0:00:19 > 0:00:22'This isn't Patagonia or the Himalayas...
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'although you might think it was.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26'It's Scotland.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31'As a wildlife filmmaker,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'I've been able to work in some amazing far-flung places.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43'But my greatest challenge yet
0:00:43 > 0:00:45'was to spend a year making a film
0:00:45 > 0:00:47'about the elusive creatures of the Highlands.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'The most serious problem is usually the weather.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'You can have day after day when the rain is horizontal.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07'And when the weather settles down, the midges can make your life hell.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14'And yet I love this place, like nowhere else on earth.'
0:01:15 > 0:01:16MIDGES HUM
0:01:16 > 0:01:20If you're patient enough and you really sit it out,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23you can see some amazing sights.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And I think that's what makes me come back.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29It's got a charm to it, this place.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31It's not as if the wildlife is in your face,
0:01:31 > 0:01:36it's not as if you come bumping into great spectacles.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42'I've come to Loch Maree in the North West Highlands -
0:01:42 > 0:01:45'one of the remotest corners of Britain.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49'It's somewhere I know well from my childhood.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55'The loch is covered in magical, secretive little islands,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58'straight out of Swallows And Amazons.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02'It's a last refuge for some of Britain's rarest wildlife,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04'like black-throated divers...
0:02:06 > 0:02:07'..and sea eagles.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17'Now, I'm going to spend a year
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'following them in this barren landscape,
0:02:20 > 0:02:25'as they too struggle with the fickle weather to raise their young.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34THUNDER RUMBLES
0:02:53 > 0:02:55'Deep Atlantic depressions
0:02:55 > 0:02:59'can hit the west coast of Scotland at any time of year.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12'As clouds rise up the hills, they drop their rain.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17'The summits can get a little snow too, but not much.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19'This is the wettest place in Britain.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22'It can rain two days in every three.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29'Ruadh Stac Mor, the summit of Beinn Eighe, dominates this landscape.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'You really don't want to get caught out on this hill
0:03:34 > 0:03:35'when a storm comes in.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38'The mountains, or hills as they're called here,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41'are some of the most dangerous and challenging in Britain.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44WIND HOWLS
0:03:48 > 0:03:50'The wind is so strong
0:03:50 > 0:03:52'that waterfalls can flow up as much as down.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02'Loch Maree below can fill like a basin
0:04:02 > 0:04:04'before draining quickly back to the sea.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16'This 14-mile-long freshwater loch is close to the sea,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20'and because of that it attracts some rather unusual wildlife.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27'In the spring,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31'this haunting noise can be heard echoing across the loch.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33HIGH-PITCHED WARBLE
0:04:41 > 0:04:43'It's a black-throated diver.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55'They come here to feast on the loch's abundant small fish.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06'They're surprisingly snake-like for a bird.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17'I love the white beaded necklace they wear under their chins.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21'And the chequered patterns on their backs are stunning.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26'These birds have come in from the sea to breed.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28'They like the shelter of these islands,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31'and are looking for a secluded spot to nest.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35'They may find solitude here,
0:05:35 > 0:05:40'but in this land of rain there's the constant risk of flooding.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52'In Britain they're incredibly rare -
0:05:52 > 0:05:54'just over 200 pairs -
0:05:54 > 0:05:57'but a few have always nested on this loch.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07'The islands attract other rare birds, although these are newcomers.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14'The white-tailed eagle, or sea eagle, lives here as well,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18'but they weren't here when I was a boy in the 1970s.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'Extinct for a hundred years,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'the eagles were recently reintroduced from Scandinavia.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36'This bird made the loch its home about ten years ago.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47'Such a presence.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50'It's like the return of a king.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'Their eagle eyes don't miss much.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01'This one has found a dead deer by the water.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09'Red deer fatalities are common in early spring.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17'It's weeks and weeks of cold rain that does it.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20'More die here than anywhere else in Scotland.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23'But all the bodies
0:07:23 > 0:07:27'make it a great place for big scavengers like sea eagles.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40'A hooded crow close up looks quite large -
0:07:40 > 0:07:43'until you see it beside the sea eagle.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54'The hoodie is waiting for the eagle
0:07:54 > 0:07:57'to use its massive beak to break into the carcass.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14'There's an indescribable spirit to this place,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17'and there are sinister legends about the islands -
0:08:17 > 0:08:19'particularly this one, Isle Maree.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43'Ancient graves litter the forest floor.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45'Some date back to the Vikings.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49'I've heard it said that a burial on the island
0:08:49 > 0:08:51'would protect the graves from wolves,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'which were once a problem on the mainland.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56EERIE HOWLING
0:09:00 > 0:09:03'I've never quite bought into that,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07'as I've seen wolves swimming far out into lakes in the Arctic.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18'But with legends of pagan worship and bull sacrifices
0:09:18 > 0:09:21'the island has a real chill, believe me.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44'The sea eagles don't seem to like the island either.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03'They've chosen to nest on an island thick with ancient pine trees.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06'They use the same nest year after year,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09'until it gets blown down by a winter storm.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23'There are two chicks, and they're both looking well.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32'It's now early May, and the last few weeks have been dry.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36'Eagle chicks are very vulnerable soon after hatching,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38'particularly here.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40'By this time last year,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43'both offspring had already died of pneumonia.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52'So far, both the chicks are doing well.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55'I just hope the weather will be kind to them.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06'The black-throated divers are sitting on eggs.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14'They've chosen to nest on a man-made raft
0:11:14 > 0:11:18'put out for them by the wardens of this reserve.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24'These floating beds can rise and fall with the water level,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26'which stops the nest drowning.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31'Other divers have chosen real islands.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40'You can see how low the water level is at the moment.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42'A bit of rain, and they'll be in trouble.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46'They can't lay far from the edge of the loch,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49'as they really struggle to walk on land.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53'They're just not built for it -
0:11:53 > 0:11:55'they're a sea bird, after all.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13'The eagles wouldn't want to be far from the coast, either.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19'That's where most of their food is coming from.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28'From the distinctive forked tail,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30'I'd say this is a mackerel going down.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37'The parents are doing well.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40'There seems no shortage of food.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59'But something is up with my divers.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01'Something's wrong.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03'Neither of them is sitting.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'They're looking spooked. Heads down.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10'Have they deserted the nest?
0:13:11 > 0:13:15'I watch from a distance for hours, but they don't return.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20'One egg has been abandoned, and the other's missing.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25'It's a complete mystery.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27'Did something scare them?
0:13:35 > 0:13:38'I wonder if the low water helped a predator from the shore.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47'Or maybe an aerial nest robber like a raven.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49'But it seems odd they've only lost one egg.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56'Their chances of raising a family now look very slim.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07'Where IS the rain?
0:14:07 > 0:14:12'It's only May, and I've never seen this place look so dry.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25'These ptarmigan are acting strangely.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'They should be on eggs, or with chicks.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32'But they're looking for water.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34'Normally they don't need to drink,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38'as there should be enough moisture in their diet of heather shoots.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55'This place typically gets a metre of rain in May.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57'But this year there hasn't yet been a drop.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00'It's the driest May on record.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20'Small fish are stranded in pools.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23'Some of them will need to get out to sea to grow.
0:15:33 > 0:15:39'The receding shoreline is exposing muds that are rich in insect life.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42'It's a good thing for birds that come here to feed.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47'Grey wagtail.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49'And ringed plover.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58'The beach nesting divers have done well.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02'They've just hatched two chicks.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05'Any rain will pose less danger to them now,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07'as even small chicks can swim.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'I'm surprised to find the other pair still hanging out by the raft.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31'They've laid, again.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33'A second clutch of eggs -
0:16:33 > 0:16:36'but they're now a month behind the others.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40'It's so late in the season.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44'The odds are stacked against them, even if the eggs do hatch.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03'The strangely dry spring is over.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07'It's June, and rain-bearing clouds are piling in from the west.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20'This is more like the Highland weather I love and expect.
0:17:31 > 0:17:37'Small sea trout, called finnock, can now swim down river to sea.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42'The vital cycle that was damaged by the drought has now been fixed.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55'Something else moves in the rain-sodden ground.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16'They emerge into the drizzle in their millions.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20'The Highland midge.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23'They're on the wing from April until September,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27'but after these June rains they've hit their peak.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35'The males form swarms which the females visit to find a mate.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38'It's actually only the female midges that bite -
0:18:38 > 0:18:42'they need blood to get into breeding condition.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46'The only way to cope
0:18:46 > 0:18:50'is to realise that this whole ecosystem needs them.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54'They're just another part of this complex Celtic rainforest,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58'and many creatures feed on them or their larvae.
0:19:04 > 0:19:10'The peaty ground has softened with the rain and swollen the bogs.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13'Out of them emerges one of the jewels of summer,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15'and one that also eats midges -
0:19:15 > 0:19:17'dragonflies.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33'I've never seen them in greater numbers.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36'This place has more species than anywhere else in Scotland.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51'I remember being entranced by them as a boy.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56'I wanted to catch one and soak up its brilliance.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58'But of course I never got close.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07'What I didn't realise
0:20:07 > 0:20:11'was that this is one of the best places to see them in Britain.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15'They thrive here BECAUSE of the rain and the midges.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21'For anything that wants to escape the midges, the best route is up.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24'This is where the deer go.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27'There's a continual breeze -
0:20:27 > 0:20:29'but there's something else to worry about.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36'Golden eagles.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42'I had some amazing encounters with them.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45'Even though I find them a bit intimidating.
0:20:45 > 0:20:46'But for the deer,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49'they represent a real threat to the lives of their young.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58'The calves wisely stay close to Mum when an eagle is overhead.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22'For five days I watched the eagle circling over the newborn calves,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24'but I never saw a kill.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'Although there are plenty of locals that have.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39'Back down at the loch, the divers are still sitting on eggs.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'It's unusually late, but it can't be long before they hatch.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50'I barely recognise the eaglets,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55'yet it was only a couple of weeks since I saw them last.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57'Their flight feathers have grown,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59'and there's no down left on them at all.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03'They look as if they know
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'they should be doing SOMETHING with those huge wings.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21'And to see this tender side between them -
0:22:21 > 0:22:22'that's new for me.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28'It could have been another story.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'A shortage of food early on can make the siblings fight.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40'The younger one usually dies, and may even be eaten.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42'But these two are more like friends.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57'The weather up here can get you down,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02'but on a beautiful evening like this you quickly forget.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06'The changing light is mesmerising.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10'Even a wet day can finish with a sunset of gold.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29'Dawn in late June,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'and there's a flurry of activity at the diver raft.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36'The chicks have finally hatched.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53'The divers have done well to hatch this second clutch,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55'but there's still an awfully long way to go.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06'They need to work on their parenting skills.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15'That soft down isn't waterproof, and heavy rain can drown them.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25'They seem terribly fragile on such a big, windswept loch.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31'With a bird this rare, every chick counts.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38'These chicks are a month behind the other divers,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40'so there's no time to lose.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48'The loch is an important nursery for many species of fish,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52'and that's what makes it such a good nursery for the divers too.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01'The parents must keep the chicks well away from the mainland shore.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07'Pine martens work through the trees and along the edge of the loch,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10'looking for nestlings and fledglings.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17'They're highly intelligent predators, and miss nothing.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23WAVES RUSH
0:25:23 > 0:25:25'There's a storm coming in,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28'and the wind is rising already.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37'At this young age, the chicks are very vulnerable.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56'The waves are building, and they're bobbing around like corks.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06'They need to get out of the water before it gets any choppier.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12SHRILL CRIES
0:26:20 > 0:26:21ANXIOUS WARBLE
0:26:36 > 0:26:38THUNDER RUMBLES
0:26:38 > 0:26:41WIND HOWLS
0:26:45 > 0:26:48'Everything up here turns on the weather.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52'A sunny day can turn into a rainstorm within hours.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55'And all the Highland animals need to be able to respond.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36'There's one creature that has been WAITING for this rain.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55'They smell the fresh rain that's pouring off the peaty hills -
0:27:55 > 0:27:58'a smell they recognise in the estuary -
0:27:58 > 0:28:01'and they follow it up the river to the loch.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05'Salmon.
0:28:05 > 0:28:06'Some of these fish
0:28:06 > 0:28:10'might have been waiting for rain for a month or more.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13'Loch Maree's salmon and sea trout numbers
0:28:13 > 0:28:15'have crashed since I was a child.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18'It breaks my heart.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21'As a fishery it's a shadow of its former self.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27'Scientists are trying to work out what's gone wrong,
0:28:27 > 0:28:29'and how to reverse the decline.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36'Hopefully, they will.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'July turns to August.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08'The young divers have grown -
0:29:08 > 0:29:10'but they're still vulnerable to bad weather.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15'That soft down still covers their backs.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24'They're still being fed by the adults,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27'and I haven't seen them try to dive yet.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44'It'll be several weeks more before they can fly.
0:29:48 > 0:29:53'Unlike the eagles, which could fledge at any time now.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57'A wind like this should encourage the youngsters.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59'It could be an exciting day.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05'The adults need only open their vast wings to the wind
0:30:05 > 0:30:07'to generate lift.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24'They've deliberately underfed the eaglets in the last few weeks,
0:30:24 > 0:30:28'otherwise the youngsters would have little reason to leave.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34'But it's the irresistible draw of the wind
0:30:34 > 0:30:37'that finally tempts it into the air.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54'They throw their feet up, begging for food.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58'Maybe they can tell that the adults have fed recently.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02'Perhaps the adults want to take the youngsters to a carcass.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21'What a moment for them -
0:31:21 > 0:31:24'seeing the islands below for the first time.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38'But the wind is still rising,
0:31:38 > 0:31:42'and one of the eaglets has been airborne for well over an hour.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45'It must be tired by now.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05'Like a broken kite, it suddenly swings out of control downwind.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26'A good recovery, but it still looks pretty shaky...
0:32:29 > 0:32:33'..compared to its mother's effortless mastery of the air.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54'It's TRYING to land,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58'but the thin top branches just can't hold its weight.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13'The adults stay on the wing, as if to support the youngster.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35'It finally descends into the leeward side of the tree,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37'and looks for a larger branch.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01'That's quite an introduction to flying.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04THUNDER RUMBLES
0:34:06 > 0:34:09'In the last 12 hours we've had everything -
0:34:09 > 0:34:13'sun, rain and now gale force winds.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16'That's the west coast of Scotland for you -
0:34:16 > 0:34:19'all the seasons in one day.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25'As we move towards the autumn equinox,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27'it'll become even more unstable...
0:34:29 > 0:34:33'..with cold, wet fronts driving in one after the other.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19'It's early September.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22'Divers are now on the wing.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26'Some have already left for the sea -
0:35:26 > 0:35:29'except my family, which is still out on the loch.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35'At least they're now learning how to fish.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48'Like the eagles, the adult divers are feeding their chicks less,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51'encouraging them to join them underwater.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56'I guess it's as big a step as flying was for the young eagles.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05URGENT CALL
0:36:34 > 0:36:37'Up in the hills, the ground is soaked through.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07'Hundreds of glinting burns bring the landscape to life,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10'and below, the rivers are swollen.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18'But the real power in this flood
0:37:18 > 0:37:21'is the effect it has on the Highland wildlife.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37'The loch has risen by three metres.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40'Salmon respond to this extra water,
0:37:40 > 0:37:45'and use it to get up the steeper, narrower sections.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47'They're gaining height all the time.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24'I'm hoping my young divers will soon manage to fly.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32'They're such big birds - the size of a goose.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34'But with short, narrow wings,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36'they have to run at speed to get any lift.
0:38:55 > 0:38:56'Not this time.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10'But spending hours quietly by the loch brings other surprises.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18'A good-looking stag
0:39:18 > 0:39:22'is heading for the shelter of the islands for the winter.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25'This is a rare moment to see.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32'Could this be it?
0:39:53 > 0:39:57'The first few flights of any bird are often ungainly,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01'but once in the air, this diver looks surprisingly competent.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18'As with the eagles,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21'it's interesting to see how they cope with landing.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23'This one left me speechless.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06LOW, ECHOING HOWLING
0:41:14 > 0:41:18'The weirdest of sounds is now echoing around the Highland glens.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26'It's the autumn soundtrack to these hills.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34'It's the red deer stags starting their rut.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37RESONANT BELLOW
0:41:37 > 0:41:41'They're sorting out who's who, and trying to impress the hinds.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51'They're so wild and proud...
0:41:51 > 0:41:54'although I think I'm more impressed than the hinds are.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59BELLOWING CONTINUES
0:42:05 > 0:42:07INSISTENT BELLOW
0:42:18 > 0:42:22'Chasing can be dangerous over this treacherous ground.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47'An injury now would probably result in a slow and uncomfortable death.
0:42:58 > 0:43:03'By December, these hills are really cold and bleak.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18'Most of the deer get off this high ground.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21'Those that remain are always moving
0:43:21 > 0:43:25'to shelter from the changing, cold, wet wind.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28WIND HOWLS
0:43:50 > 0:43:51'It feels dead up here.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55'Even the crows are silent.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08'But it's rare to come in from a walk on the hill disappointed -
0:44:08 > 0:44:10'even in December, when it's this cold.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18'Look carefully at the water, and you'll find new life stirring.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36'The most unlikely burns are full of salmon.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39'This is where they've been heading since midsummer.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53'There's a real thrill in seeing such a big fish in a small stream.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57'They needed all that rain to get up here.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01'Now, the hen fish will lay in the gravel.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04'Too much rain, and her eggs could wash away.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09'Too little rain, and she wouldn't have got up here.
0:45:20 > 0:45:25'Only in January does this part of the Highlands really feel empty.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30'Now, all the creatures that summer brought into the loch
0:45:30 > 0:45:32'have finally returned to the sea.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38'The sea eagles, young and old, will range the coast,
0:45:38 > 0:45:41'waiting for storms to bring them food.
0:45:45 > 0:45:50'The divers have rafted together, and are now fishing the seabed.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58'And as for me,
0:45:58 > 0:46:02'my childhood love affair with the Highlands has been rekindled,
0:46:02 > 0:46:07'with new memories added to old of wildness and weather.
0:46:22 > 0:46:27'What a treat to spend time with such magnificent wildlife.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40'Watching every drama of their lives played out right in front of me.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21'There's something defiantly wild about this landscape.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26'I watch the clouds that bring rain,
0:47:26 > 0:47:29'and from it both life and death.
0:47:31 > 0:47:36'I watch the rhythm of the loch as it ebbs and flows.
0:47:39 > 0:47:44'It's this ever-changing weather that shapes all life here.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47'And it makes ME feel alive too.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51'That's what keeps me coming back.'
0:48:11 > 0:48:14'I knew that making a film up here wouldn't be easy.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20'Filming the eagles was relatively straightforward.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24'But I had no idea just how difficult it would be
0:48:24 > 0:48:28'to film two of the other animals I wanted -
0:48:28 > 0:48:29'the diver...
0:48:29 > 0:48:30'and the pine marten.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43'To get close to the divers -
0:48:43 > 0:48:46'an extremely rare and sensitive species -
0:48:46 > 0:48:50'I'd need to work with Lorna, a local diver scientist.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57'For the last few years,
0:48:57 > 0:48:59'she's been studying these birds on the nest,
0:48:59 > 0:49:02'so I thought it would be easy to find a good site.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11'But there was a mystery, one that she was investigating.'
0:49:11 > 0:49:13No, they are still out there, but I...
0:49:13 > 0:49:17'Diver eggs were curiously vanishing.'
0:49:17 > 0:49:22This pair's got one egg and they nested on a raft around there before.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24And they failed and they've now moved to an island site.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26It's the first time they've nested here.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29- You've got a camera on them? - We've got a camera on here.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Well, it is there. The egg's there still.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38'We would need to work fast while the diver was off this egg.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43'We wanted to install the remote camera as quickly as possible
0:49:43 > 0:49:45'and get out of the area.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48'Lorna has been using them to spy on nests
0:49:48 > 0:49:51'and to reveal what's been taking the eggs.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55'Anything that comes close to this egg will be caught on camera.'
0:49:55 > 0:49:59Tilt it up slightly now, it's a bit too low to the ground.
0:49:59 > 0:50:00That's fine.
0:50:00 > 0:50:01That's probably fine.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04'What on earth would it be?'
0:50:04 > 0:50:07- Are we out of here now? - Yep, that's us.- Good.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09'Lorna and I moved on to a nest
0:50:09 > 0:50:12'where the eggs had gone only a few days before.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16'Any egg losses for these rare birds
0:50:16 > 0:50:18'are a serious cause for concern.
0:50:18 > 0:50:22'But I was also beginning to realise that it was going to be difficult
0:50:22 > 0:50:24'to choose a nest that I thought would succeed.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30'Then there was the added risk of shore-based nests flooding.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32'What had I taken on?
0:50:37 > 0:50:40'A nest on a raft seemed the best bet.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43'At least it wouldn't drown if the loch were to rise after heavy rain.'
0:50:43 > 0:50:45It's a very good hide.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54'We put up the filming hide nearby and I just crossed my fingers.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01'In the meantime, I thought I'd stake out the pine martens.'
0:51:01 > 0:51:04MIDGES HUM
0:51:04 > 0:51:07'I've known them to den in these woods before
0:51:07 > 0:51:10'and has no reason why they shouldn't still be here.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14'But, after long days watching,
0:51:14 > 0:51:17'I still had no more than the odd glimpse of a pine marten.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21'We needed much more.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25'And I certainly hadn't remembered the midges being as bad as this.'
0:51:25 > 0:51:28The important thing is that I get some sightings
0:51:28 > 0:51:32before I can expect a poor cameraman to sit out these midges too.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34MIDGES HUM
0:51:34 > 0:51:38'To make matters worse, at this crucial stage in May,
0:51:38 > 0:51:42'Lorna rang to say that the divers on the raft had deserted their nest.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47'One egg abandoned, the other gone -
0:51:47 > 0:51:49'the adults weren't going to return.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54'I thought they were going to be safe on the raft,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56'and we were going to be filming a hatching.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02'I had a cameraman arriving in a week's time.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10'It was too late to find another nest.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17'There was a slim chance they might re-lay on the same raft.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19'And that was my only hope.'
0:52:20 > 0:52:24We can't put in a hide at any other clutches,
0:52:24 > 0:52:26- because that would disturb them. - Yeah.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28So I've got all my eggs in one basket.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29All your eggs on one raft.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33- Yeah, all my eggs on one raft. - Literally.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Sometimes the birds can sit very, very tight,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40so we always like to make sure the bird's off so we don't scare them up.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43It's better to go in slow and let them slide off slowly into the water.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45- You know she's off?- Yeah.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49'Lorna has seen the birds back near the raft.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53'I'm just hoping this could mean they're nesting again.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58'They have re-laid. What a relief!'
0:52:58 > 0:53:01So you can see, she actually came and laid right underneath the camera
0:53:01 > 0:53:03when she laid second time.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08'We just have to hope for more luck this time.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11'But we were back in business, at least with the divers.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15'I was back to the pine martens,
0:53:15 > 0:53:18'determined that they weren't going to beat me.'
0:53:18 > 0:53:20It makes me think that, all the time,
0:53:20 > 0:53:21there are eyes looking at me.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24The eyes of a pine marten. It knows I'm here.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28'I really needed to find a den.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30'To find that,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33'I would need to establish a clear pattern of movements.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37'A friend of mine and I built a simple phone-triggering device.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44'I baited the inside with something I know they can't resist -
0:53:44 > 0:53:46'a jam sandwich.'
0:53:46 > 0:53:50The hope is that the pine marten will scurry along,
0:53:50 > 0:53:53smell the jam sandwich in here and push that aside,
0:53:53 > 0:53:54as a pine marten might.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57And sniff and go, "Hmm."
0:53:57 > 0:54:00Now, already, that's been set off.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02- PHONE RINGS - PineMarten1 has called.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05That's perfect.
0:54:05 > 0:54:06'Clever?
0:54:06 > 0:54:09'I know how cunning pine martens can be -
0:54:09 > 0:54:11'you have to play them at their own game.
0:54:15 > 0:54:16'Back on the loch,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20'our divers on the raft were thankfully still on their eggs.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25'Over time, Lorna has been gathering some really interesting evidence
0:54:25 > 0:54:26'from the remote cameras.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30'I couldn't wait to go through it with her
0:54:30 > 0:54:32'and see who the likely egg thieves might be.'
0:54:32 > 0:54:35- That looks to me like an otter. - Yeah.- That is definitely an otter.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38- So it's walked over the egg, has it? - That's its tail.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41I would say it's passed slightly to the side of it. More or less.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44- It hasn't eaten the egg. - So it's ignored the egg.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46I even wondered there if it's sniffing
0:54:46 > 0:54:48where the adult bird's been sitting for a long time,
0:54:48 > 0:54:52so I wasn't quite sure what was going on there at all.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55'Otters were clearly coming onto the raft,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58'but if they weren't actually taking the eggs, what was?
0:55:00 > 0:55:04'There was one visitor that I would never have suspected.'
0:55:04 > 0:55:06- A big bound, isn't it? - As if it's trying to catch it.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08- Is that a pine marten to you? - Absolutely.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11- These are very distinct ears.- Yeah.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15- And then this is it moving around, I think taking the first egg.- Yes.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19People knew that pine martens lived on the island already,
0:55:19 > 0:55:20and they've known that historically,
0:55:20 > 0:55:22but somehow we hadn't really thought
0:55:22 > 0:55:24the pine Martin was going to be there.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26It's absolutely intriguing - without the camera trap,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29you really would have said everything was the otter.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33- Absolutely.- But it's not, it's a pine marten.
0:55:33 > 0:55:34'I was really surprised.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39'How could the pine marten know that there were eggs on the raft,
0:55:39 > 0:55:42'let alone swim out there and back with an egg?
0:55:42 > 0:55:43'That's a shot for another film.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46'They are so clever.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51'If they find the new eggs on our raft, everything's lost.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55'These pine martens are putting me under real pressure.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58'And, to add insult to injury,
0:55:58 > 0:56:01'they've now started raiding my house.'
0:56:01 > 0:56:02In the last few nights,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05we've suspected something's been coming into this kitchen.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07So we have been leaving out a few jam sandwiches
0:56:07 > 0:56:10and if you look at them, well, they've been taken off the table
0:56:10 > 0:56:14and all the jam's been licked off, so I have to say I think it's...
0:56:14 > 0:56:17Look at all these muddy prints, too, I think it's pretty likely
0:56:17 > 0:56:20that the pine marten is coming in here. And, um...
0:56:21 > 0:56:24It's getting up to the window, right up here, jumping down.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27It's slightly ironic that, there we are, out in the woods,
0:56:27 > 0:56:29setting these ridiculous phone traps
0:56:29 > 0:56:30to try and work out their movements -
0:56:30 > 0:56:33"They're so elusive, they're so intelligent!
0:56:33 > 0:56:35"We can't see them, we don't get the better of them."
0:56:35 > 0:56:37And yet here, now, suddenly, we've got a pine marten
0:56:37 > 0:56:39coming in from the wild, into the cottage,
0:56:39 > 0:56:42taking food from the kitchen and out again.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44It's like a robber. We didn't hear anything.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46Look at these marks down here.
0:56:46 > 0:56:47Look at that!
0:56:47 > 0:56:49These are the scratch marks.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51It's actually had a really good dig.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53It's like we're chasing each other.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01'Well, the only slight consolation
0:57:01 > 0:57:04'is that, if the pine marten is busy raiding my kitchen,
0:57:04 > 0:57:07'she might be leaving the diver eggs alone.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15'To my relief, the diver eggs did finally hatch
0:57:15 > 0:57:18'and we filmed them through to adulthood.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20'I was lucky.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22'I had achieved one of my goals.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25'But the pine marten?
0:57:25 > 0:57:27'It got the better of us.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30'I reckon it was always there,
0:57:30 > 0:57:34'but she had nearly always seen us before we saw her.
0:57:36 > 0:57:37'Just for fun,
0:57:37 > 0:57:41'we did manage to capture our midnight thief on camera.
0:57:41 > 0:57:45'And it turned out to be the only significant footage we ever got.
0:57:49 > 0:57:50'That's just the way it is
0:57:50 > 0:57:53'when you're making a film about wild animals.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55'Despite your best efforts,
0:57:55 > 0:57:57'there are stories that work out
0:57:57 > 0:58:00'and those that just...get away.'
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd