Northumbria Natur Gwyllt Iolo

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-I'm exploring six English regions...

-..that are famed for their beauty

-and spectacular views of the wild.

-They also attract

-millions of tourists each year...

-..to these magnificent landscapes.

-Here you'll find wildlife

-that is rare...

-..or has vanished completely

-from Wales.

-That's the main reason I'm

-exploring these wonderful locations.

-I'm standing

-beside the famous Hadrian's Wall...

-..which stretches

-from Carlisle in the west...

-..all the way to Newcastle-upon-Tyne

-in the east, a distance of 90 miles.

-This portion

-of the wall and the tree...

-..appears in the movie

-Robin Hood Prince of Thieves...

-..starring Kevin Costner

-and Morgan Freeman.

-They claimed they landed

-in the south of England...

-..but I'm in Northumbria.

-It's the Old North to us, of course.

-It was the ancient land of the Celts

-and their language...

-..was similar to early Welsh...

-..before the land was lost

-to the Saxons and other invaders...

-..after the sixth century.

-It's a historic region

-with ancient land.

-Hadrian's Wall was built by

-the Romans in the second century.

-They needed a definite border

-between their land in the south...

-..and the unruly region

-in the north...

-..known to us today as Scotland.

-I'm crossing the Roman border

-to the north of Northumbria...

-..and the Farne Islands.

-But first I want to explore

-closer to the wall.

-I'm halfway

-between Carlisle and Newcastle...

-..in the south of Northumbria.

-It's the second week of May.

-Fittingly,

-the first sight I see and hear...

-..is the symbol

-of the Northumberland National Park.

-The curlew.

-A pair of curlews are nesting on a

-section of moist and rough terrain.

-It's encouraging...

-..coming to an area where the curlew

-is still a common resident.

-Only once have I left Wales

-for a length of time...

-..and that was

-when I went away to college.

-What I missed

-more than anything else...

-..was the curlew's cry.

-Why are there

-high numbers of them here?

-The answer's simple - because

-there's plenty of rough terrain.

-Especially rough and wet terrain...

-..because they need

-to bury their long beaks in the mud.

-It's nice to see

-the male and female together.

-Only then

-can you differentiate between them.

-Look carefully and you'll notice

-the male has a shorter beak.

-The female's beak

-is considerably longer.

-We don't know

-why the female's beak is longer.

-One theory suggests it's because

-they aren't in competition for food.

-They burrow into

-different levels of the soil.

-But who knows?

-I've come a mile or two

-to an ancient woodland...

-..on lower ground.

-There are dozens

-of similar woodlands in Northumbria.

-There are large beech trees here.

-Judging from the birdsong,

-it's obviously a good place to nest.

-This is a coal tit...

-..with a caterpillar in her beak

-to feed her young.

-I've disturbed a roebuck.

-It must've been hiding

-in the nearby bushes.

-This woodland is rich in wildlife.

-There's a pair of starlings...

-..feeding its young in a hole

-in the ash tree over there.

-I noticed the adults going back and

-forth with caterpillars and worms.

-They're

-constantly going back and forth.

-One is flying in now.

-I can hear the chicks inside.

-I came to realize

-that there's another pair here...

-..within 30 metres

-of the other nest.

-There's also

-another pair over there...

-..and one more further across.

-During my childhood in Llanwddyn,

-these birds were common.

-I'd inspect trees for owls' nests...

-..and common kestrel nests and

-I'd find starling nests everywhere.

-Nowadays, they've become

-relatively rare birds in Wales.

-I'm not sure why.

-I can't tell you why.

-Why are there still high numbers

-here but very few at home?

-In reality, there are plenty

-of woodlands such as this in Wales.

-It's not our woodlands

-that are to blame.

-It's something else...

-..which affects the bird or has

-affected the species in the past.

-The starling is burrowing

-for insects to feed its chicks.

-Maybe springtime in Wales doesn't

-provide enough of the right insects?

-I've come to a woodland

-near Bellingham.

-It's early morning,

-the sun hasn't risen yet.

-I'm on my way to meet two girls...

-..who are working to save

-the red squirrel in this area.

-With a bit of luck,

-I'll get to see the animal too.

-This is predominantly

-an oak woodland.

-Judging from their height, they've

-been growing for centuries...

-..on fertile soil.

-Hello. You must be Katy and Emma.

-I'm Iolo.

-Good to see you.

-Hello there. Have you seen any reds?

-We've been watching three.

-We've been watching three.

-

-I can see one moving up there.

-Two adults and

-one of this year's kits, I think.

-Quite a young one.

-Quite a young one.

-

-Wow. That's cool, first thing.

-Is there another one down there?

-Is there another one down there?

-

-Yes, it's just gone round the tree.

-It's been so wet, they'll be hungry.

-So it's a good thing

-for us to be here this morning.

-He's posing for us.

-Oh, wow, yes. It is too!

-That's the little one, is it?

-He hasn't got any ear tufts yet.

-He looks small to me.

-I love the way they sit

-with their tail right up their back.

-He's watching us.

-He knows we're here.

-Katy and Emma

-are two of a team of wardens...

-..who look after

-the red squirrel in Northumbria.

-This is one of

-the few locations in Britain...

-..where the red squirrel

-lives in its natural habitat.

-The sun

-is rising over the horizon now...

-..and this is

-the best time to be out.

-The birds are singing all around.

-It's nice seeing red squirrels

-in their natural habitat.

-I associate them

-with foreign pine trees nowadays...

-..but they're meant to be

-in oak woodlands like this.

-There are two adults and one kit.

-They're

-jumping from branch to branch.

-They're very swift.

-It's nice seeing a red squirrel.

-It's always nice to see one.

-Behind me is Kielder Reservoir...

-..the biggest reservoir in Europe.

-The forestry

-surrounding the water is also huge.

-A quarter of the trees

-produced in England...

-..come from this forest.

-First thing tomorrow, I'm heading

-east, to the edge of the forest...

-..where there's a clearing.

-They say areas like these

-are great for spotting wildlife.

-Kielder Forest is

-the biggest plantation in Europe...

-..stretching 250 miles square.

-Northumbria's landscape is vast.

-It's five o'clock in the morning...

-..and my luck is in.

-A roebuck is grazing

-on an exposed area of land.

-This is a male.

-I only normally see the backside

-of a deer as it runs away...

-..so it's nice

-being able to watch one foraging.

-They're very timid creatures.

-They're easily frightened.

-He raises his head now and then

-and looks around often...

-..before grazing again.

-They spend their days

-in dense vegetation in the forest.

-At night and early morning,

-they venture out to feed...

-..on new vegetation

-that's full of nourishment.

-The sun's up now.

-It's just this moment

-risen over the horizon.

-He's making his way

-very gradually back to the forest.

-He'll stay there all day.

-He looks very healthy.

-He's in optimum condition.

-He must build his strength

-at this time of year...

-..because in six weeks' time,

-he'll have to compete for a mate...

-..when the rutting season begins.

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-I've reached the Cheviot Hills...

-..in Northumbria's highlands.

-To give you an idea

-of just how huge this county is...

-..to go from the south, where we

-were at Hadrian's Wall, to here...

-..is like travelling

-from Cardiff to Welshpool...

-..or from Welshpool to Caernarfon.

-The mountain

-behind me is called the Cheviot.

-It's Northumbria's highest mountain,

-which is over 800 metres high.

-Sitting here in the sun and

-listening to the birds is wonderful.

-A choir of woodlark

-is singing from the lofty branches.

-It's a rather nondescript bird.

-A bird you'll see

-in some areas of Wales.

-It's singing with all its might.

-It's the second week of May

-and it's nesting time.

-This bird

-is also protecting its territory.

-It's a willow warbler.

-It's one of

-the more familiar sounds of spring.

-It sings whilst catching insects.

-It also has time to clean itself.

-It's obviously very meticulous.

-This is Seahouses Harbour.

-You can't go further eastwards

-in Northumbria than this.

-This is the end of the journey,

-more or less.

-I'm going to explore

-the islands next.

-If you're a naturalist

-and especially a birdwatcher...

-..you must visit the Farne Islands.

-How are you?

-I'm Iolo. Good to see you.

-When Saint Cuthbert, the

-patron saint of northern England...

-..visited the Farne Islands

-in the seventh century...

-..he was astounded

-by the birds that lived there.

-Upon discovering

-that local people ate the birds...

-..he introduced laws

-to protect them.

-Cuthbert was one of the world's

-first ever conservationists.

-It's thanks to him and

-many after him that these islands...

-..are among the best locations

-to observe seabirds.

-What a welcome! I'm greeted

-by a multitude of Arctic tern.

-They've migrated here

-all the way from Antarctica.

-They've only just arrived,

-thank goodness.

-If they'd had time to settle and

-lay eggs, they're very aggressive.

-Away he goes!

-They're very aggressive

-and attack anyone in their path.

-Thank goodness

-they're friendly today!

-They nest

-anywhere they can on the ground.

-These two are preparing

-their small patch of land.

-Part of the mating process

-involves sharing a fish with a mate.

-This shows how good

-the potential mate will be...

-..when it comes to

-hunting food for hungry chicks.

-Legend has it that Cuthbert...

-..had a soft spot

-for the common eider...

-..known locally

-as Cuddy's duck or Cuthbert's duck.

-The males have a strange way

-of impressing the females.

-There are

-thousands of birds on this rock.

-Most of them are guillemots.

-You may think they're nesting,

-and they do nest on steep cliffs...

-..but that's not

-what they're doing here.

-They're loafing, or hanging around.

-In time, when the chicks arrive,

-they'll have to hunt fish...

-..and they'll be

-rushing back and forth.

-For now,

-they've plenty of time to relax.

-You can walk around

-the main island in 20 minutes.

-You'll view a variety of species,

-thousands of them at that.

-I've never been anywhere like this

-before in my life.

-More than 50,000 pairs

-of puffins nest here.

-They're very bold. They're happy

-for me to sit here beside them.

-The reason for that

-is because they've been raised here.

-These islands attract

-thousands of visitors in summer.

-The don't fear humans, so that's why

-they're putting up with me.

-I've never sat

-this close to seabirds before.

-These aren't at their best yet.

-In a week or two, their beaks

-will be far more colourful.

-That's when

-the proper mating season begins.

-But the shag is already nesting.

-I love the way these shags

-have already chosen a place to nest.

-There are four of them in a row.

-They're at least a neck and beak

-away from each other.

-That's because

-they can fight ferociously.

-There's a hook

-at the end of the beak.

-If I were to touch it with my

-finger, it'd certainly draw blood.

-They're such pretty birds.

-It's only when you're up close

-that you realize that.

-They have a green sheen

-to their coat.

-From afar, they're quite plain.

-But they're not at all.

-They have piercing green eyes...

-..and the bottom of their beak

-is a lovely yellow colour.

-To be honest...

-..these are in my top 10 list

-of Britain's prettiest birds.

-They've an unique way

-of regulating temperature.

-They use their necks

-to release heat.

-By trembling,

-the blood in the neck's veins...

-..transfers heat from the body

-on a warm day.

-You'll also see large numbers

-of kittiwakes on the island.

-Razorbills too.

-The Farne Islands

-are a birdwatcher's paradise.

-Best of all, they're merely a 20

-minute boat ride from the mainland.

-I embarked on my journey

-from the famous Hadrian's Wall...

-..and I end it at Bamburgh Castle.

-I've wandered one of

-the country's largest counties.

-What's made

-a lasting impression on me...

-..isn't the wildlife, although

-there's a wealth of it here...

-..or the people, who are

-very friendly and welcoming.

-It's the vast expanse of scrubland.

-This is a very different area

-and a different country.

-There are plenty of quiet places

-in which to lose yourself.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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