0:00:00 > 0:00:00- 888
0:00:00 > 0:00:02- 888- - 888
0:00:02 > 0:00:06- I'm in the Hebrides, in Scotland, at - the start of an adventurous journey.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10- I'm going to travel over 50 miles - out into the Atlantic...
0:00:10 > 0:00:14- ..to visit the most westerly and - most striking island in Britain...
0:00:15 > 0:00:16- ..St Kilda.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21- I've been invited to do a survey - of sea birds that nest there.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24- I've got someone to help me...
0:00:24 > 0:00:25- Another one.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28- Dewi, what on earth are you doing?
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- You know this counting business? - I've got a fantastic system.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36- I'm surprised no-one's thought of it - before. Every time I see a bird...
0:00:36 > 0:00:38- ..like that, I say, "Another one."
0:00:38 > 0:00:42- Then when I return - to the house in the evening...
0:00:42 > 0:00:46- ..I just count the times - I said "Another one." Simple!
0:00:46 > 0:00:48- (Tape)- Another one... another one...
0:01:03 > 0:01:05- I only agreed to do this counting...
0:01:05 > 0:01:09- ..because I've always - wanted to see St Kilda.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11- It's a special, unique island.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15- I also wanted to find out about - the people who lived there...
0:01:16 > 0:01:20- ..for generations, up to the 1930s, - when they were persuaded...
0:01:20 > 0:01:24- ..that life would be much better - on the mainland.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28- Their way of life was unique and - they were totally self-sufficient.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33- The reason for that was that - they were good climbers.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38- They climbed the steep cliffs to - catch what was their staple diet.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41- That is, the birds that lived there.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45- You think it's a long walk - to the shop!
0:02:02 > 0:02:04- What are those?
0:02:04 > 0:02:06- What are those?- - Eider ducks.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11- Oh - eiderdown. How many - birds' names do you know?
0:02:11 > 0:02:12- Ten.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- You just swap them round!
0:02:18 > 0:02:20- Where exactly is St Kilda?
0:02:21 > 0:02:22- That way.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25- What's this place called?
0:02:25 > 0:02:27- What's this place called?- - Balranald, on South Uist.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29- Nice place.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32- Better than the Caribbean.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34- The finest beaches in the world.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36- It is nice here.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- Balranald, RSPB Reserve, North Uist
0:02:44 > 0:02:46- What's so special about this place?
0:02:46 > 0:02:48- What's so special about this place?- - Just the birds you see here.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51- Listen - use your ears.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55- That's a redshank. - There are lapwings everywhere.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59- There's one calling over there. - There's a redshank passing.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- There are snipes and curlews here.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07- I've never seen, or heard, - so many birds in one small patch.
0:03:07 > 0:03:13- There are more of these birds - in one square mile here...
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- ..than anywhere else in Europe.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19- You wouldn't find as many birds - in one place in Wales?
0:03:19 > 0:03:20- But the birds are there?
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- But the birds are there?- - Yes, but in Wales they're very rare.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28- You might have found them in Wales - a century ago.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- Look at this place.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35- There's a small lake. - The yellow iris grows here.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38- That white flower is cottongrass.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- It's very wet here. You won't find - wet places like this any more.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- They've all been drained, improved.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- Improved - or worsened!
0:03:50 > 0:03:51- Improved - or worsened!- - Exactly.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- Once you do that, - the birds leave - they vanish.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56- Listen!
0:03:57 > 0:03:58- BIRDSONG
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- Why is it important that it's wet?
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- Look at the birds. See that snipe?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- Yes, the one with a long beak.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08- Yes, the one with a long beak.- - Yes.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- If the ground is hard, - it can't put its beak in the mud.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- If it's wet, it can - put its beak in, and feed.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- If wet, there are insects there. - If dry, there are hardly any.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22- It's nothing to do with nesting - - they can nest anywhere?
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- Yes, as long as there is growth. - That's another thing we don't have.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28- What's that?
0:04:28 > 0:04:29- What's that?- - A lapwing.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30- Ah, right!
0:04:30 > 0:04:31- Ah, right!- - It's lovely.
0:04:31 > 0:04:31- Ah, right!
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- Yes. It's quite big.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- Yes - well, the wings are, - not the bird.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38- And that's a snipe. Can you see it?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- And that's a snipe. Can you see it?- - The one with with a long beak?
0:04:40 > 0:04:40- The one with with a long beak?
0:04:41 > 0:04:42- I'm starting to catch on!
0:04:43 > 0:04:44- Shh!
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- Can you hear it? It's fantastic - - Oo Oo-Oo Oo-Oo... Listen.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- SOUND OF BIRD'S WINGS
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- That doesn't sound - like the bird's cry.
0:04:54 > 0:04:54- That doesn't sound - like the bird's cry.- - No, it's the feathers.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- No, it's the feathers.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58- Its tail is shaped like this.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- The two feathers - on the outside stick out so...
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- ..and make a sound like - "Oo Oo-Oo Oo-Oo", when it dives.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- On purpose, or does it just happen?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- On purpose, or does it just happen?- - No, it's displaying.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14- It's telling any other snipe - to keep away - I'm here.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20- My father calls these - 'caseg y gors' - 'marsh mare'.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- Because it sounds - like a horse neighing?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- Yes. A good name.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- There it is.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30- Listen!
0:05:33 > 0:05:34- What's that?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- What's that?- - A corncrake. Hear it?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- Croak, croak!
0:05:38 > 0:05:39- There it is!
0:05:41 > 0:05:47- I'd give my right hand for a place - like this near my home in Wales.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- It's very sad - about the corncrake or 'ragarug'.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- The other birds - are rare in Wales...
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- ..but the corncrake has left Wales.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- Granddad told me - that a century ago...
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- ..when he lived on a farm near - Llanrug, they were very common.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- They made quite a racket at night.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- By 1980, they were gone, every one.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18- I've heard them once before - but I've never seen one.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24- They're shy birds. One thing - I really want to do here...
0:06:24 > 0:06:26- ..is to see a corncrake.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43- THEY WHISPER
0:06:43 > 0:06:44- You've seen your first one.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- You've seen your first one.- - Yes, in that overgrowth.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49- It's moving now, its head is up.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- It's moving now, its head is up.- - Oh, right.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- Good heavens, the first time - ever I've seen one!
0:06:56 > 0:06:57- You're happy?
0:06:57 > 0:06:58- You're happy?- - Delighted!
0:06:59 > 0:07:01- It's amazing.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02- BIRD CROAKS
0:07:04 > 0:07:08- It's only small... - another one's calling behind us!
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- It's small and brown.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13- Look at it carefully.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16- There's nothing remarkable about it.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- It has purple and orange - markings on its side.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23- It's like a brown moorhen.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29- Maybe it isn't the bird itself, - but what it represents.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30- Ah, yes.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- The things that have gone, the old, - traditional methods of farming.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- You wouldn't find a field - like this at home.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43- It's full of weeds and dock leaves. - At home, it would be tidy.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44- Exactly.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50- People are obsessed with tidiness, - be it a farm field or garden.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- It destroys habitat for wildlife.
0:07:57 > 0:08:03- There's a pair nesting here, in a - small field, no bigger than a lawn.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07- But they'll nest here, - and find what they need to eat.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- They won't leave - for four or five months.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13- Where do they go afterwards?
0:08:13 > 0:08:14- Where do they go afterwards?- - All the way to Africa.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15- All the way to Africa.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17- Do many come back here?
0:08:17 > 0:08:21- These are amongst the rarest birds - we have in Britain.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- One's calling over there, another - behind us, and one in this field.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- They were extremely common.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33- I remember reading an old cookery - book, by Mrs Miggins...
0:08:33 > 0:08:37- ..a recipe for 'Land Rail Pie'. - It's an old name for the bird.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41- There was a note on it saying, - "If you can't find your land rail...
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- .."go to Anglesey. - There they are abundant."
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- Now, every one has gone.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- Your enthusiasm's rubbing - off on me!
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- You'll make - an ornithologist of me yet.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57- It's amazing.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59- It's a great feeling.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02- Another one!
0:09:03 > 0:09:07- I'm sure that some of the older - viewers will remember it.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10- They might shed a tear.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13- I can believe it.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15- I can believe it.- - Having lost an old friend.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17- There are hundreds - of different birds here.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- That's it - the corncrake's here.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- A snipe is calling over there.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- You hear that chut-chut, rrrr? - That's a corn bunting.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37- We only have three pairs left, - but they're all here.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- Why? Because of the mixed farming.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42- They don't...
0:09:43 > 0:09:45- Purify the land.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49- They don't misuse the land, - they respect it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51- That's the essence of it.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- Corn buntings are numerous - here on the Uists.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04- But we only have three pairs - left in Wales - six birds.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- Are they faithful to one partner? - They say swans are.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20- They are.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21- Is every bird?
0:10:21 > 0:10:22- Is every bird?- - No.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- Interesting research - has been done with sparrows.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30- It shows that when the cock - goes off to fetch food...
0:10:31 > 0:10:35- ..he gets a bit of 'how's your - father', here, there and everywhere.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- But what he doesn't know, - when he's off, she goes next door.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- That's wrong!
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- She might have six eggs, - with four fathers.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- Good grief! - So the cocks have a good time.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- No! That's the other thing.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- They're not like us.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- They don't have a 'didgeridoo'.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- The males?
0:11:02 > 0:11:06- Yes. What they have is just - a hole, more or less.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- He comes together with her.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09- He comes together with her.- - Yes.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13- The fruit, the seed, - goes from him to her.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- So it isn't that much fun.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- No, not without didgeridoos.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19- Didgeridoo!
0:11:33 > 0:11:37- It's midnight, and we've come to - help the three persons behind us.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- They're looking for hedgehogs.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43- Hedgehogs aren't indigenous - to this island.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- Someone introduced them - around 1974 or 1975.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- Since then, they've become a pest.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- Hedgehogs are very fond - of eating the eggs of birds...
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- ..that nest on the ground.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- It's been discovered that the number - of birds that nest here...
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- ..especially redshanks, - ringed plovers and dunlins...
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- ..has decreased by about 60%.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- The reason for this - is that hedgehogs eat the eggs.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17- So an experiment is under way - to see if they can get rid of them.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22- They go out with a lamp at night, - see the little hedgehog's eyes...
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- ..catch them and kill them.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31- It sound cruel, but - they don't belong to this island.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36- They cause a lot of trouble, - so it's very important they go.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- They have to wear gloves...
0:12:59 > 0:13:03- ..because the hedgehogs - carry all sorts of diseases.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08- It's in the bag.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12- It's amazing - they've already - walked twice through this field...
0:13:13 > 0:13:18- ..in a fortnight, and they've caught - three more this evening.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- It shows how great a problem it is.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- I don't know if they'll be able - to get rid of all these animals.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27- I hope they do. We'll see.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- 888
0:13:43 > 0:13:44- Fountain pippit.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50- House wheatearse.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54- Oh!
0:13:55 > 0:13:56- Carrion flycatcher.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04- < Purple crested warbler.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- Before continuing - with our journey from the Uists...
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- ..over the sea to St Kilda, - Dewi and I went to the mountains.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36- I wanted to show him an old - favourite of mine, the hen harrier.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39- There! Do you see it?
0:14:39 > 0:14:40- There! Do you see it?- - There it is.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42- Isn't it pretty?
0:14:43 > 0:14:44- It's lovely!
0:14:44 > 0:14:45- Look at them move.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- How big is it?
0:14:48 > 0:14:50- How big is it?- - About the size of a buzzard.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- How long are the wings?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- Three and a half feet.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- As big as that? Heavens!
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- As big as that? Heavens!- - Yes, it has long wings.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01- Are these found in Wales?
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- Yes, you'll find around 30 pairs - at most every year.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- They need a lot of land - with heather.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- We don't have that much, while - in Scotland, there's over 400...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16- Hey, look at it now!
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- See it go? Loop the loop!
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- It's like a roller coaster.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- It's called a sky dance.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- It's displaying - it's telling - any other cock in the area...
0:15:28 > 0:15:31- ..and there is another - pair over there...
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- .."stay out of my patch! I'm here."
0:15:35 > 0:15:39- It's a marvellous sight, - as fine as anything...
0:15:39 > 0:15:41- ..you'll see on this island.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- Marvellous. It sounds - like an Indian saying, sky dance.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48- She's going to land.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50- Coming down?
0:15:52 > 0:15:54- You can see the white backside.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56- The female's bigger than the male.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57- The female's bigger than the male.- - Is she?
0:15:57 > 0:15:59- Yes, quite a bit.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04- Because of this, they can eat - a wide range of prey.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- He can eat mice and small birds.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- Then she can eat rabbits, - and larger birds.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13- So she hunts too?
0:16:13 > 0:16:14- So she hunts too?- - Oh, yes.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- He looks nice now, - the sun on his back.
0:16:19 > 0:16:20- Yes.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- Lovely birds. They're my favourites.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25- They are great.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29- I found my first nest - when I was 11 years old.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- I've been watching it - ever since then.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- I grew up near the Berwyn mountains, - where there's a lot of heather.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40- I remember seeing these - when I was a small boy.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42- I go up the mountain every spring.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- Because of the dance?
0:16:44 > 0:16:49- Yes, and because it flies to wild - regions, the really lonely places.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- There's only you - and the birds there.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- There's something - special about that.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57- Hey, Dewi, a golden eagle!
0:16:57 > 0:16:58- Hey, Dewi, a golden eagle!- - Where?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- You see the white house in the - distance? Straight up from there.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04- Good heavens, look at the its size!
0:17:04 > 0:17:05- Good heavens, look at the its size!- - Good grief!
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- They're far away. - Look, that raven is chasing it.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- What do you mean?
0:17:11 > 0:17:15- It's chasing it. - Look at the difference in size.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18- Why can a raven chase - a golden eagle?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- It could eat a small raven.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25- Once out of the nest, - an eagle could eat them.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- It eats hares, even small deers.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- So the raven always - chases it mercilessly.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- But that's like me - chasing Scott Quinnell!
0:17:39 > 0:17:43- Yes, but the eagle thinks, - 'Well, I could attack.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50- 'But this bird has a big beak and - could hurt me. I could lose an eye.'
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- If an eagle is hurt, it dies.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- It depends on its eyes.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03- Still, it makes you think. - Is the raven faster than it?
0:18:03 > 0:18:07- Not really. But the eagle - has to be very careful.
0:18:09 > 0:18:09- Hey, my first time!
0:18:09 > 0:18:11- Hey, my first time!- - Really? You've never seen a...
0:18:11 > 0:18:11- Hey, my first time!
0:18:11 > 0:18:12- You've seen one?
0:18:12 > 0:18:13- You've seen one?- - Yes, yes!
0:18:13 > 0:18:13- You've seen one?
0:18:13 > 0:18:14- You've never seen a golden eagle?
0:18:14 > 0:18:15- You've never seen a golden eagle?- - No.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- As you saw, from afar - I know, but good grief...
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- ..it's like seeing - a barn door in the sky.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30- It's time to leave the Uists.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- The weather was good enough for us - to risk the 50 miles to the west...
0:18:34 > 0:18:36- ..over the Atlantic Ocean.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15- St Kilda is a group of islands. - The main island is Hirta...
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- ..where the village, - our destination, is located.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- Before reaching - Village Bay on Hirta...
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- ..we took advantage of the fantastic - weather to have a look...
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- ..at Boraraigh Island and the Stacs, - 4 miles to the north east.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- Stac Lee is on the left...
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- ..and Stac an Armin on the right, - rising to a height of over 600 ft.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38- This is what makes St Kilda - special for an ornithologist.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40- It's the largest gannet - nesting ground in the world.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- At the last count, 15 years ago...
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- ..more than 70,000 pairs of gannets - nested on Boreray and the Stacs.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- Another count is about - to be launched.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- Lots of people at home would say, - "You've been counting birds.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58- "What's the point?"
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- It's a good point.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- The reason why is that these - gannets, like all sea birds...
0:20:05 > 0:20:07- ..are on top of the food chain.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12- They eat fish, and fish eat things - in the water, like plankton.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17- You can't count plankton, you can't - count fish, but you can count birds.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22- If the birds do well, - that means that the sea is healthy.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- The sea is exceptionally calm.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- No wind, no waves. We had to make - the most of the opportunity.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47- No-one had landed - on Boreray for three years.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54- Hurray!
0:20:55 > 0:20:59- If you think I'm going to do that, - you're bloomin' joking!
0:21:04 > 0:21:05- There's still quite a way to go.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06- There's still quite a way to go.- - I'm sweating already.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09- Me, too.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19- Those are Soay sheep, named - after one of St Kilda's islands.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- These come from an ancient native - stock that are totally wild by now.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25- Alright?
0:21:25 > 0:21:26- Alright?- - Yes.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27- It's quite a climb.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29- It's quite a climb.- - I don't like heights.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30- Don't look down.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- When I look up, I see your bum.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39- And how far we have to go!
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- I'd rather see your bum - than look down.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- BOTH PANT
0:21:53 > 0:21:54- Not far now.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55- Not far now.- - No?
0:21:55 > 0:21:56- A thousand feet.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16- I'm not going any further. - My head's starting to spin.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17- Wow, what a place.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- Wow, what a place.- - I'll sit here.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- I read in this book that the blokes - who lived here long ago...
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- ..came here in boats, - climbed up to catch the birds.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32- They climbed right to the top - and then used a rope to go down...
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- ..and catch the birds.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36- Weren't they brave?
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- Weren't they brave?- - Amazing.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- There's an old English name - for them - solan goose.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- They look like large, white geese.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50- These?
0:22:50 > 0:22:51- These?- - Yes.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- They arrive here to nest - in March or April.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02- You can see some of them - carrying nesting material.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04- They add to the nest all season.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09- They stay with the chicks until - October. The adults leave first.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- The chicks are huge and fat - - and they just leave them.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14- Where do they go?
0:23:14 > 0:23:15- Where do they go?- - Just out to sea.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- What, they just fly to sea, - and land on the sea?
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- Yes. Think why they're here, - on a rock in the middle of the sea.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27- To lay eggs.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- There's nothing here - - but for them, it's a safe place.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- No danger from things like foxes.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37- There's food around them everywhere - in the sea, so it's an ideal spot.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- That's why they come to this rock.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- The white and black ones - are gannets.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- What's the other one - a fulmar?
0:23:49 > 0:23:50- Those small, grey ones?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- Those small, grey ones?- - That's it, a fulmar.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57- That's like a small albatross, - with its long, thin wings.
0:23:58 > 0:24:04- It has two tubes on its beak, that - take the salt out of the water.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- It can live at sea for years.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08- And drink the water? Like a filter?
0:24:08 > 0:24:09- And drink the water? Like a filter?- - Yes.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- With the sun on them, - they look very bright.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- Marvellous.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- This is Stac an Armin.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- In the bird-watching world, - it's a historical place.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31- Halfway up, on the right - - I can see it through the binox...
0:24:31 > 0:24:37- ..there's a small hut made - of rocks, a cleit. Have a look.
0:24:38 > 0:24:44- There, in 1840, the last great auk - in Britain was killed.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46- What's a great auk?
0:24:47 > 0:24:52- It's from the same family as the - razorbill, the guillemot and puffin.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- But it was more like a penguin, - and large, like this.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59- It couldn't fly.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01- It couldn't fly.- - How did it get up there?
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- On its feet, it had a kind of claw, - and could climb well.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- But it couldn't fly. - Under the water, it was great.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- It had small wings. But the last one - was killed there, in 1840.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14- The men climbed up?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16- The men climbed up?- - Yes, after it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- And only four years - after that, in 1844...
0:25:19 > 0:25:23- ..the last of them all - was killed in Iceland.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25- Isn't that sad?
0:25:25 > 0:25:26- Isn't that sad?- - Yes.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- It's great for me to come here - - it's like a pilgrimage.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- It was a dangerous place for - those men to climb, to get the auk.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47- Have you heard the story about the - lesser beach gull in Aberystwyth?
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- It lived on the beach. - This male gull passed by.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55- He said, "Hello. Want - to meet tomorrow, at 8.00pm?"
0:25:55 > 0:25:59- The female answered, - "I live here. Where do you live?"
0:25:59 > 0:26:03- The male answered, - "On Consti Hill. See you at 8.00."
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- The next day, she waited for him at - 8.00. 8.15 came, 8.30, 9.00, 9.30...
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- ..but there was no sign of him.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- He arrived at ten o'clock. - She asked, "Where have you been?"
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- He said, "It was so nice, - I decided to walk down."
0:26:18 > 0:26:23- Where's the rock? I'm going down - this way, after a joke like that!
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- 888
0:26:46 > 0:26:50- As we left Boreray, heading for - Hirta, St Kilda's main island...
0:26:50 > 0:26:52- ..we passed Stac Lee.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56- I found it difficult to believe that - the islanders of old could climb it.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- But they did.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- They spent every summer...
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- ..harvesting the birds - and eggs from the noisy ledges.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- Aldous Huxley had a theory - that an ideal community...
0:27:22 > 0:27:25- ..could be established, if isolated - from the rest of the world.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30- Where better to isolate people - than on an island?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- For centuries, - the people of St Kilda...
0:27:35 > 0:27:37- ..had amazingly few links - with the world.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41- Perhaps this lack of awareness - of the world made them contented.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- Gradually, contact - with the outside world...
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- ..eroded that contentment.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08- In 1930, for their own - welfare, it was said...
0:28:08 > 0:28:12- ..the inhabitants were persuaded - to leave for the mainland.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16- For over 25 years afterwards, until - 1957, the islands were uninhabited.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- At that time, the National Trust - took an interest in the place...
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- ..and the army too.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- A missile tracking station - was established here.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38- By the 1980s, the uniqueness - of the place was recognised.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42- The islands were designated a World - Heritage Site by the United Nations.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- This is St Kilda's main street.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49- It's more of a path.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52- Yes. This is where the factor lived.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56- He was the manager - for the McLeods on the mainland.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57- Here?
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- The people lived - in those small houses.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- Those small cottages.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- The first to write - about St Kilda and its people...
0:29:06 > 0:29:08- ..was a man called Martin Martin...
0:29:08 > 0:29:11- ..when he visited - the islands in 1697.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- He describes "the remarkable - inhabitants of the isles...
0:29:14 > 0:29:17- .."have a genius - for poetry, music and dancing...
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- .."and an amazing suppleness - for climbing rocks...
0:29:21 > 0:29:23- .."and the walls of their houses."
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- Out of necessity, - it was a very close-knit society.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29- The men held a daily parliament.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- There they decided - on the work for that day.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37- They all met here to decide. - That's a good thing, isn't it?
0:29:38 > 0:29:40- Right, quiet, please!
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- Thank you. Today's arrangements.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- I want you, Dewi, - to go over that high hill.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- There are steep cliffs - the other side.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52- I want you to count birds there.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55- While you do that, - I'm going to have a cuppa.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05- Maybe it wasn't such a good thing.
0:30:07 > 0:30:08- Iolo!
0:30:19 > 0:30:20- It looks like a Neolithic village.
0:30:20 > 0:30:21- It looks like a Neolithic village.- - It does.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23- It dates back to that time, - apparently.
0:30:24 > 0:30:25- Their shape does.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29- Do we know when people - came here first?
0:30:29 > 0:30:30- Half past four?
0:30:31 > 0:30:35- I heard it was half past six, - a bit later than that.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41- These look like huts. - They're called cleits.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47- They caught sea birds, then hung - them up on the walls inside...
0:30:48 > 0:30:53- ..to dry, and keep over winter. - Have a look in here.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55- It goes to the left and right.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59- It's quite big.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- Yes. There are hundreds - of them, as you see.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07- With turf on the roof, - to keep the rain out.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09- There used to be a wooden door.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13- They would get that from shipwrecks - as there isn't any wood here.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- No, there aren't any trees here.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19- It's interesting, there was a kind - of annual calendar with the birds.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23- It began in March, when the - razorbills and guillemots arrived.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27- The people ate those, - after a long, hard winter.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Then they went on to the puffins, - who returned next.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33- Then they'd eat some of the eggs.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36- But the most important time, - by far...
0:31:36 > 0:31:38- ..was August, September and October.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44- In August, the fulmars. They ate - the chicks when they were big.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46- They'd get meat and oil.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- Then they'd move on to gannets.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53- They killed them - in September and October.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57- That was the vital food, - which was stored in these.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02- It sustained them right up - until the following March.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07- I read somewhere that they killed - around 10,000 fulmars.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- They must have killed - thousands of gannets too.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16- This was a kind of pantry, - like Mam had to keep meat.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20- Exactly. Some people - kept ropes inside them.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23- Others might store crops.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27- Everything they wanted - to keep dry and safe went in here.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32- The only difference from our fridges - is that when you opened this door...
0:32:33 > 0:32:35- ..the light didn't go on.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- That was a bad joke.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- Apart from the birds, sheep - were their main sustenance.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47- But they were very wild sheep, - and very difficult to corral.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- "To catch them, one had to use dogs, - and run them down one by one.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- "The sport of catching them was one - of the islanders' main amusements,"
0:32:54 > 0:32:56- ..according to Martin.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38- This is Conachair, Dewi. - Quite a name!
0:33:38 > 0:33:40- It's the highest cliff in Britain.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44- From the sea to its summit, - it's almost 1,500 ft.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47- There are fulmars everywhere here.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50- People came here every August...
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- ..to catch the chicks - when they were quite large.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56- Iolo - it's quite steep.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59- You can say that again.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01- You can say that again.- - Iolo - it's quite steep!
0:34:04 > 0:34:08- I read that, to catch the birds, - they put a stake in the earth here.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12- They tied a rope, not like ropes - we know, but one of horse hair...
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- ..with a little leather to protect - it from the wind and rain.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- They tied it there, - then went over the edge.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22- They'd let themselves down, - on their own.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26- They'd catch the chicks, - tie them to their belts...
0:34:26 > 0:34:30- ..then go back up. I can't think - of going any closer than this.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34- Amazing. Brave people. Still, - if you've grown up with it...
0:34:35 > 0:34:39- ..since you were a small boy of four - or five, climbing with Dad.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42- I can imagine, - but can't get used to it!
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- The older I get, the worse it is.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- The older I get, the worse it is.- - It's getting cloudy, we'd better go.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48- Off we go.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- Oh... this is the best way.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54- Off we go. - You'll be glad to get down.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56- The rain's coming.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- These used to be sheep folds. - They're an odd shape.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- They are. - I read why they're this shape.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15- One of the village men - built these walls.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18- He decided this was - the shape they should be.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20- Why this shape?
0:35:20 > 0:35:22- Why this shape?- - He was dead drunk most of the time.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27- Remind me not to ask you - any more questions!
0:35:30 > 0:35:33- It's high time for us - to join the bird survey.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40- We've come here today - to help some scientists.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45- They're doing a survey of sea birds, - which is done every 15 years.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47- Money is contributed by bodies...
0:35:47 > 0:35:50- ..such as the Countryside - Council for Wales, the RSPB...
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- ..English Nature, Scottish National - Heritage, JNCC, and so on.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58- They do a survey of every island - and cliff, everywhere in Britain.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- Then that information - is available for everyone.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- We've come to this steep part, - to look in the holes.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11- There's a special technique to find - out how many birds there are here.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- We'll meet Sue now, who has a tape.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- OK, fire away, Sue.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23- SOUND OF BIRD ON TAPE
0:36:29 > 0:36:31- SOUND OF BIRD REPLYING
0:36:34 > 0:36:36- Did you hear that?
0:36:37 > 0:36:41- Sue plays a tape - of a Manx shearwater...
0:36:42 > 0:36:44- ..then the bird answers it.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48- Then she knows there's a bird there, - and what it is.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- She has a tape of other birds too.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54- It could be a puffin or a petrel.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59- But we know now that - it's a Manx shearwater.
0:37:00 > 0:37:06- Sue will divide this area, take - one part, and look in every hole.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10- She'll play the tape at every hole, - find out if there's a bird there...
0:37:10 > 0:37:15- ..or if it's empty. Then she has - an idea of the number of birds here.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20- We know from - the survey of fifteen years ago...
0:37:20 > 0:37:24- ..there were 4,000 pairs - of Manx shearwaters here...
0:37:25 > 0:37:27- ..and over 300,000 puffins.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32- It's the largest colony - of puffins in Britain.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34- Nice one, Sue. Move on?
0:37:34 > 0:37:35- Nice one, Sue. Move on?- - OK.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40- If you want to find out what's in - the holes, there are two techniques.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44- This is the easiest. - Sue has a tube that goes in.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46- Yes.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50- There's a tiny camera - on that - with a light.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54- It's linked to this screen. - Look at the screen.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59- Can you see it? - It's a Manx shearwater.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01- Can you see it?
0:38:01 > 0:38:03- Can you see it?- - Good grief!
0:38:03 > 0:38:08- It has a bluish-black back, - a white belly and a small beak.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13- One of the pair is usually - out at sea, feeding all day.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16- The other one sits on a single egg.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20- At night, they come in. - She'll go out to sea...
0:38:21 > 0:38:23- ..and he'll come back - to sit on the egg.
0:38:24 > 0:38:25- He sits on it too?
0:38:25 > 0:38:29- Yes. This is the best technique - to find out what is in every hole.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- Doing this isn't very fair!
0:38:32 > 0:38:33- Doing this isn't very fair!- - Why?
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- Imagine you're at home, - watching 'Pobol y Cwm'.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39- A tube comes in - through the window...
0:38:40 > 0:38:44- ..and a voice says, "Look, they're - watching 'Pobol y Cwm'!" Push off!
0:38:44 > 0:38:45- No, it's good.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49- It's very useful. - Sometimes you need to know details.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- Things like the success of nesting, - have they laid an egg...
0:38:54 > 0:38:57- ..have they hatched a chick, - is the chick healthy, and so on.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01- With this, you don't have to put - your hand in or hold the bird...
0:39:01 > 0:39:02- ..or interfere too much.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04- ..or interfere too much.- - This doesn't bother them at all?
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- No. Look - it just sits on the egg.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- It just sits there - thinking it's another film crew!
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- We've reached - the spot I'd read about.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20- I can't go any further - he's gone - up. That's the Lover's Stone.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- Iolo! There was a test - in the old days.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28- If you wanted a wife, - you had to climb to the end...
0:39:28 > 0:39:34- ..balance on one heel, - then hold your toes with both hands.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- Think you can do it?
0:39:44 > 0:39:45- Um... know what?
0:39:45 > 0:39:46- Um... know what?- - What?
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- I've just remembered, fortunately, - I'm already married, Dewi.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52- Come down!
0:39:57 > 0:40:01- When someone died, the fastest way - to transmit the news...
0:40:01 > 0:40:03- ..from one place to another...
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- ..was by shouting the name - of that unfortunate person.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08- SHOUTS
0:40:08 > 0:40:09- SHOUTS- - Duncan Moore.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- Donald McLeod.
0:40:14 > 0:40:15- Duncan McQueen.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- Like many Celtic people, - the islanders believed...
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- ..that the soul - did not go directly to heaven...
0:40:26 > 0:40:31- ..but that it was found in rocks, - streams and wells, even in birds.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36- There it would remain, - doing penance...
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- ..until the hour came - to go to heaven.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03- By 1920, tourism - had gripped the islanders.
0:41:04 > 0:41:09- Many accepted gifts of money, cakes, - sweets, anything, from the visitors.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14- Some asked a fee for taking - naturalists around the island...
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- ..looking for birds, - their nests, and eggs.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- The islanders' traditional way - of life was finally ending.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30- By the 1920s, the need and desire - to venture on the rocks had ceased.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- Some wanted to show their prowess - to the visitors' cameras.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39- But the esteem for the daring - climbs wasn't what it used to be.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43- Their renown for catching birds, - linking life so closely to death...
0:41:43 > 0:41:45- ..was fated to disappear for ever.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50- In 1927, a Nurse Barclay was sent - here by the Health Authority.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54- She, more than anyone, persuaded - the islanders to leave the place...
0:41:54 > 0:41:58- ..and look for a better life - on the mainland.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09- In every house, a small pile - of oats was left with an open Bible.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20- On 30th August, 1930, the last - 36 villagers left the island...
0:42:20 > 0:42:23- ..on a ship for the mainland.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29- They left the island empty, for - the first time in over 1,000 years.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35- The islanders' plight after - leaving the island was a sad one.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39- Most went to Argyll to work - for the Forestry Commission.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- But as none of them - had seen a tree before...
0:42:43 > 0:42:45- ..it's no wonder they lost heart.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50- The fate of those who joined the - foreign, urban culture was the same.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55- The change of world overwhelmed - many of the older islanders.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59- Many soon died. Longing for the - island weighed heavily upon them.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03- This is part of a letter - by Alexander Ferguson...
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- ..ten years after leaving.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09- "Recently, I went - on a boat to Shillay Island.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13- "When I saw St Kilda in the - distance, in the summer haze...
0:43:13 > 0:43:16- .."I felt like Moses - on Mount Pisgah...
0:43:16 > 0:43:19- .."looking towards - the Promised Land."
0:43:30 > 0:43:32- S4C Subtitles by:- GWEAD
0:43:32 > 0:43:34