0:00:02 > 0:00:05With spring just around the corner, we're here to bring you an Easter treat.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08So put down those chocolate eggs and your Easter bunnies,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12because we've got something far more healthy and 100% natural,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15from frogspawn... to Easter ducklings.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17And if that's not enough, we're going to be launching
0:00:17 > 0:00:20an exciting new campaign that's going to inspire you
0:00:20 > 0:00:24to get out and about and do something great for nature.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28And I'm off to the beautiful island of Skomer, just off the south
0:00:28 > 0:00:32coast of Wales, to bring you the latest news on springtime arrivals.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35So welcome to Springwatch At Easter.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Hello, and welcome to Springwatch At Easter 2016,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02coming to you from the wonderful
0:01:02 > 0:01:06National Trust Stackpole Estate here at Pembrokeshire in West Wales.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09- And what a place this is! - It's absolutely stunning.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12And look, Chris, it's a lovely day for us, too! Very lucky.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Great range of habitats - the sea, sea cliffs, sand dunes,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19some wonderful lakes. The sort of place you might want to visit.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21So, where would you come? I'll show you.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24You need a map, and I've got one here. So, where are we?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Well, here's the UK - Scotland, England, Ireland here -
0:01:26 > 0:01:30but we're at the very western end of South Wales, here.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And for the vast majority of people who might want to visit,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36I would say get onto the M4, drive to the end
0:01:36 > 0:01:39and then keep going until you're almost running out of road.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Which is why I don't do the traffic on Radio 4.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Yeah, stick to your day job, Chris!
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Now, it's been an unusual start to the year weather-wise.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47We had that weird winter,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50we've had a very strange start to the spring, and in fact,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54just here in the last few days in Pembrokeshire it's been a mixed bag.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58We've had sunshine, it's been quite mild, gone a bit colder,
0:01:58 > 0:02:04then, well, there was wind, stormy weather and then a beautiful sunset.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Today, we're very lucky, though - blue sky, the sun's out,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09and it's absolutely gorgeous to be outside.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The sunshine today and over the last few days has meant there's
0:02:12 > 0:02:15been plenty of courtship activity, particularly amongst the birds.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Michaela, just listen. BIRDSONG
0:02:18 > 0:02:23- It's a beautiful sound. - It's fantastic, isn't it? A skylark
0:02:23 > 0:02:26somewhere up there taking advantage of these clear skies
0:02:26 > 0:02:31to rain down that cascade of notes. Truly fantastic.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35We've also seen buzzards very active, too, over the woodland here.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38And on a clear morning at this time of year, the males will go out
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and perform their territorial and courtship displays.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44They undulate over the woods,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48performing steep dives to drive off the rivals or attract the females.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51And we've seen some interaction, too, the birds coming up.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Another thing we spotted was this, mating behaviour, copulation.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Now, this typically only occurs if the female is laying eggs or
0:02:59 > 0:03:02to strengthen the pair bond just before that.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05This might be a sign that they're going to nest early this year.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08We've also seen them carrying nesting material.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10No point in mating to lay eggs unless you've got a nest.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13They'll build their own. Sometimes they refurbish last year's,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16but sometimes they start from scratch to build a new one.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Another good sign that spring is here is emerging insects,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and we caught this bumblebee making the most of these snowdrops.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Now, this is a buff-tailed bumblebee.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29It's a queen who will have just emerged from its underground
0:03:29 > 0:03:31hibernation, where it overwintered.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35And as I say, it'll be feeding up and looking for somewhere to nest.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38But as I say, a great sign that spring is here. Spring has sprung!
0:03:38 > 0:03:41It's sprung. We haven't just come for the sunshine, though,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43we've come here because this, in terms of wildlife
0:03:43 > 0:03:47and all the habitats, is a truly remarkable place. Just take a look.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57Pembrokeshire - rugged, remote and breathtakingly beautiful.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08With 300 kilometres of coastal paths and a National Park covering
0:04:08 > 0:04:10620 square kilometres,
0:04:10 > 0:04:15this whole area is a haven for wildlife all year round.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19But it's now that it really comes alive.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29From the first spring blooms to the arrival of seabirds
0:04:29 > 0:04:35in their thousands, it's time to see nature in all its glory.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20It really is a very special place.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I mean, look at it, it's absolutely gorgeous, isn't it, Chris?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25It's stunning. I love the gorse.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- Gorse is in flower. That means kissing's in season.- Does it?
0:05:27 > 0:05:30You know why they say that? Because it flowers throughout the year.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Well, I'm keeping away from you.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- It wasn't an invitation, don't worry.- Oh, I'm glad about that!
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Anyway, it's kept so beautiful because it's very well managed
0:05:38 > 0:05:42and it's very well cared for, not just by the 50 regular staff
0:05:42 > 0:05:46here but also by the 50 regular volunteers.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48They've got lots of other volunteers, as well, and last
0:05:48 > 0:05:52year, they did an incredible 20,000 volunteering hours.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56And that makes such a huge difference to a place like this.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59One of those volunteers that has been coming here
0:05:59 > 0:06:02for the last six and a half years is Jim Bebbington,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06and he goes out with his camera and he monitors all the wildlife,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10and he's been helping our camera teams film this particular bird.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15It's a chough. It's a rare bird that people come here especially to see.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17And what a bird it is, too, one of my favourites, I have to say.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Simple, you see? Plain black but with that lovely blood-red bill,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23blood-red legs.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25And they're a member of the crow family,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29and they probe in soft coastal soil for invertebrates.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Now, very sadly, soft coastal soil has been disappearing
0:06:33 > 0:06:36because it's been farmed right up to the cliff edge, but we're very
0:06:36 > 0:06:41reliant now on areas like this for these birds to find good foraging.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44A great bird and a great bloke, because it's fair to say that
0:06:44 > 0:06:48British conservation simply couldn't work without people like Jim.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52I mean, our NGOs - RSPB, WWT, Wildlife Trust,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56all the rest of them - do a tremendous amount of good work,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58but it couldn't happen without the volunteers.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00And volunteering, of course,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04is at the core of the BBC's Do Something Great campaign,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08and what we want you to do is do something great for nature.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12That can be anything from a two-minute beach clean
0:07:12 > 0:07:15with your friends to creating new habitats with a local
0:07:15 > 0:07:18wildlife group, so come on, get involved.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22All the details of these activities and a lot more are on our website.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Do you know, I think we're very used to seeing things
0:07:25 > 0:07:28in the environment, particularly locally, and saying,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- "When are they going to do something about it?"- "They."
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- We've got to become the "they", haven't we?- Exactly. Exactly right.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Well, Martin's become the "they"!
0:07:36 > 0:07:40He's taken up the challenge and he's decided to go volunteering
0:07:40 > 0:07:43with the Wildlife Trust on one of my favourite islands, which is
0:07:43 > 0:07:45actually over in that direction. It's here.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Skomer island, which is about 30k from Stackpole,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50which is about 18.5 miles.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Skomer island,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01home to the largest seabird breeding colony in southern Britain.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07In winter, the rough seas mean Skomer is often unreachable by boat,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09so no-one lives here.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14But now it's time for the wardens from the Wildlife Trust
0:08:14 > 0:08:18to open it up again, and I've volunteered to help them.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23I've never been to Skomer before, so this is personally very exciting.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27But much more important, the wardens have no idea what they're
0:08:27 > 0:08:29going to find on the island after the winter.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Most of the species on Skomer don't stay here all the year round.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39They'll travel way out to sea to overwinter.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43It's extraordinary to think that, as I'm speaking,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47not tens of thousands but hundreds of thousands of seabirds
0:08:47 > 0:08:52are crossing the oceans, heading towards this one tiny island.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58'Before they arrive, we need to get the island ready for the human
0:08:58 > 0:09:02'visitors that will soon be flooding here to see them.'
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Oof!
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Well, here we are on Skomer!
0:09:07 > 0:09:11'The wardens need supplies for the next nine months,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15'and my first job as a volunteer is to help ferry them ashore.'
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Nobody told me about the steps!
0:09:18 > 0:09:20HE PANTS
0:09:23 > 0:09:27'It may be OUR first stay on the island,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'but some of the wildlife has had a head start.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:36There's something really wonderful about being on Skomer,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40and that's the sound, because you can hear gulls, there's fulmars down
0:09:40 > 0:09:46here, we heard a raven, and then there's kittiwakes, as well,
0:09:46 > 0:09:51and also a group of chough flew past, going "Choo! Choo! Choo!"
0:09:51 > 0:09:54And this sound is going to just grow and grow,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and in a couple of weeks, it'll turn into an absolute cacophony.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- Where does it go? Just in the garage?- In the garage.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- Just to the side.- To the side.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10'Next, chief warden Eddie Stubbings
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'needs to inspect the infrastructure.'
0:10:14 > 0:10:17So, Eddie, it's been a pretty rough winter.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19- Well, it's still going on, isn't it?- Yeah!
0:10:19 > 0:10:23I mean, how have the buildings stood up to it?
0:10:23 > 0:10:30- Can you see?- Well, they seem to be OK on the outside.- Right.- Erm...
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- But there will be little bits of damp that have got in.- OK.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38In weather like this, with the strong wind and the rain,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41although these buildings are designed to cope with
0:10:41 > 0:10:43the winter weather, there are bits of damp in there.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47There will be lots and lots of jobs to do before we have visitors.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'According to assistant warden Jason Moss,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53'there could be 15,000 visitors,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55'the first arriving in the next few days.'
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Now, you guys can't possibly deal with all those
0:10:59 > 0:11:02visitors on your own, so how on earth do you manage here?
0:11:02 > 0:11:07Well, we recruit and depend on a large group of volunteers
0:11:07 > 0:11:09that come to the island every year,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13and they assist us with everything from the visitor work to
0:11:13 > 0:11:16practical tasks and also our survey work on the island.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20So, really, Skomer couldn't function without those volunteers
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- helping you.- At the moment, absolutely not, no.- Brilliant.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24We depend on them.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33'Wherever we look, there's loads to get on with.'
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Well, you can see what's happened here.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40There should be a bearing round that, round the axle there,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and the entire bearing's collapsed. So they've had to get a new bearing.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47We're going to fit the bearing onto the wheel and fit it into the place.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50And luckily, with my motorcycle mechanicking expertise,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I can be a little bit of help here!
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- Can you bring a ratchet, as well?- Ratchet.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03A lovely new bearing covered in marine grease.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05We've got to get it on before it gets too wet.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Beautifully greased-up nuts and a lovely greasy ratchet.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14That's what you want!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25So, Jason, is this the sort of thing that other volunteers would
0:12:25 > 0:12:29- get involved in? - It varies from week to week.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31If something major happens,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33we'll get as many hands involved as we can.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36If we've got any skills from those weekly volunteers,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38we'll try and use them.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41It's really important to know if you've got a carpenter or
0:12:41 > 0:12:44a metalworker on the island. We can use those.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47I must admit, I never realised when I came here to look
0:12:47 > 0:12:49at the birds that I'd use my limited motorcycling skills.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- JASON LAUGHS - I feel really...
0:12:51 > 0:12:53That's the fun of volunteering, isn't it?
0:12:53 > 0:12:57You feel really satisfied if you've done something to help a little bit.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09He's never happy, is he, unless he's got grease under his fingernails
0:13:09 > 0:13:12and he's messing around with something mechanical?
0:13:12 > 0:13:14- He loves being dirty, basically, doesn't he?- He does.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17He loves a dirty old engine, a dirty old piece of kit,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19a dirty old wheel to fix.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21But of course, volunteering out there on Skomer is not
0:13:21 > 0:13:24just about the upkeep of the island, the maintenance of all of the
0:13:24 > 0:13:26buildings and so on and so forth,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29it's also very much about monitoring the wildlife, and Martin's going
0:13:29 > 0:13:33to be doing some of that later, when he washes his hands!
0:13:33 > 0:13:36There's no doubt about it, it was a weird winter,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and it's been a strange start to this spring, and many of you have
0:13:39 > 0:13:43been noticing early signs of spring, sending in photographs, as well.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Thanks very much for that. Let's have a look at a couple of them.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Egyptian geese at Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Jane Bowen sent that in. Early February, three weeks early.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56- And as you can see, they've got chicks.- Yeah, six chicks.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59They nested up in a kestrel box, apparently, 20 feet above ground,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- managed to jump down safely.- A bit of a jump down, wasn't it, that?
0:14:02 > 0:14:03Yeah, but lots of ducks do...
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Once, when I was a kid, I found a mallard's nest 40 foot up a tree.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08I was completely bemused by this.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10I thought, "How on earth will the chicks survive?"
0:14:10 > 0:14:12But they're fluffy. That's the point of cutesy-wutesy,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15fluffy chicks, that they bounce.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17That's one of the reasons that they are fluffy like that.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- Shall we have a look at another? - Let's move swiftly on to this one,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23an oak leaf that's breaking bud, and this was sent by Bob Chapman,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26reserves manager for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Naturalist Trust.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28He spotted this in the New Forest
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- on the 20th of February! - So, how early do you reckon that is?
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Considerably. He's never seen it any earlier.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36And typically, we'd expect the oak to
0:14:36 > 0:14:39break its bud at the end of April, beginning of May.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42But we do know through long-term monitoring that that's
0:14:42 > 0:14:44occurring up to three weeks early, on average.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46But this is possibly a record breaker.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49What about this? Bluebells in Heartwood Forest in St Albans,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53sent in by Judith Parry. Mid- February, three to four weeks early.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56- It's ridiculous, isn't it?- You might have missed your bluebell fix,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58if you enjoy going to look at bluebells.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00One or two might come out early like these,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02but the biggest spread of bluebells,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05that great flush of blue that we get through our woodlands that
0:15:05 > 0:15:07excites us all, is probably still going to take place
0:15:07 > 0:15:11in the south mid-April, through to the north beginning of May.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I wouldn't rush out to photograph two. I'd wait
0:15:13 > 0:15:15until the whole lot break through.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- There might have been a few more than two!- There might have been.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21But it's not just bluebells and oak leaves, Egyptian geese.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Lots of other unusual things have been
0:15:23 > 0:15:25happening at the start of this spring.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27A swallow has been seen in Nottinghamshire.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29That could have overwintered in the UK.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31We know that a few have been trying this in recent years.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Or it could have done so on the Continent. But it's here now.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Sand martins arrived early, ospreys, too.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40And wheatears, a small bird related to robins and thrushes
0:15:40 > 0:15:42that moves through the UK in spring,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44they've been seen up to three weeks early, too.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46So it's an unusual start to the year.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49But the reason that we know that things are either early or
0:15:49 > 0:15:52late is because of information that we've got from volunteers,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54and over the years,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57many of you have got involved in citizen science and recorded data
0:15:57 > 0:16:02of early signs of spring for the Woodland Trust's Nature's Calendar.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06That's one way you can get involved, but there are plenty of other ways
0:16:06 > 0:16:10that you can volunteer your time and do something great.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52So, hopefully that's inspired you to do something great for nature,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and we've got loads of ideas on the website,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58so there's bound to be something that will appeal to you.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Chris and I have got involved in doing something for nature,
0:18:01 > 0:18:02a beach clean-up.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06And as you can see, we're joined by lots of volunteers.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Lauren, I think a lot of people perceive that litter
0:18:09 > 0:18:12is primarily an aesthetic issue,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15ie we don't like the look of it. But it's not just that.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- There's a lot of environmental problems, too.- Yeah, definitely.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21I mean, we do find a lot of plastics on our beaches.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Over 60% of everything that we find is made of plastic.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28And plastics are a huge environmental concern at the moment,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30because they're so dangerous, because once
0:18:30 > 0:18:34they end up in the sea, they can be eaten by animals of all sizes.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37So it's not just the big types of plastic,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40so the plastic bags that can be eaten by turtles
0:18:40 > 0:18:41and plastic bottles,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44but they break down into smaller and smaller pieces
0:18:44 > 0:18:47until they're very, very small, microscopic, in fact,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and we can't see them, and they're eaten.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Then of course we're eating them as seafood consumers.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55So, yeah, huge, huge environmental impacts.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Where does it all come from?
0:18:57 > 0:18:59People don't come to the beach to dump plastic.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01There might be a few uncouth individuals
0:19:01 > 0:19:03that leave some on the beach,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06but not everything that we're picking up has been dumped here.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Unfortunately, litter does come from a variety of different sources.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12A lot of it is from us as the public,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16so things that are left on the beach or things that are blown
0:19:16 > 0:19:18inland and then they come down through the rivers
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and onto the beaches and into the sea.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24But also, it comes from fishing, from shipping,
0:19:24 > 0:19:29from fly-tipping, so people who dump things here,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32but also from something called sewage-related debris.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35So, these are things that people throw down their toilet,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38so things like wet wipes and sanitary items.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41And unfortunately, people don't realise that that then
0:19:41 > 0:19:44means that they can end up on a beach.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46How often do you do these beach clean-ups here?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48So, we do them every couple of months,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52and we do a really big beach clean every sort of three months, really.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55And then it's fantastic, all the local community get involved,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57lots of families. People absolutely love this beach.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01It's easily accessible. And they feel very passionate about it,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03so they come here and they want to make a difference, which is great.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06This is great, to see so many kids involved!
0:20:06 > 0:20:09It's absolutely fantastic. These are all local children.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12They all come to this beach pretty much on a weekly basis,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14and they love it,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16so they're really happy to get involved where they can.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I've seen how many bags you've got. If you did this two months ago,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21that shows that the storms
0:20:21 > 0:20:23- have brought a lot of rubbish onto this beach.- Yeah.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26We did a really big beach clean in January,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28and we ended up having hundreds of volunteers,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31which was amazing, but they collected over 200 bags of litter,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33- which is quite a shock, really.- Yeah!
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I must say, the kids have been at it some time.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- It's all looking pretty good. But they've left me some.- They have.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Look! Well done. You've picked that bit up.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Oh, look, there's a big bit here.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Well, Rhian, I think this is pretty impressive.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49I mean, this is, what, 30 people, two hours, 60 bags of rubbish.
0:20:49 > 0:20:5260 bags of rubbish. There's some down the beach.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55They've already collected a load. It's incredible, really.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58This is what has really stunned me on this beach, I mean,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02the amount of this stuff, which is fishing tackle, basically, isn't it?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- Yeah.- And it doesn't take much of an imagination to see how much
0:21:05 > 0:21:07damage that's going to do to wildlife.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09It's going to do a huge amount of damage.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12And, you know, as we all know, plastic takes hundreds of years
0:21:12 > 0:21:15to degrade, so it's a massive issue on the coastline.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16But even before it degrades,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18everything's going to get tangled up in that,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21from birds to all sorts of marine life - whales, dolphins, sharks...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- Yeah.- It's shocking, isn't it, Chris?- It is. It is. We've seen...
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Remember when Iolo went out to the islands off here, to Grassholm,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and at the end of the season having to cut all of the young
0:21:31 > 0:21:33gannets out of that? Those that survived were released.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35But, unfortunately, many perished.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38- But what's the solution, then? - Yeah, well, I mean,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40all this is absolutely fantastic,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43but it is just a temporary measure removing it off the beaches.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46What we really need and what we have been doing for a long time
0:21:46 > 0:21:47is collecting the data,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and that is absolutely vital so we can see what's being found,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55where it's all coming from, and then using that to look at what measures
0:21:55 > 0:21:59we need to put in place to stop it getting here in the first place.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00One of the positive things I have seen is
0:22:00 > 0:22:02we haven't seen many plastic bags.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Now that we've got the charge at the supermarket,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07the numbers are going down, and we're seeing that here today.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10- Yeah, definitely.- Talking of plastic bags, though, Chris,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12yours is a little bit empty.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- You obviously haven't been working very hard.- Hold on, hold on.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Hold on, hold on. Listen... I've saved the life of a gannet.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Anyway, if you're going to do a rubbish clean,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24obviously it doesn't have to be on the beach, it can be in your local
0:22:24 > 0:22:26park, it can be on your way to school or work.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30And if you get as much as this, take a picture of your haul.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33The picture will be a load of rubbish - ha! - but send it in
0:22:33 > 0:22:36to bbc.co.uk/springwatch using
0:22:36 > 0:22:40the hashtag #DoSomethingGreat or #Springwatch.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Well, it's been a great spring day here today, absolutely glorious,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and spring of course means many things to many people.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49When I was a kid, it really only meant one thing for me,
0:22:49 > 0:22:54getting past Christmas, because then it would be tadpole time.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Yes, in the early days of spring, frogs gather en masse to spawn,
0:22:58 > 0:23:03and this year in Cumbria, in one pond, they went absolutely berserk.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13The Lake District in early March. After a winter of record
0:23:13 > 0:23:19rainfall and devastating floods, the spring sun makes a welcome return.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27The temperature in the valley finally reaches five degrees.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Life starts to return to a small farm pond.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38The first to arrive are common frogs,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41males emerging from hibernation.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Most hatched here three or more years ago.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59Within hours, the water bubbles with amorous amphibians.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01CROAKING
0:24:08 > 0:24:12The males croak to advertise their intentions.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Each call carries 50 metres,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22and the combined chorus reverberates across the valley.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29It's not long before female frogs take up the invitation.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Rough pads on the males' forearms give them a firm grip.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40They have to hold on. It can take hours for the females to spawn.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49The commotion attracts more than just female frogs...
0:24:51 > 0:24:52..a grey heron.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08Herons hunt by stealth and sight, lining up for a lightning strike.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16With the frogs so keen to breed, they make easy targets.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24There's little they can do to defend themselves.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27But with so many frogs here,
0:25:27 > 0:25:32this heron makes little difference to the pond's growing population.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42The female frogs are now ready.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Each produces hundreds of eggs.
0:25:46 > 0:25:53On contact with water, the jelly swells, creating a protective layer.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58Soon, the pond brims with several cubic metres of spawn.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08As night falls, the frenzy of frogs continues to build.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20A dog otter has been checking the pond for the past few weeks,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24regularly travelling over 400 metres from the nearby river.
0:26:29 > 0:26:3480% of his diet is fish, but during the winter floods
0:26:34 > 0:26:38they spread far and wide, making them hard to catch.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42This is what he's been waiting for.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48In the dark, he hunts by touch.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53Ignoring the eggs, he uses his whiskers to sense movement.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02He must consume up to 50 frogs every night.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13The otter is joined by a silent assassin,
0:27:13 > 0:27:14a tawny owl,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18alert to the sound of stragglers on the bank.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24The frog feast is a welcome windfall at this time of year.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Tawnies, too, are getting ready to breed.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Remarkably, another otter makes the journey from the river...
0:27:35 > 0:27:37..a mother and her two cubs.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45They quarter the pond, scooping up tired and distracted prey.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55The cubs are a year old and almost fully grown.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01With so many frogs about, the mother can look after herself,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05leaving her offspring to hone their hunting skills.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Soon, they'll strike out on their own,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14but perhaps they'll remember this seasonal bonanza.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28Within days, peace returns to the pond.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Predators and prey may have gone,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36but hundreds of thousands of eggs remain
0:28:36 > 0:28:39to hatch later in the coming spring.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Those frogs turned up a week later than they did last year
0:28:49 > 0:28:52but of course still a lot earlier than when we were kids, Michaela.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Sometimes now frogs are even spawning before Christmas,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57which is ridiculous. But what a spectacle!
0:28:57 > 0:29:00And of course, all those amphibians coming together in one place
0:29:00 > 0:29:03presents a fantastic food resource, so we should expect predators.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06I think the heron was predictable, to be honest with you.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08The tawny owl scavenging?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10We know that tawny owls will take frogs if there's not enough
0:29:10 > 0:29:14small mammals about, and if it's raining a lot, they'll go for them.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16But the otters?
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Potentially, that was the first time that otters have ever been
0:29:19 > 0:29:20filmed eating frogs.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23We know they eat them, but potentially the first time
0:29:23 > 0:29:24they've ever been filmed.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27- Have you ever seen it yourself? - No, I haven't.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30I've found the remains, and we've been certain otters will eat them.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32We find the bones, of course, in their spraint.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36- But filming it, that could be a first.- Extraordinary footage.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38A lot about this spring has been extraordinary.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41We've been talking about how strange the weather has been.
0:29:41 > 0:29:42But we thought we need to analyse that
0:29:42 > 0:29:44and look at it in a little bit more detail,
0:29:44 > 0:29:49so we've got Nick Miller out of his cosy London studio, brought him to
0:29:49 > 0:29:53Pembrokeshire and given him a rather fabulous sandy map to work with.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Guys, it is fantastic to be out, and with this brilliant map we'll
0:29:58 > 0:30:00be looking back at that crazy winter weather
0:30:00 > 0:30:03but also how it might affect what's coming up in spring.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07And where better to start than right here in Wales?
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Wales' wettest but also warmest winter on record.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Now, the warmth isn't good news for amphibians.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15It makes them active when they should be hibernating,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and it diminishes their energy reserves,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20they don't have the food available at this time of year to
0:30:20 > 0:30:23replenish, and, sadly, we've seen some adders that have died.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26But also, just in the past few days, right here we've seen some
0:30:26 > 0:30:29alive, so hopefully their numbers are going to recover.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31And across southern England,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34you know it has been incredibly warm this winter,
0:30:34 > 0:30:38and we're already getting lots of sightings of bluebells in flower.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41In fact, they're running around two to three weeks ahead of what
0:30:41 > 0:30:43we were getting this time last year.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46And expect those sightings to expand across the Midlands
0:30:46 > 0:30:47in the coming weeks.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50And by the way, there's a temperature record here
0:30:50 > 0:30:51that goes back to the 17th century.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56Only one winter has been warmer in all of that time here.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00A quick jump across to Essex - you like to be different -
0:31:00 > 0:31:03the only place in the UK that's been drier than normal in winter.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05But you know across northern England,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08here it has been incredibly wet.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12And the force of those floodwaters has scoured the river banks
0:31:12 > 0:31:14to basically bare mud.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17But just watch over the next few weeks as the wildlife,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21the plants, recolonise this habitat and it comes back to life.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24I want to go across to Northern Ireland now, because it was such
0:31:24 > 0:31:27a warm start to winter, but here, actually, February,
0:31:27 > 0:31:29the temperatures were closer to normal, and that means
0:31:29 > 0:31:33the insects, the pollinators, have been able to hibernate.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35It is better news here.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38And it's a similar story up here in Scotland.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40We've had some cold weather, and, in fact,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44parts of northern Scotland had a colder-than-normal February.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46But it's been so stormy,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50and we know that the winds have damaged some eagle nests.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54But on Mull, those white-tailed eagles have built those nests
0:31:54 > 0:31:57again and are once again sitting on eggs.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00So if there's anywhere where spring may run a more typical course,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03it is here. But how do we know?
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Well, the key is you tell us.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10Wherever you are across the UK, get out and see for yourself
0:32:10 > 0:32:14as this, the most dramatic of seasons, bursts into life.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19I love it. He's taken his own advice. He got out of the studio,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22got into the natural environment and told us about the weather.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23He should do it more often.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26In the words of my mum, the fresh air will be doing him good, as well!
0:32:26 > 0:32:29It's clear, though, that this strange start to the spring
0:32:29 > 0:32:33has affected some of our wildlife, and it'll be interesting to see
0:32:33 > 0:32:36what impact that has as the spring progresses.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38And it's certainly something we'll be looking at in more
0:32:38 > 0:32:40detail on Springwatch.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Now, Michaela, what about this beach? What do you think?
0:32:43 > 0:32:46It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it? It's a stunning beach!
0:32:46 > 0:32:50- I'm loving it!- I know, it's golden sand, there's hardly anyone on it.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53It's absolutely fantastic. Easy to forget, therefore,
0:32:53 > 0:32:57that just offshore is a very busy international shipping lane,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00serving Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock, which are just over there.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04And I'm afraid to say that about 20 years ago, there was
0:33:04 > 0:33:08a catastrophe here, because just up the coast, the Sea Empress
0:33:08 > 0:33:12ran aground, spilling tonnes of crude oil into the environment.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14And Iolo Williams remembers it well.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22A tanker runs aground off the Welsh coast...
0:33:22 > 0:33:25The Sea Empress was attempting to steer her cargo of crude
0:33:25 > 0:33:27North Sea oil towards...
0:33:27 > 0:33:29There are reports of oil coming ashore in some places, raising
0:33:29 > 0:33:31fears for wildlife,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34including bird sanctuaries on the islands of Skomer and Skokholm.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43I remember standing here, this very spot, 20 years ago now.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47I'd seen the news the night before of the Sea Empress having hit
0:33:47 > 0:33:50the rocks, and my boss - I was working for the RSPB at the time -
0:33:50 > 0:33:52got on the phone and said, "Drop everything
0:33:52 > 0:33:54"and get down to Pembrokeshire now."
0:33:54 > 0:33:58And the overriding memory I have of my first arrival was
0:33:58 > 0:34:00the stench, the stink of oil.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04And we were all focused on this leviathan of a ship that was
0:34:04 > 0:34:07stranded on the rocks down below me,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and every time a wave hit the ship,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13oil spouted out.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17And she was on those rocks for six days in all before she was dragged
0:34:17 > 0:34:25into port, and in that time she haemorrhaged 72,000 tonnes of oil.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27It was, and it still is,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31one of the worst incidents ever in Welsh maritime history.
0:34:31 > 0:34:37And I tell you what, it's a very odd feeling being back here 20 years on.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Strong winds and currents spread the slick all along Wales's
0:34:44 > 0:34:45southern coast.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52The most obvious victims were the seabirds.
0:34:52 > 0:34:553,500 soon washed up ashore.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03'Marine biologist Blaise Bullimore was a key part of an urgent
0:35:03 > 0:35:05'clean-up operation.'
0:35:05 > 0:35:09There were many, many people on the beaches scraping in the rock pools.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12It was using machinery to vacuum, essentially,
0:35:12 > 0:35:14the oil out of the pools.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17And it must have been a never-ending task, in a way, because as soon
0:35:17 > 0:35:20as you'd cleared some pools, cleaned the beach, more oil was washed up.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24On the next tide, in it comes again, yes.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29'The team washed cobbles to a depth of two feet on every beach...
0:35:30 > 0:35:35'..and removed 20,000 tonnes of waste by hand.'
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Now, I remember, I was down here, off and on,
0:35:39 > 0:35:40I think, for three weeks.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42I had to sleep in the car,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45because there were no hotel rooms around, and I stank of oil.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48And I had oil in my eyes, in my nose, in my ears, everywhere.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52You were here for far longer than I was. How did you feel, Blaise?
0:35:52 > 0:35:54There were some very, very long days.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58It's not something you want happening very often at all.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Still number 17 in the world for the biggest vessel oil spills.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05It has recovered, yeah, but it was a single event.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10'The clean-up operation would last two long years.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15'Hundreds joined in with the rescue effort.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22'Much of the wildlife was taken to centres like RSPCA West Hatch,
0:36:22 > 0:36:26'where it was cared for and rehabilitated by Arminel Scott,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30'one of those original volunteers.'
0:36:30 > 0:36:35- Round about 1,600 came in, in total.- What was that like?
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Well, just very intense,
0:36:37 > 0:36:43quite shocking to see birds in that condition and in that number.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46It was the first time that I'd ever been to this centre.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I came in as a volunteer specifically to help with the spill.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51- Did you learn anything new? - Definitely.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55The biggest change is the length of time that we keep them here now.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58We used to turn them round really quickly then, thinking that that was
0:36:58 > 0:37:02less stressful, better to get them washed and out, you know,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06in a matter of days. Now we keep them for weeks, not days.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08It just gives us a chance to really make
0:37:08 > 0:37:12sure that they are waterproof and that there's not internal damage.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14It was an awful thing,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17but the experience of actually feeling that you could help
0:37:17 > 0:37:20and doing that voluntary work then really made me
0:37:20 > 0:37:22absolutely certain that I had to change career.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26Five, six years later, I managed to get there. So here I am today!
0:37:35 > 0:37:38I remember standing on the beaches and stopping and thinking,
0:37:38 > 0:37:41"We're never going to recover from this.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44"This area will never get over this tragedy."
0:37:44 > 0:37:48But of course, recover it has. Today, just look at that.
0:37:48 > 0:37:49It looks stunning.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53And we have to remember that we've learnt new things, too,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56new techniques to clean the beaches and the rocks,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59techniques to rehabilitate the birds,
0:37:59 > 0:38:03and these techniques have been used all over the world since then.
0:38:03 > 0:38:08And I think it's testament to the hundreds of volunteers who came out
0:38:08 > 0:38:12to help at a time of crisis that the Pembrokeshire coastline
0:38:12 > 0:38:15today is as beautiful as it's ever been.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30It was a devastating event, but in a way,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34it has had quite a positive legacy, because it's drawn people's
0:38:34 > 0:38:37attention to this fabulous Pembrokeshire coastline.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39And this place, Skomer,
0:38:39 > 0:38:43is a centrepiece for conservation efforts in the area.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Now, when I arrived yesterday, it was hammering with rain,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48but as you can see, it's beautiful now,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52and there's all sorts of things going on here.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56'Having got my hands dirty, my next job as a volunteer is to
0:38:56 > 0:39:00'gather information on Skomer's first signs of spring.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04'I've already counted a flock of 15 chough.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06'They gang together in the winter months,
0:39:06 > 0:39:10'but I've noticed some are just starting to pair up.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13'Four pairs nested here in 2015,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16'so maybe more will attempt to do so this year.'
0:39:19 > 0:39:22And one thing I've noticed here on Skomer, in all these little
0:39:22 > 0:39:26inlets here, these beaches, there are grey seals.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29They're all hauling out this time of year, because they're moulting.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33They have to shed their old, battered fur and grow new fur.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Very important for their thermoregulation.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38And it may look like they're just sort of lounging around being
0:39:38 > 0:39:41really lazy, but apparently it takes a lot of energy to grow
0:39:41 > 0:39:45that new fur, so they're not being lazy, despite how it looks.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50'The wardens count the seals in autumn when they haul out to
0:39:50 > 0:39:54'breed, and last year, 230 pups were born on Skomer.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00'Up above the cliffs, the lesser black-backed gulls are already
0:40:00 > 0:40:03'getting in the mood to breed, staking out their territories.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07'They nest colonially on the island's grassy slopes.
0:40:07 > 0:40:12'But they don't like getting too close. Look at this! A proper brawl.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15'I think I've seen around 3,000 today,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17'and more are arriving all the time.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21'And they're not the only early arrivals.'
0:40:21 > 0:40:24You can probably see down here these fulmars.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26They're already courting on the cliffs.
0:40:26 > 0:40:31They haven't really gone away. They're almost resident on Skomer.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36But further out to sea, I've seen large groups of razorbills
0:40:36 > 0:40:39and guillemots, and they're kind of biding their time.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41And they keep coming in to the cliffs,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44checking out the nesting sites then going back out to sea to feed.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48And finally, there's the long-distance travellers.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52The Manx shearwaters will be coming back here from Argentina,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54thousands of miles away.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58And then the puffins, they'll be flying up from the Mediterranean.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03'Last year, the volunteers counted over 21,000 puffins
0:41:03 > 0:41:08'on the island, the highest number since records began in 1988.
0:41:08 > 0:41:09'They flourish here thanks to
0:41:09 > 0:41:11'rich fishing waters surrounding Skomer,
0:41:11 > 0:41:15'and in particular the lack of ground predators like foxes,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17'stoats and rats on the island.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21'They also get a helping hand from the 10,000 rabbits,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24'who provide them with perfect nesting burrows.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28'In many other parts of the country, puffin numbers are plummeting,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31'so let's hope they continue to do well on Skomer this year.'
0:41:32 > 0:41:36So, everything is coming together on Skomer right now.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39There's a real sense of anticipation.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47And in a few weeks, this place will be packed with birds, people,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49volunteers and, of course, eggs.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53Up to a million eggs will be laid here on Skomer.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55But each individual egg
0:41:55 > 0:41:59is a masterpiece of biological engineering.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04The science behind the egg is extraordinary,
0:42:04 > 0:42:09perfect in its form and function, because, when you think about it,
0:42:09 > 0:42:13it's tough enough to allow new life to develop within
0:42:13 > 0:42:18and yet fragile enough to allow that new life to break out.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20It's brilliant.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23And we're still making new discoveries about them.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Now then, my two sweet young friends and I are going to show you
0:42:29 > 0:42:32essentially how an egg is made.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36Right, behave yourselves. Lend a hand.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40This is the yolk. It's made up of protein, fat and water.
0:42:40 > 0:42:46Once fertilised, it starts its journey down the oviduct, and this
0:42:46 > 0:42:51is essentially a tube in which lots of important things happen.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Don't they? Because they happened to you a little while ago.
0:42:54 > 0:43:00The first thing is that that yolk is covered in the egg white,
0:43:00 > 0:43:05the albumen, and this is pretty much a shock absorber
0:43:05 > 0:43:08to protect the all-important yolk.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12But at that stage, it's still soft and squidgy, so further
0:43:12 > 0:43:19down the oviduct, it's covered in a protein layer, a protein membrane.
0:43:19 > 0:43:24Now, I've got an egg here from which we have removed all of the shell,
0:43:24 > 0:43:28and, as you can see, it's very soft and fragile.
0:43:28 > 0:43:33If a bird laid this, it wouldn't last long in the great, wide world.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35What this needs is a shell.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39And indeed, further down the oviduct,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42this reaches the shell gland.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46And there, layers of calcite crystals
0:43:46 > 0:43:51and protein fibres form this hard layer.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53But the process hasn't finished,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56because at this stage the shell is white.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00But birds have two pigments, one a brick-red colour,
0:44:00 > 0:44:02the other blue,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06and a combination of all of those is used to mark the shell
0:44:06 > 0:44:11so that when the egg is eventually laid, the patterning
0:44:11 > 0:44:18on it is unique to every species of bird that we have in the world.
0:44:19 > 0:44:25Fascinating. But the science of eggs doesn't stop there.
0:44:25 > 0:44:26Does it?
0:44:26 > 0:44:28They were so well behaved.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30'Yet eggs don't just look pretty.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34'You see, new science is revealing that the shell
0:44:34 > 0:44:38'and its colourful coating is more important than we ever imagined,
0:44:38 > 0:44:43'something Dr Steve Portugal has been looking at in closer detail.'
0:44:43 > 0:44:46Steve, I think a lot of people perceive an egg as a perfectly
0:44:46 > 0:44:50- sealed capsule, but it's not, is it?- Absolutely not, no.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52The eggshell performs an important function of letting
0:44:52 > 0:44:53the chick inside breathe,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56so air has to come in, carbon dioxide has to come out.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59So there's an awful lot going on on the surface of the eggshell.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Now, over here we've got a UV light set-up.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04If I put that guillemot egg in...
0:45:04 > 0:45:09We know, Steve, that many birds see in the UV part of the spectrum.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11If guillemots can, as well,
0:45:11 > 0:45:15then the UV light coming off here is exaggerating the features.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Definitely. It's making it very clear where the pigment patches are
0:45:18 > 0:45:20and making the white much, much brighter,
0:45:20 > 0:45:22so it's really highlighting the pattern
0:45:22 > 0:45:24and probably makes life for the parent a bit
0:45:24 > 0:45:26easier at recognising their individual eggs.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29The pigment has a multitude of functions,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32for example, of course, camouflage for birds nesting in the open.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33Another is that the pigment spots
0:45:33 > 0:45:36actually act to control how much harmful
0:45:36 > 0:45:40UV light from the sun penetrates the shell and reaches the chick.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43What you tend to see is birds who nest out in the open,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46who are being exposed to lots of UV radiation from the sun,
0:45:46 > 0:45:48have heavily pigmented eggs which keep
0:45:48 > 0:45:51the temperature inside the egg constant.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52They go even further than that.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56So, this pigment we see here called protoporphyrin, actually,
0:45:56 > 0:46:00when it's warmed up, it works as an antimicrobial property to
0:46:00 > 0:46:03help keep the egg clean, as well. It actually fights off bacteria.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07And lots of research is going into understanding how does it do that
0:46:07 > 0:46:08and basically, how can we copy it.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12What a remarkable thing, eggshell. Who'd have thought it?
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Porous, self-cleaning,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17antimicrobial, has insulating properties,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20can offer camouflage and personal recognition.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23- It's amazing.- Cor! It's egg-cellent.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31It's no wonder that eggs hold such a fascination for us.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35They really are quite remarkable. And over the Easter period,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38when you're munching away through your chocolate eggs or,
0:46:38 > 0:46:42dare I say it, even making an omelette, stop for a minute
0:46:42 > 0:46:47and think, because I bet you never imagined just how incredible
0:46:47 > 0:46:50the egg really is.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53Look at them. They even match my jumper.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01Well, I think Chris has cracked the egg-straordinary science of the egg!
0:47:01 > 0:47:07Look at this! This really is spring! It's absolutely beautiful.
0:47:07 > 0:47:08We've been talking about
0:47:08 > 0:47:12what a strange start to the spring this has been and early blooms,
0:47:12 > 0:47:14and to talk about that in more detail,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16I've been joined by David Jamieson,
0:47:16 > 0:47:18who's a judge for the Royal Horticultural Society
0:47:18 > 0:47:21- Britain In Bloom, which we're going to talk about in a second.- Mm-hm.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24But first of all, I mean, this is glorious, isn't it?
0:47:24 > 0:47:29Absolutely fabulous! What a lot of colour, white and yellows and green.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33- Fantastic.- Apparently, it's been a unprecedented early bloom
0:47:33 > 0:47:35- this year.- It has.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38It's been a very, very early spring, really, a very mild winter,
0:47:38 > 0:47:42certainly, so December and January were particularly warm,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45which got a lot of flowers off early, so, yes, quite unprecedented.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49But then we had a cold snap, so is that a problem for flowers?
0:47:49 > 0:47:53It can be a problem, yes, for plants that are not particularly hardy.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55Freezing, thawing and freezing again,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58that can damage the plant cells themselves.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01Let's talk about Britain In Bloom, because you're a judge for that.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04I mean, it's a huge competition, isn't it, across the UK?
0:48:04 > 0:48:06- Massive, yes.- How many people enter, roughly?
0:48:06 > 0:48:08Well, about 4,000 communities every year,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11and the best of those will enter the UK finals.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13We've got 72 finalists this year.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16And one of the awards that you're giving out, in association
0:48:16 > 0:48:20with us here at Springwatch, is the Conservation and Wildlife Award.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23- So, what do you look for?- Well, what we're looking for, really,
0:48:23 > 0:48:28is a community who's really doing that extra bit for wildlife.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Within a village it might be creating a wildlife garden
0:48:31 > 0:48:33that everybody's getting involved in,
0:48:33 > 0:48:36in a city it might be changing some of the landscapes within that
0:48:36 > 0:48:40city into wildlife-friendly, wildlife-rich habitat.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42And if you want to do that in your own garden -
0:48:42 > 0:48:45because the more people that plant things for wildlife,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48the better - what would be your, say, top five things to do?
0:48:48 > 0:48:52Everybody can do something in their garden, no matter how big or small.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55Gardens are hugely important, particularly in urban communities.
0:48:55 > 0:49:02So I think getting a good structure, so planting trees, shrubs,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05wild flowers and maybe a good grass layer, as well.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08I think if people have got space, to put in a pond or
0:49:08 > 0:49:12a pile of logs for lichens or fungi to attract insects.
0:49:12 > 0:49:13That's always a very good thing.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16But also, think about having something flowering all
0:49:16 > 0:49:17the way through the year,
0:49:17 > 0:49:20so something from the early spring right through summer to autumn,
0:49:20 > 0:49:23because then there's always something there for pollinators.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27You're judging in June, July, so we'll follow up in Springwatch.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29And there are lots of details on our website
0:49:29 > 0:49:31if you want to enter Britain In Bloom. Now, look at this.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34This really is an early sign of spring.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36It's very obvious here, but the further north you go,
0:49:36 > 0:49:39it's not so obvious, especially once you get to Scotland,
0:49:39 > 0:49:41where it might be two weeks behind.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44But that's where we've been filming with David Anderson
0:49:44 > 0:49:46from the Forest Enterprise Scotland,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49who's been doing something really great for one of Scotland's
0:49:49 > 0:49:52largest and most spectacular birds.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01The golden eagle, one of the most iconic birds of prey,
0:50:01 > 0:50:03a master of the sky...
0:50:04 > 0:50:09..and yet it's highly elusive and very wary, and this means it's
0:50:09 > 0:50:13a bird that's actually very difficult to get to know.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18'David Anderson is trying to change that.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24'He's put out carcases and cameras across southwestern Scotland
0:50:24 > 0:50:28'and he's also fitted satellite tags to two birds to gather unique
0:50:28 > 0:50:30'data on their daily movements.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33'But Dave wants to tag more.
0:50:36 > 0:50:41'So, on a freezing day in late January, I went to meet him
0:50:41 > 0:50:43'at one of his bait sites.'
0:50:43 > 0:50:45Something's been at it.
0:50:45 > 0:50:50Well, looking at what's happening here, here's a nice track here.
0:50:50 > 0:50:51That looks like an eagle.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54And this obviously is the rim of your trap here. How does that work?
0:50:54 > 0:50:58We set the trap in so that the birds get used to it.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00- And you operate it manually, yeah?- I operate it manually,
0:51:00 > 0:51:04because we need to be nearby to make sure nothing happens to the
0:51:04 > 0:51:06bird. I sit back in my hide.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10- And you're after what, catching a male?- I'm after a male,
0:51:10 > 0:51:13because he's basically ranging over the whole of his area
0:51:13 > 0:51:17for 12 months of the year, and he's not curtailed to the nest.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19All we need, then, is a male eagle to come in.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22I mean, what are the chances, do you think, whilst we're waiting?
0:51:22 > 0:51:26That's a stupid question, isn't it? It's a million-dollar question.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28But they've been here, they've been on the carcass.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31They've been here today, because this snow wasn't here yesterday.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34So hopefully I'll get in this hide tomorrow morning,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37as long as we don't get a heavy dump of snow tonight,
0:51:37 > 0:51:39and we have to see what happens.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42- OK. Fingers crossed.- Cheers.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50'Golden eagles are very wary of humans
0:51:50 > 0:51:53'and catching them therefore is no easy task.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57'So the next morning, Dave goes to the hide alone.'
0:52:00 > 0:52:03It's raining, and on the tops of the hills behind me you can
0:52:03 > 0:52:07see it's really misty. It's not great eagle weather.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11Now, Dave - brave Dave - got up very early this morning.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15He's been in the hide since first light. We've had crows in there.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17He's been texting me. We've had buzzards.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20But, of course, no eagles at all.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24And it's about 3:30 now, so pretty soon the light is going to start
0:52:24 > 0:52:29to fade and with it any chances of catching one of these birds.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31And I'm gutted. I'm absolutely...
0:52:31 > 0:52:33I'm damp. And gutted.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35Damp and gutted. It doesn't get worse.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39'Frustrating as this is,
0:52:39 > 0:52:43'it's not that surprising that an eagle didn't come in to feed today.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46'With several carcasses strewn across these hilltops,
0:52:46 > 0:52:48'there were plenty of other feeding options,
0:52:48 > 0:52:52'so Dave has to be in the right hide at the right time.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56'He's a man with a great deal of patience
0:52:56 > 0:52:59'and a massive amount of dedication.
0:53:01 > 0:53:07'And two weeks after I was with him, Dave is finally rewarded.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15'After all the hours of sitting and waiting,
0:53:15 > 0:53:18'he's finally caught the male eagle that he was after.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26'To keep him calm, Dave puts a special hood over his eyes.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30'And with the help of his team, the first job is to record
0:53:30 > 0:53:34'the eagle's vital statistics and check its overall health.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40'It's immediately apparent that this male bird has a problem with
0:53:40 > 0:53:41'one of his eyes.'
0:53:42 > 0:53:46- It was blinded.- Oh, yeah! - It's blind in this eye.- Gosh!
0:53:46 > 0:53:49'But this doesn't seem to be holding it back.'
0:53:49 > 0:53:53These are brand-new feathers, and then older feathers. So, this
0:53:53 > 0:53:57is a two-year-old feather, and this is a three-year-plus feather.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00And then, if you come right into the inner tertials,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02- los of these have been replaced, as well.- Yeah.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05And some of the other adult eagles that we've trapped have
0:54:05 > 0:54:08been in much poorer condition than this bird.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11So we can tell that even though he's only got one eye,
0:54:11 > 0:54:14he's doing really well for himself.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16So he's obviously managing to hunt and catch food.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19He's managing to hunt, catch food, hold a territory
0:54:19 > 0:54:23- and please a female. It's always a good thing.- All with one eye!
0:54:23 > 0:54:25THEY LAUGH
0:54:25 > 0:54:28'It's great that this male is in such fantastic condition,
0:54:28 > 0:54:33'but the real purpose of catching it is to fit it with a hi-tech
0:54:33 > 0:54:36'satellite tag that's going to give Dave unique
0:54:36 > 0:54:40'data on its movements over the next few years.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45'Dave carefully sews it into position, and then it's time to go.'
0:54:49 > 0:54:51They can fly in the dark, but he'll
0:54:51 > 0:54:53just go and sit and roost on the ground for tonight,
0:54:53 > 0:54:57probably, and then it'll be away first thing in the morning.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00I'm feeling absolutely fantastic.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02It's great that it's all come together.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06It's probably 100 hours to catch that bird. It's just brilliant.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09It's another part of our project, so I'm really, really chuffed.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17- What a bird.- What a bird. Beautiful!- I can't tell you.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21I so wanted to be there. Imagine a golden eagle in the hand!
0:55:21 > 0:55:23I could see that you were a little bit disappointed that it
0:55:23 > 0:55:27- didn't happen when you were there!- I was absolutely mortified going home.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30The good news is, though, that the bird flew off the next morning.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32We know that from the satellite tracking.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35- It's been very active ever since. - What about that eye, though?
0:55:35 > 0:55:36Are you concerned about that?
0:55:36 > 0:55:39Well, I would be if David hadn't have given it such a thorough
0:55:39 > 0:55:41examination and found it to be in such good health.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43It seems to be doing really well.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45I mean, how it got the eye problem we don't know.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48It could have been a disease, could have been a congenital problem
0:55:48 > 0:55:50or it could have been injured - could have been fighting with a fox
0:55:50 > 0:55:53or kicked in the eye by a hare when it was hunting.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55But whatever, it seems to be prospering.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57And in fact, we've got a map here, and this shows all
0:55:57 > 0:56:00the data points that David's collected since the bird was tagged.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02It was tagged up here.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04And you can see it's been ranging over quite a wide area.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07But there are hot spots, and these are probably roosting sites,
0:56:07 > 0:56:10where it's been returning each evening to roost, or,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13of course, potential nesting sites, because it is their breeding season.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16That's a fantastic amount of information, isn't it?
0:56:16 > 0:56:19It is absolutely amazing.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22And the really good news is that we're going to be following this
0:56:22 > 0:56:24bird and maybe some others, too, throughout Springwatch.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26So for the first time,
0:56:26 > 0:56:31we're going to be able to uncover on live TV more about the ecology
0:56:31 > 0:56:35and behaviour of one of Britain's most iconic birds, the golden eagle.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38- I can barely wait!- It's not the only bird that we're following.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41We're also following some cuckoos, thanks to the BTO, that have
0:56:41 > 0:56:44been tagged, and you can follow them online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48So you can get your Springwatch fix before we come back!
0:56:48 > 0:56:51Several of them are tagged. We're following a couple of them.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54One of them is called David Peckham - love the name -
0:56:54 > 0:56:57and he's already left Gabon, where he's overwintered.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00He's headed up here, to Western Africa,
0:57:00 > 0:57:03where he's stopping for a bit before contemplating crossing
0:57:03 > 0:57:05the Sahara, which could obviously be very perilous,
0:57:05 > 0:57:08before he heads up, hopefully to the UK.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11There's another bird, tagged a couple of years ago,
0:57:11 > 0:57:13called Stanley, and this bird was caught
0:57:13 > 0:57:16and tagged in East Anglia a couple of years ago.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Now, they don't always follow the same route,
0:57:19 > 0:57:21but we do expect them to go into West Africa,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24because at this time of year there are lots of storms there and
0:57:24 > 0:57:26lots of rain as a consequence,
0:57:26 > 0:57:29and this leads to the emergence of plenty of insects, either from their
0:57:29 > 0:57:33pupae or termites which swarm out of their mounds and provide
0:57:33 > 0:57:36excellent feeding for the cuckoos so they can build up
0:57:36 > 0:57:39their reserves before they have to cross the Sahara.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42As I say, it's the Great Cuckoo Race that you can follow online,
0:57:42 > 0:57:43on Twitter and on Facebook.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46So that's bbc.co.uk/springwatch,
0:57:46 > 0:57:49hashtag Springwatch or hashtag DoSomethingGreat.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53They're all of our sort of social media feeds that we use.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56And that's also the place to go online to check out
0:57:56 > 0:57:58lots of things that you can do to do something great.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01Get lots of inspiration. And do you know what, Chris?
0:58:01 > 0:58:03They've got a quiz on there, as well, that you can do
0:58:03 > 0:58:07that helps you decide what sort of volunteering would suit you best.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09I'd volunteer to be following those golden eagles,
0:58:09 > 0:58:12- to be quite honest with you. - Oh, that's just a hobby!
0:58:12 > 0:58:14Honestly, just can't wait for that.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17However, very sadly, that's all we've got time for.
0:58:17 > 0:58:19We'd like to extend a massive thanks to all the staff
0:58:19 > 0:58:23here at the Stackpole Estate in Pembrokeshire. It's been fantastic.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27And do join us on May the 30th, when we start our Springwatch season.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30- Until then, goodbye. - See you then. Bye-bye.