Gwlad yr Haf Natur Gwyllt Iolo

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-I'm on a journey

-to six areas in England.

-These areas are renowned for

-their beauty and incredible scenery.

-These locations attract millions

-of tourists to enjoy the landscapes.

-There's some excellent wildlife

-that you will rarely see in Wales.

-That's the main reason for visiting

-these remarkable locations.

-I haven't travelled too far

-from Wales this week.

-I'm an hour away

-from the Severn Bridge.

-Behind me is the renowned

-Cheddar Gorge.

-I'm going to follow the path

-down towards the Somerset Levels.

-Cheddar Gorge splits the

-western side of the Mendip Hills.

-Some say that Mendip comes from the

-Welsh word for mountain, 'mynydd'.

-Over the centuries,

-mynydd has become Mendip.

-But these are hills, not mountains.

-They rise no more than 325 metres,

-about 1,000ft.

-During my journey, I'll travel from

-the Mendips, across the levels...

-..to the Quantock Hills

-in the west.

-First, I'm visiting Black Rock

-nature reserve...

-..on the highest point

-of Cheddar Gorge.

-The nature reserve is situated

-on an old lime quarry.

-Stone similar

-to the one behind me...

-..was used to construct buildings

-in nearby Bath and Bristol.

-The limestone is responsible

-for forming Cheddar Gorge.

-It's a soft stone and the ancient

-river has eroded the stone...

-..to form the gorge.

-The river now runs underground

-at the bottom of the gorge.

-It's the first week of July.

-A thin layer of earth

-lying over the limestone...

-..has created a habitat

-of grass and flowers.

-The flowers have attracted insects.

-This wasp feeds on white clover.

-Feeding on red clover is a very

-common butterfly in this area...

-..but one which has been, until

-recently, rarely seen in Wales.

-The marbled white butterfly.

-It's nice to hear about a butterfly

-whose numbers are increasing.

-We hear so much bad news about the

-numbers of butterflies decreasing...

-..as habitats are destroyed.

-This one has increased in number.

-I remember a time

-when they could be seen in Wales.

-You could spot them in Gwent...

-..but by now, they've moved up

-to Powys and Radnorshire.

-I saw one there last year.

-They're very pretty.

-Why are they here?

-I think it's a simple reason.

-There are plenty of flowers -

-wild thyme, white clover...

-..and red clover.

-I'm looking around me and I can see

-around six different species...

-..all flying together.

-This is the small

-tortoiseshell butterfly.

-They are found in gardens

-and rural areas.

-It flies from March until October.

-Even though it's orange,

-this is the dark green fritillary.

-It gets its name from

-the green colour under its wing.

-This butterfly is a summer insect -

-it only flies in July and August.

-Here's another common butterfly -

-the small heath butterfly.

-It favours rich grassland.

-A stone's throw from the quarry,

-there's excitement in a field.

-Two deer chasing each other.

-The roe deer's mating season

-is beginning.

-Two male deer,

-one chasing the other.

-One is trying to defend

-its territory...

-..this field and this woods.

-It's a perfect location...

-..shelter under the trees,

-a feeding area in the field...

-..and soon, it will try

-and attract a female deer.

-It doesn't want another male deer

-anywhere near the place.

-I think they're

-both resting in the woods.

-I wouldn't be surprised

-if they started fighting later.

-They're at their best now.

-Their coat is red-brown.

-During the winter,

-the coat is longer and greyer.

-Even from here, we can see

-both of them breathing heavily...

-..tired after their exploits.

-From Roman times

-to around a century ago...

-..the Mendip Hills provided

-a rich source of lead.

-Over the hill from Black Rock

-is Blackmoor.

-If you were here a century ago, the

-land would have looked different.

-It would have been black,

-not green as it is today.

-The land was ruptured

-for lead mining.

-The waste mounds can be seen

-under the vegetation.

-They look like small hills

-covered in grass.

-In some places,

-you'll find charcoal remains.

-This was burnt

-to draw the lead from the stone.

-Today,

-nature has reclaimed the land.

-Moths now catch the eye.

-Lead is very poisonous.

-For me, it's incredible to see

-so many plants growing here...

-..and covering almost all the land.

-There are a few bare patches

-but not many.

-We think of moths as small brown

-insects that appear at night...

-..but this one is very colourful.

-It appears during the day.

-This one is thriving.

-They're five-spot burnets,

-feeding on valerian flowers.

-It's a plant that often grows

-on wet pasture.

-Black Rock moor is a great habitat

-reclaimed from old industry.

-There are similar places

-scattered around the area.

-Here's another colourful moth -

-the forester.

-I've never seen it before even

-though it can be found in Wales...

-..during the summer months.

-It's on a small scabious, a flower

-full of nectar to attract insects...

-..and is often grown in gardens

-because of its special colour.

-The Somerset Levels

-are close to sea level.

-Most of the land

-is under six meters above sea level.

-During high tide and heavy rainfall,

-the land is often flooded.

-This place is often affected

-by floods...

-..when winter storms

-are at their worst.

-I've reached the levels

-in the Glastonbury area.

-People have been draining the levels

-since the Middle Ages.

-Vast water channels have been built

-to control water levels.

-The largest is the south drain

-which runs through Shapwick Heath...

-..and Ham Wall,

-two large nature reserves.

-Once again on my journey,

-I encounter some roe deer.

-These are two of last year's young

-with their mother.

-They're very common in this area.

-There's enough room for them

-to graze...

-..and hide if they're in trouble.

-The Glastonbury Tower can be seen

-from Ham Wall Nature Reserve.

-In the pools and wetlands

-under the hills...

-..are birds rarely seen in Wales.

-One of them is the marsh harrier.

-As it hunts,

-it exhibits its flying skills.

-It's searching for birds or mice.

-A heron does the same

-by hiding and being patient.

-It eats many different creatures

-including frogs and fish.

-One of Ham Wall's major attractions

-is the bittern.

-You can only see it when it flies.

-When it lands, its colour helps it

-blend into the undergrowth.

-Wetland such as this

-is an excellent place for wildlife.

-All kinds of birds live here

-but it's difficult to spot them...

-..especially the bittern.

-It flies but not for long.

-When it flies low to the ground,

-it disappears.

-One of the most interesting aspects

-about being here...

-..is seeing the frogs.

-This is the marsh frog.

-They were introduced

-to South-East England...

-..and spread

-right across the country.

-They haven't reached Wales yet

-but it won't take long.

-They make an odd sound.

-This is Europe's largest frog...

-..but it's not much bigger

-than a common frog.

-It's native to Europe but we know

-little of the impact it will have...

-..on natural habitats in Britain.

-It has a greater appetite

-than the common frog...

-..and eats a lot of insects.

-There's more to the Somerset Levels

-than wetlands.

-Around Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath,

-there are different, drier habitats.

-This copse is on farmland

-just above the wetland.

-When you walk through a copse

-such as this in July...

-..in terms of birds,

-there's nothing, it's silent.

-It's still a good time

-for butterflies.

-Here's one I've never seen before -

-a white admiral.

-Everything it needs is here.

-Mature trees, they feed

-on the bramble flowers...

-..and the caterpillars

-feed on the honeysuckle.

-There's plenty of that here too.

-They're very territorial.

-They're flying around my head

-and chasing other butterflies.

-Beyond the copse...

-..there's a hide

-to observe the wildlife on the lake.

-Here's a little egret fishing.

-This is a hobby

-hunting for dragonflies.

-These are all birds

-you can see in Wales...

-..especially the kingfisher...

-..but you'll find

-few better places than this hide...

-..on Canada Farm Lake

-near Shapwick Heath.

-There's nothing better

-at the end of a day...

-..when everyone else

-has gone home...

-..than sitting in a hide

-looking out over the water.

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-I've reached West Sedge Moor,

-England's largest wet meadow system.

-It's halfway

-between Glastonbury and Taunton.

-The ancient meadows are often under

-water during the winter months.

-This is why they're

-a great habitat for wildlife.

-Only when you walk across the land

-do you realise how wet it is.

-There are networks

-of ditches everywhere.

-From the air,

-it would look like a spider's web.

-Originally, these were built

-to drain the land...

-..but this is now

-an RSPB nature reserve.

-These ditches are used

-to retain the water.

-That keeps the land wet for

-mating birds such as lapwings...

-..and providing feeding grounds

-for curlews.

-During the summer months,

-the wet meadows attract dragonflies.

-There are thousands here.

-One of them

-is the black-tailed skimmer.

-The male flies close to the water...

-..and returns to its roost

-after hunting around its habitat.

-The main attraction

-of West Sedge Moor is the crane.

-This location is one of only

-three nature reserves in Britain...

-..where the crane can be spotted.

-None are in Wales.

-This is only the second time I've

-seen a crane in the wild in Britain.

-You forget about how big they are.

-They're even bigger

-than a grey heron.

-They're huge.

-This habitat reminds me

-of the Gwent Levels or Anglesey...

-..many centuries ago,

-before they were drained.

-You can imagine wetlands

-with vegetation such as this...

-..and dozens of cranes.

-I've often wondered about the

-origin of the Welsh word - garan.

-As two flew together now, their

-call sounded like "garan, garan".

-The Welsh name must have come

-from the sound of their call.

-These have been re-introduced

-to the Somerset Levels.

-The scheme started

-about five years ago.

-After hatching chicks

-from crane eggs from Germany...

-..and rearing them carefully

-in enclosures...

-..the adults are released here.

-They've settled well

-in West Sedge Moor...

-..since this was their natural

-habitat in Britain centuries ago.

-I leave the levels

-and the lowlands...

-..and head for the uplands in

-the south-west - the Quantock Hills.

-One of the highest peaks

-is Cothelstone.

-From its slopes, you can see

-across the levels to the Severn.

-There are some great views

-from this hill.

-There are birds everywhere.

-This is a linnet

-washing its plumage.

-A whitethroat. It nests

-somewhere in the vegetation.

-There are some common birds -

-dunnocks and goldfinches.

-One magnificent bird

-beats all the others.

-The yellowhammer.

-Watching birds on this hill

-is like watching birds in Wales...

-..half a century ago.

-The linnets are very common.

-Families have reared chicks.

-I saw another one with some grass

-in her beak earlier on.

-She was building a new nest.

-They're late nesters -

-they feed on seeds.

-They nest in July and August.

-The most common birds here,

-you can hear them everywhere...

-..are the yellowhammers.

-I remember learning this birdsong

-in music lessons at school.

-# Little bit of bread

-and no cheese #

-The male is so majestic.

-It looks like a yellow canary.

-It's a wonderful song.

-It's the long-forgotten sound

-of rural Wales.

-It's rarely seen in Wales

-but a few miles over the Severn...

-..it is seen in large numbers.

-I've reached the end of my journey -

-Beacon Hill near Minehead.

-It's 15 miles from the Welsh coast

-across the Severn.

-Red deer feed on the hillside.

-These are less timid

-than the roe deer I saw earlier.

-Beacon Hill doesn't have

-an abundance of wildlife.

-There are birds here you'd expect

-to see on Welsh hills...

-..such as stonechats.

-My main reason for walking

-to the summit of Beacon Hill...

-..is to explore the landscape across

-the Severn from South Wales...

-..and exactly opposite Cardiff.

-Like many of you,

-I've always thought about that.

-Here, on Beacon Hill,

-in the Quantocks...

-..my visit to Somerset ends.

-I'm looking out across the Severn.

-I can see Aberthaw power station

-and Ogmore-by-Sea in the distance.

-I was already familiar

-with some of this area...

-..the lowlands and wetlands...

-..but I've discovered these

-wooded hills for the first time.

-There's all kinds

-of wildlife here too.

-The best part

-is being so close to Wales...

-..and it's so convenient

-to travel here.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

-.