0:00:16 > 0:00:23The Orinoco river basin in Venezuela is a strangely eerie place.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27It's a lost world,
0:00:27 > 0:00:32with some of the largest areas of pristine jungle left in South America.
0:00:35 > 0:00:41These forests are the stronghold of a secretive, poorly understood bird of prey.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45The harpy eagle.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52They're massive birds which snatch large monkeys from tree tops.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56I'm here to try and understand them.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It's going to be hard.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02They're one of the most elusive of all the eagles.
0:01:05 > 0:01:12My aim was to get close to these birds and follow a chick being raised in the depths of this forest,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16but I'd no idea just how close our encounters would be.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33This is the eagle of all eagles.
0:01:57 > 0:02:04As a wildlife film maker, a harpy eagle will probably be the biggest challenge of my career.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10I've been fascinated by birds of prey ever since I was young, and filmed many of them.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17But the harpy eagle has outwitted nearly everyone.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Most bird lovers would give their eye teeth to see this bird.
0:02:23 > 0:02:31They're so difficult to see in the wild because they stay hidden in vast areas of jungle.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36It's at the top of a massive ceiba tree that we find a nest.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41This is one of the biggest trees in the forest.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47The nest will be a window into the eagle's world. But is there a chick?
0:02:47 > 0:02:52The only way we'll find out is to get up into the canopy.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59'We've found a tree that has a good view over to the nest.'
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I've never had to do this for a bird of prey before.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Get 40 metres off the ground to have a good look at it.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Normally, eagles nest in places where you can see them from the ground fairly easily.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20It's a long way to go up, but it's the only way we are going to get a view of the area
0:03:20 > 0:03:22and all the animals.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Under the eyes of the harpy.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40I'm overwhelmed by the sensation of height and space up here.
0:03:43 > 0:03:49Like a dive down onto a reef, a whole new world starts to appear.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58This is the part of the forest that receives all the sunshine.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01It's where the flowering and fruiting happens
0:04:01 > 0:04:06and this attracts a huge range of birds and other animals.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Up here, I'm out of my natural element.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21It's mesmerising.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Over there is the enormous ceiba tree.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30A strange force, completely dominating this part of the forest.
0:04:32 > 0:04:39This is exactly the kind of place I'd imagined these magnificent eagles might choose to build a nest.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41There's the female
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and I'm sure the nest is active.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47Are there any chicks?
0:04:50 > 0:04:55There's one... and only recently hatched.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56It's tiny.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00This is what I've been really hoping for,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04because now, for the next year or more, the adults will focus
0:05:04 > 0:05:10all their energies into raising this chick right here in front of us.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12They'll be tied to that nest
0:05:12 > 0:05:15and we'll be watching their every move.
0:05:17 > 0:05:23We're in a unique position now to learn more about these mysterious eagles.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29We've got a pair of eagles with a chick...
0:05:30 > 0:05:33..but what are they eating?
0:05:36 > 0:05:42They're arguably the most powerful eagle in the world, built to kill huge animals.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47I'm surprised to see these red howler monkeys around here.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50They've been well recorded as prey for harpy eagles.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Surely, this troop is pushing its luck hanging around here
0:05:58 > 0:06:00now there's a NEST of eagles?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08This is a three-toed sloth.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11He must be an easy meal.
0:06:22 > 0:06:28I'm surprised to find a family of aracaris right between us and the eagles.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31They're a type of toucan.
0:06:31 > 0:06:38Like all birds, I'd expect them to be too fast to be caught by the big eagles.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43To have such strikingly beautiful, gregarious birds right beside us
0:06:43 > 0:06:45up here in the canopy is a stroke of good luck.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50I suspect they're nesting in the hole in the tree.
0:06:55 > 0:07:02There's another type of monkey that's surprisingly visible around here - wedge-capped capuchins.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09They're smaller than the howler monkeys - fast and agile.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Maybe too nimble for the eagles.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19You hear them crashing through the branches far more often than you see them.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I'm not expecting to see a hunt.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38The jungle is so vast and thick, we'd never see it.
0:07:45 > 0:07:52My aim is different. By being at the nest, I'll see both the chick and everything that gets brought in.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58The female eagle's hungry.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00I can tell because she's calling.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Here comes her mate, and he's carrying something.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13It's a capuchin monkey.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18This is amazing. I remember reading about
0:08:18 > 0:08:23these very mysterious, dinosaur-like eagles of the forest when I was young,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27but I never dreamt that one day I would see one returning
0:08:27 > 0:08:33with a monkey, and in this place, which is like a real Jurassic Park.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36It's quite something.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41It's just frustrating for us having such a narrow window of view
0:08:41 > 0:08:44into the nest, only able to see what's happening
0:08:44 > 0:08:46between two branches.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49We'll need a better view than this.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55We can't build a hide in the ceiba tree itself.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Harpy eagles are notoriously aggressive.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02But a remote camera could work
0:09:02 > 0:09:06if we can safely get up and install one into the nest.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10- What's this?- It's Kevlar padding.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19'The team going up to install the camera put on police riot gear.'
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Because that gives you all of the protection around the back of the neck.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Which is great, but is that OK for climbing?
0:09:27 > 0:09:31These eagles specialise in killing primates.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36We'll need to be very careful if she isn't going to hurt us with those lethal weapons on her feet.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42It makes sense to climb the tree in the cool of the early morning
0:09:42 > 0:09:46so the technical team won't cook in all their heavy gear.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Their time up there has to be kept to a minimum.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53We want to make the least disturbance.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01I don't know how these particular eagles will react.
0:10:01 > 0:10:09I do know from other birds of prey that levels of aggression can vary widely between individuals.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18We've rehearsed installing the cameras on the ground,
0:10:18 > 0:10:23so once they're up the tree there's no mucking about.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28It'll function as a surveillance camera remaining on much of the time
0:10:28 > 0:10:32and helping us get a complete picture of the eagle's life.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39We'll be passing on these nest cam pictures to scientists.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41It'll be recording completely new behaviour.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51The nest cam will take quite a bashing with rain and humidity, but it's built to last.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Picture quality is a second priority.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03James starts his abseil down.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05We want the female to return to her chick.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14Adrian is out now. Suddenly, the female swoops feet away from him.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19It's a warning.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25He must get down quickly now.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30She's got a fistful of knives she can use next time.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35She swoops again. Closer this time.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Any moment, she's going to take off.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Thankfully, she leaves him alone and returns to the chick.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05No-one wants to do that again in a hurry.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Straight away we're getting a view of the whole nest area.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14It's as big as a double bed.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17We can see mum and chick, now relaxed.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22The male eagle arrives and he's carrying something.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36It looks, to me, like another capuchin monkey.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47The nest cam confirms my suspicion that the female never leaves the chick.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53It's only the male that's hunting - at the moment.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It's strange for me to see this tiny, vulnerable chick
0:13:04 > 0:13:08and imagine it as big and powerful as its mother one day.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17If the mother wasn't here, even a capuchin might take it.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Our own capuchin troop is becoming increasingly familiar to us.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Their habits are very regular.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26They're like a band of pickpockets.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Capuchins are well-known thieves of eggs and chicks.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43They won't take the eagle chick whilst its mother is in attendance, that's a fact.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Mind you, the capuchins are brave.
0:13:49 > 0:13:56This one's being heavily stung by bees while putting its fingers into some honey from a hole in a tree.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24But thinking about it, we never see any monkeys very close to the ceiba tree.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29It's as if there's an exclusion zone around it.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33With the eagles up there, the capuchin would be crazy to get too close.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Mind you, the aracaris don't seem to mind at all.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44They couldn't really be closer.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49Their own tree is only metres away from the ceiba tree.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51They're so social.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55All of this gang are one close-knit extended family group.
0:15:01 > 0:15:07Now that we've been here in the trees for over a week, we're beginning to see patterns.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12The aracaris have probably chosen this nesting tree for a very good reason.
0:15:15 > 0:15:23The branch just above them is often used by the male harpy as a resting post between hunting.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26What more could they ask?
0:15:26 > 0:15:32No capuchin in its right mind would try and raid eggs or chicks from this aracari nest.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40It must be one of the most desirable homes in the area.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51It looks like the neighbours know it.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53They're challenging the residents.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05Our aracaris won't give it up without a fight.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Thankfully, our aracaris remain.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55They're a bit ruffled by this, but their dignity looks intact.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11Back on the nest, day ten, and there's more for us to worry about.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24A yellow-headed vulture is circling the ceiba tree.
0:17:28 > 0:17:34It's probably been attracted by the stench of old carcasses emanating from the harpy nest.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39The vulture could eat the chick.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43I realise now why mum can't ever leave the nest.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46As long as the chick is small, it's very vulnerable.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Some days, nothing happens.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26But other days, we're worried we could lose the chick.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Just in our second week, and to our complete horror,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34we find a scouting column of army ants
0:18:34 > 0:18:37ascending the base of the ceiba tree.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48Bats that roost in the buttresses are frightened off.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Behind them, moving along the forest floor,
0:18:58 > 0:19:03is a column, one million strong, all on the march for food.
0:19:10 > 0:19:17Army ants can overwhelm and kill large creatures that can't get out of their way.
0:19:22 > 0:19:28Birds follow the ants and jump on bugs, trying to escape the frenzy of the advancing line.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40But the ceiba tree is far too high.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45We're relieved that the main column sticks to the forest floor.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50But they're not entirely out of trouble's reach.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57BUZZING
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Mother and chick are getting bothered by flies.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15She's right to be concerned.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17These can be deadly.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Bot flies are common here.
0:20:21 > 0:20:28They lay eggs on skin or feather and when the larvae hatch, they bury quickly into flesh.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33One may not be a problem, but an infestation can kill.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36We've found chicks dead.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I don't want my eagle to go that way.
0:20:41 > 0:20:47I've seen nature take its course with eagles of this age before, but not this one, please.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54The female is acting strangely.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Is she responding to the threat of these flies?
0:20:59 > 0:21:03She seeks out branches laden with green leaves
0:21:03 > 0:21:04and breaks them off.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14She takes them back to the nest.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Other, better-studied eagles have also been recorded doing this.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Intriguingly, the foliage they choose
0:21:26 > 0:21:29may contain a natural insecticide.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The nest cam reveals that she does this
0:21:32 > 0:21:35just under 40 times in three weeks.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I can see the power in this eagle now.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55It's the enormous strength in that beak and her feet.
0:21:55 > 0:22:02I can see now how, when she's hunting, she must use those deep, broad wings to help her
0:22:02 > 0:22:08pull away monkeys or sloths that have enough life remaining in them to cling to the trees.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53My guess is that the green foliage has several other benefits as well,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57like burying old carcasses in the nest
0:22:57 > 0:23:01and even shading the chick from the blisteringly hot sun.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06There's really high ultraviolet up here
0:23:06 > 0:23:09at 30 metres on the top of the canopy.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12It cooks everything and everyone.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26But it's rain that's the real killer.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32You know a storm is on the way because of sudden gusts of wind.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39These squalls make the tree you're in sway like a ship in heavy sea.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Today, I'm really worried.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47- THUNDER RUMBLES - There's a storm on the way.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53To make matters worse, it's been two days now since the male eagle
0:23:53 > 0:23:58last returned with food and there's still no sign of him.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05As eagles can't hunt easily in bad weather, the last thing she now needs is rain.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09THUNDER RUMBLES
0:24:09 > 0:24:15If this oncoming storm lasts long, my chick could die of hunger, or exposure, or both.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22I've seen it happen before with other eagle chicks,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24but I can't bear the thought of losing this one.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53She's committed to brooding her chick through this rain.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55I hope it'll save its life.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Endless heavy rain like this makes staying dry impossible.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Three days later, the rain finally stops.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15I have no way of knowing if the chick is still alive.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26Mum's clearly very hungry and calling hard.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28But the chick?
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Well, it's alive...just.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39A prey delivery by the male is now crucial.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50She looks around, desperate to find him.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Here he comes, and he's carrying something.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06I think it's a sloth.
0:27:27 > 0:27:33In seeming disgust at the delay, the mother sends the male straight back to hunting for more.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Standing over that sloth, which is about the size of a domestic cat,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55you can appreciate just how big she is.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24The chick is accepting food, that's the main thing.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30Tiny morsels are offered so the chick won't choke.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33I'm sure it'll soon gather its strength back.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45It's been a testing time,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48but I sense it's over the most vulnerable stage.
0:28:50 > 0:28:56What I'm looking forward to now is the next phase of its life, in a few months time,
0:28:56 > 0:29:03when it'll be growing and eating more than ever and that big female will have to hunt for it as well.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Eight weeks later, we walk the route toward the ceiba tree again.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03All I can think about is the eagle chick.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07The ground has changed.
0:30:07 > 0:30:13The dry riverbed, which was a useful path through the forest, has become a stream.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I'm apprehensive now.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Perhaps we shouldn't have left the eagle's nest for so long.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24I wasn't expecting it to have rained so much while we were away.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30I spot an adult, which is encouraging...
0:30:30 > 0:30:31But the chick?
0:30:39 > 0:30:41I'm in disbelief.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43It's grown beyond all recognition.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48But he's looking well.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58When he was tiny I couldn't say that I could sense a character,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00but I can see it in him now.
0:31:00 > 0:31:05I say "him" because I think, from his smaller size, that he's a male.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33The whole canopy around here has transformed, too.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37It's alive with rich, vibrant colour.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Forks in the high trees make bird baths.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52And here are my old friends, the aracaris.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54I never expected to see these birds again.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59They make me smile.
0:31:59 > 0:32:05Like so many creatures in the forest, these aracaris are such a strange sight,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08but they're nothing compared to some of the noises.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11BIRDS CALL
0:32:11 > 0:32:13What I find really strange about being in the forest
0:32:13 > 0:32:18is the acoustics and every noise is amplified and it echoes a bit, and it travels a long way
0:32:18 > 0:32:22and sometimes you hear these calls and think they're right by you
0:32:22 > 0:32:24but in fact they're a long, long way away.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30It's just like sitting in a cathedral where you hear very distant voices
0:32:30 > 0:32:34and you can't quite understand where they're coming from.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44I think a lot of people imagine that a rainforest is a menacing place.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48The truth is it's a very beautiful place.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52The colours are ones that you'll never see anywhere else in the world.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25I suspect this peace will soon be shattered.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29A vast pair of wings is about to shadow the jungle.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32The female is going to start hunting.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40She's a force to be reckoned with, we know that.
0:33:40 > 0:33:41She's a third bigger than him.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47The forest will have to be doubly alert.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57I'm guessing our howler monkeys will be on the menu now.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03They even have young.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07That's good timing by her.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09But I can't be sure what she'll catch.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15It'll be the nest cam that'll show us.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20But there's a problem, frustratingly, it's fogged up.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24It's just a blur of the nest area.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29We know the value of the data the nest cam was recording, but given how aggressive
0:34:29 > 0:34:31the female was on the last ascent,
0:34:31 > 0:34:35the technical team are understandably not that keen about going back up.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45They cover their legs and lower backs with tough rawhide strips
0:34:45 > 0:34:51to cover the parts not protected by their stab jackets and Kevlar gear.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02James goes up first.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04There's still no sign of her.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Oh, here she comes.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Straight for my face.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15The eagle waits until his back is turned.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19He's been hit again.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Right. She's now behind me.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25I've got her.
0:35:25 > 0:35:26Ow!
0:35:28 > 0:35:34This strike dislodged James' microphone, and hit his head so hard he was left stunned.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38He's stuck now. It's a stalemate.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45He can't afford to descend in case he loses sight of her, even for a second.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50The harpy's just a few yards away waiting for another chance to attack.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01Graham has to go up and cover James' back, and it pays off.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07After this swoop, the harpy doesn't attack again.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Together, they can watch out for each other
0:36:13 > 0:36:18and make the repairs whilst the eagle gets back to the nest.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24We're now in awe at the power in these eagles.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Whatever happens, no-one wants to do that again.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37It was a close shave, but now, we're back in action.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48She's settled...
0:36:53 > 0:36:54..and ready to hunt.
0:37:02 > 0:37:09Having seen her take out James, I wouldn't want to be a monkey living in this jungle now.
0:37:58 > 0:37:59The teenager is on his own.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11He's glaring at us.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17It's at moments like this that I catch his eye and I'm not sure
0:38:17 > 0:38:21if I'm looking at something very friendly or very evil.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24He's poised like a dinosaur.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28He must have seen me moving.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30It's quite unnerving.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Any movement is spotted by his eagle eye.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Birds of various kinds now mob him.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49They see him as a threat.
0:38:49 > 0:38:55He'll soon learn to hide himself away in the mottled shadows of thick cover.
0:38:55 > 0:39:02I have no doubt his parents do this when they're hunting, their best attack is a surprise attack.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22The female returns.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32She's brought a capuchin.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36I'm quite surprised.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39I thought she'd be catching howler monkeys.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Where are all these capuchins coming from?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45They're not from the local troop.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Could I find out?
0:40:09 > 0:40:15Moving very slowly and quietly allows me to use my hearing as well as not be heard.
0:40:23 > 0:40:29Between the more familiar forest sounds there's one that's new to me.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34BANGING
0:40:53 > 0:40:56The capuchins are gorging on fruit.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00The rains must have brought these on while we were away.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Totally pre-occupied in these fruit laden trees,
0:41:06 > 0:41:11this troop of capuchin must be very vulnerable to eagle attack.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15But what great timing for the ever-hungry teenage eagle.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26Remembering how James was attacked, with no warning, from behind,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I look at these monkeys and can imagine their quick fate.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50The monkeys must dread those eagles, but the chance to feast must be overwhelming.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20I wonder, have the eagles timed it all deliberately to coincide
0:42:20 > 0:42:25their breeding cycle with this opportunity to exploit the capuchin?
0:42:28 > 0:42:30But why still no howler monkeys?
0:42:32 > 0:42:35In other places I've read that they feed on them a lot.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Why don't my eagles catch them?
0:42:51 > 0:42:57Our own troop of howlers has always been in the same trees close to the harpy nest.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02What I do notice, is that they're usually in the very top branches.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14Exposed above the forest like this, the eagle must struggle to surprise them.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19Look at them stay in this tight group.
0:43:20 > 0:43:26Without surprise, I guess the eagle may not risk an attack, either.
0:43:26 > 0:43:33I bet those howlers could fight back if they weren't dispatched quickly with a surprise dagger in the back.
0:43:34 > 0:43:40It's an ugly scene in my head but it reminds me again of her strike on James.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42She knew what she was doing.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45She waited until he couldn't see her.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53And thinking about it, we rarely see the howlers
0:43:53 > 0:44:00out of this strange formation, like a protective square, even when they're just lounging around.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10It's September now, five months since he hatched.
0:44:12 > 0:44:19His flight feathers have grown down and by his excited look I think he can feel them in his wing beats.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23There are times when he looks up to the sky,
0:44:23 > 0:44:25to other birds of prey.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33I sense he wants to join them
0:44:33 > 0:44:36and it won't be that long now before he will.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49He'll be out of this tree, the only world he's known since he hatched.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59I'm attached to him now,
0:44:59 > 0:45:02in a strange way.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04I've grown fond of him.
0:45:15 > 0:45:20I think he's keener to leave the nest than I am to see him go.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34Just having a big wing stretch. Beautiful.
0:45:35 > 0:45:42The harpy chick has now reached an age when it's clearly beginning to move around the branches,
0:45:42 > 0:45:45and I'm sorting of expecting it to fly quite soon.
0:45:45 > 0:45:52It's not, probably, going to fly in the next week, but sooner or later it'll be airborne.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55And that's quite a concern to me, because there's a point at which
0:45:55 > 0:45:59the whole focus of the film has been possible because of the nest.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03The moment of fledging is hard to predict
0:46:03 > 0:46:08and we've learnt as much as we're going to until he's a bit older.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16We're planning to come again in four months' time.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35What we weren't to know was that it would actually be the most exciting phase of all.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59Four months later, we're back in the forest.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12I'm staggered to find my bird still in the ceiba tree.
0:47:14 > 0:47:20This time, as well, he's barely recognisable, he's a young adult now.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24He's distinctly pale compared to the adults. He's in very good condition.
0:47:41 > 0:47:47He can fly well, but why's he in the ceiba tree and not out in the forest?
0:47:47 > 0:47:51He seems hungry.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55The female flies in with prey.
0:48:15 > 0:48:21He's probably struggling to kill regularly enough to survive, but he's nearly a year old.
0:48:21 > 0:48:27To still be dependent on the adults at this age is very unusual for an eagle.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36But then, I guess not all eagles survive on catching monkeys.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01He's surrounded by beautiful birds called red-rumped caciques
0:49:01 > 0:49:06that have taken up residence in the ceiba tree whilst we've been away.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15He's watching and listening.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18BIRDS CALL
0:49:18 > 0:49:22They'd be too fast for him to catch.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25He's just curious.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28The forest is full of strange sights and sounds.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50The next morning, the ceiba tree is empty.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57He's gone, where?
0:49:59 > 0:50:01He's way off...
0:50:04 > 0:50:07..and in a different place each day.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23Nothing misses his keen eye.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03He's strong on the wing.
0:51:03 > 0:51:08I suddenly think this could be the last time I'd see him,
0:51:08 > 0:51:09maybe for weeks.
0:51:11 > 0:51:17And then, there is the most extraordinary surprise.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20Look! Look! Look! She's just come into land!
0:51:20 > 0:51:23The chick, the male, can you see him?
0:51:23 > 0:51:27Just come in on that branch, come to look at her, that is absolutely amazing.
0:51:27 > 0:51:32- I wonder if she'll stay there while we climb.- The male has taken off.
0:51:32 > 0:51:37Just on the right branch. It's the weirdest thing, Graham's about to go up and do some filming
0:51:37 > 0:51:43and to our amazement the male chick has just come in and landed about two, three metres from his hide.
0:51:43 > 0:51:48Even as we're looking at him, he's bobbing his head and looking at us.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52He's just not bothered. I think he might even stay there when you go up the ropes.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56- I think he will, yeah.- His mum, of course, we know very well.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58She's got very bad manners.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02I don't think he's got any real reason to attack us, that's what I hope.
0:52:08 > 0:52:12When I look at him through the binoculars, his sight is so good he's picking something up,
0:52:12 > 0:52:17a reflection in the lens and he's looking right down the barrels at me.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20It's quite alarming. I'm glad I'm not a capuchin.
0:52:20 > 0:52:25But he is the most beautiful bird, absolutely beautiful.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28He's so curious.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29What does he want?
0:52:29 > 0:52:32It's compelling.
0:52:43 > 0:52:49Each morning, as I look for him, I suspect he's looking for me.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51He appears from nowhere.
0:52:53 > 0:52:59He's taking everything in, every sight and sound, the capuchins as well,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02their movements and timings.
0:53:11 > 0:53:16I'm guessing he'll need to gather this intelligence quickly to outwit the monkeys.
0:53:18 > 0:53:24These eagles are so calculating, more than any other bird of prey I've ever worked with.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34It's probably why bird books mention that young harpy eagles
0:53:34 > 0:53:38can still be found in the nest area for up to a year after they fledge.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43They need every bit of that time to master the art
0:53:43 > 0:53:48of catching clever monkeys, while their parents still support them.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51And something else crosses my mind,
0:53:51 > 0:53:56difficult to prove but I think highly likely, and that is that his parents
0:53:56 > 0:54:02have quite deliberately left the monkeys around the ceiba tree alone, untouched.
0:54:04 > 0:54:05They've been left for the chick!
0:54:08 > 0:54:12This will be his training ground.
0:54:12 > 0:54:17These eagles are exceeding all my expectations,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20yet our filming has to draw to a close.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24We can't stay in the forest with this bird forever.
0:54:26 > 0:54:32On our last day we start to get our gear out of the tree
0:54:32 > 0:54:38and he's drawn in to watch us - this time closer than ever before.
0:54:43 > 0:54:50It's an extraordinary moment for me, as both a film maker and someone who loves birds of prey.
0:54:53 > 0:54:59Here we are just staring each other out in a way that I've never connected with a wild eagle before.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05Graham, he is getting ridiculously close to you. Over.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08You could probably put your hand out and touch those talons. Over.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12I won't do that, don't want to touch his talons again.
0:55:20 > 0:55:28It's extraordinary. A huge wild eagle just five metres away from the cameraman...
0:55:30 > 0:55:34..eyeballing us both, curious to know what we're doing,
0:55:34 > 0:55:36studying us.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41In fact, he's bobbing at me right now.
0:55:44 > 0:55:51I would never have dreamt that I'd connect in this way with a wild forest eagle.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57From the day we first saw him...
0:56:01 > 0:56:05..our close encounters with his fiercely protective and loyal mother...
0:56:15 > 0:56:19..to this young adult, now free in the forest.
0:56:25 > 0:56:30When we film birds of prey, we tend to get close-ups of the young when they're tiny
0:56:30 > 0:56:34and when they fly, we see them less and less.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38Now, with this young eagle, well, it's been the other way round.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45Over the year that we've been here, I've just got closer and closer to him.
0:56:51 > 0:56:56I've got so much respect for these extraordinary eagles.
0:56:56 > 0:57:01Realising now, as I do, what they must endure to survive and raise young.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16On my last day, I was so sorry to know that I wouldn't see him again.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23My last sight of him was as he flew away, very majestically,
0:57:23 > 0:57:27into the great wild forest of the Orinoco.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:46 > 0:57:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk