:00:00. > :00:10.Tonight, we've got a plethora of raptors!
:00:11. > :00:14.We have got golden eagles, we have got sparrowhawks, peregrine
:00:15. > :00:48.Falklands and even a direful cum. Hello and welcome to Springwatch. We
:00:49. > :00:51.are coming to you live from the RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk, and this is day
:00:52. > :00:56.three. Although we have not been enjoying the weather so much, I have
:00:57. > :01:00.got to be honest, this has been the coldest place in the UK this week I
:01:01. > :01:06.think. We have certainly been enjoying the wildlife. As usual,
:01:07. > :01:09.live cameras all over the reserve, most of them on nesting birds active
:01:10. > :01:15.during the day but there is one that is more active at night, and it is
:01:16. > :01:18.this one. This is our little owl nest, there are three chicks in
:01:19. > :01:23.there, I think the adult is brooding though. They are 13 days old now.
:01:24. > :01:30.I'm not sure we are going to see them completely fledge, because they
:01:31. > :01:35.fledge in 45 weeks, but we will see them semi-fledging, branching out
:01:36. > :01:38.and exploring their surroundings -- four to five weeks. They have really
:01:39. > :01:43.grown over this week. They are having a tough time, on Tuesday
:01:44. > :01:48.night it was wet, windy, and it was not good conditions for the owls to
:01:49. > :01:52.hunt in. However, they did bring back quite a good meal. This is a
:01:53. > :01:56.bluetit, and the chicks are thoroughly enjoying it. Last night
:01:57. > :02:02.was a bit better, still cold and windy but it wasn't wet, which meant
:02:03. > :02:07.that the Czechs had a bit of a feast. 67 feeds, an increase of over
:02:08. > :02:11.1000%. You can see they are eating worms, they had a lot of worms last
:02:12. > :02:15.night. It is interesting because rain means feast or famine, or in
:02:16. > :02:18.this instance, famine and then feast. The first night they hardly
:02:19. > :02:23.got anything because was raining, the rain then brought the worms up,
:02:24. > :02:27.which meant they had a worm Ananta last night. Chris, they had a
:02:28. > :02:32.bluetit there, how did they catch a bluetit in the middle of the night?
:02:33. > :02:36.They might have caught that in the day, in the morning in fact. Little
:02:37. > :02:41.owls will hunt in the light hours of the evening and again in the early
:02:42. > :02:46.morning, they are more diurnal than most of our owls, though most out of
:02:47. > :02:48.the summertime in daytime too. When we woke up this morning we were
:02:49. > :02:55.hoping that the weather might have improved, but no. It hadn't. It has
:02:56. > :03:00.been like that all over the country, apart from Scotland and West Wales
:03:01. > :03:04.basking in the sun. Our birds simply have to get it out. You have got to
:03:05. > :03:08.remember this may be the only chance for some of these animals to
:03:09. > :03:12.reproduce. It is their one and only chance, so they will not give up on
:03:13. > :03:18.this at all. They will sit there and do the very best they can to hatch
:03:19. > :03:21.out those extra stop in other parts of the country, they are going to
:03:22. > :03:25.fare even better weather weather has been better, they will not have so
:03:26. > :03:29.many challenges as the poor creatures here in Minsmere, Suffolk,
:03:30. > :03:32.where the weather has been miserable. There have been some
:03:33. > :03:37.challenges here, some of them I fear have been terminal. We were looking
:03:38. > :03:42.at a pair of swallows that had put them at cup on one of the rafters,
:03:43. > :03:50.and they were both incubating -- put their mud cup. Then at 4pm
:03:51. > :03:55.yesterday, a swallow disappeared just when our male sparrowhawk
:03:56. > :03:59.arrived at his plucking post with a bird taken by a female, she pops
:04:00. > :04:05.back down, and look at what she has got in her talons, it is a swallow,
:04:06. > :04:10.and the nest was empty. We continued monitoring that nest, I have to say,
:04:11. > :04:14.throughout the rest of the evening. One bird did come back, we cannot
:04:15. > :04:19.say whether it was one of a pair, it is likely, but knowing the patient
:04:20. > :04:24.was taking place. And again we continued to watch the nest, we can
:04:25. > :04:28.cut to it live and see what is happening. One bird has been coming
:04:29. > :04:35.back for short periods but there has been knowing the Bashan, so I am
:04:36. > :04:39.afraid that nest has failed. -- no incubation. It is likely that that
:04:40. > :04:45.swallow brought in by the sparrowhawk was one of our pair,
:04:46. > :04:49.which is unusual. These are ambush predators. I bet it was sat on top
:04:50. > :04:52.of the roof of the barn, it had seen the swallows going in and out and
:04:53. > :04:55.then it nabbed them, or it was somewhere the swallow was bathing
:04:56. > :05:01.and it triggered off the ground, something like that. But it is not
:05:02. > :05:05.just a swallow that the sparrowhawk court, including great tits and
:05:06. > :05:10.bluetits, and so did our little owl. It makes it a very precarious
:05:11. > :05:15.situation for our bluetits and great tits we are following, because they
:05:16. > :05:19.all the same word. Let's check them live. These are the great tits, and
:05:20. > :05:23.there is the single mother in there with four chicks. All are doing
:05:24. > :05:29.well. We have been watching them all day. It is a single mother, we know
:05:30. > :05:32.that, working extremely hard. And who knows, maybe that's what
:05:33. > :05:39.happened to the mail, maybe it was taken by the sparrowhawk. Let's have
:05:40. > :05:42.a look at the great tits, there are five chicks here, no adult at the
:05:43. > :05:49.moment but we have been monitoring that, as have a lot of you watching
:05:50. > :05:54.it live. They are all doing well so far. Both adults are provisioning
:05:55. > :05:58.that nest. So they are safe, for now, but who knows what will happen.
:05:59. > :06:01.It would be interesting to mark them, if we put colourings on them
:06:02. > :06:08.all and then watched them fledge, then watch them turn up on the
:06:09. > :06:11.plucking post. Overstock! That may be unlikely because they are nesting
:06:12. > :06:14.quite close to the sparrowhawk, and we think that the sparrowhawk
:06:15. > :06:20.doesn't normally harvest birds from the area around its nest. Doesn't
:06:21. > :06:22.eat the neighbours. Know, and the birds prosper there because they are
:06:23. > :06:27.being protected by the sparrowhawk. Keep watching. That is a dangerous
:06:28. > :06:34.game to play, nesting next to the sparrowhawk. Last night I was down
:06:35. > :06:42.in the woods, and although the conditions are not very good, we
:06:43. > :06:50.managed to catch if you moths. -- catch a feud. Look at that! I love
:06:51. > :06:56.that one. It is so cold. Sorry about this, hang on, folks. Don't let it
:06:57. > :07:01.go. Look at that, it is a pine hawk moth. An absolute beauty. There are
:07:02. > :07:04.lots more in here, we will let them all go later on but the best thing
:07:05. > :07:10.is to wait until it gets properly dark so they don't get eaten by any
:07:11. > :07:15.late-night birds. Now, we did also managed to film some we got last
:07:16. > :07:20.night. Look at this gorgeousness, scorched wing. You can see why it is
:07:21. > :07:23.called that. Each of the little scales on the boing makes up the
:07:24. > :07:28.lines. Beautifully camouflaged. This one here is a white point, not to be
:07:29. > :07:33.confused with a white speck, which is almost exactly the same, only two
:07:34. > :07:38.millimetres bigger, but don't they look alien when you look" mark the
:07:39. > :07:42.diamondback. These come in from France, blown across the Channel.
:07:43. > :07:50.There are over 140 of them blown in here last night. Great names. I love
:07:51. > :07:53.those descriptive names. My favourite is a sagacious Hebrew
:07:54. > :07:59.character. Isn't there one called mouse poo? I could believe any name.
:08:00. > :08:04.You could make one up randomly and there is a very good chance it
:08:05. > :08:08.exists! We will be carrying on trapping the moths or the way
:08:09. > :08:14.through Springwatch, particularly tomorrow because it is moths night.
:08:15. > :08:19.Great thing to do with the kids. Lots of live camera today at
:08:20. > :08:23.Minsmere, one of our favourites, the sparrowhawk. This is the female, she
:08:24. > :08:28.is integrating fired eggs. Looking much happier this evening, much
:08:29. > :08:30.drier than she was and that this time of year she is entirely
:08:31. > :08:36.dependent on the male to provide her with food. She consider all day,
:08:37. > :08:40.because her off when he arrives at the plucking post. Fortunately for
:08:41. > :08:44.us we have identified this, and each time he comes in gives us an
:08:45. > :08:50.opportunity to see what the birds are aiding. We have seen the swallow
:08:51. > :08:58.come in. Here there is a house Martin. Housemartins only form 0.1%
:08:59. > :09:12.of sparrowhawk's diets. Linux are much more commonly -- Daleks are
:09:13. > :09:18.much more -- dunnocks are much more prevalent. This we think is common
:09:19. > :09:21.shrew which has been gutted. Now the female defecates on the plucking
:09:22. > :09:28.post. So this is a mess. Look, all of the feathers, some guts and some
:09:29. > :09:34.food, a right place for a predator to see and smell the remainder of
:09:35. > :09:38.the birds. This is the purpose of the plucking post, all of the
:09:39. > :09:42.handling, all of the processing is done about 50 metres from the nest,
:09:43. > :09:47.so when the male takes it back, there is not a trace for predators
:09:48. > :09:51.to detect. That means they are kept safely away from the nest. It is
:09:52. > :09:56.fantastic to see that sparrowhawk but I am concerned it will just eat
:09:57. > :10:02.a whole cast of characters. That is what they do, a specialist small
:10:03. > :10:05.bird predator. The female would start hunting until the chicks get
:10:06. > :10:12.quite an advanced stage. At this point I have to point out that I a
:10:13. > :10:16.mistake. Hold the front page! I think you have got to stand up and
:10:17. > :10:20.say I had made one. Last night I did, for some bizarre reason I got
:10:21. > :10:23.it into my head, I don't know why, that there were two males
:10:24. > :10:27.provisioning this nest and not just one, but they checked today and I
:10:28. > :10:34.was undoubtedly wrong. So I am really sorry about that. We said
:10:35. > :10:39.that, didn't we? He wouldn't have it! Don't forget, you can continue
:10:40. > :10:42.watching our live cameras online, on the red button and even on your
:10:43. > :10:51.mobile phones. We are watching all of the wildlife down here in
:10:52. > :11:01.Minsmere. But we like to reflect wildlife as much as we can. And we
:11:02. > :11:08.are getting some of the best sea bird colonies in the whole of the
:11:09. > :11:15.UK. A warm welcome to a remarkably sunny and calm farms. Accomplish how
:11:16. > :11:20.quickly the weather changes here. But the important thing is that the
:11:21. > :11:24.boats are running. I will be enjoying these charismatic
:11:25. > :11:36.characters, the clans of the sea, the puffin. The farmer islands are
:11:37. > :11:44.home to the largest colony of puffin in England -- the Farne islands.
:11:45. > :11:55.40,000 pairs live and breathe here but their success varies year on
:11:56. > :12:01.year. Last July, powerful storms flooded the occupied boroughs and
:12:02. > :12:06.half of the puffin 's perished. The is a real danger. And worryingly, we
:12:07. > :12:12.have already seen a fair bit so far this week. When you consider that
:12:13. > :12:15.puffins only lay one egg this week, there are so much invested in that
:12:16. > :12:20.chick making it through. This year, we are keeping everything crossed in
:12:21. > :12:27.the hope that in spring 2016 the weather is going to be much kinder
:12:28. > :12:32.to these colourful characters and some of them are really characters.
:12:33. > :12:40.Let me introduce you to a pair of remarkable rule breakers. Down here
:12:41. > :12:44.and returning for the third year in succession, a pair has nested in
:12:45. > :12:50.what I can only describe as it puffin teepee. They have foregone
:12:51. > :12:59.the usual burrow to nest in this log pile. Now I have seen nesting
:13:00. > :13:02.patterns from Shetland, even up to Iceland but I have never seen
:13:03. > :13:05.anything like this, I can see the bird on the nest, and she doesn't
:13:06. > :13:09.seem bothered at all by the fact I can see her and that she is nesting
:13:10. > :13:15.in broad daylight. It is quite remarkable. The word must be stacked
:13:16. > :13:19.in such a way that it offers just enough protection from predators, as
:13:20. > :13:25.they have succeeded in being parents in this exact spot for three years
:13:26. > :13:28.in a row. And what's more, this log pile pair was not affected by the
:13:29. > :13:47.storms. Don't worry we will check in with
:13:48. > :13:52.their progress from time to time. Whether in log pile or burrow, once
:13:53. > :14:00.the puffin's ache is laid, the parents take it in turns to
:14:01. > :14:07.incubator. Sometimes leaving to go to seed to feed happy in the
:14:08. > :14:12.knowledge that the egg is safe -- go to see. However, on these islands
:14:13. > :14:22.they face an added challenge. There is a pair of great black backed
:14:23. > :14:26.gulls to specialise in eating puffins.
:14:27. > :14:34.At the moment, these puffins look quite relaxed but believe me there
:14:35. > :14:41.is a lot more going on than meets the eye, and that is only above the
:14:42. > :14:45.ground. Yesterday, we were given a tantalising glimpse of the puffin's
:14:46. > :14:51.subterranean home, thanks to our burrow cameras. Now we have had a
:14:52. > :14:54.little bit more time to look at the footage, we have seen much more
:14:55. > :14:59.excavating in the one burrow, and even some cheeky leg pulling and bum
:15:00. > :15:06.shoving as the patterns change shift. Hopefully there will be and a
:15:07. > :15:11.glade soon. We have had from on the other burrow camera as well. As far
:15:12. > :15:16.as we could tell, it had an abandoned egg in it, and as time
:15:17. > :15:19.passed, our hopes for it started to wane, and then there was a
:15:20. > :15:25.hallelujah moment. We saw a puffin end of the burrow.
:15:26. > :15:32.The seemingly abandoned egg was being incubated and it is still
:15:33. > :15:39.being incubated right now. Have a great celebrations back at base. It
:15:40. > :15:42.is the first time we have ever had the puffin baroque camera on
:15:43. > :15:49.Springwatch so it it is bring what first and I am keeping my fingers
:15:50. > :15:52.crossed we will eventually see more. But we will be watching those
:15:53. > :15:56.cameras closely and if anything exciting develops, we will let you
:15:57. > :16:02.know, of course. I will also introduce you to some of them main
:16:03. > :16:07.players here. The Arctic turn and the eyed dog. Just some of the
:16:08. > :16:13.wonderful varieties of wildlife that call this amazing Archipelago their
:16:14. > :16:16.home. Great to see those puffins in the
:16:17. > :16:23.borough. It is, but he has lost his hat! Get it back on, that is the
:16:24. > :16:27.best it. The islands are a great refuge for
:16:28. > :16:31.the nesting sea birds because they provide protection from predators
:16:32. > :16:34.like foxes and rats. And being off the coast, they attract vagrant
:16:35. > :16:39.birds that have been won of coast and the cameraman spotted this, a
:16:40. > :16:45.female red-backed shrikes. They used to be a breeding is beaches in the
:16:46. > :16:48.UK which was common in the last century -- breeding species. But
:16:49. > :16:54.they have disappeared, but you often see vagrant in spring and autumn.
:16:55. > :16:57.Beautiful, lovely. There have been a host of very unusual sightings
:16:58. > :17:02.across the country this spring the possibly because of the strange
:17:03. > :17:07.weather or the wind. We have seen a purple heron here at Minsmere, that
:17:08. > :17:13.is a bird I have only seen in India. And also, there has been, I got a
:17:14. > :17:18.text from Cornwall, from Sarah and John, they said they had seen a
:17:19. > :17:26.Dalmatian pelican which has been seen in Cornwall. And one of the
:17:27. > :17:31.most extraordinary, a lammergeier. A type of huge bird on the Welsh side
:17:32. > :17:37.in the Severn Street, flying around. And it went down to Devon. But
:17:38. > :17:41.extraordinary. Large numbers of people went to see those birds but
:17:42. > :17:46.there might be a problem because it is unlikely either of them will be
:17:47. > :17:49.admitted to the British list. Lammergeier most likely came from a
:17:50. > :17:57.reintroduction project in the Alps so it was not count and the
:17:58. > :18:04.Dalmatian pelican could have come from Eastern Europe. So it might not
:18:05. > :18:11.be official. But one that certainly will be official and I would have
:18:12. > :18:18.loved to put in my own but is this. -- block. This is one of the
:18:19. > :18:23.Hebrides, North Uist, and a bird turned up here of some substance.
:18:24. > :18:32.Look at that. Agreement or Canadian Gyrfalcon. And what viewers cannot
:18:33. > :18:36.appreciate is I have reinforced my trousers -- in Greenland or
:18:37. > :18:40.Canadian. I am stroking them so furiously in delight at this
:18:41. > :18:49.miracle! What a bird! What a bird! Was feeding on geese. As big as
:18:50. > :18:56.that? Look at it. It proved a fantastic addition to North Uist
:18:57. > :19:02.because I am told that tourism was increased tenfold. The people turned
:19:03. > :19:05.up to see it, spending money in the hotels and restaurants. Not all the
:19:06. > :19:09.residents of North Uist were pleased to see it. Black puddings not
:19:10. > :19:16.impressed and the oyster catchers as you can see. But local inhabitants
:19:17. > :19:22.certainly worth and it stayed the four months, wintering there.
:19:23. > :19:26.Because in the end people were feeding it so they could get great
:19:27. > :19:34.photographs like that. What an astonishing bird. The Gyrfalcon.
:19:35. > :19:41.Where has it gone now, briskly, hopefully, back to Greenland, but
:19:42. > :19:44.was it a Gyrfalcon? We had been arguing about how to pronounce it
:19:45. > :19:50.and I had a Twitter debate last night. I was told I had got it
:19:51. > :19:54.wrong. I have researched this and I got in contact with my Countdown
:19:55. > :20:01.friend Susie and this is what she said. The Oxford English dictionary
:20:02. > :20:12.pronounces at the same as the letters enjoyable from the old
:20:13. > :20:16.German word meaningful chat. -- meaning Irbil. It has been softened
:20:17. > :20:23.so for the second time tonight, I have to say, Chris was very wrong in
:20:24. > :20:28.my pronunciation. I run the up and you told me to say Gyrfalcon. And I
:20:29. > :20:32.have done that on the way through the film. It is going to be
:20:33. > :20:37.difficult not to say that and I have set up my own swearing job and I
:20:38. > :20:44.have already called it a Gyrfalcon once tonight. Anybody else who makes
:20:45. > :20:51.a mistake and does not say jrr, it is temp and is! Will remember that.
:20:52. > :20:56.We could not let this moment pass without finding out more and we are
:20:57. > :21:05.very lucky. We have got an expert with us here. With a Gyrfalcon.
:21:06. > :21:11.Sorry, hang on in minutes. This is Isla. Thank you very much for
:21:12. > :21:19.bringing her along. In the film we have just seen, I noticed that the
:21:20. > :21:24.birds were mopping her. Does Isla get mobbed flying and exercising?
:21:25. > :21:29.No, when she flies with me, she tries to catch and is in hunting mud
:21:30. > :21:35.and the wild birds recognise the difference so they stay well away
:21:36. > :21:40.from her. -- hunting mud. As they well away, they know she is not just
:21:41. > :21:45.flying along. So the wild birds recognise her as a hunting predator.
:21:46. > :21:52.That is fascinating and they will make that distinction and avoid her?
:21:53. > :22:00.One detail, she has an extraordinary tooth on her peak, what is that? A
:22:01. > :22:07.shop points like a tooth. Lord Falconer might have this and it is
:22:08. > :22:13.used to dispatch their prey -- large falcons. It is used to finish prey
:22:14. > :22:20.off. What extraordinary evolution. Whereabouts would you normally find
:22:21. > :22:25.a Gyrfalcon? Europe. I told you it would be difficult, we have to get
:22:26. > :22:31.it right, it is jrr, I was wrong and I made you wrong. Sorry about Chris.
:22:32. > :22:38.Greenland. We have got some film of them. This one is slightly, the
:22:39. > :22:45.surprise in thing to me when I first met Isla is how white they are.
:22:46. > :22:51.Presumably that is, flood against the snow? They vary enormously but
:22:52. > :22:55.it blends with the rock. Also, hot Arctic summers, the white helps to
:22:56. > :22:59.reflect the heat. It is really called in the winter but it gets hot
:23:00. > :23:04.in the summer. And they are hard to see against the blue sky believe it
:23:05. > :23:09.or not. You would not think so. No, I would not, amazing. I was lucky
:23:10. > :23:16.enough a couple of weeks ago to pit myself against this very bird in a
:23:17. > :23:21.head-to-head confrontation with me on my motorcycle against Isla,
:23:22. > :23:25.head-to-head. Who would win? Eat your heart out, Top Gear! Will see
:23:26. > :23:32.that film in 30 minutes. Me head-to-head with this bird. In
:23:33. > :23:35.the meantime, we go from the clearly sublime to the not ridiculous. As
:23:36. > :23:39.much as we champion the superstars of the animal world, we also like
:23:40. > :23:41.the champion the underdogs, one of whom is a minuscule creature living
:23:42. > :23:54.out on these grasslands. This ancient meadow may be beautiful
:23:55. > :24:03.to look at, but it's true wonder lies in a hidden Kingdom
:24:04. > :24:08.Underground. This and is royalty. She is a Queen and could rule for
:24:09. > :24:14.the next 25 years. Dash-macro two. She left the call me she was born to
:24:15. > :24:17.us, and found her way into the perfect tunnel to begin a new
:24:18. > :24:23.lineage -- she left the colony. Her colony is just a small pile of
:24:24. > :24:31.larvae at the moment tended to by her miniature workers from third the
:24:32. > :24:35.size of a normal ant. Despite their size, they will provide everything
:24:36. > :24:41.she needs for the coming months. A protein rich meal like this would be
:24:42. > :24:51.perfect fuel for the Queen to help allay more eggs. But the creature
:24:52. > :24:57.does not take the flight to her. In a strange role reversal, it eats
:24:58. > :25:09.what she needs and still it was it to her just like a parent bird
:25:10. > :25:15.feeding its chick. They keep a healthy by cleaning her of parasites
:25:16. > :25:22.and fungus, but the main part of their work is to attend the brood.
:25:23. > :25:28.Cleaning and turning them to ensure each love develops successfully. Our
:25:29. > :25:36.Queen's colony is growing each day but it is tiny compared to the scale
:25:37. > :25:41.it could reach in the future -- each larvae. Other colonies contain
:25:42. > :25:54.thousands of individuals, not far away.
:25:55. > :26:01.Yellow metal -- yellow metal ants skilled engineers and construct
:26:02. > :26:06.hills to fight perfect living conditions. One is in short supply
:26:07. > :26:13.in the UK so a South facing property is highly desirable. Shaped with a
:26:14. > :26:24.flat surface, the mound works like a solar panel to gather heat. After
:26:25. > :26:28.the rain, the ants emerge with pellets brought up from deep
:26:29. > :26:29.underground. Each tiny brick extending the property and making
:26:30. > :27:01.more space for the colony to grow. Above ground, the mounds create a
:27:02. > :27:12.rumour like landscape hundreds of years old. -- Luna. He did inside
:27:13. > :27:19.each is a fast biomass of ants. A potential banquet for a predator
:27:20. > :27:28.that could reach them. The Green woodpecker is perfectly built for
:27:29. > :27:35.the challenge. It easily hammers into the ant Hill and a Tong four
:27:36. > :27:43.times the length of it week who visit up its prey. -- of the beaks.
:27:44. > :27:49.Should our Queen is not new colony be found, it it could be over very
:27:50. > :27:54.quickly. Tessa Jowell Green Park smack new colony. She has chosen her
:27:55. > :28:00.spot well and buried herself away from the reach of the woodpecker and
:28:01. > :28:09.her colony is safe for now. Every spring, the Queen as special larvae
:28:10. > :28:19.to the colony. These will become the larger winged ants we see on hot
:28:20. > :28:25.summer evenings. This larvae which is being cared for may well be
:28:26. > :28:32.another Queen. And in the future, she will be ready to fly away and
:28:33. > :28:38.start her own yellow meadow ant colony, and she could also build
:28:39. > :28:41.spectacular high rise accommodation and every summer send out new
:28:42. > :28:47.Queen's to colonise parts of the British countryside.
:28:48. > :28:53.It is fantastic, I love that, a doesn't make me stroke my trousers
:28:54. > :29:00.but I love that. 25 years they can live. Amazing. I think it is great,
:29:01. > :29:03.because we tend to get obsessed with the large, sexy things, and yet the
:29:04. > :29:09.smaller overlooked creatures can be really interesting. While our
:29:10. > :29:12.cameraman was filming those meadow ants, he came across some rather
:29:13. > :29:19.curious behaviour between two green woodpeckers. We have been showing
:29:20. > :29:25.you online all day, and asking you what you think. It almost looks like
:29:26. > :29:30.dancing. Sian Powell says maybe they are sizing each other up. Another
:29:31. > :29:42.person said it is two having a dance-off. Maybe guarding a food
:29:43. > :29:49.source. But it is two males. So it is clearly not courtship. It is
:29:50. > :29:58.aggression. This is heightened aggression. Now, what it says there
:29:59. > :30:03.is sometimes they will stay like this, they will move their peak in
:30:04. > :30:07.an ellipse, that they are jousting. Sometimes they do it with the beaks
:30:08. > :30:10.open, they stick their tongues out and occasionally their tongues get
:30:11. > :30:16.intertwined, so they lock their tongues together and it becomes a
:30:17. > :30:19.tug-of-war with tongues, which has to be rarely unpleasant, and
:30:20. > :30:25.occasionally they will fight and fight to the death as well.
:30:26. > :30:30.Extraordinary, have you seen it? I never have. We have seen some shots
:30:31. > :30:36.of them doing that again but I have never witnessed it. Fighting is
:30:37. > :30:39.rare, so that would be unusual if it ever got to the point of killing
:30:40. > :30:42.themselves. We have seen the woodpeckers hear out on the
:30:43. > :30:46.grassland behind me. It is a favourite place to go and hunt for
:30:47. > :30:52.ants or other invertebrates and you will see them hopping around there.
:30:53. > :30:57.The other two spaces we have come of the lesser and the greater spotted
:30:58. > :31:01.woodpeckers, but Greens, when it comes to foraging, they are a bird
:31:02. > :31:07.of open country. Lovely to see it fly off like that. This Crosland is
:31:08. > :31:10.home to another predator we introduced you to last night and
:31:11. > :31:14.over the last few days. We have seen a lot of this gorgeous little
:31:15. > :31:18.character. It is surprisingly difficult to see in the grassland,
:31:19. > :31:24.but our cameraman has got some great views of it. We have seen it doing
:31:25. > :31:29.this quite a lot, moving its kits. That is a big kit, nearly as big as
:31:30. > :31:34.the adult, so it must be at least two months old. We are guessing. It
:31:35. > :31:39.is moving it from the safety of one rabbit hole to another. That is
:31:40. > :31:42.probably because either it is too dirty or there is a predator around.
:31:43. > :31:49.Look at this. This is rather lovely to watch. Three of the kits that are
:31:50. > :31:55.obviously active now, and they have decided to walk themselves but they
:31:56. > :32:00.are doing it rather slowly. They are very vulnerable at this stage that
:32:01. > :32:06.is why the mother is them. A buzzard flying over would take them. No
:32:07. > :32:17.doubt. It is browsing they are going so slowly. But it is interesting,
:32:18. > :32:23.quite a high survival rate for these kits. It can be up to 80%. Depending
:32:24. > :32:28.on the food source. Although it is only 7% for adults that make it to
:32:29. > :32:32.their second year. The fact they are being so vigilantly protected by the
:32:33. > :32:38.mother obviously works. Females mature or very early. Meeting while
:32:39. > :32:42.they are still in the den as it were. With that sort of strategy
:32:43. > :32:45.they don't have to live too long because they all give birth to a
:32:46. > :32:50.letter they probably reproduce themselves and their year
:32:51. > :32:53.potentially. Out there living on the heathlands because there is a
:32:54. > :32:59.bountiful source of prey. We were trying to figure out how many
:33:00. > :33:04.rabbits were out here at Minsmere, something between three and 14
:33:05. > :33:09.tonnes of rabbit meat. These stoats are constantly hunting. Like all
:33:10. > :33:14.predators, they won't go for the live a difficult prey, they will
:33:15. > :33:20.take the weaker items if they can possibly get it. And they don't tend
:33:21. > :33:23.to catch them in open country, they will take them down in their burrows
:33:24. > :33:29.and they will certainly go for the smaller ones. Here you can see these
:33:30. > :33:33.stoats tearing along the small rabbits, and it will not represent
:33:34. > :33:48.much of a threat in terms of potentially injuring this stoked. --
:33:49. > :33:53.this stoat. As soon as they have found a mound of rabbits, they are
:33:54. > :33:58.doomed. Look at the left of it is in that small patch of greenery. You
:33:59. > :34:04.will see the stoat's head appear. It is having a peep. The rabbit is
:34:05. > :34:08.undoubtedly looking at the stoat and I think the stoat knows that. It
:34:09. > :34:15.hasn't got the element of surprise, that is a much larger rabbits so the
:34:16. > :34:22.stoat makes a decision to leave it alone and moves away. The rabbit has
:34:23. > :34:27.played it cool and survives. Stoat does not always get its own way with
:34:28. > :34:34.rabbits, have a look at this. The stoat has got another young rabbit
:34:35. > :34:39.that it has a very vigilant mother. Look at that, it chases the stoat,
:34:40. > :34:45.trying to protect its young. The rabbit prey is dropped by the stoat
:34:46. > :34:49.but that rabbit is not going to give up. It wants its young back. It
:34:50. > :34:53.looks for the stoat, which is completely hunkered down at this
:34:54. > :34:58.point. Trying to hide from that rabbit that the rabbit knows where
:34:59. > :35:07.it is. It is not going to give up. This is a feisty mother. And it is
:35:08. > :35:12.in attack mode. So it gives chase. And you can see the difference in
:35:13. > :35:18.size. That rabbit is about twice the size of the stoked. The rabbit can
:35:19. > :35:24.be up to two kilos -- of the stoat. If they get into a physical fight,
:35:25. > :35:30.then I don't fancy the chances of the stoat, but the stoat has agility
:35:31. > :35:33.on its side. It is a good chase, but this stoat is constantly doing this,
:35:34. > :35:39.it has to make prey selection, and it is a constant trade-off between
:35:40. > :35:43.risk and benefit, and in this case it could be that the risk was way
:35:44. > :35:47.more than the benefit. Look what happens, it gets it, look at the
:35:48. > :35:52.back legs, kicking away. It flings that stoat in the air. That is its
:35:53. > :35:57.most powerful weapon for a rabbit, it's back legs, biting the stoat is
:35:58. > :36:03.not going to be the option. If it gets injured, then the stoat has had
:36:04. > :36:06.it next time around because it would be as efficient when it comes to
:36:07. > :36:15.card afford to get injured. No wonder it is running away. I wonder
:36:16. > :36:18.how often the rabbits killed the stoats. I would imagine it happens
:36:19. > :36:23.on occasion, especially the females that are smaller. We have been
:36:24. > :36:28.looking at some herons down in Somerset, they are resting in an oak
:36:29. > :36:32.woodland. We have three nests, brooding at different times, they
:36:33. > :36:37.are gambling on what strategy will be the best, start early, start in
:36:38. > :36:40.the middle or start late. Yesterday they were looking straight into the
:36:41. > :36:48.eyes of storm Katie, so how did they fare when it hit?
:36:49. > :36:59.Storm Katie has come and gone. High winds and heavy rains have battered
:37:00. > :37:03.the nests for several days. The adult herons are hunkered down to
:37:04. > :37:08.detect their broods. Their nests are strong and whatever the weather the
:37:09. > :37:15.devoted parents will not be moved. But this extended period of wet and
:37:16. > :37:20.cold will affect their chicks. On the edge of the colony, the branch
:37:21. > :37:28.nest is the most exposed, and home to the youngest chicks. Down in the
:37:29. > :37:33.AB nest, the chicks are five weeks old, and better able to deal with
:37:34. > :37:41.the cold. Even so, the parents keep them covered. Only when the rain
:37:42. > :37:47.passes will we see how the young are faring.
:37:48. > :37:55.Up in the canopy nest, the newly mated pair have yet to lay eggs, so
:37:56. > :38:06.are still free to seek their own shelter.
:38:07. > :38:14.After the rain, a first glimpse of the chicks. At the IV nest, they are
:38:15. > :38:22.huddled together, but appeared to be growing fast. But for our pair in
:38:23. > :38:31.the branch nest, the storm could not have come at a worse time. Newly
:38:32. > :38:36.hatched, their three chicks are at their most vulnerable. The youngest,
:38:37. > :38:44.in particular, looks weak. And the fourth and final egg has
:38:45. > :38:48.mysteriously disappeared. The adults offer the tidy chicks their only
:38:49. > :38:52.protection. During a break between showers, they dry off, using
:38:53. > :38:59.in-built powder puffs. Special feathers that shed microscopic
:39:00. > :39:03.keratin particles and soak up the rain. Then they get rid of the
:39:04. > :39:11.resulting slime with a serrated, comb like claw.
:39:12. > :39:18.High in the canopy, things are looking up. The lovebirds have
:39:19. > :39:25.cemented their relationship and could delay in the next few days.
:39:26. > :39:33.After the storm, they are repairing the nest. The males in charge of
:39:34. > :39:37.gathering material. He will collect nearly 90% of the twigs and sticks
:39:38. > :39:47.required, ferrying them in from far and wide. It's the female's job to
:39:48. > :39:56.finish the construction. When completed, it could way 75 kilos --
:39:57. > :40:05.Wade 75 kilos, as much as a man. -- it could way 75 kilos.
:40:06. > :40:22.The chicks still look small and fragile. When a meal does come in,
:40:23. > :40:27.there is a problem. It inadvertently regurgitates the food right onto the
:40:28. > :40:30.smallest check. It's hungry siblings don't hold back.
:40:31. > :40:44.The youngster is too frail to defend itself. And the parent does nothing
:40:45. > :40:56.to intervene. In this cold weather it is unlikely all of these
:40:57. > :41:02.offspring will survive. The rain continues into April. The smaller
:41:03. > :41:11.birds are now sprucing up the spring. But our herons are still on
:41:12. > :41:17.the edge. They are certainly not out of the woods yet.
:41:18. > :41:24.It certainly has been a really tough spring for that Harrison Reed, and
:41:25. > :41:29.tomorrow we will find out if any of the nests were successful but it is
:41:30. > :41:36.not just herons nesting in that would -- for that
:41:37. > :41:52.Egrets. It is a beautiful bird. They nesting newcomer in the UK. It has
:41:53. > :41:55.been an amazing natural colonisation, 20 years later
:41:56. > :42:01.possibly about 700 nesting pairs across the UK. Great to see them.
:42:02. > :42:05.Beautiful bird, and you can see them across most of the UK now for stub
:42:06. > :42:09.you can see them here in fact at Minsmere. They don't breed here but
:42:10. > :42:14.it is the perfect habitat for them to feed. They favour these shallow
:42:15. > :42:19.lagoons, and this is exactly what they do. They are predators, they
:42:20. > :42:22.wonder about that lagoon, they stalk their prey, they move around,
:42:23. > :42:30.looking for things like fish, crabs and their vehemence -- amphibians.
:42:31. > :42:37.They stabbed their prey and eat it. They are often seen here, the
:42:38. > :42:41.highest count was 55 in 2012. It is amazing because they used to be a
:42:42. > :42:45.rarity, and now we almost take them for granted. But they are certainly
:42:46. > :42:52.very welcomed by all of the visitors. Maybe not quite so
:42:53. > :42:58.welcomed by the locals. The gulls are not keen on them as neighbours
:42:59. > :43:06.and this goal is mobbing this egret. -- gull is mobbing this egret. It is
:43:07. > :43:11.standing its ground. It is not getting into much of a flat, having
:43:12. > :43:22.a go back, but eventually it decides to flight off. I think I would do
:43:23. > :43:26.the same if I had is gull do anatomy. I think Martin has turned
:43:27. > :43:29.into a little egret, because he has expanded his territory, spread his
:43:30. > :43:35.wings and ventured out of the reserve. Listen to this. In the
:43:36. > :43:40.dusk, when like an eyelid's soundless blink, the tuneful fork
:43:41. > :43:46.comes crossing the shade to alight upon the window bought Upland Thorn.
:43:47. > :43:52.Thomas Hardy, 1917. Those lines were penned about the very bird we have
:43:53. > :43:58.come up here to try to find tonight. Where am I? Up on the heathlands
:43:59. > :44:02.here, Heath Linde is very important part of the reserve. We have lost
:44:03. > :44:08.sadly 40% of England was Machis since the 1950s. That it is actually
:44:09. > :44:12.on the Heath that you find some very beautiful and fascinating and
:44:13. > :44:15.sometimes rare animals. Our cameramen have been up here over the
:44:16. > :44:20.last couple of days and tried to find some of these birds. Here is
:44:21. > :44:27.one, the Dartford warbler, with its fiery are high.
:44:28. > :44:35.11 pairs in the harsh winter of 1962 and 1963, doing better now. This is
:44:36. > :44:41.the cough of a red deer tucked away, not moving, camouflaged, its parent
:44:42. > :44:48.somewhere nearby which will suck all it. Just lying still. And this is a
:44:49. > :44:56.yellow Hammer, a bird we see less of now and it has a bit of bread and no
:44:57. > :45:11.cheese! Back to that hawk. What is that? Listen to this extraordinary
:45:12. > :45:19.sound it makes. That is known as a chirr and it is the bird its name,
:45:20. > :45:26.the night chirr. It can make 1900 notes per minute, 30, 40 a second
:45:27. > :45:34.while doing that. Let's have a look. During the day, it relies on perfect
:45:35. > :45:38.camouflage, the Nightjar. It is a nocturnal bird and it comes out in
:45:39. > :45:44.the evening, among the leaves, you would not see that. It has got a
:45:45. > :45:52.hugely wide-mouthed covered in Brussels and it who visit up insects
:45:53. > :45:57.as it flies around at night. They come out at night to flitter around.
:45:58. > :46:05.It is the male only that makes that chirr. Is it on a post and chirr and
:46:06. > :46:15.attract female. But in this case, it does not seem interesting. The
:46:16. > :46:22.Nightjar is a rare bird and numbers fell to 2119 81, they have recovered
:46:23. > :46:26.a bit, 4600 now. But the RSPB need to monitor that and that is exactly
:46:27. > :46:35.what we are doing tonight. I am here with Mel from the RSPB and we are
:46:36. > :46:42.part of something they do twice a year, a survey to cap the number
:46:43. > :46:50.here. There are 12 of us spread around the 350 hectares of the
:46:51. > :46:54.heath. Not only the RSPB, we are throwing our BBC toes at it with a
:46:55. > :46:57.special microphone and in the background, a special camera so that
:46:58. > :47:04.hopefully during the programme we can both see and hear the Nightjars.
:47:05. > :47:07.So we will carry on throughout the programme and if anything happens,
:47:08. > :47:11.we shall hopefully break into the programme with what we have
:47:12. > :47:15.discovered. You would expect to find wildlife up here on the heath but
:47:16. > :47:27.there is a lot of wildlife in our towns and cities, as David has been
:47:28. > :47:31.finding out. Birmingham, our second-largest city, a hectic
:47:32. > :47:35.revitalises the conurbation. It is also one of our greenest cities and
:47:36. > :47:41.perhaps surprisingly home to some of Britain's's most iconic animals. You
:47:42. > :47:46.just need to know where and when to look. One of my top tits for finding
:47:47. > :47:52.wildlife at this time of year in urban areas is to go towards the
:47:53. > :47:56.trees, but it means getting up early. In central urban --
:47:57. > :48:03.Birmingham, this means heading for the city's canals, the best place to
:48:04. > :48:09.experience the Durham chorus -- one of my top pieces of advice for
:48:10. > :48:18.finding wildlife. -- the dawn chorus. That is a rent. Classic loud
:48:19. > :48:23.voice. And in the background, I can hear a blackbird. I love the
:48:24. > :48:28.mornings because no matter where you live, it is just a different world.
:48:29. > :48:30.All these voices from nowhere. Voices you may not have realised
:48:31. > :48:41.existed. A lot of research has been done on
:48:42. > :48:45.the songs of urban birds and it has been found that the number one, they
:48:46. > :48:50.are singing in what earlier because of streetlights and the fact that
:48:51. > :48:55.night is a what shorter. And also, their song has changed. Some birds
:48:56. > :49:01.have become more high-pitched and louder. Great tits, their song has
:49:02. > :49:07.adapted because they need to break the noise of the traffic and rural
:49:08. > :49:20.ones do not recognise the city birds when they sing. Now for my second
:49:21. > :49:23.piece of advice, go high. In the centre of Birmingham, the new
:49:24. > :49:32.library provides the perfect place to spot one of the world's top
:49:33. > :49:36.predators. I am staring at that tower which is one of the tallest
:49:37. > :49:41.structures in Birmingham. Because there is a pair of Peregrines
:49:42. > :49:56.nesting so we might see it fly out and give us a display flying around.
:49:57. > :50:19.That is amazing! A very dynamic shape. Surprisingly broad winter.
:50:20. > :50:28.For a falcon. -- wings. Peregrines have been nesting on this tower for
:50:29. > :50:35.16 years. Up to six pairs now breed in the city. A massive increase in
:50:36. > :50:40.the last couple of years. And a huge part of that success is down to the
:50:41. > :50:45.fact that they have discovered urban areas. The buildings that we
:50:46. > :50:53.construct our fantastic because they are artificial cliffs and they can
:50:54. > :50:57.nest in comfort and they have an abundance of food, pigeons. Research
:50:58. > :51:01.has found city life is so good, Peregrines hatched in places like
:51:02. > :51:10.this choose to breed in other urban environments. It has what appears to
:51:11. > :51:14.be a dead pigeon and it seems to be flying out towards the city, away
:51:15. > :51:22.from the tower. And he has dropped it. Look at that! That is
:51:23. > :51:30.incredible! There is such an abundance of food, there is no need
:51:31. > :51:36.to chase after it. The thing I love about watching Peregrines is how
:51:37. > :51:40.effortless their flight is, they drift on the wind as if they have
:51:41. > :51:45.not got a care in the world. And like a flick of a switch, they
:51:46. > :51:50.become this ultimate killing machine, diving at the 200 mph to
:51:51. > :51:57.hit a pigeon and to not it's dead. And with that magnificence, that is
:51:58. > :52:03.why the Peregrine is the King of the urban jungle -- and to hit it dead.
:52:04. > :52:07.It is hard to top that for an urban wildlife encounter but time for my
:52:08. > :52:15.third piece of advice, keep an eye on social media. Just North of
:52:16. > :52:19.Birmingham, a small town within earshot were wrapped has been
:52:20. > :52:27.monitoring the urban encroachment that has sent the internet wild. How
:52:28. > :52:37.many DVDs think you have got? In the area, around 200, 300. How long have
:52:38. > :52:43.these Red Deer been coming here? They used to be no mention of red
:52:44. > :52:49.deer, it was called pit. But since then, the deer have been coming here
:52:50. > :52:52.as trees have been planted in the community forest. Incredible to see
:52:53. > :53:00.such a large mammal in such close books and British to humanity. -- )
:53:01. > :53:04.a pity. The Red Deer have spilled out the Cannock Chase where a
:53:05. > :53:14.population approaching 400 outgrowing the park. -- is
:53:15. > :53:20.outgrowing. As they get used to humans, there will be more close
:53:21. > :53:27.encounters like these. I am truly blown away by 16 Red Deer right next
:53:28. > :53:32.to a building site and is next to a housing estate in an urban area, I
:53:33. > :53:36.have never come across this before. I think the thing to remember is
:53:37. > :53:41.just imagine that anything can turn up at any time. You might come
:53:42. > :53:53.across a heard of deer and something else amazing so keep your eyes
:53:54. > :53:57.peeled. Red Deer is one thing but what about those Peregrines? What a
:53:58. > :54:02.remarkable turnaround in such a short space of time. As a teenager,
:54:03. > :54:08.I had to go to Wales to see those and now they have returned to the
:54:09. > :54:14.cities. This year, we think there are 72 urban Peregrines in the UK
:54:15. > :54:22.and many have cameras fitted to the nest so we can enjoy them. This is
:54:23. > :54:27.no which, feeding the chicks. This is Bath, more in Exeter, Manchester,
:54:28. > :54:31.Brighton, the first in Bournemouth this year. It is a great way to
:54:32. > :54:37.watch them and if you go to our website, you can see those cameras
:54:38. > :54:42.and take a look. Let's take a look at a real Peregrine close-up now.
:54:43. > :54:49.Thank you for bringing Moses. This is a male? Yes, it is a United
:54:50. > :54:53.States coastal bird and he works top of that a lot of UK birds and
:54:54. > :55:01.slightly larger but they've vary enormously. Massive feat, that
:55:02. > :55:05.strikes me, huge feet. Prolonged close help to get the prey at high
:55:06. > :55:09.speed. What about in the film when it dropped the pigeon, it could
:55:10. > :55:14.easily have caught it? Could not be bothered because of the surplus of
:55:15. > :55:19.prey or I have a theory about city Peregrines and I think in the heart
:55:20. > :55:23.of the city, big skyscrapers and buildings, they do not bother going
:55:24. > :55:27.below a certain altitude. I think they have a limit of where they want
:55:28. > :55:31.to go unless they are desperate, they do not bother. A lot of people
:55:32. > :55:37.in cities with mobile phones, you do not see many Peregrines looking
:55:38. > :55:42.pigeons. Unlike sparrowhawks which you frequently get those images.
:55:43. > :55:46.What you do get involved cities with big buildings is a strange air
:55:47. > :55:50.current and I think Peregrines know that they operate best above a
:55:51. > :55:53.certain height. They eat a tremendous range of prey in the
:55:54. > :55:59.city, much of which they catch at night. We did an experiment earlier
:56:00. > :56:02.this year with Moses in a huge studio and we were replicated street
:56:03. > :56:09.level lighting and he would fly across the studio to take the prey
:56:10. > :56:13.from underneath like the wild birds when the prey is going over from
:56:14. > :56:18.underneath. When they migrate, that is the thing. Very much so. He was
:56:19. > :56:23.prepared to fly in those conditions. He had never been exposed to the
:56:24. > :56:27.conditions but he had a natural inclination to think, I can catch
:56:28. > :56:33.something like this. Before cities, did they do that under moonlit
:56:34. > :56:36.nights? They were taking advantage of that. Now in the city
:56:37. > :56:42.environment, it is every night of the winter they can find those
:56:43. > :56:47.birds. But the first Peregrine to sit roosting wakes up and thinks,
:56:48. > :56:52.hold on, I did not catch much today, now! That is a clever Peregrine.
:56:53. > :57:04.They are clever birds. We will see more of Moses later. Because Moses
:57:05. > :57:11.is up against... Isla. The Gyrfalcon in our challenge later.
:57:12. > :57:16.Accessibility is important with wildlife as you have two engage with
:57:17. > :57:20.it. So those Peregrines coming back to the city is fantastic and we can
:57:21. > :57:25.easily see them on the cameras and you can see them and watch them. But
:57:26. > :57:29.getting out into the countryside needs that Access ability and
:57:30. > :57:32.somebody who has taken advantage of that on Sheppey is Paralympian Steve
:57:33. > :57:44.Brown. I grew up here and it will always
:57:45. > :57:48.have a place in my heart where I learned and I made mistakes and I
:57:49. > :57:54.grew up to be who I am. And although I do not live here any more, I love
:57:55. > :57:58.to come back. Knowing that I have got this place for when I am worried
:57:59. > :58:04.or stressed or nervous and anxious about things, it is where I can
:58:05. > :58:15.forget about everything and where I know and I feel confident and where
:58:16. > :58:21.I feel like time has stood still. People tend to think it is two
:58:22. > :58:22.separate identities, wildlife Steve and training and wheelchair rugby
:58:23. > :58:41.Steve, but they entwine. I think about my wheelchair rugby
:58:42. > :58:48.and that side of things in the countryside. Do not underestimate
:58:49. > :58:51.how being mindful of your surroundings and finding that
:58:52. > :58:54.attention to detail and to the sounds of what you see in the
:58:55. > :59:01.wildlife and nature translates into the things you do in work and it has
:59:02. > :59:07.certainly helped me in my sport. It is so fantastic to be here in an
:59:08. > :59:10.environment where I can drive up and down the road looking out of the
:59:11. > :59:23.windows and seeing one of them and them. Blackbird, exactly. Where
:59:24. > :59:30.should it be? I don't know. They are your birds. I know, I am driving, I
:59:31. > :59:32.cannot do both! Louis is awesome, I have three nephews and he is the
:59:33. > :59:43.eldest of the three. What do you think they might be? Is
:59:44. > :59:46.he very big question mark spending time with Louis, watching the bird
:59:47. > :59:51.books, the same sort of memories I have got when I was his age. Almost
:59:52. > :59:59.reliving it, in terms of what my dad was doing with me. This one is a
:00:00. > :00:07.comma begins with H. A blackbird. You know it is not. H for Heron. The
:00:08. > :00:11.memories I have from my dad taking me out as a kid of the sort of
:00:12. > :00:16.things I feel like I remember and I cherish. I can remember being told
:00:17. > :00:23.about the kestrels on the wires, or my dad talking to me about the sound
:00:24. > :00:28.of the skylarks. I just hope he learns and enjoys it as much as what
:00:29. > :00:32.I did. Put a little cross next to it so you can go back and tell grand
:00:33. > :00:37.dad what we saw. One of the things I always try to remember Louis about
:00:38. > :00:42.is not spending all your time looking at... Don't underestimate
:00:43. > :00:47.what you have got at eye level. If you look over there, we need to kick
:00:48. > :00:57.off this red legged partridge. He goes home, and I know that my dad,
:00:58. > :01:01.his grandad, will be saying wow, look at that, making him feel good
:01:02. > :01:03.about himself. If even a little bit like I have got out of today that I
:01:04. > :01:18.feel I have done my bit for him. I have always had a real soft spot
:01:19. > :01:22.for birds of prey. The hen Harriers, they are so iconic, you see them
:01:23. > :01:30.soaring, they have got prestige. They looked like they are in charge.
:01:31. > :01:40.I think they just epitomise what I enjoy about the countryside. Looking
:01:41. > :01:45.at the Marsh Harriers helps put things in perspective. You are
:01:46. > :01:48.always worrying about yourself and about the next thing. Whatever the
:01:49. > :01:51.weather, they have got to build their nests, they have got to bring
:01:52. > :01:57.up their checks, they have got to fight for survival. Their strength,
:01:58. > :02:03.tied in with their grace and their ability to do all of this, and their
:02:04. > :02:06.relentlessness, and they're striving to reproduce. It makes life in
:02:07. > :02:17.comparison so, so easy. I spend all my time either men
:02:18. > :02:21.touring or coaching or captaining, and it is lovely to get away. There
:02:22. > :02:29.is no better place to do it than someone like this. -- somewhere like
:02:30. > :02:32.this. I can slow down, lived in the moment and enjoy what I'm doing, and
:02:33. > :02:41.what's going on around me, instead of trying to rush through life all
:02:42. > :02:46.the time. Isn't it great to see a bloke just enjoying his own patch,
:02:47. > :02:50.and also top work from Steve, helping to re-wild the child. If we
:02:51. > :02:53.don't get kids out into this environment they will never learn to
:02:54. > :02:57.love it and they would be looking after tomorrow. Steve will be
:02:58. > :03:03.joining us on Unsprung and a couple of weeks. We promised you an eagle
:03:04. > :03:09.first to write anything so far we have delivered. We have given you a
:03:10. > :03:15.live gyrfalcon, a live peregrine falcons, and now a live golden
:03:16. > :03:21.eagle. Thanks for bringing Tilley in, how old is she? 16 this year.
:03:22. > :03:26.She weighs about 4.5 kilos, not as much as you might think. How do you
:03:27. > :03:30.think it compares to the one we're following up in Scotland? I have had
:03:31. > :03:35.a look at the footage, and I think that is bigger than Tilly. Tilly is
:03:36. > :03:41.only an average side, I think this bird is a bigger individual. And our
:03:42. > :03:46.one is only five years but beautiful condition. Such a lovely gold
:03:47. > :03:51.mantle, I was surprised was only five, I was surprised to hear she
:03:52. > :03:58.was only five. Can we see the wingspan? She won't extend them
:03:59. > :04:05.fully. Look at the size, absolutely gorgeous. It is two metres. Let's
:04:06. > :04:09.have a look at the talons. These are what they use the killing, their
:04:10. > :04:16.weapons, and the arch dreamily powerful. Between this big high-end
:04:17. > :04:20.talent and her front talent, this is where the power is -- extremely
:04:21. > :04:24.powerful. Probably as much crashing power as a large dog with its jaws.
:04:25. > :04:29.They can lock their feet or so, so once they have got hold of you they
:04:30. > :04:34.are not getting away. You have to be very respectful, but she is a big
:04:35. > :04:39.softy, a big gentle one. I do know about the one in Scotland. What
:04:40. > :04:47.about that peak. Huge and powerful. Perfectly evolved and designed for
:04:48. > :04:52.stripping the beat of the bone and dismembering their prey. They can
:04:53. > :04:56.use it for preening, multipurpose. One of the things we have seen so
:04:57. > :05:02.much of on the cameras up in Scotland is the way that they
:05:03. > :05:07.delicately go around the cheque. They scrunched their talons in. If
:05:08. > :05:11.she is clumsy and she stood on the chick, it is game over for the
:05:12. > :05:16.cheque. It is magical to see that footage in the nest, to see how
:05:17. > :05:20.gentle they are. Also how gentle they are at feeding, the tiny bits
:05:21. > :05:27.of food they give to the egret. Very tentative parents. Thank you for
:05:28. > :05:31.bringing in Tilly. Let's have a look at our golden eagle up in Scotland.
:05:32. > :05:35.This is where the nest is, in the wilds of western Scotland, a
:05:36. > :05:40.beautiful nest. That is the female coming in, the male flies off, going
:05:41. > :05:46.off hunting, but the male brought something into that nest, and it was
:05:47. > :05:51.a young fox cub. You can see our female using that powerful beak to
:05:52. > :05:58.tear tiny little bits of meat off and feed it to that cheque. The
:05:59. > :06:02.chick is greedily taking it, accepting every little bit, until
:06:03. > :06:07.the mother gives it a bit that still has the further on. It is a fussy
:06:08. > :06:12.eater, no thanks -- still has the Fox fur on. She said herself, gives
:06:13. > :06:17.it another fresh bit of meat. Then she mixed the same mistake and that
:06:18. > :06:21.chick is having none of it. Any mother knows what it is like to have
:06:22. > :06:25.a child that refuses to eat, it is extremely frustrating. It is backing
:06:26. > :06:29.away, saying I'm having none of that, but if you look, you can see
:06:30. > :06:34.the mother is dribbling quite a lot. Not sure I would take a bit of food
:06:35. > :06:38.from a dribbling mother, but you wonder if there is a reason for the
:06:39. > :06:43.mother to dribble like that, whether maybe it is lubricating that food.
:06:44. > :06:47.It is interesting, what do you think, Chris? I think that is
:06:48. > :06:52.probably a good idea, a lot of the food they are feeding them will be a
:06:53. > :06:54.little bit dry with a further and feathers on, I don't they are
:06:55. > :07:02.providing them with moisture, because a lot of meat is what
:07:03. > :07:07.anyway. Tilly weighs 4.5 kilos, but the biggest female golden eagles can
:07:08. > :07:12.go up to 6.6, and they are quite considerably larger than the male.
:07:13. > :07:16.This is our Scottish bird here, impressive as she is. When you see
:07:17. > :07:21.her on the nest here on her own, she is certainly pretty big. In comes
:07:22. > :07:25.the male, and you can appreciate immediately he is quite considerably
:07:26. > :07:31.smaller. Sometimes the females can be a third bigger in weight, about
:07:32. > :07:36.10% difference in size, wingspan, tail length, that sort of thing, but
:07:37. > :07:40.a third bigger in weight. And when it comes to raptors, there is quite
:07:41. > :07:44.a lot of what we call sexual dimorphism, different sizes between
:07:45. > :07:49.the sexes, and we see the greatest exaggeration of this in species that
:07:50. > :07:54.eat the widest diversity of birds. So obviously eagles are bird
:07:55. > :07:59.feeders, and the female can be a third bigger than the male, but in
:08:00. > :08:06.species like our sparrowhawk, there mails can be 150 grams, females 300
:08:07. > :08:17.grams, so they are twice the weight. It is because they eat a greater
:08:18. > :08:21.diversity of bird species. They are both huge, though, aren't they,
:08:22. > :08:25.let's face it! We have already seen how our female, the mother coming
:08:26. > :08:32.that incredibly powerful beak to delicately feed the chick, but look
:08:33. > :08:35.what else it does with that beak. It is preening the chick. The chick
:08:36. > :08:40.doesn't seem too keen on that at first, but it is really important
:08:41. > :08:48.that the mother does it. The down only works if it is not matted with
:08:49. > :08:53.dirt, faeces, old food. It needs to trap air ticket that little cheque
:08:54. > :08:59.warm, which is obviously imperative -- that little cheque. The Dow gets
:09:00. > :09:03.replaced, but it needs to be fluffed up a bit. It is a bit like brushing
:09:04. > :09:11.your hair, isn't it, Chris? More like primping up your puffer jacket
:09:12. > :09:18.after you have pulled it out of the washing machine. Pimping it up? No,
:09:19. > :09:23.primping, you are not putting lots of bling on it. When we saw the one
:09:24. > :09:29.live with Lloyd, the powerful beak it is using so delicately. Some
:09:30. > :09:32.amazing views into the nest. I could watch the Sordet. It gives us the
:09:33. > :09:36.opportunity to learn so much about these birds which we could not do
:09:37. > :09:39.with a lifetime of watching. You would be sat at the bottom of your
:09:40. > :09:44.cliff with your misted up telescope peering up there for a tiny limbs of
:09:45. > :09:50.the adult, let alone a view of the cheque. We have been putting it off
:09:51. > :09:55.long enough I think it is time for our contest. Gyrfalcons versus
:09:56. > :10:03.Peregrine Fulcrum versus Martin on an Enfield Bullet. The Peregrine
:10:04. > :10:05.Fulcrum, a world record holder, and one found right here in the UK. This
:10:06. > :10:22.is the fastest animal on the planet. But what if there was another bird,
:10:23. > :10:26.another fork, that could give even the -- another Falcon, that could
:10:27. > :10:32.give even the Peregrine a run for its money?
:10:33. > :10:40.Well, this is I love. She is a two-year-old gyrfalcons. You
:10:41. > :10:45.normally see gyrfalcons above the Arctic Circle, but they are the
:10:46. > :10:48.largest most powerful fork in the world, and what would happen if a
:10:49. > :10:58.gyrfalcon and a Peregrine went head-to-head?
:10:59. > :11:06.With the help of bird expert Lloyd but we are going to pit these two
:11:07. > :11:15.incredible falcons against each other to assess their speed, power
:11:16. > :11:24.and manoeuvrability. How quickly will the Peregrine catch me up? All
:11:25. > :11:25.my years of experience riding motorbikes will come together for
:11:26. > :11:54.this supreme challenge. Now I know what it feels like to be
:11:55. > :11:59.handed by a Peregrine. I didn't think she was going to do it and
:12:00. > :12:04.suddenly I felt it, bang. The hit as she took it, and then he flew along
:12:05. > :12:10.side me as if to say, yes, I'm that good. That was astonishing. One
:12:11. > :12:15.down, the Peregrine. Right. Let's see what the gyrfalcons can do. Go,
:12:16. > :12:49.go, go, she has gone! Fascinating. I think that she was on
:12:50. > :12:50.me, I loan was on me even faster. She is more powerful. I could feel
:12:51. > :13:01.the bang. -- so it turns out that the Peregrine
:13:02. > :13:05.is actually slightly slower than the gyrfalcons in our motorbike
:13:06. > :13:07.challenge. That might seem surprisingly but it makes complete
:13:08. > :13:19.sense when we analyse their hunting techniques. The much larger
:13:20. > :13:22.gyrfalcons is the king of injuries. They use their sheer power to
:13:23. > :13:29.exhaust prey on extended chases over long distances. Whereas the smaller
:13:30. > :13:35.Peregrine is the king of speed but only when it comes to its legendary
:13:36. > :13:39.stupor. Here the Peregrine has sacrificed speed for stealth and
:13:40. > :13:43.surprise, using the hedgerow as cover to stick up at me. So both
:13:44. > :13:47.species have rather different hunting techniques, based on their
:13:48. > :13:52.strength, size, their perseverance and even up to a point their mental
:13:53. > :13:56.attitude. But which is the most manoeuvrable, the best at catching
:13:57. > :13:57.their prey as it twists and turns trying to escape?
:13:58. > :14:00.Well, to demonstrate these abilities, the birds will now
:14:01. > :14:03.Hey, hey!
:14:04. > :14:14.He just seems to turn so fast, so quick on the wing.
:14:15. > :14:25.He's folding his wings right in to make those turns
:14:26. > :14:28.The Peregrine takes up the challenge with ease.
:14:29. > :14:36.So how will the Gyrfalcon compare?
:14:37. > :14:43.Just flashes of this incredible bird coming at you.
:14:44. > :14:45.It's staggering to see how manoeuvrable such a large
:14:46. > :14:56.Do you think that she's more manoeuvrable...
:14:57. > :14:57.More manoeuvrable than the Peregrine,
:14:58. > :15:07.I think the Peregrines look a lot more
:15:08. > :15:11.She's got this sort of very understated power
:15:12. > :15:15.and speed that you don't necessarily notice straightaway.
:15:16. > :15:23.It's a close call, but I think that can give a Peregrine a run
:15:24. > :15:31.She's just like a bullet and you can just see those two black-looking
:15:32. > :15:36.Presumably, Lloyd, a Gyrfalcon will take larger prey than
:15:37. > :15:44.These guys take birds up to the size of greylag goose.
:15:45. > :15:48.Invariably, most Peregrine hunts are over relatively quickly.
:15:49. > :15:51.Whereas these guys in the wild, obviously, they need to keep
:15:52. > :15:54.going because it might be the only meal they see
:15:55. > :16:09.What these birds are capable of is simply mind-boggling.
:16:10. > :16:26.It looks like fun but there would never be a clear winner, that was
:16:27. > :16:29.not the point of the contest. Both birds were enormously successful but
:16:30. > :16:37.they do different things, in different ways, implement different
:16:38. > :16:41.places, at different times. But if he had been higher, he would have
:16:42. > :16:48.put them through their paces, they would have done that on Top Gear.
:16:49. > :16:54.Beautiful bird, Gyrfalcon. No! I cannot do it, how do you pronounce
:16:55. > :17:04.it? It does not sound right! I did one earlier. 'Jrr'! 'Jrr'! Gyrfalcon
:17:05. > :17:10.sounds right. No, you just said it! No, I was explaining to the viewers.
:17:11. > :17:16.There has been an insect in the news a lot recently and sadly that is
:17:17. > :17:22.because it has declined dramatically and it is bees. Numbers have dropped
:17:23. > :17:26.of this vital pollinator because of a loss of habitat like flower
:17:27. > :17:35.meadows and because of pesticides and it has just been proved they do
:17:36. > :17:41.affect bees which do not do well. Not just domestically, but wild bees
:17:42. > :17:44.like the bumblebee has had a rough time in the UK and definitely needs
:17:45. > :17:48.conservation now and strict attention. You cannot conserve
:17:49. > :17:52.something until you understand it so we need to learn about bees and the
:17:53. > :17:58.problems we face and on that account, a couple of hives had been
:17:59. > :18:04.set up the contrast rural living bees with country be hive with a
:18:05. > :18:09.city beat hive. They have been set up by the University of Bristol and
:18:10. > :18:15.we are monitoring the conditions around them -- one hive. Monitoring
:18:16. > :18:19.the weather and the sunshine and the temperature and this is in Bristol,
:18:20. > :18:26.on a roof close to the cathedral. And we are generating a lot of data
:18:27. > :18:29.so we will look at that at some stage in the future, we know about
:18:30. > :18:33.the sunshine and the temperature and we want to see the difference in the
:18:34. > :18:38.behaviour patterns. If the bees change their behaviour because of
:18:39. > :18:42.the activities of man and the urban environment. And a peak of activity
:18:43. > :18:46.in comparison to the weather. Yes, we will do that and we need to
:18:47. > :18:50.generate more data. You can watch the bees yourself online and you
:18:51. > :18:56.will find the details on our website. So keep in touch with the
:18:57. > :19:02.bees and the plenty of ways you can keep in touch with the programme.
:19:03. > :19:05.It has never been easier to follow Springwatch wherever you are and
:19:06. > :19:10.whatever device you use. I going to the website on your laptop, phone or
:19:11. > :19:17.tablets, you can enjoy Springwatch life at any time of day and catch
:19:18. > :19:22.the action with live cameras and the update, news and expert analysis.
:19:23. > :19:27.And join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and the
:19:28. > :19:35.Springwatch group. I think we have got on our night
:19:36. > :19:40.camera now Nightjar. We have got a Nightjar. I do not believe it, we
:19:41. > :19:45.have been waiting here. We have had tantalising sounds. Disappeared into
:19:46. > :19:49.the woods. Fantastic. It has been very tantalising because we have
:19:50. > :19:58.heard contact calls, they make three different types of call. We can hear
:19:59. > :20:07.the contact call. That is what we have heard. That is just the early,
:20:08. > :20:12.the first call before they start doing the chirr which sounds like
:20:13. > :20:21.this... That is what we are listening out for. Is it back on
:20:22. > :20:30.again? There it is! I never dreamt we would see one! That is fantastic!
:20:31. > :20:35.It is on time as well because they said they do come out not before
:20:36. > :20:40.nine o'clock so that is spot-on. And these birds come from Africa to be
:20:41. > :20:45.here. Yes, we will carry on with the survey and that is exciting and we
:20:46. > :20:52.will find out from the RSPB people here, 12 of them all over the heath,
:20:53. > :20:56.and we will monitor and we will try and get the chirr before the end of
:20:57. > :21:00.the programme. But for now, we have got them live and we will see you
:21:01. > :21:08.later. Chris and Michaela. We will never
:21:09. > :21:13.hear the last of it, he has got his Nightjar. He is so excited. I cannot
:21:14. > :21:25.blame him, it is fantastic. Last night, we left you with this bird.
:21:26. > :21:33.The egg was supposed to hatch today and it leaves it in a precarious as
:21:34. > :21:39.Asian. Is it going to hatch? Not yet. -- precarious position. Not
:21:40. > :21:44.yet, that does not mean it will not hatch. We are not sure about the
:21:45. > :21:49.chances. For that egg to be left out in the cold which it was on its own
:21:50. > :21:56.for one hour and ten minutes is not good news. This is what happened
:21:57. > :22:03.last night for the stone curlew. It is being bothered by a rabbit. It is
:22:04. > :22:08.soaking wet from the rain and a rabbit goes away and it has another
:22:09. > :22:17.distraction. It is an alarm call. There is good reason because that
:22:18. > :22:25.pro-the egg exists and it will take that away. -- that Crowe knows that.
:22:26. > :22:33.Looking vigilant. It changes over. With the Mail. It takes a while to
:22:34. > :22:36.settle down on that egg and we wondered if that was because there
:22:37. > :22:41.was movement which would be a positive thing. It means it is still
:22:42. > :22:49.going to hatch. We do not know that, it is a guess. Once it settles down,
:22:50. > :22:55.it still has some nuisances. A rabbit runs over it. What do you
:22:56. > :22:58.think of its chances to hatch? I do not know, we will find out over the
:22:59. > :23:04.next couple of days, it would be nice to see a stone curlew because
:23:05. > :23:10.it is a red bird and the RSPB goes to enormous lengths to protect it.
:23:11. > :23:14.What happens at night? -- it is a rare bird. You can hear it calling
:23:15. > :23:21.and it is listening to that call. When it hears an alarm call, it
:23:22. > :23:28.leaves the nest. They have huge eyes and the night vision of the bird is
:23:29. > :23:31.quite good. Often, they go after an alarm and their return quite
:23:32. > :23:37.quickly. But occasionally, they get well and truly spooked because there
:23:38. > :23:44.is a predator close by. Look at this. If it's about a fox, it will
:23:45. > :23:50.leave the egg. -- if its spots a fox. The most important part is the
:23:51. > :23:55.adult breeding bird because it has matured and is in breeding condition
:23:56. > :24:01.and it has migrated, it cannot risk its life just to protect the egg.
:24:02. > :24:07.That is the way. On the grassland but we have other waders and then
:24:08. > :24:10.night is different. They have the protection of nesting on an island
:24:11. > :24:21.so they should be safe from predators. They are roosting. The
:24:22. > :24:30.gulls. And it is sleeping throughout the night. I guess it can afford not
:24:31. > :24:36.to be highly strung. Overnight, but when the Sun comes out, it is in
:24:37. > :24:43.trouble. They leave the eggs, the gulls will enter. Both species have
:24:44. > :24:50.problems. No doubt. And the gulls have taken all of the avocet chicks,
:24:51. > :24:54.so a lot of jeopardy. There is a lot. And there is jeopardy on that
:24:55. > :25:01.he phoned with Martin. This is your last chance to hear the chirr, how
:25:02. > :25:08.is it going? It is so frustrating. We have radio reports of it over
:25:09. > :25:14.there that it is not close enough to get it for you. I think what we have
:25:15. > :25:20.got here, we have got one bird here and we have got one in this
:25:21. > :25:26.direction. Mel will do it more scientifically. This is genuine
:25:27. > :25:35.science in action now. I was so hoping we could get the chirring.
:25:36. > :25:47.No. No? Yes, you can hear it? It is distant. It is distant. You cannot
:25:48. > :25:51.predict this. We can have one more look at that extraordinary picture
:25:52. > :26:00.we got five minutes ago. Can we see it? There it was! I thought we might
:26:01. > :26:09.hear chirring. But I did not think we would see one. They look like a
:26:10. > :26:15.cross between a kestrel and a cuckoo, very agile, that one is
:26:16. > :26:23.hunting for food. Wonderful to see. Fantastic. The Gypsy King news, I
:26:24. > :26:30.heard today from the wildlife team that they might get a camera --
:26:31. > :26:35.breaking news. They can get a camera on a Nightjar nest and if we get
:26:36. > :26:40.that, we could get an intimate view of their life. Meanwhile, this
:26:41. > :26:46.survey will continue until 11:30pm and tomorrow, I will report how many
:26:47. > :26:49.Nightjars we think we have got on the heath.
:26:50. > :26:55.We will see you tomorrow. You know what will happen. About now, the
:26:56. > :27:01.bird will begin chirring. No doubt about it. But you know what it is
:27:02. > :27:05.like when you go bird-watching and you are looking for something hard
:27:06. > :27:09.to see and do you spot it in the distance and you get so excited. I
:27:10. > :27:14.know, but if we get a camera on the nest, that is going to be
:27:15. > :27:22.worthwhile. We can look at our live the nests here. First, we have got
:27:23. > :27:29.the little owls. Once again, it is not raining but it is very cold. You
:27:30. > :27:36.can see two of the chicks and one is poking its head behind. And what
:27:37. > :27:42.about the tit? That poor mother! She is sat on the side of the nest, I
:27:43. > :27:50.thought she would be on them because it is very cold. Sadly, that is all
:27:51. > :27:54.we have got time for. Do join us tomorrow for Unsprung and we will
:27:55. > :27:59.talk about wildlife photography. I promise not to be very critical!
:28:00. > :28:06.Well, we also have got all this. We will also find out if any of our
:28:07. > :28:13.heron have a successful spring. We will keep an eye on the Sparrowhawk
:28:14. > :28:18.to see if the eggs to hatch. And some new arrivals, some fluffy
:28:19. > :28:24.chicks. So at this time of the evening when the Nightjars begin
:28:25. > :28:29.chirring and there is nothing Martin can do to let you listen to that, it
:28:30. > :28:33.is time to go, but join us for Unsprung tomorrow. Do not go away
:28:34. > :28:36.from the Web cameras. See you tomorrow. Goodbye!