything.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27And then a sound that raises our hopes of finding
0:36:27 > 0:36:29that great green bush-cricket -
0:36:29 > 0:36:31one of the largest insects in the UK.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- That's... - That's very loud, isn't it?
0:36:34 > 0:36:36That's certainly the loudest we've heard.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41- I mean, basically loud means big, right?- Pretty much, in this case.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Would you bet that that is a great green bush-cricket?
0:36:46 > 0:36:47It's so loud...
0:36:48 > 0:36:50I see him, I see him, I see him.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53That's a great green bush-cricket, right there! Right in front of us!
0:36:53 > 0:36:55- Is it not? - Oh, good spot! That is indeed!
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Look, you can see the wings going. Look, look, look, look!
0:36:58 > 0:37:00CHIRPING
0:37:02 > 0:37:04That's so cool.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06It's amazing, isn't it?
0:37:10 > 0:37:13He just looks like the boss round here, doesn't he?
0:37:13 > 0:37:17- It's one of the UK's largest insects that you're seeing there.- Is it?
0:37:17 > 0:37:20The female's even bigger than this male. He's pretty big to start with.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23How close do you think we can get? Can we get in a little bit closer?
0:37:23 > 0:37:27I think we can even see if it can walk onto the palm of our hand.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29- What, just put your hand out and he...?- Yeah.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32I'm going to give you gloves because they can give a little nip.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34What, they're bitey?
0:37:34 > 0:37:37They can give a bite. They've got quite big jaws, these guys.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47There we are.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Your very own great green bush-cricket.
0:37:55 > 0:37:56That is...
0:37:57 > 0:38:00..a great green bush-cricket.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02And off he goes.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04That's a pretty fantastic experience, actually.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07I've had some wildlife moments in the last few months,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10but, frankly, that was just brilliant.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20An exploration of the influence of the warmer climate here in Dorset
0:38:20 > 0:38:23wouldn't be complete without a trip to the seaside.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30In summer, this shoreline is always a big draw for sun-seeking visitors,
0:38:30 > 0:38:35and these coastal waters are also a crucial habitat for wildlife.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39And one project that's helping to ensure its survival
0:38:39 > 0:38:43depends on a willing band of water-loving volunteers.
0:38:46 > 0:38:51I saw a request for people on a Facebook site that I subscribe to,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53phoned up about it, and then started coming.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57That was two years ago. I'm into diving for the sea life itself.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59I've been doing it for the last two and a half years
0:38:59 > 0:39:02and I wanted to do something a bit more with my diving
0:39:02 > 0:39:04apart from just leisure and pleasure.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09So, most of you have dived this site before, but some of you haven't.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12The bearing you want to swim along is 315,
0:39:12 > 0:39:14so that should take you straight towards Weymouth.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Jess is one of the leaders of a pioneering study
0:39:17 > 0:39:20led by the National Marine Aquarium...
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Here, there's potential boat traffic.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24..working with local amateur divers
0:39:24 > 0:39:27to survey patches of undersea habitat.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Today, they're diving right here in Weymouth Harbour.
0:39:30 > 0:39:31Pop in whenever you're ready.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34I'll walk along the top and tell you when to stop swimming.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36OK.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42This is seagrass,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45an essential source of food and shelter
0:39:45 > 0:39:47for all kinds of coastal wildlife.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Seagrass is an absolutely vital habitat
0:39:50 > 0:39:51for lots of different reasons.
0:39:51 > 0:39:57It's home to both species of UK seahorses, which is really lovely.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01But it also provides a nursery habitat
0:40:01 > 0:40:04for hundreds of different fish species.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Jess' team of divers follow a set route
0:40:07 > 0:40:11so they can compare today's results with previous surveys.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17It's just a really special habitat for hundreds of animals.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Seagrass is one of our planet's most endangered ecosystems.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27These marine meadows are easily damaged by pollution, dredging,
0:40:27 > 0:40:28or boat anchors.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32And the waters along the south coast are a very busy place,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35so protecting the seagrass beds is a huge task.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42The divers today are looking at how much seagrass is there,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44what kind of animals are present,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47and it helps us just build up a picture over time
0:40:47 > 0:40:51to see if there's anything more we can be doing to look after it.
0:40:51 > 0:40:57Alongside divers, Jess has persuaded sailors to monitor water quality,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00and kayakers have been recruited to tow cameras
0:41:00 > 0:41:03across larger areas of seagrass to assess its health.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Turn the camera on. There we go.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11One of the things that really can affect seagrass
0:41:11 > 0:41:13is anchoring and things like that
0:41:13 > 0:41:18that dig up the complex root system and rhizomes that the seagrass has.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22The team's cameras have on occasion even caught sight
0:41:22 > 0:41:25of the larger marine creatures in the area,
0:41:25 > 0:41:27like this bottlenose dolphin.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39No dolphins today, but the results of the survey in the harbour
0:41:39 > 0:41:42look positive for the seagrass and its inhabitants.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44The seagrass has been pretty good.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46In fact, it seems to be a lot denser
0:41:46 > 0:41:48this year than the last year when I was doing it.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52The levels of life and variety of life is pretty good.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56For all the volunteers, it's been a superb mini safari.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59I saw a brittle star.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02It looks like there's worms sticking out of the sand.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04It's the legs of the brittle star.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Saw some sand gobies.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12A lot of shoals of fish, so a successful survey.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14It's a great way for these dive enthusiasts
0:42:14 > 0:42:18to get some added satisfaction from their hobby.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20It's nice to contribute to citizen science, really.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22There's more of a purpose to it,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25and I've found that I've enjoyed that more
0:42:25 > 0:42:27because we're getting something solid out of it
0:42:27 > 0:42:31and contributing a little something back for it as well.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46All along Dorset's coast, people power is being deployed
0:42:46 > 0:42:49to make a difference where our wildlife is at risk.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53And pretty much every animal you can think of
0:42:53 > 0:42:56will have its supporters among the ranks of British nature lovers.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Even some creatures whose charms are, at first sight,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05a little less obvious are finding their champions.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10It's an early summer's evening along the coast near Bournemouth.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17The sun went down about 20 minutes ago,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20so it is getting to the right time of night.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23And anticipation is building for Brian Heppenstall.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27We should be able to see how many of them there are
0:43:27 > 0:43:29and, obviously, if they're male and female as well,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31which should tell us a little bit
0:43:31 > 0:43:33about how the population is doing at these ponds in particular.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35CROAKING
0:43:36 > 0:43:39Brian's got high hopes of an encounter
0:43:39 > 0:43:42with a nocturnal creature he's rather smitten by.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48This is the natterjack toad.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50The UK's rarest amphibian.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55It can't hop or jump,
0:43:55 > 0:43:58but there's one thing it does exceptionally well.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00CROAKING
0:44:00 > 0:44:03This is the love song of the male natterjack.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09A call so loud it can be heard from a mile away.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12For a small animal,
0:44:12 > 0:44:14it's got such a big character.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18Brian has worked with toads for 18 years.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22The natterjack was once common along this coast,
0:44:22 > 0:44:26but by the 1950s it had disappeared completely.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29Got a really big, sort of, bolshie way about it
0:44:29 > 0:44:32and that makes them kind of special as well.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36The toads here today are the descendants of a project
0:44:36 > 0:44:40started 30 years ago, when a small number were reintroduced
0:44:40 > 0:44:42to specially-made pools.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44CROAKING
0:44:44 > 0:44:48So, we've just heard them calling around the edges of the pond,
0:44:48 > 0:44:52using their big vocal sounds to call for females to come and join them
0:44:52 > 0:44:55as they try to compete for the females that might come to see them.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57CROAKING
0:44:58 > 0:45:02Natterjacks pass the day hiding in burrows in the dunes.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05But when conditions are right,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08the urge to find a mate brings all the toads to the ponds.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13This is Brian's chance to make his first headcount of the season.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18He has a special licence to handle these extremely rare toads.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23So, here we have a male natterjack toad.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25This one is much smaller than the female.
0:45:25 > 0:45:30Still a nice yellow stripe down the back, but significantly smaller.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35And they also have a blueish-greyish tinge to their throat,
0:45:35 > 0:45:38which we can see there, but that would be his vocal sack.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40Let's put him back in the pool.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44And, fortunately, this male has company.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48And this one is a female.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52So we hope, this evening, she's come out here to breed,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55so we hope, obviously, a male will come out and join her,
0:45:55 > 0:45:57and then we'll see some mating behaviour.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00So, we found her in the pond,
0:46:00 > 0:46:04so that's where we're going to put her back to and see what happens.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10In previous years, the best count has been just eight toads,
0:46:10 > 0:46:14so any more than that tonight will be a good result.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16CROAKING
0:46:17 > 0:46:21As the night draws on, more male voices joined the choir.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25Their calls are so loud to impress the females
0:46:25 > 0:46:28and to guide them towards them in the darkness.
0:46:31 > 0:46:36After a while, Brian's surrounded by a chorus of male natterjacks.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38CROAKING
0:46:39 > 0:46:42It would be nice to know where they're coming from,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45but they just seem to pop up in front of you and start calling
0:46:45 > 0:46:46or creep out of a bush
0:46:46 > 0:46:49with no idea of them coming in from one area or another.
0:46:51 > 0:46:55And that one's quite big over there, so that one could be a female.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02As the chorus hits a crescendo, Brian moves in to start his count.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04So there's four sat on the edge.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09There's another one... six.
0:47:09 > 0:47:10Seven.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Eight.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Nine. Ten.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18So that's ten we can see in this one pool alone,
0:47:18 > 0:47:21which is a really good indicator of a healthy population,
0:47:21 > 0:47:24if we've got five over in that pond.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27That's 15 altogether across two pools. That's amazing.
0:47:30 > 0:47:3315 toads is almost double the previous record.
0:47:34 > 0:47:39For this tiny population, it's a very encouraging turnout.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42More than I expected to be here, actually.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45More than I've seen at any set of ponds before on any night,
0:47:45 > 0:47:47so that's really impressive.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51I think I'm going to struggle to get to sleep tonight after this.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53It's amazing.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58The natterjack toad is still worryingly scarce
0:47:58 > 0:48:00but, thanks to supporters like Brian,
0:48:00 > 0:48:04the chances of hearing its extraordinary love song
0:48:04 > 0:48:06might just be on the up again.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13As the nights start to draw in,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16the end of summer heralds a changing of the guard.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20This is when the summer visitors prepare to leave
0:48:20 > 0:48:23and new arrivals fly in from the north.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31But there's one delightful sight of the summer
0:48:31 > 0:48:34that can linger long into the autumn and beyond.
0:48:42 > 0:48:43I've stumbled on a rather lovely
0:48:43 > 0:48:46early autumn moment here underneath this apple tree.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48There's lots of rotten fruit around
0:48:48 > 0:48:51and it's providing a feast for all kinds of insects.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56And then, on this big rosy apple, a beautiful red admiral butterfly.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00And she seems quite proprietorial about this apple.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02She's been sitting there for quite a while,
0:49:02 > 0:49:04and when a bee or a wasp comes along,
0:49:04 > 0:49:08a few little flaps of her wings sends them buzzing off.
0:49:08 > 0:49:09Oh!
0:49:10 > 0:49:13So I'm guessing this fermenting apple juice
0:49:13 > 0:49:15is as good for her as nectar, really.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17She's really drinking deep.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22Red admirals are one of the first butterflies most of us can identify,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24and one exceptional thing about them
0:49:24 > 0:49:28makes me especially fond of this iconic British species.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33While most adult butterflies die off at the end of summer,
0:49:33 > 0:49:35red admirals stick around.
0:49:35 > 0:49:40They're one of very few species that can successfully survive the winter.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44Many will die and some migrate to the Mediterranean,
0:49:44 > 0:49:47but in warmer counties like Dorset,
0:49:47 > 0:49:52a brave few stay and look for a frost-free nook in trees or rocks.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57In autumn, they'll make the most of any brief moments of sunshine.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01Some sugary sustenance is a welcome boost,
0:50:01 > 0:50:05as it is for some of the other insects still buzzing around.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07We've got wasp,
0:50:07 > 0:50:10honeybee, a little housefly...
0:50:10 > 0:50:12So busy here.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14Oh!
0:50:14 > 0:50:18A little bit of a buzz off between the bee and the wasp there,
0:50:18 > 0:50:20but they're both settled down again.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Plenty to go round.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27I always leave a good few windfall apples in my garden
0:50:27 > 0:50:30to create a little glut of fruit for the wildlife,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33from bees to blackbirds and badgers to butterflies,
0:50:33 > 0:50:36including the marvellous red admiral.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43As autumn arrives, I'm making for the open heathland
0:50:43 > 0:50:46of our nature reserve near Poole Harbour.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50On this dramatic heath,
0:50:50 > 0:50:54the nature lovers of Dorset have a chance to see and hear
0:50:54 > 0:50:58an annual wildlife event with a south coast twist.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07It's the breeding season for many of Britain's deer,
0:51:07 > 0:51:09when stags strut their stuff,
0:51:09 > 0:51:13hoping to establish their dominance with loud calls...
0:51:13 > 0:51:15STAG BELLOWS
0:51:15 > 0:51:17..and the clash of antlers.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24It's known as the rut.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27STAG BELLOWS
0:51:27 > 0:51:31But the deer by the Dorset coast are quite distinctive.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34Just on Arne, we've probably got about 150 animals at the moment.
0:51:34 > 0:51:39Warden Luke Phillips is my guide to Arne's thriving population
0:51:39 > 0:51:40of sika deer.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44These exotic creatures have their own version
0:51:44 > 0:51:47of this annual show of strength,
0:51:47 > 0:51:51and I'm hoping tonight to get to see it for the first time.
0:51:51 > 0:51:52Of that 150,
0:51:52 > 0:51:56how many do you think are potentially breeding stags
0:51:56 > 0:51:59that could be ready to rut about now?
0:51:59 > 0:52:03Probably out of about 150, we'd be looking at around 50 animals.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07So mature enough to, kind of, want to sort of have
0:52:07 > 0:52:10a bit of a battle over a few females.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13With any rut, you get an element of your dominant animals
0:52:13 > 0:52:16and then you get your chancers that like to come in from the side.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19- Youngsters try and join in, getting practice?- Yeah.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22A little bit of tentative practice for when they're a bit older.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25- Like having a sip of beer at a party.- Maybe, maybe.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27But the grown-ups are always there, keeping an eye on it.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34The sika deer was introduced from Japan in the late 19th century.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38Although they're not native, they're similar to our majestic red deer
0:52:38 > 0:52:42and the two species have been known to interbreed.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46But the sika's call is entirely their own.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51DEER SQUEALS
0:52:51 > 0:52:54This extraordinary high-pitched shriek
0:52:54 > 0:52:58is the male's signal for others to back off.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00Yeah, walking around Arne is fantastic.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03You hear that fantastic shout coming out of the woods,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05and that tends to be lone males
0:53:05 > 0:53:08that have got little territories dotted around the reserve
0:53:08 > 0:53:12broadcasting their presence to all the hinds that are about.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14- And they are very vocal?- Yes.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Probably the most vocal deer we've got in Britain.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20I've chosen a gorgeous bright evening to be here.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22But to catch any of the action between the stags
0:53:22 > 0:53:25will take a bit of luck and a lot of stealth.
0:53:28 > 0:53:33- There's a group.- Oh, there's lots. - Quite a big group of females.- Yeah.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35There they go. There they go.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39- Moving pretty fast.- They are.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42- There's a good dozen of them. - Even more, yeah, yeah.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- All females.- All of them, yeah.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51- Some youngsters too.- I'd be really surprised if there isn't any stags
0:53:51 > 0:53:55around here, given the amount of hinds that we've seen.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58I know. We must have seen 20 hinds or hinds and youngsters
0:53:58 > 0:53:59and not one stag, but you'd think
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- he'd be somewhere, keeping an eye on them.- Absolutely.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Stags aim to maintain a harem of females
0:54:05 > 0:54:08so they can father as many young as possible.
0:54:09 > 0:54:14But finding a stag ready to step forward and stake his claim tonight
0:54:14 > 0:54:16is proving harder than I'd anticipated.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21Oh, there's a stag, there's a stag.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27Well, I say a stag. He's a young stag.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31- This is what you call a pricket. - That's a pricket, yeah.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Just one spike.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38- He's not got any chance of mating this season, has he?- No, no.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41- He's going to have to wait a couple of years.- He is.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Yeah.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52- Pretty impressive, isn't he? - He's a very healthy animal.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55I mean, he may only have a couple of small antlers,
0:54:55 > 0:54:59- but he's got a very bushy neck, hasn't he?- Big time, yeah.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02You see really mature stags with similar colours
0:55:02 > 0:55:04and really thick fur like that.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06He is beautiful.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11By next year, could he have a full set of antlers?
0:55:11 > 0:55:13He'll have a few extra points.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16- Oh, look at that. - He's spotted something. He's off.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19But he did... He's still there. He did a kind of pronking.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21That was... Oh! And now he's off.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25That's quite territorial behaviour there.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27That's almost rutting behaviour, isn't it?
0:55:27 > 0:55:30It is. He's holding his... Holding his ground.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32One thing I wanted to ask you,
0:55:32 > 0:55:36having a non-native species of deer in a wildlife reserve
0:55:36 > 0:55:39sounds like it would be more of a liability than an asset.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42Why is that not the case with these sika?
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Why are they actually useful to have here?
0:55:45 > 0:55:48So, grazing in any habitat is quite useful.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52But they do a really good job of keeping vegetation in check.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55I mean, the numbers need to be at a manageable level.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58If there were too many of these creatures,
0:55:58 > 0:56:01it would be seriously detrimental to the wildlife at Arne.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04Keeping the herd at 100 to 150, that's about the right number
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- for the habitat, is that right? - Yes, absolutely.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10These creatures haven't got any natural predators these days
0:56:10 > 0:56:13and keeping the numbers at a sensible level
0:56:13 > 0:56:17is vital for all the other species that we have here at Arne.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19His behaviour looks quite defiant.
0:56:19 > 0:56:24So he's moving around with those hinds in a fairly proprietorial way.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28Yeah, it's a very, sort of, rutting-like way.
0:56:28 > 0:56:32He's obviously got a patch of ground that he's keeping his...
0:56:32 > 0:56:34He's off, he's off.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36Look at that. It's almost like dressage.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40It is! He's almost looking around for his hinds.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44Really, I mean, that really looks like territorial behaviour.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48He's standing very proud and high-headed.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51Off he goes. And the hinds are obligingly following him.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- They look like they feel like they want to be with him.- They do.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01This young buck has a real swagger about him,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04though I can't help being a little disappointed
0:57:04 > 0:57:07not to see the big guys.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12But as so often happens, when you're longing to see something,
0:57:12 > 0:57:14the minute you decide to call it a day...
0:57:14 > 0:57:17Oh, another stag, another stag.
0:57:19 > 0:57:20A proper stag.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23Nicely done.
0:57:28 > 0:57:29That was great.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32That's a nice chance encounter.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Crossing paths with that stag in the gloaming
0:57:36 > 0:57:39gives me a tantalising glimpse of what might have been.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43But I'll be back to try again next year.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47After all, there's always something new to see
0:57:47 > 0:57:50here in the wilds of deepest Dorset.
0:57:54 > 0:57:58If you'd like to explore Britain's diverse landscapes in more detail
0:57:58 > 0:58:02and find out how to create your own wildlife habitats,
0:58:02 > 0:58:07the Open University has produced a free booklet with Bookmarks.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09Order your copy by calling...
0:58:12 > 0:58:14Or go to...
0:58:18 > 0:58:21And follow the links to the Open University.