:00:09. > :00:15.This brief little birds, hunkered down in the grass, is coming to you
:00:16. > :00:19.live from Minsmere in Suffolk. If you've been watching this week, you
:00:20. > :00:24.will know they have endured all sorts of drama and danger, but what
:00:25. > :00:47.will happen next? Stay with us to find out. It's Springwatch!
:00:48. > :00:55.Yes, hello and welcome to the final programme of week one Springwatch
:00:56. > :01:00.2016, live from the fabulous RSPB Minsmere reserve in Suffolk. What we
:01:01. > :01:05.do here is we turn up at these places, we think about, we find some
:01:06. > :01:08.nests, we stick in our cameras and stick our noses into the private
:01:09. > :01:13.business of the wildlife. Let's stick our noses back into the nest
:01:14. > :01:19.of that stone curlew straightaway. Let's go live to that nest, and
:01:20. > :01:23.there is one of the air incubating the single egg that they have. It
:01:24. > :01:30.could be female or the female. If it were to stand up, we'd know, because
:01:31. > :01:34.the has rings on. The egg was laid on May the 5th and it is coming
:01:35. > :01:40.towards it end of its term of incubation. They are a bird that
:01:41. > :01:44.nest in the open on the acid grassland there. They are a rarity,
:01:45. > :01:49.only a couple of hotspots of them, so it's very important that the RSPB
:01:50. > :01:55.can look after them. We are desperately hoping that the egg is
:01:56. > :01:59.going to hatch. It has had a tough week, enduring all sorts of
:02:00. > :02:02.challenges. Here are the parents. They keep swapping on bad egg. From
:02:03. > :02:07.the start of the week, things weren't good. The weather was awful.
:02:08. > :02:14.Monday night, the rain hammered down. At night, it had to scare off
:02:15. > :02:19.all sorts of unknown threats. Even in the day, there were predators.
:02:20. > :02:24.This crew would definitely take the egg. And there were nuisance
:02:25. > :02:29.neighbours, the rabbits. Taking no notice of that stone curlew. The
:02:30. > :02:34.biggest threat was yet to come. Take a look at what happened yesterday.
:02:35. > :02:40.It hurts something. You can see it in the distance, running. It's
:02:41. > :02:45.definitely alive. It's chasing whatever is in the distance. Take a
:02:46. > :02:50.look at what it is. It is a buzzard. It's huge. Just look at the size
:02:51. > :02:58.difference. It's like David and Goliath. But our stone curlew is
:02:59. > :03:03.trying to drive that buzzard away from its precious egg. It doesn't
:03:04. > :03:07.want it anywhere near it. It would definitely take the egg and, given
:03:08. > :03:11.half a chance, it would take the stone curlew. It's chasing it, but
:03:12. > :03:16.the stone curlew isn't going to give up. It's still having a go.
:03:17. > :03:22.Eventually, it scares the buzzard off. Probably, the buzzard just
:03:23. > :03:30.gives up and goes for easy upgrade. This poor parent looks absolutely
:03:31. > :03:36.existed. -- easier prey. It wants to get back to its egg. It took about
:03:37. > :03:40.40 minutes, which isn't a disaster, compared to the other night when it
:03:41. > :03:46.was off the egg for an hour and ten minutes. The egg was supposed to
:03:47. > :03:52.hatch if you days ago so we are a bit concerned. After that display,
:03:53. > :03:57.I'm really rooting for these stone curlew 's. They are differently
:03:58. > :04:01.fabulous birds. An interesting, quite exotic, the way they appear.
:04:02. > :04:07.They are a rarity, so we are all rooting for the stone curlew, but we
:04:08. > :04:11.will have to see what happens. Our nest finders have been out and the
:04:12. > :04:16.camera crews have been busy, so we can bring you a new nest, just near
:04:17. > :04:21.our studio in some gorse. Let's cut to it live. There is the bird on
:04:22. > :04:29.there. I am sure many of you will recognise that bird when you get a
:04:30. > :04:37.peep of its narrow bill. It is a dumb luck, a sleeping done at the
:04:38. > :04:45.moment. -- dunnock. They are quite common. There are 2.3 million
:04:46. > :04:49.territories. Let's see what they have been up to earlier. This one is
:04:50. > :04:54.sleeping. There she is, down in the gorse. You will recognise them. I'm
:04:55. > :04:59.sure many of you have got them in the garden. They are not flamboyant.
:05:00. > :05:05.They've got a great song. Like the stone curlew, they did a brilliant
:05:06. > :05:08.job of brooding those youngsters when it was pouring with rain, and
:05:09. > :05:14.it really did pour down earlier in the week. Here, she is just going to
:05:15. > :05:20.hop off. There are three freshly hatched youngsters in there. One of
:05:21. > :05:26.potentially a couple of males coming in and feeding them. Now, I know
:05:27. > :05:30.what you're thinking. You're thinking, I've been watching
:05:31. > :05:35.Springwatch all week, they've been showing us owls, quite good,
:05:36. > :05:38.sparrowhawks, very good, golden eagles, brilliant, so why on earth
:05:39. > :05:44.are you wrapping it up with a little brown bird like a dunnock? Don't
:05:45. > :05:49.underestimate the dunnock. Never underestimate it. It has a
:05:50. > :05:55.fascinating sex life. How can I put it? They don't really form
:05:56. > :06:00.conventional partnerships. If you keep your eye on that dunnock's nest
:06:01. > :06:06.over the weekend, you might see some saucy shenanigans. I think it's
:06:07. > :06:11.rather cute. It's interesting, but nevertheless it is a little brown
:06:12. > :06:15.bird so, if you want something more beautiful, I've got another nest to
:06:16. > :06:20.show you. It's a fascinating new nest, the nest of the long-tailed
:06:21. > :06:24.tit. Let's have a look at live. There are chicks in that nest, but
:06:25. > :06:33.let's take a look at the nest. It is in a thorny bush. At the chicks
:06:34. > :06:37.peeking out! Calmed down. They are there for protection from predators,
:06:38. > :06:42.but the nest is so interesting and intricate. It's made from moss,
:06:43. > :06:47.cobwebs, hair, and it's lined with thousands of feathers. They use
:06:48. > :06:51.whatever feathers they need to regulate the temperature of that
:06:52. > :06:55.nest. They know exactly how many they need to get the perfect
:06:56. > :07:00.temperature. They are very clever. The chicks are a bit sleepy! If you
:07:01. > :07:06.think that is a thing of beauty, went on till you see the adult. This
:07:07. > :07:10.is an adult long-tailed tit. I think they are absolutely gorgeous. To me,
:07:11. > :07:18.they are a bit like a lulu of the bird world. The lulu? They are cute,
:07:19. > :07:25.pretty, a shrill voice. I think they are lovely. They are not very twist
:07:26. > :07:31.and shout. I think they are, actually! Three little chicks in
:07:32. > :07:35.there that we know of. We don't know how many there are, for obvious
:07:36. > :07:39.reasons, because you can't see, but look at that one, grabbing the
:07:40. > :07:43.insects the parents are bringing. There are quite active, quite big
:07:44. > :07:47.and they are due to fledge this weekend. Once again, over the
:07:48. > :07:51.weekend, keep your eye on the online cameras on the red button. I'm
:07:52. > :08:00.working my way through the lulu thing. I'll probably make that...
:08:01. > :08:04.Lulu the long-tailed tit! It works for me. We are up here in this
:08:05. > :08:09.fabulous piece of deciduous woodlands, but in Smith has a lot of
:08:10. > :08:14.different habitats, many of them of national or even international
:08:15. > :08:23.importance. -- Minsmere has a lot. Over here is currently the haunt of
:08:24. > :08:27.Mr Martin's use. It is nice and sloppy down here. Before we go any
:08:28. > :08:33.further, I promised you the results of the nightjar survey we did last
:08:34. > :08:39.night. They stayed there until 12:30am, all of the volunteers, and
:08:40. > :08:42.they heard ten nightjars. They say they would like more but, given the
:08:43. > :08:53.conditions, that was pretty good. Now, I am down here in the reed
:08:54. > :08:59.Bentz, trying to find another real speciality of ten four, -- Minsmere
:09:00. > :09:07.-- Minsmere, the bittern. They are fantastically well camouflaged. They
:09:08. > :09:13.are very rare. In 1997, there were only 11 males heard calling. Last
:09:14. > :09:17.year, up to 156. This is a rare bird, difficult to see. They also do
:09:18. > :09:22.an extraordinary posture. They can stay like that for 45 minutes. When
:09:23. > :09:29.they are standing still, they will sway with the wind to make
:09:30. > :09:33.themselves look like the reeds. The other thing that bittern Crewe do,
:09:34. > :09:42.the male ones, they make a tremendous didn't, the boom. -- that
:09:43. > :09:49.bitterns do. That travels an enormous distance. If you wanted to
:09:50. > :09:53.find a male bittern, just listen for the booming, but the females are
:09:54. > :09:59.silent and incredibly secretive. But the RSPB wants to find those
:10:00. > :10:03.females, because they are the ones that do the nesting. If you find the
:10:04. > :10:09.female on the nest, you are in business. How are we going to find a
:10:10. > :10:13.really secretive, silent bird? Well, there's a way. The females do
:10:14. > :10:20.special flights. We filmed this today. They do a feeding flight, so
:10:21. > :10:25.they go from the nest. They walk away a little distance, then they go
:10:26. > :10:29.to the area that they are feeding. They settle down and they feed for a
:10:30. > :10:35.while, sometimes up to an hour, and then they fly back to the nest. What
:10:36. > :10:42.we've got to try and do tonight is to see bitterns on feeding flight.
:10:43. > :10:47.I'm going to join the RSPB survey. There are other volunteers all
:10:48. > :10:53.around the reed beds. I'll have to get up there and look out for those
:10:54. > :11:00.feeding flights. So, yes, feeding flight. I've lost my way completely!
:11:01. > :11:06.OK. Let's have a look around now and see what we can actually see. Can we
:11:07. > :11:21.see anything here? There's nothing out there right now. OK. Now, you
:11:22. > :11:26.might be asking yourself, up here, there is acres, hectares and
:11:27. > :11:31.hectares of reed beds, so how are we going to mark where those females go
:11:32. > :11:36.down if we see them? That is a skilled operation. I'll explain when
:11:37. > :11:41.you come back. For now, I'm going to sit here with the other volunteers
:11:42. > :11:54.and try to see a bittern in flight. Where are they? I'm here in the
:11:55. > :12:00.heart of the UK's most exciting restoration project, the great trust
:12:01. > :12:05.for six -- great trust forest. It is happening on a massive scale. The
:12:06. > :12:11.aim is to plant and connect up to 16,500 hectares of forest. That's
:12:12. > :12:17.the equivalent of 22,000 football pitches. That's good. That's very
:12:18. > :12:26.good. What's better is that we are ten years into it and it's got
:12:27. > :12:31.another 190 years to go. A project on this scale doesn't occur in
:12:32. > :12:35.isolation. The RSPB, the Woodland Trust and Forestry Commission
:12:36. > :12:42.Scotland have teamed together and they've planted 1.5 million trees.
:12:43. > :12:49.The ultimate goal is to provide a haven in which wildlife can survive
:12:50. > :12:54.and adapt to climate change. To gauge their progress, Dave Anderson
:12:55. > :12:59.and the team of scientists are monitoring everything that lives
:13:00. > :13:08.here. There is one in here, and it's ringed. Yeah. This will be a
:13:09. > :13:17.Sopranos distro. Is this one that your project would have ringed? Yes,
:13:18. > :13:25.definitely. We will record its sex, it's number. That is 5.7 grams.
:13:26. > :13:31.That's tiny, isn't it. How many boxes have you put out? About 300.
:13:32. > :13:37.They are really going for them. I don't know why, because there are a
:13:38. > :13:42.lot of natural sites. They are very slight faithful. A male will use the
:13:43. > :13:46.same box for maybe ten years. Obviously there are plenty of
:13:47. > :13:52.midges. The Rambler's friend, this animal. As the forest cover
:13:53. > :13:57.increases, that will provide even more insects, one kit. So over a
:13:58. > :14:01.period of time we'd expect to see the bats as a useful indicator as to
:14:02. > :14:09.the prosperity of the forest. Correct, yeah.
:14:10. > :14:18.There are hundreds of nest boxes scattered throughout the forest.
:14:19. > :14:24.They are already very popular and some have even attracted unexpected
:14:25. > :14:30.guests. In a box made for tourneys, something that's definitely not owl.
:14:31. > :14:37.-- made for tawny owls. What a smell! It's very fishy. They will
:14:38. > :14:42.tell you what is happening in the water systems. If there is any
:14:43. > :14:47.pollution, any military build-up, anything like that, it will put it
:14:48. > :14:55.into the eggs. So we can get that analysed and it will tell a story.
:14:56. > :15:00.-- Mercury build-up. They would have been nesting here before in large,
:15:01. > :15:06.hollow trees. Yes. Hopefully by giving them some nest boxes to go
:15:07. > :15:10.into, we have substituted the large, hollow trees at the moment and
:15:11. > :15:17.hopefully, once the forest matures, we will get those big holes back
:15:18. > :15:22.into the forest. It's been a pleasure to meet this bird, in all
:15:23. > :15:27.senses apart from the olive factory. -- olfactory. This packs quite a
:15:28. > :15:44.smell! Mrs Gooseander packs a smell. This
:15:45. > :15:49.project is about creating a mosiac of habitats.
:15:50. > :15:54.Combatle are playing a crucial role. By churning the soil, they create a
:15:55. > :15:59.softer edge, where the native plants flourish. This is good news for a
:16:00. > :16:09.species that is declining nationally. Now I've been to many
:16:10. > :16:15.black grouse lakes but not as picturesque as this one.
:16:16. > :16:21.Worth getting up at 3.00am for! Very much worth getting up at 3.00am for!
:16:22. > :16:24.The population when we started to manage them was about seven or eight
:16:25. > :16:30.birds. This is males we are talking about. Now it is up to between 70
:16:31. > :16:34.and 80 birds. So ten times increase in less than
:16:35. > :16:40.ten years? Mostly in the last five to six years.
:16:41. > :16:49.That is tremendous. What about the lecks themselves? How -- what about
:16:50. > :16:53.the lakes, how often are they used? We don't really know. Once the birds
:16:54. > :16:57.show us where they are, we are managing the lakes, coming on with
:16:58. > :17:02.the strimmers so that it keeps the birds in.
:17:03. > :17:08.You stream them? Yes, to try to keep them in the areas and manage the
:17:09. > :17:17.lakes in the cattle. I am loving that. I want to get into
:17:18. > :17:22.the lake business myself? I fancy lake construction Ltd.
:17:23. > :17:26.We want to see all of these species marrying together. If we get the
:17:27. > :17:30.habitat right, the birds will tell us that we are getting it right.
:17:31. > :17:39.Hopefully that will feed right up the food chain, right to the eagles.
:17:40. > :17:43.I'm genuinely excited about this. It's got to be one of the most
:17:44. > :17:49.ambitious projects I have seen in the UK. I just wish I could be here
:17:50. > :18:01.in 190 years' time to see the finished results!
:18:02. > :18:08.The great trossach forest project. What a great initiative. 5,000 years
:18:09. > :18:16.ago, 80% of the UK was covered in trees. Do you know what it is now?
:18:17. > :18:20.13%. Only 13%! And 4% of that 13 is native woodland like this, which is
:18:21. > :18:27.great for biodiversity. How does it compare with the rest of Europe.
:18:28. > :18:30.Poorly. On average in the EU, they have 37% tree cover in their
:18:31. > :18:36.countries. We have 13. It is not good. Bad news for the environment.
:18:37. > :18:40.Bad news as trees like this help to prevent flooding, to monitor the
:18:41. > :18:45.weather and change it favourably. They are good for economics, timber
:18:46. > :18:49.growth, fuel, so forth, they are good for air quality, good for
:18:50. > :18:57.recreation... I think you have made the point! We cannot do without our
:18:58. > :19:02.forest. It is an amazing project. Where is The Great Trossach Project?
:19:03. > :19:06.Well, it is up here in the south-west of Scotland. That is
:19:07. > :19:10.where it is. And also on the map, the distribution of the golden eagle
:19:11. > :19:15.that David Anderson has been helping us with. It has a clearly western
:19:16. > :19:20.disbukes in Scotland. There was one in England. But the lone male
:19:21. > :19:24.perished. Although there are not any in eastern Scotland, we hope that
:19:25. > :19:29.they can spread out and spread to the south.
:19:30. > :19:33.The golden eagle nest we have been following is in the wild south-west
:19:34. > :19:38.of Scotland. We have had the most extraordinary views of the next and
:19:39. > :19:42.the chick. It is two weeks old here. We have seen such a growth in the
:19:43. > :19:48.last week. They can actually triple their weight in the first few weeks.
:19:49. > :19:54.It manages to do so well as it has a fabulous mother. In its first 50
:19:55. > :19:58.days it is all about bulking up. After that it is about feather
:19:59. > :20:04.growth and strengthening the flight muscles. But, as I say, we have been
:20:05. > :20:07.privileged to be able to get these amazing shots. Such a gorgeous
:20:08. > :20:12.chick. We have been watching the activity
:20:13. > :20:14.at the nest, the adults. They have been constantly changing the
:20:15. > :20:20.construction of the nest. Every time they come in they bring something
:20:21. > :20:24.back. They are keen to keep the concave construction of the nest.
:20:25. > :20:29.They like the depression, so if there is bad weather, the youngster
:20:30. > :20:34.can hunker down in it. As it begins to grow, they will do away with the
:20:35. > :20:39.concave thing and have a platform and be safe on that to learn to
:20:40. > :20:47.spread its wings. And also, this are bringing in greenery. That was a
:20:48. > :20:53.piece of oak. And here is a piece of rowan and hazel. This is typical of
:20:54. > :21:01.many birds of prey, they decorate the nest. But in nature, there is a
:21:02. > :21:05.reason for everything. In smaller species, the tits, the starlings and
:21:06. > :21:10.so forth, they bring in herbs to the nest. It is proven that this helps
:21:11. > :21:15.to reduce the bacterial infections on the skin of the youngster. If
:21:16. > :21:19.that is the same case with the eagles, we are not entirely sure but
:21:20. > :21:24.there is a reason for bringing the greenery in. So they keep the nest
:21:25. > :21:29.tidy. So at this stage, when the young are still in their down coat
:21:30. > :21:33.like this, they are taking away uneaten food and trying to keep the
:21:34. > :21:38.place as clean as possiblement I say that, some of the females don't and
:21:39. > :21:42.some do. Sometimes when you go to a nest after they fledge it is
:21:43. > :21:45.spotless, sometimes you will go and it is a mess full of all sorts of
:21:46. > :21:53.things. So the first is a Chris Packen
:21:54. > :21:58.mess... But it is great. We have seen the mother being so diligent.
:21:59. > :22:03.It fed the chick so delicately. We have seen it preening and house
:22:04. > :22:06.keeping. This is the third brood. The third breeding season. It will
:22:07. > :22:11.be great to see what happens next week. As the chick gets bigger, the
:22:12. > :22:15.mother will be able to forage. It will be fantastic to see the
:22:16. > :22:19.character of that chick coming out. Next week, it is Natural
:22:20. > :22:25.Volunteering Week. People get out and give their services for free. We
:22:26. > :22:29.would like you to join in. The BBC launched: Do Something Great. We are
:22:30. > :22:37.launching Do Something Great For Nature. It is tempting to think a
:22:38. > :22:40.that the RSPB and the other wildlife trusts are doing something great,
:22:41. > :22:45.they are but they need us to help too. It is not just about making a
:22:46. > :22:49.difference, it is about enjoying yourself. As Nick found out when
:22:50. > :22:53.exploring his local patch with some volunteers.
:22:54. > :22:58.So, this is Dartmoor. It is a well known National Park. I am fortunate
:22:59. > :23:04.to call it my home. In fact, it was the wildlife that
:23:05. > :23:08.drew me here in the first place. It is full of species that have pretty
:23:09. > :23:14.much disappeared or become incredibly scarce elsewhere in the
:23:15. > :23:19.land. In some ways it is a bubble, almost an island, an arc, as it
:23:20. > :23:25.were, of the countryside that once was. Dartmoor is a vital nesting
:23:26. > :23:34.side for three threatened ground nesting birds, the Stonechat, the
:23:35. > :23:39.Wind Chat and the meadow Pipette. The birds have local champions.
:23:40. > :23:43.Charles tiler pulled together a team of nationalists to fight the
:23:44. > :23:48.decline. The study came from me being up
:23:49. > :23:52.here, photographing the birds. I came across two guys who had a
:23:53. > :23:57.passion for bird nesting. I asked if they would expand on the skills to
:23:58. > :24:03.build a picture and understanding in terms of what the birds require in
:24:04. > :24:09.success for breeding on the moor. How long ago? 2008.
:24:10. > :24:14.Now, there are more than just a couple of people? A core group of
:24:15. > :24:21.seven people. Many are volunteers, five of them. They give up their
:24:22. > :24:23.time to find the bird nests to find information to use and better
:24:24. > :24:30.protect the habitat for the wildlife. That is what it is about.
:24:31. > :24:38.They have secured funding for a PhD researcher, she is collecting and
:24:39. > :24:49.analysing data on the moor's nest. This is a Stone Chat nest.
:24:50. > :24:51.Hold your hands out... Oh, really? There you go.
:24:52. > :25:08.They are unrecognisable. They aren't, are they? They really
:25:09. > :25:13.don't. So, take a ring. Gently fit it
:25:14. > :25:18.around the bird's leg. Getting a return is rare? Yes. This
:25:19. > :25:33.is a simple task but the information you get from it is valuable.
:25:34. > :25:37.Just a little handful of ornithological potential.
:25:38. > :25:47.The team are monitoring an incredible 300 nests a year. Next we
:25:48. > :25:52.are on the hunt for another key study species, the meadow pipette.
:25:53. > :25:57.They can be difficult to find the location of the nest it really takes
:25:58. > :26:05.a lot of time and watching. OK. I can hear an alarm call. So
:26:06. > :26:11.there is a pipette above us. A good sign.
:26:12. > :26:16.Here was a precious brood of four-day-old chicks.
:26:17. > :26:24.So, we collect... This is not science but it is fun! That is 16.8.
:26:25. > :26:29.The data provides valuable insight into sure vile on the moor and how
:26:30. > :26:32.the habitat is managed in the future. The hard work is already
:26:33. > :26:39.having a positive impact for the birds.
:26:40. > :26:45.-- survival. Obviously, thousands of hours of
:26:46. > :26:53.observation time have been incested in the site, what did you learn? The
:26:54. > :26:59.whinchat is a bird that is declining.
:27:00. > :27:04.On Dartmoor it is doing reasonably well. They breed all the way through
:27:05. > :27:07.to July. The management practice that operates on the area for the
:27:08. > :27:15.control of bracken would start in July. So that practice was
:27:16. > :27:20.destroying some of the whinchat nests. So, they have enough agreed
:27:21. > :27:28.discussion to delay that practice until August. So the birds have the
:27:29. > :27:34.extra time to get their off spring moving on. So that is an achievement
:27:35. > :27:41.to get the scientists involved to help preserve our national
:27:42. > :27:46.treasures, things like the whinchat. It is a great project on Dartmoor,
:27:47. > :27:50.they are doing great things. But remember when it started, just a few
:27:51. > :27:55.individuals being enthusiastic. That is all it takes. A bit of
:27:56. > :27:59.enthusiastic and look how the project has grown into something
:28:00. > :28:03.that is changing the future, making the place a better place for people
:28:04. > :28:07.and wildlife. It is great but not unique. There are projects like this
:28:08. > :28:12.happening all over the UK. To get involved you can. So if you are
:28:13. > :28:17.enthusiastic and you love your wildlife, look at it, go out, find a
:28:18. > :28:25.project like these, and do something great?
:28:26. > :28:33.If you want to do something great for nature check out the website.
:28:34. > :28:37.There are lots of ideas. So do something great for nature this
:28:38. > :28:42.weekend. One of the characters we have been featuring this weekend you
:28:43. > :28:46.can see in abundance on the grass behind us, the rabbit. There are
:28:47. > :28:50.thousands of them here in Minsmere. We have been delving deeper into
:28:51. > :28:55.thebiology this week, trying to find out exactly what they get up to in
:28:56. > :29:00.the spring. Because they are so confiding and
:29:01. > :29:04.there are so many, it allows us to observe the social life. We have
:29:05. > :29:13.been watching the behaviour of the male rabbit. It is in malt, which is
:29:14. > :29:19.why he is slightly patchy. Here he is digging, we can see why that
:29:20. > :29:25.happens in the moment. But there is also scent markings, they have scent
:29:26. > :29:34.glands on the chin it is important to Moyne taken the hierarchy. If you
:29:35. > :29:40.look carefully there, after the digging he is urinating. That is his
:29:41. > :29:48.individual smell. And they will know that is his patch and his status.
:29:49. > :29:53.We know about rabbits, that they are prolific breeders. Let's have a look
:29:54. > :29:58.at the dating and the mating. The male is the bigger with the bigger
:29:59. > :30:03.head on the left. The female plays hard to get and I anothers the
:30:04. > :30:09.advances. This one is continuing to feed. The male is looking bemused.
:30:10. > :30:16.But the male makes his intentions known by doing this. Squirting a jet
:30:17. > :30:22.of urine over here. The colour of the urine is linked to social
:30:23. > :30:27.status. The darker the pee, the more dominant the male. That is
:30:28. > :30:36.influenced by testosterone levels. She is still not keen! But then he
:30:37. > :30:40.climbs on, grabs the fur... A few quick thrusts... And then he
:30:41. > :30:46.catapults off. It is over pretty quickly.
:30:47. > :30:48.I thought it went on for ages. It is all relative.
:30:49. > :31:00.Men a bit of nuzzling. The dominance doesn't just end there
:31:01. > :31:04.in terms of mating, because ovulation is induced, so the female
:31:05. > :31:08.only releases the egg to be fertilised after the making process,
:31:09. > :31:13.and that takes six hours. When the males mate, they introduce the sperm
:31:14. > :31:18.but also a copulatory plug, so this is a sort of jelly that they put in
:31:19. > :31:23.behind it to keep it in position so it can fertilise the egg. What
:31:24. > :31:26.happens if more than one rabbit mates with the female? One of the
:31:27. > :31:31.things we have noticed is that the sperm is more viscous from the more
:31:32. > :31:36.dominant female, and therefore it's more likely to hold that sperm in
:31:37. > :31:41.place and ensure fertilisation. That is controlled by its testosterone
:31:42. > :31:46.levels. This sort of thing is seen commonly in spiders, dragonflies and
:31:47. > :31:49.other animals, but Diana Belle at the university of East Anglia has
:31:50. > :31:54.noticed this in rabbits. It doesn't end there when it comes to
:31:55. > :31:58.fertilisation. There is a lot more to rabbits then you thought! They
:31:59. > :32:01.are fascinating. We've learned so much about them this week and
:32:02. > :32:06.hopefully we'll learn a lot more next week. They going to send our
:32:07. > :32:11.camera teams out this weekend to see if they can get any more revealing
:32:12. > :32:16.rabbit behaviour. Look at those bunnies, Chris. You've got to admit
:32:17. > :32:23.they are quite cute and cuddly. That isn't the buzzard's perspective!
:32:24. > :32:27.Martin is behind us, in the distance, right over there. Has he
:32:28. > :32:35.seen a bittern or has he bitten off more than he can chew? Boom, boom,
:32:36. > :32:41.Michaela. I tell you what, it's very frustrating. I'm down here in the
:32:42. > :32:47.reed beds, trying to see those bitterns. I'm taking part in the
:32:48. > :32:51.RSPB survey. People are dotted around, trying to see those female
:32:52. > :32:57.bitterns making those feeding flights. Look at what we've seen so
:32:58. > :33:06.far. Unfortunately, not a bittern, and egret. I've seen AJ as well,
:33:07. > :33:12.magpies, all sorts of birds, but not yet the bittern that we are here to
:33:13. > :33:20.see. -- I've seen a jay as well. It could be any moment, though. It's
:33:21. > :33:24.getting dark. This is a huge area. It's enormous, and you probably
:33:25. > :33:28.thought, hang on, even if you see one here, how are you going to work
:33:29. > :33:33.it out, it's deceptive where it is? If we look right out across here,
:33:34. > :33:38.there are little poles, posts, markers, all the way across. You can
:33:39. > :33:44.see them. I can see them through my binoculars. They are all labelled
:33:45. > :33:49.with letters on them. That enables us, me and the volunteers, to try
:33:50. > :33:56.and pinpoint more accurately, here we go, we've got a bittern now. That
:33:57. > :34:01.went down right by S. If I see a bittern there, and Annette sees one
:34:02. > :34:06.from her position, we can triangulate and find out exactly
:34:07. > :34:13.where they are. Two years ago, we used exactly that technique and we
:34:14. > :34:18.got a camera on the bitterns' nest and we got a real insight into their
:34:19. > :34:25.lives. So read, only 158 males heard calling in the UK this year. -- so
:34:26. > :34:29.rare. Only the mother looks after the nest. The male takes no further
:34:30. > :34:35.part. Sweet little chicks. So rare to see this. In fact, most people,
:34:36. > :34:41.all of the books used to say that, as soon as they hatch, the bittern
:34:42. > :34:44.chicks leave the nest but, because we have the cameras there, we
:34:45. > :34:51.discovered that these ones didn't, they stayed on the nest until they
:34:52. > :34:57.fledged. 50 days! This was a new insight. Some of the bitterns stay
:34:58. > :35:05.there. Look at the way she goes out. A real athlete there. Fascinating
:35:06. > :35:10.stuff. Now, there has been one nest which has been found here, but very
:35:11. > :35:15.sadly it was predated, so we had to do some detective work. If a bird
:35:16. > :35:19.comes in and create a nest, they probably take the eggs away
:35:20. > :35:22.completely, but these ones were smashed up, which lead us to think
:35:23. > :35:28.it was probably a mammal, and we have a suspect. We've seen a lot of
:35:29. > :35:35.otters this year on spring watch -- on Springwatch. This is superb otter
:35:36. > :35:39.habitat. They'll be hunting for fish, but animal like an otter is
:35:40. > :35:46.going to take birds' eggs if they come across them. But it's gorgeous
:35:47. > :35:51.to see them. Beautiful. I'm going to keep watching here. Hopefully, we
:35:52. > :35:55.were lucky last time with the nightjars. Can we get that lucky
:35:56. > :36:01.tonight with the bitterns Westmont I don't know. Now let's go up north to
:36:02. > :36:07.the farm islands and get the latest report from Iolo Williams. Cars the
:36:08. > :36:11.farm islands. There is no shortage of characters in these islands. The
:36:12. > :36:17.place is literally bursting with them. We've already met the puffins
:36:18. > :36:32.and now I'm going to introduce you to a few more.
:36:33. > :36:39.At the moment, these cliffs look like a picture of, well, maybe not
:36:40. > :36:43.serenity, more of a reluctant tolerance, but don't be fooled by
:36:44. > :36:50.this calm exterior, because here like sales of desertion, betrayal
:36:51. > :36:58.and so on, and somebody with a finger on the pulse is shag
:36:59. > :37:02.researcher Liz Morgan. This comes to -- she comes to be Farne Islands as
:37:03. > :37:09.part of the Ph.D. To capture and to tag some of the shags nesting here.
:37:10. > :37:14.I am helping her today on her final year of monitoring. I'm aiming to
:37:15. > :37:18.find out how repeatable certain birds are in their foraging. If they
:37:19. > :37:23.are using certain areas more, we want to know. If something changes,
:37:24. > :37:26.it could affect some individuals more, which could affect the
:37:27. > :37:29.population, so we need to know the level of flexibility to tell us how
:37:30. > :37:34.it might respond to environmental change. This is the GPS tag. This
:37:35. > :37:43.record is where it is going, and this bit will record when it dives
:37:44. > :37:49.and how deep. How heavy is that tag? About 30 grams, about 2% of the
:37:50. > :37:52.bird's body weight. With the tag fitted, the bird is ready for
:37:53. > :37:59.release and it will be caught again in five days to retrieve the data.
:38:00. > :38:10.Are you ready? Go on in. Good girl. In she goes, straight back.
:38:11. > :38:13.Brilliant. I have to say, I do like shags, beautiful birds. I love that
:38:14. > :38:19.Crest, it is like Chris Packham in the early years! Amazing bird. What
:38:20. > :38:23.strikes me there is the fact there is such diversity in the ages of
:38:24. > :38:28.some of these chicks. We've got one hatch the other day. I think our
:38:29. > :38:35.cameraman got the eggs in the nest. And then there are some great big
:38:36. > :38:39.lumps of chicks in this nest. Shags can start reading quite early,
:38:40. > :38:45.mid-March, and go on until August, September. -- start reading. This
:38:46. > :38:50.one is ringed and it's got nothing in the nest. What happened was
:38:51. > :38:54.Tremarco this is one of my study birds. It had for eggs and the
:38:55. > :39:00.beginning of the season in April but, at the time has gone on, they
:39:01. > :39:08.have been predated or lost. Is it the male or the female? E-mail. Last
:39:09. > :39:14.year, he was with a different mate. -- the male. She came back to find
:39:15. > :39:21.in with a new partner. Like Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights.
:39:22. > :39:26.Sort of the reverse. And how about Cathy? She's been pairing up with a
:39:27. > :39:32.younger male. There might still be time for her. Heathcliff, that's
:39:33. > :39:37.what you get. You've been a very naughty boy. It's a tough time of
:39:38. > :39:43.year for lots of the female bird out here, not least for our eider duck.
:39:44. > :39:48.Deserted by her partner and usually very gregarious, at this time of
:39:49. > :39:52.year she sits alone patiently on the nest, lined with her own feathers
:39:53. > :39:58.she is plucked from her chest to keep her eggs warm. She invests all
:39:59. > :40:04.of this for the next generation. This female eider duck has been
:40:05. > :40:09.sitting on her four eggs for just over three weeks, so they should be
:40:10. > :40:14.hatching in the next few days but, leave me, this isn't a good place to
:40:15. > :40:18.be if you are a duckling, because of all the aerial marauders around
:40:19. > :40:23.here. But she's thought about that from the very beginning, from the
:40:24. > :40:28.position she's placed her nest, right next to this walkway. 400
:40:29. > :40:34.visitors a day to this island will hopefully help to keep the large
:40:35. > :40:38.gulls away. We'll be keeping an eye on her over the next few days to see
:40:39. > :40:50.whether the eggs hatch and whether the chicks make it down to the sea.
:40:51. > :40:57.Just popped into the range of's accommodation here on the Farne
:40:58. > :41:00.Islands, where we keep an eye on the puffin burro. We know there is an
:41:01. > :41:05.egg in that one, but the exciting thing is the other one. It looks as
:41:06. > :41:09.if she is about to lay an egg. What's nice as well is that he has
:41:10. > :41:14.come into the bar row with her. It's a bit like an expectant dad, just
:41:15. > :41:17.waiting for her. Come on, girl. Don't worry, he will be the first to
:41:18. > :41:31.know when she lays. Amazing variety of wildlife here,
:41:32. > :41:36.both on and off land. As well as its sheer proximity, just look at this.
:41:37. > :41:42.I think its rivals any wildlife experience anywhere in the world.
:41:43. > :41:45.They might have the Galapagos, but we've got our Farne Islands right
:41:46. > :41:53.here. Next week, I'm going to be helping to unlock the secrets of the
:41:54. > :41:59.Arctic tern, and I can't wait to share their travel diaries with you.
:42:00. > :42:09.I reckon he'll turn a few heads like that. Good to see him with his hat
:42:10. > :42:15.back on. You need is up there, because otherwise the terns come and
:42:16. > :42:20.dive-bomb your head. I have bled for those before. And they cover you in
:42:21. > :42:26.Peru. I went there once a few years ago and it's one of my favourite --
:42:27. > :42:31.favourite places to sea birds. Let's go to one of this week's stars it's
:42:32. > :42:37.our sparrowhawk. Down in the woods. She is incubating five eggs in the
:42:38. > :42:43.nest. She is very attentive, wide awake. She's been extremely
:42:44. > :42:49.diligent, only coming off her nest when the male comes in and brings
:42:50. > :42:53.her food. You can monitor that on the webcams over the weekend. Next
:42:54. > :42:59.week, we'll bring you an update on all that they have been eating.
:43:00. > :43:06.We've learned so much from this live camera. One of the notable things we
:43:07. > :43:14.saw this week was this. This is the female coming back on the nest.
:43:15. > :43:20.We've seen this a few times. Have a listen. She comes back and she makes
:43:21. > :43:27.a calling sound. Chris, your theory was that she was making the sound,
:43:28. > :43:32.talking to her chicks, which I think is a bit questionable. Did you do
:43:33. > :43:41.any more research? You presumptuous presenter! A bit dodgy! Sorry, I
:43:42. > :43:47.just lost my balance! I think it's good to come up with a theory but I
:43:48. > :43:50.immediately spoke to some experts, including. Ian Newton, the leading
:43:51. > :43:56.authority on sparrowhawks. He said he thought it was a dismissal call.
:43:57. > :44:01.The female sparrowhawk is coming back to the nest, where the male has
:44:02. > :44:05.been in attendance protecting those eggs while she has been eating. She
:44:06. > :44:10.is dismissing the male, saying, you can leave, I'm back, you don't have
:44:11. > :44:16.to worry about predators. To that extent, I was wrong. Potentially.
:44:17. > :44:19.But not wrong about birds communicating with their eggs,
:44:20. > :44:30.because we also investigated this, and a range of species do, most
:44:31. > :44:35.notably the fairy wrens. They speak to their eggs and they teach the
:44:36. > :44:38.youngsters a code, so that when they hatch they will only feed them if
:44:39. > :44:43.they produce that code when the female comes to the nest. We think
:44:44. > :44:49.this evolves to stop things like cuckoos being parasites and being
:44:50. > :44:53.able to get the food. Because the adults wouldn't feed it. So birds do
:44:54. > :44:57.talk to their eggs. Maybe, who knows, at some stage in the future,
:44:58. > :45:04.sparrowhawks might be talking to their eggs. You are talking about a
:45:05. > :45:13.fairy wren and we are talking about is bearable, quite different!
:45:14. > :45:17.gearp Whatever size your garden is, big our small it will provide a
:45:18. > :45:29.habitat for all sorts of wildlife. 80% of the UK population now lives
:45:30. > :45:36.in a town or a city. But around 25% of the land in those
:45:37. > :45:41.cities is made up of gardens. There are 23 million gardens in Britain,
:45:42. > :45:49.making an area the size of Suffolk. They are an incredible habitat that
:45:50. > :45:53.provides homes, food and shelter for a myriad of species. How important
:45:54. > :45:57.is your garden and precisely what lives there? We need your help to
:45:58. > :46:02.find out. And one of the things you may want
:46:03. > :46:06.to do this weekend is to conduct a bio blitz. Count the number of
:46:07. > :46:13.different living things in your space. You can do this by using your
:46:14. > :46:18.parents, your mum's brolly. Put the brolly up... It will be great in the
:46:19. > :46:23.wind! I know. Then turn it around like this and hold it under a tree.
:46:24. > :46:29.Michaela, you have to assist me here. Give the tree a bashing.
:46:30. > :46:35.A bit here... I can just about reach that! Let me get the brolly
:46:36. > :46:40.underneath. We are dislodging the invertebrates on the branch.
:46:41. > :46:45.They are falling... OK, all right! I can't see anything in there? I don't
:46:46. > :46:50.think we have anything? I have something... It's in my mouth.
:46:51. > :46:58.What a disaster! Are you all right there? Here is a fly... Wasn't that
:46:59. > :47:02.successful?! We have a fly. Then you can get down on your hands and knees
:47:03. > :47:11.an investigate the animals that you have in here. Or put them into small
:47:12. > :47:16.jars if you like. If you are acting responsibly release the base at --
:47:17. > :47:22.release the rest at the base of the tree. Sometimes I would close the
:47:23. > :47:26.brolly with the insects in it, put it in the cupboard, and the next
:47:27. > :47:32.time mum opened up the brolly, the dead insects would fall on her head!
:47:33. > :47:37.We must not encourage that! No, sorry, before I was a responsible
:47:38. > :47:42.naturist! There are lots of different ideas to get involved. If
:47:43. > :47:47.you are going to do the bio blitz, you will want to know the weather.
:47:48. > :47:52.Especially if you live in Suffolk. There is one man to give us the good
:47:53. > :47:56.news or the bad news it is Nick Miller.
:47:57. > :48:03.Michaela, you have had a tough time of it. Hints of improvements are on
:48:04. > :48:07.the way. There were unrelenting grey and cold weather, this week and
:48:08. > :48:12.today but other parts of the UK are having a lovely time. Again, lots of
:48:13. > :48:17.sunshine in the western areas. Temperatures in the low 20s. A large
:48:18. > :48:22.portion of UK wildlife is having a lovely time of it. There is a change
:48:23. > :48:27.with the weather front between now and Saturday, westwards. Behind
:48:28. > :48:30.that, in time for the weekend, there is clearer weather and sunny skies
:48:31. > :48:39.reaching the cloudy parts of the east. So the warmth by the weekend
:48:40. > :48:42.will be more evil distributed. Cool on the coast, showers in Wales and
:48:43. > :48:48.the south-west. But with this warmth, if you are doing the bio
:48:49. > :48:53.blitz, it is not just about the birds but also the invertebrates,
:48:54. > :48:57.you can log it better this weekend. There is a weather transformation
:48:58. > :49:01.for Minsmere, not tomorrow, you still have the cloud but a dram roll
:49:02. > :49:08.for the weekend, the sunshine is back! A big relief for the stone
:49:09. > :49:13.curlew sitting on the eggs, for the birds finding food for chicks it
:49:14. > :49:20.will get easier. Passion on the plucking post. I cannot promise a
:49:21. > :49:23.heatwave but it will look different. The winds are still blowing through
:49:24. > :49:28.the reed beds and that is where Martin is.
:49:29. > :49:34.Thank you very much, Nick. We leaved to hear that. It is bitter here. We
:49:35. > :49:39.have been looking around. My colleague reckons that they are
:49:40. > :49:44.starting to roost now. So, it is time for the final instalment of our
:49:45. > :49:48.heron diary. I have to warn you, some of the things you will see are
:49:49. > :49:55.difficult. But please, stay with it, it is fascinating behaviour.
:49:56. > :50:00.Our heronry has had a tough time so far this spring.
:50:01. > :50:05.Heavy rain in early April has given way to a cold north wind.
:50:06. > :50:10.It has been blowing through the wood for several days.
:50:11. > :50:20.Our three families have all been battling to survive.
:50:21. > :50:28.Deep in the wood, in the ivy nest, sheltered from the worst of the
:50:29. > :50:33.weather, the chicks are going from strength toe strength. Having
:50:34. > :50:38.hatched before April's wet and cold spell, they are nearing full size.
:50:39. > :50:41.Herons that make it through the first four weeks are extremely
:50:42. > :50:49.likely to survive. They are now strong enough to be left on their
:50:50. > :50:54.own while mum and dad go hunting. But up in the branch nest, the
:50:55. > :50:59.smallest, weakest chick has vanished.
:51:00. > :51:06.One of the two remaining youngsters has stopped moving.
:51:07. > :51:12.They've failed to survive the critical period in a young heron's
:51:13. > :51:16.life. Between nine and 25 days when the growth spurt happens. The
:51:17. > :51:26.weather has been against them. Their parents just couldn't catch enough
:51:27. > :51:31.food. After a month-long incubation and
:51:32. > :51:34.two weeks defending and provisioning the young, the adult faces total
:51:35. > :51:46.failure. A second chick hasn't made it. There
:51:47. > :51:51.is only one option... By consuming the dead chick and regurgitating it,
:51:52. > :52:12.the parent increases the chances for the last remaining young.
:52:13. > :52:27.But even with this extra meal, the surviving chick is still weak and
:52:28. > :52:32.the odds are stacked against it. High in the canopy nests our
:52:33. > :52:42.courting couple have been taking things slowly... Very slowly.
:52:43. > :52:47.Finally, on the 18th of April, one settles down on the nest. A sure
:52:48. > :52:53.sign that a new clutch of eggs has arrived.
:52:54. > :52:59.Their drawn-out courtship means that the pair missed the bad weather.
:53:00. > :53:05.Their chances are looking good. It's now May. The ivy nest is
:53:06. > :53:19.becoming cramped. The once timid chicks now have very big wings,
:53:20. > :53:39.bakes and attitude. -- beaks.
:53:40. > :53:48.It's been a tough few weeks for this heronry. The birds took different
:53:49. > :53:55.gambles on when to breed. Sadly, the branch nest is one of the losers.
:53:56. > :54:02.The pair have abandoned the nest after the last chick passed away.
:54:03. > :54:10.They will try again next year but this time, they've lost their
:54:11. > :54:15.gamble. By mid-May, though, there's cause
:54:16. > :54:20.for celebration. The ivy nest has made it through. The chicks are
:54:21. > :54:25.stretching their wings, ready to fledge and go it alone. They'll be
:54:26. > :54:36.back next year to place their own bets on the British spring.
:54:37. > :54:40.Well, the herons have finished nesting, hopefully the bitterns are
:54:41. > :54:47.out there still on their nests. We haven't managed to film them. We got
:54:48. > :54:51.lucky last night, so lucky. But let me show you something fascinating. I
:54:52. > :54:58.made it sound easy, that it is easy to find where the birds are at. But
:54:59. > :55:02.this is real data. This is Mr Buckinghamham's data from this
:55:03. > :55:08.morning. I met him. I asked if I could borrow it. These are the
:55:09. > :55:12.observations of the bitterns. I'm sitting about there on the map. Look
:55:13. > :55:19.at that, can you see all of those are feeding flights. They are very
:55:20. > :55:25.near the post marked S. When we compared that we had a look of the
:55:26. > :55:30.film of the feeding flight and this morning we noticed something
:55:31. > :55:35.incredible. Look at this. Here comes the female bittern. Up on a feeding
:55:36. > :55:39.flight, although she has really already fed. Watch what happens...
:55:40. > :55:48.She drops down into the reeds in a minute.
:55:49. > :55:55.See that sign on the back? S! We actually know now as a result of
:55:56. > :56:00.that there is a bittern nesting right there by S. If we join that
:56:01. > :56:05.data and footage together there is a bittern nest over there.
:56:06. > :56:10.Now, sadly it is the only one that they have found so far. Hopefully we
:56:11. > :56:15.will find some more. I will stay in the bitter cold and carry on until
:56:16. > :56:21.it is completely dark. So back now to the lovely cosy and warm, Chris
:56:22. > :56:27.and Michaela. See you later. Martin has been mucking in all week
:56:28. > :56:31.with the RSPB. But anyone can do it. If you fancy being a volunteer,
:56:32. > :56:34.doing something great for nature, get in contact with your local
:56:35. > :56:39.wildlife group. It is a great thing to do.
:56:40. > :56:44.Yes, it certainly is. Let's have a quick look at the live
:56:45. > :56:49.camera. We have little owl. Where is our little owl? There they
:56:50. > :56:55.are, the three youngsters in the oak tree. They have had an up and down
:56:56. > :57:01.week? But a great night last night. 81 feeds! That is the most? It might
:57:02. > :57:06.be in the last 24 hours. So a tough night on the rainy night, when they
:57:07. > :57:12.had six feeds, it has gone up to 81 feeds. That is impressive.
:57:13. > :57:16.Well, that brings us to the end of tonight's show and the end of the
:57:17. > :57:23.first week on Springwatch. Next week, we are to meet a bigger cast
:57:24. > :57:30.of characters. Some will be the cute stripy humbugs. These are young wild
:57:31. > :57:33.boar in the Forest of Dean. We are finding out more about them and
:57:34. > :57:42.their behaviour. We are back on Monday and
:57:43. > :57:47.Springwatch Unsprung is on a Sunday evening. I pitched Deborah Meaden an
:57:48. > :57:52.unusual conservation idea, she did not go for it.
:57:53. > :57:56.And we want you to Eggwatch. A lot of the eggs we are featuring are on
:57:57. > :58:03.eggs that could hatch. Let's have a look at them. The stunning avocet.
:58:04. > :58:07.The reed warbler up there. And the stone curlew. Fascinating to
:58:08. > :58:14.see if the egg hatches at this stage. We have to say.
:58:15. > :58:17.Around the sparrowhawk sitting aen five nests. Keep an eye on the nests
:58:18. > :58:26.online. And this is the weekend we want you
:58:27. > :58:35.to get out and do your bio blitz. So find time for that. We now leave you
:58:36. > :58:37.with the week's highlights from the RSPB Minsmere. See you, goodbye!
:58:38. > :58:47.Goodbye.