0:00:02 > 0:00:05When people talk about British wildlife, they're usually focusing on what you find in the countryside.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07But wildlife is everywhere -
0:00:07 > 0:00:11it's even in our towns, cities and industrial heartlands.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13You just have to explore The Urban Jungle.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Coming up - sealed and delivered.
0:00:36 > 0:00:42The first ever footage of a harbour seal pup being born in the North.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46It's buzzing on Tyneside, where I'm otter hunting and deer-stalking.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52And the sounds of wildlife from dawn till dark.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54RAPID CLICKING
0:00:54 > 0:00:55- Wow!- Yeah.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03There are some parts of God's not-so-green earth
0:01:03 > 0:01:08where you just couldn't imagine animals being able to survive, let alone thrive.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10But as Hannah Bayman explains,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13wildlife can roll with the wheels of industry.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Industrial Teesside.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Not somewhere you'd expect to find a lot of wildlife.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30But don't be put off by the unflattering skyline,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33because here, between Middlesbrough and Hartlepool,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Seal Sands really is worth a visit.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39At one time, there were around 1,000 seals at this nature reserve,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43but rising pollution levels from the heavy industry meant
0:01:43 > 0:01:45there were none to be seen by the 1930s,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50before a clean-up in the '80s brought the seals back.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00These just aren't the kind of surroundings
0:02:00 > 0:02:02where you'd expect to find a thriving seal colony, are they?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Absolutely. We think this is probably
0:02:04 > 0:02:07the only population in north-west Europe
0:02:07 > 0:02:12where seals have disappeared from an estuary, come back and recolonised.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19The seals make regular trips under the main road at Greatham Creek,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22where you can see them chilling out on the mud flats.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27Right now, we're in the middle of the pupping season for the harbour seals,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30also known as common seals.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34So far we've got, we think, nine harbour seal pups.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37We're hoping to beat last year's record, which was 18.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40So what would it tell you if there were plenty of pups born this year?
0:02:40 > 0:02:44The key factor about this population is that it co-exists
0:02:44 > 0:02:48so successfully with the industrial backdrop.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52A continuing increase in numbers gives me a good indication about
0:02:52 > 0:02:55the positive health of the River Tees.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59So at the moment the volunteers who monitor this colony are working
0:02:59 > 0:03:03harder than ever. Linda Watson co-ordinates the team
0:03:03 > 0:03:05and I am the latest name on her rota.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13This one over there, I think she might be due to pup.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15She looks really big.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19She's gone off on her own as well.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Yes, that's is a definite sign, once they've gone on their own.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Yeah. Shall I make a note of that?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Yeah, yeah, you can do.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And soon this becomes a very noteworthy moment
0:03:34 > 0:03:37as the pup begins to emerge.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45This is the first time a common seal,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49which, confusingly, are actually less common than grey seals,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52has been filmed giving birth in the North of England.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03I cannot believe we have just seen that. How do you feel?
0:04:03 > 0:04:08Oh! Elated, fantastic. It's just...
0:04:08 > 0:04:11All the years I've done it,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15I've almost seen it, but to actually watch her give birth there,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I'll never forget it. I won't
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Just loved it.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23A perfect moment in your life. It's made it all worthwhile.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- A great feeling.- It certainly is.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30As pups gain half a kilo a day,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33it won't be long till it's able to fend for itself.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38I feel really privileged to have seen that today.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42I come down here quite a lot and it always amazes me
0:04:42 > 0:04:47that, by a busy road, near all of this heavy industry, you can get such
0:04:47 > 0:04:52a brilliant of view of one of Britain's largest and most charismatic mammals.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Seals aren't the only wildlife success story on the Tees Estuary.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09You might have seen it before,
0:05:09 > 0:05:14but do you recognise the species on the RSPB's logo?
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It's an avocet, immediately recognisable
0:05:19 > 0:05:23because of its thin, upcurved beak, and long blue legs.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28They sweep through the mud, just filtering out tiny invertebrates.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Oh, yes! It is like a little shovel.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31It is, yes.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Avocets returned to Great Britain in the mid- 20th century
0:05:34 > 0:05:38after being extinct here for 100 years.
0:05:38 > 0:05:4030 years ago, when we used to get the odd one,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43everybody on Teesside came down to see it.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Now virtually everybody can come and see them.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51That's because in 2008, avocets were found nesting here for the first time
0:05:51 > 0:05:56when two pairs were spotted at a chemical plant on this saline lagoon,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59created for the benefit of local wildlife.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03It gives you hope for the future.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08One of the most charismatic birds in Britain, nesting here on industrial land in Teesside.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Sandwiched between an industrial estate,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17the A19 and a sewage works, Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve
0:06:17 > 0:06:19is another unlikely wildlife haven on Teesside.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25It's home to some rare species of butterfly,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and strangely, spoil from the industry that once occupied
0:06:28 > 0:06:31brownfield sites like this, helps them to thrive.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35What makes it so attractive to butterflies?
0:06:35 > 0:06:36Well, it's partly the dryness,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39partly the stoniness, and there's lots of limestone,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42these white coloured bits of stone kicking about,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45just ideal conditions for butterflies to breed in.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50One species that is rare across the UK but can be found here
0:06:50 > 0:06:54because of these very conditions, is the dingy skipper.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55Beautiful markings.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Absolutely splendid one, this.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Today I'm helping Dave and a group of volunteers,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04who, as well as surveying butterflies to establish populations,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07maintain areas like this for all the wildlife.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Young people these days spend a lot of time indoors
0:07:10 > 0:07:12watching television and playing computer games.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17We want to encourage them to move away from screen time to wild time.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21- What would you say to other people thinking of volunteering?- Go for it.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25It's a brilliant experience. The people are fantastic.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28I was concerned, thinking they would be all experts
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and I'm going to be like, what am I going to do?
0:07:30 > 0:07:34But they have been so welcoming, I would recommend it to anyone.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40So we have plenty of spotters, but on a hot day like this,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43there is only one way to get a good long look at a dingy skipper.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49It is time to put my dubious tennis skills to good use.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53You're actually trying to, rather like Roger Federer,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- swish it along in the net.- Right.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56There's a dingy skipper, look!
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Oh, yes!- Now's your chance.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03No!
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Next time, try swinging your net a little bit quicker.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07It's on that stone at now.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12No... He's back again.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13There he is.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Oh, there's two!
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Quick, that's it, close the net! That's it!
0:08:17 > 0:08:19I think you've got them.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20Yay!
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Have I got both of them?
0:08:22 > 0:08:23You've got one of them, at least.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26- Oh, yeah, wow! - I'm very impressed with that!
0:08:26 > 0:08:28HANNAH LAUGHS
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Butterflies like this one live here
0:08:31 > 0:08:35because of this specific land's industrial past.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39More generally, Teesside is a wonderful example
0:08:39 > 0:08:41of how, with the right intentions and management,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45wildlife and urban life can happily co-exist.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51To quote a Muhammad Ali, from floating like a butterfly
0:08:51 > 0:08:53to stinging like a bee, hopefully without the stinging,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56I'm off to meet some of wildlife's city slickers.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Northumberland Street, Newcastle.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Home to more than 50 retailers,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06it's the must-visit destinations for city shoppers.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10And up above one of Britain's largest department stores, it's really buzzing.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14MUSIC: "Rock'n'roll Star" by Oasis
0:09:14 > 0:09:15# But there's no easy way out...
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Ian, hello. What are all these bees doing here?
0:09:21 > 0:09:25They are bringing in honey and also improving the environment
0:09:25 > 0:09:27throughout central Newcastle and Gateshead.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30How did this come about as an idea, then?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33I know that there are bees on the roof of the Paris Opera House
0:09:33 > 0:09:34and also a large store in central London.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I thought, if it's good enough for them, it's certainly good enough
0:09:37 > 0:09:38for the folks of Tyneside.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Ian's bees make around 500 jars of honey a year.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44A lot depends on the weather.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46We can see the honey capped off with wax,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49which makes it airtight, which helps preserve it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51So that's the honey we'll be taking off.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55If it means I might get to be a taste tester, I'm happy to help.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Scoop through as much of that as you can get into, into here.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59What, literally in here?
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Cut through it, yes, with a spoon. Go on, dig in.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Dig in. Right through.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Oh, my gosh, look at that. Easy. Wonderful! Oh, my word!
0:10:07 > 0:10:09There you go, right?
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Are they going to be angry that I'm taking this?
0:10:11 > 0:10:13No, you'll be fine.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Really amazing stuff, isn't it?
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Remember, one bee makes one half of one teaspoon in her entire life.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22But to make honey, and for nutrition,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25they need lots of pollen and nectar.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27The problem for these city centre bees
0:10:27 > 0:10:30is the length of their journey to get it.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33They head from here up on the department store roof...
0:10:36 > 0:10:39..to different parks like this one in Gateshead
0:10:39 > 0:10:41which are all about a three-mile trek away.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46That's because the bee can't always fly as the crow flies.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50# So glad to meet you
0:10:50 > 0:10:54# The long way round... #
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Ian, why are the bees travelling this long way round?
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Simply, the bees don't like flying over water.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03They can, but they prefer not to because the reflection
0:11:03 > 0:11:05of the sun, which they navigate by, confuses them.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08They prefer to fly along the bank of the river till they come to
0:11:08 > 0:11:11something non-reflective, like a bridge, like the Tyne Bridge,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14fly over the bridge, and carry on flying from there.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17A bit longer but it means they navigate more accurately.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22Bees would rather go across on a bridge, like we would?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Absolutely. It's so much easier for them on the navigation.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Something is being done to stop this journey from hell for them.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Yes, the city council are planting
0:11:30 > 0:11:33a bee-friendly meadow at the top of Northumberland Street,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36which will mean the bees won't have anywhere near as far to commute
0:11:36 > 0:11:39to pick up and collect their pollen and their nectar.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46And here it is, the meadow at the end of Northumberland Street,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49which looks to me like a flower bed in a park.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51It is, to a degree, but it's the wild flowers,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53it's the flowers they're using.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56You see those cranesbills going back, the lavender will then come on
0:11:56 > 0:11:59and provide a chain of supply and for the bees.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01There's one of the bees already on here.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03So these bees not having to tire themselves out
0:12:03 > 0:12:07with a long-haul flight, which, let's face it, no insect needs,
0:12:07 > 0:12:08is good news for them.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12I've come prepared, brought my own spoon.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17And because it'll help them make more of this stuff, it's good news for us, too.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21I am not even kidding, that is delicious!
0:12:21 > 0:12:24And you brought your own spoon, didn't you?
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Sorry about that, I will have to take that as well.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28I can only apologise!
0:12:31 > 0:12:33SCHOOL BELL RINGS
0:12:33 > 0:12:36At my school, all we had was a pet goldfish, but the kids
0:12:36 > 0:12:38here at Kingston Park Primary in Newcastle
0:12:38 > 0:12:42have acquired one that's much bigger and much more interesting.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49This is Kingston the roe deer, who's set up home in the school grounds.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Tell me about Kingston. When did he turn up?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54We have had him about a year, I think,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56and he's been living in the woods around the school.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59He must be a talking point.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Absolutely, we did think about having him as our school mascot
0:13:02 > 0:13:04and maybe putting him on our school jumper,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08but no, he's a special part of the school, an extra pupil.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Kingston-watch has become something of a school hobby -
0:13:13 > 0:13:14out of lesson time, of course!
0:13:17 > 0:13:18(Hi, guys.)
0:13:19 > 0:13:21(Any clue where he is?)
0:13:24 > 0:13:26There he is! There he is!
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Did you see him? Keep still!
0:13:28 > 0:13:31There he is, everyone. Look at him!
0:13:34 > 0:13:37There he goes. Look!
0:13:37 > 0:13:38He's fast, isn't he?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46We've just seen Kingston - what was it like?
0:13:46 > 0:13:49It was really exciting and cool
0:13:49 > 0:13:52because we see him quite often, but not that close up.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57The only place I'd see a deer'd probably be in a zoo or something.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59It is amazing, having him in our school.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01It's like, no other school has a deer.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03We're trying to grow vegetables
0:14:03 > 0:14:05but he keeps on going down and eating them!
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Look at him go!
0:14:17 > 0:14:18He's ran into the forest!
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I think he lives in there.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22That was a good, long run, wasn't it?
0:14:24 > 0:14:26The River Tyne.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29At one time you'd be more likely to see shopping trolleys
0:14:29 > 0:14:33than interesting wildlife here, but not any more.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36One of the most elusive creatures that lives on the Tyne
0:14:36 > 0:14:40is the otter, and today, fingers crossed, I am hoping to see one.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Just over 30 years ago, otters were on the brink of extinction
0:14:45 > 0:14:48in the UK, but a national clean-up of our waterways
0:14:48 > 0:14:52has led to a resurgence, and they've even hit the big cities.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Scouring the river here. How likely is it we'll see an otter?
0:14:57 > 0:14:59You know, unlikely, but you never know.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03It is a secretive animal but it is here and they are not nocturnal
0:15:03 > 0:15:05as everybody expects them to be.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Why are they so difficult to spot?
0:15:07 > 0:15:11I think in some respects, otters don't want to be seen.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15But the key thing is there are never very many otters.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19They have a large range in terms of where males and females live.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24It can be 12, 13, 14 miles, along the length of the river,
0:15:24 > 0:15:25that they're on.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30It is an awful lot of space for three or four animals to hide in.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32But today isn't just about otter-spotting.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36I am excited about helping Kevin with some vital, scientific
0:15:36 > 0:15:40otter research. Or at least, I WAS excited(!)
0:15:40 > 0:15:43How can you be sure that that is actually otter poo?
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Erm, two things. The smell is very distinctive, for an otter.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50It's not strictly offensive,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53it just smells a bit like crab paste, fishy stuff.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Basically, that's what's inside it, what it is, just fish bones.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59We're going to collect this mucussy stuff, then?
0:15:59 > 0:16:00Yes, this is where you come in.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- You're going to collect this. Got you a nice little packet.- Oh, joy(!)
0:16:04 > 0:16:08You just scrape, in that sort of fashion.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Here's a career high!
0:16:11 > 0:16:14I am glad of the stick. Is there a purpose to it?
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Yes, just to avoid cross-contamination, really.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20So that none of my DNA ends up in their...?
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Yes, it's only pure otter we want, not yours!
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- I've got it twice.- There you go.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Oh, look at that.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29- And you can see, clearly... - I can, I can see!
0:16:29 > 0:16:33- Lots of fish remains in there. - Look at that - fishbones.- Yeah.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34So that will go back to a lab?
0:16:34 > 0:16:37What sort of information will you get from here?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Well, the DNA information we'll get from it
0:16:39 > 0:16:41will tell us the sex of the animal,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43its relationship to the next animal that we find.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46So the numbers we collect over the next period of time will
0:16:46 > 0:16:50indicate brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and numbers.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52That's an important sample. Really good.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54We haven't really done this before.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55We're not sure what we're going to find.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59So there you go, otter poo in a bag.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Wildlife volunteering is enjoyable but it's not always glamorous!
0:17:03 > 0:17:09As our search continues, we find less smelly evidence of otter activity, just away from the river.
0:17:09 > 0:17:15When you see a very clear otter print in the mud, it looks like a baby's handprint. It does.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16It's one of those things.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19You might be just taking a walk along the river
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and if you just slightly detour off, and you're careful, and you look...
0:17:22 > 0:17:23Yes.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27And there are more otter tracks
0:17:27 > 0:17:30leading out of the water to an animal.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34But it's just an indication of what powerful predators they are.
0:17:34 > 0:17:40You are seeing perhaps the darker side of the otter. That was a swan.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47There is nothing to say that an otter wouldn't have killed that,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50if the otter is there and it's hungry, that's what'll happen.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So unfortunately, no otter sightings for us,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58despite a full day's searching.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00But they're definitely here on the Tyne.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Kevin even has video evidence.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06We have footage of them on the jetty that we're on.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10They drag their backsides across the ground to leave a scent
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and at the same time you hear them farting as well
0:18:12 > 0:18:13when they go to the loo.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15That is the way they talk to each other.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18They leave smells behind and they do it in all manner of ways.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Sounds to me just like your standard bloke!
0:18:23 > 0:18:27If what you've seen so far has whetted your wildlife appetite,
0:18:27 > 0:18:33there's lots of info and tips on our website -
0:18:33 > 0:18:37And you can head to Teesside and see the seals
0:18:37 > 0:18:40or maybe down here to the Tyne to try and spot an otter.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Even if you don't manage to catch a glimpse of the animals
0:18:51 > 0:18:52you were really hoping to see,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56sometimes the sounds of wildlife can be as interesting in themselves.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Just ask Chris Watson.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02He is a BAFTA-winning television sound recordist who spent years
0:19:02 > 0:19:04working with David Attenborough.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06VARIED BIRDSONG
0:19:08 > 0:19:12I've always been fascinated by the sounds of nature.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17And just a mile south of Carlisle city centre,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21there's plenty to see and hear in this picturesque cemetery.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30It's even won awards for the environment it provides for wildlife and visitors.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40So what I want to experience here
0:19:40 > 0:19:45is nature's most wonderful soundscape, the dawn chorus.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58And that means a very early start!
0:19:58 > 0:20:00OK, it is just after 3am.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Conditions are perfect. It's quite calm.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I'm setting up three sets of microphones
0:20:07 > 0:20:10in different parts of the cemetery.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14It's a really good location because there's lots of mature trees
0:20:14 > 0:20:17here, and some very good ground cover.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21So I'll get ground nesting birds, and also, arboreal birds as well.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24I woke this morning with a fantastic sense of anticipation.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28I plugged the microphones in, put my headphones on and listened,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30see if there is actually anything there!
0:20:32 > 0:20:35CHIRPING
0:20:35 > 0:20:37(OK, it's 3:16am.)
0:20:37 > 0:20:41(I've just plugged in and the first bird to sing is a robin.)
0:20:43 > 0:20:45(This is a long way off.)
0:20:45 > 0:20:49(That it is the first solo of what will be the dawn chorus.)
0:20:50 > 0:20:52BIRDS SING
0:20:54 > 0:20:56HE LAUGHS
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I get to travel a lot, with my work as a wildlife sound recordist,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04around the world, but I am definitely of the opinion
0:21:04 > 0:21:07that our latitude, 55 degrees North,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11we've got the very best dawn chorus anywhere in the world,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15between March and June. This is proving it now.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16CHORUS AND SQUAWKING
0:21:19 > 0:21:22I've just heard a heron so I don't know if they're nesting
0:21:22 > 0:21:27in some of these larger trees nearby, this huge squawk of a heron.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36I can hear a chiffchaff singing nearby
0:21:36 > 0:21:41and I want to record its distinctive song with a parabolic reflector.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46It's ideal for picking up individual birds singing in trees.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50That is a really good recording, really close up.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54A very simple song, chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff, onomatopoeic.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Adjacent to that chiffchaff,
0:21:58 > 0:22:03which is a migrant, is a resident bird singing, a chaffinch.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07What's evident and interesting is that the these two birds,
0:22:07 > 0:22:12the chiffchaff and chaffinch, are singing side-by-side as part of the chorus.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26That's it, that's the dawn chorus concluded for this morning.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28And what an amazing experience.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Incredible outpouring of song. And some surprises.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36I didn't expect to hear the heron calling. They must be nesting.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40It just goes to show if you want to experience some of the most amazing
0:22:40 > 0:22:45wildlife sounds and song anywhere in the world, all you have to do
0:22:45 > 0:22:50sometimes is put your head out of the bedroom window at 4:30am and listen.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57From early morning in Carlisle Cemetery...
0:23:03 > 0:23:07..to early evening at the spectacular Durham Cathedral.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Once voted the nation's best loved building.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20But it's home to a less popular flying mammal,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22for whom sound is all-important.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Here in the cloisters, there can be up to 600 bats.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35As creatures of the night, often linked with Count Dracula,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37bats are feared by many.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40But not the Durham Bat Group,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44who are here on hand to rescue cathedral casualties.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46BELLS RING
0:23:46 > 0:23:48This site here does have a lot of juvenile bats,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52six to eight weeks old, who have just left their mothers.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Just like teenagers.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57They go out on their own for too long and get tired and basically just crash out.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01It is just a case of giving them a drink or something to eat
0:24:01 > 0:24:02and they'll fly off quite happily.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And this is a common pipistrelle?
0:24:04 > 0:24:10- Yes. This one is actually called Barry.- Barry the Bat!
0:24:10 > 0:24:16Barry needs some grub. Mealworms are on the menu, and I'm the waiter.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17See how the mouth opens.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20Look how beautiful.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25BAT CLICKS FAINTLY
0:24:26 > 0:24:28You can hear that clicking.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32What fascinates me is how bats see with sound.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Contrary to popular belief, their eyesight is good
0:24:35 > 0:24:38but to find their way around in the dark
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and catch up to 3,000 midges a night,
0:24:41 > 0:24:46they use echolocation, bouncing these calls off their surroundings.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49What's great for me as a sound recordist is to get
0:24:49 > 0:24:52such privileged close-up views of an animal such as this
0:24:52 > 0:24:57and to see its head and ear and face structure
0:24:57 > 0:25:00and just see how it's evolved with echolocation.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04- Is it OK just to touch his fur? - Yes, it's fine.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Incredibly small. Warm as well. Warm-blooded animal.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09He's actually vibrating at the moment, his ears.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Vibrating. It is sending out echolocation.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Barry will be up and flying again soon.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23But we can see his friends in the cloisters with an infrared camera.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27We can't hear their echolocation calls
0:25:27 > 0:25:31because they're at a frequency well above our hearing range,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35but we can tune in to them using a bat detector.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36RAPID CLICKING
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Whoa!
0:25:37 > 0:25:41So what we have here is a common pipistrelle bat flying past us
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and each of those clicks you can hear is a separate shout.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47It's using that to find its way around.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51It's bouncing sounds of the walls, bouncing sound off me and you
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and hopefully off some insects, which it will catch.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58What I love about this device is that, with it off,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02it is a calm, quiet, peaceful evening here in the cloisters
0:26:02 > 0:26:05but you turn it on...
0:26:05 > 0:26:08And there you go. It opens up a whole new world
0:26:08 > 0:26:10of what the bats are hearing, really.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12If we could hear those bats, it would probably deafen us.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15You can hear something called a feeding buzz on there
0:26:15 > 0:26:17where the bat is actually homing in on an insect.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19The call gets faster and faster
0:26:19 > 0:26:21and it sounds like it's blowing a raspberry.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26The insect has bitten the dust. It's caught one.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28CLICKING SPEEDS UP
0:26:28 > 0:26:30There you go.
0:26:36 > 0:26:42The Durham Bat Group organise bat walks around the cathedral grounds for volunteers.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46I'm a real townie.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51Up until 30, the only bat I knew was probably Christopher Lee!
0:26:51 > 0:26:55You do not realise how interesting they are until you get into it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57You can hear them and you can't see them.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00There is that mystery, and it pulls them out of the darkness.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04It opens up a world that we can't see, usually.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07When you hear that raspberry for the first time...
0:27:07 > 0:27:10HE IMITATES SOUND FROM BAT DETECTOR
0:27:10 > 0:27:12You did it! That was a good impression!
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- I thought there was a bat above your head!- No!
0:27:15 > 0:27:19There are 18 different species of bat in the UK
0:27:19 > 0:27:23and down by the River Wear, it's Daubenton's that are most common.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28There we go, Daubenton's.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- Daubenton's. - Absolutely, yeah.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Daubenton's, also known as water bats,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37echolocate at lower frequencies than pipistrelles
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and there are subtle differences heard on the bat detector.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42RAPID CLICKING
0:27:42 > 0:27:44A bit like bacon frying, sizzling.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47A bit of a spitty tone to it.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Really sort of rapid machine gun-like clicks, as well.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52That's it exactly. A rapid machine gun.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56These Daubenton's bats are feeding a few centimetres above the water.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Absolutely. Close enough to get insects on the surface
0:28:01 > 0:28:02with their back feet.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09For the bat walkers, it's a great opportunity
0:28:09 > 0:28:13to experience these mysterious, intelligent animals.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18For me, it is a fantastic chance to indulge my favourite activity,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21eavesdropping on the sounds of the natural world.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25BAT DETECTOR CLICKS
0:28:25 > 0:28:29And Chris is a man that's filmed wildlife at both poles of the earth,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32getting excited about it here in the North East.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34So there is no excuse for you.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Even if you don't live in the countryside,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39you can find fascinating wildlife all around you.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd