0:00:02 > 0:00:04Hello, I'm Chris Packham. Welcome to Hands On Nature,
0:00:04 > 0:00:09your practical guide to enjoying nature's hotspots around the UK.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Today, we're island hopping.
0:00:10 > 0:00:17I'm going to get up close to some fabulous birds, including one of the nation's favourites, the puffin.
0:00:18 > 0:00:25Janet Sumner is on the Isles of Scilly, for her own close encounter with a very curious mammal.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Those seals, they really take the biscuit.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31It's just been a fantastic experience.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36- And prepare to take cover... - I'm glad I brought my hat!
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I don't know how effective it's going to be.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Sanjida O'Connell is under attack off the Northumberland coast.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00I'm on my way to the amazing Skomer Island, off the south-west tip of Wales.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03But, you know, Britain a nation of islands.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06There are more than 6,000 scattered around our coast.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Often they are great places to go to see amazing natural spectacles.
0:01:16 > 0:01:23Skomer is one and a half miles long and one of a cluster of islands just off the coast of Pembrokeshire.
0:01:23 > 0:01:29It has unique mixture of wildlife which makes it a magnet for visitors.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I've chosen one of the best times to visit - May.
0:01:35 > 0:01:41The entire island is a reserve run by the Welsh Wildlife Trust, and its warden is Ewan Brown.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43- Ewan...- Welcome to Skomer.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47- Thank you. Picked the right day. - Absolutely!. Lovely day.- Blue sky.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Absolutely glorious. A map of the island here.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Most important thing, network of footpaths, clearly marked out.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Please stick to these at all times.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Obviously, the puffins, everyone's favourite.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03A good place to see them is the Wick - you can get within a few feet of them.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05So definitely visit the Wick.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08- OK. I'll spend the day exploring and we'll meet up tonight.- Yep.
0:02:08 > 0:02:14- Super option.- Have a good day and I'll see you later tonight, Chris. - See you. Bye.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20Ewan and I are meeting later for a night-time ornithological extravaganza, but first the puffins.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I've already glimpsed a group on the water.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26In less than half an hour I've reached the Wick,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28and puffin paradise.
0:02:30 > 0:02:36For many people, the highlight of a visit to Skomer would be the puffins.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Their upright, waddling gait, their brightly coloured bill
0:02:39 > 0:02:42make them many people's favourite bird. Just look at that.
0:02:42 > 0:02:48One of the best things is you can get really close to them here, without having to leave the path.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Without having to break the rules.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56The puffins use the numerous rabbit burrows on the island for their nests.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01It's perfectly safe because there are no ground predators, like rats or foxes.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07I suppose the reason why the puffin is so tame here is they are never accosted by humans.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12In other parts of the world, the Faroes and Iceland, they actually catch them to eat them.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Tens of thousands, and apparently they are meant to be quite tasty.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24The fact you can get so close to them makes this a photographic opportunity par excellence.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I've come equipped with this thumping great lens.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32And it's virtually redundant, because, here, with the happy, snappy digital camera,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35you can get top puffin pin-ups.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43I look at these birds, with their legs right down the back of their body and their upright stance,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and I think of penguins. In a sense their wings
0:03:46 > 0:03:49are being very much reduced into these flipper-like paddles.
0:03:49 > 0:03:55And whilst they struggle to fly very well in the air, they fly brilliantly underwater.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00And my thought is, puffins might be in the process of becoming flightless.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Like their distant cousins, penguins, at the other end of the planet.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09These two puffins are doing a bit of billing behaviour.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10It's a sort of a greeting.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15A bit like us giving each other a peck on the cheek when we get home.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32Now, if you visit Skomer in May, you're going to be in for a very pleasant surprise, indeed.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Because you'll get to enjoy this fabulous carpet of bluebells.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Just look at it. The ground is, quite literally, blue.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50Now, we do tend to think of bluebells as very much a woodland plant, here in the UK.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54In fact, on the continent they are a cliff-top species.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Here, they do rely on a woodland surrogate.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00The bracken grows up after they've finished flowering,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04and forms a dense canopy, which shades out any of their competitors,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08but allows their leaves to gather the energy they need to produce the bulbs.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12So the next year, you get another show, just like this.
0:05:25 > 0:05:32If you come out here as a day-tripper, I'm sure the puffins will be top of your pops.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36But if you book in advance, you can stay in a few chalets out here,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and after dark, you can witness one of Britain's
0:05:40 > 0:05:43greatest ornithological spectacles.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52BIRDS CALL
0:05:52 > 0:05:58Now then, when I say spectacle, what I really mean in the literal sense is the audio equivalent.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Because just listen to that.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- Just listen. - BIRDS CALL
0:06:05 > 0:06:07That is amazing.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11That is the sound of tens of thousands of Manx shearwaters
0:06:11 > 0:06:14coming back to their nesting bars, here on Skomer.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18And it's one of the largest breeding colonies anywhere in Europe.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22They are all up there in the sky - you can hear them, clattering across there.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26But they are quite difficult to spot. I've got this hand torch.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Ah, very fetching.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34The shearwaters come in at night, particularly when there's little or no moon,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37to avoid being spotted and eaten by the larger gulls.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40They spend most of their life far out at sea.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42So on land, they're rather clumsy.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Like the puffins, they use old rabbit burrows for their nests.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Hiya, you've got one, there.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55The warden, Ewan, is licensed to handle these birds, because he's monitoring the population.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Be careful of the claws, because they are actually quite sharp.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- They are designed for digging burrows.- And webbed.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03- Absolutely.- What about the face?
0:07:03 > 0:07:07They've got this beautiful black, velvety plumage.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11And, obviously, if you notice the bill, it's quite moist around the tube, there.
0:07:11 > 0:07:17It's probably secreting salt, because they drink sea water.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- Let's let this one go. - We better let it go.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The cacophony sounds chaotic, but, in fact,
0:07:24 > 0:07:30each bird can recognise the sound of its mate calling from the nest.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Extraordinary sound.
0:07:35 > 0:07:41Absolutely, and it's amazing to think that every one is probably individual, as well.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46- To our ears, we can actually hear the difference between male and female.- Can you?
0:07:46 > 0:07:47Go on, I don't know that.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51The males sound like Mr Punch, there's high frequencies in there.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55The females are a lot more, sort of, gruff.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59BIRDS CALL
0:07:56 > 0:07:59- That's a male.- That's a male. - Yeah. With the high frequency.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03But even the few birds we've just heard sound different, don't they?
0:08:03 > 0:08:09So you can imagine the shearwater that's tuned into that sound, they certainly know who each other is.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15- That's distinctly different. - Absolutely, that's the female.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18It doesn't have that squeal, the pealing at the end, does it?
0:08:18 > 0:08:21No. That's right. It's a lot lower, isn't it?
0:08:21 > 0:08:26There is a folklore, as well, that shipwreck sailors are terrorised so much by the sounds
0:08:26 > 0:08:31that they thought were the sounds of haunted souls, that they threw themselves off the cliff.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41What a night! What a night.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I can't tell you. You've just gotta experience it for yourself.
0:08:44 > 0:08:50It's the sound, the smell, all these crazy birds flying around. You don't really get a sense of it on TV.
0:08:50 > 0:08:51We tried, but enjoy it for yourself.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Now, this is the accommodation on Skomer.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It was formerly a collection of old cow sheds.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59It's a bit spartan, but it's clean and comfortable.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02And it's gonna be completely restored.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07So by the time you get here, it's probably gonna be really...swish.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13If you want to visit Skomer, the ferries run spring to autumn
0:09:13 > 0:09:16from Martin's Haven in Pembrokeshire.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20The trip costs about £8, plus a small landing fee for adults.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25And for accommodation, contact the South and West Wales Wildlife Trust in Cardigan.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28More details are on our website.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33You're watching Hands On Nature, your guide to the best of the UK's wildlife locations.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38In a moment Sanjida O'Connell heads for Northumberland to visit
0:09:38 > 0:09:41probably the busiest bird island in the country.
0:09:43 > 0:09:49Imagine this, a group of islands in warm seas with exotic plants, palm trees, even.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Palm trees! And I'm not talking about the Caribbean.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57I'm talking about the Isles of Scilly, off the south-west tip of Cornwall.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Janet Sumner went there to get a taste of island wildlife.
0:10:07 > 0:10:1330 miles from the mainland, the Isles of Scilly are the most southerly part of the British Isles.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18There are five inhabited islands and numerous other small islets.
0:10:23 > 0:10:29What makes these islands so great for nature is their position here in the far south-west.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32It's the first landfall for many migratory birds.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35But it also has a fantastic climate.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Snow is unheard of and you hardly ever get a frost.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42But it is exposed to the full force of the Atlantic Ocean.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44So it's almost always windy.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49Today, though, it's just a warm, gentle breeze.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53The islands benefit from being close to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57which raises the air temperature and accounts for the mild winters.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01The waters are great for swimming, not just on your own,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04but in the company of one of our largest mammals.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08- Right, I'm all suited up and ready to go.- Hop in.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13Local guide Mark Groves is taking me to a colony of grey seals
0:11:13 > 0:11:19that live around these waters all year and we hope to swim right up close to them.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Mark, you've brought me out here to go swimming with seals. Are we gonna get lucky?
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I think we are today, the tide is right.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31The tide is just going out, so they're just starting to lay on the rocks.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34We were out there yesterday and had very good results.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I can hear them and they are on the rocks and in the water.
0:11:45 > 0:11:51Before I go in - you don't have to be a top-flight scuba diver to enjoy the underwater world.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54All you need is a pair of these. A mask and a snorkel.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59Only two things to remember. Never breathe through your snorkel when it's full of water.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02And for your mask - this isn't very nice, but...
0:12:02 > 0:12:05If you spit on the inside, rub it around,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09and rinse it out, it won't steam up when you put it on.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Now I've got myself a cheapie camera to take some underwater photos.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15All I need to do now is get in the water with those seals.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22We're just gonna swim over there nice and slowly.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27Keep looking around in all directions, because they are rascals and like to come up behind you.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- So if you are looking ahead, like this, all the time...- OK.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The seals will be right on your flippers.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35They're fascinated by our fins.
0:12:38 > 0:12:44We're just gonna swim over to the rock and just wait there and let the seals come to us.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Also, if they do come up to us, we don't try and touch them.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50They are very sensitive.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53It's OK if they can see you, but sometimes if you touch them
0:12:53 > 0:12:57on their back, and they can't see you it will frighten them off.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Everything is so crystal clear.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Here's my first seal who's come to check me out.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16The grey seals are very much a British species,
0:13:16 > 0:13:21with more than 40% of the world's population found around our shores.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24A quick snap with my underwater camera...
0:13:24 > 0:13:28And Mark's right - look, this one is fascinated by my fins!
0:13:36 > 0:13:41They're amazingly good swimmers and can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Now look what Mark's found. It's one of the earth's oldest creatures,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56first appearing here 500 million years ago!
0:13:56 > 0:14:01It's a sea urchin. And before we put it back, we can see that amongst the spines
0:14:01 > 0:14:05are little tubular feet with suckers, so it can grip the rocks and move about.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13OK, Janet, that's it, hold on there. That's it. Fin hard, fin hard.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18That's it. There we are.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21That was absolutely fantastic.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25- They are beautiful.- They are like silver bullets, aren't they?
0:14:25 > 0:14:29They're so clumsy on land, and you see them in the water...
0:14:29 > 0:14:31I actually got one nibbling my fin.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I had no idea they would come that close.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38No, people don't realise they are curious, and certainly bite their flippers.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43So much down there, but those seals, they really take the biscuit.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It's just been a fantastic experience.
0:14:54 > 0:15:00Set aside all your preconceptions about what can and can't be grown in frosty, wet Britain.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05These gardens, on the second largest island, Tresco, dispel any doubts
0:15:05 > 0:15:10about the island's claim to a climate so mild that it borders on the sub-tropical.
0:15:11 > 0:15:19Back in the 1830s, wealthy merchant banker, Augustus Smith, leased this island from the Duchy of Cornwall.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Now, Augustus was a plant collector and a botanist.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26He recognised the climatic importance of these islands,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29and he set about creating Abbey Gardens.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37The plants have been gathered from all over the world,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41from Brazil to New Zealand and Burma to South Africa.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44The present-day curator is Mike Nelhams.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Mike, what on earth's that?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- It's enormous! - They are great, aren't they?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52That's the Echium from the Canary Islands.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54They only take 12 months to get to that size.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58It's one of our spectacular weeds. We have them all over the garden.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01They've actually spread across the island, as well, now.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Look! See over there?
0:16:04 > 0:16:05Do you see that bird?
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Those plants are the Puyas and they're from Chile.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10They live on the mountainsides of Chile.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14And it's pollinated in Chile by the Chilean starling. Look at it.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19- It's coming around the side.- Well, these are our European starlings and they do the same thing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22They hop around, drink the nectar. They cover their heads in pollen.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I mean, people rush up cos they've seen this rare orange-headed bird,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and what it is, is the starlings and blackbirds
0:16:29 > 0:16:31with pollen on their heads.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33So, that's a native British bird,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37that has adapted to these tropical plants simply because they're here?
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Absolutely. Over here, we've got all sorts of interesting things.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44These plants all around me are from the Protea family.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50Now, it's the same thing, in the wild in South Africa, these are pollinated by insects,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53by rodents, and here in this country, the same thing.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57We'll have our mice and our wind pollination, so...
0:16:57 > 0:17:02things have adapted themselves from the southern hemisphere to our hemisphere.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Now along with all these imported flowers came some stowaways -
0:17:07 > 0:17:11a species of insect that has since flourished.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16These insects originated in New Zealand.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20What better place to look than a New Zealand flame tree?
0:17:20 > 0:17:25But they're not easy to find because they're masters of camouflage.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Oh, I've found one.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Come here. I've got one.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33A stick insect.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37There are three species of stick insect in Britain.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41I think this is a smooth stick insect, but I'm not completely sure.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43So I'm gonna have to check in my book.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48Here's another interesting fact - this stick insect is probably a female.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50As are the rest in this bush.
0:17:50 > 0:17:57Because they can lay eggs that won't ever have to be fertilised by a male.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00In the stick insect world, it's a case of, girls rule.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Now, I've never been to the Scillies but they're easy to get to.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10The cheapest way is from Penzance by ferry.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13But there are various flights from airports across the south west.
0:18:13 > 0:18:19If you want to swim with seals, like Janet, contact the Tourist Information Centre on St Mary's.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21More details are on our website.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Now, here's another group of islands that I've definitely been to.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34And it can only be described as a Disneyland
0:18:34 > 0:18:36for wildlife photographers.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Even my mother has come away with a fantastic picture of a bird.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42You see, you're here and the birds are there.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47Less than a metre away when you visit the Farne Islands, just off the Northumberland coast.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Sanjida O'Connell has been up there.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54But before she went I gave her an essential piece of advice.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Make sure you take one of these -
0:18:57 > 0:19:00for protection.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Getting close to nature can be a real adventure.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12Especially when it means going out there - the wild and windy and quite cold North Sea.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17But it's where I'm going to see the animal equivalent of the Olympic Games.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Seahouses is the launch pad for this animal spectacle.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27It might just be a 30-minute journey to the Farne Islands,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31but it's a world away from anything you can experience on the mainland.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40The Farnes are a super seabird city.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45150,000 birds jam-packed onto every available space.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49There's actually 30 different islands in the Farnes.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Some of them are only visible at low tide.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56But what I love about them is they've got strange and imaginative names.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01Like Elbow, Fang, Gunrock, Bluecaps.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05I think my favourite has to be an island that's named Nameless.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10These islands have a rich history.
0:20:10 > 0:20:151,400 years ago St Cuthbert came here for tranquility and solitude.
0:20:15 > 0:20:21The very last thing he would have had would be peace and quiet.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26The first thing that strikes you when you get up to the island, apart from the smell, is it's so loud.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29It's like being at a pop concert.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Most visitors land on the largest island, Inner Farne.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37And during the breeding season, prepare yourself for a hostile reception.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Thankfully, warden Alex Ash was on hand.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47Well, I'm glad I brought my hat. I'm not sure how effective it's going to be.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Clever move. You can see the Arctic terns getting quite aggressive.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56- Getting quite irritated.- They are. You can see adults on their eggs at the moment.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- They're very well camouflaged, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Another reason why we've got to be careful not to stand on them.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- These birds have spent the winter on the Antarctic.- Wow.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Some of them breed up in the Arctic Circle, as well.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11They are not the only terns on this island, are they?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14No. We've got Sandwich terns and Common terns.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17You see the Arctic terns, which have got very blood red bills.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22- Quite a short bill, as well. - They're very elegant looking, aren't they?- Yes, very elegant.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- If you look there, there's a big colony of the very pale birds.- Yeah.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30They're Sandwich terns, they're bigger than the Arctic terns.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- And they've got a very black crest. - Yes.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- And the beak is black with a yellow tip.- Yes.- And it's blood red.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Do you have any other tips for watching birds?
0:21:38 > 0:21:42If you haven't brought a hat, wave the hand above the head, like that.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45As long as you keep it going very quickly, it confuses them.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Then, just don't panic. The terns will sweep down on you.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51If you're wearing a hat, it doesn't hurt. Keep to the boardwalk.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55If people panic, they tend to fall off the boardwalks
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and might stamp on eggs and chicks, which no-one wants to do.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Arctic terns are just incredible.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05This little creature here weighs 80 grams.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08That's under four ounces.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10It can live for 30 years.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15And during that time it'll fly backwards and forwards between the North and South Pole,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19clocking up well over half a million miles.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25What's great about the Farnes is that
0:22:25 > 0:22:28you'll never have a better chance of getting so close to the wildlife.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30You're right here amongst it.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Tens of thousands of birds jostle for position.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42And the reason why they're here, is to breed in safety and to feed in the water that's rich in food.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Even though the birds dominate, the plant life is worth seeing too.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59This plant has got a brilliant name, it's called Scarce Fiddleneck.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03It's actually an alien invader, it belongs back in California.
0:23:03 > 0:23:09The reason it's here is because some seeds got into poultry food that the lighthouse keeper ordered.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12It's the kind of thing that drives botanists wild.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16I don't think it's gonna go very far, it only grows here
0:23:16 > 0:23:20next to the Chapel and next to the Arctic terns' nests.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33There's lots of scurvy grass here which is rich in Vitamin C.
0:23:33 > 0:23:40The juice from the plant was made into a drink by sailors to prevent scurvy, hence its name!
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Now who can honestly say that they don't love puffins?
0:23:47 > 0:23:49I also really love kittiwakes.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Their names is a bit of a giveaway, but if you use your imagination,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57you can just hear in the call, their name, kittiwake.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02They are cliff-dwelling gulls and the middle claw on their foot
0:24:02 > 0:24:06is hooked, which allows them to cling onto the cliff edge.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10When the chicks are learning to fly, instead of flapping their wings
0:24:10 > 0:24:13like normal birds do, because they might get blown off the cliff,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16they flap them behind them, like this.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20That prevents them from falling off, but allows them to strengthen their wings.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24I think these birds are uniquely adapted to life on the edge.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35It's easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the colony here.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38So, take your time and let it all happen in front of you.
0:24:38 > 0:24:45You'll be amazed at the daily soap opera that will unfold before your eyes.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53And it's this drama that attracts visitors in their thousands including actor Sean Wilson
0:24:53 > 0:24:58from the most famous address in Britain, Coronation Street.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Don't those guillemots look really velvety?
0:25:01 > 0:25:03- Yeah. - I wonder why they look velvety?
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I don't know.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08They must have really fine feathers on them.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12How do you think they always find their way back to their own nest?
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- I don't know, really.- They all look the same, don't they?
0:25:15 > 0:25:19I bet that one knows where his nest is. It's right next to that sign.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28So, Sean, I hadn't quite expected to bump into a soap star here. Do you often come to the Farne Islands?
0:25:28 > 0:25:33I came here when I was seven, on a boat trip from school.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35We stayed at a place called Colourcoates.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It's just got real vivid memories for me.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43Why was the Farne Islands so exciting and why did that inspire you to come on the boat?
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Well, coming from suburbia in Manchester, and to come out here...
0:25:46 > 0:25:50One, it was the fresh air. Two, it was the sea.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Three, when we actually arrived at the island, it's just like...
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- It's fantastic.- Yeah, so you brought your son, as well?
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Yes. Callum has come along. Callum is seven, so it's great to bring him along.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The same age I was when I came, and Callum is keen into birds.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06What's your favourite sea bird?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- Shag.- Yes, they're right there, aren't they?
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Course they are. You don't even need binoculars.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15You can just see how bright green their eyes are.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Do you know the difference between a shag and a cormorant?
0:26:18 > 0:26:21A cormorant is black and a shag's a type of dark green.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Yeah, and about a third of a size bigger than a shag, really big.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27What's your, sort of, top tip?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Top tip, the folding piece of paper for a hat.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36Everybody needs a bit of paper, just turned over under the hat... What's it for, Cal?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39To protect you against the terns.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Yeah, stop them pecking through your hat.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43How many's pecked yours today?
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- One.- It was a good peck, though, wasn't it?- Right on my forehead.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Oh no! Missed your hat protector?
0:26:49 > 0:26:50Yeah.
0:26:50 > 0:26:57Visits to the islands usually last a couple of hours, but the Farnes experience isn't over yet.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Like on the Scillies, there's a colony of grey seals.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Look at them. There's 3,000 grey seals here in the Farnes.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10And believe it or not, they are the UK's largest meat-eating mammal.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I first came here when I was a child.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17I saw these seals and really wanted to become a zoologist and study them.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20So it's fantastic to be back and see them. They are so curious.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25They've literally ringed the boat and they're all out there staring at us.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29They're cute and very blubbery. When they are in the water
0:27:29 > 0:27:32they have this incredible athletic grace.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37And if you want to get the most out of seeing the seals,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40go on one of the first trips of the day.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43After all, you might have all this to yourself.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49There's only one way of getting to the Farnes - by boat from Seahouses.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51There are no landings in rough weather.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55It's run by the National Trust, so there's a charge for non-members.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59It's best to go during the breeding season, which runs from May to July.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01And don't forget your hat.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04More information is available on our website.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Sadly, that's it. It's been absolutely fantastic.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I'm still getting really close to birds, like these razorbills.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17But one over-riding thought is this,
0:28:17 > 0:28:23please get out and see all of this brilliant wildlife for yourselves.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Goodbye.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Next time on Hands On Nature,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31the battle of the beetles in a London park.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32My money's on this one here -
0:28:32 > 0:28:35look at the way he's lifting that other insect up.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39And Janet Sumner goes all batty in Northern Ireland.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42You can actually hear their wings beating above my head.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46You can't tell me that isn't worth getting out of bed early for.