Episode 1 Springwatch

As the chilly evening creeps into the Southwark Woodlands one of the

most diabolical avian predators in the UK sits quietly on her nest.

What a bird! Look at that. Female sparrowhawk, her eyes burning

brightly. And it is live. That can only mean one thing, welcome to

Springwatch. Hello and welcome to Springwatch

2016. Coming to you for the third year running from the fabulous RSPB

Minsmere Reserve in Suffolk. We are live tonight and for the rest of the

week and for the two following weeks. So stay with us. I can

promise you, I have said this before but I have never let you down, I

promised a cracking series with some super stuff coming up and a superb

programme tonight. ) Minsmere because it is a top spot with more

than 5500 different species. The reason is the great range of

habitat. The seashore, grazing marsh, open water, reed beds and 330

acres of this, open acid grassland. It is an important habitat. It is on

sandy soil, raised heavily white rabbits and therefore open and hot.

That means we have a particular and special set of species. If you

watched Top Gear Lasse Vibe they began with the Dodge Viper, very

impressive. But let me tell you, I will raise you a Stone Curlew, live

on the acid grassland. Look at that. You can keep the Dodge Viper! Look

at that word squinting, having a little nap. -- that word. This is

about 700 metres away, it is incubating one egg and we have been

watching it for about a week. Let's see what has been going on. The male

and the female take turns to incubate the egg. It is the female

standing here are the male bird moving in after a bit of squawking.

He has those coloured rings. And I can tell you that he is five years

old and has already reared a couple of chicks. The egg was laid on the

5th of May and set to hatch on Wednesday.

I think I made a noise like that last time I was irritated by fly! I

mentioned the other habitat. Another but you can see behind me is the

reed beds. Another really important habitat and somewhere down there is

my colleague Martin. I'm down here in the watery hideaways and the

byways of Minsmere. In the reed beds. All around me is reed beds. It

is a huge area, 160 hectors, once the biggest reed beds the country

and it is here that some of the most spectacular denizens of Minsmere

chooses to make their homes. We have been watching one of those, a reed

warbler. We caught it building its nest. The male and female, work

together. I have never understood how they will need to so intricately

in amongst those stems using just their beaks. How long do you think

it took the pair to build the nest? About a week? Actually I asked the

wildlife team just before we came on air how long it took and they said

to me, less than a day. They do it in less than a day! I would have

thought much longer. This is the reed beds and we will investigate

that. We have the grassland and another beautiful habitat, were you

find my beautiful colleague Michaela Strachan. I'm in the woodland, a

very sensible place to be. It is windy and a lot more sheltered than

the reed beds where you are. It is another vital habitat for wildlife.

21% of Minsmere is covered in secondary woodland, around 150 years

old. A variety of trees, oak, sycamore, silver birch and beech

trees. It provides a home for many different animals from badgers, to

butterflies, woodpeckers, nesting birds and of course owls. We have

our very own little owl nest in a tree nearby. It is in an oak tree

which was used last year by the barn owls. The adults brooding, you can

just see the chicks pigging out underneath. There are three of them

and they're ten days old. You cannot see them closely so let's take a

look at a close-up because they are adorable. Three little chicks. One

is a bit smaller and this is the adult, very curious. Looking a bit

starstruck by the camera but soon settling down. And both parents are

being extremely diligent, feeding throughout the night, picking

between eight and nine o'clock. All the chicks seem to be doing well.

They are getting active and it will be exciting to see how they grow and

develop over the next three weeks. That gives you just a taster of what

we have got here at Minsmere. Just to remind you of where it is, this

is the map, if you travel about two or three hours up from London, it is

on the coast in Suffolk. There is Minsmere. Of course were not just

focusing on what is happening in Minsmere we have camera teams

filming all over the UK. From the heart of the Suffolk

countryside, to the towns and cities.

From rugged Scottish mountains. To the islands of the Northumberland

coast. We are watching spring in all its glory, right across the UK.

This year we want you to be involved as never before. You can share with

us your spring sightings and there are volunteering opportunities right

across the country will stab you can get involved with those and do

something great for nature. We will cover some of the rarest and

most iconic animals in the country. No one knows what is going to happen

over the next few weeks but one thing is for sure, we're going to

bring you all the action, all the drama, as it happens.

Minsmere does not run itself, it takes a huge amount of effort. And

an army of volunteers to try to help out. Probably for me the best way to

understand exactly what goes on here is to get involved in those

volunteers, get involved with the people who work here. But as exactly

what I will do over the next three weeks. Tonight I find out how

horses, slightly smaller than this, have transformed this landscape for

the benefit of the wildlife that live here. I will show you that a

bit later. Meanwhile back to Chris and Michaela Strachan. Not exactly

force of the year show! Can he ride a horse? We will find out shortly.

One of the joys of being a naturalist is that every spring is

different. This year has been unusual, we had a very cold months

of March and April and then a warm months of May and the wind has been

against those migrants coming back to the UK from the south. Some are a

bit late, about two weeks. The swallows have arrived at their

around 10% less. But not this one, we found this swallow on a nest, and

this is a live picture. Doing exactly what it should be doing,

sleeping and incubating the eggs. I cannot see which that is. The tale

is out of focus, probably the male bird. So we should be able to watch

those eggs hatch out and followed the antics of the youngsters. The

swallows may be late but some resident birds are and in fact they

have nested and lay their eggs and hatched. If you look at this live

picture, they have already pledged. And how extraordinary, they have

pledged but there is something in there. I will give your guests. This

nest is in the same barn where the swallows where and it is a renovated

swallows nest. It is Tattie! I have never seen that before, R.N. Making

its nest on top of a swallow nest. They do that sometimes outside my

door. I Muntari to see that because they have fledged. That might be a

different rent cleaning up the good feathers to move them on. That took

me by surprise. I expected a completely empty nest. At the

weekend the wrens did fledge. There were six of them, on Saturday the

feeds were getting less and on Sunday one of them tumbled out and

tried to get back in. They're all curious, trying to get enough

courage to come out themselves. And this is quite comical, they form a

kind of safety ladder. The others get back into the nest but finally

they get the courage to fly out. And they start to explore their

surroundings. They look like little balls of fluff. Down on the ground

is not where I would want to be as a young bird. I just love these little

tufty years. They are very cute. I think they are but I do not

necessarily find attractive! Plenty of youngsters out and about and the

camera teams have been following many signs of spring. Fox cubs are

always delightful to see and you can see them playing there. They are

born the beginning of April, probably about eight weeks old. This

one is very curious. It is looking for some earthworms. That is an

important part of the diet of a growing cup, they are the only pray

that they can really capture on their own in the first few weeks

after they have finished suckling. Studies have shown that cubs growing

in an area of high rainfall where it is easy to get earthworms, they grow

quicker than those growing in an area which is not so wet. Adults

will also go for them sometimes. We all have our favourite, you know

when you go on your playlist and click on most played, what would

come up. When I was a kid you could do the same with my field guide, the

most well thumbed page. The same as many, the golden eagle. Big and

exciting and we always wanted to put a camera on a nest. After

Winterwatch will be featured a golden eagle we thought this year we

might as well give it a try. If we can get cameras on the nest we can

enjoy views of them, this stunning rapture and also find out a bit more

about this secretive bird. The mission started back in January.

The golden eagle only nests in the most remote parts of Scotland. In

some of the most inaccessible locations. We were joined by eagle

expert David Anderson. What truly exciting moment. David, thank you.

My first golden eagle nest. I have stood on this one years ago but

never looked into one. I have got to do it. This will be the only chance,

we're not going to come back because the birds will be here soon. What

about that! Some bones. That is a fresh branch. They have just

started. That has not fallen, but was brought in. Does it get much

bigger? They will build the nest up nearly a foot. And they line it with

this would rush. Some of the locals called it eagle grass. And what is

the chance of getting a camera in? We have used cameras to photograph

the progress of a chick last year and the birds accepted them. So I'm

optimistic that we will get some good stuff. I could burst with

excitement. You're lucky I'm not a 12-year-old from about 1973 or I

would have burst with excitement by now. Once Dave and I backed off the

team went about the careful task of rigging up the nest. And then there

was nothing anyone could do but wait. And wait. But the nest stayed

empty. Four months later, a couple of weeks ago, I went back to me Dave

to find out what had gone wrong. What we think has happened is the

chick from the year before basically is hanging around with its parents.

So here we are in the centre of the territory when the chick was still

roosting in the same spot as its parents. That chick should have been

long gone out of the territory and we think it has disrupted nesting

for this year. It is a shame because that nest would have been perfect

but that it was not the only one that Dave had looked at. But we were

not going to give up. Over the course of the spring he investigated

a number of possible sites but for one reason or another, not one of

them was suitable. Time was running out. But Dave had

one more nest site to show me. I had everything crossed. It is just

appear. What did you think is going on? I am sure she has got chicks, I

have seen the female and bits of splash over the edge, and the male

and the female coming and going. I hope this will work out. Praying for

the right sized check and the right weather. I wish I could be here, but

looking at that time, maybe I don't! Two days later, our team attempted

the rig. I was right, the nest was a very long way up. The climb alone

took over two hours with all of the equipment. But if this was

successful, it would all be worth it.

We vote very hard, but there is no point in that trouble and strife

unless you get results. Did we? All I can say is, brace yourselves, get

the defibrillators out, mop your brow, because here is what we got.

Look at this. What a gorgeous bird! Are you going to rob your thighs? I

might do! Have a secret one! Look at that. What a picture, apart from

that bit of grass! Has she got anything in the nest? And anti-nest

is largely pointless. Five days old. When we got this picture a queue

days ago. She is a five-year-old female. This is her third attempt at

breeding, she bred successfully twice before, which is good for a

five-year-old. Look at that. It is amazing, to get such a clear

picture. Stunning. That is good. You went to a lot of effort. A lot of

people dead. It will deliver, and we will show you more of that check

later in the programme. We will give you regular updates. He

cannot wait until eight every night, there are plenty of other ways until

-- that you can stay up to date. It has never been easier to follow,

wherever you are, whatever device you are using. By going to the

website, you can enjoy Springwatch live at any time of day. Catch the

action as it happens with live webcams as well as updates, news and

expert analysis. You can join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter

and the Flickr group. It is a festival. You can become

part of the family, you can get involved. Martin is getting involved

in a physical way, he was last seen on a feisty horse, cantering off

into the distance. What could go wrong?

I have left him behind. These are the object of interest here. I am

trying not to look at them, they might go whizzing off. They are

comic ponies. They are important to what goes on here, the conservation

work. I am surprised they have let us get this close. They have a

fascinating history. They are beautiful. They are completely wild,

feral. Nobody is looking after them, they don't get that here. They are

gorgeous. I like their hair, it reminds me of... What do you reckon?

They have a fascinating history. In the First World War these animals,

amongst other horses, were used to tow equipment around. The conditions

were terrible, the mode, the awful water, the slurry, and the horse

that everyone wanted what this one, because they were super-tough. Very

strong. I am slightly distracted. They are looked after, the volunteer

team come down and look after them. They get moved around the reserve to

do their job. Earlier in the day, I came down just after lunch to help

move them into this new position. This is a job for the volunteers.

Kate, who runs the conservation volunteer team, and I and two others

came down to move them around. They have to do this because they move

around from one area to another to do their job. It was not that easy,

you cannot tell them where to go, they decide. But eventually, we

managed to move them to their new quarters. They are checked on

everyday to make sure they are healthy, they look fabulous, but

what is it about them that makes them so useful? It is the very same

things that made them so useful in the First World War. First of all,

it is the way that they eat. Look at this. They look gorgeous. They can

survive in the sloppy water, their hooves and legs are incredibly

tough. They can eat weeds and grasses that other horses could not

get through. They thrive on this. Gorgeous. And evil hanging around.

Just over the other side is an area that these Koniks have been for over

a year. We will see how they have transformed the environment to the

benefit of all the wildlife. It is time to leave them alone and go back

to Chris and Michaela. I like an animal that works for

conservation. A volunteering animal! Beautiful. You like a drama. There

is a Woodland drama worthy of Shakespeare going on in these woods.

What do you mean? Wherefore art thou? It is wherefore art they,

because they are over there. They are tips. They are going through

Hubble bubble toil and trouble. They are having a struggle for survival.

This is the first nest box. It is home to blue tips. They are about a

week old. Near there is the other box.

If we go inside, these ones are four days old. It is interesting, both

birds laid 13 eggs. We thought that would be fascinating to compare them

and see how they both get on over the next few weeks. They have had a

struggle for survival. Let's say what has happened so far. That begin

with the blue ones. They started with 13 eggs, four of them hatched

seven days ago. You can see three of them there. That's the female coming

in, a single parent. She is having to work extremely hard. Six days ago

nine out of the 13 eggs had hatched. This poor female is working

extremely hard. I don't know what has happened here, but she is trying

to feed, and the little one gets stuck and dragged out of the nest

and does not get a feed. It goes to the larger checks. Unfortunately,

there are only four chicks left. The poor female looks absolutely

exhausted. We say we think it is a female, because it is less bright

than the mail. It looks a bit shabby. That is more typical of the

female at this time of year. Let's look at how the great ones have been

doing. 13 eggs they started with. They started hatching four days ago.

The mother is helping that one get out of the egg. It is doing

something very sensible, eating the egg, which provides it with a bit of

calcium. This nest has both parents attending to it. They are not doing

very well. The male comes in and give the female some food, hopefully

she will pass it on to the checks. That does not always happen. This is

the 10th crow coming in, none of the checks are begging for the food. He

decides to eat it himself. That is a concern. This is interesting, the

male is struggling to get into the whole of the nest box. What does he

do? He does a bit of DIY. A good impression of a woodpecker. He seems

to be trying to make that whole a bit bigger. That is quite

extraordinary. Out of those 13 eggs and nine that hatched, only five

remain. With this weather as well, it will be really ingesting to see

how those do. They are really going through a bit of a bad time.

It is cold, it will rain, the caterpillars will be accessible to

the cap -- the Robins but not to them. I don't think it is a case of

the male having eaten all of the Caterpillar pie. They peck around

the entrance like that quite commonly. Why do they do with?

Marking territory? Customising it slightly, maybe. They do it

throughout the breeding cycle. Those birds, they are about 55 metres

apart, those nests, but 170 metres away sits there arch and a Mrs, the

sparrowhawk. Let's go live. This is the female, on a nest she

has made for herself. These birds feed on other small birds. Are they

in peril? Have the male disappeared because it is now part of the female

sparrowhawk? This is what we have been watching over the past few

days. We have not only seen the female, we have watched the male as

well. He has a plucking post. These are the five eggs she has got,

typical markings. Every time she comes back, she called before she

sits down on them. I think she is talking to the checks inside those

eggs. You think they can hear? They can definitely here. In the later

stages of incubation she can hear them as well, and as a consequence,

I think she is talking to them. You might think it is nonsense, but I

will research it, while you are in the bar! I will go to my room and

research it. When I was pregnant I'd use to sing to my child so he would

get used to my voice, which was unfortunate for him! He has not gone

into the music business! But he recognises my voice! We have been

watching the male, he has a plucking post close to the nest. It is on

that blog, in he comes, calling. He is announcing to the female that he

has got some prey. He is not taking it directly to the nest, because any

discarded parts would attract scavengers and predators, so that is

why he has the post a short distance away. She has heard him will stop

she gets up, she has a stretch, and she drops down. She is considerably

bigger than him. He is terrified of her. He soon gets out of the way.

But he takes advantage of the fact she is off the nest to have a sneaky

peek himself and to bring another stick back. This is the male, but he

does not loiter. He knows that as soon as she has feasted on the food

he has provided, she will come back. She watches him leave, and in she

comes. She drops a piece of bark. She called again, like I said.

Perhaps talking to the young in the eggs. She settles down back onto

them. What about that. Incredible, to have the plucking post and the

nest so close and cameras on both. And people to see the interaction.

We will watch them throughout the series, we don't know when the eggs

were laid, so we cannot tell you when we think they will hatch, but

when they do, we are in for a treat. What happens to those birds, we will

have to see. Sparrowhawk, golden Eagle, what more could you ask for?

Sexy birds. Absolutely. We are not just following the fortunes of birds

here, we are going to explore one of the most extraordinary colonies in

the world will stop it is remote, it is rugged, where is it? It is about

five hours north of here will stop it is an island off the

Northumberland coast, the farm islands. We will get latest reports

of whatever they see and film. It is a brilliant place to be.

Welcome to the Farne Islands in Northumberland. This wonderful place

will be my home for the next three weeks. Originally they were

connected to the mainland but towards the end of the last ice age

they became cut off and have been pretty much isolated ever since.

When you get out here you see an incredible diversity of geology and

of course the wildlife. It is this a decent wildlife that you see all

around me that I am going to explore when I'm here. -- this incredible

wildlife. This defiant string of whether in

one rocks is made up of 28 isolated landmasses of different shapes and

sizes. From the larger, to some tiny unmanned outcrops a few miles from

the mainland. This collection of North Sea Islands has special

international significance as a ghost is one of the most accessible

sea bird colonies in the world. -- as it boasts.

Here in the spring as the days grow longer and the temperature rises,

the islands are transformed from relatively isolated lifeless

outcrops, to this. A crazy cacophony of both sound and spectacle.

And this spring looks like it will not disappoint. Right now hundreds

of thousands of sea birds are gathering here from all over the

world in order to breed. The place is positively buzzing with LaMotte,

kittiwakes, razorbills, eider ducks, shacks, goals and of course the most

popular sea bird in the nation, the puffin. I like puffins. Some of

these birds use the will of spent the winter months in the

Mediterranean put up and then others come from further afield, as far as

North Africa. And the Arctic tern will of spent winter down in the

Antarctic. Many travelling thousands of miles just to come here to breed.

But why come all the way, one thing I can tell you is certainly is not

for the Seaview. After a relatively mild winter, not to mention a very

wet start to this year which saw twice the average amount of rainfall

here in the Farne Islands, the moon has kicked off some hefty spring

tides and the sun is finally starting to warm the land. It is not

just plant life that is blooming. But the plankton as well. And when

you have got plankton you have got the sand eels. And with the sand

eels Comber sea birds and of them. Sand eels are top of the sea bird

menu is this calorie rich food is the perfect sized meal for a hungry

chick. I have been out here several times and I'm always bowled over by

how fearless the birds are. When you think of it, barely a handful of

Rangers live here so really the islands belong to them and not to

us. It really feels wild out here. What is more I have been told it can

go from glorious sunshine in the daytime to sit fog or storms with

winds of up to 60 miles an hour overnight. So when I say wild, I

mean wild. During the next three weeks I wanted

to explore why for these special form of the year, the sea birds

choose this predictably unpredictable location to be the

home. We will be using dedicated nest cameras to try to capture the

behaviour of some of these devoted parents.

There's just so much to marvel at out here. I'm going to be following

some of these characters over the next few weeks as they try to breed

and to rear their young. I have no idea what is in store, with so many

birds and of course you throw into the mix the unpredictable

Northumberland weather, who knows what is going to happen. One thing

is for sure, there will be an awful lot of things happening. And I start

with the star of the show, tomorrow, the puffin.

I cannot wait to see more of the Farne Islands. Here we are the other

side from the ponies. This is known as the Konik field. The ponies will

hear all of last year and they have transformed this landscape. We've

been down over the last few days to film some of the creatures that have

been feeding down here. Lapwings, probing around in the mud

looking for insect larvae. A whole family of Keith, little youngsters

eating the weeds. -- of peace. And this once again eating more of the

weeds in the shallow water. Here is a egret fishing very successfully.

And here we filmed some otters. A sure sign that this is a wonderfully

rich habitat. It is a great habitat but what exact day have they done?

Come with me and look at this. They have managed to eat the tops from

all these rashes and reads. If they had not done that they would have

grown up and it would be like it is over there, absolutely choked with

the reads. That is the best thing that they have done. They've also

been able to go out into the water and remember in the First World War

was so desirable because they have brilliant hooves. Down here we have

all kinds of delicious, look at that, full of insects, perfect and

delicious food. Slightly smelly ad must admit. The kind of things that

would be in their, let's have a look. Some insect larvae. A lot of

little water beetles, caddis fly, perfect for ducklings and other

creatures to feed on. And here the next that in the chain, young

stickleback. Larger birds would be eating that. We will let them go.

That is what is going on out here. And the Koniks have done this and

opened it up. Let's try to get back a little bit. Lovely. That is the

first time we've tried that, we did not know how deep it was. So that is

the transformation that the Koniks have made. They have done that for

lots of wildlife here but there is one special creature that they were

brought in to try to help. That is the bittern and people come from all

over the country to see the bittern. When the Koniks arrived there were

just seven and that number has doubled to top it has been

fantastically successful. What has he got? The RSPB are convinced that

those Koniks have made the transformation amazing stuff. We've

never managed to get the cameras in on a heronry. There is a huge one in

Somerset near me. They're early nesters and we managed to get the

cameras in way back in March. It is early March on the Somerset

Levels. On a narrow ridge overlooking the flood plain is a

strip of ancient woodland. It is one of the few patches of trees on an

otherwise flat landscape. Winter has yet to loosen its grip. The trees

are still bear. It is too early for most birds to breed, most are

focused on food and survival, but one species is already preparing to

procreate. One you might not expect to find in the tree tops. It is the

grey heron and in a few weeks this will be the largest heron colony in

the south-west of England with around 100 nests. First to arrive

are the male birds, their bills are flushed orange with seasonal

excitement ready to attract a female when they appear.

They have good reason to breed early. This is when the freshwater

comes alive. There are frogs in their hundreds. With their minds set

on spawning, they make easy targets. After the meagre rations of the

winter they make a plentiful, if awkward meal.

Bolstered by this amphibian feast, the females arrive at the nesting

site in good condition. Now they must pick a mate. By mid-March, 85

nests are already in use. But all at different stages. Herons do not all

breed at the same time. Each parent chooses when to start. Taking their

chances against the unpredictable spring weather and food supplies. In

the thick branches of an oak tree one pair already has a clutch of

four eggs. Each parent takes turns to incubate the 12th are stretch. In

the IV this pair started much earlier. They already have a couple

of young and these chicks may stand a better chance of surviving this

cold weather. Will the parents be able find enough food this early in

the season? Up in the canopy this male bird is only just beginning his

extravagant courtship display. Starting with a piercing yelp. To

attract attention of the female. With his nest as a stage he employs

a stretch display are erecting his nuptial Clunes and swelling his next

to exaggerate his finer features. Soon he has an interested audience

looking down from the gods. Each female is judging him on his

performance. Not all are impressed. Only one is paying close attention.

But high on hormones the male bird is caught between desire and

aggression. He will attack the female if she gets too close, too

soon. It could be four days before he allows her near him. She must be

patient. The next few weeks will be crucial

for each of the three nest. Wind, rain and availability of food will

all play a part in determining which of these pairs has got the timing

right. That was episode one of the heron

diary and tomorrow will follow the nests to seek if the eggs hatch.

Hingis crossed they do. The heron, the longest study in a single

species in the UK, they have been monitoring heronry since 1928.

I like a bird that has erectile nodule plumes. The wind is not good

for that! Martin's were stuck up earlier! Those heavens, we saw in

that film they gamble on when to start their nests. Inevitably,

because they stagger them, there will be winners and losers,

depending on the weather. They could do with a reliable weather forecast.

They could really do with their very own Nick Miller!

It would be a brave Haran that gambles on this week's whether in

eastern England. The forecast coming up. First, a look back at Spring so

far. This was a month ago, this would have been a shock for the

early arriving migrant birds, but then we had heat in Highland

Scotland. No heat like that in the foreseeable. A lot of rain for

eastern England overnight. Turning things stormy. The rain washing the

caterpillars from the trees. For the families of tits, the food might not

be available. It is the strength of wind as well, and direction, both at

the surface and higher up. Blowing away from the UK. In the face of

birds yet to reach us from the South, the late arriving swallows,

they may not make the last leg into the headwind. We will have to wait

and see. West is best for dry, bright weather. For you, what you

have now is what you will keep. I will leave you with a picture of the

blazing sun. That is the closest you are going to get this week.

Hopefully the wildlife will give us all the colour we need.

Your hair will look windswept for the next few days! Sorry about the

smell! You survived the horse riding. How was he? He was ready to

go. It is like a racehorse in the gate. He was a good boy. Very

exciting. One of our favourite animals, culture and folklore, but

an essential player for the ecosystems, the badger. It is not an

animal that is easy to get to know. It lives underground, presents a

couple of difficulties. An enthusiast contacted us, he had

found a collection of badgers very close to where he lived that allowed

him to get a fantastic daylight views and film.

My name is Richard Hopkins, I am a consultant radiologist. My job is

image -based, I analyse MRI scans and CT scans to make a diagnosis

about illnesses, cancer or other conditions. I find my job fairly

stressful, so film-making is complete escapism, it is being often

on my own, in beautiful surroundings, just being in the

moment, filming what is in front of me. The wood is beautiful, it is a

photographer's paradise. Dappled sunlight in the evening, bluebells,

wild garnet, it is a lovely place to photograph. I have been interested

in natural history and badgers since I was at school. Whenever I was out

looking for wildlife and badgers, I always had a camera. It was about

getting the perfect picture. The elusiveness of the badger is part of

the appeal. They are shy, nocturnal, quite difficult to find. They are

very secretive. If they are aware of you, you cannot photograph or film

them. When I first started photographing the current group,

they were quite cautious, they would come out late at night, they would

not show any natural behaviour. After a number of visits, they would

behave naturally, grooming, digging, dashing around with young cubs.

Quite often they will come and surround me and by camera, but I am

careful about not letting them get too close. They are wild animals,

and I don't want them to completely lose the fear of humans. I first saw

a cup this year in the second week of April, quite cautious. Just

hanging around the skirts of the mother and disappearing back into

the whole quite quickly after it came out. To look at a different,

they are smaller, fluffy, they often have this behaviour when airfare

stands upon end, like little hedgehogs. It is to make them look

as big as possible and a bit more frightening. One of the behaviours I

film quite often is lying on their back and scratching their tummies.

There is a particular male that tends to do that a lot.

This spring the weather has been very mixed. We have had periods of

beautiful sunshine and then clouds and rain, even snow. It has been

quite surprising how the badgers have behaved in the snow. I have

been there and the young cubs have been soaked through, but rattled,

wet, looking sorry for themselves. But they have been going around

their normal behaviour, it has not affected them too badly.

What I like about filming and being in the woods with them, it is an

antidote to a very busy, stressful medical job. Definitely helps to

recharge the batteries. What a delight. I love the

scratching badger, I can scratch mine. I don't want to see you

scratching your chest! It is something you can all do! Scratch my

badger! You can all find your own sanctuary, somewhere where you can

get away from the stresses and strains of life. I bet you have got

somewhere. I enjoy myself in the garage, I get my best spanners out

and I rub them with an oily rag, caressing them like that. You can

understand that! We must move on! I promised you more reviews of the

Eagle's nest, there is one chick that is five days old. Look at this.

She has got some prey. This is a huge, powerful, aggressive predator,

armed with that massive bill. Look how delicately she tears up

this tiny morsel of meat and offers it to the youngster. That is

amazing. Absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous. We will be watching these

through the series, hope to learn a lot more about them, the prey coming

in, the rate of growth, and following the adult birds and seeing

how they are using the territory to find the prey and the impact the

forestry is having. An amazing luck on the adult's face, it is very

caring. How quickly will the chick grow? They have got to get to a big

bird before they fledge, 60 days in the best, so we will change -- we

will see it change rapidly. It is a long process for the Eagles. With

the cold, wet weather coming, it will be all right. Let's go to the

live cameras. It is getting dark. What is happening in the nest of

blue tits? She is looking more and more battered, every time we look at

her. What is she doing? Is she clearing out the nest? This is a

female that has worked so hard. She only has four chicks left, she is

trying desperately hard to keep them going. It will be interesting to see

how she gets on with this weather. It is not great. There is possibly

an enormous drama ring down in our other nest. We are going to be

launching this tomorrow. A beautiful bird. Elegant, sublime. Classic. We

will tell you more about this tomorrow, but there are a lot of

other birds around. Some of them are large and Hungary. We have also been

filming various birds around the reserve. Particularly the marsh

harrier. So delicate. It is a bird of prey, but it is so lightweight.

Look at the spindly legs and talents. Gorgeous. Floating about,

looking down into the reeds for potential prey, which could be

amphibians or other nest, they will even take eggs. They will drop into

water rail nests and eat the eggs. Another thing we have seen is this,

a turtledove. A very pleasant surprise, because this bird has

declined by 91% since 1995, but let's listen. It is a lovely call.

Very characteristic. Although it is disappearing from lots of our

farmland, where it was once a common species. Loss of habitat, hunting

and migration. Is it called per ring? It sounds like it. I saw and

heard it the other day. That is all we have got time for. Join us again

tomorrow at 6:30pm on BBC Two, we will be joined by Larry Lamb,

formerly a baddie in EastEnders, at a man with a taste for wildlife. A

passion for wildlife, of course! You can watch our live cameras online on

the red button. Tomorrow, we will see the fabulous puffins. One of

Britain's's favourite birds. And we will follow the futures of our three

adorable little owls, they are cute. Our woodland Demon the sparrowhawk.

Hopefully we will see the male. We have had a wonderful first day, we

hope you will join us tomorrow, seeded them. Goodbye for now! Good

night!