Iwerddon Antur y Gorllewin

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-Dear me, what a journey...

-..and what an adventure.

-Crikey, what a place!

-I'm travelling along the west coast

-of Europe, from the Azores...

-I've always wanted to swim

-with these.

-..all the way up to Iceland.

-I'm swimming here...

-..between two continents.

-I'll take you

-to as many places as I can...

-..to see incredible wildlife

-and amazing views.

-Everything we see

-is here for one reason...

-..the influence of the Atlantic.

-The wind whips in

-all the way from America.

-The Atlantic

-defines the climate and wildlife...

-..of every country

-in Western Europe.

-We've seen the wonders

-of Portugal...

-..Spain...

-A lynx. A lynx, lads, a lynx!

-France.

-There are birds everywhere.

-It's a paradise for me.

-The Channel Islands.

-Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

-It's the first one I've seen

-in Britain, so I'm happy!

-And we're only halfway.

-More new and exciting adventures

-await me in Ireland.

-Eire, Ireland, land of legends...

-..music and persistent rain

-from the Atlantic.

-Torrential storms rip through here.

-But travelling

-Ireland's west coast...

-..gives me a rare chance

-to hear a familiar old voice.

-RASPING BIRD CALL

-It's great to hear it again.

-I explore remarkable worlds

-underground and underwater.

-I don't think I've ever seen

-such a rich habitat on any mainland.

-I witness

-unforgettable sights and landscapes.

-The Skellig Islands,

-the Cliffs of Moher...

-..and the Burren.

-It's a long trip, all the way

-to Donegal and Inishbofin...

-..in the extreme north-west.

-But my journey begins in the south,

-on the shores of Bantry Bay.

-I'm searching the Glengarriff Woods

-for a rare and unexpected plant.

-It's a rather special cabbage.

-This is St Patrick's cabbage.

-It might be called a cabbage...

-..but it's a species of saxifrage.

-It's one of those odd plants...

-..that are found in pockets,

-here in the south-west of Ireland...

-..and nowhere else in Europe

-apart from Western Portugal.

-Why does it only grow

-in those two places?

-Nobody is sure,

-but it's thought...

-..that early settlers brought it

-from one country to the other.

-They thrive

-in the west of both countries...

-..due to the sea's influence.

-The climate is wet all year round.

-That enables these plants

-to grow and thrive.

-The same is true of another species

-of saxifrage that grows nearby.

-This is kidney saxifrage,

-named for its kidney-shaped leaves.

-It's only found in County Cork

-and County Kerry...

-..and in the Pyrenees

-or Cantabrian Mountains in Spain.

-And what about this animal?

-Did its ancestors stow away

-on a ship from Spain centuries ago?

-That's true of every flower, insect

-and animal that flourishes here.

-After all, Ireland is an island.

-Everything made its way here

-after the Ice Age, but how?

-That remains a mystery...

-..but it must have been

-some journey and some adventure.

-I head to the west

-of County Kerry...

-..and the picturesque bay

-of Ballinskelligs.

-It's not the end of a journey

-but the beginning of another.

-I'm heading towards

-the two islands on the horizon.

-The Skellig Islands.

-Once you pass Bolus Head,

-the journey to Little Skellig...

-..is 12 kilometres,

-around seven miles.

-But in an old boat,

-bobbing about on the waves...

-..going up and down,

-up and down all the way there...

-..it feels like twice that distance.

-From afar, Little Skellig

-looks like a white island.

-But it's not the rock

-that gives it its colour...

-..but the thousands of birds

-and the blanket of excrement.

-What a sight -

-30,000 pairs of gannets...

-..covering the entire island.

-I doubt there is

-an inch of space left.

-You won't get a better sight

-anywhere in the world.

-There is some debate over the size

-of this nesting colony.

-Grassholm or Bass Rock or here...

-..is the second largest in the world

-after St Kilda in Scotland.

-But who's counting

-and what does it matter?

-Wherever they are,

-it's a privilege to watch gannets...

-..especially

-in such a magical place.

-There's also another reason

-why I've come to Little Skellig.

-If the rock above the water

-isn't enough of a wonder...

-..the 70 metres of rock

-beneath the surface...

-..is also teeming with wildlife.

-It's time to find out for myself.

-Away you go, Iolo.

-Look at this forest.

-This is kelp.

-It's just as rich

-as any tropical forest.

-Look closely and you'll notice

-lots of crabs, lobsters, anemones...

-..and all kinds of creatures.

-You have to swim carefully because

-there are so many creatures here.

-The sea is incredibly fertile...

-..partly because of the gannets...

-..all 30,000 of them...

-..excreting into the water.

-Furthermore...

-..it's here

-that the cold North Atlantic...

-..meets the warm Gulf Stream...

-..all the way from the Caribbean.

-When both oceans combine...

-..they provide an abundance of food

-for marine life.

-Wow! There are starfish

-dotted all around.

-Incredible.

-These are jewel anemones.

-I saw some in the sea around Sark,

-but nothing like this.

-This is a colony of thousands

-of small animals cohabiting...

-..and creating

-their own pretty picture.

-On them, like a big hedgehog,

-is the sea urchin.

-It normally grazes on seaweed...

-..so it's more of a sheep

-than a hedgehog.

-Look at these anemones.

-Thousands of them everywhere,

-and so many different colours.

-The majority of these

-are dahlia anemones.

-They're remarkable.

-There are starfish everywhere too.

-They eat shellfish.

-I don't think I've ever seen...

-..such a thriving habitat

-on the mainland.

-Little Skellig

-is caught between two worlds.

-Between the cold North Atlantic

-and the warm Gulf Stream...

-..and also between the wildlife

-that relies on the sea...

-..and the bird life that has

-evolved into a nesting colony.

-But for many centuries...

-..Skellig Michael,

-the larger island...

-..has also been caught

-between two worlds.

-The real world

-and the spiritual world.

-It is to Skellig Michael

-that I travel next...

-..to see a remarkable monastery...

-..and to hear strange noises

-echoing among its ancient walls.

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-Skellig Michael

-is an extraordinary place.

-It's worth coming here...

-..just for the view

-of Little Skellig in the distance.

-It's no wonder the island is now

-a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

-The monastery buildings

-have been here for 1,400 years.

-Though uninhabited,

-the monks' dwellings remain...

-..resembling six stone igloos

-or old-fashioned beehives.

-Two small chapels also remain.

-Strange noises are still heard

-among these ancient walls.

-That isn't a myth

-or a bit of blarney!

-Thousands of people

-come here each year...

-..to visit

-this remarkable monastery.

-It took two centuries to build.

-By building such thick walls,

-purely by chance...

-..the monks provided

-the perfect habitat for a bird...

-..called the storm petrel.

-It is a nocturnal seabird.

-I won't be able to see it,

-but if you listen...

-..you can hear one calling.

-I saw a storm petrel

-in daylight recently.

-Not in Ireland, but at the start

-of my journey, off the Azores.

-Petrel is a derivative of Peter.

-It refers to a bird that sticks out

-its legs while flying...

-..as though it were trying

-to walk on water...

-..like St Peter in the Bible.

-From the enchanting

-Skellig Islands...

-..I return to the mainland

-and the Killarney National Park.

-It's a beautiful area...

-..that attracts tourists

-from around the world...

-..to enjoy the views

-and tranquillity.

-But I'm here to see

-this unexpected habitat.

-Reenadinna Wood.

-This is a very odd place.

-When I came here...

-..I felt as if I was walking

-into a different world.

-These are all yew trees.

-There is very little on the ground

-apart from moss.

-The surface is littered with stones

-covered in a thick blanket of moss.

-I don't think I've ever been

-in a forest in springtime...

-..that's as quiet

-and lifeless as this.

-I can't hear a single bird singing.

-It's silent.

-It might be an odd place,

-but it's also a very rare habitat.

-There are only three yew forests

-in the whole of Europe.

-Why yew trees, I hear you ask.

-The reason for that is because

-there is limestone underfoot...

-..and very little soil.

-The yew's roots

-extend far and wide...

-..so they're able to survive

-where other trees can't.

-Maybe that the lack of diversity

-is behind the lack of birds.

-It's very moist, of course.

-That explains the covering of moss.

-It's a very interesting place,

-with a remarkable atmosphere.

-I can't say I enjoyed the haunting

-ambience of the yew forest...

-..but I'm glad to have seen it.

-It was a memorable experience.

-Near another

-of Killarney's woodlands...

-..is something closer to my heart.

-I catch my first glimpse of one

-of Ireland's rarest creatures.

-Red deer.

-It's incredibly difficult

-to get close to red deer.

-Those in the distance

-are mothers with their young.

-They're staying

-on the edge of the trees.

-At the first sign of danger,

-they retreat into the forest.

-The smaller deer are lying down.

-If I approach,

-I know they'll run away.

-Red deer

-have an interesting history.

-These are the only

-native red deer in Ireland.

-They've been here

-since the end of the Ice Age.

-There are other species of deer

-in Ireland nowadays...

-..but they were all introduced

-to the country.

-A century ago, only 100 red deer

-were left in this region.

-The young are smaller in size...

-..and have a mottled coat.

-When they lie down

-in dense undergrowth...

-..they are impossible to spot.

-That's as near as we'll get.

-They're starting to huddle together.

-They'll vanish into the trees

-if I get any closer.

-Having been privileged

-to spend a short time...

-..with the Killarney deer, I return

-to the wonders of the coast.

-It's somehow hard to believe

-that the Atlantic's ferocity...

-..is responsible

-for what we consider beautiful.

-The picturesque bays

-along the west coast.

-The marshlands.

-The cliffs.

-In County Clare,

-the pinnacle of the battle...

-..between land and sea is evident.

-The world-famous Cliffs of Moher

-stretch for eight kilometres.

-They rise to 700 feet,

-or over 200 metres, above sea level.

-It's a constant battle

-between land and sea here.

-The sea

-gradually erodes the coast...

-..creating majestic cliffs

-and nesting habitats for seabirds.

-Looking down there,

-I can spot gulls...

-..fulmars...

-..razorbills and guillemots

-in their thousands...

-..going to catch fish

-and returning to their nests.

-I'm looking down at them,

-circling above the white waves.

-They're like

-industrious bees in a hive.

-Your eyes are drawn to the waves...

-..and the thousands of seabirds.

-Sometimes, you forget to look up.

-There are peregrine falcons about.

-I saw a male earlier,

-but he has disappeared for now.

-I was studying the graceful flight

-of the fulmar...

-..when I spotted

-a single falcon circling overhead.

-I think he was showing off

-rather than hunting.

-That's when you realize

-he's the true master of the sky.

-The female is darker

-and slightly larger than the male.

-Look carefully at her wings.

-One of the main flight feathers

-is missing on both wings.

-They moult once a year.

-If they shed one feather

-from their right wing...

-..the same one

-on the left wing is also shed.

-It keeps them perfectly balanced.

-It has to be that way.

-The male has returned.

-He must have been hunting after all.

-He has passed her some food -

-a fledgling.

-There must be a nest

-somewhere on these cliffs.

-On the next leg of my journey,

-I follow a hare.

-I've spent all morning

-looking for them...

-..and now three turn up at once.

-I also explore

-beneath Ireland's famous Burren.

-It's an incredible habitat.

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-The little village of Doolin.

-During the summer,

-musicians the world over...

-..come here to enjoy the craic.

-Good luck to them, I say...

-..but I prefer the music

-of the Irish woods and fields...

-..and the craic of discovering

-another of Ireland's rare treasures.

-I've been looking for this

-all morning.

-There are three of them

-in this field.

-It's like waiting for a bus.

-Nothing for ages

-and three turn up at once.

-It's a hare,

-but not the one we're used to.

-This is the Irish hare.

-It's a subspecies

-of the mountain hare...

-..that's found

-in the Scottish highlands.

-The mountain hare

-turns white during the winter.

-The Irish hare doesn't.

-The hares we have in Wales

-are European hares.

-They're lighter,

-a sandy brown colour.

-This is much darker.

-This one is squatting -

-I can only see its head.

-The hares at the far end

-are further away and feel safer.

-They're feeding happily.

-I'm going to have another look

-at this one.

-This one has started to feed.

-She's now used to my presence

-and is far more relaxed.

-On the whole,

-they're very shy creatures.

-These are the first ones I've seen.

-They're shot usually...

-..but we're in a village

-that attracts many tourists.

-I think they're left alone here.

-That's why they aren't as shy

-as the others.

-I hope she stays

-so that I can watch her.

-Less than five miles

-north of Doolin...

-..I reach an area that excites

-scientists and visitors alike.

-This is the Burren.

-The word burren means a stony place.

-Yes, the Irish tell it as it is.

-This is the habitat that's always

-associated with the Burren.

-Limestone, especially

-limestone pavements...

-..with these long crevices

-in the rock...

-..more commonly known as grikes

-by geologists.

-Most of the plants

-grow in these crevices...

-..because this is where

-the soil is located.

-Strong winds

-sweep in from the sea...

-..and plant life can only survive

-in these crevices.

-Over 70% of Ireland's native species

-can be found in the Burren.

-That's about 700 different types

-of flowers, ferns and so on.

-It's an area

-of international importance.

-Some of these plants

-have been here since the Ice Age.

-They also grow in the Alps.

-Alongside those

-are other plants...

-..that we normally associate

-with warmer Continental countries.

-This is the only place in Europe...

-..where both kinds of plants

-grow side by side.

-It's a unique place.

-Take this flower, mountain avens.

-It grows on Y Gribyn and Creigiau

-Gleision, and in Cwm Idwal.

-It's an upland plant

-of the Arctic and the Alps.

-Here, it's found on the shore.

-Growing within a stone's throw

-is bloody cranesbill.

-It's common on sand dunes

-and limestone rocks...

-..on the Great Orme and the Gower.

-Here, it grows with mountain avens.

-It's a mystery, but there might be

-some kind of explanation.

-Ireland is a turning point

-on my journey.

-Influences from north and south

-meet and mix.

-It's worth noting

-that we're so far north now...

-..that we should be seeing

-icebergs in the sea.

-As an Arctic and highland plant...

-..mountain avens

-should feel at home here.

-The reason that there are

-no icebergs here...

-..is the Gulf Stream's warmth.

-It brings the heat

-of Central America to Ireland...

-..and sustains plants

-growing in the Burren.

-It also brings something else

-synonymous with Ireland.

-Rain.

-This combination of rain and heat

-make Ireland a truly green island.

-The rain, slightly acidic...

-..is responsible for these splits

-in the Burren limestone.

-Drop by drop,

-the water eats into the limestone.

-It creates the grikes

-and shapes the landscape.

-No matter where you look...

-..the effect of the rainfall

-on the rock is very evident...

-..even across those hills.

-The limestone stretches for miles

-in every direction.

-What's even more surprising

-is the lack of water on the surface.

-There are hardly any lakes,

-streams or rivers.

-If you want to know what happens

-to the water, look underground.

-Yeah, grand. Trying to get myself

-around a bit here.

-In the water. Thanks, lads,

-you never told me about this.

-These caves are very dangerous.

-OK, Tom, I'm off.

-I can't tell you how glad I am

-to have Tom Chapman's company.

-He's the one in yellow

-and he's an expert on ropes.

-Terry Casserly is very familiar

-with the Burren caves.

-My safety, even my life,

-is in their hands.

-There's water underground.

-It's everywhere underfoot...

-..but when you look

-at the smooth cave walls...

-..one thing becomes evident.

-A powerful river of water

-created these tunnels.

-This waterfall is evidence

-that water flows...

-..not only underground,

-but far underground.

-I'm around 15 metres

-under the surface.

-It's strange to think

-that millions of people...

-..visit the Burren every year

-to see the natural wonders...

-..but hardly any of them

-venture underground.

-One river, the Caher,

-does flow on the surface.

-It flows north-westwards.

-The water down here, and the cave,

-runs south-eastwards.

-In an entirely different direction.

-There's something very Irish

-about that!

-There's another strange quirk.

-I may well be 15 metres

-underground now...

-..but I'm walking through rocks

-that formed millions of years ago...

-..under the sea.

-I'm walking through the graveyard

-of billions of tiny creatures...

-..that died, fell to the seabed

-and formed a layer of limestone.

-That layer

-is 700 metres thick in places.

-There are some incredible

-natural shapes in these caves...

-..but they were formed

-by a simple process.

-The acidic rain falls on the land

-above us and erodes the limestone.

-When the water

-filters underground...

-..the rock re-forms slowly

-to create remarkable shapes.

-I remember a friend telling me

-that he'd visited the Burren.

-He said the underground rock

-was like a lump of cheese.

-I didn't realize what he meant

-until I came down here today.

-It's incredible.

-Around 250km of caves

-have already been mapped out here...

-..but I'm sure there are more

-hiding underground...

-..waiting to be discovered.

-It's an incredible habitat.

-The water doesn't flow

-to the valley in the Burren.

-It flows deep underground.

-From the Burren's

-subterranean beauty...

-..I head back to the open air.

-After the break, I'll take you

-across Galway Bay to Connemara...

-..and on to a tiny island

-further north...

-..where I hear an old familiar call

-in an unfamiliar place.

-I expected to hear this bird,

-but I didn't expect to see it.

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-The wilds of Connemara

-are stunningly beautiful.

-You can see the cold footprint

-of the Ice Age wherever you look.

-Take Clew Bay, for example.

-They say that it has 365 islands,

-one for every day of the year.

-That's clearly nonsense.

-There are only 117,

-and most aren't even islands.

-They're drumlins,

-gravel and rock deposits...

-..left behind as glaciers thawed

-and flowed towards the sea.

-Next, I head back to the hills...

-..to County Mayo's

-Ballycroy National Park...

-..to search for the golden plover,

-a favourite rare bird of mine.

-I'm joined by Cameron Clotworthy,

-one of the park's wardens.

-He has studied these little birds

-for many years.

-How far are we going to go

-up here, Cameron?

-Another kilometre,

-up to the trigonometry point.

-We've got a really nice

-blanket bog habitat up here.

-It's actually a designated site.

-It's good-quality bog

-and hopefully we'll spot a plover.

-I'm going to go up here

-and have a look.

-We've reached the top,

-and it's very flat.

-It reminds me of Elenydd,

-where I used to seek golden plovers.

-Cameron says there are

-between 15 and 20 pairs here.

-That's quite a lot

-in such a small area.

-Finding them is the challenge,

-especially in this wind.

-This wet, peaty land

-is the perfect place.

-They nest on the dry areas and take

-their chicks to the wetter areas.

-We've heard one calling

-and we're looking for it now.

-I'll go after Cameron now.

-There are around 300 pairs

-of golden plovers in Ireland.

-It doesn't sound like a lot...

-..but there are only

-some 40 birds in total in Wales...

-..they should count their blessings.

-They face the same problems now

-that we faced 20-30 years ago.

-Alien Sitka and pine trees...

-..are a perfect habitat

-for crows and foxes.

-After hours of searching,

-surely I'll see one golden plover?

-Can you see it now, Cameron?

-It's just dipped

-behind a mound there.

-That was the male, with the lovely

-black chest and breast.

-Absolutely - the really prominent

-plumage colouring on the breast.

-He's just gone

-behind that mound over there.

-I've got you.

-He has good eyesight.

-He has found a male

-on one of the little mounds.

-The male has a dark breast...

-..and the golden feathers

-that give it its name.

-It shows you how difficult it is

-to find these birds.

-We're in an area

-where there are at least 15 pairs.

-We've been searching

-for almost four hours.

-This is the first bird we've seen.

-The female and her eggs

-are going to be somewhere nearby.

-Cameron thinks the male will take

-over from her and sit on the eggs.

-He'll sneak in slowly

-and she'll take off.

-I haven't seen the female,

-only the male.

-He has disappeared now.

-They're such beautiful birds.

-If you head north-west

-through County Mayo...

-..you reach one

-of the least-populated areas...

-..not only in Ireland,

-but in the whole of Europe.

-I can say one thing

-and truly mean it.

-The wilds of Donegal

-may have been hostile...

-..to humans over the centuries,

-but the views are breathtaking.

-Here in the Derryveagh Mountains

-is Glenveagh National Park.

-For geologists,

-this valley is quite wondrous.

-It follows a fault line

-in the earth's crust...

-..that runs from here

-to Loch Ness in Scotland.

-But why am I here?

-After all, there are no deer,

-eagles or rare plants in sight.

-No, there's something else.

-The place itself. It's enchanting.

-It's so remote and so wild,

-yet so beautiful.

-Once again, I realize that I'm meant

-to be in places like this.

-Is there sometimes a danger

-of romanticizing too much?

-I don't really know why I decided

-that today was the day...

-..to challenge

-the Atlantic's wild waves.

-I'm crossing to Inishbofin

-and the weather is terrible.

-It's only a ten-minute journey

-from the mainland...

-..but it's very dangerous

-in such strong winds.

-I'm looking forward

-to getting over there.

-The islanders' way of life

-hasn't changed for decades.

-Electricity didn't arrive

-until fairly recently.

-The farming methods mirror those

-of Wales over 50 years ago.

-Birds like the corncrake

-can still be seen there.

-I haven't seen one for many years

-and I can't wait to get there.

-Even before landing,

-I see two magnificent birds.

-This is a great northern diver...

-..and a male eider duck.

-Two beautiful birds

-usually found in northern climes.

-On the beach,

-I see a number of common birds...

-..such as the ringed plover,

-another northern bird.

-Rock pipits are everywhere here,

-and that's the point.

-The sheer number of birds make this

-a paradise for bird lovers.

-I love hearing the call

-of the lapwing.

-Peewit, peewit.

-There are five or six pairs

-flying above us here.

-In the fields behind me, there are

-up to a dozen pairs of skylarks.

-It feels as if someone,

-50 years ago...

-..ripped a piece off Ireland

-and threw it into the sea.

-It's a great place,

-two and a half kilometres long...

-..and a kilometre wide.

-There's such a rich tapestry

-of wildlife in such a small area.

-There's another one

-flying over there.

-I said earlier that I was coming

-to Inishbofin to see the corncrake.

-And no, I haven't been disappointed.

-I've been pleasantly surprised.

-RASPING BIRD CALL

-This is something I expected

-to hear but not to see.

-This is a corncrake.

-A male has popped its head up

-and is calling out.

-It's quietened down now.

-There it goes again.

-It's in the middle of the field.

-Very rarely do you see this bird.

-It's been hiding among the nettles.

-There's another one the other side

-of a wall over there...

-..answering this one's call.

-Because there are two,

-they're very noisy.

-Back home, an area of land like this

-would have been transformed.

-The nettles would have been

-sprayed with weedkiller.

-But this land

-has been sacrificed to the birds...

-..and they're flourishing.

-Here, and in parts of Scotland...

-..are the only places

-you'll see and hear these.

-Taid told me

-that when he was a youngster...

-..in the late 19th century

-in Llanrug...

-..these were so noisy

-during the night...

-..that the dogs were sent out

-to keep them quiet.

-They've disappeared completely

-from Wales.

-It's so nice

-to hear this sound again.

-RASPING BIRD CALL

-They're very strange birds.

-I was wrong.

-There are four here, not two.

-This one's very close,

-beyond the wall.

-There's one

-at the top of the field...

-..one in the next field

-and one in the distance over there.

-You can see a head popping up

-every now and then...

-..and the beak opening and closing.

-It makes the sound

-in one direction...

-..and turns its head and makes

-the sound in another direction.

-You think there's one

-over there and one here...

-..but often, there's only one bird.

-It lowers its head and disappears

-into the undergrowth.

-Then its head pops up

-and it calls out again.

-This is the male calling out.

-The female is somewhere

-in this undergrowth...

-..sitting on eggs.

-I love listening to these birds,

-I really do.

-Listening to the corncrake

-creates a longing inside me.

-I'm on a tiny island in the west

-of Ireland, facing the Atlantic.

-The sound of a bird makes me long

-for so many things...

-..that have almost disappeared

-from fields back home in Wales.

-This is an exhilarating experience.

-It has made me excited

-about the next leg of my journey.

-Next week, I'm in Scotland,

-one of my favourite places.

-It's a huge country

-with incredible views...

-..of islands and highlands.

-Scotland is also full

-of natural wonders.

-It's a wonderful evening.

-There's fur...

-There are two chicks!

-..feathers and fish.

-Wildlife that bridges the boundary

-between land and sea.

-You always hope

-to see an otter here.

-I never expected to see one

-this close to me.

-In the west of Scotland,

-the adventure is sure to continue.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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