0:00:11 > 0:00:15WIND WHISTLES AND WOLF HOWLS
0:00:25 > 0:00:30This white falcon, a gyrfalcon, is the largest in the world.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38A pair live on an island here in the High Arctic.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Last summer, they failed to raise any young.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51A pack of white wolves also live in this cold, desolate place.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57Last year, they were luckier than the falcons and produced three cubs.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Breeding in the Arctic is difficult when the season is so short.
0:01:03 > 0:01:09For up here, June is spring, July is summer and August is already autumn.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12It's a precarious window in which they must breed,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15before the snow and bitter cold return.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24This film is the story of this summer's fortunes
0:01:24 > 0:01:27for these two remarkable animals.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41This is one of the most remote places on earth,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Ellesmere Island.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52It's spanned by rugged mountain ridges
0:01:52 > 0:01:54and scoured by freezing winds.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03The island lies at Canada's most northern tip,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07extending right up to 84 degrees north.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11It crowns some of the world's most pristine wilderness.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13For nine months of the year,
0:02:13 > 0:02:18the whole island lies buried beneath a cloak of snow and ice.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Now, at the beginning of June,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28the temperature rises just enough to start a slow melt.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34And the race to make the most of the short, but productive, Arctic summer can begin.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Gyrfalcons can weigh over two kilograms,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45even bigger than peregrines.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Their sheer physical bulk
0:02:47 > 0:02:50makes them the most powerful falcons in the world.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54They can turn into a 200-mile-an-hour stoop
0:02:54 > 0:02:55in the blink of an eye.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01This is the male.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04He's a third smaller than the female falcon.
0:03:04 > 0:03:10He's not hunting right now, just showing off.
0:03:45 > 0:03:51This cliff, on which the falcons breed, looks out over the sea.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58From this high, sheltered vantage point
0:03:58 > 0:04:01he can spot intruding males...
0:04:03 > 0:04:05as well as potential prey.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Any duck that takes to the wing will be a target.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20The absence of his bigger, more powerful mate is a good sign.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24She's incubating eggs, deep behind this overhang in the cliff.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27This nest site is known to be ancient -
0:04:27 > 0:04:29the bones of prey found deep within it
0:04:29 > 0:04:34suggest it's been in use for several hundred years.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Though it's a great place to nest,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39the falcons aren't always successful.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45In the Arctic, every summer is different.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Nothing is ever certain.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00This pack on Ellesmere comprises eight wolves -
0:05:00 > 0:05:06the dominant male, three of his now grown-up young from previous years,
0:05:08 > 0:05:13and three wolves that were born just last spring, now a year old.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17These yearling wolves have a lot to learn.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20They still have puppy-like traits.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Particularly this one.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27She's quite a character.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32If she's to become a useful member of the pack,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36she's got a lot of growing up to do before the winter.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44The breeding female wolf has spent a lot of time in this den recently.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50We think she must have cubs down there.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55They won't appear above ground until they're about a month old,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57usually in late June.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58That's any time now,
0:05:58 > 0:06:03but how many heads might emerge is her secret alone.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Wolves are extremely sociable animals,
0:06:24 > 0:06:30and they're excited by the prospect of new family members.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Still no sign of them yet.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47The breeding female goes back underground...
0:06:49 > 0:06:53..while the breeding male leads the pack off to find food.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Sometimes they chase Arctic hares.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20However, the real threat to the hares comes from above.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31SHRILL RAPID CRIES
0:07:33 > 0:07:35The male has caught a young hare.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39He passes it to the female, who will take it back to the nest.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Elsewhere, gyrfalcons feed mainly on sea birds.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55But here on Ellesmere they rely on hares,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57and their abundance
0:07:57 > 0:07:59will be the key to the survival of this year's brood.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02HIGH-PITCHED SHRIEKS
0:08:02 > 0:08:04One chick has hatched.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Two.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Three. This is a very good start to the summer.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The female will stay at the nest,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33protecting and feeding the chicks, while the male goes hunting.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Last year, only two hatched.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46And they both soon died of starvation.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51It's all about timing.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55The young falcons hatch very early in the season
0:08:55 > 0:09:00when small, young hares, or leverets, are plentiful.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Once these grow big,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04the male falcon won't be able
0:09:04 > 0:09:06to kill them or lift them off the ground.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11The parent falcons need to make the most of these early weeks of summer
0:09:11 > 0:09:12or their chicks won't make it.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17It's a very finely balanced world up here.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22A few days early or late can make all the difference.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30WOLF HOWLS
0:09:42 > 0:09:43ANOTHER HOWL
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The pack hears mum calling, and returns.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07SHE HOWLS
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Something isn't right.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19There should be cubs by now.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21But she's alone.
0:10:23 > 0:10:30Maybe she had a false pregnancy. Or perhaps the cubs died underground.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Whatever happened, the fortunes of the pack have changed.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38New cubs would have put pressure on the playful one-year old daughter
0:10:38 > 0:10:40to grow up.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Instead, she remains very much the baby.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47There's no reason to stay close to the den now.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50The pack can spend the summer on the move.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53HE HOWLS
0:10:56 > 0:11:01The dominant male wolf calls his mate and they all slowly move off.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26The young female spends much of her time playing.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36But if she's distracted this easily,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39she'll find it hard to keep up with a pack
0:11:39 > 0:11:41that covers 40 or 50 miles a day.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46They need her to pay attention.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50By winter, she needs to have learned her part in hunting down animals
0:11:50 > 0:11:53a lot more challenging than Arctic hares.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Musk oxen may look like bulls in hula skirts,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10but they're actually muscle-bound powerhouses.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15The calves, or lone elderly bulls,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19are most easily brought down by the pack.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22There's good reason for them to stay away from the shoreline.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29The wolves are using it as a highway to find easier things to catch.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41As there are no trees here, birds nest on the ground, but each bird
0:12:41 > 0:12:45has developed a different strategy to protect its vulnerable young.
0:12:56 > 0:13:04An angry arctic skua can easily spook a naive young wolf.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28The skua successfully moves the wolves on.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34A mile or so further and it's an Arctic fox
0:13:34 > 0:13:37who's keeping a wary eye on the pack.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44They're not much larger than a domestic cat,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46and an easy meal for a wolf.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54The female fox is out of sight -
0:13:54 > 0:13:58she's probably under these rocks at the moment, perhaps with cubs.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10There's one neighbour that can give the wolves a real punch.
0:14:14 > 0:14:20Snowy owls have little fear of anything or anyone.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26WOLF BARKS
0:14:44 > 0:14:48This female has good reason to drive the wolves out of her valley.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58She's protecting a very large number of eggs.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Snowy owls breed much later than falcons.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24They're synchronizing hatching not to hares, but to lemmings,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and the fact that there are this many eggs
0:15:26 > 0:15:29suggests they're banking on a good year.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43June turns to July.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46The snows can settle again as early as late August.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49For anything growing, there's little time left.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Arctic willows, the only trees,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55grow centimetres long and hug the ground like grasping fingers.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Sudden ice melt brings a flurry of colour to the ground
0:16:08 > 0:16:12as flowers of all kinds race through their own breeding cycle.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Waders, like this Baird's sandpiper,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22have come up to Ellesmere Island to raise their young
0:16:22 > 0:16:25on the abundant insect life.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26SHRILL PIPING CALL
0:16:39 > 0:16:43In the past month, the young hares have paled in colour,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45but crucially, they've doubled in weight.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Their larger size is now proving difficult
0:16:55 > 0:16:57for the smaller male falcon.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22But the chicks need more food than ever.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25The female is much larger than her mate
0:17:25 > 0:17:29but she still has to stay with the chicks to help them feed.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33She needs the male to go out hunting again and again.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44These two weeks are when they're under the greatest pressure.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Further up the hill, the snowy owl eggs hatch over a ten-day period,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00just as the lemmings appear.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06This year, they're everywhere.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08All predators need to time breeding
0:18:08 > 0:18:11with the greatest abundance of their prey.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15This year, the owls have got it spot on.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38The male fox brings home a mouthful of lemmings.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It means one thing.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Cubs.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Unlike the wolves, the foxes have had young.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10The supply of lemmings
0:19:10 > 0:19:15is so plentiful that the cubs don't even seem hungry.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20They bury the surplus and have time to play.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32They must build up their strength and stalking skills quickly,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35so that they can start catching lemmings for themselves.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50The owlets have sorted out their own pecking order.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53There's no fight to get to the front.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56There are plenty of lemmings for everyone.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57WOLF HOWLS
0:20:00 > 0:20:05Day after day, the wolf pack continues to patrol the shore line.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17If they had cubs, the pack would have to hunt large mammals.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Instead, they can get by
0:20:18 > 0:20:22on the abundance of lemmings and ground-nesting birds.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55The musk oxen and their calves get a reprieve...
0:20:55 > 0:20:57for now.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04But if next winter is harsh and the vegetation too deep under snow,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07grazers like musk oxen will suffer.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Many may starve, weaken and die...
0:21:16 > 0:21:20an opportunity for the wolves.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33The young female has lagged behind again.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40She's playful and curious.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Bubbles.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Birds.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56She hasn't noticed that the rest of the pack has moved on, out of sight.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Her reflection seems to mesmerize her.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09When the spell is broken, she finds herself separated from her family.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13If this is for long, it could be disastrous for her.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26She has little knowledge of where and how to find food.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40At least she has the light on her side -
0:22:40 > 0:22:44at the height of summer, the sun never sets up here.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12All animals need to take a break from hunting
0:23:12 > 0:23:14at some point in the day.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22The falcons cannot afford to stop.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Despite the needs of his ravenous chicks,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39the male, who still does all the hunting, is slacking off.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Most of the hares are now too big for him to kill.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56The hares appear to be temporarily off the hook.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Some birds are better at hunting than others,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and this male clearly isn't the best.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56He was her mate last year as well.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01Could his idle nature be the reason why last year's clutch failed?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05The chicks should be growing exponentially,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08yet they are getting noticeably hungry.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11The female is agitated.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14She looks for food that he may have stashed away,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16but there's nothing.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23It was at this time last year that their two chicks died.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31But he's now spending this critical time preening.
0:25:37 > 0:25:43Their flight feathers are beginning to grow, and prolonged hunger at this age could weaken them.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47For a gyrfalcon, strong flight feathers are vital.
0:25:52 > 0:25:58It's time for the mother to take things into her own hands and start hunting, too.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15She uses her immensely powerful wing beat to gain height.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Her incredible eyesight allows her to watch the ground below
0:26:52 > 0:26:54without being seen herself.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01Even at 500 metres, she can detect the slightest movement below.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08If the hares don't move, they're safe.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Once she identifies a target,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22she moves into the sun so she can't be seen.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54That's only half the battle won.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56She now has to carry this miles back to the nest.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The young wolf is also struggling.
0:28:04 > 0:28:10She's a pack animal, but she's having to make every little decision alone.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16She comes to a freshwater pool, where an eider duck has brought her four tiny ducklings.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Surely, these should make a straightforward meal,
0:28:21 > 0:28:22even for her.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41But like the skua, the mother duck has a clever tactic.
0:28:41 > 0:28:47She diverts the wolf towards her by pretending to have a broken wing.
0:28:47 > 0:28:52Meanwhile, the ducklings stay still and hidden by the shore.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57She lets the wolf come really close to her...
0:28:58 > 0:29:02and tempts her further and further away from her ducklings.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Exhausted from this impossible chase,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25the wolf gives up.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Every day she remains separated from her family,
0:29:38 > 0:29:43the more energy she'll waste and the hungrier she'll become.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54The female gyr is airborne.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Amazingly, she has butchered a hare into smaller portions,
0:29:58 > 0:30:03which is the sort of thing eagles do, but not falcons.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Even so, the hare's huge hind quarters are dragging her down.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09She's exhausted.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24She can't even make it as far as the nest.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29She has to land below the cliff.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13She takes ten minutes getting her breath and strength back,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16before she can carry the food up to her starving chicks.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Now that she is hunting, as well as the male,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32the clutch may live.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59WOLF HOWLS
0:32:02 > 0:32:04DRAWN-OUT HOWL
0:32:08 > 0:32:11The pack seems to be missing their youngest member.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Cold snaps can occur throughout the summer.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Temperatures can drop very dramatically,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39and within hours it can be well below freezing.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45A steely reminder that winter is never far away.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14The older owlets now roam on foot some distance from their nest.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19Their grey feathery down is some of the best insulation in the natural world.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23And they are still under the watchful eye of mum.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Unlike the young wolf.
0:33:29 > 0:33:35Alone on the shore, our young wolf continues her search for food.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02A long-tailed duck has young.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17It's not just mum that's clever -
0:34:17 > 0:34:20even the ducklings seem to be outwitting her.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22They bob up for air at exactly the moment
0:34:22 > 0:34:25that the young wolf is looking the other way!
0:34:52 > 0:34:56She looks frustrated, and is getting hungrier by the day.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Back on the cliff, the female falcon is hunting hard.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09The chicks are growing well.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24The male is doing something, at least,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27even if he's just bringing in smaller prey.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43As soon as she's taken the food parcel off him,
0:35:43 > 0:35:49she sends him out hunting again.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55Time is running out.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06The wolves move over a ridge toward a lake.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09They spot white snow geese.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23They also notice a different white head swimming out on the water.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30It's the lost daughter.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41She just hasn't twigged that she can't swim as fast as geese.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49This extraordinary stamina and boundless curiosity
0:36:49 > 0:36:55are the traits that make all wolves so adaptable and successful.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00The rest of the pack stares from the shore in amazement.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Her siblings greet her back with excitement.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38The older wolves seem to scold her for her antics.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Now that they are reunited,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09her chances of getting a regular meal are dramatically increased.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53By the middle of July,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57the young gyrs are already looking like adults.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Their personalities are starting to show.
0:39:05 > 0:39:10One is aggressive and snatches food from its siblings.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20A pale female dominates her smaller brother.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30The time is fast approaching
0:39:30 > 0:39:35when this year's chicks are going to have to take to the wing themselves.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53They're all close to flying now,
0:39:53 > 0:39:58but before they dare try, they've got to strengthen their wings.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15The pale female falcon is the most curious
0:40:15 > 0:40:18and steps closer to the dangerous edge.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Even for the queen of the falcons,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32this first flight takes courage and determination.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03It doesn't go well.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06This bad landing could have broken feathers,
0:41:06 > 0:41:11particularly if they were weakened earlier in their lives.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Any injury will affect her hunting ability,
0:41:15 > 0:41:16and drive her to starvation.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19For the moment, there are more pressing concerns.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22The wolves are mopping up birds,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25especially any that are slow to take off.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30The young falcon is exposed and vulnerable.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32REPEATED CRY
0:41:36 > 0:41:40A careless long-tailed skua has been caught.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59The young falcon climbs back up to the safety of the cliffs.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09The pack is reunited.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16The young female can now learn some proper teamwork.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25A whole pack of wolves in the water confuses the prey
0:42:25 > 0:42:28and makes catching a great deal easier -
0:42:28 > 0:42:30in this case, snow geese and their young.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Our young female catches a gosling.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20Fully gorged on goose, she has an opportunity to play.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52Days later, back on the eyrie, all the young falcons are keen to fly.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57The pale female is ready to give it another go.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20The others quickly follow her example.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41These young will soon leave this area
0:44:41 > 0:44:44and spend the winter wandering over vast areas of the sub-Arctic
0:44:44 > 0:44:48in search of a territory of their own.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52Both the adults will remain much closer by.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05With three chicks on the wing,
0:45:05 > 0:45:09the misfortunes of the previous season have been overcome.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15This has been a good year for the mother gyr.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24The wolves and the falcons have now had their chance to breed.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28WOLF HOWLS
0:45:38 > 0:45:41Though the wolves didn't raise another litter this year,
0:45:41 > 0:45:44the pack is still together.
0:45:44 > 0:45:49They will remain on the island for the winter,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52working together to hunt musk oxen.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Our young female survived her adventures.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30She might well become a breeding female herself
0:46:30 > 0:46:33in a few summers' time, and start up a new pack.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20By late August, the temperature starts to drop quickly.
0:47:23 > 0:47:28For all the characters that shared this brightly lit summer stage,
0:47:28 > 0:47:30those lights are now dimming.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Many of the birds have flown south
0:47:43 > 0:47:46and the other animals are dispersing.
0:47:50 > 0:47:55By early September, the snows are returning daily,
0:47:55 > 0:47:57and settling.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02And for the next seven months,
0:48:02 > 0:48:06this valley and its ancient nest will be deserted
0:48:06 > 0:48:11as the bitter cold and endless dark close in once more.