0:00:03 > 0:00:05The Brecon Beacons National Park covers an area
0:00:05 > 0:00:08of over 500 square miles
0:00:08 > 0:00:10and extends over nine counties
0:00:10 > 0:00:12in the southern half of Wales.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14It has terrific scenery
0:00:14 > 0:00:17and notoriously challenging landscapes.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21For many, it's a playground.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24For me, it's a place to escape.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26A place to be alone with nature.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Over the seasons, I'm exploring the magic of the Beacons.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49BIRDS CAW
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I'm very ambivalent about autumn.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It's a funny time of year because, on the one hand,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08a lot of our wildlife has either died or has disappeared.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10The meadows, the flowers, are virtually gone,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12the large insects, the dragonflies,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15damselflies, bees and wasps, they've disappeared -
0:01:15 > 0:01:16virtually overnight.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18And a lot of our birds, our familiar birds,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20the swallows and the cuckoos,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22have left our shores for warmer climes.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24But, on the other hand,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27the park is now at its very beautiful best.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Officially, the autumn begins on 1st September
0:01:33 > 0:01:35but, in the Brecon Beacons,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38you have to wait until late October for the full palette of colour.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47It's during this part of autumn
0:01:47 > 0:01:50that wildlife becomes very active.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53It's a time for fattening up and getting fit for winter.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Birds in particular look for berries in some wonderful locations.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03There's one such place in the Black Mountains,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05a few miles south of Hay-on-Wye.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12This is the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Capel-y-ffin,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and it's one of the smallest churches in the whole of Wales.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17And it's a great location here,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19a real beautiful place and a great backdrop,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23because it's surrounded by the Black Mountains.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26And I've come to look at the birds, more than anything else,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28because you've got these heavy with berries,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30red berries everywhere here.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31A lot of blackbirds here now.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35And these won't necessarily be our blackbirds, local birds,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38these may well be birds that have come across from the Continent
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and they're gorging themselves on this plentiful supply of food here.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53By late October, the temperatures in Continental Europe and Scandinavia
0:02:53 > 0:02:55are already colder than in Wales and England.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And by midwinter, the ground and air temperatures
0:02:58 > 0:02:59will be so cold on the Continent
0:02:59 > 0:03:02that food will be very difficult to find.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Millions of birds fly west to Britain every autumn,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and many of them end up in the Brecon Beacons.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15BIRDS CAW
0:03:26 > 0:03:28BIRD CHEEPS
0:03:31 > 0:03:34I've just come down now from the Hay Bluff here,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36right on the eastern edge of the Black Mountains.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39And I've walked into a huge flock of fieldfares.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Looking all around me,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44there must be well over 1,000 birds here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46And they must be rubbing their wings together,
0:03:46 > 0:03:47because there's so much food here.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49And what they'll do is,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51they'll strip the berries here over a large area
0:03:51 > 0:03:53and then they'll keep moving west.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58And, eventually, they'll end up in West Wales, even over in Ireland.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Fieldfares belong to the thrush family,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and they are one of its most colourful members.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04They don't nest in Britain
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and you'll only see them during autumn and winter,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10and usually in large flocks, like this.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12They're gobbling up these berries now.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Yeah, I'm sure these have just come in.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Just, maybe the last few hours, maybe the last day,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19maybe overnight last night.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21They've just come in,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and they're refuelling before they move on again.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25BIRD CHEEPS
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I love the call, too. Here, we have more of them coming over, look.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32A "chuck-chuck-chuck" kind of call. It's a lovely call.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36It's a sign that autumn is really here and winter's on the way.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39In some ways, I find the autumn in the Beacons
0:04:39 > 0:04:41just as exciting as the spring.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Maybe an autumnal fieldfare
0:04:45 > 0:04:48may the not have the same uplifting effect as a spring swallow,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50but they are long-lost friends
0:04:50 > 0:04:52and it's fantastic to see them returning
0:04:52 > 0:04:54after an absence of six months.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Like the spring, the autumnal landscape is also a transforming one.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08And there's little doubt which season wins in terms of beauty.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Cold, misty dawns lift to reveal amazing colours.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17There are stunning sights this time of year throughout the national park.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20It's a landscape that's been photographed by thousands,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24if not millions, and has inspired painters for centuries.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Louise Collis is a landscape artist
0:05:30 > 0:05:32and does most of her work in the Brecon Beacons.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36She's come to work in The Punchbowl,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39one of the park's many hidden quiet spots.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- Hello.- Hello, Iolo.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46- You don't mind if I join you, do you?- No, absolutely.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Oh, wow. Autumn colours.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52They are absolutely fantastic this time of year.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Wonderful for an artist who paints outside.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Yeah, this must be the best time of year for you, isn't it?
0:05:57 > 0:05:58I absolutely love this time of year.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00You'll never catch me in the studio this time of year.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01SHE LAUGHS
0:06:01 > 0:06:04I'm always outside, trying to capture the changing colours.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08- And this is the beech over there, is it? This one?- That's right, yes.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Yeah, and you can see it reflected in the water as well,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- which is nice.- Oh, yeah, you can. - Yeah, along with the blue sky.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Will you come up to The Punchbowl here quite often?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Yeah, this time of year especially.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Yeah, yeah. It's fantastic in the autumn.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- It's a favourite location for me, yes.- Oh, wow.- Yeah.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27I can see why. And also the other benefit on a day like this -
0:06:27 > 0:06:29there's no-one else here.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- WHISPERING:- That's right. It's so quiet here.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- There'll be maybe one or two people come down when I'm painting.- Yeah.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36But, erm, I can often be on my own for a whole day.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42The Punchbowl is tucked away on the side of Blorenge Mountain.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46In the past, the Blorenge was surrounded by mines and ironworks,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and it's because of this industrial heritage
0:06:49 > 0:06:52that the whole area has been included in the national park.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59This is one of those hidden little places
0:06:59 > 0:07:02that the Brecon Beacons is so good at tucking away.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03This is Clydach Gorge,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06with the Clydach River flowing down below me here.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08A very deep, very dangerous gorge.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13And it's amazing to think that this has survived unscathed down here,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15when you consider all the industry around us.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19The ironworks, the tin works, the railway lines, tramlines.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24From the 17th century until the end of the 20th,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27the Clydach Gorge was used for iron-ore extraction,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31stone quarrying and the production of charcoal, lime and iron.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34The whole area was intensely worked
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and the remains of spoil tips, tramways and old railway lines
0:07:37 > 0:07:39are still visible.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44It was a perfect site for early industrial exploitation.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45It had mineral resources,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48a powerful water supply
0:07:48 > 0:07:50and woodlands for charcoal.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52This is a beech woodland.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Obviously been a very good year for beech mast.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Look at all this on the floor.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59This is all beech mast here. Look at that.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Lots of seeds there for the local birds.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03And, actually, beech woodlands,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05they're not common in the national park.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07And this particular example here
0:08:07 > 0:08:09is one of the best examples of native beech
0:08:09 > 0:08:10in the whole of Western Britain.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13And it's amazing, really, that this survived,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16because, in the early years of the iron industry,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19they used to cut these woodlands down for charcoal.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22That's why a lot of the other woodlands around here didn't survive.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25But this particular section is still here
0:08:25 > 0:08:28because it's so rocky and so steep -
0:08:28 > 0:08:30it would have been incredibly difficult
0:08:30 > 0:08:31to harvest the woodland here.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32And eventually, of course,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35they discovered that there was coal locally,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37so that was then used in the iron industry
0:08:37 > 0:08:39and these woodlands were spared.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44As temperatures become cooler during the autumn
0:08:44 > 0:08:46and moisture levels increase,
0:08:46 > 0:08:47wild mushrooms begin to grow.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Some are notoriously lethal, but I'm in good hands.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56I'm with mycologist Sheila Spence in a woodland near Crug Hywel.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Just back down there, I found these.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- That one's a spongy bum. - Spongy bum?- Yeah.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- It's a naughty name. - That's a cool name, I like that.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06It is a naughty name, yeah.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- It's commonly known as a spongy bottom.- Right. And that one?- Yeah.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- That's quite a colourful one. - Now, this one, this is lovely.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15It's a bit of a dried-up version, really. It's not a very good one.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- But it's amethyst deceiver. - Oh, what a name.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22And I am told that they are very, very good
0:09:22 > 0:09:24cooked in vodka and poured over ice cream.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Oh, right. OK. I tell you what, I'll take that home with me.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- Right.- I'll take that one home with me. Vodka and ice cream?- Yes.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30That's my kind of fungus.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- Yes.- Let's see what else we can find.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- Oh, that's lovely! - What's that one, then?
0:09:40 > 0:09:42It's a similar colour, isn't it, to that one, the amethyst deceiver?
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- Oh, it is, yeah. - But this one is the wood blewit.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- Wood blewit?- Yes.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51There's another good edible. And if you look at the stem,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53- can you see the purpley lines down the stem?- Oh, yes, yeah.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- They'll be around right through the winter frosts.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- Oh, will they? - Right through to about Christmas.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- And you say I can eat that one? - Absolutely.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- I'll come back and get that one afterwards.- Yes. Yes.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- They're very good. - Wood blewit?- Yes.- Right, OK.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- Just so I remember these names.- Yes.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09I recognise this one. SHE LAUGHS
0:10:09 > 0:10:10- Can I name this one?- Yep.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12- Turkey tail? - Absolutely.- Turkey tail.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14See, I love that name. And just look at them.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- It just looks like the tail of a turkey, doesn't it?- It does.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- You turn it upside down and it's white underneath.- Fabulous.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Really, really white and beautiful.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- And growing on wood?- Yes, always.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29And, of course, the bit we see is only a small part of it, isn't it?
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Yes, that's the fruiting body,
0:10:31 > 0:10:35whereas the majority of the fungus is running through the wood,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38the mycelium, which is the main body.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42And that will break the wood down, basically, into soil eventually.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43Oh, yes. Yes, yes.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45So, without fungi, you and I would be up to our necks
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- in dead wood and leaves right now. - Well, we would, wouldn't we?
0:10:48 > 0:10:50- Yeah.- Yes, absolutely. - Very useful things.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- And you can eat them. And I like my food.- You wouldn't want to eat that.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- That one's not edible?- No. It's very, very chewy. Very woody.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59- Oh, right.- But you can use it for all sorts of things.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01They use it for medicinal purposes,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04growing it for cancer cures and things like that.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- More here, look. - Yes, now that's one to avoid.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- Oh, is it?- Yes.- Oh, right.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- So, people get this muddled up with something else that you- can- eat.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14- Right.- Though I don't think it's particularly good.- OK.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- This is a thing called sulphur tuft. - Sulphur tuft?- Yes.- Right.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21And I'm going to pick one and show you what it looks like underneath.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- Right, OK.- Cos that's the way you recognise it.- OK.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- But you say leave well alone, this one?- Yes. Don't try and eat it.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- They say you can eat every fungus once...- Yeah.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32..but some of them will kill you. SHE LAUGHS
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- Yeah.- Right, OK. - So look how green it is.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35Oh, it is, yeah.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39- So if it's green underneath, that's sulphur tuft?- Yes.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And, what it is, it's got very, very black pores.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43And a yellow flesh.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47And the black on the yellow makes it look green.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49You say that it's not good for us to eat - it's bad for us -
0:11:49 > 0:11:51but something's eaten it.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Oh, yes. Slugs will eat it, yes.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- So will it kill the slugs? No?- No. No.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- Cos they have a completely different digestive system.- Yeah.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Well, they can eat anything, can't they?- More or less, yes.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Especially in the garden. SHE LAUGHS
0:12:05 > 0:12:09The Brecon Beacons have some of the biggest colonies of bats in Britain,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13and during the autumn they too are preparing for winter.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16They'll soon leave their summer roosts in buildings
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and head for the more constant temperatures of caves to hibernate.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I'm at an old watermill in the Usk Valley
0:12:23 > 0:12:26with David Jermyn of the Vincent Wildlife Trust,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28and we're filming bats with infrared light
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and using a sound detector to hear their calls.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32BATS SQUEAK
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Without it, their calls cannot be heard.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36BATS SQUEAK, IOLO LAUGHS
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- It's a good noise, innit? - It's amazing.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Somebody once described it as sounding a bit like The Clangers.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45LAUGHTER Yeah, yeah, it is! Yeah.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48So, how many bats have you got in there?
0:12:48 > 0:12:50The peak count in the summer was 420.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51That was the second week in June.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- 420?- Yeah.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- And all lesser horseshoe bats?- Yep.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59In June, so this is, what? Is this a nursery roost?
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Yes, and it's a maternity site here.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03And this is where they'll come and just give birth?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Yeah, they probably turn up early spring, depending on the weather.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09They'll have a single pup or baby the second or third week in July,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11depending on the temperature.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13- It's called a pup, is it? - Yeah, it's a pup.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- A young...? I didn't know young bats were called a pup.- Yeah, a pup.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19And they'll hang around here until when?
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Until the first big frosts.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Some of the colony's already left,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24cos we had a couple of frosts about a week ago.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26But at the first big frost, they'll be off
0:13:26 > 0:13:29to one of their hibernation sites further down the valley.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Where's that? That'll be in one of the caves or something, will it?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- Yeah, up on the mountain. - BATS SQUEAK
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Oh, there's a lot of caves here.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38How good is the Brecon Beacons for them?
0:13:38 > 0:13:40It's one of the strongholds.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I think, on the last count, over 10% of the UK population
0:13:43 > 0:13:45was in the Upper Usk.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47- Just in this area?- Yeah. - Just the Upper Usk Valley?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49And between Brecon and Crickhowell.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- Gosh, that's amazing.- Yes.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53So you say 10% of the UK population -
0:13:53 > 0:13:55roughly how many bats would that be?
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Well, the estimated population is about 25,000.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- Wow!- So here, with all the roosts,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- we're looking at about 3,000. - BATS SQUEAK
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- You can see them hanging now. - It is, innit?- Like little packets.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- Yep.- Cellophane-wrapped little packets.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09Cos this is the sort of Dracula bat,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12the one that everyone thinks of - bats hang upside-down,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- but not all of them do... - Well, all bats can hang upside down,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17but it's just the horseshoes,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20both greater and lesser, actually do the hanging up.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21BATS SQUEAK
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Autumn must be an important time for them,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25cos they've got to feed up for the winter.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Well, this is it, cos they need to build up their fat reserves
0:14:28 > 0:14:29to get them through the winter.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32And, also, autumn's the time when they actually mate.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35So most of the males actually won't be in the roost with the females,
0:14:35 > 0:14:37they'll actually come by from another smaller roost
0:14:37 > 0:14:39and, basically, as I understand it,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41the females will mate with the males
0:14:41 > 0:14:44that have the highest or the best-quality call,
0:14:44 > 0:14:45echolocation-wise.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- Because that's then a reflection of body conditioning.- Yeah.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50- Cos they want to mate with the healthiest males.- Exactly, yeah.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55- Ah!- And then basically the female actually delays fertilisation
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- until the following spring. - That's clever.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01And then the pup is born then, or the baby bat is born then,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04depending on the weather, sort of early or mid-July.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11Most of the bats will hibernates deep inside caves in these cliffs.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13This is Craig-y-Cilau,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16one of the largest limestone cliffs in South Wales.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21It's part of the Llangattock Escarpment,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23a huge slab of rock that overlooks Crug Hywel.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The cliffs are popular climbing sites.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30But these are not regular climbers.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34All right? What's going on here?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I thought it was Outward Bound, but I see you're all military, are you?
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Yeah, it's military. What we've got here is army recruits,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and they're nine weeks into their basic military training.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45So nine weeks ago these were civilians.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49'Major Mark White overseas soldier development in the Brecon Beacons,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53'and the national park is one of the army's key training sites.'
0:15:55 > 0:15:58What we've done is we bring them down to the Brecon Beacons
0:15:58 > 0:15:59to do some adventurous training
0:15:59 > 0:16:02with the aim of putting them out of their comfort zone a little bit.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04The chap at the top there,
0:16:04 > 0:16:05he's definitely not in his comfort zone,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07but he's not panicking.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09And he'll have been given a little task to do as well -
0:16:09 > 0:16:12memorise a grid reference, or carry out a task halfway down.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14So we get them to operate through that,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16cos one day they will deploy out to the field army,
0:16:16 > 0:16:17perhaps in operations,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and we need them to work through the difficult circumstances
0:16:20 > 0:16:22to be the soldier and do whatever their role is on operations.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25So, at this very early stage, they start to develop in that way.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28It's a fantastic way to do it, and good for them cos, for some of them,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30it's probably the first time they've done this.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32For the majority, it is the first time.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35He's done well, hasn't he? He's reached... So he gets to the top,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38just taps it, then he'll abseil down and he'll take all the weight?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Yeah. He'll take responsibility from now and lower him off, slowly down.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42Yeah, so there's a trust thing,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- cos he's now taken his hands off the cliff.- Yeah.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46And his descent is totally controlled
0:16:46 > 0:16:48by his mate on the other end of the rope.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49I bet his heart is beating now.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51- I bet it is.- I bet. - Yeah, that's the stretch thing.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53That's putting them into that stretch.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55We've taken them out of their comfort zone
0:16:55 > 0:16:57and that's where the stretch comes in,
0:16:57 > 0:16:58cos of the exposure to the rock,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01to the height, and knowing that a lad on the other end
0:17:01 > 0:17:04is providing his safety, is responsible for his life.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Yeah, well, he is, yeah! And this is ideal for that, this escarpment.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11You know, you could pick any part of this, couldn't you, really?
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Well, this is amazing, and we've got lots of venues
0:17:13 > 0:17:15that we use around the Brecon Beacons,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17not just for climbing, but caving and paddling
0:17:17 > 0:17:18and hillwalking as well.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27The Brecon Beacons National Park provides most of the drinking water
0:17:27 > 0:17:29for the population of South Wales,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33and many of the reservoirs are in the central Beacons.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39This is Talybont Reservoir,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and it's the longest reservoir in the park,
0:17:42 > 0:17:43it's about two miles long.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45And the water from here
0:17:45 > 0:17:48goes all the way down to the city of Newport,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50right on the south coast.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51And here's a tip for you,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53if you're going to come here to watch birds -
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and in the autumn, particularly, it is a good spot to come -
0:17:56 > 0:17:59come to the end that's furthest away from the dam.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Because here the water is shallow,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03there's a lot of vegetation, a lot of invertebrates,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and that then attracts a lot of birds.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08And we've seen some of the early winter visitors coming in.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12We've got some teal here. A small flock of wigeon here as well.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16And the wigeon are interesting, because in the summer they malt.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20They go into what they call eclipse, and they look quite scruffy.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24But now they're starting to get this beautiful breeding plumage back,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27and the males in particular look beautiful.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32The reservoirs and lakes of the Beacons
0:18:32 > 0:18:36will gradually fill with migrant birds throughout the autumn.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38And if it's a hard winter and the ground freezes,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41large bodies of water, like Talybont Reservoir,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43become essential for their survival.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52Hardier animals will be able to survive, even on the highest peaks.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Welsh cobs and ponies have been running free
0:18:54 > 0:18:56in the uplands of the Brecon Beacons
0:18:56 > 0:18:58since Roman times.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03These semi-wild ponies were probably always used by local farmers,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05but during the 18th century
0:19:05 > 0:19:08many worked in the coal mines of South Wales.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14These ponies are on the Penderyn Uplands, near Pen y Fan.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15And during the autumn,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18sisters Lydia and Bethan from Wernlas Farm
0:19:18 > 0:19:20help to round up the ponies
0:19:20 > 0:19:22to separate the foals from the mares.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- Hello.- Hello. - SHE LAUGHS
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- Fancy meeting you two out on the hill.- I know.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35So what are you out here for, then?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- We're just going to gather the ponies in now.- So what's your job?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Cos I saw the boys do it out on quads, two of them?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Yeah, that's... They own about ten of the ponies,
0:19:44 > 0:19:45so they come and help every year.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Basically, they should push them up here now.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49And we're like flankers,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53we'll go on each side and try our best to keep up with them.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56How many are there in all, then? Or how many are you expecting?
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Roughly about 40. And they, most of them, should have foals as well.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- So you'll bring them down, you'll take the foals off them...- Yep.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05..and then they'll come back out?
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- And then they'll come straight back to the mountain then.- Wow.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10They don't like being on the farm long. They're not used to it.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13You'll see them at the fences, they want to go out,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16they're not used to the short grass.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18They know where they want to be, basically.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19- Yeah, out on the hill. BOTH:- Yep.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- Real mountain ponies.- Definitely. - That's their natural habitat.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24And have they always been here?
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Because I've been coming along this road for...
0:20:26 > 0:20:27It must be 35-odd years,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- and there are always, always ponies out here.- Generations.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Our grandfather, he kept them, his father.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Probably spanning over about 70 years.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And the mares will pass on their knowledge -
0:20:40 > 0:20:43where to go with the different seasons.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45This weather now, they'll come up here,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47and they'll have windbreakers.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48- Yeah.- And then in the summer,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52- they'll go down here, where there's all the water.- Fresh grass.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56And fresh grass. So they teach their foals what to do.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- They know the mountain, don't they? - They know the mountain.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- This one's dying to go. - I know, he's ready.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01I think that's our cue to go,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- cos they're all starting to go. - Oh, is it? Ah, right, OK.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- OK.- So we'll see you on the side, I think.- Oh, nice one. Thanks.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- Good luck.- That's all right. - See you soon.- Thank you.- Take care.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11- Ta-ta.- Bye.- Go on, you head off.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17'The biggest surprise for me is that the ponies, apparently,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19'are worth very little.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22'They have no value or market for the farmers,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25'other than the pleasure of seeing them roam freely on the land.'
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Fantastic there. That's the way to do it, look.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30On horseback, gathering horses.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34I suppose, if you want to get a horse off a mountain, jump on a horse.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45The Brecon Beacons has some of
0:21:45 > 0:21:47the most impressive cave systems in Europe,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and Porth yr Ogof Cave has, by far,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52the largest opening in the national park.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- It's a big cave entrance, isn't it? - Oh, it's amazing.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Just the walk up to it, that huge letterbox entrance,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06and the way this geology, this landscape, leaps out at you.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07Very atmospheric.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10'I'm with Julian Carter from the National Museum of Wales,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13'and we're looking for cave dwellers.'
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Oh, here we are, Iolo. You like moths. Have a look at this up here.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Oh, wow. Herald moth.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Yeah, the herald moth.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22It's one of a couple of species of moths
0:22:22 > 0:22:26that kind of likes to use caves for part of their life cycles.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28So, at this time of year, they'll start coming into the cave
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and finding somewhere quiet, out of the way.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Sitting it out and sort of going into a torpid state over winter.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- While it warms up again.- Yeah. - They're nice moths, too,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and I love that orangey sheen on it, and the...
0:22:40 > 0:22:43sort of dead-leaf-like shape to it as well.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Yeah, they're just gorgeous, aren't they?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48And sometimes you'll find them in very large numbers
0:22:48 > 0:22:49in certain cave entrances,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51so they can be number sort of maybe hundreds.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54'While moths only use caves during winter...'
0:22:54 > 0:22:56This alcove here looks promising.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00'..certain species of spiders live here pretty much all the time.'
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Iolo, have a look round here - it's one of the egg sacs.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Oh, wow. So they're definitely around here.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10That's like... Almost like a sort of bit of cotton wool.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12- It is, isn't it? - Amazing-looking thing.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15They have astonishing egg sacs. There's a lot of them around.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18You can have loads and loads of them. It's really quite special
0:23:18 > 0:23:21seeing all these little balls hanging from the ceiling.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Now, is that the spider,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- see the spider under the rock there? - Ah, yes, that's one.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28That is one. That's a cave spider.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31That's why it's commonly called the cave spider, yeah.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33They are amongst our biggest spider.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35This is actually a male.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Oh, wow. So, is the female bigger than the male?
0:23:38 > 0:23:42- Yeah, the female's much bigger. - So this is a little 'un, then?- Yeah.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44The females could be sort of twice the size.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47So there's an egg sac here. They're obviously breeding.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49How on earth do these young spiderlings,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52once they've hatched out, find new caves?
0:23:52 > 0:23:56The youngsters, at a certain stage, actually get attracted to light.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59So they leave the cave, they leave the damp area,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02they go out into the wide, wide world and disperse themselves,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04and go find somewhere else that's a bit damp and miserable
0:24:04 > 0:24:06with less adults around to compete with.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07Nature's amazing, isn't it?
0:24:07 > 0:24:11I would imagine, in the Beacons - so many caves here,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13lots and lots of cave spiders.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Yeah. And, anyway, when you've got this sort of environment,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17there'll be lots of these spiders.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19In fact, they can be very, very numerous,
0:24:19 > 0:24:20depending on the cave entrance.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23So if you don't like spiders, and you go in a cave,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25don't look around too much.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28I'm ending my journey of the Brecon Beacons
0:24:28 > 0:24:31in the Black Mountain area south of Llandovery.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36During the autumn, the rivers and upland streams fill up with water,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38and it's a trigger for fish to migrate.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44These are sea trout, locally known as sewin,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48and the rivers of Carmarthenshire are famous for these fish.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51They're heading upstream in the River Sawdde,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54one of the best rivers in the Beacons for sewin.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I'm with river bailiff Peter Thurnall,
0:24:59 > 0:25:00and we're using a pole camera
0:25:00 > 0:25:03to get better views of the fish underwater.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Tilt it down a bit.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- She's there now.- Yeah. Lower down.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Push it lower down.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Like that?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Yeah. I see her. No, she's gone.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- She's gone, has she?- Yeah.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23I'll hold it there just in case she comes back around the corner.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- But she... We say it's a she, it is a female, is it?- Female, it is.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29And this one looked like quite a big one.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31It's a fish about six, seven pounds.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- Oh, hello, hello. - Something went past.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35I won't move. I'll hold it there,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37because she may well come back to the original position.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Now, these...sea trout...
0:25:40 > 0:25:43how long have they been in these pools now?
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Some of these came in April or May of this year.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- That long ago?- Yes, they've been in the lower reaches
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and pushing their way up the rivers now.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Why are they staying here, then,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55because they haven't got far to go before they spawn, have they?
0:25:55 > 0:25:56They've got depth of water here
0:25:56 > 0:25:58until they get up onto the spawning ledge,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00so they're holding in the depths of water,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- in the gorges.- So, they're just waiting for a little bit more rain
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- to come now.- Any flush of water. Any rising water now, these will move.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08And they'll spawn...
0:26:08 > 0:26:11about as high up as they can go, will they?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13They'll push up as far up these rivers as they can get,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15until they reach a barrier onto the spot
0:26:15 > 0:26:17where they've spawned in the past.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19That's amazing, isn't it,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23because they'll spawn in exactly the same place as they were born, often.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24- Yes, within metres.- That's amazing.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Within metres of where they were spawned.- That is amazing.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So they're all waiting in the deeper pools, they see some friends,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32they say, "I'll hang around for a while", bit of rain - phoomph!
0:26:32 > 0:26:36- Up they go.- They'll be gone. They'll be gone in hours.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39What makes this particular river so good, then?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42The water conditions are good for them, the gravel is good for them.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44In particular, I think it's the gravel.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47And the Beacons, of course, as a whole -
0:26:47 > 0:26:51lots of rivers, lots of streams, lots of clean water.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52- Pretty good for them?- Yes.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55The whole of the Beacons area is good-quality water.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01These fish are heading
0:27:01 > 0:27:04for one of the most beautiful landscapes in Britain -
0:27:04 > 0:27:08the Carmarthen Fans, one of the wildest parts of Wales.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16The mountains and hills of the Brecon Beacons
0:27:16 > 0:27:20are what most of us identify as the national park's main feature.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24But I hope, in my journey through the seasons,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I've shown that these are just the peaks
0:27:26 > 0:27:29of a much more extraordinary landscape,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31full of wonderful wildlife...
0:27:32 > 0:27:33..and people.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46This is my favourite place
0:27:46 > 0:27:49in the whole of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It's the River Twrch flowing down below me here.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55The old oak wood and then, on the opposite side,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57limekilns of Henllys Vale
0:27:57 > 0:27:59and the old colliery chimney as well.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01And that, really, for me,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05represents the whole of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09It's human industry, and the scars of human industry,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13alongside some of the most stunning scenery we have
0:28:13 > 0:28:14in the whole of the UK.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20But, above all, what makes the Beacons so special for me
0:28:20 > 0:28:25are the quiet places where few people go and I can escape to.