0:00:03 > 0:00:09It's June on the British island of Inner Farne in the North Sea.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Most of the island's residents are sitting on eggs.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19It's the calm before the storm of hatching chicks.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25This will be a critical week for all the island's birds, but especially the eider ducks.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30They will have to undertake a journey fraught with dangers for their new families.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Their survival will depend on luck and their mother's judgement.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Inner Farne lies a mile off the Northumberland coast
0:00:43 > 0:00:47and each summer is a haven for nearly 200,000 seabirds.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50They're spread throughout the 16-acre island.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57On the cliffs, shags, razorbills and guillemots occupy the steep rock faces.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02While the puffins nest in burrows that pepper the high ground.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Terns huddle over their eggs in the long grass,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and our eider nest is close by.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12They're all waiting for one thing...
0:01:15 > 0:01:17..the new arrivals.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24There is an explosion of new life all over the island.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Some a little more attractive than others, to our eyes, at least.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35But they all have one thing in common -
0:01:35 > 0:01:37they're hungry.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48Unlike most of the islands parents, eider ducks can't bring food to their chicks.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54For their first meal, the ducklings have to make the journey to the sea by foot, a perilous trek.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Their only defence comes from their mother.
0:01:57 > 0:02:03She's brooded the eggs non-stop for almost a month and is desperate herself to reach the sea.
0:02:07 > 0:02:13The newly-hatched eiders don't get to stay under their mum for much more than 24 hours.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Then hunger demands that they're up and running.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Other eider families join them along the way to form a creche.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36There's safety in numbers when there are hungry gulls about.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50And they all make good use of the walkways that have been made for human use.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58The terns also use their numbers to protect their nest and young.
0:02:59 > 0:03:06Adults will attack any potential danger that strays too close - that includes visitors to the island.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23The eiders' journey leads them through the puffin colony.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34The puffins' chicks are safely hidden away in their burrows, waiting for room service.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40But it's tricky getting back to your nest laden with sand eels.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45There are thieving bullies at every turn on the lookout for an easy meal.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Black-headed gulls make a tidy living mugging puffins.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06But what goes around, comes around in the natural world.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09While the black-headed gulls are otherwise engaged,
0:04:09 > 0:04:14the much bigger herring gulls are raiding THEIR nests, taking unguarded eggs and chicks.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43Herring gulls are the top predators on the island and will make a meal of any of the new hatchlings.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51The mother eiders must keep a close eye on their broods.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03None of the chicks will get a proper meal until they reach the sea.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09But today there's a big swell. It's far too rough for the ducklings.
0:05:09 > 0:05:15So a group decision is made to turn back and save their first voyage for another day.
0:05:20 > 0:05:26Instead, they retreat to a nursery pool where they can, at least, take their first swimming lessons.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30They'll have to wait for the sea to calm and the weather to improve.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40MUSIC: "Moon Safari" by Air
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Rain just makes matters worse.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59All the birds hunker down and sit it out.
0:06:14 > 0:06:20The next day brings better weather and all the birds certainly seem to appreciate it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23SQUEALING
0:06:27 > 0:06:29LOW SQUEALING
0:06:31 > 0:06:37The naked shag chicks are totally dependent on their parents for protection from the elements,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and will be for weeks to come.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But for the parents of the downy guillemot chicks,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56it's the marauding herring gulls that are their main concern.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07A multitude of sharp beaks pointing skyward is a powerful deterrent.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17The mother eiders need to stay alert too.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22A herring gull could easily snatch a duckling when they're out here in the open.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31The good weather leaves a safe passage at last to the sea.
0:07:38 > 0:07:44But the eider families still want to move away from the crowded island and the threat of the gulls
0:07:44 > 0:07:46to find a haven for their ducklings.
0:07:46 > 0:07:53To get there, the family will have to cover a huge expanse of sea - their greatest challenge yet.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59So where are they going?
0:08:05 > 0:08:08HOOTER BLOWS
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Seahouses Harbour over a mile away on the mainland
0:08:13 > 0:08:17provides safety and ample food at last for the young families.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21They'll stay here until they're big enough to fend for themselves.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27The eider ducklings and the other island families have had a good start.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32Most have survived the challenges of their first few days of life,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and, with the fine weather, are going from strength to strength.
0:08:35 > 0:08:42With luck, next year, they too will return to Inner Farne to raise broods of their own.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk