0:00:04 > 0:00:07The British countryside in winter.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Cold, unforgiving, bleak.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17As temperatures plunge, the skies open,
0:00:17 > 0:00:22the winds rage and the light fades early.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25This winter, we've seen extremes of weather.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Mild, wet and freezing cold.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Conditions that challenge both wildlife
0:00:32 > 0:00:34and the people trying to survive here.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41In this series, I'm going to get under the skin of our British winter
0:00:41 > 0:00:43to reveal its hidden secrets.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48I'll be exploring five of our most extreme winter landscapes.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'll be including some of my BBC colleagues' experiences
0:00:55 > 0:00:56from over the years.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Together, we'll reveal what's really out there
0:01:00 > 0:01:02during our most challenging season.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Today, I'll be looking at our woodlands.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Discovering why winter is the time to grow a forest.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- Lovely stuff.- Give it a wee taste, just to make sure it's...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15- Nice and firm. - Nice and firm, that's right.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20'Finding out how the re-introduced British beavers
0:01:20 > 0:01:22'survive the harsh weather.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:28It's my first up-close encounter with a wild beaver.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31'And using the latest military hardware
0:01:31 > 0:01:33'to monitor Britain's largest terrestrial mammal
0:01:33 > 0:01:35'under the cover of darkness.'
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Oh, there's a deer already! There's a few!
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Welcome to The Great British Winter.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53The British Isles boast an extraordinary variety of habitats.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56From snow-capped mountains
0:01:56 > 0:02:00to huge networks of rivers and lakes.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Our vast swathes of woodland
0:02:03 > 0:02:07range from ancient oak forests to dense coniferous plantations.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Coastal birch and beech to planted poplar avenues.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Altogether, Britain's woodlands cover an area
0:02:15 > 0:02:18almost one-and-a-half times the size of Wales
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and form a defining part of our landscape.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Today, I'm in Knapdale Forest in Argyll
0:02:26 > 0:02:28on the west coast of Scotland.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31In winter, it's all peaceful and quiet,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33but a couple of months ago, this landscape
0:02:33 > 0:02:36would have been bustling with activity.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Knapdale Forest covers 48,000 acres
0:02:41 > 0:02:46and is home to a huge diversity of woodland animals.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49As winter approaches, here and in forests all across Britain,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52these animals race to collect enough food
0:02:52 > 0:02:54to see them through the lean times ahead.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Small mammals such as dormice
0:03:01 > 0:03:04find warm, safe places underground to hibernate.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Sleeping up to six months during the coldest weather
0:03:08 > 0:03:12and surviving off the body fat they accumulated during the summer.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Other animals, such as badgers, which don't hibernate,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19spend long periods of time sheltering.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Blocking up their sets and sitting out the harshest weather.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26There is one animal that takes refuge from these conditions
0:03:26 > 0:03:29amongst the forest trees that I'm hoping to see.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33It's Britain's largest terrestrial mammal, the red deer.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39During the winter, many of these iconic animals
0:03:39 > 0:03:42congregate in woodlands, forming dense groups.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53With much of the ground frozen or under snow, food can be scarce.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55And this can be a difficult time of year,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57when mortality rates are at their highest.
0:03:58 > 0:04:04Despite this, in Scotland, red deer populations are increasing.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06With no natural predators to limit their numbers,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08they have to be monitored.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11And there is one group responsible for doing just that.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Scottish Natural Heritage take advantage of the winter
0:04:14 > 0:04:16to monitor their red deer, keeping track of their numbers.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20And even though it's dark and leathering down with rain,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I'm on my way to join them now for one of their deer counts.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30The deer are more active at night, so this is best time to check them.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34And a tough job falls to Jamie Hammond and Jimmy Irvine.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47- Evening, gents.- Evening.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48- How are you doing?- Very well.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- Ellie. Nice to meet you.- Jimmy.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Hiya. Are you all right? - Nice meeting you.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So, Jimmy, where are we off to on this really dark, cold night?
0:04:55 > 0:04:59We're going to head out and do a thermal-image red deer count
0:04:59 > 0:05:03just up the glen there, in a bit of woodland.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05That's ideal. So, where are we all sitting?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- Yourself and Jamie will be in the back.- OK.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10Thank you.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Right.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17So, what's all the kit that you use to do this?
0:05:17 > 0:05:21We're using a hand-held thermal-imaging camera,
0:05:21 > 0:05:22which is this device here.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24It looks like massive binoculars.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27It's effectively a giant pair of binoculars which picks up...
0:05:27 > 0:05:29it detects differences in temperature,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32so it picks up the heat signature of any living thing,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34be it a mouse, a bird or a deer.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- Really? Down to a mouse? - Absolutely.- Wow!
0:05:36 > 0:05:39And then whatever I'm seeing through the camera
0:05:39 > 0:05:43is connected via a live video feed to the laptop here,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45which will display effectively the live video
0:05:45 > 0:05:48from what the camera's seeing onto the screen.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- So any deer that we see, you can see on the laptop.- Fantastic!
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- So you'll see exactly what I see through the camera.- Excellent.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00As we head out into the wild weather,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03the temperature drops and the rain turns to snow.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08But thankfully, it's not long before we come across our first group.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Oh, there's a deer! There's a deer already! Oh, there's a few!
0:06:12 > 0:06:15How many have we got there? One, two, three, four, five.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17How far away are they?
0:06:17 > 0:06:19These ones are probably 150 metres.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- And there's one much closer. - Oh, yeah!
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Maybe 30 metres away.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Why do you do the counts in winter?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Obviously, during the winter, night-time temperatures are colder.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Because we're relying on a thermal-imaging camera,
0:06:35 > 0:06:36it detects heat sources.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So the difference between an animal's body temperature
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and the atmospheric temperature.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46On a cold, frosty night, it's a much sharper, clearer picture.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49That allows us to pick up deer much easier.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52What this really shows is how little body heat they lose.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- It's just really around the...nose. - They're pretty well insulated.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58You can see their coats there and obviously their legs,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01the eyes and the nose is kind of where the hotspots are.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03And that's where the heat's going to be lost.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05The rest of it is really dark.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07You can see around their necks,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09- they've got a quite, sort of shaggy mane.- Yeah.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11And that's quite typical of red deer stags.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Jimmy and Jamie go out on winter nights,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25braving all conditions to count the deer populations.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29And tonight, it seems they are everywhere.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Wow! There's loads! My goodness!
0:07:34 > 0:07:36A big group of stags there.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39It's pretty wild weather out there.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41How do they seem to do in the winter?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Deer are pretty well equipped to deal with the Scottish climate.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47They've been here for a long time, so they've seen it all before.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49As humans, we think, "We wouldn't want to be out in this,"
0:07:49 > 0:07:52but, you know, they've got, um...
0:07:52 > 0:07:54particularly, they've got their winter coats,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56obviously, at this time of year, it's thick.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58The individual hair fibres are hollow,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01so they capture air and they're insulated.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03So...yeah, they'll obviously use woodland to their advantage
0:08:03 > 0:08:05to shelter from the wind.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09What they don't like is wet, driving rain.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11That really can suck the energy out of them.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14So they're pretty clever at finding somewhere sheltered
0:08:14 > 0:08:17out of the wind, where they've got, um...
0:08:17 > 0:08:20somewhere where they can feed and get a bit of respite from the weather.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24In Scotland, red deer populations have doubled
0:08:24 > 0:08:27from around 150,000 in the 1960s
0:08:27 > 0:08:30to over 300,000 today.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33And the data collected by Jamie is vital for many people.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Once you've got all this information,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40what do you or what do landowners do with it?
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Every landowner, land manager
0:08:41 > 0:08:44will be doing something different with their land, with their deer.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Whether that's areas which have nature conservation interest,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51such as, um...woodland regeneration.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54So they'd be looking at keeping a balance between deer numbers
0:08:54 > 0:08:56and allowing woodland to regenerate.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58We might be counting deer
0:08:58 > 0:09:02where they may present a risk to public safety, to road accidents.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04We may be counting deer in an agricultural setting,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07where they might be having an impact on agricultural crops.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09So there's a whole range of things
0:09:09 > 0:09:12that this information can be used to help provide advice for.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18The camera picks up a whole host of woodland animals out in winter.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24There an owl there! That is...fabulous!
0:09:24 > 0:09:26- A tawny owl.- Oh-ho-ho-ho!
0:09:26 > 0:09:28He's sitting on a fencepost.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Oh, and off it goes!
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Joy of a shot, that one.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Jimmy and Jamie spend up to ten hours a night
0:09:37 > 0:09:40in freezing conditions counting these deer.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43It may be hard and cold work,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46but monitoring their numbers across Scotland is vital
0:09:46 > 0:09:48to maintain the health of our forests.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Throughout our history, humans have always had to balance
0:09:56 > 0:09:59the needs of the forest in different ways.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And in winter, this means tree felling.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08This is the time of year when people harvested the forest for fuel
0:10:08 > 0:10:09and building materials.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Local woodsman Peter Quelch is passionate about keeping up
0:10:15 > 0:10:18this winter tradition known as coppicing.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23- Hi, Peter.- Hi.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Am I able to come in and take the glory
0:10:25 > 0:10:28in the final few seconds of felling this tree?
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Well, you can't work these saws on your own.- Oh, right, OK.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34So it's all about pulling with these? I've used it once before.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36There is a cut. We're going there.
0:10:37 > 0:10:38- Ooh.- No rush.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41There we go.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Fantastic. You made very light work of that with an axe and a saw.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- They're very old-fashioned tools, aren't they?- They are.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56But they're the normal tools of woodmanship, as it were,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58before forestry,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02in the 19th century, which is when this work was going on.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05How is coppicing done and why is it done in the winter?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Coppicing was a system of regularly cutting trees.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14It's a sustainable system, it's a renewable system.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Because there's instant regrowth, as long as animals are kept out.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24This ancient form of winter woodland management allows shoots
0:11:24 > 0:11:27to regrow from felled tree stumps.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30The trees aren't killed and continually grow back.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Over time, this creates characteristic, multi-trunked trees.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36So, historically,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39why was this sort of work done in the winter?
0:11:39 > 0:11:43All broad leaves are felled in the winter when the sap is down,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46when the leaves are off. The trees are dormant.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48If you felled a tree like this in summer,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50it would already be gushing with sap.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54If the sap's down, the sugars are down, it's fairly dry inside,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56therefore it seasons better
0:11:56 > 0:12:00and everything you make is better from winter-cut broad leaves.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Also, it's easier to move on the ground, although it's wet.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08In many countries, they do felling when the snow's on the ground
0:12:08 > 0:12:13and horses can go over it, or you can use sledges easily, for example.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Whatever the weather, horses have traditionally been used
0:12:18 > 0:12:20to clear the felled timber.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24As recently as the 1950s, there were more than 400 horses
0:12:24 > 0:12:27working in British forests, dragging millions of trees
0:12:27 > 0:12:28to our busy sawmills.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36As tractors took over, horse logging declined,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38but it's still a method used today,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40as Matt Baker discovered in the Lagan Valley Forest
0:12:40 > 0:12:42in Northern Ireland.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46'Steven Donaghy is one of Ireland's only horse loggers,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48'reviving a tradition which had died out here.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50'And it's not just for show -
0:12:50 > 0:12:53'it's actually quicker than using a tractor.'
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- Come on!- I've got to leg it to keep up with him! What a good boy.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Go on, go on, go on.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- Up-up-up!- Whoa.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04And his brakes work perfectly.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07That is... That was extraordinary. He doesn't hold back, does he?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09No, that's it. Whenever he needs to pull, you see him,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13he pushes into it and he just rips straight into the forest, like.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14And you obviously love this?
0:13:14 > 0:13:18It's far better working with a living animal than a machine.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21We had the tractor on the start of the site there and it took about
0:13:21 > 0:13:24half an hour to even get the tractor in there and it wrecked the ground.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27It's all about watching the horse, the horse watching you, too.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30You see him now, he's looking, his ears are turned round
0:13:30 > 0:13:34- listening to me, waiting for me to give him the command.- Yeah.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36'Samson's an impressive horse,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38'but how will he perform with me at the reins?'
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Go easy with him. If he starts to get a bit fast, say, "Easy, easy,"
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- pull on the reins and he'll slow down.- All right.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- Let's have a go, Samson. Let's see what happens, my friend.- Go on.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- Keep him right, that's it, yep.- Good boy. Steady.- That's it.- Right, right.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- Go on, go on.- Good boy.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Good lad.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58Left, left!
0:13:58 > 0:14:03- Left! Good lad. Up-up-up.- That's it, run with him. That's it. Up!
0:14:03 > 0:14:04Wey! Nearly went!
0:14:04 > 0:14:06- Right, right, right.- Go right.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Hup-hup-hup!
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Good boy. Good lad.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12Go on, hup!
0:14:12 > 0:14:17Stay. Whoa. Park up. Beautifully done. Lovely.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19I'll tell you what, this is some feeling.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Coppiced woodlands like Lagan Valley in Northern Ireland
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and the Knapdale area here in Scotland
0:14:26 > 0:14:30are harvested in rotations, so every winter, there are trees to fell.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34I feel like I ought to do a little bit more work.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- Do we need to head on up there to do some chopping?- Yeah.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I'll bring this. Here we go.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44'Once on the ground, the trees are cut by hand, which is no mean feat.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48'Every part of the tree is used.'
0:14:49 > 0:14:53The top part there, the rough wood, can be useful
0:14:53 > 0:14:57and the rest of the tree can be made into better things.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01We could cut this every foot or so into clogs.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05And it's not just clogs -
0:15:05 > 0:15:09keeping up with old traditions, Peter uses 19th-century tools
0:15:09 > 0:15:11to make a whole range of items.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18From brooms, to timber joists for houses,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20tent pegs and barrel hoops.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25The wood from these trees would have had many uses, but perhaps
0:15:25 > 0:15:27most importantly, at this time of year,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31they'd have been turned into charcoal for winter fuel.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Charcoal burning was once an essential part of every woodsman's year
0:15:34 > 0:15:37in the late autumn and early winter,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41a tradition carried out in areas such as the New Forest in Hampshire.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44You'd get a real good fire going, real good hot base.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47And then the drum, we'll raise it up
0:15:47 > 0:15:49roughly about four inches, with wooden blocks.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54You pack it in the drum as tight as you can, really.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It's looking quite good at the moment.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04It's building up a lot of heat inside the drum now, which is what we want.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10You don't want the wood to really burn,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12so you are more or less cooking it.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15But once you know it's well alight at the bottom,
0:16:15 > 0:16:16you can start shutting the air out.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Then you're just keeping the fire, it's just turning over then
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and it's not roaring away.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27That's when it really starts cooking and you get loads
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and loads of white smoke come out.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Charcoal is formed when the heat from the fire drives off water
0:16:34 > 0:16:36and impurities to leave just carbon.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43The white smoke is the water being turned into steam.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48When it starts to really turn to charcoal,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52very thin smoke starts coming off then, bluey colour.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59And that's when you can start really shutting it down.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04You shut all your gaps up round the bottom, then you shut the top off.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Without the air getting to it, it'll just naturally go out.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Just let the drum cool down, then.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16With a bit of luck, you'll have some nice charcoal.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Just enough to make a few pound here and there on a bag.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28The charcoal from hazel coppices like this
0:17:28 > 0:17:31was once the most valuable source of fuel in Britain.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34It's almost pure carbon, burning hotter than coal,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38and for thousands of years was the only fuel hot enough to smelt iron.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Now it is more commonly used for household fires -
0:17:43 > 0:17:45as long as Dave can get it home safely.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Sometimes it has been known, you've just got to leave a little spark in there
0:17:49 > 0:17:50and it can reignite again,
0:17:50 > 0:17:56so the first few hours is crucial, or else you'll be driving home and say,
0:17:56 > 0:18:01"What's that burning?" And your bag's alight in the back of the truck, you've got another fire!
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Winter can be a tough time for both people and animals in forests,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10but the trees themselves also have to cope with the conditions.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13For them, it's all about preparation.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18In autumn, deciduous trees like this one
0:18:18 > 0:18:22draw down the nutrients from their leaves into their roots
0:18:22 > 0:18:26and this helps them conserve energy during the cold, dark winter.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30They survive the harsh conditions by shutting down
0:18:30 > 0:18:31and staying dormant.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38But there are species of tree in Britain, such as conifers,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40which are able to remain active throughout the winter.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44As Alan Titchmarsh revealed when he visited the conifer forests
0:18:44 > 0:18:46in Scotland's Highlands.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51This land can be covered in snow for up to 100 days of the year,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55but the conical shape of many trees ensures the snow
0:18:55 > 0:18:58slides off their branches, so they don't break.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04The sap contains antifreeze,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07so the water inside the tree doesn't turn into ice.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And of all the Caledonian trees,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13the toughest must be the magnificent Scots Pine.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17It's the world's most widespread conifer.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20And there's one important adaptation that enables it
0:19:20 > 0:19:23to grow in the most unexpected places.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28The rock face below me is exposed to all the elements - wind, rain,
0:19:28 > 0:19:29snow and nice.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33But amazingly, some trees manage to grow even here.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Against all the odds, this pine tree here has managed
0:20:09 > 0:20:13to establish itself on this sheer rock face.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18There's hardly any soil here, and, consequently, hardly any moisture.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21And what there is freezes in winter.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Temperatures here can fall to minus 20 degrees,
0:20:23 > 0:20:29and winds can reach speeds of up to 140 miles an hour.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30So, how does it survive?
0:20:32 > 0:20:35By using these - pine needles.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39They are leaves, but they're very, very narrow, and they're covered
0:20:39 > 0:20:43in a waxy coating which hangs on to as much moisture as possible.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46So, while deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn
0:20:46 > 0:20:48and grow new ones each spring,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52the pine hangs onto its leaves all year round, saving itself the energy.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Remaining active during the winter means that these trees' pinecones
0:20:56 > 0:20:58grow throughout the year.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03And in the evergreen forests of Scotland's Cairngorms, this gives
0:21:03 > 0:21:07rise to a sound you wouldn't expect to hear in the depths of winter.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09CHEEPING
0:21:09 > 0:21:13They're chicks - crossbill chicks.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20It is unusual to find baby birds like this in winter, because chicks
0:21:20 > 0:21:23need lots of food, and it's just not available at this time of year.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28But pine cones allow crossbill chicks to get an early start.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33The seeds are locked away inside the cones, and early in the season
0:21:33 > 0:21:36when the cones are barely open, birds can't get at them.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Except the crossbill.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Which, likes its name suggests, has crossed bills.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52It is the only bird in the world where the upper and lower parts
0:21:52 > 0:21:54of its bill cross over when its bill is closed.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00It's the perfect shape to prize open the wooded scales of the pine cone
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and get at the seeds inside.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14With the scales prized apart,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17it uses its flexible tongue to pull out the seed.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27By adopting this breaking and entering technique,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30the crossbill opens a treasure chest of food,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34allowing it to bring up its young at what seems to be
0:22:34 > 0:22:36the worst time of year...
0:22:37 > 0:22:41..and be one step ahead of all the other birds in the wood.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48This family of Scottish crossbills have made a home for themselves
0:22:48 > 0:22:52in what is left of the Caledonian forest...
0:22:56 > 0:23:00..a mighty forest which once covered vast areas of Scotland.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Generations of human deforestation mean that only tiny fragments
0:23:06 > 0:23:11of this ancient forest exist, and this is true throughout Britain.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Today, only 2% of our woodlands are ancient wood,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22with the rest having being replanted and managed.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Large-scale forest management started with the creation
0:23:28 > 0:23:32of the Forestry Commission, set up in the wake of the First World War.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34By the end of the conflict,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37over 90% of our wood was imported from abroad.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Worried by the prospect of the supply lines being cut,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46the government ordered the creation of a strategic timber reserve -
0:23:46 > 0:23:51trees that could provide pit props to keep our mines open.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53That meant planting fast-growing species,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and the shape of our landscape was changed forever.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Today, the timber from these forests is harvested and precision cut
0:24:10 > 0:24:13to be used in anything from paper products to houses.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18In order to meet the huge demand for wood,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22millions of trees are planted each year - a huge job.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26'This is only carried out in winter, and for the forests around Argyll,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30'it all begins here - on the edge of Knapdale Forest.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35'Andy Hunt is the area operations manager
0:24:35 > 0:24:37'from the Forestry Commission.'
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- Andy, how are you doing? Nice to meet you.- You too.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- Strange way for a forest to begin. - Yeah, that's right.- In here?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Yep, this is it, in here.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Wow, what's all this?
0:24:47 > 0:24:50'He shows me a giant freezer, stacked from floor to ceiling
0:24:50 > 0:24:53'with hundreds of thousands of saplings.'
0:24:53 > 0:24:56So this is basically where we store our plants
0:24:56 > 0:24:58when they come to us from the nurseries.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Why are they kept here in this cold room?
0:25:01 > 0:25:02How cold is it in here, by the way?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Well, basically, we regulate the temperature to two degrees,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09plus two degrees. That's just to maintain or ensure the trees
0:25:09 > 0:25:11stay in a dormant condition.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Nice and peaceful, they don't start to develop in any way
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- until we get them into the forest. - How many have you got in here?
0:25:17 > 0:25:22At the moment, we've got approximately 300,000 in here.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Through the planting season, we'll be planting about 3,500,000 trees.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Through this winter? 3,500,000?!
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Basically between October and the end of March.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35'The cold store here contains 15 different species of tree,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38'dormant and ready to be planted.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:42These are the trees we're going to be planting today.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45This is Norway spruce. So we're taking these out to site.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- Can I have a look?- Absolutely.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I can't promise you 3,500,000 today, but I'll do what I can.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- We'll do what we can.- Oh, wow, little diddy things there.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56So these are effectively dormant now,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59and that means they'll sleep through the process of being planted.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02That's right, until the spring, when the weather warms up.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05They'll be in a new environment, the roots will establish,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and off they'll go.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Great, so they'll sleepwalk through this bit, then. Excellent.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- Shall we take this lot?- Yep.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19'In West Argyll alone, the 3,500,000 trees
0:26:19 > 0:26:23'are planted each year in an area of over 7,000 acres,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26'which is a massive job, especially considering it is still done
0:26:26 > 0:26:30'the old-fashioned way - by hand.'
0:26:31 > 0:26:33I've got my rubber gloves on now, I'm ready to give you a hand.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So just put one of these little ones in here, like this?
0:26:36 > 0:26:40That's right, just make your slot deep enough and put all your roots
0:26:40 > 0:26:45in nice and gently. Just heel them in. Nice and tight to the ground.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- Lovely stuff.- That's it, then just give it a wee test,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- just to make sure it's...- Nice and firm.- Nice and firm, that's right.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53It's manual labour, this, isn't it?
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Are there not any machines that can do it?
0:26:55 > 0:26:57We do have machines in development for planting trees,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00but it's mainly on new planting sites
0:27:00 > 0:27:02where we haven't had previous crops. This one we're in just now,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05this has grown a timber crop previously,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09and you can see some of the debris around that makes it
0:27:09 > 0:27:11inaccessible for a lot of these machines.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14So how many of these do you plant in a day?
0:27:14 > 0:27:19Most planters will plant somewhere between 1,500-2,000 trees per day.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- A day?!- It's quite hard work, and it's pretty intense.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25I've hardly helped you out there, with one, have I?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28We've got a bit to do. Let's move on.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33A couple more in here.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37So, Andy, once this is all planted, this area, what happens next?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39How do you manage the site?
0:27:39 > 0:27:43These trees will grow for the next 30, 40 years plus.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Through that time, we'll actually come in, when they get to
0:27:47 > 0:27:50sort of 20 years old, 25 years old, we'll come in and thin this area.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54That will open up the stems and allow light to come in.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00'From 50 years old, the trees are ready to be harvested,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03'cut down in their millions.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'It's an impressive spectacle - as amateur woodsman Rob Penn
0:28:06 > 0:28:10'discovered when he visited Tywi Forest in Mid-Wales.'
0:28:19 > 0:28:21This land belongs to the Forestry Commission,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Britain's largest woodland owner...
0:28:25 > 0:28:28..looking after a third of all our woods.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Jerry Pritchard is the head of sales for Wales.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39What we've got here is a clear felling operation of a spruce crop.
0:28:39 > 0:28:46The crop, I would say, is 1950s. Reached maturity.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50We've got a harvesting machine that will cut down approximately 100,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52150 trees a day.
0:28:52 > 0:28:53What?
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Producing between 500 and 1,000 tonnes a week.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01- Goodness me.- In fact, this site he started yesterday.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03So he's gone through here in a day...
0:29:03 > 0:29:06He's gone through here in just over a day and a half.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12We grow the timber, we crop it and we replant it.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16It's a long-term operation, a long-term view.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18But it's a harvest of a crop.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24Each harvester machine weighs 20 tonnes.
0:29:24 > 0:29:25A mechanical hand grips the trunk
0:29:25 > 0:29:28while an automatic saw cuts the base.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32When they are working fast, a machine can fell, strip
0:29:32 > 0:29:34and log a tree every 30 seconds.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40It's a very modern approach to managing woodland.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44My personal best was 550 cubic metres in a day.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47That was approximately 400 trees.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49It is a good feeling.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52The thing is, it gets harder and harder to break a personal best.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54The figure keeps getting higher.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56You've got to work harder to beat it.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03The Forestry Commission's work may look brutal,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06but it does more than just grow and harvest trees for timber -
0:30:06 > 0:30:08it's also responsible
0:30:08 > 0:30:11for managing many of the UK's forests to help wildlife.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16'That includes the red squirrel.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20'Once common, its numbers have decreased dramatically in Britain,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24'largely due to the introduction of the grey squirrel from America.'
0:30:27 > 0:30:29The Forestry Commission have just started to introduce these
0:30:29 > 0:30:32red squirrel feeders to help them monitor their numbers here,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35because Argyll is one of their last strongholds in the UK.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43This camera trap monitoring trial is in its early stages,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45but the results could be important -
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Scotland is one of the red squirrel's last refuges,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51with 75% of the UK's population.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58In Invernes-shire, in the Highlands,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02Michaela Strachan sat out to get a chance of seeing them up close.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05I've got a red squirrel right in front of me.
0:31:05 > 0:31:11My patience has paid off. They are such cute little characters.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15One thing that really stands out are their little tufty ears.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18At this time of the year,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21those ears are as fluffy as they are ever going to get.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27Not only do they look rather dashing, but they're very useful, too -
0:31:27 > 0:31:30they use those tufty ears for communication.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34By signalling with their ear tufts and tails,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37they send important messages to other squirrels.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41This is particularly important for their courtship
0:31:41 > 0:31:45and to work out who is the most dominant squirrel in a territory.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Now, this morning, although it's cold up here, it's not freezing.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57And so these little guys are quite active.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Once the temperatures really drop
0:31:59 > 0:32:03and there is snow on the ground, they become a lot less active.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05In fact, they do what a lot of people do.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09They stay in bed.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Quite sensible, really!
0:32:14 > 0:32:18Red squirrels have numerous nests, known as dreys,
0:32:18 > 0:32:22which protect them from the harsh weather.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25With up to seven centimetres of cosy lining,
0:32:25 > 0:32:29these small homes can be up to 30 degrees warmer on the inside.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33I've always loved squirrels.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37To me, it doesn't matter whether I'm watching grey ones or red ones.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40They're always very endearing and entertaining to watch,
0:32:40 > 0:32:45and for me, that was a great way to spend an hour.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09The forests in Knapdale extend all the way up through Argyll,
0:33:09 > 0:33:13but the place I'm heading now isn't just any old piece of woodland,
0:33:13 > 0:33:14but a hidden valley
0:33:14 > 0:33:17with exotic flowering plants, even in the middle of winter!
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Crarae woodland gardens was created 101 years ago
0:33:24 > 0:33:26by Sir George Campbell - a man obsessed
0:33:26 > 0:33:29with collecting rare plants from around the world.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Now, it spans 50 acres of forest -
0:33:34 > 0:33:38exotic plants grow in the shelter of towering conifers.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Jason Copestick, the first gardener, has agreed to show me around.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- Hi, Jason, how you doing?- Hello. - Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Even at this time of year, there are colours and scents,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56such as Mahonia, and Hamamelis.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01This is another strongly-scented plant. Have a little smell of that.
0:34:01 > 0:34:02It's lovely.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05'These exotic plants, many originally from the Himalayas
0:34:05 > 0:34:10'and East Asia, find our British winters comparatively mild
0:34:10 > 0:34:11'and burst into flower.'
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Jason, how lovely to see this bloom in the middle of winter.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- What's this plant?- This is a Mahonia, one called media charity.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23This is one of Britain's most common garden plants, I suppose.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27You see this everywhere. Heavily scented, beautiful plant.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30The flowering plants - how do they manage to survive
0:34:30 > 0:34:34- these really low temperatures? - They have various means.
0:34:34 > 0:34:40This plant we can see here obviously has leathery, waxy leaves.
0:34:40 > 0:34:41This keeps them very well.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44If they haven't got that, they tend to have different
0:34:44 > 0:34:47mechanisms of keeping themselves warm.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50What we see in this garden with a lot of plants is the rhododendrons,
0:34:50 > 0:34:55they curl up to keep the heat in the leaves so they don't get too cold.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Obviously, another defence is losing their leaves so they've not got
0:34:59 > 0:35:03that surface area to let the cold in, which is what deciduous plants do.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07What about the flowers themselves, how do they survive the frost
0:35:07 > 0:35:11- and snow?- They survive frost and snow by being very small plants.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14I don't know if you can see this sort of bell-shaped effect.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17It keeps them warm. It means they don't burn,
0:35:17 > 0:35:22because obviously plants in the winter, you will see this burning
0:35:22 > 0:35:26effect where the edges go brown if the petals and leaves are too big.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31You've got this very compact, small area, so the frost can't affect it.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34It seems amazing that, in the middle of winter,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36flowering plants can attract pollinators.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Generally speaking, that's because they have a very strong scent.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44They may have insignificant flowers, but it's scent.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47What do you tend to see in the winter, in terms of pollinating?
0:35:47 > 0:35:49We tend to see birds, really.
0:35:49 > 0:35:54They are the mainstay of pollination at this time of the year.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59Yes, there will be the odd insect. There are some hardy insects about.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02But obviously, with there not being the numbers,
0:36:02 > 0:36:04you don't see them as much. But they are about.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08These plants use a very strong scent to attract animals
0:36:08 > 0:36:13from a great distance - far more so than in the summer.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15What about generally in the winter,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18what should people who've got gardens be doing about now?
0:36:19 > 0:36:23At this time of year, especially on a frosty day, very little,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25to be honest. Don't try and prune things,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28because the cold will get into these open wounds.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32It's more about keeping the wildlife happy
0:36:32 > 0:36:35and keeping the place tidy, to be honest.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38At the moment, we're not really doing
0:36:38 > 0:36:40what you would call traditional gardening.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41It's more about landscaping,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44more about thinking about next year's work.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47That sounds like an office job with a coffee,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50- thinking about next year's work! - I wish it was! I wish it was.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57'This place might be a plant collector's paradise,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00'but this garden also holds another secret.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05'Hidden amongst the trees of this woodland garden
0:37:05 > 0:37:06'is a forest testing site -
0:37:06 > 0:37:11'an experiment started 80 years ago to find foreign trees that can
0:37:11 > 0:37:13'survive our British climate.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17'And it has resulted in an absolute giant.'
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Wow, this is an epic tree.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22This must be one of the biggest trees you have here, is it?
0:37:22 > 0:37:23I would believe so, yes.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28This is obviously a sequoia or, as we know it, a giant redwood.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31This comes from the hills of California.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34The hills being snowy - in fact,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36covered in snow for the majority of the year.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39So it can cope, then, with our very chilly winter?
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Very much so. In fact, it's covered in its own little electric blanket.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47- If you feel it, it's very soft. - Yeah, it is, spongy, even.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52- Try and give it a wee punch? - Really?- Really.- Let's have a go.
0:37:52 > 0:37:59Oh, that is soft! Gosh, that's amazingly soft. How thick is it?
0:37:59 > 0:38:01It's about a foot thick.
0:38:01 > 0:38:06Yes, they come from a very, very cold, wintry climate.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12In California, the oldest trees can reach record heights
0:38:12 > 0:38:14of over 370 feet.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18In the UK, they are growing well, but as the experiment is
0:38:18 > 0:38:21relatively recent, no one knows how big these trees will grow.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Giant sequoias can live for over 3,000 years,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33so this one is an infant at just 80 years old.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37They provide the perfect winter habitat for one of our winter birds.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41But to see them, you have to wait until dark,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43as Iolo Williams did in Newtown in Wales.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01And this is it. It's a tree creeper.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05The bird has dug himself a little hole into that soft bark,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08knowing full well he is going to be insulated all-around.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12His face, belly and feet have gone right in
0:39:12 > 0:39:16and all that sticks out are his dense back feathers.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20And he also knows that any passing owl is never going to see him.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Because those feathers blend in perfectly with the surrounding bark.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29And that's one of the cosiest roosting sites that any bird
0:39:29 > 0:39:31could possibly have.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39It's not just the tree creepers that are worth seeing.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44In winter, woodland plants put on a spectacular display.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57There is one flower that really epitomizes the British winter,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59and that's the snowdrop.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02It's not native but it's spent the last 400 years
0:40:02 > 0:40:04making its home in our woodlands.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15Snowdrops were originally brought to the UK from the Mediterranean
0:40:15 > 0:40:18and Eastern Europe, and these days, they are big business,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21especially at the Cambo Estate in Fife.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26There are few things as beautiful as a walk through the woods.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Particularly when they are sprinkled with snowdrops wherever you look.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Here though, they are not just decorative.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33They are a real cash crop.
0:40:42 > 0:40:47I like snowdrops, but some people absolutely love them
0:40:47 > 0:40:49to the point of quite literal obsession.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Which makes some varieties worth their weight in gold.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56- This one here is grumpy. - Why is it called grumpy?
0:40:56 > 0:40:59If you look inside, you can see his face.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02- He looks pretty miserable, doesn't he?- That's amazing!
0:41:02 > 0:41:04That's so creative to come up with that.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07I would see that a million times and never even see a face.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10A lot of them have got these wonderful little faces inside.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12He must be a really popular one.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15- That's a great little surprise in there.- Yes, he's a very popular one.
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Also quite an expensive one.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- It's one of the rarities. - So how expensive are we talking?
0:41:19 > 0:41:22£30 or £40 a bulb.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- Per bulb?- Per bulb. That's not a record, no.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29I think the most expensive one so far has been £226.
0:41:29 > 0:41:35- £226 for a single snowdrop bulb? - Yes.- That's incredible.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37It does seem crazy, doesn't it?
0:41:37 > 0:41:40This is Catherine Erskine's kingdom.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44She's a galanthophile, that's a snowdrop enthusiast to you and me.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49And in these 70 acres of woodland, she grows no less than 300 varieties.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54Not just because she loves them, but because they are a good earner.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56What's the thing that really draws you to snowdrops?
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Because to me, they are beautiful, but they all look quite similar.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03They're white, and a similar shape. Green bit on the end.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04What's the huge draw for you?
0:42:04 > 0:42:07I suppose what really started us off was snowdrop farming.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09With the downturn of agriculture,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12farming used to pay for almost everything on the estate.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15And we needed more income, and we had this wonderful
0:42:15 > 0:42:18resource of snowdrops, so we started farming the woods.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21What we are standing in now looks ornamental,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24and looks like something you just planted to look good,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26but this is an active farm, believe it or not.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29This is almost like a mini field. It's a snowdrop field
0:42:29 > 0:42:32of a particularly strong form of the single snowdrop.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35You'll see these ones, they are very tall.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36Lovely strong leaves.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Nothing special in the marking so we are bulking them up here
0:42:39 > 0:42:41and we will be able to sell them.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Why are they planted amongst trees
0:42:43 > 0:42:47and in a really patchy naturalistic way? Is that just for the look?
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Partly for the look, but also, they are happiest like this.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Snowdrops have resisted all my attempts to grow in straight lines.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57I've tried growing them in crates so that I could find them dormant.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59But no, they are much happiest in the wood.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15Our woodlands can be surprisingly active in winter.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18There really is life thriving, if you just know where to look,
0:43:18 > 0:43:20as Sanjida O'Connell discovered
0:43:20 > 0:43:23when she visited Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34It's 7:00 in the morning, but listen to this.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36BIRDS CHIRPING
0:43:36 > 0:43:40This whole valley is already alive with birdsong.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43February is a good time to get a handle on birdsong.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45Because at this time of the year,
0:43:45 > 0:43:49it's the native British birds that are shouting loudest.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53What's even better is that there are no leaves on the trees
0:43:53 > 0:43:57so it's much easier to match the birds to the birdsong.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Hardcastle Crags is a real hotspot for nature.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06There are loads of birds here but there's another creature that
0:44:06 > 0:44:11lives in these woods that outnumbers them by several million to one.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16It would be really easy to mistake this pile of pine needles
0:44:16 > 0:44:18and twigs for a bit of woodland debris.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22But this is actually the nest of the northern hairy wood ant.
0:44:22 > 0:44:27And look at it. It's massive! This one is almost as big as me.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29And it's certainly a lot wider.
0:44:31 > 0:44:36There are 400 nests at Hardcastle Crags.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40With a total of 200 million individuals.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44That's over three times the UK's human population
0:44:44 > 0:44:46on just one hillside.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49One person who knows the ants' life-cycle inside out is
0:44:49 > 0:44:53National Trust warden Ian O'Leary.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56- This is massive, isn't it? It so impressive.- It's huge, isn't it?
0:44:56 > 0:44:59A structure like this is the equivalent of human beings
0:44:59 > 0:45:01building Everest by hand.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03- Wow! That's amazing!- It is.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05And is this what you see is what you get,
0:45:05 > 0:45:07or is there more to it than this?
0:45:07 > 0:45:09There's more to it as you look round.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12It goes another two metres at least down into the ground.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14And there will be kilometres of tunnels
0:45:14 > 0:45:16that are maintained by these ants.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18So how many ants do you think are in here?
0:45:18 > 0:45:21There would be over a million individuals in this particular nest.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24All maintaining the thatching, which they are trying to repair now.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27And keeping the tunnels clean, looking after the pupae
0:45:27 > 0:45:29and the eggs.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Am I right in thinking that the million ants in here are all female?
0:45:32 > 0:45:36They are. They are all sisters. The males have one purpose.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39They come out in May with wings, fly and mate with the queen.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43And then they die off and the rest is left to the female workers
0:45:43 > 0:45:45to forage and look after the young.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48- Ant girl power.- Ant girl power, yes.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52They are called northern hairy wood ants. What's the hairy bit?
0:45:52 > 0:45:56- I know, because they don't look very hairy, do they?- No.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Somewhere on here you've got, if you look for where the mandible
0:45:59 > 0:46:02is here, just going up from there to, see the little eye?
0:46:02 > 0:46:05- Yes. - There is a little ridge of hairs.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08- Are they quite defensive? - They can be, yes.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11Under any threat, they will definitely get rid of an intruder.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14If you've got a tissue, I will be able to show you how they do that.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Yeah, I've got one in my pocket.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22If we get the ants interested in this bit here,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24get a few on there, you can see straight off...
0:46:24 > 0:46:27They are heading for it straightaway.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29What are the actually doing here?
0:46:29 > 0:46:31That's actually spraying formic acid.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34- So that's coming out of its abdomen here?- On its lower abdomen, yeah.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37You should be able to actually smell that.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41It does. It smells quite pungent. It's a bit like fish and chips.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43It's like the vinegar.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58Ants' nests make it easy to spot in the forest, but here in Knapdale
0:46:58 > 0:47:02there is another animal that leaves tell-tale signs of its activity.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05The beaver.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09Since 2009, four families of beavers have been reintroduced
0:47:09 > 0:47:11back into this very forest.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13For the first time in 400 years.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17Heading up this reintroduction is
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Simon Jones of the Scottish Beaver Trial.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23- Simon, how are you doing? - Nice to meet you, Ellie. How are you?
0:47:23 > 0:47:26Two years ago, the BBC came here with specialist cameras to try
0:47:26 > 0:47:29and film these elusive, nocturnal animals,
0:47:29 > 0:47:32spending three weeks sitting in the dark, waiting.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36HE YAWNS
0:47:36 > 0:47:39And they got some incredible footage.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47HE LAUGHS
0:47:47 > 0:47:49I got it.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52I found it straight away. It's right here.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59'I've come back to see how they are getting on.'
0:48:08 > 0:48:11There's lots of signs of activity here.
0:48:11 > 0:48:16Yes, this is classic beaver tree felling activity.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Really, it's the only species we would find in the UK that could
0:48:19 > 0:48:22produce something like that.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25If you come across that anywhere in the UK,
0:48:25 > 0:48:27it's definitely beaver activity.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29It always surprises people that they do actually eat this wood,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32- don't they? In the winter, particularly.- Yes.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35Beavers are completely vegetarian, they're herbivorous.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38It's a common misconception that they eat fish. They don't.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40They just eat vegetable matter.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43In the winter, this time of year, what they really need to
0:48:43 > 0:48:47rely on, heavily, is the bark of broadleaf species of trees.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49It's actually not the wood itself that they are after.
0:48:49 > 0:48:54You can see that they spit the hardwood out as they chew through it.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56It's the vascular tissue,
0:48:56 > 0:49:01the tissues within the tree that move the sap up and down
0:49:01 > 0:49:03that's the part of the tree that they're really after,
0:49:03 > 0:49:05as well as the bark.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08They must have impressively strong teeth in order to fell a tree.
0:49:08 > 0:49:13Exactly. Millions of years worth of evolution has really produced
0:49:13 > 0:49:15something that's perfect to deal with wood.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19If we have a look at a beaver skull, and I've got a replica with me here,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21you can see really that the tools of the trade
0:49:21 > 0:49:23are really these incisor teeth.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25You see the front is this sort of bright orange colour,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28and that's cos it's got a really hard enamel.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32Behind it, at the back of the tooth, is this softer, whiter dentine.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36And that erodes at a different rate from the hard enamel.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40So by sharpening the teeth, by grinding the teeth together,
0:49:40 > 0:49:44beavers are able to put on this chisel-like edge.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46- Incredibly sharp edges.- Exactly.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49Does there tend to be more of this type of building
0:49:49 > 0:49:52activity at this time, landscaping in the winter?
0:49:52 > 0:49:54Yeah, well, the beavers spend a lot of time,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57particularly in the late autumn and the early winter,
0:49:57 > 0:50:00getting themselves ready to get through the harsh winter months.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02Tree felling is part of that.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07'All this winter preparation is the work of one beaver family.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10'They have not only felled the trees here for food
0:50:10 > 0:50:12'but also for construction.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16'And further round this lake,
0:50:16 > 0:50:20'is this family's most impressive accomplishment.
0:50:20 > 0:50:21'A beaver dam.'
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Oh, my goodness!
0:50:26 > 0:50:29It must take a huge amount of energy to build these dams.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31So why do they do it?
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Well, beavers fundamentally need water to move around.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38They're not very good on land
0:50:38 > 0:50:41so they swim wherever they can rather than walk.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44They also need to protect the entrance to the lodge.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46They must have an underwater entrance to the lodge,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49so therefore they need a certain depth of water.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52So it's about protecting the lodge and also allowing them
0:50:52 > 0:50:54to swim to places to forage.
0:50:56 > 0:51:01This huge dam is two metres high and 15 metres long
0:51:01 > 0:51:04and, incredibly, it was built by only two beavers.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07It can be life saving.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Elsewhere in the world, like in North America,
0:51:09 > 0:51:13where the water regularly freezes, dams like this
0:51:13 > 0:51:17keep the lake deep enough so they can swim around underneath the ice.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27'But their most important winter survival constructions
0:51:27 > 0:51:30'are the beavers' home or lodge and food store.'
0:51:35 > 0:51:38- It's a really big lodge, isn't it?- Yep.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41People are always surprised how big beaver lodges are.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44This lodge is probably nearly ten metres long now.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47If you include the big food cache that's been built
0:51:47 > 0:51:49here in the autumn and over the winter.
0:51:49 > 0:51:54By maybe five or six metres wide. Maybe 1.5 metres or two metres high.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58So it's a structure that's as big an investment in time
0:51:58 > 0:52:01and energy as a dam is for a beaver family.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03They use the lodge to have offspring,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06but would they also use it for protection from winter weather?
0:52:06 > 0:52:10Yeah, it's the beavers' home and it is protection for everything.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14So, at this time of year, coming into the actual mating season,
0:52:14 > 0:52:17and then later in the spring, obviously, it's the breeding season.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21But in the lead up to winter, critically, like the dams,
0:52:21 > 0:52:24beaver lodges have a lot of work done to them.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26So the beavers will be out in their territory.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30They'll be felling lots of trees. Lots of them will be brought back.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33The top finer parts of the trees will be converted into
0:52:33 > 0:52:35their winter food cache.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38And we can see the finer branchwood that sticks into the water there.
0:52:38 > 0:52:39That's this huge investment.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43This is this larder, this food cache that's designed to see
0:52:43 > 0:52:47the animals through the winter period when weather is really harsh.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49How much warmer is it in the burrows, in these chambers,
0:52:49 > 0:52:51compared to outside temperature?
0:52:51 > 0:52:55It can be up to ten degrees warmer than outside,
0:52:55 > 0:52:57depending on the time of year.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00What it is is quite a stable temperature.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05'All this preparation allows beavers to survive,
0:53:05 > 0:53:08'whatever conditions are thrown at them.'
0:53:10 > 0:53:13In winter, beavers are able to stay safe and warm
0:53:13 > 0:53:16in their insulated lodge,
0:53:16 > 0:53:19opening up vents to let off steam and keep the temperature stable.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26With a close by food-store, which can be accessed even under ice,
0:53:26 > 0:53:28beavers can sit out the winter.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34'But it's not just their lodges, it's also their bodies.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37'And the best way to see that is to study the beaver up close.'
0:53:39 > 0:53:42During the short winter days, the beavers will be in the lodge,
0:53:42 > 0:53:45where it's several degrees warmer than out here.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49But it's at night that they come out to find food.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53'As the beaver project here is a trial, Simon and his team have
0:53:53 > 0:53:56'to monitor the health of the beavers, especially in winter.'
0:53:56 > 0:53:59And this means setting beaver friendly traps to try and catch one
0:53:59 > 0:54:01to give it a check up.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05It also might be my chance to glimpse one up close.
0:54:05 > 0:54:06How do you set this, then, Simon?
0:54:06 > 0:54:09- OK, if you go around to the other side.- Yeah.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12- I'll show you. You put the carrots on the top there.- OK.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16What we're going to do is take the catches, the latches at the end here,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20lift them up and then you're going to slowly bring up their door.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22It's quite heavy. Rest it on the top.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27- Do we need to bait it?- Yes. So we've got some carrots with us today.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30That lures the beaver right into the middle of the trap.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34So if the doors are sprung, then the animal is in the middle of the trap.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36And there's no danger of the animal being caught...
0:54:36 > 0:54:39- By these heavy doors. - By these heavy doors.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43If we now take the door and carefully move it down.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Have you ever caught anything other than a beaver in here?
0:54:45 > 0:54:46We haven't caught any.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49We've certainly had things that go into them.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Pine martens regularly go through them.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55And we've seen birds hopping around them. And deer walk right past them.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Everything that you get in this forest.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00But luckily, no, we've never caught anything else,
0:55:00 > 0:55:03- aside from what they're designed to catch, which is beavers.- Fantastic.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05- Can we see it in action, then? - Yes. Absolutely.
0:55:05 > 0:55:06I'll show you how it works.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09'With the trap set, it's time to test it.'
0:55:11 > 0:55:13- Ah!- And that's it.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16It's really, really loud. It's quick but it's safe.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19And the animal is now in there, it's got something to eat.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21There's nice shelter in there. It's dark in there.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23So the animals tend to just generally curl up for
0:55:23 > 0:55:26a little while in there, until we come and check in the morning.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29- So let's reset it, then, ready for tonight.- Yep.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39All set and ready for tonight.
0:55:39 > 0:55:40Hopefully tomorrow,
0:55:40 > 0:55:43I will get my first glimpse of a truly wild beaver.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05At first light, I head back to the trap with Simon
0:56:05 > 0:56:07and his team to check the trap.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18The trap has been sprung, and sure enough,
0:56:18 > 0:56:21there is a beaver inside.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28This is a wild animal and it is vital that the team
0:56:28 > 0:56:30work quickly and quietly to get the data
0:56:30 > 0:56:33without causing any unnecessary stress to the beaver.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45(So this is an annual event for each beaver?)
0:56:45 > 0:56:49Yeah, we try and trap every animal every year and then, over time,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52we can start to build up a picture of their body condition,
0:56:52 > 0:56:56and how that changes through the five-year period of the trial.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59So what Roisin and Rob are doing here now is,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02we start by taking tail measurements.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04And tail measurements are particularly important.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07Tails are a bit like the health indicator of beavers.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11So by measuring the length, the width and the thickness, you can
0:57:11 > 0:57:16calculate the body condition and how much fat has been stored in the tail.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19And in the winter, that's a particularly important thing.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22And after, when they've finished doing the tail measurement,
0:57:22 > 0:57:25they'll also maybe take a sample, maybe a faecal sample,
0:57:25 > 0:57:27sometimes we take blood samples as well.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30And that gives us more information that can go for analysis
0:57:30 > 0:57:33back at the lab to tell us what a beaver's eating,
0:57:33 > 0:57:35what its hormone levels are like,
0:57:35 > 0:57:38and what its general health condition is as well.
0:57:38 > 0:57:42And then the final step in the process is, when that's been done,
0:57:42 > 0:57:46we will generally weigh the animal before the release.
0:57:48 > 0:57:52'The check up is complete and this beaver is fit and healthy enough
0:57:52 > 0:57:55'to be released back into the water.'
0:57:55 > 0:57:58- Trap him for a bit.- OK.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17That's my first up-close encounter with a wild beaver.
0:58:17 > 0:58:19It was amazing to be as close.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22The tail was really quite thick at the base,
0:58:22 > 0:58:26just showing how well it is, and how ready it is for winter.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29And now to see it disappear off into the wild is a joy.
0:58:56 > 0:58:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd