0:00:04 > 0:00:07In Wales, most towns and cities have a park, an area of green
0:00:07 > 0:00:12space for people to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15But that's not all they're good for.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20In this series, I'm taking a look at four urban parks.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Some are old family estates, others were once industrial sites but all
0:00:24 > 0:00:28are now places for communities to enjoy.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31None are very familiar to me,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33so I'll be enlisting the help of local people
0:00:33 > 0:00:35with knowledge to share.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Together, I'm hoping we'll uncover their wilder side.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Holyhead Breakwater Country Park is in Anglesey on the edge
0:00:58 > 0:01:00of the busiest port in Wales.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11This is Holyhead breakwater, built to provide safe haven
0:01:11 > 0:01:14for the ships coming in to harbour.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16It's a mile and three quarters in length -
0:01:16 > 0:01:21that's over 2km, and it was built using seven million
0:01:21 > 0:01:25tonnes of stone and they came from Holyhead mountain over there.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32The structure took 28 years and more than 1,000 men to build but the
0:01:32 > 0:01:37quarries they left behind provide an impressive backdrop to the park.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38As it's my first visit,
0:01:38 > 0:01:43local historian John Cave has agreed to show me the sights.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Well, well, John! That's what I call a view.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48- That's lovely, isn't it? - It's beautiful.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51A bit of a climb but well worth coming up here - the breakwater,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53the harbour, Holyhead - you can see everything from here.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55You couldn't wish for a nicer place, could you?
0:01:55 > 0:01:57No, you couldn't. Especially in this weather, too.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Now this is the park but where exactly is the boundary now then?
0:02:00 > 0:02:03It more or less stretches to the beginning of the breakwater.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06So all the way along, all of these fields are within the park?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Most of those fields belong to the park.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11And the old buildings we see there, that would all have been
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- part of this quarrying system? - Most of them, yes.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16The one with the green flag on and then the building where
0:02:16 > 0:02:19there's a red car, the building in front of that and the building with
0:02:19 > 0:02:23the chimney - that's where they used to bake bricks for the steelworks.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26A little steam engine used to take the bricks down to a quay
0:02:26 > 0:02:28and the ships used to come in from Liverpool
0:02:28 > 0:02:31with coal for the quarry and they used to take the bricks out.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Well, I didn't know that, and then you've got quite a large
0:02:34 > 0:02:37pond down there. Is that artificial or natural?
0:02:37 > 0:02:41It's man-made. When the council took the quarry and this area over,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44they decided to develop it and they actually built the lake,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48we call it, or the pond, and it's used actually by the fishermen and
0:02:48 > 0:02:49the model boat people.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51They come here about twice or three times a week.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54I tell you what, it's a fantastic resource, really,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57for the people of Holyhead, isn't it? Right on the edge of town.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And it's used quite a lot, actually, throughout the year.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Not only through summer but through winter as well.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I'm excited to start exploring this park
0:03:11 > 0:03:14with all the different habitats that are here.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18It's March, so I'm not surprised that on my way to start my first
0:03:18 > 0:03:21task, I bump into an amphibian just out of hibernation.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Look at this.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27A toad crawling across the track here.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29First toad of the year for me
0:03:29 > 0:03:31and it's just about the time now -
0:03:31 > 0:03:35it's late winter, early spring when they'll be emerging from the vegetation
0:03:35 > 0:03:39and there's lots of it here, lots of cover for them where the temperature
0:03:39 > 0:03:43is constant and it's moist as well and then now it's just getting a
0:03:43 > 0:03:47little bit warmer. They'll all start emerging and they'll be making their
0:03:47 > 0:03:49way down to the big pond for the mating season.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51You've got a long way to go, old girl.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Good luck to you. I'd better let her get on, I think.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01This male, already down near the pond,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04has attached itself to the back of another migrating female,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and effectively gets a piggy-back the last bit of the way.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Once in the water, they'll start to mate.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14It's actually another group of cold-blooded creatures
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I was on my way to start tracking down.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19I've had quite a few people getting in touch to let me know
0:04:19 > 0:04:23that the park here is a fantastic place for reptiles,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26so what I've done is brought some what they call refugia -
0:04:26 > 0:04:30bits of corrugated iron they are, really, cos these'll get warm
0:04:30 > 0:04:34in the sun and you find that adders, slowworms, lizards, they'll shelter
0:04:34 > 0:04:37underneath so you've only got to lift them up to get some idea of
0:04:37 > 0:04:39just how rich this place is -
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- and Will the warden, who's here - Will, hiya, boy!- Hello.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- You're going to show me around. - Happy to do so.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Because what I'm looking for,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50I want to put these down but I want to put them down out of the way.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- I would suggest we just walk around and there's a path going over that way.- Cracking.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00- Well, it's pretty much off the beaten track here, Will, isn't it? - It is.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Here's a good spot here, Will, I think.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04See it in here?
0:05:04 > 0:05:05What - there in particular?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Yeah, just in there. It's got everything you need, really.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11It's got a bit of cover, it's got this up above,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14it's got fairly dense vegetation over there. It'll catch the sun.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17If we stick that there.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Put it down a little bit as well.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26There's another one here, Will.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- You've got an eye for the good spots.- Well, I like adders.- Do you?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Not many people like them.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32They're venomous and people say, "Oh, they're dangerous".
0:05:32 > 0:05:36They're not. If you leave them alone, they're fascinating.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38I notice that you're tamping it down.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40There's a reason for that, of course, is there?
0:05:40 > 0:05:43It's a bit like us going to bed, you know - you want the duvet
0:05:43 > 0:05:45and you want it tucked in tight.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46You don't want it up there,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49so it's exactly the same for them, you know - they just want to get in there.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54- So you're thinking like a snake, almost!- Yeah, yes, yeah!
0:05:56 > 0:06:00This is nice, Will. There's a wall here and they love walls.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- I'm to think like a snake again! - You think like a snake now.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07'Will and I shall be checking on these over the coming months
0:06:07 > 0:06:08'to see what we find.'
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Right, thank you, Will. Thanks for your help. That's brilliant.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28My next visit to the park is at the start of spring.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31I'm up early and it's a beautiful April dawn.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38I love being out first thing in the morning like this.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It's the best time of day for wildlife
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and you never know, you might catch some of these crepuscular species.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47These are the ones that are active at dawn and dusk
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and you might just catch a nocturnal animal that's
0:06:50 > 0:06:54on its way back home after a night's hunting as well and best of all,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58maybe, there's no-one else around. It's the best time of day to be out.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10There are plenty of birds singing and because it's so quiet,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12their songs carry a long way.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Lots of rabbits out grazing as well.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21They feel safest feeding at the edges of the fields, where they
0:07:21 > 0:07:28can easily dash into the vegetation at the first sign of danger.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31But rabbits aren't the only mammal around this morning.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35IOLO MAKES SQUEAKING NOISE
0:07:38 > 0:07:41There's um, there's a weasel, just come bounding up the path.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45It saw me, took fright and it's gone in here.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48I'm not sure if it'll come out again now.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50HE SQUEAKS
0:07:53 > 0:07:56That worked - fantastic little animals,
0:07:56 > 0:07:57brilliant little animals.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01They hunt mainly mice and voles. They'll take small birds as well.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07And very inquisitive and if you make funny, weird little noises,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09it nearly always brings them out.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13HE SQUEAKS
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Weasels are our smallest carnivore and although
0:08:18 > 0:08:21they're actually widespread in Britain, a glimpse is normally
0:08:21 > 0:08:25all you'll get as they dash about in the undergrowth looking for prey.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Next, I'm back with Will to check on our reptile mats.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38We have to focus our minds, Will, to try and remember where we left them.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40We get an encouraging sign that adders are using them.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- Oh, look at this! I tell you what, there's a skin here, a sloughed skin.- Hey!
0:08:44 > 0:08:46See it there?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49They come out of brummation - hibernation type of thing -
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and they'll slough their skin very soon afterwards.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Look, you can see the zigzag pattern down the back.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Approximately how long would it take for a snake to shed its skin?
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Not very long, really. In a week, couple of weeks, something like that.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08You see the eyes going all grey and they look a bit dead, you know.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12And then, you know, oh, they're going to slough their skin
0:09:12 > 0:09:13any time now
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and then when they do, they look beautiful.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Unfortunately, all the mats were empty
0:09:21 > 0:09:23but Will and I won't be giving up yet.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25We'll have another try later in the summer.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Early spring is a wonderful time to go bird watching,
0:09:35 > 0:09:40as they are busily trying to attract mates, making them easier to spot.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43When you come to somewhere quite new like this, it helps to have
0:09:43 > 0:09:47insider information, so I'm going to meet somebody who knows this
0:09:47 > 0:09:50place like the back of his hand.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Local man Ken Croft is known as Anglesey Birdman
0:09:54 > 0:09:57and he's found some really special birds here.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01He suggests we head for one of the quarry faces near Pwll Ffynnon.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Looking up here, Ken, it looks ideal for, I would say, what -
0:10:05 > 0:10:07kestrel, peregrine, raven?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Exactly. Peregrines will quite often be perched up here.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15They've never actually nested in the park but they're regularly seen.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19What makes this park so special for birds, then, do you think, Ken?
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Well, obviously the coastal habitat's quite close.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25It's perfectly positioned for migrants to drop in.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29And it's a good place for fairly common birds as well, isn't it?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Cos I'm listening behind me now - I can hear chiff-chaffs going,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36wrens going - willow warbler, as well.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Black caps are in now, as well.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41And whitethroats, sedge warblers.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43It's a nice mix, then,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47because you've got a whole different habitats
0:10:47 > 0:10:49just in one small area here.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Exactly, and we've got finches, we've got greenfinches -
0:10:51 > 0:10:54still breeding in good numbers here.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Sparrowhawk, Ken. That's nice.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Just gliding along the face of the quarry.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Oh, they're nice birds, aren't they?
0:11:02 > 0:11:04They really are nice birds. Look at that.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Do you know, even though they are quite common, I don't see them
0:11:07 > 0:11:09that often, really.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11They've been increasing here.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Why here, though? I suppose all the small birds...?
0:11:14 > 0:11:15The migrant birds. Yes, indeed, yeah.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20Oh, that's why they're here now, is it? Because you've got all these migrant birds passing through.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- Yeah, the birds will come down and there's a steady supply of food for them, yeah.- Yeah.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28There's one other special bird I would like to show you, Iolo,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31while you're here - is a little owl.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Oh, wow! I haven't seen a little owl for a long time, Ken.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Ken shows me the rock face in one of the quarries
0:11:38 > 0:11:41where the little owls are usually found.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43And they've been nesting in there
0:11:43 > 0:11:45for perhaps the last ten years or so.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Just my luck - they're not here today.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51A recent small rock fall might be to blame.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Ken will let me know if they return.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58With the park being on the coast, it means you've got a good
0:11:58 > 0:12:02chance of watching a very charismatic bird.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06In Welsh, it's known as Bran Goesgoch, because of its red legs.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12That's a chough. That's a really rare crow.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15And this has got to be one of the few parks where you can come
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and see choughs and it's been coming in this field.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22It's actually tucking tight in against the wall there where
0:12:22 > 0:12:25there's some old bramble and this field now is full of lambs, full
0:12:25 > 0:12:30of sheep and they've been going in there and losing their wool onto the
0:12:30 > 0:12:33thorns and the choughs know this. They're building a nest, so they're
0:12:33 > 0:12:37coming in and they're gathering wool and then when it leaves, which it
0:12:37 > 0:12:42will do in a bit, it will leave with a beak full of wool. It's fantastic!
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Having said all that, it's feeding now.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Choughs love fields like this, ones that haven't been improved
0:12:54 > 0:12:56so much as well-grazed ones,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00because their beak is about 4cm long,
0:13:00 > 0:13:01so they need to be able to get at the soil
0:13:01 > 0:13:03and if you've got tall vegetation,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07they can't do that but this is ideal chough feeding ground.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13It's gone back now. It's obviously fed enough. It's gone back to
0:13:13 > 0:13:16ripping wool off the bramble over there.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20It should be coming up any minute now with a beak full of wool, hopefully.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Here he goes. Coming round here now. Here he goes, look.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35Typical chough-like flight with little fingers at the end of the wings.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38There he goes. He'll float along and the nest will be
0:13:38 > 0:13:41in one of the cliffs way round the corner over there.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01My next visit isn't until June and the park has changed a lot.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Everywhere is lush and green and these pretty bee orchids have
0:14:04 > 0:14:07sprung up along the edges of the paths.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15The coastline around Anglesey is a real hot spot for dolphins
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and harbour porpoise.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20In the past, I've seen Risso's dolphins at the RSPB reserve
0:14:20 > 0:14:23South Stack, which is just around the headland
0:14:23 > 0:14:26from the Breakwater Country Park.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Recording sightings of these mammals, if you see them,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32is extremely important, as the information can
0:14:32 > 0:14:34help our understanding of their distribution and can give
0:14:34 > 0:14:38valuable knowledge about the health of the marine habitat.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Today I'm heading to the country park's rocky coast
0:14:44 > 0:14:48to help Seawatch Foundation with a monitoring survey
0:14:48 > 0:14:50being carried out by Kathy James.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51- Have you seen anything? - Not just yet.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54I'm just sorting out our forms that record the environmental details.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58And what's this area like? What's the park like? Is it a good spot?
0:14:58 > 0:14:59Yeah, definitely, so I know this park well
0:14:59 > 0:15:02because I used to live down the road there in Holyhead.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Personally, here, I've seen harbour porpoise.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Last night I saw a mother harbour porpoise and her calf.
0:15:08 > 0:15:09Oh, wow! OK.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13And we've seen Risso's dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, all from here.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17- Oh, OK.- So in this quite relatively small section of sea, there's three species.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Ah, right, OK.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20There's a bird going, right.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Do you record birds - we look out for birds as well?
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Um, on a personal level, yes, I love birds
0:15:25 > 0:15:28but we record associated sea birds, so if it's associated with
0:15:28 > 0:15:30a sighting or it's particularly unusual, we'll record it then.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32And how long will you wait for?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34You can wait all day, if you like.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38The minimum time that we try and recommend people to do is an hour.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41However, if you just happen to be walking your dog
0:15:41 > 0:15:43in the breakwater park and you see a dolphin,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46you can let us know about it. We do collect casual sightings.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51So all records. Right, that's enough talking by me now. Let's scan and look.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54If I see something, I'll shout.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Absolutely. Go for it.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01We do get a very distant sighting of a porpoise
0:16:01 > 0:16:04but it's pretty far out in the bay, but just because it isn't
0:16:04 > 0:16:08the best sighting for us doesn't mean it's not a useful record.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13There's a grey seal, Iolo - just to the right of that orange buoy.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16And of course, along here, you'll just have grey seals.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18You won't have common seals, will you, here?
0:16:18 > 0:16:21No. There'd be the odd record of sightings of common seals
0:16:21 > 0:16:23but it's grey seals.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25The odd heron coming in now.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Odd seeing a great big bird like a heron coming in from the sea.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35There's obviously plenty of food here for both sea mammals and birds.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37This shag struggles with a huge fish
0:16:37 > 0:16:40before eventually swallowing it whole.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46The rocky coastal heath from where we are viewing is also
0:16:46 > 0:16:50fabulous for birds, including stonechat and rock pipit.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Do you know, what's been nice is just having the time to just sit
0:16:55 > 0:16:57and look and listen.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- It's lovely, isn't it? - It is. It's an added benefit.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And while we've been sat here, we've had a flock of linnets
0:17:04 > 0:17:06coming behind us every now and again,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10obviously feeding on the seeds, you know - lots of seeds here
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- and that's another bird you don't see as often as you used to now - linnets.- No.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19I'm skiving off now for a bit.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22I've left Kathy over there because this part of the park,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26this coastal section, is home to quite a scarce butterfly
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and a beautiful one as well - it's called the silver-studded blue
0:17:29 > 0:17:34and they should be flying about now, so I'm going to go and have a look.
0:17:48 > 0:17:53I've got one, two, three perched up here.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57There's one with its wings closed like this
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and you can see why they get the name silver-studded blue,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02because when the wings open,
0:18:02 > 0:18:03they're a beautiful blue colour
0:18:03 > 0:18:05and when they close you get these spots -
0:18:05 > 0:18:08silver and black and orange as well.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12They are one of our most beautiful butterflies, I think.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Here in Wales, the majority of silver-studded blue sites are in the north,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23and across the UK, they are scarce and confined to isolated colonies.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26They especially like heathland that isn't too overgrown, so the
0:18:26 > 0:18:30ponies that have been brought in by the council to graze this section of
0:18:30 > 0:18:34the coast help to keep the habitat just as the butterflies like it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The next day, my attention is turned back towards birds,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49with some good news from Ken that the little owls were here yesterday.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Hello, Ken. How are you - all right?
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Oh, yeah, good.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Right. Little owl - is it back?
0:19:02 > 0:19:07It is back but there's no sign of it so far this morning.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11That blackbird's been alarm-calling for a while now, Ken.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14It's obviously upset by something
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and yesterday, it was mobbing the little owl continuously.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21I'm fairly sure the owl is down there -
0:19:21 > 0:19:24maybe sat in a gorse bush just below us out of sight.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26They don't do very much, do they?
0:19:26 > 0:19:28They perch up and then that's it.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30That is it exactly, yeah.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33With that in mind, Ken and I decide to leave it for a while,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36which proves to be a very good idea.
0:19:37 > 0:19:38In my experience,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42things always happen when you stop and have a cup of tea.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45We were just having a break over there. We heard a call...
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Oh, watch out - there's a car coming.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51We heard a call and Ken went to investigate
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and what's there - pair of little owls.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56We've been looking over there for a couple of hours this morning -
0:19:56 > 0:19:58nothing at all. And they turn up just over here,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01just by the cafe. We could have been in the cafe all morning.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- There's one sitting there now. - You got it?- Just to the right.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Oh, lovely! Looking straight at us, isn't he?
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Yeah. So cryptic as well, against that background, aren't they?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14I love the white eyebrows, you know - the white eyebrows
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and then these lovely lemony eyes they have underneath.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Nice to see them and nice to see that you've got a pair here
0:20:20 > 0:20:22and well, almost certainly a breeding pair,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26because the one's gone now - probably back on to the nest, I would imagine.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Hopefully it will have gone back on to the nest, yes.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33It's a pleasure to see them and to know that they're here and looking happy.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38This is great news for the park, because Ken and I were pretty sure
0:20:38 > 0:20:41there was one hiding in the gorse over in the other quarry,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43so there could well be a couple of pairs here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56It's July now and a beautiful sunny day,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59which means the park is full of colour.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05The lake is a popular spot with visitors who come to watch
0:21:05 > 0:21:11the ducks or while away the time with their model boats.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15But it's one of the smaller ponds nearby that's caught my eye.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24There's a whole series of ponds in the park here.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26This one was built for the brick works
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and it's quite a deep one but since it's been abandoned,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32all the vegetation has come back and it's a brilliant place to come
0:21:32 > 0:21:34and watch dragonflies.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37There's two really obvious ones here.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39One of them is the common darter.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42The male is beautiful - quite small but bright red,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45with big red eyes as well.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48What the male will do is - he's got these claspers
0:21:48 > 0:21:52that he grabs the female at the back of the head and they'll fly
0:21:52 > 0:21:58around the pond together and she flicks her abdomen in, laying eggs.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02But the boss of the pond, if you like, is a big, big one called the
0:22:02 > 0:22:04emperor and it's the male.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It's bright, bright blue with black pattern along the back
0:22:07 > 0:22:11and big bulky head and he's patrolling back and fore,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16chasing things away, trying to catch insects as well.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18It's a brilliant place to come and watch them,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20because they come and fly right past.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27The warm sunny day and plenty of the right habitat
0:22:27 > 0:22:30here in the country park means there's another summer insect
0:22:30 > 0:22:36to find but it might take a bit of practice to get a good close-up view.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41I have had the most fantastic couple of hours and it has taken me
0:22:41 > 0:22:43back to my childhood growing up in mid-Wales,
0:22:43 > 0:22:48because I've been looking at and trying to catch grasshoppers.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50They are the most difficult things to get hold of
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and one of the reasons for that is because they've got five eyes.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56They've got two compound eyes, very efficient compound eyes,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and they've got three primitive eyes as well.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02And this is a really good patch for them,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05because you've got this mixture of bare earth which warms up
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and it's got to be hot for them to be active and you've got a lot
0:23:08 > 0:23:14of vegetation here and grasshoppers, unlike crickets, eat plants.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15They're fantastic things
0:23:15 > 0:23:19because they've got these huge hind legs, of course, and they can jump
0:23:19 > 0:23:24and they say that if humans were the equivalent of grasshoppers, then we
0:23:24 > 0:23:30could jump the length of a football pitch and more. How amazing is that!
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Now I've got a couple of them here.
0:23:32 > 0:23:38This is a typical meadow grasshopper - green body
0:23:38 > 0:23:40and maybe you can't see it there
0:23:40 > 0:23:42but it's got a little bit of a brown stripe
0:23:42 > 0:23:44down the back as well.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48And the noise that they make - it's called stridulation.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50They have a series of pegs on their
0:23:50 > 0:23:56back legs that they rub against the hard front edge of the wing.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00This is the field grasshopper.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Can you see that it's just different shades of brown?
0:24:03 > 0:24:08Again, the short antennae and those huge back legs
0:24:08 > 0:24:11that allow it to jump
0:24:11 > 0:24:14but this one is quite happy on my hand at the moment,
0:24:14 > 0:24:15enjoying the sunshine.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23The next morning, it's time for me to meet up with Will
0:24:23 > 0:24:26and have another check of the reptile mats.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Unfortunately, we don't find any reptiles
0:24:29 > 0:24:31but one at least is harbouring a hideaway.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Oh, I tell you what we have got - look at this.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36Wow!
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Not a reptile but an amphibian.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41A toad.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45What most people don't realise is that toads actually spend most of their time out of the water,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49often tucked underneath things like this. I've got a shed at home
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and there's some big fat toads under there.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54You know, they don't like direct sunlight.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57And the main difference between a frog and a toad
0:24:57 > 0:24:59is if you look at the skin,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01it's got these warts all over it - very warty skin.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03- Can they give you warts, by the way? - No, they can't, no!
0:25:03 > 0:25:07- I've been handling them since I was a little lad and I haven't got any. - You're wart free.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11And see that - there's a big lump behind the eye there?
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Well, that's full of toxins. All these warts are full of toxins
0:25:15 > 0:25:18and that's a defence mechanism. It's a really good defence mechanism.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20How old would you say the toad is?
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Well, this is probably a couple of years old, this one,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25and it will grow to about four times that size.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27What I'll do is I'll get him back in,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31because he's getting quite active. Good boy - you stay there, look.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Well, not a reptile but an amphibian so at least we got something.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38We know there are adders living here, from visitor sightings,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and we found that skin back in April.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43We did see a lizard here, too,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46but nowhere near as many as I would have expected.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I'm surprised not to have had any reptiles under our mats
0:25:50 > 0:25:52but then there's so much great habitat here for them
0:25:52 > 0:25:55to hide in and with good numbers of predators
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and people in the park, they're probably pretty shy.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09My final visit to the park is in mid-October.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I've decided to walk the rocky coast
0:26:12 > 0:26:13from one end of the park to the other.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I seem to have timed my visit with the arrival of the remnants
0:26:19 > 0:26:20of Hurricane Gonzalo.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Although that might not make it the best conditions for me,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26it can be a good time to go sea watching.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Just tuck myself down out of the wind for a bit, if I can.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39It must be gusting at about 60mph now and some birds,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41when you get high winds like this,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45will hunker down and there's a group of oystercatchers on the rocks
0:26:45 > 0:26:47over there doing just that.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50They've tucked their beaks into their feathers,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53looking thoroughly fed-up and there are good numbers of birds
0:26:53 > 0:26:55passing by just offshore as well.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59These are usually birds you get much further out to sea.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02A good number of kittiwakes - quite nice flocks going by
0:27:02 > 0:27:05and feeding as they go
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and gannets, too, our biggest sea birds -
0:27:08 > 0:27:11even they are having a hard time in this wind, coming right close
0:27:11 > 0:27:14in to the shore here.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17And you never know when you get strong winds
0:27:17 > 0:27:21from the right direction, you just don't know what might get blown in.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Further along the coast towards the quarries, I find a very
0:27:26 > 0:27:29inquisitive female grey seal.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32She's perfectly at home in all types of sea state
0:27:32 > 0:27:34and is especially interested in what I'm up to.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Most years, a pup is born in a small bay along this stretch,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41creating a delight for people in the park
0:27:41 > 0:27:45but this year, it seems another spot has been found out of view.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48There's a male seal here today.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50He's been patrolling along this section of coast
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and occasionally engaging with a female
0:27:53 > 0:27:55in a half-hearted mating scuffle.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Look at that! What a view and what a park.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Which other park can you go to and you can see Britain's rarest crow -
0:28:10 > 0:28:12the chough - and little owls, too?
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I hardly ever see little owls these days
0:28:15 > 0:28:18and I had a magical encounter with a weasel
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and offshore, you've got seals aplenty.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25And, OK, I looked high and low and failed to find adders
0:28:25 > 0:28:28but do you know what? It really doesn't matter
0:28:28 > 0:28:31because it gives me the perfect excuse to come back again.