0:00:02 > 0:00:03BIRDSONG
0:00:03 > 0:00:08If you want to see some of the most celebrated creatures of summer,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11a wildflower meadow like this is the place to be.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Here, you might find Admirals, a Duke, an Emperor,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21even perhaps a Painted Lady.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Which sounds a bit like the cast of glamorous costume drama,
0:00:25 > 0:00:26but it's not.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Because we're about to meet
0:00:28 > 0:00:31some of the most colourful, dazzling, exotic animals
0:00:31 > 0:00:34in the whole of the United Kingdom.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37The butterflies.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45It's easy to see why they're so captivating.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50The sheer variety of their forms and colours is mind-boggling,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52and nothing beats seeing them on the wing.
0:00:55 > 0:01:02And here is a butterfly - it's a Common Blue - just sunning herself.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06You can't call that a Common B... Oh!
0:01:06 > 0:01:07..a Common Blue.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09That's a sophisticated animal.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16This, their most lovely stage,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20is just a brief part of a fascinating life story.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22They make a miraculous transformation
0:01:22 > 0:01:25from plump, earthbound caterpillar
0:01:25 > 0:01:28into winged beauty -
0:01:28 > 0:01:31a process we're only now beginning to fully understand.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Perhaps just in the nick of time.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41100 years ago, naturalists describe fields like this
0:01:41 > 0:01:45as being alive with literally clouds of butterflies.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47What a sight that must have been!
0:01:47 > 0:01:52But today, I am having to keep my eyes peeled to see just one or two.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55And a combination of the modern world
0:01:55 > 0:01:59and changes in the climate have hit these delicate,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and sometimes very specialised creatures, very hard.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Recent wet summers
0:02:05 > 0:02:08have been disastrous for our butterflies and moths.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10So, we at Springwatch think that now is the time
0:02:10 > 0:02:13to turn the spotlight on these fragile creatures.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17It's time to discover...
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Where are they? What makes them tick?
0:02:20 > 0:02:24And, perhaps, most important of all, what can we do
0:02:24 > 0:02:27to give our butterflies a much-needed boost.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32So welcome to the Springwatch Guide to Butterflies AND Moths.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07We have 59 different species of butterfly
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and well over 2,000 different species of moth.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17They all belong to the insect family Lepidoptera -
0:03:17 > 0:03:19meaning scaled wing.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Some of the showiest have showy names to match -
0:03:24 > 0:03:26there's painted ladies,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28swallowtails,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31monarchs, and peacocks.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33These aren't just pretty faces -
0:03:33 > 0:03:36their private lives are complex and intriguing.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Later, Chris will be probing the details of those lives
0:03:43 > 0:03:45in gorgeous ultra close-up.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49This thing is very much alive.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50Loads in there!
0:03:50 > 0:03:55Michaela will discover the sensitive side of our mysterious moths.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59A male emperor moth detected a female up to five miles away.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03And I'll be meeting some truly wonderful butterfly enthusiasts.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06It's a vicious little thug.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10And showing you how you can create a haven for butterflies
0:04:10 > 0:04:13in your very own back yard.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Oh, what was that?
0:04:15 > 0:04:18We're surrounded by them now, aren't we?
0:04:18 > 0:04:23When you look closely, these animals can be pretty outlandish.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Each butterfly, each moth,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28has its own sometimes remarkable tale to tell.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34So let's start... with a mystery story -
0:04:34 > 0:04:37The Tangled Tale Of The Lady Who Vanished.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42The beautiful Painted Lady.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44We think of it as a British species,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48when, in fact, each summer it arrives here from the Continent.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50But although it captivates us,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53one thing has always puzzled scientists.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59When it comes to winter, all our Painted Ladies disappear.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04Now you might think -
0:05:04 > 0:05:08where do any of our butterflies go at the end of summer?
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Well, our resident species over-winter here
0:05:11 > 0:05:13at various stages of their life cycle,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17whether it's as an egg, a chrysalis, or even as an adult.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24The Painted Lady is a migrant, flying up to the UK from the south,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and there were no sightings of these visitors
0:05:26 > 0:05:28making the reverse trip home.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And then the truth was discovered.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36It's a long story of a long journey.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43It starts all the way down in the searing heat of north Africa.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48So this is what's going on.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50The Painted Ladies fly across here,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52the north coast of Africa,
0:05:52 > 0:05:53and then they lay eggs.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Those eggs hatch, move up into Spain.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57They lay eggs,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00they move up into France.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02And only then...
0:06:02 > 0:06:06into the UK, going as far north as southern Scotland.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13It's like a relay race of successive generations.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17But where does our British-born generation go to
0:06:17 > 0:06:18at the end of summer?
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Well, in 2012 supersensitive radar picked them up
0:06:23 > 0:06:25in an unexpected place.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29They ARE going back to Africa,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32but flying at a height of over 500 metres.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38High in the sky, way beyond our human eyes,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42those relatively small butterflies catch the wind
0:06:42 > 0:06:46and that whisks them along at up to 70km an hour,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49heading south, back towards Africa.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Astonishing.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56So, for the case of the disappearing lady, the mystery's solved.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Much of what we know about butterflies and moths
0:07:06 > 0:07:09has only been gleaned in the last few centuries,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12but they've been around for millions of years.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Most of us are familiar with the ones we see in our parks and gardens.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22The tiny Holly Blue.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26The classic Tortoiseshell.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30And the Brimstone - the original butter-coloured fly,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32said to have given butterflies their name.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Many are far more particular about where they live.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43Some Blues live in tiny colonies on south-facing slopes of chalky hillsides.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48The Heath Fritillary loves the woodland glade.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52And one little character - the Mountain Ringlet -
0:07:52 > 0:07:56lives mostly in grassy tussocks high in the Scottish Highlands.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00It's this specialisation
0:08:00 > 0:08:04that makes them so widely and beautifully different.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07And it's all down to the peculiarities
0:08:07 > 0:08:09of their amazing life cycle.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Something that Chris has been having a really close look at.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Now, the first stage is the egg.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21But there is an immediate problem when it comes to the eggs
0:08:21 > 0:08:23of the UK's butterflies and moths.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28They are extremely small - rarely more than one millimetre in diameter.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31For instance, you can just about make them out
0:08:31 > 0:08:34as these tiny spots here.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36But to truly appreciate them, we need to magnify them,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40and on that account we've got this camera set up here
0:08:40 > 0:08:44with a macro lens pointing down at the eggs on this stage
0:08:44 > 0:08:46magnifying them fantastically.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Magnificently magnified, Chris!
0:08:54 > 0:08:57At this size, we're getting a butterfly's eye view
0:08:57 > 0:09:00of these microscopic gems.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06But which beautiful creature made these?
0:09:07 > 0:09:11These are the eggs of an Oleander Hawk-moth.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12A truly exotic species -
0:09:12 > 0:09:15a migrant which occasionally turns up in the UK.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Its eggs are almost completely smooth,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22but many of these insect eggs are highly sculptured, ridged,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25with all sorts of processes.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28They're very, very beautiful things indeed.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I was looking at the fruit bowl this morning,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and I thought to myself there are clear parallels
0:09:32 > 0:09:37between some of the fruits I had there and the butterflies' eggs.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39These ones, physalis,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43show a fair comparison with highly magnified views
0:09:43 > 0:09:45of those Brimstone eggs.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48And then, this cauliflower head...
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Now, you're going to think I'm losing it here, but I'm not.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Eggs of some of the Hairstreaks, particularly Black Hairstreaks,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58seriously do look a bit like this.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05All of those processes - ridges and dimples - are there for a reason.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Firstly, they're about protecting the young caterpillar,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11which is developing inside that egg.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14They're also about allowing it to breathe,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16because in the top of all these eggs
0:10:16 > 0:10:19there's something called the micropyle,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and this is a pore which allows oxygen into the egg,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27so the young animal can respire whilst it's growing.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And all that, on eggs the size of a grain of sugar.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37But - question - why aren't they all more-or-less the same shape?
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Well, they're carefully adapted to suit exactly where they are laid.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46You see, butterflies and moths drink nectar from flowers,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50but for caterpillars, it's all about leaves.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58So it's absolutely critical mum lays her eggs on the right plant
0:10:58 > 0:11:03to provide her offspring the nourishment they need to grow.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07And she's very, very picky about where she lays them -
0:11:07 > 0:11:10checking out how young the leaves are,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12how warm the ground is,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14how tall the vegetation is.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18And there's one butterfly that does all this
0:11:18 > 0:11:24and yet decides to lay her eggs in the most unexpected place imaginable.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Meet the 'artillery' Fritillary!
0:11:33 > 0:11:38Salisbury Plain - the largest military training area in Britain.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44It's home to 50,000 soldiers,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46hundreds of tanks,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49dozens of helicopters, and...
0:11:49 > 0:11:52the Marsh Fritillary.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Here, this rare butterfly spends its whole life
0:11:59 > 0:12:03in a patch of ground no bigger than a couple of football pitches.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05It doesn't ask for much,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09all it needs is the soil, a very particular plant
0:12:09 > 0:12:13and one other rather unlikely ingredient...disturbance.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Army manoeuvres keep churning up the turf,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and where the topsoil is scraped off,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23with it go the seeds of competing plants.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27And that allows the Devil's-bit Scabious to grow.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31Under this leaf,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35are the maroon-coloured eggs of the Marsh Fritillary.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39By the time these hatch, this plant will be about three feet tall.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45And that's what makes it so attractive to this butterfly.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Devil's-bit Scabious is the main food plant for their caterpillars,
0:12:49 > 0:12:54and because it thrives in this turbulent battle ground so will they.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56It's the best possible start
0:12:56 > 0:12:59for the next phase of this remarkable odyssey.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Welcome...the caterpillar.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Even before they leave the shell, the caterpillar is chewing.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23They don't hatch, so much as eat their way out.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37The egg is their first meal - vital protein -
0:13:37 > 0:13:40from here on it's vegetation all the way.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53This is the beauty of the lepidopteran life cycle -
0:13:53 > 0:13:58each stage is perfectly suited to one job, and one job only.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02So, Chris, what exactly is the caterpillar's job?
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Its job is quite simple - it's to eat as much as possible
0:14:06 > 0:14:09whilst avoiding getting eaten as much as possible.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12This is a Scarlet Tiger caterpillar,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14and it typifies these types of animal.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16And, in fact, although it looks like a long tube,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20we can break it down into its typical insect components.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21There's a head at this end here,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24complete with mandibles for munching,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26It's got a couple of eyes that we call stemmata,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and then behind this, we've got the thorax.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34This has three structured legs, these are its proper walking legs.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35Then you've got the abdomen,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38which stretches all the way down to the back,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40and on that, four pairs of prolegs -
0:14:40 > 0:14:45these are very simple organs with little sticky suckers at the bottom.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Perfect for grasping.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52I've got a friend here, with this little Scarlet Tiger.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56An exquisite piece of natural design.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Caterpillars come in a bewildering variety of decorations
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and colours, smooth and round, rough and hairy.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12These spikes look fearsome and that's the point.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Some of these hairs can snap off
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and stick into the flesh of an attacker.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20The UK's brown-tail moth does this.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Some caterpillars can be poisonous, and can even kill humans.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32But, thankfully, our own species may look dangerous,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34but they won't do you any real harm.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Those prickles are simply saying leave me alone to eat -
0:15:39 > 0:15:43and, boy, do they pile on the ounces!
0:15:45 > 0:15:52In just 20 days, some can increase their body weight by 10,000 times.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Most are purely vegetarian,
0:15:54 > 0:15:55but not all.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02Now a story that seems so unlikely when you first hear about it,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05it seems almost impossible to believe.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09It is the incredible tale of The Guest In The Nest.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Of all our British butterflies,
0:16:16 > 0:16:22the caterpillar of the Large Blue is perhaps the most conniving.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26In 1979, the Large Blue was officially declared
0:16:26 > 0:16:28extinct in Britain.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32But it's made a remarkable comeback thanks to years of tireless research
0:16:32 > 0:16:36that's uncovered the missing links in a very unusual life cycle.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41And it's all to do with an ant...
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- SHEEP BLEATS - ..and some sheep.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55The adult butterfly lays its eggs on wild thyme,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59growing amongst the short grasses of chalk hillsides.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05After it's hatched, the caterpillar crawls off to wait in the grass
0:17:05 > 0:17:10until a red meadow ant on foraging duties passes by.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14By mimicking the smell of the ant's own young,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18the caterpillar tricks it into carrying it back to the nest.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Once inside, the caterpillar turns predator,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26devouring the ready-stocked larder of ant larvae.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33The ants keep tending the intruder, even when it turns into a chrysalis.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40When it eventually emerges, the adult will literally fly the nest.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47These ants are vital to the butterfly, but they, the ants,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49are very particular about the type of grass they need.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54Too long produces shade that cools the nest and they move out.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57And that is where the sheep come in.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59By keeping the grass short the ants are happy,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and the Large Blue is happy, and we're happy,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06marvelling at one of our most stunning butterflies!
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Now, as they pile on those ounces,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20caterpillars need to shed their skin allowing them to expand.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22This happens about four times,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26until the last skin becomes something very special.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35It's called the pupal case -
0:18:35 > 0:18:37better known as the chrysalis.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39And it's different for butterflies and moths.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Here's Chris to show how.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49Moths will typically spin a silk cocoon like this,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52and this acts as a protective capsule
0:18:52 > 0:18:55for the chrysalis which forms inside.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It's waterproof and more importantly, sometimes it's predator-proof, too -
0:18:59 > 0:19:03because these things can be incredibly tough.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07But what's going on inside here?
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Well, this is a classic moth pupal case.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14In this case, Poplar Hawk-moth.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Now, initially, it looks rather plain and cylindrical.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20But if you look in detail, you can see structure there.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30At the head-end of it there are eyes.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39You can see the proboscis below.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Its antennae, the folded legs, and then, on its back,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48the rudiments of its wings.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Down the side, that row of holes,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59those are the spiracles - the air-breathing tubes,
0:19:59 > 0:20:04which this animal is still using as it goes through this transformation.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Butterfly pupae, on the other hand, are much different.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Look at this. This is a great work of natural art.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31It's the pupal case of the Silver-washed Fritillary.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35It's one of the great miracles of nature.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Now typically, these don't spin silk, butterfly caterpillars,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03other than the small amount that they provide,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06so that they can hang like this.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14The caterpillar has found a secret sheltered spot,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18it's attached itself with this silk.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32It then splits its skin,
0:21:32 > 0:21:37and as that final skin peels off,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40this is revealed from beneath.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44And at this stage, you might be forgiven for thinking
0:21:44 > 0:21:46that the animal was about to die.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49It becomes discoloured, moribund,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53but it's going through a very important process.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Look at that. Amazing.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00It's flinching. Because this is very much alive.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Very much alive.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06And what's going on inside here?
0:22:06 > 0:22:08It's one of the great miracles of nature.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17It's a process that's fascinated artists and writers
0:22:17 > 0:22:19with an eye on the philosophical.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Themes of rebirth, reinvention,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27transient beauty...
0:22:27 > 0:22:29They're all there.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Not to mention the fact that the whole phenomenon
0:22:32 > 0:22:35is unfathomably mysterious.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38But in the last few years,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41the secrets of life inside the chrysalis
0:22:41 > 0:22:43are slowly being revealed.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50What's going on in this tiny capsule, as I speak -
0:22:50 > 0:22:55the transformation of a caterpillar through to a butterfly
0:22:55 > 0:22:57is something that baffled scientists for hundreds -
0:22:57 > 0:22:59if not thousands - of years.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04Initially, we thought that the caterpillar completely melted.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06It turned into a cell soup inside here,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10which required complete reorganisation.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12But recently we've learned
0:23:12 > 0:23:15through scanning these pupae as they're developing
0:23:15 > 0:23:18that certain key organs are retained
0:23:18 > 0:23:22from the caterpillar all the way through to the butterfly.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24The tracheal system - the breathing tubes
0:23:24 > 0:23:28that run from these spiracles into the heart of the animal.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31So, too, the gut is shrunken and highly modified,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35so it fits into the abdomen of the adult insect.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38And it's also likely that some of the nervous tissue
0:23:38 > 0:23:42is retained intact, too - particularly the brain.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46And we know this because of a remarkable recent discovery.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49You see, scientists have trained caterpillars
0:23:49 > 0:23:53to be repulsed by certain smells and tastes,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57and what they found was after those caterpillars pupated,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00the adult insects showed the same reaction
0:24:00 > 0:24:03to those repulsive smells and tastes.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07They could remember their lives as caterpillars.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Now that strikes me as amazing.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It is amazing, Chris.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20But what comes next, is just beautiful.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26The chrysalis becomes translucent
0:24:26 > 0:24:30and we get a tantalising glimpse of what is about to be revealed.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42CREAKING
0:25:03 > 0:25:07The caterpillar was perfectly built for its needs,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11but now a new set of tools are on board.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15The butterfly has a more refined taste for drinking nectar.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25A long feeding tube replaces those chewing mouthparts.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30It can extend deep into the nectar-rich reservoirs of a flower.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34But the crowning glory is slowly revealing itself.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46It's a vulnerable stage,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50as the wings slowly fill with fluid.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18The wings of butterflies possess some of the most dazzling colours
0:26:18 > 0:26:20found in all nature.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Whether they serve as enticing advertisements,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27warning signs or camouflage,
0:26:27 > 0:26:33these brilliant, complex wings owe their beauty to their structure.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37They're made up of thousands of tiny, delicate scales
0:26:37 > 0:26:40that overlap like roof tiles.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44It's these scales that give the wings their fabulous variety
0:26:44 > 0:26:47of colours and patterns -
0:26:47 > 0:26:49blacks and browns are created by melanin,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53the same chemical pigment that makes us tan in summer,
0:26:53 > 0:26:58while the blues, greens, reds are made by refraction of light,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01giving the wing its iridescent shimmer.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10And now the reason behind their extraordinary transformations
0:27:10 > 0:27:12becomes clear.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16As caterpillars, their only mission is to gorge themselves,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18but in this, their adult stage,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21they literally have one thing on their mind...
0:27:24 > 0:27:28To find a mate and lay their eggs far and wide.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31With just a few weeks in which to do this,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35being built for flight buys time and speed.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Butterfly courtship is often beautiful -
0:27:42 > 0:27:45a delicate confection, a dance on air,
0:27:45 > 0:27:50and the most spectacular of all of these fluttering fantasies
0:27:50 > 0:27:54is the courtship dance of the Silver-washed Fritillary.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The female flies in a dead-straight line
0:28:12 > 0:28:14along the woodland track
0:28:14 > 0:28:18and as she passes, she releases an aphrodisiac
0:28:18 > 0:28:20from the tip of her abdomen.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Captivated, the male follows closely,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29repeatedly looping under, over her,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33showering her with pheromones from special glands on his wings.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46She finally leads him to a clump of leaves high up in the oak tree
0:28:46 > 0:28:48where they mate.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57The Silver-washed Fritillary
0:28:57 > 0:29:00is one of many butterflies to use pheromones,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03but scientists still don't actually understand why.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06It's much more common amongst their nocturnal cousins.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Let's hear it for moths.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Now, just because most but not all moths lack the bright colours
0:29:16 > 0:29:18of their cousins the butterflies,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20they're often considered poor relations.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25But moths are not poor relations. We are rich in moths.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28We have over 2,000 different species.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31But because they can't use bright colours to attract a mate,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34they have to use something else.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37And that is where pheromones come in.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39JAZZ MUSIC
0:29:41 > 0:29:44To find out how moths meet mates in the dark,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Michaela is out in the woods with Dr Zoe Randall,
0:29:48 > 0:29:49who's set up a moth trap.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54- That's nice.- Let's hope we've got the moths. Oh, great! Look!
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- There's quite a lot just on the sheet. And loads in there!- Yep.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Look, there's one here! Oh, that's a beautiful one. Look at that!
0:30:01 > 0:30:03That's a Peach Blossom.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06That's a gorgeous colour, isn't it, that little pink bit there.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Yeah, absolutely beautiful little moth.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13Oh, and look at this one who looks like he's wearing Biggles flying glasses.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- He's fantastic! - And he's called a Spectacle.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18- That's an easy one to remember. - Easy-peasy.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Look, there's an Ermine. In fact there's two.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25- I just love how hairy their head looks.- Yeah.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30And they get their names from when people used to wear ermines round the top of their coats.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Well, you can see why they get that name.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34- Look at this.- Oh, yeah.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38This one's a Pale Tussock and they have fantastic feathery antennae.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Now, the antennae are really interesting, aren't they, Zoe?
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Cos that's what they use to smell.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47And they have an incredible sense of smell, don't they?
0:30:47 > 0:30:51That's right. The antennae are really feathered,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54that increases the surface area to make them more sensitive
0:30:54 > 0:30:59to moisture, humidity and female pheromones.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04So how does the female pheromone thing work? Talk me through that.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Well, it's called "calling."
0:31:06 > 0:31:12The female moth will release her pheromones in a plume, a bit like smoke from a fire.
0:31:12 > 0:31:18Just like a perfume that then the male detects on his feathery antennae and finds her?
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Yeah, that's right.
0:31:20 > 0:31:26It has been shown that a male Emperor Moth detected a female up to five miles away.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Absolutely fascinating.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35It's like a nice bit of nail art, that one at the moment!
0:31:35 > 0:31:37- Shall we see what else there is? - Yeah.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41When it comes to running a light trap it does seem to be mainly males.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46And you'll get between 200-300 different moth species
0:31:46 > 0:31:49in an average back garden.
0:31:49 > 0:31:50They're absolutely stunning.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53It's always a joy to do a moth trap,
0:31:53 > 0:31:58because you realise just how beautiful they are.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00MUSIC: "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder
0:32:10 > 0:32:16Much of what we know today about butterflies and moths is due to the Victorians.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21Back then there was an insatiable desire to find out more about the natural world
0:32:21 > 0:32:25and collecting specimens became a major hobby.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30The place to go for kit was Watkins & Doncaster,
0:32:30 > 0:32:35suppliers of entomological equipment since 1874.
0:32:35 > 0:32:41Amy Wells is the third generation in her family to run the business.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43I have spent much of my life
0:32:43 > 0:32:48buying exciting things from your company ever since I was about six.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50That's fantastic to know.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53- But where was it? What did it look like?- I've got some old photos.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Oh, that's great, isn't it! You can practically hear the traffic behind.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Yes. It was based up in the Strand.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02You would have gone in through a little door and up some windy stairs
0:33:02 > 0:33:04and it was on about three or four floors.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07And what else have we got here? What's happening here?
0:33:07 > 0:33:12- This is my grandfather.- Look at that hair!- It was like an Aladdin's cave.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14It must've been. I can imagine as a schoolkid,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- me or Chris Packham we'd be just... - SHE LAUGHS
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Oh, look, here we are! This probably is Chris Packham.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22SHE LAUGHS
0:33:22 > 0:33:26So back then, what sort of things were you selling?
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Well, we've got some old equipment to show you. This is an old net.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33- You can see it was made of bamboo originally.- Oh, I see!
0:33:33 > 0:33:38Now it would be aluminium or something. And what else have you got there? Bits and bobs here.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40- Some look a bit frightening. - SHE LAUGHS
0:33:40 > 0:33:44Yes, the collector would go out with his satchel filled with jars like this.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47- A killing jar.- Yes.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Filled with cotton wool or plaster of Paris with a nasty chemical
0:33:50 > 0:33:52such as cyanide in the bottom to kill the insect.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- They used cyanide to kill them?- Yes. - So that's a killing jar.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57- It's a killing jar. - Then what happens?
0:33:57 > 0:34:00He would have come home, popped them into a relaxing tin.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Cos it's dead by then, is it?
0:34:02 > 0:34:05- It is dead, but they go a bit stiff when they're dead.- Right.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08So you have to flatten them out?
0:34:08 > 0:34:11OK, so they were relaxed, what happens after that?
0:34:11 > 0:34:12Oh, here it is.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16This is a setting board and they would be pinned onto that
0:34:16 > 0:34:20and then the wings would be manipulated to where he wanted them.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23- And then finally, I guess, they go into something like this?- Yes.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26And after that, once they're dry,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29they would go into a drawer or a case for the wall to display.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33Gosh! I mean, it's beautiful, but it's also a bit worrying,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35because these are all the same, aren't they?
0:34:35 > 0:34:39I mean, why collect so many of the same species?
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Victorians wanted hordes of all the same.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46You would have a cabinet of drawers and you would have one drawer
0:34:46 > 0:34:49with rows upon rows of exactly the same butterfly.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52- How bizarre! Shall we have a look at the next one down?- Hmm.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- This one's got some moths in it. - Oh, some moths. Some Tigers. Look!
0:34:56 > 0:35:02- And they're all the same again! - Yeah.- It is a bit...weird to us.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04I mean, and this level of collection, I mean,
0:35:04 > 0:35:08- a whole trainloads of people used to go into the New Forest, didn't they? - That's right.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12I mean, did that have a perceptible effect on the numbers
0:35:12 > 0:35:14of butterflies back then?
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Well, back then, the habitat was so different from what it is today.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21It didn't actually have an impact on the population of the species.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23All these people going out, just imagine.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27- But then, times have changed. - Yes, thankfully, we've moved on.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Cos now, Watkins and Doncaster, as a company,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32have got quite heavily involved in conservation now.
0:35:32 > 0:35:38We were one of the founding institutions to start Butterfly Conservation.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- The one Butterfly Conservation that we have now?- Yes, that's right.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45So you're helping to try and conserve dwindling populations of butterflies and moths.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Yeah, and know what we've got and where.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55Thankfully, nowadays, we don't collect, pin and stick.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58The modern way is to capture them with a camera.
0:36:01 > 0:36:06Today's equivalent of the Victorian enthusiast is Matthew Oates,
0:36:06 > 0:36:08the National Trust butterfly expert,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11and he's brought me to this Cotswold coomb
0:36:11 > 0:36:14in search of one of our smallest and rarest butterflies.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18We come here to see a butterfly
0:36:18 > 0:36:22referred to as His Grace The Duke Of Burgundy.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24- It's a very elegant name. - It's a wonderful name.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26But because they're so small,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28I mean, they're not much bigger than a thumb nail,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31they are really very hard to spot.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- So it's binoculars. - It's binoculars
0:36:34 > 0:36:36and scan and search.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40It's the perfect spot.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46It's very sheltered, it's out of the wind, most butterflies hate wind.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48It stops them mating.
0:36:48 > 0:36:49THEY LAUGH
0:36:49 > 0:36:52If it's windy, you can't mate in a howling gale.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54Of course, you can't, can you?
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Welcome to the world of butterflying. Ooh!
0:36:58 > 0:37:04- There's a little twig of hawthorn or something.- Uh-huh.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07- Is that His Grace? - Yeah, there we go.- Look at that!
0:37:09 > 0:37:14I'm going to surprise you as to how small he actually is.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Look at that, there's His Grace!
0:37:16 > 0:37:18- It's absolutely tiny.- It's tiny!
0:37:18 > 0:37:21But it's beautifully marked.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25Adorable underside, this meditation of silver and browns.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29Do not be fooled, it looks elegant and gentle
0:37:29 > 0:37:31but it's a vicious little thug...
0:37:31 > 0:37:32THEY LAUGH
0:37:32 > 0:37:36..waiting to erupt. He will launch attacks
0:37:36 > 0:37:39against anything invading his air space,
0:37:39 > 0:37:43anything, any flying object - a fly, a bee, another butterfly,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45another male Duke Of Burgundy,
0:37:45 > 0:37:46and that's punch-up time.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48They're not very well-behaved.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Oh, dear! How do they have a punch-up?
0:37:50 > 0:37:52- Do they bang their wings together or...?- No, they don't, actually,
0:37:52 > 0:37:56but they do an aerial combat and they spiral up together
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and F and B, I presume, at each other and then, they separate
0:37:59 > 0:38:03and go back to their perching places, and it all happens again.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- Here he goes.- Here he comes.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Like you said, the instant the sun's out, look at that!
0:38:08 > 0:38:13What he's trying to do now is follow warmth from the sun using his wings.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16The wings don't absorb heat themselves,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18but they funnel the heat onto the body.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21And he needs that cos he needs to warm up his flight muscles,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23so he's ready like a coiled spring to...
0:38:23 > 0:38:26To launch himself into the...into the air.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28THEY CHUCKLE
0:38:28 > 0:38:31So we're looking here at a really rather rare butterfly.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36Sadly, it's now Britain's most rapidly-declining butterfly.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41And I find that really quite horrifying.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Why is that? Why has it declined?
0:38:43 > 0:38:45This really is, in many ways,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47a very fussy butterfly.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52Its caterpillars will only feed on the leaves of primrose or cowslip.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56And they need plants whose roots are in the shade
0:38:56 > 0:39:00so the leaves stay green while the caterpillars are feeding.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Gosh, that is sensitive.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04So not just any old cowslip or primrose,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06it has to be exactly the right one!
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Yeah, this is butterflies for you all round.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20That, sadly, is the type of story that's playing out in the lives
0:39:20 > 0:39:22of so many butterflies and moths.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27They're so super specialised, they live on a knife edge,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30where the slightest change can make them disappear.
0:39:32 > 0:39:33If the key to their success
0:39:33 > 0:39:37is getting the right food plant for their hungry caterpillars,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39then, should that plant vanish,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41the butterfly will very quickly follow.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48And a great variety of plants have been disappearing
0:39:48 > 0:39:49from our countryside.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Over the past few decades,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57three quarters of our butterflies have declined
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and two thirds of our larger moths.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02A massive loss.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08The sad fact is butterflies and moths ARE dying out.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Even ones that used to be common several years ago.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23There are a number of reasons why.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26As the traditional ways of managing our woodland vanish,
0:40:26 > 0:40:30so do the open woodland rides and glades
0:40:30 > 0:40:32that butterflies love so much.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Intensive farming,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39encouraged after the Second World War with good intentions,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43has led to the disappearance of many wild plants
0:40:43 > 0:40:46that butterflies and moths rely on for caterpillar food.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52And building development means that what natural habitat does remain
0:40:52 > 0:40:54is in isolated fragments.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01But there's another culprit
0:41:01 > 0:41:03and one that's far more difficult to predict.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07The weather.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Relentless rain prevents newly-emerged adults
0:41:11 > 0:41:13from drying out their wings,
0:41:13 > 0:41:18whilst strong winds make it impossible to fly to find a mate
0:41:18 > 0:41:21in the short time they have to do this.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24For creatures already in decline,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27our recent wet summers have been devastating.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33This summer, we need to step up our efforts
0:41:33 > 0:41:37to make the countryside more butterfly-friendly
0:41:37 > 0:41:41and Michaela has found the perfect spot to make a start.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Look at this, it's absolutely beautiful!
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Gorgeous wildflowers as far as the eye can see.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06This is Magdalen Hill Down, in Hampshire.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10An area of natural chalk downland that used to be farmland.
0:42:13 > 0:42:1620 years ago, all ploughing stopped
0:42:16 > 0:42:19and the small hillside was restored
0:42:19 > 0:42:21by conservationists to its former glory.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26There's an abundance of variety in this meadow -
0:42:26 > 0:42:28there's ox-eye daisy,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31hawkbit, sainfoin,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34flowering marjoram, which has fantastic smell...
0:42:34 > 0:42:36I've even spotted a few orchids.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40And for nectar-loving insects like butterflies and moths,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43this is an incredible natural banquet.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Today, wildflower meadows like this are very rare,
0:42:50 > 0:42:52but for thousands of years,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55they were an important part of the countryside.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57They were managed in more traditional ways,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59through grazing and haymaking,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03to provide feed for farm animals over the long winter months.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07Some in Wales were kept as a kind of hospital field
0:43:07 > 0:43:11where sick or injured animals could feed on the rich flower pasture
0:43:11 > 0:43:13to make a speedier recovery.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Sadly, a meadow like this is a rare sight these days,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22but there are plans in place to change that.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28Government schemes hope to encourage farmers to create meadows
0:43:28 > 0:43:32or, at least, leave wildflower margins at the edge of their fields.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35And there's even royal support for them.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38To celebrate the Queen's Coronation,
0:43:38 > 0:43:41a nationwide project called Coronation Meadows
0:43:41 > 0:43:46aims to create a wildflower meadow in every county across the UK.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51It's all very encouraging,
0:43:51 > 0:43:55but our moths and butterflies need to socialise and quickly.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59And isolated pockets of habitat like this one need to be linked up.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03And maybe the answer lies down there.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Roads snake everywhere across our countryside.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12And if we left the verges to grow wild,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15it could give island-hopping butterflies,
0:44:15 > 0:44:18as well as other types of wildlife,
0:44:18 > 0:44:20the means to spread their wings.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24We can make space for animals like moths and butterflies
0:44:24 > 0:44:28and hopefully reverse their dramatic decline.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32And if that means turning roads like this into butterfly superhighways,
0:44:32 > 0:44:35well, then, I, for one, am all for it.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41Thankfully, Michaela is not alone.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Even though the sheer fussiness of these creatures
0:44:43 > 0:44:47doesn't make it easy, people are doing things to help.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49By cropping the chalk and limestone grassland
0:44:49 > 0:44:52in the South Downs National Park,
0:44:52 > 0:44:55the Adonis Blue is thriving.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00Increasingly open fenland in the Norfolk Broads is great news
0:45:00 > 0:45:04for our magnificent Swallowtail butterfly.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10And thanks to wardens in Blean Woods, in Kent,
0:45:10 > 0:45:13the Heath Fritillary, once close to extinction,
0:45:13 > 0:45:18continues to create one of our biggest butterfly spectacles.
0:45:18 > 0:45:23And they're not the only champions of British butterflies.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27There's a small army of amateur naturalists
0:45:27 > 0:45:30closely following the lives of butterflies and moths
0:45:30 > 0:45:32right across the UK.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37And one of those has created a special place for butterflies.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42It's kind of like he's created the whole of the United Kingdom in miniature.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Except when I say miniature, that's not quite right.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57Clive Farrell is a man who likes to think big.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01When he decided, 25 years ago,
0:46:01 > 0:46:04to make his land a haven for butterflies,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07he set about creating all the different habitats
0:46:07 > 0:46:10that our native species need.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14I've been lucky enough to indulge my butterfly fantasies
0:46:14 > 0:46:16on a gigantic scale.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21There's acres of meadow,
0:46:21 > 0:46:23specially raised chalk banks,
0:46:23 > 0:46:27shady pools, EVEN a recreation of a sandy beach.
0:46:37 > 0:46:38Wow!
0:46:38 > 0:46:41How many acres of butterfly heaven here?
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Well, there's 100 acres altogether.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54These were put up by the local Scouts with their special knots, you see.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57- Oh, great! - And we grow hops up them.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00And this is the best food plant for the Comma butterfly.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02- Commas.- The Commas.- Beautiful!
0:47:02 > 0:47:04And here, Clive, you've got buddleia here,
0:47:04 > 0:47:08it's hard to see at the moment, but it seems to go on for miles.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11- Yes, I think it's the longest buddleia hedge in the world.- Is it?
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Certainly in Britain.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15And when that's in flower,
0:47:15 > 0:47:18it's as if a net's been stretched across the field
0:47:18 > 0:47:21to catch every passing butterfly.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22You think big, don't you, Clive?
0:47:22 > 0:47:24THEY CHUCKLE
0:47:28 > 0:47:32All the effort Clive and his team put in here is reaping rewards.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35Out of our 59 butterfly species,
0:47:35 > 0:47:38he's seen a whopping 39 of them,
0:47:38 > 0:47:40all enjoying his patch.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Green Hairstreak! It's a Green Hairstreak! It's green!
0:47:46 > 0:47:48Where's it gone?
0:47:48 > 0:47:52A Green Hairstreak, incredibly rare. What does it feed on?
0:47:52 > 0:47:55- Dyer's-greenweed.- Dyer's-greenweed, which is all around us.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Another example, get the plant right and they will come.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03- Yes.- Never seen one.- You've never seen one?- Never seen one, no.
0:48:03 > 0:48:04Oh!
0:48:09 > 0:48:12That's a Six-spot Burnet Moth.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16This is probably hatched out today or yesterday.
0:48:16 > 0:48:21Can you tell how old they are by the sort of lustre of the colours?
0:48:21 > 0:48:23You can, to some extent.
0:48:23 > 0:48:29They get a bit battered and the scales tend to wear off in old age.
0:48:29 > 0:48:30A bit like us, really.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32THEY LAUGH
0:48:34 > 0:48:39While he's got me here, Clive wants my help sowing, not seeds,
0:48:39 > 0:48:43but caterpillars in a patch of golden stinging nettles.
0:48:45 > 0:48:46So, Clive, how do we do this?
0:48:46 > 0:48:49Do we try and put individual caterpillars on the nettles
0:48:49 > 0:48:51or just lay this on?
0:48:51 > 0:48:53No, you can put them on as a team, because when they're small,
0:48:53 > 0:48:56they tend to feed together.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59Look at them, they're a bit peckish.
0:48:59 > 0:49:00Ouch!
0:49:00 > 0:49:02HE LAUGHS
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Ah! They may be golden nettles but they still sting!
0:49:04 > 0:49:07THEY LAUGH
0:49:07 > 0:49:09Look at that!
0:49:09 > 0:49:12That one let out a little bit of silk to drop off my finger.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15Yes, they're able to swing on their silk ropes.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18And there you are, you see, they're hanging on on their...
0:49:18 > 0:49:20Look at that! Like a Christmas tree!
0:49:20 > 0:49:23They're abseiling down on their silken threads.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27These are caterpillars of the Peacock butterfly.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30And it's my favourite British butterfly
0:49:30 > 0:49:33and I like the eyespots on the wings.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37They look slightly evil, actually.
0:49:37 > 0:49:38HE LAUGHS
0:49:38 > 0:49:41If you were a caterpillar, you want to look a bit evil. You want to survive.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45- Yeah, the last thing you want to look is nice and friendly. - And edible.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47And edible, that is the death knell.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53This is designed to show you that all hope is not lost.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56You can create the right habitat for them
0:49:56 > 0:50:00and they will return under their own steam.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02What a glorious thing.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05I imagine you on a summer's evening with a glass of fruit juice
0:50:05 > 0:50:08sitting down here and watching the fruit of all your labours.
0:50:08 > 0:50:09A glass of wine, more likely.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11How wonderful!
0:50:13 > 0:50:17Clive's passion for butterflies has become a hobby
0:50:17 > 0:50:18that's taken over his life.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21And his back garden was just the start.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23Letting his creative juices flow,
0:50:23 > 0:50:27he started up butterfly projects around the country
0:50:27 > 0:50:31as well as the very first butterfly house in the United States.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42The scale of Clive's ambition is mind-boggling,
0:50:42 > 0:50:46but not all of us have got the time or the resources
0:50:46 > 0:50:51to do what he is doing for butterfly conservation.
0:50:51 > 0:50:56Clive thinks big, BUT small can be beautiful,
0:50:56 > 0:51:02as I think we're just about to find out.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07I've come to an ordinary street in Somerset,
0:51:07 > 0:51:12because I've heard that Colin Higgins, a keen gardener,
0:51:12 > 0:51:16has some ingenious ideas for attracting and supporting butterflies and moths
0:51:16 > 0:51:19in his own backyard.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23You've got a Hawthorn hedge, a really, really valuable native plant
0:51:23 > 0:51:27for lots and lots of different types of moths.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30You'll get certain types of pugs, all sorts of different moths
0:51:30 > 0:51:32and the caterpillars will also feed on the leaves.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35We've got a butterfly, we've got a Small Tortoiseshell there
0:51:35 > 0:51:37on the Sweet William.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39Oh, what was that? We're surrounded by them now.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42That was a Small Tortoiseshell as well.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46That butterfly is very happy in that plant, there's obviously a lot of nectar in there.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49And when you go to the garden centre, you have to be really, really careful what you buy,
0:51:49 > 0:51:52because there's a lot of plants that look pretty
0:51:52 > 0:51:54and on paper are good for butterflies and pollinators,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56but they might be sterile.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59Spend time and watch what lands on it, see if the bees land on it,
0:51:59 > 0:52:00see if the butterflies land on it.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03- Watch what settles and actually feeds on the plant.- Very interesting.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06- That Tortoiseshell's still there! - It is still there.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08Obviously, that's a proof of what you've just said.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Getting plenty to feed on, or else, it'd be gone, wouldn't it?
0:52:11 > 0:52:13It's absolutely humming, buzzing with life.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15Everywhere you go, you will see insects,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17you'll see butterflies.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20We also have quite a lot of play equipment,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23cos I have a young daughter, and what we try to do
0:52:23 > 0:52:26is incorporate wildlife plants into the swings.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28You can see the clematis there.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31So she's surrounded by butterflies and things while she's on the swing?
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Exactly, she'll often be out here looking for such things.
0:52:33 > 0:52:38- You've got to get the youngsters involved.- Very important.- Got to get the youngsters involved!
0:52:42 > 0:52:46Ah, nettles, very important?
0:52:46 > 0:52:49Absolutely crucial to butterflies.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52Many of our species lay their eggs on the nettle.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54The big problem for us is it is a stinger, it stings,
0:52:54 > 0:52:57and with young children, it can be quite a problem.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00We've got round this by letting them grow up the hedge
0:53:00 > 0:53:04- through some of the other bushes. - What a great idea!
0:53:04 > 0:53:06You've thought this through, you have!
0:53:08 > 0:53:11You've made a real little haven here.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14Not an enormous garden, but if you were a passing butterfly...
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Yes, we quite often have moths and butterflies
0:53:16 > 0:53:18lay their eggs in the rough grass,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21the Ringlet, the Meadow Brown, the Speckled Wood,
0:53:21 > 0:53:24and they all lay their eggs in the rough grass.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26- Look down here!- We've got...
0:53:26 > 0:53:29It's empty, unfortunately, but there's a chrysalis from a butterfly.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33I'm thinking that maybe a Small Tortoiseshell, but I'm not positive about that.
0:53:33 > 0:53:34How beautiful that is!
0:53:39 > 0:53:43Now, behind every great garden is a perfect spot
0:53:43 > 0:53:45for the overwintering butterfly.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50Now, you see, a lot...this garden is immaculate
0:53:50 > 0:53:52and here's your shed. I love it!
0:53:52 > 0:53:55You don't get an immaculate garden by having a tidy shed, do you?
0:53:55 > 0:53:57No, it's perfect, this, isn't it?
0:53:57 > 0:54:00Cos there's places in here, any number of places that a butterfly can get in and...
0:54:00 > 0:54:03Yeah, they get in underneath the roof
0:54:03 > 0:54:05and we do get butterflies in there in winter time.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08One of the key things you need to try and do
0:54:08 > 0:54:09is keep the spider webs down,
0:54:09 > 0:54:14cos the spiders will predate the butterflies when they're hibernating over the winter.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18Of course, I never thought of that. In my shed, I might clean some of the webs out.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28He's done a superb job, but in many ways,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Clive's garden is a fairly normal garden
0:54:31 > 0:54:33and perhaps that's the point.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36All our gardens have got something for butterflies.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39It can be as simple as somewhere to perch to sun yourself,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42it could be some rough scrub like this to hide away in,
0:54:42 > 0:54:43very good for caterpillars,
0:54:43 > 0:54:49or it could be a nectar-rich border like this, full of delicious food.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53Or maybe just a garden shed to hide in and hibernate over the winter.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56For all of us, a little effort
0:54:56 > 0:55:00can make a huge difference to the butterflies in our garden.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09So there we are.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11We've learnt these tiny winged jewels
0:55:11 > 0:55:15lead extraordinary and intriguing lives...
0:55:17 > 0:55:22..that their requirements are so exacting, so super fussy,
0:55:22 > 0:55:25right now, they're struggling to survive
0:55:25 > 0:55:28in our ever-changing countryside.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30But all is not lost.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34We've seen what big effects small changes can have.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37So now is the time to act.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43This summer is the BBC's Summer Of Wildlife,
0:55:43 > 0:55:46and we want to encourage you to get out
0:55:46 > 0:55:51and meet our wonderful wild neighbours for yourselves.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Right now is the perfect time to enjoy our butterflies and moths.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58So we've got lots of extra things for you.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Straight after this show,
0:56:03 > 0:56:07press the red button or go to the Summer Of Wildlife website,
0:56:07 > 0:56:11where Nick Baker is hosting a special live event
0:56:11 > 0:56:13all about butterflies and moths,
0:56:13 > 0:56:16tonight and throughout this weekend.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20Also on the website, there's lots more about butterflies and moths -
0:56:20 > 0:56:24identification guides, wildlife gardening tips
0:56:24 > 0:56:28and a guide to our wonderful wildflower meadows.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33If you want to get really close to butterflies and moths,
0:56:33 > 0:56:36like I have, there are loads of special events going on,
0:56:36 > 0:56:41all around the UK, being run by many different wildlife organisations.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46These are happening THIS weekend and throughout the summer.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51It's incredibly easy to find out what's going on near you.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54Just go to the website,
0:56:54 > 0:56:57find the 'Things To Do' section and put in your postcode.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00You'll get all the details you need.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06Finally, if you really want to make a difference
0:57:06 > 0:57:07and do your bit to help,
0:57:07 > 0:57:11why not join me on the Big Butterfly Count?
0:57:11 > 0:57:16It's a huge, nationwide survey of our butterflies and moths
0:57:16 > 0:57:19that will help scientists and conservationists
0:57:19 > 0:57:23understand how they're faring and how we can best look after them.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26Anyone can take part, it's really easy and quick.
0:57:26 > 0:57:33And I can assure you the information you contribute will really count.
0:57:33 > 0:57:39It's going on for the next month or so, so do PLEASE get involved.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41The details and links you need
0:57:41 > 0:57:44for all of our special butterfly and moth activities
0:57:44 > 0:57:46are on the website -
0:57:56 > 0:58:02Butterflies and moths add dazzling beauty and colour to our gardens
0:58:02 > 0:58:04and the entire countryside,
0:58:04 > 0:58:07but they're vulnerable to the slightest change.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10They're very much creatures of boom and bust.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13But by finding out more about their needs,
0:58:13 > 0:58:15we might be able to help them,
0:58:15 > 0:58:20and right now, they really do need our help.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23And surely, we need them, too,
0:58:23 > 0:58:27to continue to add beauty to our lives.
0:58:52 > 0:58:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd