0:00:01 > 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 > 0:00:29- Oh!- Oh, come on, no way!- Brilliant!
0:00:29 > 0:00:33I'm hoping to get as close as I can to as many as I can...
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Right, I'm ready. This is great, this is measuring an eel.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Whoa!
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Ants, off, off! Oh, there's one inside my...
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..with the help of a band of dedicated nature lovers.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Some of the patterns on the feathers, they're beautiful.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Good spot. Look, look, look.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53- 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 > 0:00:59- Do you hear them?- I heard something.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Yeah, they're in there.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02BIRDS CHIRP
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Yes.
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 > 0:01:11- OK. Shh...- That's amazing.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16..and I'll pitch in to help these local heroes...
0:01:16 > 0:01:20..safeguard the future of our precious animals.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Bye-bye. There she goes.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Whoa!
0:01:26 > 0:01:29I can't believe I've been living in the West Country for so many years
0:01:29 > 0:01:31and 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.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I'm back in the Wye Valley.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58To the human eye, this may look like one continuous swathe of lovely
0:01:58 > 0:02:00wooded countryside,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03dominated by the river that gives the valley its name.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07But for the animals that live here, there are many hidden worlds within.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12It's an incredible diversity of different habitats.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Each one of which provides for an amazing array of wildlife.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20There are all kinds of inviting nooks and niches in which nature
0:02:20 > 0:02:23specialists have learned to make a living.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28And on my journey along the river, I plan to drop in on some of them
0:02:28 > 0:02:32to discover a little more about the fantastic creatures that have made
0:02:32 > 0:02:34their homes in these wild domains.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39The Wye Valley straddles the border
0:02:39 > 0:02:41between England and Wales.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44From Hereford - this area's historic capital -
0:02:44 > 0:02:46the river runs past
0:02:46 > 0:02:47the Forest of Dean
0:02:47 > 0:02:49and on towards Chepstow.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51I'm starting out near Goodrich,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54on one especially scenic stretch of water.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02A river in full flow has a hypnotic allure for me.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06And already I can feel myself being drawn under its spell.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I'm really looking forward to getting to know the River Wye
0:03:13 > 0:03:15with a little help from some amazing people
0:03:15 > 0:03:17who already know it intimately.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21But before that, I thought I'd like to introduce myself with a little
0:03:21 > 0:03:25paddle and a dabble and a dip under the surface
0:03:25 > 0:03:28with my mask and snorkel, just to see who's at home.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48HE CHUCKLES
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Pretty much straightaway,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55I've run into a big gang of minnows who seem almost as excited to see me
0:03:55 > 0:03:56as I am to see them.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08And that little guy, nudging under the stones, that's a gudgeon.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10It's just amazing how many fish there are here.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12And different species, too.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16I've still a lot to learn about British wildlife.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20But when it comes to our fish, I'm not too far off the pace.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And I feel very much at home with this gang.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Minnows, gudgeon, dace, bleak, perch and roach.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33It's really just as beautiful and just as engaging as snorkelling on
0:04:33 > 0:04:35any tropical coral reef.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37And the fact that this is,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39well, it's my home patch,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42it's just so great to see all this fish life thriving.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55These are some of the freshwater fish that have delighted me since I
0:04:55 > 0:04:57learned to fish as a boy.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58And they still do.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03But there's something rather larger lurking out there in the deeper water
0:05:03 > 0:05:09that's always eluded me, both as an angler and as an amateur naturalist.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13I've read about it in countless books but I've never caught one.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16And, in fact, I've never actually seen one in the river.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Today I'm hoping to break that jinx.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22To help out in my slightly obsessive quest,
0:05:22 > 0:05:27I've called up the fittingly named Adam Fisher, a local angling guide,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and a lifelong lover of this river and all the fish that swim in it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36I'm hoping this is a challenge he won't be able to resist rising to.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39They're great, aren't they? Look at that, look at that, look at that!
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Proper ducking and diving.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I'm counting on Adam's knowledge of what goes on under the surface here
0:05:47 > 0:05:50to bring us to the best possible place.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55This is the spot I had in mind, Hugh.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57With the willow down in the water.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Yeah, you got it. It's just a magical environment.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02You've got another willow on the other side.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07It's funnelled the flow through the centre of the river and it's just a
0:06:07 > 0:06:08really magical spot.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13The fish in question is known to fishermen
0:06:13 > 0:06:15as the Prince of the River,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and to everyone else as the barbel.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Big, sleek and powerful, with its whisker-like feelers,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26it searches for food in fast gravelly runs like this.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Part of the carp family, barbel can reach almost a metre in length.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35And the River Wye is one of the best places in the country to find them.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Ever since I was a kid, in my Ladybird Book of Fish,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42I've wanted to see a barbel up close.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46In clear water, the barbel's distinctive bronze-coloured flanks
0:06:46 > 0:06:50can sometimes be seen flashing beneath the surface.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53But I won't settle for less than a face-to-face meeting.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57OK, let's go.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03We need to get out to what anglers call the swim -
0:07:03 > 0:07:07the middle of the river where the water flows fast and deep.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09It's also known as the barbel zone.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Actually, you know what? Now that we're past those rocks...
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Feel the gravel.- Feels quite steady.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16Yep.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Yeah, there we go.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22You think there's a chance we'll actually see the fish moving back
0:07:22 > 0:07:24into the swim from here?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- I do.- We're in the perfect spot to see it.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34The sudden switch to sunglasses isn't a fishy fashion statement.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Polarised lenses cut out some of the glare on the surface,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40helping us to see deeper into the water.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Or that's the theory.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45There he is.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47HUGH CHUCKLES
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I can't see anything that you're pointing at, at all.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51There's one right there.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Coral-coloured fins.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Once you pick that colour out, you'll see lots of them.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59I'm hoping these aren't just fishermen's tales.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Because even with my fish-spotting specs on, I can't see them.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Do you think there's a chance I could actually swim up to them
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and see them through my mask
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and maybe film them with this little camera?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14I don't think they're going to pose for the camera.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16But I think you'll get a good look at them.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I'm in the deeper water.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I can't even see the camera.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36You were looking straight down.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39They were about a metre beyond you.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40- What, really?- Yep.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Second attempt to make eye contact with a barbel.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Little bit further over this time.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Go now?- Yeah, there's one or two, for sure.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01There's got to be more behind them.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14It's perfectly pleasant cruising along on the current but I came here
0:09:14 > 0:09:16to eyeball a barbel.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Not a sausage.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22It's frustrating to think that I could be in touching distance of my
0:09:22 > 0:09:26quarry but I just can't see much here.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Normally the water is very clear, but recent run-off from heavy rain
0:09:30 > 0:09:34has left it murky and visibility's down to a foot or two.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I'm more determined than ever now to come face-to-face with a barbel
0:09:38 > 0:09:40underwater. So when the water's looking good again,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- give us shout and I'll be back. - It will clear, and you will see one.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Well, I certainly can't fault the optimism.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51All that's missing is a bit of help from the elements.
0:09:54 > 0:10:00Following the Wye upriver, the valley winds past Mabley Farm near Hereford.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02The buildings may look standard issue
0:10:02 > 0:10:06but the land here could be from another time.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It's made up of 160 acres of wildflower meadows,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11woodland and pasture.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17And it's a model of how British wildlife once thrived in and around our farms.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21The land here buzzes with life.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26And it's no accident.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30It's all down to the vision and hard work of the farmer Mark O'Brien.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Mark's carefully making space for nature by using farming methods that
0:10:36 > 0:10:38have largely gone out of favour.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42We manage it on a traditional basis
0:10:42 > 0:10:45so it's old-fashioned land management, really.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48I think that's why it has massive benefits for the wildlife.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Whereas in modern farming nowadays, it's done with machines, computers,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56chemicals and everything's very tidy.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00And a lot of wildlife likes a bit of untidiness.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Mark's gradually been turning back time here,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07restoring precious habitats through selective grazing
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and felling non-native trees.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14It all allows for the return of woodland flowers and rare species
0:11:14 > 0:11:16like the wood white butterfly.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23But Mark's remarkable achievement has only been possible because of
0:11:23 > 0:11:26the astounding foresight of one man -
0:11:26 > 0:11:28ecology lecturer Dr Humphrey Smith.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I was just one of his students.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Maybe one of his more favourite ones.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39One day, just turned round and said, "I've got £50,000 available,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41"I'm going to help you buy a wood."
0:11:41 > 0:11:46Ever since, Mark and his partner Liz have repaid Humphrey's trust by
0:11:46 > 0:11:51creating in one small piece of countryside a model for wildlife
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- conservation.- I think he knew I wasn't in it for the money.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56You know, I was in it for the love of it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03Mark certainly has an exceptional awareness of every detail of life here.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08This plant here is a wild liquorice.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11A very local moth that lives on it,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13it stands on its head on the plant
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and sort of performs this little dance.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21If someone comes along with a mower or a farmer lets his animals get
0:12:21 > 0:12:26near the plant and grazes it down, the moth will disappear for ever.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30There, it's just down here.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35If you look in there, you can see the top of the nest.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38It's a common dormouse, which are not common any more.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45Finding mice, shrews and voles always makes Mark happy.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Each species has quite particular needs, so if they're all here,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Mark knows he's getting things right.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Regular summer trapping is the best way to check these precious small
0:12:56 > 0:12:58mammals are present and correct.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01So, this trap is number 11, Liz.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07That's a wood mouse.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09It's a female.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Bank vole.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's a wood mouse.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17It's another wood mouse.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19It's a male, this time.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22One very picky species that he's found here before
0:13:22 > 0:13:24is the yellow-necked mouse.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26It's rare,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29only living in certain parts of southern England and South Wales.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32So finding them here means a lot to Mark.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37I think they're here because it's a particular species-rich piece of
0:13:37 > 0:13:41woodland. There is wild service trees, there's cherry, there's oak,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44ash, hazel, hawthorn, maple,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and yew trees, which they particularly like.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50So that high diversity of tree seeds and flowers
0:13:50 > 0:13:53is probably what is keeping them in this spot.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02The mouse is released from the trap into a plastic sack,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04so that Mark and Liz can check its weight.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I've caught an adult yellow-necked mouse.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12The yellow-necked mouse is largely nocturnal.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16It's quite a tricky operation cos they're very lively.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19It lives in the branches of trees, so it's an able climber.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21See how it's just run up the bag.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24OK, I've got him.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Can you see his yellow chest?
0:14:29 > 0:14:31It's often a lighter colour than the wood mouse.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35The yellow chest is a distinguishing feature.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39And they've got slightly longer tails and slightly longer legs,
0:14:39 > 0:14:44which is to help balance while they are high up in the canopy.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45Oh, it's got me now.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54For Mark, and no doubt for the mouse,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58the best part of all is returning it to its home in this prime piece of woodland.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08It is important to have a rich biodiversity, really.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Because it is a sign of how we are treating the planet.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15If we can encourage lots of landowners and woodland owners
0:15:15 > 0:15:19to do their bit, and manage some of the land for wildlife,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22biodiversity is going to look a lot brighter in the future.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32As soon as I heard about Mark's farm, I couldn't resist a visit,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34especially as it would give me a chance to meet some
0:15:34 > 0:15:36of his delightful newcomers.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41A little later on, I'm going to be helping to find
0:15:41 > 0:15:44a new home for this guy.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Where is he?
0:15:45 > 0:15:49I can feel him. He's on the back of my head, isn't he?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52What are you doing? You're supposed to jump off.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54That's your habitat. I'm not your habitat!
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Much of the Wye Valley is covered in woodland.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09To the east of the river,
0:16:09 > 0:16:14the vast and ancient treescape of the Forest of Dean provides the
0:16:14 > 0:16:18ultimate habitat for creatures that thrive among mature native trees.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26This is the domain of the goshawk...
0:16:26 > 0:16:28..the expert hunter of the canopy.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35And wild boar, the returning natives of the forest,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38are perfectly adapted to thrive among the trees.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43There's another specialist of life among the trees that can be hard to
0:16:43 > 0:16:47spot, but leaves clear signs of its presence,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51like this telltale scrape emerging from its set.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I'm sure if I look in this...
0:16:57 > 0:17:00..somewhere I should find...
0:17:01 > 0:17:03..some badger hair.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Here's one. A really long one.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Here's another one.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Once you get your eye in...
0:17:16 > 0:17:17More here.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Yeah.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Not quite enough for a shaving brush.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29Fresh scrapes like these are a clear indication of an active set.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Badgers are house-proud animals and regularly clean out the old bedding
0:17:33 > 0:17:36of leaf litter and dry grass.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39But seeing these animals in the flesh isn't quite so straightforward.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43They're mostly nocturnal creatures
0:17:43 > 0:17:47whose busy social lives are lived out in the woods after dark,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and usually well out of sight.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54But Keith Childs has a rare insight into their secret world,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57cultivated over years of patient observation.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04I saw my first badger in 1966.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Keith has a deep-rooted and very personal connection with badgers.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17I was on a country walk with my then girlfriend, who became my wife.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20And she said to me - it was definitely Jane's idea -
0:18:20 > 0:18:24that we should go for a walk into a quiet part of the woods and there
0:18:24 > 0:18:27would be some badger sets that we could see there.
0:18:29 > 0:18:35I was immediately taken with the fascination of animals sleeping,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38warm and dry, on beds of hay, underground.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44For Keith and Jane, it was the beginning of a shared and enduring passion.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50We continued, then, until we got married in 1970,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52and we carried on then.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57It's still going on. Unfortunately, Jane is no longer with us.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59After Jane died,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02I got my diaries out and wrote my
0:19:02 > 0:19:06book of memories of badger-watching.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08And I'm sure she would be pleased about that,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10so I put her name on the front cover.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It was my book and hers, because we did it all together.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I think she would be really, really pleased,
0:19:18 > 0:19:23and she'd be pleased that we were doing our bit to endear people to badgers.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Keith is born and bred in the Forest of Dean.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38And for a badger buff, there is no better place to be.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40There are more badgers per square kilometre
0:19:40 > 0:19:41in this part of the South West
0:19:41 > 0:19:44than anywhere else in the whole of the British Isles.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Badger sets are often passed on from generation to generation.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56And some of these underground homes can be 100 years old or more.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I discovered this about 30 years ago.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08This one is literally about 15 minutes' walk from my back gate,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10so it was convenient.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15One of the things that makes the Forest of Dean such prime badger
0:20:15 > 0:20:17country is the soil.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18It's low in clay -
0:20:18 > 0:20:21which makes for easy digging - and rich with earthworms -
0:20:21 > 0:20:23one of the badgers' favourite foods.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Keith's badger watch starts at last light,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31and nothing is taken for granted.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34To avoid them catching his scent on the breeze,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37he makes a regular check on the wind direction,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39using his own rather novel method.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Hundreds of hours spent at this set have given Keith an unrivalled
0:20:49 > 0:20:54understanding of the badgers' comings and goings.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56And when he's not there in person,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59his own night-vision trail cameras keep an eye on proceedings.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07By and large, there would be about five badgers living there.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10A pair,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12cubs,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14then perhaps yearling cubs.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Within this set, you do get characters.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24They're largely the same sort of characters
0:21:24 > 0:21:28that you would associate with a human family.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31You get Dad, who is grumpy sometimes.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35You get Mother, who is caring.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41And you get cubs, who play a lot and aggravate their parents.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50There's a tree where the old boar comes and sits with his back against
0:21:50 > 0:21:53the tree, and scratches his back.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Like this.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Keith's been watching the dynasty of badgers at this set
0:22:07 > 0:22:08for three decades.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11But this summer, it's fallen strangely silent,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15with no sign at all of its former occupants for months.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I was watching the badgers up until the end of May.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25And then they abandoned the set.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Their sudden disappearance is a cause of real concern for Keith.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Although adult badgers don't have any natural predators here,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36they're at risk from disease and from humans.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Some are still occasionally trapped and used for illegal badger baiting,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and thousands are killed every year on our roads.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48So, Keith is doing all he can to locate his missing badger family,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and he has some special inducements.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I'm lacing the peanuts with some runny honey.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02But even with such tempting offerings,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06a week of waiting and watching produces no sign of them.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11And a check of the cameras reveal virtually every large woodland
0:23:11 > 0:23:13mammal except the ones he's looking for.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23Following a hunch, Keith rigs a camera on a more distant set and,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26straightaway, it produces the result he's hoped for.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31A sight of a badger that Keith knows well, from the missing family.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36This unmistakable character is his old friend One-Eye.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I went to this set, about a mile away.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45And, lo and behold, he turned up there.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49So, there's trail-cam evidence that he was moving between the two sets.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55And it's highly likely that One-Eye was not travelling alone.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Badgers are highly-social animals.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01During the summer months, entire families, or clans,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03often visit neighbouring sets, frolicking,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07grooming and anointing each other with the group's scent.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10And Keith thinks that's what the missing family have been up to.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16But the summer socials don't last forever.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17At the start of autumn,
0:24:17 > 0:24:23Keith discovers signs of renewed activity back at the abandoned set.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27It's encouraging for us that there is every sign that there are badgers
0:24:27 > 0:24:31resident here. That's all been done in the last two weeks,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35which confirms that badgers have returned to the set.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Here, there's another main entrance preparing new chambers.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41If that's true, that will be really exciting,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44because they're probably preparing for the winter and the birth of cubs
0:24:44 > 0:24:46in the spring.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49It looks like Keith's badgers are back, and perhaps, like him,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51making plans for the year ahead.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Badgers sit out much of the winter underground,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59to keep warm and save energy.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02But Keith's already looking forward to the sure sign that the long wait
0:25:02 > 0:25:05for winter to end is over.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10The magic of that moment, when you have waited for some time,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13in a woodland, quiet with your thoughts,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and then the first little black-and-white face appears
0:25:17 > 0:25:19at the entrance to the set.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23It's a moment that, again, I've never tired of.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Back on the River Wye,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42I'm ready to resume my as-yet-unsuccessful pursuit
0:25:42 > 0:25:44of a river resident
0:25:44 > 0:25:47that has cast a spell over me since my childhood.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49The barbel.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55My first attempt to get face-to-face with this Prince of the River was
0:25:55 > 0:25:57foiled by poor visibility.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Not a sausage.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04But a few weeks later, my partner in this fishy caper,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Adam, has good news.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Should be a lot clearer than last time.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Oh, it is, isn't it?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Yeah. That's crystal.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16It's what we'd expect at this time of year. It's almost gin-clear.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18It's beautiful to see it like this now.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Finally. I mean,
0:26:20 > 0:26:25it looks so sedate, but rich and full of potential.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28I still haven't seen a fish since we were standing here.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30You probably have, you're better at it than me.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I may have seen a chub or two cruise around, yeah.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34But certainly no barbel yet.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39They like the warmth.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42And I think they're probably sat there, feeling a bit chilly.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46I love the way that you permanently read the mind of the fish here.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48- You have to think like the fish. - However weird it gets?
0:26:48 > 0:26:51However weird it gets.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55One thing few fish can resist is the offer of food.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58And today Adam is unleashing his secret weapon -
0:26:58 > 0:27:01a specially oily bait with an irresistible smell.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05So, time to manipulate those barbels,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07get them where you want them.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Yeah. Fingers crossed they're hungry today.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The bait's in place, the water is looking clear,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23and I can't help feeling that, finally, this could be our day.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28My fantasy, which has become something of an obsession,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30is that I want to snorkel with barbel,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34I want to come eyeball-to-barbel-face,
0:27:34 > 0:27:35in the water, today.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Well, we've got the clarity. So let's see if they're there.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48We might have to hold hands here.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Well, Adam is a man after my own heart.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55In love with wild water and fish from a tender age.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59When I was six, seven, I'd be stood in this.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03I've always been obsessed by this other world down there.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05So, just like we're doing now, standing there,
0:28:05 > 0:28:06looking at the minnows?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11I can see minnows on the bottom right now.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12Yes, it's full of them, isn't it?
0:28:12 > 0:28:16I can see the bottom of the river is seething with life.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20The longer you look, the more things you spot.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Yeah, it's fascinating.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28As well as finally having my own personal close encounter with the
0:28:28 > 0:28:33River Wye's barbel today, I'm also hoping to film them.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37To double my chances, I've brought a second camera, attached to a weight,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39to place on the riverbed.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45But in this current, getting it exactly where I want it isn't easy.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52At least Adam is the only one here to see me making a mess of things.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06- Is that Hugh?- Hi, how are you doing?
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- Yeah, good.- Good to see you. - You too.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20I think I've just seen one.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Right, there's one right in front of us, Hugh.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23He's right there.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25ADAM CHUCKLES
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- Where's that?- Admittedly, he's tricky to see, that one.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33It's almost as if Adam has special underwater vision
0:29:33 > 0:29:35which I, sadly, lack.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41Oh, my goodness. Did you see that one?
0:29:41 > 0:29:42No, of course I didn't!
0:29:44 > 0:29:46That's given me goose pimples.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51That was right there. Wow!
0:29:54 > 0:29:57I mean, if there really is a chance of them coming that close,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00- I would be able to pick them up with this camera, wouldn't I?- Yes.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01I mean, they are there now.
0:30:01 > 0:30:02He's there. He's confident.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05That means every other fish in the shoal will be confident too.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07So they are not spooked.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09They are basically ours a little bit to play with right now.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12So this is it, then.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14It's now or never.
0:30:14 > 0:30:15Time to try and eyeball a barbel.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Unbelievable!
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Straight into a barbel, right into his face.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44He was there feeding and it was only when the camera was almost in his
0:30:44 > 0:30:47face... Adam, I can't believe what I've just seen.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52- That was just completely epic. - Brilliant.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54HUGH LAUGHS
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Maybe there will be more. It was big, as well.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00Big fish. I mean, I can't believe I've seen a barbel.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02My face was only two feet from his
0:31:02 > 0:31:05- and the camera was only two inches from him.- Lovely.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07God, I hope this was running.
0:31:11 > 0:31:12Thank goodness it was.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18As was my perfectly positioned riverbed camera.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29I've finally seen and filmed barbel in their natural domain.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33All the effort's been worthwhile.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40And, as Adam predicted, once they've settled into the swim,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44this lovely shoal of barbel are just queueing up to be filmed.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49A big adult fish could be half as old as I am.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55To me, these fish just look so content here.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59And, since they're supremely fussy about their environment,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03their continued presence is an indicator of a healthy river habitat
0:32:03 > 0:32:05here on the Wye.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07I didn't think we'd get that.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09I know. I'm really chuffed for you, to be honest.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11We worked hard for that.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Oh, just brilliant.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17It's been the realisation of a boyhood dream.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21A face-to-face meeting with the unforgettable Prince of the River.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Along the Wye's wooded banks,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35among the trees and on the forest floor,
0:32:35 > 0:32:39are thousands of tiny habitats,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41worlds within worlds,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45populated by a miniature menagerie of creatures,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48most of which I'm not familiar with at all.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52When it comes to the bug life of our wild places, there's an awful lot
0:32:52 > 0:32:56I don't know, but I'm always willing to find out more.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58Which is why today I'll be using a
0:32:58 > 0:33:02bit less of these and a bit more of this.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05There's one thing, though, that's making me a little bit uneasy.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08The critters I'm going to be searching for today are the kind
0:33:08 > 0:33:13with eight legs and I'm one of those many people who finds them
0:33:13 > 0:33:15a little bit disconcerting.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Hi, Tony.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27I'm looking for spiders, Hugh.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30- Have you found any? - Yeah, come and have a look.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34- Nothing too big, I hope. - No, this is a young juvenile.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36I'm meeting Tone Killick,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40the area's official recorder for the British Arachnological Society.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43But I have to confess that, until today,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47I've spent more time avoiding spiders than seeking them out.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Tone thinks those of us who are frightened of spiders,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54about half the population to a greater or lesser degree,
0:33:54 > 0:33:58could choose to replace fear with fascination.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Well, let's see.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02I'm the kind of person who,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06if a big spider turns up in the bath it's going to be somebody else's
0:34:06 > 0:34:09- problem.- I mean, this is not as scary as the ones,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11the house spiders, what you're talking about.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13No, is that what they're called, the big hairy ones?
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Yeah, they're giant house spiders.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19I've had them in my hand and they cover the palm, leg-wise, that is,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22- not the body.- Guess what, I haven't had one in my hand.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25- OK.- But it doesn't bother you at all?- No.
0:34:25 > 0:34:31Worldwide, we've got 46,000 spiders plus, so out of that 46,000,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34very, very, very few can actually harm us physically.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Tone has brought me to an ideal spot for a spider safari.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45Lady Park Wood is an unusual patch of ancient broadleaf forest because
0:34:45 > 0:34:48it's been left completely untouched for decades.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53Most UK Woodland is in some way managed or controlled by people but
0:34:53 > 0:34:57in a research project that began in 1945,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01Lady Park Woods has been left entirely alone as a place for nature
0:35:01 > 0:35:03to simply take its course.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09- So all the fallen wood here is literally naturally fallen, isn't it?- That's right, yes.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13- Nobody comes in here with a chainsaw.- It's just left unmanaged.
0:35:13 > 0:35:18Deadwood from the mature beech, ash, lime and oak trees
0:35:18 > 0:35:22of this 45 acre site creates an ideal habitat for bugs,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26beetles, and the object of Tony's particular fascination.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Let's have a look under here, see what we've got.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33It doesn't take long for him to find something to test my nerves.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34- See him?- Yes.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38We've got a relative of the house spider, it's what we find.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42- These are the ones I might start getting a bit nervy around?- Yes.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Hold on to that, Hugh.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Before I can politely decline...
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- And you put this...- Yes.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52..I'm introduced to a device called a pooter.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54See, the spider is trapped in there.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Spiders singled out for study are drawn up the tube with a quick suck.
0:35:58 > 0:35:59Suck hard now.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06- Here we go.- Oh, oh, it's getting quite near my finger!
0:36:06 > 0:36:09TONE LAUGHS
0:36:09 > 0:36:13My specimen is calmly transferred into a spy pot where its gently held
0:36:13 > 0:36:18- in place by cotton wool and clingfilm....- There she is.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22..allowing us to get a really close look.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24She's beautiful.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29- It's sort of like a kind of almost leopard-print.- Yes.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37This is Tegenaria silvestris, a relative of the house spider.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42Magnification reveals sensitive leg hairs the spider uses to detect
0:36:42 > 0:36:44movements in its prey,
0:36:44 > 0:36:50which are even smaller creatures that live here in the leaf litter.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51Do you reckon you could hold her?
0:36:51 > 0:36:53Ooh...
0:36:53 > 0:36:54That's sort of...
0:36:54 > 0:36:56I've just seen how hairy she is.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59TONE LAUGHS
0:36:59 > 0:37:02I'm not sure whether the fear is fading just yet.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07I've got one. But with every log and rock turned over,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09my fascination is certainly growing.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Lively.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Oh, there is the male. Need him.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20The black hairs on his legs are extraordinary.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Oh, she's on my finger now.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30- But somehow I can cope.- Yes.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37The forest here is an arachnid wonderland
0:37:37 > 0:37:40and Tone is like a kid in a sweet shop.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44OK, that's special.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Let me just check this one out.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Let me just make sure.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54- Yeah, that's a pseudoscorpion. - A pseudoscorpion?- Yes.
0:37:54 > 0:37:55Let's have a look see if it's going to move
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- and you'll see how fast they are. - Oh, yeah.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00That's forwards but it can do that backwards.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01Really? That's impressive.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Without my enthusiastic guide,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08I've no doubt at all that this tiny marvel would have
0:38:08 > 0:38:11completely passed me by.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Close-up, it is rather a remarkable creature.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15They are amazing.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19They don't have a stinger but what they do have,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21they have venom in their claws.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23But it's still an arachnid.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- It's an arachnid?- It's still a member of the order.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30There you've got me because I didn't know that there were arachnids that
0:38:30 > 0:38:35- weren't spiders.- Yes, there's spiders, scorpions and harvestmen.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37- And they've all got eight legs? - They've all got eight legs.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40I think that probably most people in this country,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43including me until a few seconds ago,
0:38:43 > 0:38:47- didn't know that something called a pseudoscorpion existed.- Yes.
0:38:49 > 0:38:50And perhaps that's no wonder.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54This small and secretive invertebrate lives out of sight
0:38:54 > 0:38:56under bark or leaf litter.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Some species find their way into houses
0:39:01 > 0:39:05where their prey includes dust mites and the larvae of clothes moths.
0:39:10 > 0:39:16That is my first known sighting of a pseudoscorpion
0:39:16 > 0:39:17and he's really cool.
0:39:17 > 0:39:18And I'm really glad I met him.
0:39:23 > 0:39:29- Oh, look at him! Look at that. - Is that a dead spider?- Yeah.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- I'm going to get that.- You're going to get the dead spider out?
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- You've got it.- Right, well, we don't have to worry about this one running away.- No.- Blow it.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- Yes.- It's almost mummified.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43I'll tell you what has probably happened there
0:39:43 > 0:39:45because I can tell you what species it is.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47- You can tell from that squished spider what it is?- Yeah.
0:39:47 > 0:39:52It's another species and what happens with these
0:39:52 > 0:39:55when they have young, they lay the egg sac,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59the young emerge from the egg sac and they'll eat her.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03So you're saying that this is the carcass of a female spider
0:40:03 > 0:40:05that's been eaten by her own young?
0:40:05 > 0:40:09- It's basically all the hard bits that can't be eaten...- Are left?
0:40:09 > 0:40:12- That's it.- And the juicy abdomen is gone.- Yeah, it's all gone.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17That's quite a grisly tale behind that little spider corpse.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Tone has rare proof of this macabre behaviour.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26He recently filmed one spider mum meeting her gruesome end.
0:40:27 > 0:40:28This is when I first discovered her.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32I lifted up, went under, and there she was.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- Wow, she's big. - Yeah, she was, actually.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41- Can you see how they are swarming? - Yeah, super active.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43You can see them climbing on her.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46And you can see where they are biting her and she is flinching.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53She's crawling right into the middle of them.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Technically, she could run now but she's not.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00The eating of the mother by its young is called matriphagy
0:41:00 > 0:41:04and Tone may be the first person to have filmed it in this species,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06for lace-weaver.
0:41:06 > 0:41:12It took an hour and 15 minutes to turn mum to soup, as I would say.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16- Blimey!- Really quick but you're talking about 100 young.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21- So, yeah...- So she made the decision when the time was right to maximise
0:41:21 > 0:41:24the survival chances of all her young?
0:41:24 > 0:41:25- That's exactly it.- Getting them to eat her?
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Exactly that. I mean, now, these young,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31they don't need to eat for several weeks.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- They've got a much higher chance of survival.- That's extraordinary.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38After such an absorbing insight,
0:41:38 > 0:41:42the least I can do is show willing and get hands-on with one of Tone's
0:41:42 > 0:41:46spiders, after making some quick adjustments to my sleeves!
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Right, do you want to do them a bit tighter?
0:41:52 > 0:41:54It's my old friend silvestris.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58- My heart rate's going up a little bit.- OK, she might...
0:42:03 > 0:42:07- She doesn't want to come out. - There we go.- Oh, she's gone.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09- Oh, I can't even...- There you go.
0:42:09 > 0:42:15- A bit tickly.- Ooh. - There's something about... Oh, oh...
0:42:17 > 0:42:19- There you go.- She's cool.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24And mostly I can't, ooh...
0:42:24 > 0:42:25I was going to say, mostly I can't feel her.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- But then every now and again there's a bit of a tickle.- Yeah.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30That's just the claws on her feet.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34She's got two little claws to help her with her running and her speed.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39I could not have done this before actually.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40I would not have felt comfortable.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42I'm not sure I could do it with a big one.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- But she's all spider. - Oh, she's all spider.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49- She's a beauty.- Tone, that is definitely progress for me.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51- Yeah?- I feel OK.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54- I think she likes you. - Well, I like her.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58I've certainly never handled a spider so confidently before.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02Maybe fear really is being replaced by fascination.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Oh, off she goes. Bye.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Though I may not be quite ready for the big one in the bath.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14We didn't see anything bigger than that today.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- No.- But I loved every minute of it.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19No, it's been good.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31These gently wooded slopes are a distinctive element
0:43:31 > 0:43:35of the Wye Valley's mixed menu of animal habitats.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37But, as the river reaches Chepstow,
0:43:37 > 0:43:43cliffs rise up from the banks and one local pub has a privileged view.
0:43:44 > 0:43:45We meet here most days, yeah.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Putting the world to rights.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56Pat Roach and Pat Callaby are connoisseurs of all this special
0:43:56 > 0:43:59spot us to offer.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01We've seen some wildlife down here, haven't we?
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Seals going up the river.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05- Dolphin.- Dolphin.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07- Otter.- Yeah.
0:44:07 > 0:44:08- Foxes.- Foxes.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11- Sparrowhawks.- Yeah.- And, of course, our favourite.
0:44:11 > 0:44:17- The peregrine.- The peregrine falcon loves to nest in high vantage points
0:44:17 > 0:44:20on cliffs or even tall buildings.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23It's streamlined and powerful,
0:44:23 > 0:44:26a master of the air renowned for its speed.
0:44:27 > 0:44:33It hunts other birds like pigeons and its dive or stoop can top 200mph.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39They are such beautiful creatures.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42They are truly nature tooth and claw.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44They summon up nature in the wild for me.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48- I don't know about you.- It's just the ultimate flying machine, really.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Yeah. Absolutely, yes.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54In the past, peregrines were killed by poisoning and shooting in the
0:44:54 > 0:44:58name of protecting game birds and racing pigeons
0:44:58 > 0:45:01and in the 1960s numbers hit a dangerous low.
0:45:02 > 0:45:03They've built up again
0:45:03 > 0:45:06since peregrines have been legally-protected
0:45:06 > 0:45:10but the UK still only has around 1,500 breeding pairs.
0:45:14 > 0:45:15He's still got food up there.
0:45:17 > 0:45:18- Stocking up again, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23- Look at that!- Amazing speed, they just turn it on.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25They flick a switch, isn't it, almost!
0:45:30 > 0:45:32For the past ten years,
0:45:32 > 0:45:35the two Pats have monitored all the comings and goings at this one nest
0:45:35 > 0:45:41site. Their data goes towards the creation of a valuable portrait of
0:45:41 > 0:45:43peregrine behaviour here in the Wye Valley.
0:45:48 > 0:45:54Last year, they had four youngsters who were three female and one male.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59Two females fledged and flew off after their parents chased them off
0:45:59 > 0:46:02and one female has remained behind.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06Resident adult female has disappeared from the face of the
0:46:06 > 0:46:10earth which means there's a space here for a female, so
0:46:10 > 0:46:16the young female, which is now about 10-11 months old, has remained here.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18This is now her territory it appears.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29The female does most of the hunting because she's a bigger bird.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31She catches the bigger prey.
0:46:33 > 0:46:38But he'll take smaller birds to feed himself, just to keep himself going.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40I can't see what he's got.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43It could be a blackbird or something.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46High on the cliffs, the young are safe from predators but it's a
0:46:46 > 0:46:50perilous place from which to make your first flight.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52When the chicks are fledging, it's a frightening moment.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56We are like doting parents, like, "Oh, God,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59"don't end up in the river. Don't end up in the river."
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Because they are only about 100 feet above the river.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03There's nothing else to save them,
0:47:03 > 0:47:05especially when the tide is coming in fast.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08They could be swept down river out of our way.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12But it's not going to happen on Pat's watch.
0:47:12 > 0:47:16One ended up flying into the grass over there.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19The other one ended up down on the riverside
0:47:19 > 0:47:22and eventually we had to go and rescue it,
0:47:22 > 0:47:23get a boat and go and rescue it.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26And it was taken away and put into a falconry centre.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30We think it went off for flying lessons!
0:47:33 > 0:47:39Just a few miles upstream is another perfect location for peregrines.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43The cliffs at Lancaut and Ban-y-Gor Nature Reserve are home to two
0:47:43 > 0:47:45peregrine nests.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49And these precious birds also have their own special guardians.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52Kevin Caster is the Nature Reserve Manager for
0:47:52 > 0:47:54Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58The whole run of this River Wye has got placements where peregrines
0:47:58 > 0:48:00are known to nest or have nested.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Their whole reserve is really well used by climbers,
0:48:07 > 0:48:11so you would assume that that would be the major component of any
0:48:11 > 0:48:13potential disturbance but, in actual fact,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16the climbing community have proved to be the people who are able to
0:48:16 > 0:48:20flag up where the nests are and that's really important for us because we are
0:48:20 > 0:48:24not able to scale these cliffs regularly to identify the nests.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26But some of the people who visited the nest
0:48:26 > 0:48:28have had more dubious motives.
0:48:29 > 0:48:34We started to observe, using trail cameras, the peregrine nest sites.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37What was quite a surprise to us was the number of people who are
0:48:37 > 0:48:42non-climbers, looking for somewhere to spend some time and muck about
0:48:42 > 0:48:46and, in actual fact, one of the activities they found to entertain
0:48:46 > 0:48:49themselves was actively trying to intentionally disturb the peregrines
0:48:49 > 0:48:50and their nesting site.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56This footage shows a barrier put up to protect the birds being thrown
0:48:56 > 0:48:59onto the nest while the peregrines were brooding a clutch of eggs.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03This bunch received a police caution.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06And, fortunately, the birds were unharmed.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14Clearly there are risks when people know these rare birds are here.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18But, overall, Kevin still trusts in people power to protect them.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22You can either keep it top secret and hope nobody finds out or you can
0:49:22 > 0:49:25take the other strategy which we employ here at Lancaut,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28which is to advertise that we do have nesting birds and tell as many
0:49:28 > 0:49:32people as possible because it's that local community and the general
0:49:32 > 0:49:35visitors that come that will understand there's something special
0:49:35 > 0:49:38here and they will kind of act like,
0:49:38 > 0:49:42you know, informal wardens and protect the birds themselves.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51More people should take a very active interest in wildlife,
0:49:51 > 0:49:53because it's very important for us
0:49:53 > 0:49:56as a species and we should respect it.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00And look after it and help it when it's really in trouble and stick
0:50:00 > 0:50:01your neck out and help it.
0:50:02 > 0:50:07It's thanks to this shared sense of responsibility between wildlife
0:50:07 > 0:50:11professionals and the passionate public that these Peregrines are
0:50:11 > 0:50:13able to hold on to their territory
0:50:13 > 0:50:16and raise their broods here in the Wye Valley.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32Today is a special day at Mabley farm
0:50:32 > 0:50:36where conservationist and farmer Mark O'Brien has given a new lease
0:50:36 > 0:50:40of life to his own perfect patch of countryside.
0:50:42 > 0:50:43That's a wood mouse.
0:50:44 > 0:50:45It's a female.
0:50:47 > 0:50:48Bank vole.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Small mammals like wood mice and bank voles are thriving here.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58A good sign that Mark's traditional management of the land is working.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02But there's still one rare mouse that he's never found here.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06It's the one species that's missing and I'd really like them back here.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09This is the harvest mouse.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Britain's smallest rodent.
0:51:12 > 0:51:17Mark plans to release specially bred batches onto land that he's
0:51:17 > 0:51:19carefully managed to meet their needs.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23And I have the happy honour of helping with the first little band.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27The harvest mouse was once common across the British Isles.
0:51:27 > 0:51:32They often fed on the seeds of weeds found among crops of corn and wheat.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36Their name comes from the fact they'd be spotted at harvest time,
0:51:36 > 0:51:40scurrying for cover. So you've got them in the living room?
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Yeah, this is where I've got them because they are so interesting to
0:51:43 > 0:51:46watch when you're sitting down in the evening.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48You don't need the telly cos they're so entertaining.
0:51:48 > 0:51:49HUGH CHUCKLES
0:51:49 > 0:51:52They're amazing. They seem very comfortable at height?
0:51:52 > 0:51:57Yeah, they like it up in this sort of aerial canopy area and they
0:51:57 > 0:52:02behave like monkeys, hanging with their tail and using their tail as
0:52:02 > 0:52:03an extra leg, if you like.
0:52:03 > 0:52:08Harvest mice are the only British mammal with a prehensile tail.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10- Look, there we go.- Yeah.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Just for a minute, it winds it around the stem
0:52:12 > 0:52:14and then releases it and off it goes.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16- Look at this guy up here right now. - Yeah.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18He's standing on one stem and he's
0:52:18 > 0:52:20- got his tail wrapped around the other.- Yeah.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23And is he eating those seeds?
0:52:23 > 0:52:26- The hogweed seeds are actually a good food for them?- Yeah.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28He might be gnawing the bark off the stem is well.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32- They often do.- Yes, that's exactly what he's doing.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35They actually eat a lot of insects in the wild,
0:52:35 > 0:52:38so I put some daddy-longlegs in their last
0:52:38 > 0:52:41- night and I think they've eaten them all.- Well, I don't see any now.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43- No!- So they had a carnivorous supper last night?- Yeah.
0:52:43 > 0:52:48That was just to replace their protein needs because there's no
0:52:48 > 0:52:49insect prey in there.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52But you've put insects in there in order to teach them how
0:52:52 > 0:52:55- to be predatory?- Yeah. - A little treat.
0:52:55 > 0:52:56Yeah. That's it, a little treat.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59- Obviously not for the daddy-longlegs.- No!
0:52:59 > 0:53:03Exactly. Last week we had a roast chicken and I put a bit of roast
0:53:03 > 0:53:05chicken in there. It was gone in the morning.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08- You're kidding?- No, so they need this protein.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11I can't believe you fed roast chicken to your harvest mice.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Yeah.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15We steamed some broccoli and put that in there.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Right, so did they have the roast potatoes as well?
0:53:18 > 0:53:20- No.- The full Sunday?
0:53:20 > 0:53:23- The full roast dinner?- I didn't give them potato. That's it.
0:53:23 > 0:53:27I've been fattening them up so they are in good condition for release.
0:53:27 > 0:53:32Mark's mice are now about six weeks old, just ready to start breeding.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Which is something they are pretty good at.
0:53:35 > 0:53:40The females have five to six young at a time and can fit in a litter
0:53:40 > 0:53:41almost every three weeks.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47And that's just as well given the drastic effects of winter on harvest
0:53:47 > 0:53:53- mice.- Winter mortality can be up to 99% so by the spring there's only 1%
0:53:53 > 0:53:57of the population left so it's really massively hard,
0:53:57 > 0:54:01the mortality in the winter, but the reproductive rate is rapid.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04So they should have a chance to build up their numbers a little bit
0:54:04 > 0:54:06- even before the winter comes?- Yeah.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12The time has come for these pioneering mice to make their move.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17Oh, he's in, yeah.
0:54:18 > 0:54:22- The grip of those little feet is amazing.- Yeah, that's right!
0:54:28 > 0:54:30There you go.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33- And that's the lot. - That's it, brilliant.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36- I think they are all in there.- Let's put them back where they belong in
0:54:36 > 0:54:39- the wild.- Let's do exactly that.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46- They are certainly still very lively in the box.- Yeah, that's it.
0:54:46 > 0:54:47All that fresh air.
0:54:48 > 0:54:53Mark has left a special corner of his pasture ungrazed for several years.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57And now there are plenty of tall grasses and weeds with seed heads
0:54:57 > 0:54:59for the harvest mice to eat.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05A layer of dead vegetation at ground level will provide warmth and cover
0:55:05 > 0:55:10that should help improve the winter survival rate for our tiny mice.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13I can see that they can really get down deep in there where they've got
0:55:13 > 0:55:15a good chance of evading the predators,
0:55:15 > 0:55:18but of course at one level, one of the reasons you want a good
0:55:18 > 0:55:21population of mice and voles on the
0:55:21 > 0:55:24land is to support your barn owls, your kestrels, your tourneys?
0:55:24 > 0:55:27Yes, it's all part of the cycle.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30I'd rather see them out in the wild where they belong,
0:55:30 > 0:55:33where they naturally belong, than in the tank at home.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41The first batch will be followed by more in the months and years to come,
0:55:41 > 0:55:45gradually building the population to give it a chance to get a hold here.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51I think on the edge of this vegetation here would be ideal.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54- Right here?- Yeah. You can drop the box down there.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59But I'm nervous. I'm probably more nervous than you are, guys.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Look at them. Noses in the air.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04- They are full of expectation. - They are.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08It's time for this little band, each weighing less than a 10p piece,
0:56:08 > 0:56:11to find their place in the big wide world.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15Ready for that adventure?
0:56:15 > 0:56:16I'll take that as a yes.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21HE CHUCKLES
0:56:22 > 0:56:23He's up the sleeve now!
0:56:28 > 0:56:30That's not a permanent solution.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33He's got to make it happen out here.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36Among all this lovely grass.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42You are now a wild mouse.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00They're certainly making themselves at home quickly...
0:57:00 > 0:57:04and there's some familiar food to get them started on a new life -
0:57:04 > 0:57:06hogweed seeds.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11There he goes.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14How do you feel watching one of those mice you've handreared going
0:57:14 > 0:57:18- back into the wild?- Oh, it's immensely satisfying, you know.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22It's nice to have them at home and enjoy them and see their different
0:57:22 > 0:57:25behaviour that you wouldn't normally see when you've got them at home in
0:57:25 > 0:57:29the tank, but it's much more satisfying knowing that they are out
0:57:29 > 0:57:31there in the wild.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37It's impossible to turn back the clock to a time when the harvest
0:57:37 > 0:57:40mouse thrived all over our countryside...
0:57:41 > 0:57:43..so it's good to know that, thanks to Mark,
0:57:43 > 0:57:48there's one more vital pocket of land where this brilliant British
0:57:48 > 0:57:50rodent is hanging on.
0:57:57 > 0:58:02If you'd like to explore Britain's diverse landscapes in more detail,
0:58:02 > 0:58:06and find out how to create your own wildlife habitats,
0:58:06 > 0:58:10the Open University has produced a free booklet with bookmarks.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12Order your copy by calling:
0:58:15 > 0:58:17Or go to:
0:58:21 > 0:58:23And follow the links to the Open University.
0:58:43 > 0:58:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media