0:00:01 > 0:00:06It is Springwatch. We are coming to live from Wales at the end of our
0:00:06 > 0:00:13first week. We have had all sorts of drama here, especially involving
0:00:13 > 0:00:17our jackdaws. We will take you inside the Secret lives of some
0:00:17 > 0:00:23very amazing animals, like these wild boar, notoriously difficult to
0:00:23 > 0:00:28film, especially when they are with their young. We will be taking a
0:00:28 > 0:00:38close look at one of the UK's place on British television that
0:00:38 > 0:00:56
0:00:56 > 0:00:59you can see a hen harrier tonight. Yes, hello and welcome to
0:00:59 > 0:01:05Springwatch, coming to you live, the last programme of our first
0:01:05 > 0:01:10week. Here at the RSPB Ynys-hir reserve in Wales, fabulous place.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15All week we have been saying it is 700 hectares. I stand corrected. It
0:01:15 > 0:01:20is 800 hectares of the most amazing habitat. We have covered it with
0:01:20 > 0:01:25cameras and we have stuck our nosey noses into the lives of all kinds
0:01:26 > 0:01:33of creatures. Can I just say, what a glorious evening! The sunshine is
0:01:33 > 0:01:37out. Let's see what has happened to the stars of the show, the nesting
0:01:37 > 0:01:42birds, over the past 24 hours. The reed bunting, we left the nest
0:01:42 > 0:01:47looking like this yesterday. Empty. We saw one of the chicks fledged on
0:01:47 > 0:01:52the programme. What happens to the others? All five have fledged. Why
0:01:52 > 0:01:58would the adult be coming back with food still? Interestingly, they
0:01:58 > 0:02:03fledge before they can fly. They are only about 10 to 12 days old
0:02:03 > 0:02:12when they leave the nest and they only fly about five days after that.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16the food. They are still totally reliant on that parent. Of course
0:02:16 > 0:02:23they are very vulnerable. They are a vulnerable but it is a good idea
0:02:24 > 0:02:28to get out of that nest and split up. We saw earlier in the week, all
0:02:28 > 0:02:34the chicks in one basket and the weasel got the lot. If they spread
0:02:34 > 0:02:38themselves out, even over just one metre, there is a greater chance of
0:02:38 > 0:02:44them surviving. There are predators out there, as well as the weasel.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49We spotted this, a female adder. Of course they are carnivores, there
0:02:49 > 0:02:59to be called Die it be incredibly composed of young, small mammals
0:02:59 > 0:03:03that they take out of their nests. -- their typical diet. They don't
0:03:03 > 0:03:09seek out young birds. If they happen to cross them, they would
0:03:09 > 0:03:13probably take them. A reptilian predator active down here. It was
0:03:13 > 0:03:17probably more likely to be a grass snake active down here. I found a
0:03:17 > 0:03:23grass snake curled up in a willow warbler's nest the few years ago.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27The warblers were going berserk and I got down on my hands and knees
0:03:27 > 0:03:31and I saw the grass snake in there. I caught it, and running down its
0:03:31 > 0:03:41body was a series of lumps. away! It's had eaten all the
0:03:41 > 0:03:46
0:03:46 > 0:03:56youngsters. -- no way! Let's have a look that the great tips. This is
0:03:56 > 0:03:58
0:03:58 > 0:04:02the nesting box. -- tits. One is not looking so good and we will
0:04:03 > 0:04:12look at him in a second. They could fledge this weekend, but they will
0:04:13 > 0:04:14
0:04:14 > 0:04:18probably hang on in until next week. You can see that one chick raises
0:04:18 > 0:04:24its head more highly than the others. Let's take a look at what
0:04:24 > 0:04:29we filmed earlier today. Again, the nesting box. The parent comes in.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35One chick is straight up, much higher than the others. We have
0:04:35 > 0:04:41named that one super chip and that is the one that we saw the other
0:04:41 > 0:04:51day going round the nesting box. Super chick is doing well but we
0:04:51 > 0:04:56
0:04:56 > 0:05:06are concerned about one of them, which is the round. -- the run to
0:05:06 > 0:05:08
0:05:08 > 0:05:12one. Don't call him that because he is bound to fail! Call him Rudy.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17runty we do not looking so good. A lot of you have commented on the
0:05:17 > 0:05:22internet as well. They could fledge early next weekend. Keep an eye on
0:05:22 > 0:05:25them. We will be watching all of the live cameras throughout the
0:05:25 > 0:05:30programme as we transmit. If anything kicks off while we are
0:05:30 > 0:05:36live on air, of course we will go directly to it. You can watch the
0:05:36 > 0:05:39live cameras night and day and many of you have been. On the red button
0:05:39 > 0:05:43and online. You have sent us some comments, which are rather nice. I
0:05:43 > 0:05:46like this. Tim Brookes says that the webcams are the best thing
0:05:46 > 0:05:53about working night shifts at this time of year. Thank you. Obviously
0:05:53 > 0:06:00working hard one who watches them! I am loving having the webcam on in
0:06:00 > 0:06:04the background as I get ready for work. Natalie says that what in the
0:06:04 > 0:06:13webcam and showing the three-year- old daughter the jackdaws having
0:06:13 > 0:06:18their breakfast. -- she is watching the web cam. And we have taken a
0:06:18 > 0:06:24picture of a science-fiction monster as well. What is that? We
0:06:24 > 0:06:28would like you if you can to tell us what manner of creature that is.
0:06:28 > 0:06:37And what is its favourite food? If you think you know the answer to
0:06:37 > 0:06:45that, go to the website. Or the Twitter account. Let us know and we
0:06:45 > 0:06:49will reveal it later in the programme. It is called -- cool
0:06:49 > 0:06:53looking. One of the most ferocious creatures at large in the UK at the
0:06:53 > 0:07:03moment. That is a good way of putting it. I have to leave because
0:07:03 > 0:07:04
0:07:04 > 0:07:14I have to go to the squelchy God to do some detective work. -- squelchy
0:07:14 > 0:07:16
0:07:16 > 0:07:19bog. And 45 minutes in that direction... That direction! We are
0:07:19 > 0:07:28going to one of our favourite childhood haunts to look at a
0:07:28 > 0:07:32fabulous bird. Welcome to the reserve in the heart
0:07:32 > 0:07:37of this moorland. What a place it is. I am surrounded by heather
0:07:37 > 0:07:41moorland, which she will not get in the whole of southern Britain. It
0:07:41 > 0:07:46is a special place for me, too, because this is where I grew up,
0:07:46 > 0:07:51when I was knee-high to a weasel. I used to wonder around here and it
0:07:51 > 0:07:57was where my love for wildlife was developed. Just over the hill, we
0:07:57 > 0:08:01have got a man in a hide, because we are here to see a very special
0:08:01 > 0:08:08bird, the hen harrier. If we go over and have a quick look live,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11you will see that the lens is on a bit of heather and there is a
0:08:11 > 0:08:16lovely looking sheep. We are hoping that later on in the programme
0:08:16 > 0:08:22there will be some live hen harriers for you. I make a personal
0:08:22 > 0:08:32pilgrimage on to this moorland every spring are to see my beloved
0:08:32 > 0:08:36
0:08:36 > 0:08:46harriers. My first visit this year This lake has a huge variety of
0:08:46 > 0:08:51habitats, would learned to grassland -- woodland. But the most
0:08:51 > 0:08:55important is the heather moorland, and I grew up here. Much of my
0:08:55 > 0:09:00childhood was spent on the moorland, and we would get up before dawn, my
0:09:01 > 0:09:04dog and I, and stay up all day and go back after dark. I still search
0:09:04 > 0:09:09these hills that this time of year, hoping for a glimpse of my
0:09:09 > 0:09:15favourite bird, the majestic hen harrier. One of the UK's rarest
0:09:15 > 0:09:22birds of prey. In my home patch, there are thought to be five
0:09:22 > 0:09:26breeding pairs. This reserve is a key habitat for their survival. I
0:09:26 > 0:09:30am here to see how this year's breeding birds are coping with the
0:09:30 > 0:09:39late spring. It is not long before the distinctive ghostly shape of a
0:09:39 > 0:09:49male hen harrier bricks the horizon. -- breaks the horizon. It looks
0:09:49 > 0:09:54like he is hunting. He is really obvious. This light grey colour,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58just stunning birds. There is the female, virtually hidden in the
0:09:58 > 0:10:06heather. If they are going to breed successfully, it is crucial that
0:10:06 > 0:10:12the female can remain hidden. That is why, it is the female that
0:10:12 > 0:10:22incubate the eggs, because she has this perfect dark brown, for large
0:10:22 > 0:10:28all over her back. -- Brown, for. It is great to see the pair back in
0:10:28 > 0:10:38the valley, since 39 years ago I was up here doing exactly the same
0:10:38 > 0:10:38
0:10:38 > 0:10:42He has dropped in. That could well be their nesting site, hidden in
0:10:43 > 0:10:46the thick heather. I suspect that maybe they are not on eggs yet
0:10:46 > 0:10:53because the female does not like the male going down on to the nest
0:10:53 > 0:10:56when their eggs in there. What usually happens in this, the male
0:10:56 > 0:11:02will do all the hunting and the female will stay close to the nest
0:11:02 > 0:11:06because she has to put on a lot of weight, build up the energy to lay
0:11:06 > 0:11:16the eggs. It takes a lot of effort out of a body, so he will go
0:11:16 > 0:11:17
0:11:17 > 0:11:24hunting and bring her foot. -- food. I can't think of a better way to
0:11:25 > 0:11:29spend the day than this, sitting on my backside in the Welsh moorland,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34watching a pair of hen harriers. It does not get much better than this.
0:11:34 > 0:11:40I must tell you this. The Welsh name for the hen harrier, referring
0:11:40 > 0:11:45to the female, means white bottom buzzard. What a perfect name that
0:11:45 > 0:11:50is. They spend the winter away from us up land area, which is very
0:11:50 > 0:11:53harsh, but they come back in early spring on the first nice days. This
0:11:53 > 0:11:57year they were late and we were worried that they might not come
0:11:57 > 0:12:04back at all. This power has been coming here for many years now, but
0:12:04 > 0:12:10the signs are good. -- this pair. And this is what we saw just a few
0:12:10 > 0:12:15days ago. Here comes the Mail, bringing in the prey, and there
0:12:15 > 0:12:19cannot be a better bird than that in all of Europe. He is bringing it
0:12:19 > 0:12:29in over the heather moorland. And he is so visible, so visible. He
0:12:29 > 0:12:33
0:12:33 > 0:12:39drops the prey on the floor. Coming to the female. Let's go live to our
0:12:39 > 0:12:46camera over the hill and see what we can see right now. Our cameraman
0:12:46 > 0:12:55is in there, and he is focusing on the heather. The female is tucked
0:12:55 > 0:13:00in among at the head and she is on eggs, I am pleased to say. -- are
0:13:00 > 0:13:04among the heather. There could be four to seven. And you get them
0:13:04 > 0:13:09polygamous, which will mean that the males can take up to four
0:13:09 > 0:13:15females. That does not happen in Wales. In 39 years I have only seen
0:13:15 > 0:13:20that happen once. We are very, very lucky to be up here with such a
0:13:20 > 0:13:26rare bird, bearing in mind that this is one of fewer than 30 pairs
0:13:26 > 0:13:30and the whole of Wales. But will we have live hen harriers on the
0:13:30 > 0:13:37programme for you tonight? Well, you'll have to join us later on to
0:13:37 > 0:13:41find out. Like hen harriers, that would be
0:13:41 > 0:13:51something. Every time I think I have got a favourite bird of prey,
0:13:51 > 0:13:58the cast will of course, up pops another one. -- the kestrel. Male
0:13:58 > 0:14:02hen harriers. Not female? You can't revel in them. Beautiful bird, no
0:14:02 > 0:14:11doubt about it. I am going to update you on a bird that has
0:14:11 > 0:14:15featured a lot, and it is our family of jackdaws. We have two
0:14:15 > 0:14:19chicks in a nest in a barn, which were doing pretty well, then we had
0:14:19 > 0:14:22intruders coming in to attack them. It was quite dramatic. Yesterday it
0:14:22 > 0:14:27went much quieter, but what has been happening in the last 24
0:14:27 > 0:14:31hours? It is a little bit distressing. We saw the chicks
0:14:31 > 0:14:37inside and these are the intruders. This happened this morning. The
0:14:37 > 0:14:43intruder starts to do what it did the day before, pecking the cheque.
0:14:43 > 0:14:53-- chick. Then the parent bird comes in and scares it off. It
0:14:53 > 0:15:03
0:15:03 > 0:15:06looked like it will be OK but it You can see the intruder looking
0:15:06 > 0:15:12through the nest box whole. Look what happens now. This gets very
0:15:12 > 0:15:16aggressive. It's quite distressing. It starts pecking the chick. Even
0:15:16 > 0:15:20the other intruder comes in, having a right old go at that one
0:15:21 > 0:15:25particular chick's. He is fighting back, which is a good sign. He's
0:15:25 > 0:15:30showing a bit of strength, but it goes on and on. They just keep
0:15:30 > 0:15:34pegging back chick. The parent comes in, almost looking at its
0:15:34 > 0:15:43submissive. The parent comes in with food, so there's very little
0:15:43 > 0:15:48it can do. This is the trouble. The parents can't clamp down on what is
0:15:48 > 0:15:54going on because they've got to go and get food. It couldn't chase the
0:15:54 > 0:15:57intruders off because it literally had its mouth full. That want it
0:15:57 > 0:16:07wasn't looking good. We were very concerned about it. What has
0:16:07 > 0:16:07
0:16:07 > 0:16:10I'm pleased to tell you that they are sleeping. They are alive. It
0:16:11 > 0:16:14took them a while to recover, but we have been watching them
0:16:14 > 0:16:19throughout the day. The parents have been feeding them and they've
0:16:19 > 0:16:25been up and about. You just wonder, how much of a hammering can they
0:16:25 > 0:16:32take? But been attacked quite a few times. It was encouraging to see
0:16:33 > 0:16:36them dodging about, fighting back. If this had been happening when
0:16:37 > 0:16:39they'd just hatched, it would have probably been all over now. One
0:16:39 > 0:16:46accurate Pep from one of those intruding subordinate birds would
0:16:46 > 0:16:50have been the end of it. We can see that happening because we've got a
0:16:50 > 0:16:54camera inside. If you were watching that from the outside, you wouldn't
0:16:54 > 0:16:57know they were intruding birds. You'd probably think they were the
0:16:57 > 0:17:05parents coming in. That gives us unique access to what is going on
0:17:05 > 0:17:10inside. Our jackdaws are not all in nest boxes. As a small colony of
0:17:10 > 0:17:14birds down here, and some of them have chosen natural sites in trees.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18These are the favoured site. Scientific studies have shown that
0:17:18 > 0:17:22if they have a choice, they will take a natural tree side, then a
0:17:22 > 0:17:27man-made Holt, such as one you would find in a building, and then
0:17:27 > 0:17:35and nest box. There are some in the tree holes. Often out, busy feeding.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39These are Prince of the birds which of feeding on invertebrates. They
0:17:39 > 0:17:45take relatively small things. Insects, lots of fly larvae. But
0:17:46 > 0:17:52look here, that's its Boco pouch. That swollen throat is full of food.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56When they are out collecting food, sometimes worms, they fill up that
0:17:56 > 0:18:01pouch and they will go back into the nest and regurgitated into the
0:18:01 > 0:18:05mouths of the young. One of the things they do is they put their
0:18:05 > 0:18:08beak right down inside the mouth of the young. They've got to get it
0:18:08 > 0:18:15beyond the Tong, so that the youngster can't put it back out
0:18:15 > 0:18:19again. It's great to see them out in the wild and it's great to see
0:18:19 > 0:18:23them in the nest box. Not far away from that is this bird on its nest.
0:18:23 > 0:18:29This is a mallard. We don't know how many eggs of their, because
0:18:29 > 0:18:32every time she gets up she covers them over. But we think they could
0:18:32 > 0:18:36possibly hat at the weekend. When they do hatch they will be very
0:18:36 > 0:18:42cute. Although there's a bit of jeopardy there, they are not far
0:18:42 > 0:18:47away from the jackdaws. They are prey for all sorts of things.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51are, but there's probably 10 or 12 eggs and a bed. Our jackdaws are
0:18:51 > 0:18:54very wary birds. Our camera team have been very patient putting the
0:18:54 > 0:19:04cameras in. But there are some other animals which make Jack Boles
0:19:04 > 0:19:05
0:19:05 > 0:19:10look positively tame. They are super wary. They are wild boar.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15This has been taken by then, he's been photograph in the wild boar in
0:19:15 > 0:19:25the Forest of Dean. We sent him out with a camera to catch some movie
0:19:25 > 0:19:36
0:19:36 > 0:19:46I spend every minute out here, just naturally photographing everything
0:19:46 > 0:19:46
0:19:47 > 0:19:53I can find. The beauty of the place. My name is then lock. I live here,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57in the Forest of Dean. Of all the wildlife we have, the wild boar
0:19:57 > 0:20:01have been the biggest poll for me. They are quite a mystical creatures.
0:20:01 > 0:20:11It hasn't existed in the British Isles for at least 300 years or so,
0:20:11 > 0:20:12
0:20:12 > 0:20:22and now it's back. The wild boar aren't generally easy animals to
0:20:22 > 0:20:22
0:20:22 > 0:20:25find. They don't like or seek out human company. My early time spent
0:20:25 > 0:20:30looking for there was very shambolic, I didn't know what I was
0:20:30 > 0:20:40doing. After many weeks, I got a glimpse of the backside of a ball
0:20:40 > 0:20:45
0:20:45 > 0:20:49disappearing into the woods. That They have a pretty underdeveloped
0:20:49 > 0:20:52sense of sight, but they more than compensate but Supreme hearing and
0:20:52 > 0:20:56smelling capabilities. That presents a real challenge when you
0:20:56 > 0:21:01are trying to photograph them. You need to keep the wind on the right
0:21:01 > 0:21:06side of you, keep as quiet as you possibly can. They spent most of
0:21:06 > 0:21:16their time feeding. They will root of the forest floor, looking for
0:21:16 > 0:21:22roots, insects, acorns, chestnuts. Wild boar living groups. They are
0:21:22 > 0:21:29matriarchal groups. Typically it will consist of the matriarch and
0:21:30 > 0:21:33her offspring. The matriarch will team up in twos or threes and form
0:21:33 > 0:21:36groups of May the 20 to 25 wild boar, with all the offspring. And
0:21:36 > 0:21:40perhaps the previous year's offspring as well. You could have
0:21:40 > 0:21:50three generations in the same group. The largest group I've seen
0:21:50 > 0:21:56
0:21:56 > 0:22:00consisted of about 45, but this is I don't have a favourite time he in
0:22:00 > 0:22:10the forest, it's so changeable. Winter brings a different kind of
0:22:10 > 0:22:13peace, the Forest is very quiet. Earlier this year in the winter, I
0:22:14 > 0:22:19made a point to go out and look for wild boar in the snow. Surprisingly
0:22:19 > 0:22:23easy to find. There prints are fresh and the Snow shows them well.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26It didn't take long to find them feeding. What was particularly
0:22:26 > 0:22:30fascinating was there was a small crowd of Robbins following her
0:22:30 > 0:22:39around as she went, making the most of the situation and the food that
0:22:40 > 0:22:43she was uncovering. The wild boar seemed a bit annoyed and began a
0:22:43 > 0:22:53new patch and left the Robins to exploit the area that it had
0:22:53 > 0:22:54
0:22:54 > 0:22:58already uncovered. Typically, they will be born in the spring. Newborn
0:22:58 > 0:23:01piglets of tiny, but by the time you stand a good chance of seeing
0:23:02 > 0:23:06them, they could be compared to perhaps a small Jack Russell in
0:23:06 > 0:23:12size. They are often known as humbug, due to their stripy
0:23:12 > 0:23:17appearance. Probably one of my most special moments with them was one
0:23:17 > 0:23:21day when I managed to find a group of piglets who would two week old.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25I managed to get within about 30 to 40 feet of them. I was on lower
0:23:25 > 0:23:35ground than they were, so all they would have seen of me was probably
0:23:35 > 0:23:36
0:23:36 > 0:23:42my head, which probably made me The mother was mostly rooting
0:23:42 > 0:23:46around and the piglets were running around play fighting. In the end
0:23:46 > 0:23:56they were pestering a mother so much for milk Fachie just flopped
0:23:56 > 0:23:59
0:23:59 > 0:24:05on the ground and gave in and let After having spent so long tracking
0:24:05 > 0:24:15down wild boar and hoping for the perfect opportunity, I suppose,
0:24:15 > 0:24:20
0:24:20 > 0:24:25that particular day was the Welcome to the Nunez here reed bed,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29where we are being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Wild boar, what a
0:24:29 > 0:24:34wonderful thing. A really thrilling animal to see. Increasingly you can
0:24:34 > 0:24:38see signs of wild boar around the UK. Lookout on road verges where
0:24:38 > 0:24:43they've been rooting around at night. You can see signs of them
0:24:43 > 0:24:50but to see a live wild boar and the little piglets, what a treat!
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Fantastic field craft by Ben. Thank you very much indeed for that.
0:24:55 > 0:25:02Mammals, they are very shy, very secretive and very hard to see. But
0:25:02 > 0:25:07they are all around us here at Ynys-hir. We have seen that auto
0:25:07 > 0:25:12yesterday. We saw that we sought attacking the dunnock nest. Even
0:25:12 > 0:25:18stranger than that, we haven't seen quite so many things. What things
0:25:18 > 0:25:28might we see here? Squirrel, we might have another glimpse of that
0:25:28 > 0:25:29
0:25:29 > 0:25:34otter. The fox as well. They are all around us. Now I'm going to
0:25:34 > 0:25:44show you how to turn mammal detective. Watch out, it's a nice
0:25:44 > 0:25:45
0:25:45 > 0:25:53squishy area. There's a bird- watching hide. Here we go. Through
0:25:53 > 0:25:59the reeds, OK. How to turn detective. Well, this is a
0:25:59 > 0:26:06footprint trap. How does it work? Animals can go in here. If we have
0:26:07 > 0:26:13a look and get it out, this is what is inside. What happens is a mouse
0:26:13 > 0:26:18or Ray weasel, they will walk in and go across this ink pad. They
0:26:18 > 0:26:25will go to the bait. They will get the ink on their paws. As they go
0:26:25 > 0:26:29out, they will leave a trail for you to see. That is the footprint
0:26:29 > 0:26:33trap. You can actually buy these commercially or you can make one
0:26:34 > 0:26:38yourself. It hears the deal. If you do do that, and it's great fun, do
0:26:38 > 0:26:42it at home in the garden. Please get in contact with the mammal
0:26:42 > 0:26:52Society through our website and tell them what you've found by the
0:26:52 > 0:26:53
0:26:53 > 0:26:58They really want to know what animals you find. There's a guide
0:26:58 > 0:27:04to the footprints on our website. What about the slightly bigger
0:27:04 > 0:27:10animals? Back here, I expect some of you at home may already have
0:27:10 > 0:27:16these. This is a trap camera. That is simply activated by movement. It
0:27:16 > 0:27:22takes pictures of any passing animals. Animals, like us, would
0:27:22 > 0:27:26they want to pass through the difficult areas? No. They'd much
0:27:26 > 0:27:36rather walk down an existing path. We are going to put trap cameras up
0:27:36 > 0:27:37
0:27:37 > 0:27:43and down the path over the weekend We might get an otter, a fox or
0:27:43 > 0:27:47even a badger. Lots of you have been getting in contact with us by
0:27:47 > 0:27:50social media, talking about badgers and the badger cull which is now
0:27:50 > 0:27:54set to go ahead in Somerset and Gloucestershire, starting this
0:27:54 > 0:27:58weekend. We are very aware it's an emotional subject, lots of you are
0:27:58 > 0:28:03very passionate about it and there are very strong opinions on both
0:28:03 > 0:28:07sides of what is a complex issue. If you'd like to know the science
0:28:07 > 0:28:12behind the debate, or if you'd like to keep up-to-date with the news,
0:28:12 > 0:28:21then go to our website. There's the chance for you to have your say and
0:28:21 > 0:28:25give your opinion. I'm sure plenty of you will do just that. Plenty of
0:28:25 > 0:28:31you contributed last night. We launched our kestrel count. Already
0:28:31 > 0:28:38that website has had 10,000 hits. 2500 people have marked up where
0:28:38 > 0:28:44they've seen kestrels. We even had one in America. That is pretty
0:28:44 > 0:28:49good! We really want to do get involved. Don't sit at home
0:28:49 > 0:28:54thinking, I'm so bored. With the USA involved, we need you. So make
0:28:54 > 0:29:03sure you get out there this weekend. The details on the website. Put up
0:29:03 > 0:29:13those reports because we need them. In just one day we had 2500. We do
0:29:13 > 0:29:18
0:29:18 > 0:29:23have a new nest for you. Let's go From my point of view, this is a
0:29:23 > 0:29:28really special species. This is presumably the female, and she is
0:29:28 > 0:29:33proving some chicks that hatched just a couple of days ago. It is a
0:29:33 > 0:29:38grasshopper warbler. They have had mixed fortunes in recent times
0:29:38 > 0:29:41throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s they were in serious decline but in
0:29:41 > 0:29:45the last few years they have greatly increased their numbers. We
0:29:45 > 0:29:50think this is because of conditions and Africa. They are migrants. They
0:29:50 > 0:29:53go back to Senegal and Gambia in the winter. Conditions there have
0:29:54 > 0:29:59improved, but clearly in their safe European homes, things are getting
0:29:59 > 0:30:03better as well. Let's look at what has been happening here. The chicks
0:30:03 > 0:30:09are in the nest. One of the eggs has not hatched. The nest is built
0:30:09 > 0:30:18by both of the parents but what the bird. They are skulking. They are
0:30:18 > 0:30:27like mice. They rarely fly more than 50 centimetres above the grass.
0:30:27 > 0:30:34Another bird is going to come in with some food. They eat insects.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39Presumably the birds are waiting for a foetal sack. Eating that
0:30:39 > 0:30:46might strike you as unpleasant but eating it when they are small, that
0:30:46 > 0:30:55saved stamping it further away. This was recorded a couple of weeks
0:30:55 > 0:31:05ago when the male warbler first appeared. This is an amazing sight.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06
0:31:06 > 0:31:11Along, mechanical, monotonous sound, so diagnostic of this species. It
0:31:11 > 0:31:16is producing two notes and it is repeating them 20 or 30 times a
0:31:16 > 0:31:26second. What about that? And the longest ever recorded one, 110
0:31:26 > 0:31:36minutes. And the bird was breathing every 26 seconds. What about that!
0:31:36 > 0:31:41It is like opera. Let's take a look at one of our live cameras. This
0:31:41 > 0:31:51one is sleeping. Can you really notice? The nest, is it hire? We
0:31:51 > 0:31:53
0:31:53 > 0:31:58think it probably has. They have been very busy. Let's have a look.
0:31:58 > 0:32:04We have got both of them. Probably the female sitting on the eggs. The
0:32:04 > 0:32:14male is coming in. They have been really busy doing this, building a
0:32:14 > 0:32:16
0:32:16 > 0:32:21nest up and up. The reason we see them building it up, that is
0:32:21 > 0:32:26because the water level could rise. But it does not seem to be, is so
0:32:26 > 0:32:30it could be because the eggs are going to hatch. We hope they will
0:32:30 > 0:32:35not build it so much that we do not see them hatching. There will be
0:32:35 > 0:32:39seven, and when they hatch, there really will be a magnificent seven.
0:32:39 > 0:32:45They are like two little black pom- poms stuck together. You know, like
0:32:45 > 0:32:50used to make as a kid. You probably didn't! Fingers crossed they will
0:32:50 > 0:32:54hatch soon because they will be adorable. That will be fantastic.
0:32:54 > 0:33:02Iolo Williams has been looking at fantastic birds himself. Let's go
0:33:02 > 0:33:06back to him in the search of hen harriers One More Time.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10Welcome back to the beautiful heather moorland where we have a
0:33:10 > 0:33:18camera live on a hen harrier nesting bank. Are there any? Let's
0:33:18 > 0:33:23have a look. No! Surprisingly, no. I will tell you why that is. If you
0:33:23 > 0:33:32come down with me, in among the heather, you can sue the nest. The
0:33:32 > 0:33:36heather will come all the way up to my waist. The female will be
0:33:36 > 0:33:39hunkered down on the nest and she does all the incubation because the
0:33:39 > 0:33:43brown colour blends in with the heather. Through courtship,
0:33:43 > 0:33:48intubation, right up until the chicks are seven to 10 days old,
0:33:48 > 0:33:55the male does the hunting. And food plays an important part in the
0:33:55 > 0:34:01courtship process. When the male passes through to the female, that
0:34:01 > 0:34:08is truly spectacular. -- passes through OUT.
0:34:08 > 0:34:16In spring, they perform a stunning display. As the male approaches the
0:34:16 > 0:34:20female, who whistled to let her know that that he is overhead. The
0:34:20 > 0:34:27male must convince the female that he is capable of providing enough
0:34:27 > 0:34:30food, and she must put on enough weight to lay her eggs. This
0:34:30 > 0:34:40acrobatic display continues throughout the nesting season and
0:34:40 > 0:34:44
0:34:44 > 0:34:48And the male does not go anywhere near that nest, that is because
0:34:48 > 0:34:53against the dark background the light colouring is so obvious. He
0:34:53 > 0:34:58would draw the attention of crows, ravens and foxes. Unfortunately,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02the weather up here has not been very good. Bad weather has made
0:35:02 > 0:35:06their lives very difficult. It rained the day before yesterday and
0:35:06 > 0:35:13most of yesterday and first thing this morning. We were quite worried.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19How wildlife cameraman was in his hide before first light. When the
0:35:19 > 0:35:23rain eased up a little bit before mid-morning, this is what he saw.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28The male coming in. It is still raining, but he is coming in with
0:35:28 > 0:35:33prey. He is obviously an excellent male, providing food for the female.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38Up he goes, and he passes the food. That is fantastic. For anyone who
0:35:38 > 0:35:44has ever worked on hen harriers, and has worried after days of bad
0:35:44 > 0:35:48weather, when you see a food pass like that, the relief is incredible.
0:35:48 > 0:35:56The header is intensively managed here. It used to be burned and
0:35:56 > 0:36:02these days it is known by the RSPB. If you know it, then you can
0:36:02 > 0:36:11attract some small birds. One of the things that I was eager to
0:36:11 > 0:36:16learn, was whether the late spring has affected the small birds. It is
0:36:16 > 0:36:21not just the hen harriers that returned to breed on this moorland
0:36:21 > 0:36:27every spring. So do the smaller birds that they prey on. It is the
0:36:27 > 0:36:34perfect habitat for ground-nesting birds like wind chat, and meadow
0:36:34 > 0:36:41pip it. I have joined forces with this RSPB warden to find out how
0:36:41 > 0:36:50the birds are doing. There is a male one on the end of the heather
0:36:50 > 0:36:53there. Each spring, he carries out a survey of these birds. He makes a
0:36:53 > 0:36:58record of all the different species that he sees and hears and he keeps
0:36:58 > 0:37:04an eye out for any nesting and Court of activity. This gives a
0:37:04 > 0:37:12good estimate of how successful the breeding season will be. Every
0:37:12 > 0:37:22sighting is recorded on the map. What do the symbols mean? That is
0:37:22 > 0:37:30it taking off, calling and the singing. So with the late spring,
0:37:30 > 0:37:34has that affected the brace species? The skylarks? They are
0:37:34 > 0:37:40waiting in the lower feels to go back on to the moorland to breed.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45It is just so cold. Small birds mostly eat insects and The Mall and
0:37:45 > 0:37:48provide them with plenty of food. Despite the long winter this year,
0:37:48 > 0:37:58it seems that activity is now heating up on this particular patch.
0:37:58 > 0:37:58
0:37:58 > 0:38:07And it is not just us watching this. Male harrier up there. You had
0:38:07 > 0:38:11better put that one in, too! Their breeding success is vital to the
0:38:11 > 0:38:18success of the hen harrier. Their chicks are food for their young,
0:38:18 > 0:38:25and so the hen harrier coincides their nesting period perfectly.
0:38:25 > 0:38:32Everything eats them, kestrels, peregrines, harriers. Don't come
0:38:32 > 0:38:36back as one of the small birds! The hen harriers prosper here because
0:38:36 > 0:38:42there is plenty of prey and because they are protected. As we know,
0:38:42 > 0:38:44this year it is a late spring. The small birds are late breeding. The
0:38:44 > 0:38:50harriers are synchronise their breeding, and they are breeding
0:38:50 > 0:38:54late as well. That means that when they have chicks in the nest, there
0:38:54 > 0:39:00should be plenty of prey around. Fingers crossed, let's go back to
0:39:00 > 0:39:10the live camera one more time. And we are looking at... They have a
0:39:10 > 0:39:11
0:39:11 > 0:39:17bank once more. To be honest, I am not surprised. -- and heather Bank
0:39:17 > 0:39:21once more. We are so far above sea- level. But the birds have done well.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27They have reached the egg incubation stage. The weather can
0:39:27 > 0:39:31be awful appear. The good news is that we will pop back here to see
0:39:31 > 0:39:36how the harriers are doing throughout the series. Now, from
0:39:36 > 0:39:41one of the most beautiful parts of Wales, to another stunning area, it
0:39:41 > 0:39:46is back to you at Ynys-hir. Sono live hen harriers but we will
0:39:46 > 0:39:49be checking to see if we can see the birds. They are in trouble
0:39:49 > 0:39:55because of persecution in some parts of the UK, which means they
0:39:55 > 0:40:05could be lost. In a supermarket of their prey, the meadow birds are
0:40:05 > 0:40:09
0:40:09 > 0:40:13high on their agenda and we have a life vest here. -- live nest. The
0:40:13 > 0:40:23chicks are doing very well. It is dark. You might wonder why the
0:40:23 > 0:40:25
0:40:25 > 0:40:31female is not there. They only sit on them after five -- for up to
0:40:31 > 0:40:40five days. This is the habitat where they are, open habitat. They
0:40:40 > 0:40:50feed principally on flies. 50% of their diet is flies, 14% beetles,
0:40:50 > 0:40:51
0:40:51 > 0:40:559% spiders. It 0.2%, maybe I should have rounded up, moths! The male is
0:40:55 > 0:41:01probably passing the insect to the female, gives up then decides to
0:41:01 > 0:41:07feed them itself. And just like the reed bunting, they will leave the
0:41:07 > 0:41:12nest before they can fly. Up to four days before they can fly. That
0:41:12 > 0:41:16strategy seems to be prevalent among the ground-nesting birds.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20still makes them very vulnerable and they would be a tasty snack for
0:41:20 > 0:41:27the buzzards. This is our buzzards nest. The chicks seems to be doing
0:41:27 > 0:41:31very well and the parents are doing well at bringing them up. Let's
0:41:31 > 0:41:39take a look at that nest. It is made of twigs but there is green we
0:41:39 > 0:41:45around it as well, which is Scots pine. That is a beautiful shot of
0:41:45 > 0:41:50one of the adults. He flies into the nest. What is in it? It is oak
0:41:50 > 0:41:57leaves. Why have they got the green stuff in there? It is thought that
0:41:57 > 0:42:01perhaps they use the natural insecticides. There is a resin in
0:42:01 > 0:42:05the Scots pine and tannin in the oak leaves to repel insects. That
0:42:05 > 0:42:12is the theory that we have got, but there is a flawed because the
0:42:12 > 0:42:16tannin would have to be ingested to make a difference. The pine has got
0:42:16 > 0:42:23aromatic qualities. Lots of birds of prey bring in the pine, but I
0:42:23 > 0:42:26think the old leaves might have just fallen in! They might be
0:42:26 > 0:42:34decorating the nest, trying to camouflage it. There might be more
0:42:34 > 0:42:43to it. If you were watching it earlier in the week, the love dance
0:42:43 > 0:42:53might have peaked your interest. After a good romp, snails need good
0:42:53 > 0:42:53
0:42:53 > 0:43:00Spring is the growing season, and for our garden snails, gourmet
0:43:00 > 0:43:05dining becomes an option. These snails have an appetite to satisfy,
0:43:05 > 0:43:15but the journey from their daytime hiding place to reach the rows of
0:43:15 > 0:43:17
0:43:17 > 0:43:27vegetables is anything but easy. In A misplaced broken bottle and the
0:43:27 > 0:43:33
0:43:33 > 0:43:42snail must conquer its own Mount It takes these peaks of broken
0:43:42 > 0:43:46glass in its stride as it shimmies up and over the sharpest point.
0:43:46 > 0:43:54Waves of muscular contraction moving down the underside of the
0:43:54 > 0:44:00foot power of the snail up and over. Up higher is the perfect place to
0:44:00 > 0:44:06catch a whiff of anything that is going on. Not just the food end
0:44:06 > 0:44:12goal, but any threats lurking about. This agile Centipede is one of the
0:44:12 > 0:44:17most aggressive predators found in the garden. Rather than 100 legs,
0:44:17 > 0:44:22it has actually only got 30, but it is on the lookout for insects and
0:44:22 > 0:44:29spiders for its meal. Even as male. Once found, it will paralyse its
0:44:29 > 0:44:39prey with venomous jaws. This carnivorous ground beetle is also
0:44:39 > 0:44:43
0:44:43 > 0:44:48The final hurdle to a midnight feast is a barrier of eggshell laid
0:44:48 > 0:44:54optimistically by the gardener, to stop this male in its tracks.
0:44:54 > 0:45:04However, are breaking in the shell barrier, and this opportunistic
0:45:04 > 0:45:09
0:45:09 > 0:45:19takes advantage and sneaks through. Our her before has finally reached
0:45:19 > 0:45:22
0:45:22 > 0:45:28It tucks into the sweet, young lettuce leaves and munches them
0:45:28 > 0:45:32with its tongue. It has rows of minute teeth, and it is unique to
0:45:32 > 0:45:42molluscs. It quite literally rasps its way through the vegetable
0:45:42 > 0:45:52material. All too soon the tell- tale signs of a snail in the
0:45:52 > 0:45:53
0:45:53 > 0:45:57vegetable patch of beginning to show. As the night draws to a close,
0:45:58 > 0:46:07the snails stop what they are doing and retreat to a safe hiding-place,
0:46:07 > 0:46:12ready to rest until they next wild night in the garden. That film has
0:46:12 > 0:46:17made me extremely worried about my broad beans back home! Anyway, come
0:46:17 > 0:46:24into my garden. It's the RSPB site managers garden. It will be teeming
0:46:25 > 0:46:29with snails. But we've seen the snails in action. Can we hear the
0:46:29 > 0:46:35snails in action? We set our expert Tsonga Gordon a challenge, so that
0:46:35 > 0:46:40we could hear snails actually eating. It's quite a difficult
0:46:40 > 0:46:47thing. He tried with soft lettuce leaves, but he found the only way
0:46:47 > 0:46:57to do what was to find a lovely, juicy cranberry very -- Berry. The
0:46:57 > 0:47:15
0:47:16 > 0:47:24You go up to a window and you put some sugar solution on the glass.
0:47:24 > 0:47:31Add your garden snail, can you see that? You can see right up at the
0:47:31 > 0:47:37front, the mouth parts. You can also see the waves of muscular
0:47:37 > 0:47:43movement passing down the food. That's something you can do at home.
0:47:43 > 0:47:49Get those snails on the windowsill. Remember our quiz. Let us have
0:47:49 > 0:47:59another look at that science- fiction monster. What is it? A lot
0:47:59 > 0:48:06of you got it right. Derek Moore, Sarah Butler, congratulations. It
0:48:06 > 0:48:11is a tiger beetle. A tiger beetle is a fearsome predator in the
0:48:11 > 0:48:15garden. They can move... It's been measured at 5 mph. That would make
0:48:15 > 0:48:20it one of the fastest land predators on earth, if you scaled
0:48:20 > 0:48:25it up. Long legs for running at high speed, huge eyes foreseeing
0:48:25 > 0:48:33its prey. They're like a warm-up before they go. When you look at
0:48:33 > 0:48:38their jaws, they are really It's a fearsome creature. If you
0:48:38 > 0:48:48get up close to one, it will take off. I've found one of those are my
0:48:48 > 0:48:51
0:48:51 > 0:49:01garden. I found those -- loads of these. Food doesn't keep a Pardon
0:49:01 > 0:49:08list? I've got about 32 on my list. Never underestimate the wide-leg in
0:49:08 > 0:49:17your garden. To find out what is in their regular garden, Anna Lo,
0:49:17 > 0:49:21Michaela, Chris and I went forward and undertook a BioBlitz. The
0:49:21 > 0:49:26purpose of our exercise is to conduct a BioBlitz. It's an audit
0:49:26 > 0:49:30of his garden, in terms of its species diversity. We've split into
0:49:30 > 0:49:35two teams. We are going to try and count the number of different
0:49:35 > 0:49:40invertebrates, birds and plants, any life form that we can find, in
0:49:40 > 0:49:50one hour. You've got to identify it at species level and provide its
0:49:50 > 0:50:09
0:50:09 > 0:50:19correct scientific name correctly Look, a frog. Common frog. Look at
0:50:19 > 0:50:20
0:50:20 > 0:50:30that! The great black slug. Dandelion. How did the dandelion
0:50:30 > 0:50:32
0:50:32 > 0:50:39get its name? It means truth of the lion. Look, we've got loads of
0:50:39 > 0:50:49woodlice. And worms. I R Loe, I might need some help identifying
0:50:49 > 0:50:54
0:50:54 > 0:51:01their names. I don't think they are wild. I'm at sweeper netting.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05Martin sweep as much as he likes. It's time wasting. Flies. Getting
0:51:05 > 0:51:15them to species level will be tricky but I know what I'll do -
0:51:15 > 0:51:19
0:51:19 > 0:51:26I'll lie! Michaela, I've got another one here. A nice, big it
0:51:26 > 0:51:36Centipede. A housefly. Cleavers, that is what these are. They are
0:51:36 > 0:51:37
0:51:37 > 0:51:47wild raspberries. Lots of wood lice. I think there are 46 different
0:51:47 > 0:51:49
0:51:49 > 0:51:57species of British woodlice. Quick, quick. They be slow worms. Loads of
0:51:58 > 0:52:07them. These are last year's Young. I think we should get extra points
0:52:07 > 0:52:13for something more interesting. Underneath corrugated iron is a
0:52:13 > 0:52:18fantastic place to look. Possibly a slowworm if we are really lucky. A
0:52:18 > 0:52:25slug. Centipede - did you see that? One of those ones were you never
0:52:25 > 0:52:30know with the head is at one end or the other. A different sort of
0:52:30 > 0:52:37species of Centipede. That's a much more fearsome looking one. You can
0:52:37 > 0:52:47get Centre breeds -- centipedes abroad exactly like that that of 12
0:52:47 > 0:52:48
0:52:48 > 0:52:57Martin, Williams is in their rivalling around, pretending he's
0:52:57 > 0:53:07looking for his car keys. 36 new species in here. Nothing at all, I
0:53:07 > 0:53:08
0:53:08 > 0:53:18really wouldn't bother going in there. Very disappointing.
0:53:18 > 0:53:28Greenfinch. On the line there. Chris, do you fancy a bit of
0:53:28 > 0:53:33
0:53:33 > 0:53:37puttering together? A plethora of woodlice. Someone at Kew Gardens
0:53:37 > 0:53:40once told me that the British slug species were extraordinary
0:53:40 > 0:53:45difficult to separate in terms of their physical appearance. But
0:53:45 > 0:53:55there was a lady in Bristol, a scientist, who could do so by
0:53:55 > 0:54:01
0:54:01 > 0:54:11licking their because they had a Martin, where his Chris? I don't
0:54:11 > 0:54:14
0:54:14 > 0:54:24know. We are doing all right. Spying on him up. I've got to keep
0:54:24 > 0:54:36
0:54:36 > 0:54:46Michaela? I'm afraid I must draw this hour to a close. Announced.
0:54:46 > 0:54:54
0:54:54 > 0:54:58That is good going. 62 is all we've It was a lot of fun but I hate to
0:54:58 > 0:55:06tell you this. There is a recount. There's a thought that you might
0:55:06 > 0:55:10have cheated. In fact, you admitted to it. Aside from the competitive
0:55:10 > 0:55:14edge there is a serious thing. This weekend is BioBlitz weekend. If you
0:55:14 > 0:55:18go to the website you can download one of these sheets. We'd like as
0:55:18 > 0:55:27many people as possible to get out into their gardens and perform
0:55:27 > 0:55:31their own BioBlitz. You can take the species off. As you know, this
0:55:31 > 0:55:36is all part of our Summer of Wildlife season. On that same
0:55:36 > 0:55:40website you can now find your Summer of Wildlife guide. You can
0:55:40 > 0:55:46flick through this online and print the pages that you particularly
0:55:46 > 0:55:50want. There's something for everyone in here. A bit of tracking,
0:55:50 > 0:55:57other ways you can engage with the great British wildlife. Do try and
0:55:57 > 0:56:04do that. Let's go to our live cameras. We've got a brand new live
0:56:04 > 0:56:09camera. It's a blackbird. Some eggs have just hatched out underneath.
0:56:10 > 0:56:15We are ending this week on a brand new one. We'll be following that
0:56:16 > 0:56:25nest. It's very dark, we haven't quite got the lights on her yet. We
0:56:26 > 0:56:26
0:56:26 > 0:56:36will go to the marsh camera now. A beautiful swan. Any more cameras?
0:56:36 > 0:56:46
0:56:46 > 0:56:50Anything exciting? Meadow pipit. I tell you what, we've got 15
0:56:50 > 0:56:54seconds left. I've been sent in a joke by Matthew Christian. He said,
0:56:54 > 0:57:02did I tell you about our bird of prey? He goes out at night and
0:57:02 > 0:57:09plays in a band. Our kestrel manoeuvres in the dark. A fabulous
0:57:09 > 0:57:19end to a week. Take a look at this. This is the highlights of all the
0:57:19 > 0:57:19
0:57:19 > 0:58:07Apology for the loss of subtitles for 48 seconds
0:58:07 > 0:58:12things we've seen in our first week What a week! There are two more
0:58:12 > 0:58:16weeks to go and will be back on Monday at 8pm. Keep a close look on
0:58:16 > 0:58:22all of our cameras, particularly the jackdaws. Let's hope they don't
0:58:22 > 0:58:27get another battering. Next week we will be taking a look at our
0:58:27 > 0:58:35seabirds. Some beautiful individuals. Close relatives of the
0:58:36 > 0:58:43cormorant. What a tuft of hare! what of the dolphins doing in
0:58:43 > 0:58:48Aberdeen harbour? Springwatch Extra will be on straight after us. If