0:00:02 > 0:00:04Hello and welcome to Hands on Nature.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06I'm Chris Packham and this is your user's guide
0:00:06 > 0:00:09to the very best of the UK's wildlife.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Who needs far-flung exotic places? Just look at this!
0:00:13 > 0:00:17But today you will need a stout pair of boots and a waterproof coat,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20because we're going to be taking a closer look at our uplands.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Meet the mountain specialist
0:00:22 > 0:00:26trying to give me the slip in its highland home.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Mike Dilger grapples with the American invader,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31that's over-sized and over here.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34If that was in the water, it'd actually be lying up like this
0:00:34 > 0:00:37with its claws in the air, basically saying, "get off!"
0:00:37 > 0:00:41And there's a surprise for Janet Sumner in a southern upland.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Such a special moment, I'd no idea they lived up trees!
0:00:55 > 0:00:59This amazing landscape is the Cairngorm National Park
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and it includes some of the highest mountains in the UK.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04And just look at it, it's pretty impressive.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09But this habitat is a harsh and a hostile one and to survive here
0:01:09 > 0:01:11you've got to be really tough.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14After all, the conditions could be described as Arctic.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Now, if you know what to look for in this big country, you can enjoy
0:01:18 > 0:01:21a pretty amazing highland wildlife experience.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29So many mountains, so little time - so pick one where things are made
0:01:29 > 0:01:31a bit easier for you.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And Cairn Gorm is probably the best.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Not least because a road comes half way up and there's a railway
0:01:39 > 0:01:42which takes you almost to the top, but if you want to get the best
0:01:42 > 0:01:45out of the wildlife here, and there are some super species,
0:01:45 > 0:01:50I'm afraid you've got to do things the old-fashioned, hard way.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54The Cairngorms are Britain's premier mountain range, in scale,
0:01:54 > 0:01:55altitude and sheer wilderness.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01Mostly around 4,000 feet high, it's a harsh and unforgiving landscape.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06But look closely and there is life here.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09If you know where to look there are plants and animals aplenty.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13And in the hunt for three of them - two specialist highland birds,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17the ptarmigan and snow bunting, together with the mountain hare,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21and giving me a hand is Cairngorm ranger, Nick Bullivant.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26And within minutes we're in luck.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Amongst the boulders we spot a mountain hare.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33The wind ruffling his fur.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40They keep those black ear tips all year, but all the rest...
0:02:40 > 0:02:43It goes white in winter.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45I've never seen them white. They go completely white?
0:02:45 > 0:02:47- Yeah.- Just the ear tips?
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Keeps them out of harm's way because
0:02:51 > 0:02:56- hares and ptarmigan try to keep out of the way of golden eagles.- Yeah.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- They're everywhere. - They are everywhere.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05They're not what we need in terms of a montane specialist, are they?
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Where's our snow bunting and ptarmigan?
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Hare combo with large fries and a Diet Coke.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Small plastic toy to take away.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21So back to our hunt, and at least there's a trail to follow.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Now, you're gonna love this, I promise you
0:03:24 > 0:03:27you're going to love it and if you don't, I guarantee your kids will.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Because now we're gonna take a look at poo.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Because poo is important, poo can tell you exactly what's
0:03:33 > 0:03:37living wherever you found it. And this is a collection I've made today.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40This lovely little round pellet here,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42is mountain hare poo.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Just like a rabbit, slightly flatter, dropped singly,
0:03:45 > 0:03:50and it's this colour when it's dry, and it's this colour when it's wet.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55This one here is quite small for the animal, normally it's much larger.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58It's dark, often black, it's full of hair.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00The blackness tells you it's a carnivore,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03so does the fact that it's full of hair, and this is fox poo,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and it has a characteristic scent.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08But I think this one's been a bit washed out, so it's lacking that.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10This, though, is one of my favourites.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14These lovely little pellets here are ptarmigan poo.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17And if you look into them, you can see all the plant material
0:04:17 > 0:04:19the bird's been eating.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24They're together because they sit down in one spot and just poo there.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29There are lovely plants - it's a garden centre at 3,000 feet.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Nick, I keep spotting lots of this little pink flower here.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- D'you know what it is? - Yes, it's trailing azalea.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41- Azalea?- It's actually azalea.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- Like a garden azalea?- Yes. - Tiny, isn't it?
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Living in a big landscape, there's no point in being big,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- it would just get blown away.- Yes.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55- Exquisite, actually, when it's magnified like that.- Yes, yes.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Here's a little tip, turn your binoculars upside down and
0:04:58 > 0:05:03they become a handy magnifying glass. But you've got to get really close.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Still no sign of the ptarmigan, a bird so uniquely adapted to
0:05:14 > 0:05:20mountain life and camouflaged so well that it looks like a rock, and this,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24need I say it, is a landscape dominated by rocks.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Birds, sometimes I can go off them, Nick.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Have you had no luck either?
0:05:34 > 0:05:40- Still looking.- Feather, what d'you think, it's not a wood pigeon up here, is it?
0:05:40 > 0:05:45No, it's an under feather from a ptarmigan, I would say.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48And this, is the best piece of evidence yet.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49Yeah.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51- That's ptarmigan egg, isn't it?- Yes.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55And it's been predated by a bird, look. Something's pecked into that.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57So it has, yeah.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01No toothmark here to suggest it would be a mammal.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- What do you think - crow? - You do get crows coming up
0:06:04 > 0:06:07after bits of bread and stuff, that people have dropped.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10They'll stay around if they can find anything like this to...
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Just the one though. They do have quite a large clutch, don't they?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- Yeah.- Eight, nine, ten?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18You see seven, eight, nine.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28And we've got one. That's it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- You've got one?- Yeah, rock at the back edge...
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I got it, I've got it, I've got it!
0:06:34 > 0:06:37The camouflage is absolutely remarkable, isn't it?
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- How did you see it, because it was moving?- Yeah, that's the only thing.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Superb, superb.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48Basically, a bird that's supremely adapted to this environment,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52they've even got fluffy feet, haven't they, to keep them warm.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Yes, that's right.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Ptarmigan and grouse both have that.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04And reduced amount of feeling in the soles of their feet as well.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07They'll sit around in the snow quite happily.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Then we spotted this female had chicks.
0:07:12 > 0:07:18The young are very vulnerable at first, it takes a while for them
0:07:18 > 0:07:22to build up that tolerance and I think it'd be quite a loss at first.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26But we do see seven and eight going around.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Unfortunately, if you come across them and you scatter them,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33it takes the mother bird a while to collect them all up again.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37That was brilliant, I honestly thought we'd had it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40I thought it was an eggshell, a feather and quite a lot of poo.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Which is a very poor substitute for the real thing.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49So, with two of our three targets ticked off,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52could we find the elusive snow bunting?
0:07:52 > 0:07:58Well, just as the day was drawing to a close, listen to this. BIRD SINGS
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Ahh, look at that. Just look at it.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Look at it, look at it, look at it.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Look at him singing!
0:08:06 > 0:08:09This is ornithological nirvana.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12That's a male snow bunting, and not only is it extremely rare,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16there's only a handful of pairs here in the Highland, it's also
0:08:16 > 0:08:20a beautiful little bird. That's a full adult - he's hopping around
0:08:20 > 0:08:24all over the place. It's a full adult male, it's got that white head,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27every now and again, look at that.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30You see that little jagged bit on his beak which
0:08:30 > 0:08:32he uses for breaking open the seeds.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37What a dainty, dapper little bird!
0:08:39 > 0:08:44It's a great place, harsh, hostile, even a little hostile for us today,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47but nevertheless, a unique environment, isn't it?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It's difficult to think how fragile it is.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52It doesn't look fragile on the face of it, but...
0:08:52 > 0:08:55it doesn't take much of the climate change
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and losing all the snow patches earlier and earlier.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02A lot of the plants and animals we've seen today
0:09:02 > 0:09:07are really struggling, because they are not getting the winter breaks
0:09:07 > 0:09:09they used to get.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11There's one thing wrong with this place -
0:09:11 > 0:09:14that little tea room that should be just there
0:09:14 > 0:09:17with Earl Grey and shortbread.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21- Lovely idea! Let's go and find it. - We'll have to go down,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24the business opportunities being wasted, seriously.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27We should branch out,
0:09:27 > 0:09:28branch out.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Cairn Gorm mountain is 10 miles from Aviemore. There's a mountain railway,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39but you can't leave the summit building, so walking is best.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Call into the Cairn Gorm ranger base for wildlife and weather advice
0:09:42 > 0:09:46and don't forget there's more information on our website:
0:09:51 > 0:09:54OK, here's the health warning.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58This place is much bigger than the English Lake District, and although
0:09:58 > 0:10:02it can look terribly peaceful, even now in the middle of summer,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05June, there's snow up here. So imagine what it's like in the winter.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08If you're going to venture out here use some common sense.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13Plenty of waterproof clothing, spare warm clothing, even a blanket.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18And get a compass, and make sure you know how to use it. A whistle, so if you get lost...
0:10:18 > 0:10:19..you can attract attention.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23But perhaps most important of all, tell someone
0:10:23 > 0:10:26exactly where you're going and when you expect to come back.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29As I've said, it is much common sense, but it's worth using it.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Still, enough of that.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Coming up - Janet's on an adventure into an upland forest
0:10:35 > 0:10:37and comes under ant attack.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42It's an incredibly strong smell of vinegar.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Right, now we're heading south to the English Pennines,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54a place which has one of the most bizarre landscapes.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58You see, Yorkshire is given over to a lot of limestone,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and that comes with an incredible mix of plants and animals.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Mike Dilger started his trip at
0:11:04 > 0:11:08the iconic, the amazing, the fabulous Malham Cove.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26At 80 metres high, by 300 metres across, the cliffs at Malham Cove
0:11:26 > 0:11:31scale quite comfortably into the top 10 geological wonders of Britain.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Check out the view.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50The cove is a fantastic day out. It's such great walking country
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and if you want to get to the top, you've got to start at the bottom.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57And if you come in the summer months, May, June, July,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00the RSPB and the National Park have set telescopes up here
0:12:00 > 0:12:03for one of our most charismatic birds of prey.
0:12:03 > 0:12:09The peregrine falcon. And if you come down, you can have a free peek.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Every where you look there's limestone,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21in fact much of Yorkshire's famous drystone walls are made of it.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24300 million years ago, this area would have been
0:12:24 > 0:12:27covered by a shallow tropical sea.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30And the bodies of the dead sea creatures have formed
0:12:30 > 0:12:34the limestone that makes for such a stunning place to visit today.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Looks as hard as rock, doesn't it?
0:12:40 > 0:12:43But isn't, because one of the key features of limestone is,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47it's really susceptible to weathering. And this erosion causes
0:12:47 > 0:12:51limestone pavements, which is what I'm off to discover now.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54And some of the best limestone pavements are a few miles
0:12:54 > 0:12:58to the north-east at the Ingleborough nature reserve.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00What a brilliant lunar landscape.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04I reckon this is the closest thing you'll get to the moon in Britain.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07When you have a look around, the whole site is covered
0:13:07 > 0:13:09by these massive slabs of rock.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14They've got huge pitted fissures running throughout the whole site.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I know one of them is called a clint and the other one is called a gryke.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23I can't remember which one's which, but I do know a man that does.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Phil Eckersley from English Nature is going to help me out.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27Hi, Phil, have you got a nice spot there?
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Yes, Mike, I've found a brilliant spot for flowers.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Wonderful. Now, put my mind at rest,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36clints, grykes, I just can't remember which one's which?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It's dead easy, the clints are the big rocks on the top...
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- What we're sitting on? - That's right. And the grykes are
0:13:41 > 0:13:45these very thin fissures we can see in front of us here.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48And the fissures or the grykes are brilliant for plants.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- Look at all these ferns down here. - We've got this limestone fern
0:13:51 > 0:13:55- and this is another species down here.- What else have you got?
0:13:55 > 0:13:59We've got dog's mercury, which is a real woodland plant.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Nothing beats it in my book for a really showy plant.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05It's a real corker.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07So the diversity is absolutely superb.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11It's bizarre, when you look on top, in front of us and behind us,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15there's very little growing on top, and it's a micro-climate.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18It's completely different down here. Why?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21It's a question of the two woodland conditions in lots of ways.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26You've got very deep fissures, it's very shady in there, quite humid.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Sometimes a bit warmer than the top of the limestone pavement.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33There's also some soil there which is washed down from above,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36so you've got perfect conditions for a wide diversity of plants to grow.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40I've brought my little DV camera here, so if I turn it on,
0:14:40 > 0:14:45we should be able to kind of film some nice plants actually.
0:14:45 > 0:14:51And if you use a camera, it avoids the risk of falling into the grykes.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54But there are great plants growing on top of the limestone, too,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and Tim Thom from the National Park was on hand to show me
0:14:57 > 0:15:00one of the best sites near Grassington.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04It has to be said, when you get down on one level, there's only
0:15:04 > 0:15:06one colour that dominates, but it's not buttercup.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10No, it's rock rose, which is a real speciality
0:15:10 > 0:15:13of the limestone here and it's looking fabulous today.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Fantastic, lovely papery petals, aren't they?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- Very delicate. - When you get close down,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20- you suddenly realise there is a lot more species down there.- Yeah.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22You've got to have a good look.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25You've got thyme here, which is the real...
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The smell of it, as you crush it or walk across it,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31that kind of Mediterranean herb smell, it's fantastic.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Spaghetti bolognese.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35And this delicate one, it's beautiful.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Yes, this is fairy flax,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41a tiny little flower, but absolutely stunning, a wonderful little plant.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46- They all love the lime conditions, and also the dry, stony conditions. - The very thin soil.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Yes, virtually no soil, a few centimetres, then you're down to this really hard base rock.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Of course, Tim, it's not just good for flowers,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58it's good for insects and I think I've got a speciality of the site.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Yeah, it's the northern brown argus butterfly.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- That's the one.- Which is a real, unique butterfly for the Dales.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07This sunshine that bringing it now.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11But all is not sweetness and light in the Yorkshire Dales.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15There's a battle under way in some of these upland rivers.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18And it's one that's not going our way.
0:16:20 > 0:16:26Hopefully, if you let the water go a bit still after you've got in,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28you can sometimes see a...
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Sitting very quiet on the bottom.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Something sticking out from under a rock,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35have a look first, and then start
0:16:35 > 0:16:38lifting some of the bigger rocks over.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42We're looking for signs of a deadly alien invader
0:16:42 > 0:16:47that's escaped from fish farms and entered the river system.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Wait until it clears and see if you've got one there.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Right, here we are.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02- Have you got one?- Yeah.- I knew you'd be the first to find one.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- Here we go.- Oh, look at that.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- We were looking for crayfish weren't we?- Yes, exactly.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12- But this is not welcome?- No, this is the American signal crayfish.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- It's oversexed, oversized and over here?- Much more aggressive
0:17:16 > 0:17:19than our own crayfish.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- Crikey! - You can see what it's doing there.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25It's curling its back. If that was in the water, it would be lying up
0:17:25 > 0:17:29like this with its claws in the air, basically saying, "Get off,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- "I'll beat you up." - A very aggressive posture.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- Yeah.- We've got our own native crayfish, the white-clawed crayfish,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39but how are these doing our native crayfish in?
0:17:39 > 0:17:40They are bigger and more aggressive,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44they're directly competing with our own crayfish, they'll attack them,
0:17:44 > 0:17:45and eat them.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48The other problem, Tim, is they carry a plague.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Yeah, these guys have all sorts of weapons and they've got
0:17:51 > 0:17:54this biological weapon, which is called crayfish plague.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57These carry it, but they're immune to it, but our British crayfish
0:17:57 > 0:18:01are very susceptible. And if you get crayfish plague in a river,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05it can wipe out the entire population of British crayfish within weeks.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13Our under-fire British crayfish are just about hanging on
0:18:13 > 0:18:16in streams and tributaries, but to see them
0:18:16 > 0:18:20we'll have to wait until dark, as that's when they come out to hunt.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25These British survivors have been tagged so their progress can be monitored.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33- Hey, here we go.- That's the native, British white-clawed crayfish.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35A lot smaller, as you can see.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38These guys really are just not tough enough to cope
0:18:38 > 0:18:40with the invasion of the signal crayfish.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42At the moment, they're safe,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46although we've started recording signal crayfish in the bottom end of the beck.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51So, really given what we know from other rivers, it's only
0:18:51 > 0:18:55a matter of time before signal crayfish make their way up here.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Let's hope the tide turns in their favour.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02But what a landscape, and if you want to explore limestone country,
0:19:02 > 0:19:07then it extends across the Yorkshire Dales and into Lancashire.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Access to Malham Cove is free, and you can get more information
0:19:11 > 0:19:14from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Visitor Centre in Malham.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17More details are on our website.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28OK, up here in the north of the British Isles, and especially at this
0:19:28 > 0:19:33altitude, it's very much a question of survival when it comes to nature.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Down in the south of England, conditions are different -
0:19:36 > 0:19:39the hills are lower and the climate is much milder
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and you get a much greater range of plants and animals.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Janet Sumner started her journey
0:19:44 > 0:19:48on top of Dartmoor, the largest area of moorland in the south of England.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00Dartmoor National Park, the largest and wildest area
0:20:00 > 0:20:04of open country in southern England, and one of the few southern uplands.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09Most of the park's 368 square miles lie on a granite plateau which rises
0:20:09 > 0:20:12to 2,000 feet above sea level.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It was nearly 300 million years ago, that molten rock
0:20:21 > 0:20:25started to rise up to the surface here, but it didn't quite make it.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28It cooled down really slowly over time, and gave us these beautiful,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32big crystals which are so characteristic of granite rock.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40I'm sat on Hey Tor, which is one of 160 windows
0:20:40 > 0:20:43into that once molten world.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48Now, the reason the granite's exposed today, is that thousands of years of weather
0:20:48 > 0:20:51have stripped away the overlying rocks
0:20:51 > 0:20:55and it's left the most fantastic feature.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59To explore the diverse nature of the moor, I'm starting out here at
0:20:59 > 0:21:041500ft and I'll be dropping down through ever-changing habitat.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Now, altitude makes a big difference to nature and as a rule of thumb
0:21:08 > 0:21:13for every 300ft that I'd go down, it'll get one degree warmer.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Only the very hardiest breeds of livestock can survive
0:21:22 > 0:21:27the winter conditions up here, like these guys, the Dartmoor ponies.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31They help to maintain the moor by munching, and they'll eat anything.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Grass, heather,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37they'll even eat gorse after bashing it to get the prickles off.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42All this munching is crucial to keep the moor as it is
0:21:42 > 0:21:45otherwise it would soon return to shrub and woodland.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Now, I mentioned the importance of temperature and altitude,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55well, look down there, that huge wood is set in a valley.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59It's only a few miles away, but it's 800 or 900ft lower
0:21:59 > 0:22:01and there we'll find breeding birds
0:22:01 > 0:22:04that would really struggle to survive up here.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16This is Yarner Wood, and in spring
0:22:16 > 0:22:18it's a great place for nesting birds.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Including a little migrant
0:22:20 > 0:22:24that flies thousands of miles from West Africa to use the nest boxes.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28All under the watchful gaze of warden, Phil Page.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33Here is a classic example of a bird of oak woodland in upland Britain.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35It's a pied flycatcher.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38That's the female on the branch there?
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- She's much greyer than the male? - I would say browner, really.
0:22:42 > 0:22:43There he is, he's gorgeous.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48He'll be singing to proclaim - this is my territory.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51We can't really get any closer than this can we?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53No, this is a safe distance. But because we're on a path,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55they're pretty used to people.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58That's another thing - we've got the right clothes on.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02But you'd be amazed at the number of people who come to see birds
0:23:02 > 0:23:06and they've got reds and yellows and birds are sensitive to colours.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10If you want to see the birds, you've got to wear the right clothing.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- Look, there's a tree creeper. - Oh yes, I see it!
0:23:13 > 0:23:15It's working its way up the tree.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20- So he's turning the bark over to get to the insects?- Yes, yes.- Fantastic.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25- The other one which behaves in a similar way is the nuthatch. - Which comes DOWN the tree?- Yes.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28The tree creeper goes up.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Some of the nest boxes are providing a warm home
0:23:33 > 0:23:35for a group of tiny mammals.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45Have a look in here and see what we've got in this one.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Ah ha.
0:23:47 > 0:23:53Dormice, not just one dormouse, but several dormice in here.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57- Here we go.- It's just come out and scurried off up the tree.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I can't believe it.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03That's such a special moment, I've never seen a dormouse before
0:24:03 > 0:24:07and I had no idea they lived up trees. And the sad thing is,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09they're in decline all over the country, except for Devon.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12They're doing really well here, thank goodness.
0:24:12 > 0:24:18Now, because of their rarity, you can't handle dormice unless you have a special licence like Phil.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21So it's time to put them back and allow them to return
0:24:21 > 0:24:23to their favourite occupation - sleeping.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Now, for a truly remarkable creature.
0:24:30 > 0:24:36We often walk past lots of nature, simply because it's on a different scale, like this for instance.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40It's a wood ant's nest and you could easily walk past it, but there are
0:24:40 > 0:24:44hundreds of them in this wood, with an estimated 200 million ants
0:24:44 > 0:24:48living in them. It seems like most of them are right here.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59They're actually repairing this nest at the moment, which is why there's loads and loads of activity.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Now, they don't sting, but as well as biting, they'll actually squirt
0:25:03 > 0:25:07formic acid out of their bottoms and they do that when they're alarmed.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09I can alarm them with his pencil.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17It's an incredibly strong smell of vinegar.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20That's enough to scare off the birds.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23The birds won't be able to eat these ants.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30I have now reached the lowest part of my journey,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34the Bovey River Valley. Dartmoor ecologist Sue Goodfellow
0:25:34 > 0:25:36is going to show me something special,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38something I could easily miss.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Here's a good tree.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45We've got quite a variety of species here and you can see their different
0:25:45 > 0:25:47shapes and structures.
0:25:47 > 0:25:53And these are the lichens we're looking for, the chaps we've come to find? So, what's this one called?
0:25:53 > 0:25:56That's the knicker elastic lichen.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59OK, well, I've got a piece I picked up on the path and I'm going to test
0:25:59 > 0:26:02to see if it's really worth its name.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06I'm going to pull it very gently apart...
0:26:06 > 0:26:11There, you can actually see the knicker elastic in there. Fantastic.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15OK, so we've got knicker elastic, what else have we got?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Um, this is Cladonia.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20If you look at it through that, see what you can see.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Now, lichen are an amazing combination of two types of life,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28fungi and algae. And close up you can see a little red tip, from where
0:26:28 > 0:26:33fungal spores will fly off to find new algae and create a new lichen.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36There are many species along the valley,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40all sensitive to the quality and condition of the air around us.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44What is it with you and lichens?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Well, they're beautiful and they also tell us
0:26:47 > 0:26:48so much about the environment.
0:26:48 > 0:26:54They're clues to what's happened in the past, and what's around us now.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58You can tell what the air is like. You can tell how much it rains,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02you can tell what's happened to the structure the lichen is growing on.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04They're absolutely fascinating.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Now, if you've not got your own personal lichen guide like Sue,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14you want to get yourself one of these, a leaflet or book
0:27:14 > 0:27:17that'll help you identify the different kind of lichens.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22Now, I've actually found oak moss, and I know for a fact,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26this was used as a fixative in the perfume industry.
0:27:26 > 0:27:31That means it's ground up and the perfume scents are added to it.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35It's this stuff that keeps the smell of the perfume on your skin.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39If you're not completely sure,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41the best thing to do is to...
0:27:41 > 0:27:43get a snap of it,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47take it home and identify it properly.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52Yarner Wood is part of the East Dartmoor Woods and Heath Reserve
0:27:52 > 0:27:55which includes moorland and the Bovey River Valley.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57It's two miles from Bovey Tracey in Devon.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00There's plenty to see all year round and it's free.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04If you're into spotting lichen, the Field Studies Council at Shrewsbury
0:28:04 > 0:28:07has produced an inexpensive guide.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Sadly, that's all we have time for.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16Time for me to take one more picture. If you've heard that once,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Nevertheless... SHUTTER CLICKS
0:28:21 > 0:28:23..it's got to be worth it.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Excellent. See you next time for some more Hands On Nature...
0:28:28 > 0:28:32..when Mike Dilger enjoys the delights of the Somerset Levels.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37That's Britain's heaviest bird taking off.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40And Sanjida O'Connell takes a walk on the wild side.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44The reason I've come here is to see a rather mysterious creature
0:28:44 > 0:28:46which sounds a bit like this...
0:28:46 > 0:28:48DEEP HOOT
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd