Caint Natur Gwyllt Iolo

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-I've been birdwatching

-and observing wildlife all my life.

-But pressures on nature

-due to man's intervention...

-..have seen some species decline

-or disappear altogether in Wales...

-..over the past half a century.

-I'm travelling to England,

-to sites teeming with wildlife...

-..to rediscover species

-no longer seen at home.

-In this episode, I'm travelling

-across the border to Kent.

-The county

-is dubbed the Garden of England.

-Its land is fertile...

-..though it's a densely populated

-area of southeast England.

-My journey begins in the north

-of the county near Rochester.

-This is Northward Hill,

-an RSPB nature reserve...

-..overlooking

-the marshlands of north Kent.

-In the distance, the River Thames

-snakes its way to the sea.

-There's a stark contrast

-to be seen here.

-I'm at one with nature here...

-..surrounded by cherry trees...

-..while there's an industrial

-landscape in the distance.

-I'm glad I'm this side of the river.

-The nature reserve

-is famous for its grey herons.

-I'm here to observe

-a particular species of heron.

-The little egret.

-The RSPB

-has granted me special permission...

-..to enter this part of the reserve

-out of bounds to the public...

-..because I wanted to observe

-the little egrets.

-As a youngster...

-..I remember three

-fellow birdwatchers and mtself...

-..going to

-a nature reserve near Newtown...

-..to see the first egret

-to be spotted in Montgomeryshire...

-..in the late eighties.

-They're commonplace nowadays

-and nest in southern Britain.

-This is a nesting area

-for more than 100 pairs.

-I'm visiting Northward Hill

-during the last week of April...

-..when the egrets

-come into their own.

-Their feathers are vibrant white.

-They're very majestic.

-The two imposing towers

-of an old 12th-century church...

-..are the most

-prominent features of Reculver.

-But I'm heading to the beach.

-It's where you'll find

-nature at its best.

-This gives you an idea

-of how soft these cliffs are...

-..on the northern coast of Kent.

-Sand martins nest there.

-Their composition

-is more sand than rock...

-..judging by the soft texture.

-You can see the traces of landslides

-following the winter storms.

-These birds have only just returned.

-It's easy to tell

-because there are so few of them.

-More than 100 pairs will return,

-making it Kent's largest colony.

-The first thing they must do

-is repair the holes and tunnels.

-The tunnels

-stretch a metre into the cliff.

-When they return from Africa,

-they must dig out a hole every time.

-Kent's northern coast has receded

-more than three kilometres...

-..since Roman times...

-..which means the sea has swallowed

-two metres of land each year.

-It's a very fragile coastline.

-This is a bird that is just as happy

-by the sea as it is on land.

-The only thing

-that matters to a kestrel...

-..is that there's a mouse

-or lizard to hunt beneath it.

-England's best wetlands can be found

-at Stodmarsh Nature Reserve...

-..near Canterbury.

-Vivian Pritchard

-lives near the reserve...

-..and is from Llanberis originally.

-Hello, Vivian. Nice to meet you.

-This is a wonderful place.

-People think this corner of England

-is overcrowded...

-..and resembles a concrete jungle

-but there are many places like this.

-I'm heading further south

-after leaving here...

-..to the North Downs

-and then on to Dungeness.

-What can I expect to see there?

-Well, in this corner of England...

-..we're surrounded by sea

-on three sides.

-We're never far from the sea.

-There's a variety of wildlife here.

-Just as I was walking up here,

-I spotted some marsh harriers.

-I saw three or four of them.

-I could also hear the bittern.

-I've been searching for it

-for years, I've also heard it...

-..but I've never seen one.

-Seeing the male marsh harrier

-passing food to the female...

-..is a delightful sight.

-But catching sight

-of a bittern is very special.

-This is one

-I spotted on a visit to Somerset.

-This is why

-Vivian hasn't spotted one.

-The minute it lands,

-it's immediately camouflaged.

-It spends

-most its time hiding like this.

-This is the bittern's call.

-LOW HUM

-It has a constant rhythm.

-That's the only sign

-of its presence.

-The only other bird on the lake...

-..is the shoveler.

-The male is multi-coloured

-while the female is brown in colour.

-It uses its wide beak

-to sieve the water's surface...

-..to search for food.

-What's surprising is that there are

-wonderful woodlands in Kent...

-..many of which are ancient.

-That's the blackcap

-you can hear singing in the trees.

-It's a common enough bird

-but one that is rarely sighted.

-Usually it chirps

-high in the branches.

-I enjoy this time of the year

-because there are fewer leaves...

-..making it easier

-to spot birds in the trees.

-When you see

-a male blackcap up close...

-..it's a smart-looking bird.

-Blean Woods is one of England's

-sprawling ancient woodlands.

-It measures 11 miles square.

-The end of April sees birds prepare

-for spring and nesting season.

-There are green woodpeckers

-everywhere in these woods.

-I can hear one of them

-calling in the distance.

-I don't think

-I've ever seen so many of them.

-These are mostly young trees

-because many have been docked...

-..but they make sure plenty

-of old trees are left behind...

-..so the woodpecker

-can nest in them.

-They thrive in these areas

-because of these wood ants' nests.

-This isn't a big one...

-..but since the woodpecker spends

-so much time on the ground...

-..it not only enjoys devouring

-the ants but also the small eggs...

-..beneath the surface.

-That's why the green woodpecker

-thrives in these wooded areas.

-It's not only birds that regenerate.

-The green tiger beetles

-are at it too.

-It's a striking beetle

-but is very common in Britain.

-The city of Canterbury

-provides the backdrop...

-..with the cathedral at its heart.

-In the distance

-are the North Downs...

-..which is where I'm heading next.

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-I've reached the Kent Downs...

-..a section of the North Downs...

-..whose chalk hills extend from

-east to west in southern England.

-Large parts

-of the Kent hills are wooded.

-70% of them are ancient woodlands.

-There are new plantations too.

-What a display!

-It's like sitting

-in a flower garden.

-The primroses are wonderful...

-..as are the violets here and there.

-Coniferous trees were planted here,

-but since the soil was so thin...

-..they didn't grow,

-so they cleared the area.

-It heats up quickly

-because the soil is very thin.

-It boosts vegetation...

-..and helps all kinds of insects,

-bees and so on, in the process.

-This is a common insect

-in the south of Britain.

-It resembles a bee

-but is, in fact, a fly.

-Because of its resemblance...

-..it's called a bee-fly.

-This is one of only a few flies

-that can extend its proboscis...

-..to the core of a primrose

-to extract the nectar.

-This is called Devil's

-Kneading Trough. What a great name!

-They must've thought it was

-the devil who created this trough.

-It was actually created at the end

-of the Ice Age, 10,000 years ago.

-As the ice melted, it scarred the

-landscape, leaving this deep trough.

-I'm at the edge

-of the North Downs...

-..overlooking the valley.

-There's no better view

-in the whole of Kent.

-This is Romney Marsh

-which is incredibly flat.

-Much of it

-is still beneath sea level.

-Very little

-of the original marsh remains.

-It's dried out over the centuries...

-..and most of it

-is now grazing pasture for sheep.

-There are few buildings here,

-apart from the odd farm or church...

-..such as this one,

-the Church of St Thomas a Becket...

-..named after the famous 12th

-century martyr who was murdered.

-It's a very unique place

-and exceptionally flat.

-In the past,

-the wool industry was responsible...

-..for sustaining the people

-and churches of Romney Marsh.

-The marsh extends 100 square miles

-to the south coast of Kent...

-..and Rye Harbour Beach.

-Haf Morris...

-..lives nearby.

-What's a Welsh native

-doing in these parts, Haf?

-Work brought me here...

-..once Trawsfynydd closed.

-I was offered a job here in Kent...

-..at the Dungeness power station.

-We moved here 20 years ago.

-It must've been a shock because

-you're from Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-It's a mountainous region

-compared to here.

-Was it a shock to the system?

-Yes, it was.

-Yes, it was.

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-What brings you to Rye Harbour?

-It's nice and flat to come walking.

-It's different.

-There's shingle and sea.

-Lots of paths

-and a variety of birds.

-Your love of wildlife

-must be inherited...

-..from a famous member

-of your family.

-Ted Breeze Jones was one of Wales'

-famous naturalists.

-Yes, he was Uncle Ted to me.

-I'd go out with him to Trawsfynydd

-Lake to see the gulls nest.

-He took me into the hides.

-He said, "They don't count."

-We'd both go in, but he'd

-go back out and leave me there...

-..and I'd take photographs

-of the birds...

-..while he went for a cuppa.

-So, all these photos that Ted

-claimed to have taken were yours?

-Yes, that's right.

-Large pools

-have been created in Rye Harbour...

-..by people

-digging for gravel over the years.

-It's a great place to spot

-oystercatchers and turnstones.

-The name...

-..certainly

-befits the bird's actions.

-Turnstone describes it perfectly.

-I feel as if I've stepped into

-a scene from a Western.

-It's very arid land.

-My mouth is dry too.

-But this is Britain's only desert.

-It's so dry here because

-there's gravel for miles on end.

-The water

-falls straight through it...

-..creating a unique habitat.

-Its formation

-is relatively recent...

-..but the sea is gradually

-flowing from the east and west...

-..carrying the gravel

-and tossing it...

-..into this area.

-The coast has changed dramatically

-over a short period of time.

-A place called Lydd,

-situated two miles inland...

-..stood right at the edge of the sea

-up until the 18th century.

-That's how drastically it's changed.

-It's a stark contrast between

-the barren portion of the reserve...

-..the driest region of Britain...

-..and this expanse of water

-only yards away...

-..and these shallow pools.

-The water itself comes straight from

-the earth's core through the rock.

-It's nice, clean water.

-The diversity of birds and wildlife

-is disappointing.

-Interesting species are rare.

-There's

-a great crested grebe over there.

-There's a sedge warbler

-happily chirping behind me.

-It's usually hiding in vegetation,

-rarely revealing itself.

-A stone's throw from the Dungeness

-wetlands and gravel desert...

-..is the village itself.

-A collection of huts and

-odd buildings close to the beach.

-It's obvious the kestrel

-has followed me on my journey.

-Behind the barrage is the Channel...

-..and the open sea

-which separates England and France.

-The gulls search for food near

-the Dungeness nuclear power station.

-Warm water from the power station

-is pumped out to sea.

-A large intake of cold water

-is required...

-..to keep the nuclear reactor cold.

-Unfortunately, the odd fish

-finds its way in and is killed.

-As the water's pumped back out...

-..the bodies are pulverized...

-..attracting all these gulls.

-Most are black-headed gulls,

-except for a few herring gulls.

-There are few terns

-in their midst too.

-It's like having

-a convenient cafe on your doorstep.

-My journey to Kent

-ends in Dungeness.

-A county rich in wildlife

-and picturesque views.

-It was unexpected,

-to tell you the truth.

-Next time, I visit Dartmoor...

-..one of southern England's

-most barren landscapes.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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