:00:04. > :00:08.half hour Sam and I will be travelling the length and breadth of
:00:08. > :00:14.the South West to show you the extraordinary range of wildlife we
:00:14. > :00:17.have in our towns and cities. It's literally on our doorsteps. We'll be
:00:17. > :00:20.meeting the passionate people and volunteers that are working hard to
:00:20. > :00:30.transform some of our most valuable wildlife places and showing you how
:00:30. > :00:30.
:00:30. > :00:36.over Exeter with some of our most exciting birds of prey. I'm pretty
:00:36. > :00:43.happy with that, that was pretty special. And meeting Cornwall's show
:00:43. > :00:47.stopping waterfowl. And I'll be exploring Plymouth's green spaces.
:00:47. > :00:56.Are you ready to go bughunting? Yeah! Uncovering the hidden
:00:56. > :01:06.creatures that live among us. Long spidery legs. Wolf spider. All that
:01:06. > :01:20.
:01:20. > :01:24.Britain's oldest canal in the historic city of Exeter. Built by
:01:24. > :01:27.the Romans in 40AD as their most Westerly outpost. It was favoured by
:01:27. > :01:31.them because it had a river, an important feature for any
:01:31. > :01:35.civilization. It now has a population of 120,000 and growing
:01:35. > :01:45.but, as I found out, it's not just a desirable place for people to live,
:01:45. > :01:47.some surprising wildlife has also settled in. In Exeter is a
:01:47. > :01:51.well-connected city. Laying just off the motorway network
:01:51. > :01:56.it is a real transport hub. It is also a hub for city wildlife and
:01:56. > :02:06.just a stones throw from the M5 is an unlikely refuge that I am keen to
:02:06. > :02:07.
:02:07. > :02:11.treatment works, it is unlikely to be anywhere near the top of anyone's
:02:11. > :02:15.wildlife hotspot list, however, behind it are the old sludge beds. I
:02:15. > :02:25.know it does not sound much better, the word sludgebeds, but where once
:02:25. > :02:27.
:02:27. > :02:30.the city's sewage was finally broken down, there exists a wildlife oasis.
:02:30. > :02:33.These sewage settlement lagoons were abandoned in 1969 and taken over by
:02:33. > :02:43.Devon Wildlife Trust. They've allowed it to revert to a natural
:02:43. > :02:53.
:02:53. > :02:59.wetland habitat. Ed Hopkinson is the reserve's warden. An in. You have
:03:00. > :03:04.open water down there, but the rest of it is redeveloped and wetland. I
:03:04. > :03:10.have never actually been here. I have passed it that way and on the
:03:10. > :03:15.motorway, but I have never been in the middle like this. It is a nice
:03:15. > :03:21.spot. What are the highlights?Reed beds are actually quite species
:03:21. > :03:28.poor, but there is an awful lot hidden in there. They are secretive
:03:28. > :03:31.places with watercolours of various tape.
:03:31. > :03:35.Although its kept wet all year round, access through the reserve is
:03:35. > :03:45.made possible by a series of boardwalks. They are maintained by a
:03:45. > :03:58.
:03:58. > :04:03.in new boardwalks. Why do you do this? I don't know! We must be mad,
:04:03. > :04:09.but that is the same with a lot of people in conservation. It is when
:04:09. > :04:13.you see the wider benefit of the -- of this, we are only seeing it now.
:04:13. > :04:16.You think, what difference does it make? And you come to a site like
:04:16. > :04:22.this and you hear the birds and CD flowers and all the butterflies and
:04:23. > :04:26.things like that. It is one of the most positive ways that people can
:04:26. > :04:30.help. To volunteer their time. Thanks to their hard you can get up
:04:30. > :04:34.close and personal with some wonderful wildlife. Like these wasps
:04:34. > :04:40.building their nest in the sludge. What they've done is chewed up some
:04:40. > :04:50.dead wood fibres and they're laying them down like a rough paper Mache.
:04:50. > :04:53.
:04:53. > :04:57.This tortoiseshell butterfly is When it comes to spotting birds it
:04:57. > :05:02.is great to be able to put a name to what you see. That can seem
:05:02. > :05:05.intimidating but a few basic tips will get you well on your way.
:05:05. > :05:09.Firstly get yourself a pair of binoculars. Top tip when you're
:05:09. > :05:16.using binoculars, once you have them set up properly, make sure distance
:05:16. > :05:23.between those is right for you. Then move barrels apart until you get a
:05:23. > :05:28.nice clearly defined circle. None of this business, where you have two
:05:28. > :05:32.circles overlapping, not James Bond view of the world. Once you've got
:05:32. > :05:36.that set up its just a case of getting them on the bird. Another
:05:36. > :05:41.tip, look at the bird, but don't go down to your binoculars and lift
:05:41. > :05:47.them up. Stay looking at the bird and just lift the binoculars up to
:05:47. > :05:51.your eyes. There it is. Absolutely brilliant. Then you just enjoy it
:05:51. > :05:54.and I bet you you'll have a mobile phone on your hip. What's wonderful
:05:54. > :05:59.about these things is that you can get little apps which are
:05:59. > :06:02.effectively massive, big bird guides full of information. There are all
:06:02. > :06:12.round brilliant multi-media bird guids, relatively cheap, sit on your
:06:12. > :06:13.
:06:13. > :06:19.hip until you need them. -- multimedia bird gates. Right let's
:06:19. > :06:29.get busy. We've also got easy to use bird guides on our website,
:06:29. > :06:32.
:06:32. > :06:37.The Sludgebeds have been an insight into how our industrial landscapes
:06:37. > :06:40.can be transformed into wildlife habitats. But I'm leaving them
:06:40. > :06:44.behind now andheading into Exeter city centre because I'm hoping to
:06:44. > :06:54.catch a glimpse of a family that have moved into another unlikely
:06:54. > :06:58.
:06:58. > :07:04.This is St Michael's and All Angels church and as you can see it is slap
:07:05. > :07:09.bang in the middle of town. And just up there in the middle window at the
:07:09. > :07:12.base of the spire is something very special. It is not just about
:07:12. > :07:17.angels. There is a couple of peregrine falcons nesting there,
:07:17. > :07:22.they have a family. This means that shopping in Exeter, as far as I'm
:07:22. > :07:26.concerned, is never, ever dull. I'm meeting an expert on these birds,
:07:26. > :07:36.and as it happens an old birding friend of mine, Nick Dixon. He's
:07:36. > :07:38.
:07:38. > :07:44.been watching the Peregrines here every week for the past 16 years.
:07:44. > :07:49.The 3rd of June 1997 was the last time you and I were here. You keep
:07:49. > :07:57.coming back! I do! That June was the first year I -- the first year the
:07:57. > :08:02.bread, I have come back on a weekly basis recovering fallen creatives.
:08:02. > :08:07.There is very little that is actually safe from the wood pigeon
:08:07. > :08:14.size in Wheatstone to some of the smallest wall blows that are not
:08:14. > :08:19.potential prey. Make is not the only one hooked on the pelicans, Lizzie
:08:19. > :08:27.lives opposite the church and keeps an eye on them from her front room.
:08:28. > :08:32.I am very jealous. Echoes a great view. Do you watch soap operas is on
:08:32. > :08:35.TV or just look out the window? don't want any soap opera 's!
:08:35. > :08:38.Lizzie doesn't just watch the birds antics outside the church - she's
:08:38. > :08:47.also been following their progress from inside, thanks to a webcam on
:08:48. > :08:53.the nest. I have been dashing to the church twice per week, downloading
:08:53. > :08:55.to end a half hours of footage each time. There is great stuff on there.
:08:55. > :09:03.The webcam footage shows both parents tirelessly bringing the
:09:03. > :09:06.hungry chicks food, round the clock. But now the young birds are out of
:09:06. > :09:09.the nest box, fully fledged and learning to fend for themselves. The
:09:09. > :09:19.sky is their playground and their playful displays are a treat to
:09:19. > :09:32.
:09:32. > :09:41.Peregrines are cooling machines. And as we're watching, we see something
:09:41. > :09:44.incredibly rare. We are getting into the sticks there. See you after!
:09:44. > :09:54.The adult pair launch a coordinated attack on a hapless buzzard. I've
:09:54. > :09:56.
:09:56. > :10:02.never seen anythinglike this before. That was pretty impressive. It was
:10:02. > :10:09.good that you saw it, people get the impression we make this up! Why are
:10:09. > :10:15.they doing it? A buzzard is not a create, it is a big bird. This is
:10:15. > :10:22.territorial spree -- a territorial display. The peregrines are at their
:10:22. > :10:28.most aggressive, they are keeping the sky clear for their young.
:10:28. > :10:30.was pretty special. And to see it in -- in the middle of the city.
:10:30. > :10:32.Impressive. Exeter's been full of surprises.
:10:32. > :10:36.I've witnessed some incredibly rare peregrine behaviour and seen the
:10:36. > :10:39.abundance of species that have moved back into the old sludge beds. It is
:10:39. > :10:49.proof that cities can offer unusual opportunities for wildlife to
:10:49. > :10:53.
:10:53. > :10:56.Urban reserves like Exeter's sludge beds are important stepping stones
:10:56. > :11:02.for wildlife, providing routes to get to, through and beyond our
:11:02. > :11:05.cities. But our parks, allotments and gardens are vital too. For us,
:11:05. > :11:11.they're a place to relax or like the volunteers here at Devonport Park
:11:11. > :11:14.you can roll your sleeves up and get stuck in. But, when it comes to city
:11:14. > :11:18.wildlife, it's sometimeswhat you don't do that makes all the
:11:18. > :11:28.difference. I spent a day in Plymouth's green spaces finding out
:11:28. > :11:30.
:11:30. > :11:33.that a little untidiness can go a Early morning in central Plymouth.
:11:33. > :11:37.And before most of us start our daily commute, the city's
:11:37. > :11:40.fine-feathered residents are already up and in full voice. I'm at Ford
:11:40. > :11:50.Park Cemetery with some of Plymouth's early risers to soak up
:11:50. > :12:00.
:12:00. > :12:03.the sounds of the dawn chorus. This is a place you'd usually associate
:12:03. > :12:11.with quiet contemplation. But in the natural world the cemetery is alive
:12:11. > :12:21.with activity. Running the tour is the Chairman of
:12:21. > :12:22.
:12:22. > :12:25.Ford Park Cemetery trust, John Boon. I can hear jackdaw performing again.
:12:25. > :12:35.He wants to show people the surprising variety of birds we have
:12:35. > :12:35.
:12:35. > :12:45.right in the middle of town. There is a challenge over there. It has a
:12:45. > :12:48.
:12:48. > :12:55.very chunky cold, just like that. -- very chunky cold. Whistling. They
:12:55. > :13:03.are starting at different times. Have you heard a blackbird?
:13:03. > :13:12.haven't. That is the wood pigeon queueing away. I don't know if you
:13:12. > :13:22.can hear it, the one over there. I think he has the Napoleon syndrome,
:13:22. > :13:23.
:13:23. > :13:27.probably. Sometimes it seems a bit like all sound, all of these
:13:27. > :13:37.different calls, but with practice you can pick up the song of the
:13:37. > :13:38.
:13:38. > :13:44.blackbird, the rent, not the rent on this occasion! There it is. It's
:13:44. > :13:51.just these that little bit of practice, just to get out in the
:13:51. > :14:00.morning. If you get out early it is the reward, that stillness and then
:14:00. > :14:03.gradually the song starts. When it first opened In 1848 the
:14:03. > :14:06.Cemetery would have been on the outskirts of the city surrounded by
:14:06. > :14:10.farm land. Today urban life has wrapped itself around thesite, but
:14:10. > :14:18.the 34 acres within the cemetery walls remain a peaceful haven.
:14:18. > :14:22.trust has it difficult balancing act between the deafening expectations
:14:22. > :14:27.of people. This is a cemetery but at the same time we tried to treat
:14:27. > :14:31.nature sympathetically. So there is nothing a reverent about trying
:14:31. > :14:36.this, trying to create something else here. This as a place for the
:14:36. > :14:40.loving as well as the dead, it is a place where people can come and
:14:40. > :14:42.enjoy nature and get in touch with the seasons, if you like, in the
:14:42. > :14:46.middle of the town. That is important.
:14:46. > :14:49.Although areas like these war graves have to be kept very tidy, there are
:14:49. > :14:53.parts of the park that are allowed to grow wild, making the cemetery
:14:53. > :15:03.ideal for all kinds of mini beasts, and that makes it the perfect site
:15:03. > :15:38.
:15:38. > :15:45.for the city's Big Bug Hunt. Are you spider. Where was it?On the grass.
:15:46. > :15:50.One and! We have the bush cricket. We know it is a bush cricket and not
:15:50. > :15:54.a grasshopper because it has long antennae, with this cricket the
:15:54. > :15:57.antennae are as long as the body but the grasshopper has led the study
:15:57. > :16:03.antennae. But not all creatures are so keen to
:16:03. > :16:10.be caught on camera - some take a little persuasion. We are just going
:16:10. > :16:15.to tap the tuning fork in the wall, and hold it against the web. Is it
:16:15. > :16:23.the noise of the tuning fork or the vibration? It is the vibrations that
:16:23. > :16:29.tease it out because it thinks there is a nice juicy fly there. I can see
:16:29. > :16:33.some long spider legs. This is a wolf spider that has come out to see
:16:33. > :16:36.what is on the menu. At Ford Park Cemetery I've seen how
:16:36. > :16:40.by allowing areas to go wild we can create islands for city wildlife.
:16:40. > :16:47.And not just in our parks. Over at Penlee allotments in Stoke, wildlife
:16:48. > :16:51.friendly gardening is benefiting the whole community.
:16:51. > :16:55.This is just about as urban as you can get. There's housing all around,
:16:55. > :16:58.over on that side is a busy bus depot, and just behind that fence is
:16:58. > :17:06.stoke Damerel primary and comprehensive schools. But, walk a
:17:06. > :17:09.few yards through the gate and you suddenly find yourself a world away.
:17:09. > :17:12.The animals here are being helped by volunteers at Diggin It, a charity
:17:12. > :17:21.offering locals hands on experience growing veg in a wildlife friendly
:17:21. > :17:28.way. Dave Smith is an outreach worker. This is a wonderful space.
:17:28. > :17:32.We have insect everywhere, bugs and birds, it is wonderful. We are, we
:17:32. > :17:39.are not one quarter of the mail from the city centre and this green belt
:17:39. > :17:43.runs through around 20 acres. We share this sort of organic ethos,
:17:43. > :17:47.just trying to use nature as a solution.
:17:47. > :17:50.They're doing a lot of things right here that we could all do in our own
:17:50. > :17:55.back gardens. Firstly let your brambles grow. Bees love them. There
:17:55. > :17:58.are 250 species of bee in the UK and the honey bee is just one of them.
:17:58. > :18:01.They'll also pollinate your veg so it pays keep them sweet. Leaving out
:18:02. > :18:06.sheets of corrugated iron or old carpet could help a different kind
:18:06. > :18:10.of visitor slink in. Slow worms are great addition to your garden's
:18:10. > :18:20.fauna - they just need somewhere to hide. And a little bit of water can
:18:20. > :18:27.
:18:28. > :18:35.go a long way. This is in the new pond? It is very successful.We have
:18:35. > :18:40.seen some heads popped up. BB news? BB newts. I will fetch one out. I
:18:40. > :18:48.have been practising all morning. You have two! The our fabulous,
:18:48. > :18:56.aren't they? To newts. They're doing a lot of things right
:18:56. > :19:03.here that we could all do in our own back gardens. It is not just
:19:03. > :19:12.wildlife benefiting, people are reaping rewards. What do you enjoy
:19:12. > :19:17.about it? I just like learning about things. I do not learn things very
:19:17. > :19:27.quickly because it is all repetition with me. Do you see much wildlife in
:19:27. > :19:31.
:19:31. > :19:37.your garden? I see lots of birds on a good day. For me, I have a bit of
:19:37. > :19:42.a socialiser, and this is a very social thing to do. When my memory
:19:42. > :19:47.problem it is helpful to learn more things like meeting people and
:19:47. > :19:51.remembering their names, that is a major achievement. I have seen some
:19:51. > :19:56.great examples here in Plymouth of how people are helping the wildlife
:19:56. > :19:58.and how working with nature is helping people. It is this
:19:58. > :20:03.connection that means that will leave is flourishing in this
:20:03. > :20:07.community. -- wildlife is flourishing.
:20:07. > :20:11.Now it might be the last place you think of when it comes to the urban
:20:11. > :20:14.jungle, but Cornwall has got plenty of towns and villages and every year
:20:14. > :20:18.they're visited by millions of people.
:20:18. > :20:22.Here on the West side of Falmouth, another 300 homes have been built to
:20:22. > :20:26.help accommodate everyone. But just on the edge of the estate is a
:20:26. > :20:30.little patch of paradise. This is Swanpool - and even though
:20:30. > :20:36.it is rather bijou it is actually a very important nature reserve in
:20:36. > :20:40.fact it has full protective status. It is also slap bang in the middle
:20:40. > :20:43.of an ever expanding beach resort. And the more that it grows the more
:20:43. > :20:53.this place becomes an important breathing space for people and
:20:53. > :20:57.
:20:57. > :21:00.wildlife alike. The runs the reserve. I come over that hell and I
:21:00. > :21:08.scan the place and think, I have just come to work. That doesn't get
:21:08. > :21:14.better than this. No. It is a very special place for me. It is here for
:21:14. > :21:20.people to just enjoy. All we want to do is teach kids about their own
:21:20. > :21:24.nature reserve in their own town. 75 acres rates here and they can learn
:21:24. > :21:27.from it. The lagoon is home to a host of
:21:27. > :21:32.wildfowl, ducks and migratory birds. It's got everything a waterbird
:21:32. > :21:42.needs, its got food, shelter. It is an ideal place to rear young - like
:21:42. > :21:55.
:21:55. > :22:05.by name, not by nature. It is effectively a nursery and everything
:22:05. > :22:08.can take place under the watchful Of all the birds here it is the mute
:22:08. > :22:16.swans and their brood of cygnets that are the star attraction. And
:22:16. > :22:23.it's easy to see why. But the male swan, or cob, is a bit of a
:22:23. > :22:28.troublemaker. He courageously defends his cygnets against, well,
:22:29. > :22:37.just about anything that passes by. Even cars are no match for this
:22:37. > :22:41.feller. He's got a case of road-rage.
:22:41. > :22:51.Everybody loves feeding the ducks or the swans, it is a really nostalgic
:22:51. > :22:52.
:22:52. > :23:02.activity. But don't feed them bread, there's much better options. Bread
:23:02. > :23:05.
:23:05. > :23:15.encourages rats, contaminates water and not good for birds. So why not
:23:15. > :23:22.
:23:22. > :23:25.get some swan food and use that instead? And look, they love it.
:23:25. > :23:29.Swanpool's closeness to the town means that people can easily enjoy
:23:29. > :23:39.it but it also makes it vulnerable to litter and pollution. But coming
:23:39. > :23:40.
:23:40. > :23:45.to its rescue is Hugo Tagholm and his team. Studio, surfers against
:23:45. > :23:49.sewage, why are you buy a duck pond? This duck pond is connected directly
:23:49. > :23:54.to a beautiful beach, so whatever happens around this pond, whatever
:23:54. > :23:57.letters is rockier, and washed them through the stream on the beach. We
:23:58. > :24:02.are interested in protecting this whole reserve, ensuring the beach
:24:02. > :24:08.and reserve is protected for everyone. What has troubled you?I
:24:08. > :24:12.have spotted a few things. I have seen a plastic bottle top over here.
:24:13. > :24:17.The problem is that they are of a size that animals can ingest them,
:24:17. > :24:20.they clog up their stomachs and they can die from malnutrition, the die
:24:20. > :24:26.because they get tangled up in different plastic things, too. We
:24:26. > :24:32.see them everywhere. A cigarette butt. The army of plastic fibres and
:24:32. > :24:40.contain lots of toxic chemicals that can put the water. -- pollute the
:24:40. > :24:48.water. You have turned up with a team. We want to protect this
:24:49. > :24:51.environment for everyone. Mind if I join you? Not at all.You have
:24:51. > :24:54.trained me well. There are loads of them.
:24:54. > :24:57.Hopefully, with the local community helping to keep this reserve in peak
:24:57. > :25:05.condition, it will remain a safe-haven for wildlife despite the
:25:05. > :25:08.continuing development all around But our buildings aren't always a
:25:08. > :25:12.threat to wildlife, if we get it right, they can provide a valuable
:25:12. > :25:22.home. Swifts are one of the most exciting sights, and sounds, of
:25:22. > :25:27.
:25:27. > :25:29.summer. But they're a species on a serious downturn. I, look, good to
:25:29. > :25:32.see you. Luke Berkley is an ecology student
:25:32. > :25:42.from Cornwall College with a swift obsession who wants to do something
:25:42. > :25:42.
:25:42. > :25:47.to help. Why are swifts in such trouble? The big problem is modern
:25:47. > :25:52.building techniques. Any new developments do not take into
:25:52. > :25:58.account swifts or any other urban dwelling birds. We have seen a
:25:58. > :26:03.decline in around 30% in the past 30 years, which is devastating. You are
:26:03. > :26:07.clutching an interesting device. Is this the salvation of the windswept?
:26:07. > :26:12.I would not go that far but these are very cheap boxes that anyone can
:26:12. > :26:18.put up India house. This goes up and it has this angle front on it.
:26:18. > :26:20.are designed for swifts to come in and out without complication. The do
:26:20. > :26:23.come in and out without complication. The determinate
:26:23. > :26:26.tremendous speed. To get a better idea of where swifts
:26:26. > :26:35.are nesting and how many there are here in Newquay, Luke's organised a
:26:35. > :26:39.few ten minute spot surveys. There are three in total. Maximum count so
:26:39. > :26:43.far is three. Swifts are fantastic aerialists and
:26:44. > :26:53.the only bird known to sleep on the wing. That means we know very little
:26:54. > :26:56.
:26:56. > :27:06.about them so the more details we they resemble boomerangs as they
:27:06. > :27:11.
:27:11. > :27:21.whizz through the air feeding on insects. We have one minute to go.A
:27:21. > :27:26.
:27:26. > :27:33.little scissor tail as well. Very nice. Screening! We have a nest. We
:27:33. > :27:37.have a nest. Is that a new nest? As quick as a flash, a pair of swifts
:27:38. > :27:44.have disappeared into the eaves of the house next to us. We turned up
:27:44. > :27:48.ten minutes ago and we have it all. A party of three, non-screening
:27:48. > :27:50.party of three and a screening party in the new nest. We are incredibly
:27:50. > :27:54.lucky. Now that the group's found a new
:27:54. > :27:58.nest site they know a good spot to put up nest boxes to provide new
:27:58. > :28:01.homes for the birds. Their figures will also help to build a picture of
:28:01. > :28:04.what's going so wrong for these magnificent birds. From the brackish
:28:04. > :28:07.lagoon of Swanpool to the rooftops of Newquay, Cornwall's urban species
:28:07. > :28:17.rely on us giving them a helping handif they stand a chance of
:28:17. > :28:19.
:28:19. > :28:23.So it's pretty amazing just how much wildlife can be found right here in
:28:23. > :28:28.the middle of our cities and towns and what you've seen today is just a
:28:28. > :28:31.mere taster. We've got a whole range of tips for where to go and what to