Sbaen a Ffrainc Antur y Gorllewin

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-I'm on an exciting journey along

-the Western European coastline.

-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 views...

-..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 in Spain...

-..where I'll explore

-Europe's most extensive wetlands.

-I'll come face-to-face

-with vultures.

-Hundreds of them.

-I've never seen anything like it.

-Remarkably, I get a glimpse

-of the world's rarest wild cat.

-We've searched everywhere.

-I climb the Pyrenees...

-..which separate France and Spain.

-My trip begins on British territory

-in Southern Europe.

-Dawn breaks

-over the port of Gibraltar.

-The port is situated

-near the Rock of Gibraltar...

-..which borders Spain

-but is a British enclave.

-It's clear to see

-why ownership of the Rock...

-..has long been

-a contentious issue.

-It is perfectly located

-to control shipping.

-It's a crossroads between

-the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

-Every year, 90,000 ships pass

-through the Strait of Gibraltar.

-But even more birds

-fly over the Rock.

-It is estimated

-that some 300,000 birds...

-..pass Gibraltar

-during migration in spring...

-..and back from Europe to Africa

-in the autumn.

-I've purposely come here

-in mid March.

-The migrating season has begun...

-..and thousands of birds

-fly overhead every day.

-I'm collecting birds with the

-Gibraltar Ornithological Society.

-They've placed nets overnight

-to catch fledglings...

-..in order to ring them

-and gather vital data about them.

-This is the only way to monitor

-bird numbers and species.

-The nets are very fine

-and cause no distress to the birds.

-They are in the safe hands

-of the ornithologists.

-Are they on this side?

-Are they on this side?

-

-No, they're outside.

-It's imperative

-the birds are ringed immediately.

-They need to feed

-to provide them with the energy...

-..to continue their migration

-to Northern Europe.

-That was better than I expected.

-A greenfinch, chiffchaffs, a pied

-flycatcher and a willow warbler.

-That's a nice variety there.

-The men ring the birds

-every morning...

-..for two months during spring

-and just over a month in autumn.

-This way,

-precious data can be gathered...

-..about the birds' destination,

-their lifespan and so on.

-It's important work.

-This is a willow warbler.

-It's a common sight back home.

-They've flown across

-the Sahara desert from the south.

-The males migrate first,

-so that they can reach Wales...

-..and establish their territory

-in time for when the females arrive.

-When the males start to sing,

-the females go straight to them.

-Very clever.

-Steve Norman is the chief ringer.

-That's a nice bird.

-It could well be a native of Wales.

-Pied flycatchers

-are very common in our oak trees.

-Wales is one of the most important

-habitats in Britain for these birds.

-They might well

-be heading for Wales from Africa.

-Wing length 79.

-That's a female.

-All grey on her head.

-That would be all black

-if it was a male.

-Three OGCs.

-Three OGCs.

-

-That means that it's how old?

-It's last year's young.

-It's last year's young.

-

-So she's gone below the Sahara...

-..and she's coming back up

-for the first time.

-That's right.

-Without any help from adults.

-She'll find her own way.

-She may end up in a Welsh valley.

-She may end up in a Welsh valley.

-

-I'm pretty sure she will.

-Ornithologists like these

-are real experts.

-You learn so much more

-when you hold a bird in your hand.

-How much they weigh,

-their overall health.

-These men are experts.

-Some people

-are opposed to ringing birds.

-But since so much information

-can be gleaned from it...

-..it helps bird preservation.

-They ring about 3,000 birds

-each spring.

-That's only a small percentage

-of the birds that pass Gibraltar.

-8.8 grams.

-Something weighing 8.8 grams.

-Something weighing 8.8 grams.

-

-It's going to do about 7,000km.

-It's incredible, isn't it?

-It's incredible, isn't it?

-

-On its own steam as well.

-Not only once either.

-I've had one do it

-six years running. 120,000km.

-Did you get that flying?

-It's incredible to think

-that a small bird like that...

-..has only reached halfway

-on its journey to Northern Europe.

-It's a long way by boat,

-let alone by air.

-Knowing how significant Gibraltar

-is for birds, I find it odd...

-..that monkeys

-are the Rock's star attraction.

-Barbary macaques, to be precise.

-This is the only place in Europe

-where monkeys run free...

-..but they aren't native

-to Gibraltar.

-They were introduced

-many centuries ago.

-For tourists, these are

-the Rock's big wildlife attraction.

-To be honest,

-they do nothing for me.

-They are sad and unhealthy...

-..and live

-in a completely unnatural habitat.

-For me, Gibraltar's main attractions

-are the birds...

-..and the Rock's proximity

-to Morocco and Africa.

-Across the Spanish border,

-50 miles west of Gibraltar...

-..near the village of Tarifa...

-..is somewhere

-that's even closer to Morocco.

-This is Spain's

-most southerly point.

-It's where most of the larger birds

-fly over the Strait of Gibraltar.

-This is a flock of white storks

-migrating to mainland Europe.

-Tarifa is an important place

-for birds of prey...

-..because they don't like flying

-over too much water.

-They need warm thermals

-from inland areas to stay airborne.

-But there's a problem.

-It's clear evidence

-that political decisions...

-..often don't consider

-the needs of nature.

-I really can't believe this.

-Look at the rows and rows

-of wind turbines.

-It's 14km from Tarifa to Africa...

-..the shortest distance

-between the two continents.

-That's why hundreds and thousands

-of birds migrate this way...

-..each spring and autumn.

-Some come all the way from places

-like Namibia and South Africa.

-Almost all of them

-cross the Sahara.

-They fly across and the first things

-that greet them...

-..are hundreds and hundreds

-of wind turbines.

-They cover almost every ridge.

-Some local ornithologists told me...

-..that they these wind farms

-kill at least 2,000 birds...

-..every spring and every autumn.

-It is sheer madness.

-No matter what your opinion

-of wind turbines...

-..this isn't

-a suitable location for them.

-This is the birds'

-first introduction to Europe.

-It's obvious that the birds

-are in difficulty.

-This black kite has trouble

-gaining enough height...

-..to clear the blades.

-Every year, 80,000 white storks,

-93,000 black kites...

-..35,000 eagles and thousands

-of vultures and other birds...

-..fly over Tarifa.

-I came here

-to marvel at the unique sight...

-..of various predatory birds

-coexisting in one place.

-But I leave

-feeling angry and disheartened.

-There's no end to man's stupidity

-and contempt for wildlife.

-In Spanish,

-we call him the blue chicken.

-That's a good name.

-That's a really descriptive name.

-My spirits are lifted

-at Europe's largest wetland reserve.

-Keep filming.

-I go in search

-of the world's rarest wild cat.

-A lynx.

-It's a lynx, lads.

-He's going, he's going.

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-I'm exploring nature in countries

-facing the Atlantic Ocean.

-I began in the Azores...

-..in the mid Atlantic.

-Wow, it's a member

-of the great white shark family.

-I travelled through Portugal...

-..where I saw incredible birds.

-I'm now in Spain and heading

-for the Coto Donana National Park...

-..near Seville.

-This is Europe's

-largest wetland nature reserve.

-It has 400 different bird species,

-some of which are unique to Donana.

-The park is enormous

-and a tour guide is essential...

-..to show you the best sites

-from which to see birds.

-Javi Dosar is my guide today.

-How big is the national park?

-The national park

-is 54,000 hectares.

-The natural park is about 57,000.

-So, imagine...

-It's a huge area.

-It's a huge area.

-

-100,000 rugby fields!

-Yes.

-Coto Donana is in Southern Spain...

-..between Africa and Europe.

-One is hot, the other colder.

-It's also

-between two bodies of water...

-..the warm Mediterranean

-and the cold Atlantic.

-That's what makes the reserve

-so special.

-It's a filling station

-for many birds.

-A pit stop in which to feed before

-pushing on to the next destination.

-The purple heron.

-Beautiful birds.

-The neck and the head

-looks like a bittern.

-Is that the purple gallinule

-by the bank?

-That is it.

-The long toes, the feet.

-The pink colour.

-And the head is also red.

-It's the only blue bird

-that we have here in the park.

-In Spanish,

-we call it the blue chicken.

-The blue chicken?

-That's a good name.

-That's a really descriptive name.

-It's like a huge blue moorhen.

-As if on cue, a moorhen passes by...

-..demonstrating the difference

-in size between the two.

-This is a strange bird.

-A crested coot seems to have

-two tomatoes on its head.

-They're there to attract a mate.

-You'd think there were better ways

-of looking attractive!

-Donana and the Moroccan coast

-are the only places to see them.

-They are a rare species.

-This side, flamingos.

-They're beautiful birds too,

-aren't they?

-You don't expect

-to see flamingos in Europe.

-They're so distinctively pink...

-..you'd expect to see them in

-the Caribbean or somewhere exotic.

-But you do find them here.

-If you look at the birds

-in the distance...

-..most of them are very pink,

-but a few are black and white.

-Flamingos are born white...

-..with a hint of black.

-The pink colour

-comes from the food they eat.

-They live on shrimps and so on.

-The pink colour from the food

-is absorbed into the feathers.

-The older the flamingo,

-the pinker the hue.

-It's easy to determine

-how old they are.

-You can tell from their colour.

-Between the wetlands and the sea...

-..there are coppices

-and giant sand dunes.

-The sand dunes

-constantly shift and re-form.

-They have even buried

-old buildings in some parts.

-The landscape is vital to the nature

-reserve, protecting it from the sea.

-In front of the dunes

-is an extensive beach...

-..facing the Atlantic.

-I thought Malltraeth beach was big,

-but take a look at this.

-It extends for more than 30km...

-..from the village behind me

-to the mouth of the river...

-..in the distance.

-You tend to forget

-that Coto Donana...

-..is divided in two.

-There's the vital wetland

-and the vast sand dune system.

-This beach leads to the sea.

-It's wonderful because nobody

-is allowed to come here...

-..apart from the occasional warden

-and angler.

-Even in peak season,

-the beach is deserted.

-It's just me and the birds.

-These sandwich terns

-have landed for a rest.

-Unlike the seagull

-that eats anything in sight...

-..beaches aren't feeding grounds

-for terns.

-They normally catch fish

-from the sea itself.

-It's March and it's likely they

-are heading to a nesting place...

-..in Northern Europe,

-having wintered in South Africa.

-They are known to nest in only one

-location in Wales - Cemaes Bay.

-You never know,

-these might be on their way there.

-Coto Donana is among

-the world's best national parks.

-But there is one animal

-which makes it even more special.

-It's one of only two places

-where you can spot the lynx.

-It's the world's rarest wild cat.

-Donana is home to around 70 of them.

-They usually inhabit the woodlands.

-I've never seen a lynx.

-Never?

-Never?

-

-No, no lynx.

-No lynx in your life?

-This is a good place for rabbits.

-So the lynx

-mainly eats rabbits here.

-95% of their diets is rabbits.

-It's a difficult animal to spot...

-..especially in dense undergrowth.

-I intend to venture

-into Spain's best wildlife park.

-Many more lynx inhabit that area.

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-Having left

-Europe's biggest wetland reserve...

-..I travel east of Seville

-and Cordoba to Andujar.

-I'm visiting the world's

-best wildlife park to see lynx.

-This is further afield in terms of

-the Atlantic's influence on Spain...

-..because this terrain is mostly

-affected by the Mediterranean Sea.

-But it's worth the journey

-to spot the world's rarest wild cat.

-This is an interesting habitat.

-It's different

-from what I'm used to.

-It's very rocky here,

-far too rocky for agriculture.

-There's a real diversity

-of trees and bushes.

-These trees are stone pines.

-There are also very short oak trees.

-They are evergreen oaks.

-Both have adapted perfectly

-to this very arid habitat.

-This region sees little rainfall.

-There are numerous birds here too.

-I can see and hear

-dozens of them from up here.

-I think the best thing to do

-would be to walk among the trees.

-It's the perfect time of day.

-The park is in

-the Sierra Morena uplands.

-They separate Southern Spain

-from the central plateau.

-It's a very arid

-Mediterranean climate...

-..especially at the end of summer.

-This is the time when the grass

-between the trees is dead.

-It allows you to spot

-any movement between the trees.

-I'm told that a river

-at the bottom of the valley...

-..attracts all kinds of wildlife.

-Lynx have been spotted there

-early in the morning and at dusk.

-When I came here

-first thing this morning...

-..and saw the arid terrain

-dotted with trees...

-..it reminded me of Africa.

-But this is Andujar Natural Park.

-It's one

-of only two places in Spain...

-..and indeed the world...

-..where you'll find Iberian lynx.

-Going back a decade...

-..only 100

-of these wild cats remained.

-That made it

-one of the world's rarest big cats.

-Things have improved somewhat

-over the years.

-There are currently around 300 left.

-This is the best place to see them.

-The sun is up and this is when

-they come to the river to drink.

-I've positioned myself here

-and I'm waiting to see what I find.

-The problem is,

-the sun is in my eyes here.

-It's difficult to see

-the other side of the river.

-They're very timid creatures,

-so I may miss one.

-ANIMAL BAYS

-Did you hear that?

-This region is teeming with deer.

-That's the call of a red deer.

-There are noises all around.

-It's a wonderful place

-and very tranquil.

-This is a female red deer.

-But she's not making the noise,

-because only the males call.

-They are somewhere in the hills

-competing for her.

-Sometimes, powerful lynx take deer

-as prey, but only very rarely.

-It would take

-an experienced adult lynx to do so.

-To be honest,

-it's hard for me to believe...

-..that a cat,

-even a fairly large one...

-..could attack a deer this size.

-I'm struck by how many fish

-there are in this river.

-This is an angler's paradise.

-There are all kinds of species

-and sizes here.

-That's what attracts the heron.

-One major advantage

-in such an arid habitat...

-..is finding water.

-An area like this is sure

-to attract wildlife and birds.

-It has been a balmy evening...

-..and it has been

-a particularly dry season.

-The animals and birds

-will need water.

-I intend to sit here quietly...

-..and wait to see what turns up,

-even if it takes hours.

-Watching wildlife requires patience.

-Good things come to those who wait.

-As I wait for one thing...

-..something else

-makes an appearance.

-This is a ladder snake.

-It may be searching near the bank

-for a rodent to eat.

-It is also native

-to this part of Europe.

-It's named for the ladder-like

-markings on its back.

-Here's another unexpected sight.

-An otter has just popped its head

-out of the water.

-It's making its way

-over to the other side.

-That undergrowth over there...

-..may be covering a hole.

-That could be its holt.

-If I wait here...

-..it'll probably come back out.

-This is an ideal habitat for them,

-with plenty of undergrowth.

-The river is teeming with fish.

-Hundreds of small fish

-as well as large ones too.

-However, if an otter senses

-that it's being watched...

-..it will disappear underwater

-and re-emerge 50m further away.

-The same animal

-is also found in Wales.

-They breed

-in large numbers in Spain.

-There's a small family of them.

-It's midday

-and I still haven't seen a lynx.

-The sweltering heat has given

-this green woodpecker a thirst.

-There are also rabbits nearby,

-which is important...

-..because these are

-the lynx's chief prey.

-Though this one looks

-rather nervous, it's quite safe.

-Midday isn't the best time

-to spot a lynx.

-They tend to shelter from the sun.

-I'm unlikely to spot one

-until late afternoon now.

-I'd better take a walk

-and check the bushes...

-..in case one is taking a nap.

-It's said

-that you make your own luck.

-I'm a firm believer in that.

-It has proven true for me

-on numerous occasions.

-John, John, John, come with me.

-Come with me, John.

-It's going, it's going, it's going.

-Keep filming.

-It's a lynx, lads.

-Goodness me! I don't believe it!

-Look at it go.

-It's strolling up that path.

-Well, well, well!

-We've searched everywhere.

-There it is in the distance.

-I was just going for a walk

-along this track...

-..and a lynx appeared

-in front of me.

-It went to hide by a rock

-and now it's sneaked over there.

-It's looking back at me.

-Oh, wow! What a creature!

-Any other animal

-that I've ever come across...

-..would have panicked and run off.

-This one didn't - it strolled off

-at a leisurely pace.

-It has spiky tufts

-and a short tail.

-It's a beautiful creature.

-I'm completely worked up.

-Sorry about this!

-But I've never come across

-such a rare animal...

-..that's been so close

-to extinction.

-Only 100 of them remained

-a decade ago.

-There are currently 300.

-What a magnificent animal.

-If I saw nothing else in Spain,

-I'd be completely happy.

-Goodness gracious!

-A remarkable animal.

-The world's rarest big cat.

-It's hard to believe

-that this animal's fate...

-..is completely reliant on rabbits.

-They account for 90% of its diet.

-It eats at least one rabbit a day.

-If a disease like myxomatosis

-took hold and killed the rabbits...

-..it would have

-a profound effect on the lynx.

-That's how fragile their lives are.

-This is a relatively wild

-and peaceful area of Spain.

-Wildlife thrives in this habitat.

-Andujar's habitats

-allow it that opportunity.

-Next, I head

-to Spain's northern mountains...

-..where I come face to face

-with vultures.

-Goodness me!

-I then cross the Pyrenees

-to France...

-..where I spot

-the world's largest squirrel.

-They're cute!

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-I leave Southern Spain,

-home of the world's rarest cat...

-..and head north.

-I'm heading for the uplands

-around Leon, near Santander.

-These are the Cantabrian Mountains.

-This area is a natural park

-of around 100,000 acres.

-It's almost 2,000 metres

-above sea level.

-It's higher than Snowdon.

-A red deer has appeared

-out of the bushes...

-..on top of the hill.

-It's a stag.

-In a moment, it will call out

-to attract the hinds...

-..so that it can mate with them.

-There's something majestic

-about a red deer...

-..especially when you see it

-on a mountainside like this.

-It's feeding and looks happy,

-completely natural.

-The number of red deer in Spain

-is quite incredible.

-I saw many in Southern Spain

-when I was searching for the lynx.

-There are more here.

-Even though the landscape

-is familiar, similar to Wales...

-..heather, open land,

-some bushes here and there...

-..there's far more of it in Spain.

-After Switzerland, Spain is

-Europe's most mountainous country.

-There's plenty of room for deer.

-Despite the altitude,

-it's a rich habitat.

-The heather is full of grasshoppers

-and butterflies.

-This is a mountain

-clouded yellow butterfly.

-It is only found in the Alps

-and the Cantabrian Mountains.

-Flocks of larks

-have flown by all morning.

-I thought they were all

-common skylarks...

-..but a woodlark has landed

-on this fence.

-It's calling out and singing.

-It's making a wonderful sound.

-When you travel abroad...

-..you visit places and see birds...

-..that are common in Wales

-but rare here.

-You see woodlarks everywhere here,

-but they're rare in Wales.

-They used to be common in Wales,

-but the last one nested in 1984.

-They have returned now...

-..but there are only two pairs

-in the whole of Wales.

-There's one here,

-and I can hear one behind me.

-They make a wonderful sound.

-You'll never see this bird in Wales,

-but it's very common over here.

-The griffon vulture.

-It's a huge bird,

-like a flying barn door!

-It can be seen across the whole

-of Spain, but it's in danger.

-There's not enough food for it

-and it's suffering.

-Numbers are decreasing.

-In another part

-of the Spanish uplands...

-..help is at hand.

-Some 50 miles north of Zaragoza

-are the foothills of the Pyrenees.

-The mountains separate Spain

-from France.

-In the Sierra De Guara natural park

-in the Aragon region...

-..you'll see an incredible flock

-of vultures.

-Hundreds of them,

-all in one place waiting for food.

-Manuel Aguilera has been feeding

-vultures here for over 20 years.

-He loves vultures and founded

-a society to protect them.

-He feeds them every day...

-..to give them a little boost.

-Crikey!

-It's like feeding a pack of hounds.

-Throw the meat

-and they're there right away.

-Dear me!

-I wouldn't be surprised

-if they start eating Manuel soon.

-They're jumping on the wheelbarrow.

-They don't give him time

-to empty the bags.

-There are two bare patches

-on the griffon vulture's breast.

-That acts like a bag.

-They can stuff a lot of food

-in there, especially meat.

-That bag expands...

-..and they can then fly away and

-digest the food at their leisure.

-They grab as much food as they can

-in a short space of time.

-In Africa, they'd fight for food

-with lions and hyenas.

-Look at the birds' heads.

-We think of vultures as birds

-with bald heads.

-They have evolved to enable them to

-poke their heads into carcasses...

-..to pull the guts out.

-The griffon vulture is different.

-It targets the flesh.

-It doesn't dig in to the carcass

-for the bloody entrails.

-I'm about to leave Spain and head

-for the French side of the Pyrenees.

-My next stop is Orlu,

-60 miles south of Toulouse.

-This is Orlu National Park,

-a rich upland area.

-It's as striking as France's

-other upland area, the Alps.

-What a mountain - Mount Orlu.

-The clouds are slowly clearing

-from the summit.

-There are some huge mountains here.

-This one is 2,200 metres

-above sea level.

-The wind and clouds

-drift in from the sea.

-They hit the mountains

-and it often pours with rain here.

-A sunny day like today

-is a rarity.

-That's why it's so green here -

-the trees, mosses and ferns.

-We don't have anything

-like this in Wales.

-This is twice

-the height of Snowdon...

-..and it's far from

-the highest mountain.

-As in the Alps...

-..there are cattle

-with bells here too.

-If Dai Jones were here, he would

-tell you which breed they are!

-I have no idea,

-but I know what this is.

-An eagle - a young golden eagle

-hunting for food.

-With the sun shining

-on a fine June day...

-..lizards sunbathe on the rocks.

-This one takes advantage of the heat

-to shed its skin.

-It has become too big

-for its old skin.

-Also making the most of summer

-are these comical creatures.

-They're marmots, fat little lumps!

-I'm not being disrespectful -

-they are fat.

-They're a type of squirrel,

-the largest squirrel in the world.

-They live on the ground,

-not in trees.

-Here's a young marmot,

-with its mother...

-..lying flat on the rock,

-doing nothing.

-There's a good reason

-for their inactivity.

-They just eat...

-..eat...

-..sunbathe...

-..and clean their fur.

-It's very cold in the Pyrenees

-from October to April.

-The marmots hibernate

-for almost eight months a year.

-Waking up in summer,

-they eat whatever they can find...

-..to build up their weight again.

-These youngsters have enough energy

-to throw their weight around.

-Sometimes, the marmots allow you

-to stand quite near to them.

-I'm around 35 metres away

-from this one.

-It's sitting on the rock

-keeping an eye out...

-..for any potential threats

-from an eagle or a human.

-There are marmots behind it

-busily feeding.

-If there's any danger,

-this one will call out.

-They'll usually vanish underground.

-It knows that I'm here. The fat

-it carries helps and hinders it.

-When it's cold, it's an advantage.

-Around midday, they're too hot

-and they hide underground.

-It was warmer earlier on...

-..but the sun has disappeared now

-and it's rather cold.

-Its fat and fur are an advantage.

-It also benefits from the heat

-coming off the rock.

-It'll pop up somewhere else later

-with its eye on me.

-Here it comes.

-It's a little closer now.

-Usually, you'll hear this call...

-..if you approach the watcher

-too closely.

-It sounds like a squeaky toy!

-It's hard to believe...

-..as I walk up such colourful

-and fertile mountains...

-..that these paths are covered

-in snow during the winter.

-To remind you

-how harsh conditions can be here...

-..there's still snow

-on the upper slopes in June.

-Goats are the only large animals...

-..you'll see in numbers

-on the higher slopes.

-These are chamois.

-You'll find lots of them here

-and they're very sure-footed.

-I've timed my visit perfectly

-to coincide with a wonderful day.

-All the plants are taking advantage

-of the summer sunshine.

-This is one of the prettiest

-native flowers.

-Trumpet gentians specialize

-in growing on high ground.

-I'm over 2,000 metres

-above sea level.

-That's over 6,000 feet.

-The summer is very short.

-It rarely lasts three months.

-Snow covers the land

-for most of the year.

-When the snow melts

-as the sun warms up...

-..it's incredible

-how many flowers grow here.

-At the moment, it's a sea of colour

-- yellows, reds and blues.

-It's a relatively short summer.

-Soon, these will die

-and the snow will return.

-It's a desolate place, a difficult

-place for wildlife to survive.

-In the Pyrenees, the habitat

-is only hospitable for a short time.

-In summer, it gets warmth

-from the Mediterranean Sea...

-..and constant precipitation

-from the Atlantic Ocean.

-Like Gibraltar

-at the start of my journey...

-..across the Iberian peninsula...

-..the Pyrenees in south-east France

-are at a crossroads...

-..between the influence of two seas.

-On the next leg of my journey,

-the Atlantic influences everything.

-I'm heading for the western coast

-of France...

-..the Channel Islands, Cornwall

-and the Isles of Scilly.

-I walk along

-Europe's largest sand dune.

-I see a blonde hedgehog.

-I can see its face.

-I glimpse a green lizard.

-It's very elegant.

-I swim through an underwater cave

-and find some gems...

-..and join some twitchers

-searching for a rare bird.

-They're confused

-because I'm talking Welsh!

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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