Llydaw, Ynysoedd y Sianel Antur y Gorllewin

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-I'm on an exciting journey

-along the west coast of Europe.

-Crikey, what a place!

-My journey began in the middle

-of the Atlantic, in the Azores.

-Oh, wow. Look at these.

-It will end in Iceland.

-It's a journey from the warm south

-to the cold north.

-I'm swimming here...

-..between two continents.

-I'll take you to Western Europe's

-remotest and wildest reaches.

-We'll witness fantastic wildlife

-and great sights...

-..in France, the Channel Islands...

-..Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly...

-..Ireland, Scotland

-and the Faroe Islands.

-There are birds everywhere.

-It's a paradise for me.

-I'm exploring nature

-in countries facing the Atlantic.

-There's nothing between me

-and America, just the ocean.

-The Atlantic influences

-the climate and wildlife...

-..of every country

-in Western Europe.

-It's a journey on land,

-underwater and underground...

-..through storms and sunshine.

-There's one here.

-It's going to be some journey.

-I'm travelling along

-the French coast to Brittany.

-I'm heading for the Channel Islands,

-Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

-I'll swim in an underwater cave

-in search of marine marvels.

-Look at those. Beautiful.

-I'll see a blonde hedgehog.

-I can see its snout.

-I'll also see a green lizard.

-This is impressive.

-I'll join twitchers

-jostling to see a rare bird.

-It's the first one I've seen

-in Britain, so I'm happy!

-My journey begins

-in the South of France...

-..about 30 miles south of Toulouse,

-in rural Ariege.

-The land is fertile and rich.

-It's like visiting a land

-from your dreams.

-Everything is perfect and seems

-to hark back to a bygone age.

-I love France.

-I always have. Look at this place.

-A crop field and some trees.

-What makes it so different?

-I couldn't work out how it differed

-to crop fields at home.

-Yes, it's warmer here,

-but that's not the telling factor.

-It hasn't been sprayed constantly

-with poisonous pesticides...

-..to kill the insects and weeds.

-As a result, poppies thrive here

-and there are insects everywhere.

-If you stop...

-..and listen...

-..you can hear insects

-and birds calling.

-There's a constant natural sound

-all around.

-It's the sound of nature.

-Something else I've found here...

-..and I've not seen them

-elsewhere in France, are bee-eaters.

-They're probably Europe's

-most colourful birds.

-They're here

-because they eat large insects...

-..primarily bees and beetles.

-If the crops were sprayed,

-the birds would disappear.

-There are many bee-eaters here.

-It's like watching swallows

-searching for insects in Wales.

-These are much prettier and larger.

-They also catch larger insects

-on the wing.

-Since the land isn't treated

-with poisonous chemicals...

-..there's lush growth

-along the field edges.

-This provides an excellent habitat

-for animals.

-This is a Western whip snake.

-It's very common

-across Southern France.

-Like our grass snakes,

-Western whip snakes move quickly...

-..hence the name.

-It's not venomous, but it uses

-its speed to defend itself.

-I won't visit a habitat like this

-for the rest of my journey.

-The combination of southern heat,

-rain from the Atlantic...

-..and land that's farmed

-in the old-fashioned way...

-..makes this place

-a paradise for naturalists.

-The next location on my journey...

-..is Bassin d'Arcachon,

-some 40 miles from Bordeaux.

-There are fine sand dunes in Wales,

-but these are incredible.

-The Pyla sand dune

-is the largest in Europe.

-It's about 500m wide,

-two miles long...

-..and over 100 metres high.

-It's formed

-by the strong Atlantic winds...

-..that regularly hit

-this part of France.

-This happens

-all along Europe's coast...

-..but here, there's nothing but sea

-between France and America.

-It's the best example of the effect

-Atlantic winds have on sand.

-It began to form

-over 5,000 years ago.

-It moves inland

-by about seven metres each year.

-One important habitat

-stands in its way.

-A wide boundary of pine trees.

-This is the Landes forest, Europe's

-largest coastal pine forest.

-It was planted by man

-to produce wood.

-There are similar forests

-along the Welsh coast...

-..but this one

-is considerably larger.

-I'm in an open part of the forest

-where young trees have been planted.

-It's the perfect place

-to see wildlife.

-This is a hobby.

-I'm here primarily to see this bird

-- the Montagu's harrier.

-We saw it previously in Portugal,

-flying above the steppe land.

-Many pairs have nested in a very

-different habitat in Landes forest.

-Marie-Francoise Canevet

-looks after the birds.

-Ah, oui, oui.

-A male on the left of the road.

-Down there.

-He's got a small prey.

-He's got a small prey.

-

-Here she comes.

-He's going to drop down, is he? No.

-Here she comes, here she comes.

-Oh, wow.

-That's nice.

-We've just seen a male Montagu's

-harrier arriving with prey.

-He called the female over

-from the nest.

-He passed the food to her.

-She's taking the food

-back to the nest.

-I can hear a cuckoo

-calling incessantly behind me.

-It's nice to see so many pairs.

-He came in, saw another female

-and ignored her completely.

-He flew over the nest

-and called the female away from it.

-It's nice to see birds

-that are so rare at home...

-..flourishing here.

-There are so many birds here.

-Everywhere, yeah.

-At least five pairs.

-Wow.

-They're such beautiful birds.

-What are they eating?

-It's not big prey.

-Lizards.

-Lizards.

-

-That's what they eat here?

-Yes, most of them.

-Yes, most of them.

-

-That surprises me.

-They mostly eat mice

-and small birds.

-This one has been tagged...

-..so that information about

-its movements can be collected.

-They nest among young trees,

-on the ground...

-..surrounded by tall vegetation.

-When the chicks are old enough

-to be left, after a fortnight...

-..the mother will carry her prey

-to this path and eat it there.

-There's more room available.

-Here's a tiny lizard.

-According to Marie, this is one

-of the most common lizards here.

-This is one way to find out

-if there are pairs nearby.

-She walks along these paths

-and looks for evidence like this.

-She looks for droppings,

-or half-eaten prey.

-It's an indication

-that the nest is nearby.

-She can stand here, wait and watch

-the birds flying towards the nest.

-Great stuff.

-The Montagu's harrier

-is a very rare bird in Britain.

-There are only six pairs,

-all located in Southern England.

-When they nested in Wales,

-over 50 years ago...

-..it was in a similar habitat

-in Newborough, Anglesey.

-They are evidently attracted

-by this habitat.

-The major difference

-between France and Wales...

-..is the size of the habitats.

-With so much space here, there's

-a vast landscape for wildlife.

-This is very true

-about French wetlands.

-In Brittany, there's an impressive

-marshland, one I'd never heard of.

-It's one of the best habitats

-I've ever visited.

-I'd love to have

-a place like this in Wales.

-I'd be over the moon.

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-I'm exploring nature

-in countries facing the Atlantic.

-European weather

-is relatively wet...

-..since it's influenced

-by south-westerly winds...

-..that have travelled above the

-Atlantic, absorbing its moisture.

-The constant precipitation has

-helped create marshes on lowlands.

-I'm in Brittany,

-about 50 miles west of Nantes...

-..at Briere National Park.

-After the Camargue,

-this is the largest marsh in France.

-At over 150 square miles, it's vast.

-The best way to see it is by boat.

-I'm travelling with Jacques Hedin,

-who knows the marsh well.

-He's taking us on a man-made canal

-into the heart of the marsh.

-There are birds everywhere.

-This is my idea of paradise.

-A spoonbill

-has just flown over that way.

-A great white egret has passed us.

-What's that?

-It's a black tern.

-It's rarely seen in Wales.

-This place is incredible.

-It's great to see

-so many rare birds here.

-One of the most abundant birds

-is the marsh harrier.

-It's similar to the Montagu's

-harrier we saw in Landes.

-It has adapted to live on marshland.

-No pairs nest in Wales...

-..but I've seen at least five pairs

-here this morning.

-This place is teeming with wildlife.

-Did you see

-a little animal over there?

-I only saw it for an instant

-before it disappeared...

-..but I'm almost sure

-it was a muskrat.

-Muskrats escaped from fur farms.

-They can do a lot of damage.

-You can see holes in the bank.

-The muskrats burrow into the bank.

-There's one over there.

-They're everywhere.

-They burrow into the banks

-and cause a lot of damage.

-In the 1930s, they escaped

-into the wild in rural England.

-They were all killed

-and had disappeared by 1937.

-They were wiped out

-because of the damage they caused.

-There's another tern.

-I'm finding it difficult

-to speak to you.

-I start talking about one thing

-and something else happens.

-An animal that's similar

-to the muskrat is the coypu.

-It's just like a huge rat.

-This was introduced to France

-from South America for its fur.

-It escaped to the wild

-and enjoys its new habitat.

-What would we give

-for land like this in Wales?

-I'd be over the moon.

-We'd have to go back centuries

-to find such habitats in Wales...

-..in parts of Anglesey, Porthmadog

-and South Wales.

-But we drained the land.

-My great dream as a youngster...

-..was to own a large plot

-of marshland like this.

-I was the only one

-allowed on the marshland.

-This is the closest

-I've ever been to that dream!

-A stone's throw

-from the Briere National Park...

-..is another special wetland area.

-This one is man-made.

-It's on a peninsula near the sea.

-Pools have been constructed

-to collect salt.

-This is a habitat

-you won't see back in Wales.

-They're called salt pans.

-This used to be an estuary

-many centuries ago.

-They have dug sections

-to create pools.

-The sun heats the water

-in the pools.

-The water then evaporates,

-leaving salt deposits behind.

-By doing this, they've created

-a very specialized habitat.

-Few creatures can survive

-in this salty environment...

-..but shrimps and insect larvae

-can be found in the water.

-They attract birds

-such as the avocet.

-They nest on the pools' mud walls.

-They're very pretty birds.

-The avocet's bill turns upwards.

-It places its bill in the water

-as if filtering the water for food.

-The salt pans cover a vast area,

-about 2,000 hectares in all.

-It's an important

-and scarce environment.

-There's nothing quite like it

-across the rest of Europe.

-This is a great place.

-A collection of islands

-stretch out into this natural pool.

-Terns nest here and they return

-with fish for their chicks.

-I can see a black-winged stilt.

-It's a rather strange bird.

-It's a perfect description.

-It appears to be standing on stilts.

-I think it's nesting

-somewhere in the middle.

-It has hidden its nest well.

-It knows we're here.

-It won't approach the nest

-until we've left.

-Black-winged stilts and terns

-are noisy birds.

-The avocet is quieter,

-on the water at least.

-They all nest around the pools...

-..and make all this noise

-to warn each other.

-Before leaving France, I visit

-a special beach near Roscoff...

-..on Brittany's northern coast.

-Keremma beach stretches

-for four miles.

-It's an impressive landscape.

-It's a great beach to walk along,

-but there's more to it than that.

-It's one of Europe's most important

-habitats for wild flowers.

-There are hundreds

-of different types of flowers...

-..along the coast.

-Pyramidal orchids...

-..marsh orchids...

-..bee orchids...

-..and marsh helleborines

-are all found here.

-It shows what can be done

-when a large section of land...

-..is left to grow wild

-near the coast.

-There are similar nature reserves

-in Wales...

-..but in France,

-the reserves are much larger.

-These wild flowers have been

-allowed to grow for many years.

-This is the ideal place

-to end my journey in France.

-It's Brittany's most westerly point.

-The waves crash

-against the rocks below.

-There are close links between

-Brittany, Cornwall and Wales...

-..in terms of their languages,

-cultures and people.

-Looking around me...

-..I think those links

-also include the landscape.

-This could be the far end

-of Cornwall.

-It could be Pembrokeshire

-or the Lleyn Peninsula.

-The sea separates and unites us.

-Soon, I'll see more

-of the similarities...

-..and differences between us.

-The closest part of the British

-mainland to Brittany is Cornwall.

-I'm heading to see seals

-on a remote beach.

-Before I reach Cornwall,

-I'm visiting the Channel Islands...

-..to dive in an underwater cave.

-I'll also see a blonde hedgehog...

-It's just as spiky. Yes.

-..and an incredible lizard.

-I'd say that this is the most

-colourful lizard I've ever seen.

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-My journey along the coast

-of Western Europe...

-..has brought me

-to the Channel Islands.

-The largest of them is Jersey.

-I'm heading for a special beach

-near St Brelade.

-There, I'll find a creature

-that's unique to the island.

-I'm looking for a lizard.

-It's a warm day,

-but the breeze is relatively cold.

-The lizard should be down low

-at the bottom of that vegetation.

-You have to tread carefully

-and quietly.

-Keep as quiet as you can

-and walk as slowly as you can.

-They're very shy.

-I'm hoping to see one sunbathing

-on this vegetation.

-I'll kneel down, out of the way.

-Finally, I've found a lizard.

-This is the green lizard.

-A male and a female

-are hiding in the bushes.

-The first one I saw was the female.

-She's sunbathing behind the gorse.

-She looks so impressive - green,

-with cream stripes along her body.

-Then something with a prominent

-blue neck caught my eye.

-It was the male lizard.

-It has a light blue neck,

-and a bright green body.

-It's the most colourful lizard

-I've ever seen.

-It's so striking.

-I was wondering

-why we don't see them in Britain.

-We have similar habitats

-along the coast.

-It all comes down to the Ice Age.

-These creatures enjoy sunshine

-and warm weather.

-Between the end of the Ice Age...

-..and the time

-when the Atlantic Ocean rose...

-..they had to find their way

-over to our shores.

-They didn't have time to do so...

-..but they did reach Jersey

-before the sea level rose.

-They're found on the Continent

-and have also been isolated here.

-They're such impressive creatures.

-When sea levels rose

-about 6,000 years ago...

-..after the thaw

-at the end of the Ice Age...

-..Jersey was the last

-Channel Island to be cut off.

-That's what makes the island unique.

-The green lizard is one

-of Europe's largest lizards.

-The male can grow as long as 40cm.

-It's one of the Channel Islands'

-natural treasures.

-I'm heading for the island of Sark.

-It's a small island,

-about two square miles in area...

-..between Guernsey and Jersey.

-Like the other Channel Islands...

-..Sark is affected by a huge tide,

-one of the world's largest.

-The sea can subside up to 40 metres

-between high and low tides.

-When the sea level rises or falls...

-..the current

-can be incredibly strong and fast.

-The sea is relatively warm

-because of the Gulf Stream...

-..which carries warm water

-from the Caribbean...

-..across the Atlantic

-to the European coast.

-Strong currents and warm water...

-..provide plenty of nutrition

-for the Channel Islands.

-Sark is one of the best places

-in Britain for marine wildlife.

-The best views can be found

-in an underwater cave...

-..on the western side

-of the island.

-It isn't the easiest place

-to explore...

-..but the diving team

-take me down for a closer look.

-Underwater camerawoman Sue Daly...

-..lives on Sark

-and knows the cave well.

-Every dive is potentially dangerous,

-none more so than this one.

-That's why

-there's such a large team.

-Safety is more important

-than anything else.

-We're diving when the current

-is at its slowest between tides...

-..but it will still be

-relatively strong.

-I'm wearing so much diving gear.

-It takes half an hour

-to prepare for the dive.

-It's a dangerous environment,

-so we have to take great care.

-As you can see, the lads are just

-wearing a mask with a mouthpiece.

-I'm wearing special apparatus

-that allows me to speak underwater.

-That complicates matters further.

-With the tide about to turn

-and the current at its slowest...

-..it's time to dive.

-Iolo, go.

-Is it a good idea to swim towards

-this angry, spitting entrance?

-Underwater, it's relatively calm.

-The rock surfaces are covered

-in different kinds of anemones.

-Even though it looks calm here...

-..as you can see,

-Sue, our camerawoman...

-..is being flung back and forth

-by the current.

-If you let go of the sides,

-or stop swimming...

-..the current drags you away.

-The water is packed with nutrition

-carried by the sea...

-..primarily, morsels of food

-and plankton.

-These anemones filter it

-out of the water.

-There's a plentiful supply of food

-and it's an ideal place to grow.

-Aren't they beautiful?

-These are jewel anemones.

-The colour is right at the tip

-of the individual fingers.

-There are different colours -

-purple and green.

-They're in beautiful clusters.

-Anemones like these

-are usually found deeper in the sea.

-Since we're in a cave,

-it's very dark in here.

-I feel as if I'm deeper down

-than I really am.

-You don't see any sunlight.

-That's why these anemones

-flourish here.

-What a spectacle.

-The cave connects to another bay

-on the other side of the peninsula.

-The dive has been timed so that

-the current carries us through.

-It would be a bad idea

-to swim against the current.

-It's a dangerous place

-at the best of times.

-The water on the surface

-shows the speed of the current.

-That was an experience,

-to say the least.

-It was like going through

-a washing machine cycle!

-I want to do one more dive

-before leaving Sark.

-In a quieter area, there's a reef.

-On it is evidence

-of how warm the water is...

-..around the Channel Islands.

-Look at these.

-They're sea fans.

-You'd expect to see these

-in the Caribbean...

-..or the warmer seas of Australia.

-They're also here, near Sark.

-They grow about one centimetre

-every year.

-Looking at this one...

-..I'd say it was

-about 40 years old.

-A wrasse swims by.

-It feeds on the morsels

-in the water.

-The waters around here

-are full of colour.

-You can see most of this wildlife,

-including the sea fans...

-..along Wales's south-west coast.

-We're also influenced

-by the Gulf Stream...

-..but the sea

-around the Channel Islands...

-..is much richer

-because of its influence.

-This is a colourful fish.

-It's a territorial fish.

-It's a cuckoo wrasse.

-It's not happy to see me

-intruding in its territory.

-It's one of the most colourful fish

-in the sea.

-It usually has half a dozen or more

-female fish within its territory.

-It keeps other male fish away.

-The cuckoo wrasse's life cycle

-is very interesting.

-They can change sex.

-If something happened

-to the male fish...

-..an old female fish

-would take its place.

-She'd change sex and colour.

-She, or rather he,

-would then defend this territory.

-It's a remarkable story.

-This is a female cuckoo wrasse.

-All the females are this colour

-when they're born...

-..but become bright blue

-as they become male.

-I'm moving on to the closest

-Channel Island to Britain.

-Alderney is about 60 miles

-from the coast of England.

-It's home

-to some very interesting wildlife.

-Three thousand pairs of gannets

-nest on a rock near the island.

-These birds are only found

-in the North Atlantic Ocean.

-There's one nesting place

-in France, a little further south.

-The others are further north...

-..many of them in the British Isles.

-I'll see far more gannets

-in Ireland...

-..on a later leg of my journey.

-I won't give these

-too much attention.

-There's also

-an exceptional small bird here.

-The Dartford warbler

-is rare in Britain...

-..but common on Alderney.

-There is another creature

-that's even more unique to Alderney.

-My main reason for coming here

-is to see this nocturnal creature.

-On almost every island,

-you'll see a unique species...

-..or creatures that look different

-to those on the mainland.

-On Alderney, it's the hedgehogs.

-Look at the colour of this one -

-it's very light.

-It's not an albino,

-it's not completely white.

-You can see some brown colour

-in the spikes.

-This one's roaming on a golf course

-in the dead of night.

-It's searching for food -

-worms, beetles and slugs.

-This is the best place to find them.

-They have an interesting history.

-They died out on the island

-around the time of World War I.

-They were an important source

-of food at the time.

-After World War II,

-they were reintroduced.

-A large proportion of the hedgehogs

-released into the wild...

-..carried this white colour

-in their genes.

-Today, a large proportion are white.

-It's a pretty little creature.

-It's just like the hedgehogs

-we have at home.

-It's the same species

-but a different colour.

-I can see its snout.

-Oh, no, it doesn't like that.

-It's hiding now.

-It's just as prickly.

-I'll leave it alone.

-QUIET SCRATCHING SOUND

-Something else I've learnt today

-is that hedgehogs make a noise.

-With the sound recordist's

-powerful microphone...

-..you can hear a scratching sound.

-It's either the spikes moving

-or the hedgehog breathing.

-You learn something new every day.

-The next leg of my journey

-takes me to Cornwall...

-..and on to the Isles of Scilly,

-where I join some twitchers.

-Everyone's staring at me

-because I'm speaking Welsh!

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-After crossing the Channel,

-I reach Cornwall.

-Lizard Point is mainland Britain's

-most southerly point.

-It's a very dramatic coastline.

-Much of it is impossible

-to reach by land.

-It's just as hard to reach by boat.

-Despite this,

-old mine workings dot the coast.

-For centuries, Cornwall and Devon...

-..were important mining areas

-for tin, copper and arsenic.

-These perilous rocks are safe places

-for birds to roost and nest.

-Judging by the colour of the rock...

-..this is a favoured place

-of the shag.

-Cornwall's beaches are perfect

-for marine mammals.

-This is one of the few beaches

-in Cornwall...

-..where grey seals

-give birth to their young.

-They choose these beaches

-very carefully.

-They always choose stony beaches...

-..and remote beaches

-that humans cannot reach.

-They also look for large beaches

-where a dry pocket can be found...

-..even when the tide is in.

-You can see the cows

-lying on the beach below.

-Once they give birth,

-they're ready to mate again.

-There's a bull seal

-in the water over there.

-He's waiting for the cow to return

-to the water to search for food.

-He'll pounce on her right away.

-I can only see one calf.

-It's tucked in

-on the higher level of the beach.

-The cubs have white fur.

-They're very fat when they're born.

-After about five weeks,

-the cow leaves them...

-..and they have to venture

-into the sea on their own.

-They learn how to fish alone.

-Most of them survive.

-It's October, almost the end

-of the birthing season.

-These young seals

-were born in early September.

-They've lost the white fur

-that kept them warm on land.

-Grey seals rarely live

-further south than Cornwall.

-They're creatures

-of the North Atlantic.

-They live in North America

-and Northern Europe.

-They are found

-all along the British coast.

-There are many in Wales.

-They can travel for miles

-along the coast.

-I'm sure that many Cornish seals

-make the journey to Wales.

-You can't go further south-west

-in Britain than the Isles of Scilly.

-There are five large islands...

-..as well as smaller islands

-and rocks.

-It's an important location

-for migrating birds.

-The next stop west is America

-and birds arrive here from there.

-The islands

-are the last feeding stops...

-..for birds travelling

-from Northern Europe to Africa.

-If you're an ornithologist...

-..the Isles of Scilly

-are the place to be...

-..during the October

-migrating season.

-The pectoral sandpiper

-is on the list.

-It's an American bird,

-evidently lost!

-This one has arrived

-from the Continent.

-The bluethroat.

-It's flying south in search

-of better weather for the winter.

-This bird is very special.

-It has attracted a large audience.

-It's one of the rarest birds

-on these islands.

-It's an upland sandpiper.

-It nests in North America...

-..and migrates to South America.

-Sometimes, it's carried on the wind

-across the Atlantic Ocean.

-It lands on these islands

-almost every time.

-More have been spotted

-on the Isles of Scilly...

-..than anywhere else in Britain.

-It has been here for a few days.

-Hundreds of people

-have been to see it.

-About a dozen people

-are watching it today.

-They're all excited.

-It's a rather strange bird.

-It looks as if it's been thrown

-together by the council!

-All the pieces are there

-but from different birds.

-A small head, large eyes,

-a long neck, a large body and feet.

-It's a strange-looking bird.

-They're rare.

-I've seen them before in America.

-It's the first one I've seen

-in Britain, so I'm happy!

-This is the first land

-this bird has seen...

-..since flying 3,000 miles

-from America.

-It's used to long journeys.

-We don't know exactly what happens

-to birds that cross the Atlantic.

-Ornithologists used to think

-that they got lost in Europe...

-..before dying.

-Recent evidence suggests

-that some find a mate...

-..that made the same journey

-from America...

-..find a habitat, nest

-and have chicks.

-Some travel as far south

-as South Africa to do so.

-There is also evidence

-that some birds travel to Africa...

-..and get carried back to America

-by easterly winds.

-You hardly ever see

-these rare birds sitting quietly...

-..for such a long time.

-They often arrive, feed and move on.

-This one's enjoying itself here -

-plenty of food, plenty of worms.

-It's not going anywhere

-at the moment.

-Everyone's staring at me

-because I'm speaking Welsh!

-On the next leg of my journey,

-I head to Ireland.

-It's certainly the Emerald Isle.

-It's a wet island.

-The wet and windy storms

-are treacherous.

-There is also some hidden nature,

-on land...

-It's wonderful

-to hear this sound again.

-..underwater...

-You have to be careful

-where you swim.

-There are so many creatures.

-..and under the surface.

-It's an incredible habitat.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

-.