:00:33. > :00:37.the afternoon. We are a brand-new show. We have the latest nest until
:00:37. > :00:41.the Springwatch brood. And there is the rest of my clutch out there
:00:41. > :00:46.rehearsing for tonight's show. They are beautiful creatures, but we've
:00:46. > :00:51.got plenty more on those live cams that we are so famous for doing. And
:00:51. > :00:56.there'll be plenty more from them later on. One of our main aims to
:00:56. > :01:00.get you off the sofa, help you get out there and enjoy and be inspired
:01:00. > :01:08.by the great outdoors. This is the great outdoors. We are coming to you
:01:08. > :01:13.live from the RSPB's Ynis-hir reserve in Wales. Just look at it,
:01:13. > :01:17.it is beautiful even when it is raining! This beautiful pile of
:01:17. > :01:21.technology is Springwatch. This is the nerve centre. This is where it
:01:21. > :01:26.all happens. If you come with me, we'll show you a little more about
:01:26. > :01:32.what goes on. This is the glamorous bit. These are the caravans of the
:01:32. > :01:38.stars. There's Martin, Michaela and Chris's caravans. Very lovely. Here
:01:38. > :01:43.we become a bit more utility, still beautiful in its own right. You
:01:43. > :01:48.think of Springwatch about being birds' nests but here is a nest of
:01:48. > :01:56.wires. We have no idea what these people do but they are vitally
:01:56. > :02:00.important, or they wouldn't be here. We have some 57 kilometres of cable,
:02:00. > :02:06.nearly 20-30 cameras in the woods. One of the cables linking this to
:02:06. > :02:12.the camera is two kilometres long. It is incredible feat of engineering
:02:12. > :02:17.and technical expertise. We've got in place bugged! The stories are
:02:17. > :02:20.coming in thick and fast as the drama of spring gets under way.
:02:21. > :02:25.We've got a nesting water rail. It is difficult to see these birds at
:02:25. > :02:31.the best of times, so it is a huge achievement to have one on camera.
:02:31. > :02:36.We have have a reed bunting family with a nest in the reserve. With
:02:36. > :02:42.heavy rain and the water set to rise, have they built their nest
:02:42. > :02:47.high enough to be flood resistant? In the woods is our family of great
:02:47. > :02:54.tits. Mum and dad have been the ideal parents, but will the chicks
:02:55. > :03:00.survive this cold spring? High in the trees a buzzard's nest with a
:03:00. > :03:05.five day-old chick. Out of our teams has been catching up with Monty the
:03:05. > :03:10.osprey. There was a new female around and Monty's been catching
:03:10. > :03:16.fish hoping to impress her, but she hasn't stuck around. Stay tuned to
:03:16. > :03:24.see if love is in the air. On a nearby fine jackdaw chicks have been
:03:24. > :03:28.under attack from other jackdaws. These neighbours from hell have been
:03:28. > :03:32.pecking at the chicks while their parents are out searching for food.
:03:32. > :03:42.The parents are trying to protect their family but the intruders don't
:03:42. > :03:46.like like they'll be leaving any time soon. Springwatch has only been
:03:46. > :03:51.going for a day and already we've got high lights. What's going on
:03:51. > :03:58.now? Let's look in one of the most active nests. There we have the
:03:58. > :04:03.great tit chicks. At the moment - I say active, but they are doing what
:04:03. > :04:07.chicks do, sitting in the nest waiting for mum and dad to come back
:04:08. > :04:13.to provision them. It is lovely to watch. Have a look for yourself.
:04:13. > :04:18.Earlier on, a couple of days ago, this happened. We are going to call
:04:18. > :04:23.him super-chick. He is the biggest of the brood. He gets out of the
:04:23. > :04:29.nest and he goes for a stroll. Or more of a waddle, crawl, flop around
:04:29. > :04:35.the nest. We go to the other camera and look at his face. Look at that.
:04:35. > :04:39.It is the ugliest thing. They look like they've got clown lips stuck on
:04:39. > :04:44.the front of their faces. That attracts the attention of the adult.
:04:44. > :04:49.Why he is doing this we have no idea. Maybe he is guesting himself
:04:49. > :04:54.above the heads of the other nestlings so he gets more food. With
:04:54. > :04:59.this intimacy to the nests means we see all manner of things. Not all of
:04:59. > :05:02.them can be explained. Do you want to see my favourite part of the
:05:02. > :05:08.Springwatch village? Of course you do. Come with me. Up here in this
:05:08. > :05:18.big, grey truck, one of several, is something rather lovely. I've messed
:05:18. > :05:20.
:05:20. > :05:24.this up. Open the door. Independent says, shut the door, on the outside.
:05:24. > :05:32.This is live after all. This is the hub of the operation. Sorry to bust
:05:32. > :05:35.in, guys. We've got Emma, Hannah and Ginny. These guys are kind of like
:05:35. > :05:44.twitchers, remote-controlled twitchers. These are all the nest
:05:44. > :05:49.feeds. Yes.Talk us through what you've got going at the moment.
:05:49. > :05:56.the moment we've got the water rail, who is quite because it is raining.
:05:56. > :06:01.Do we have to mention the rain? It contrasted nicely to last week's
:06:01. > :06:06.show but now it is raining again. She's sitting there. What else have
:06:07. > :06:10.we got? The jackdaws are cosy in their nest box. There was quite a
:06:10. > :06:14.lot of action this morning with them. What sort of things have been
:06:14. > :06:18.happening there? The rivals have been showing up. The naughty
:06:18. > :06:24.neighbours. Yes.And I hear it is heating up a bit as well?
:06:24. > :06:29.Absolutely. And the mallard, she is on another camera. These ones here
:06:29. > :06:34.aren't the web feeds are they? the web feeds are here. So these
:06:34. > :06:38.four down here - the buzzards, the jackdaws, the water rail and the
:06:38. > :06:43.reed buntings. Those are the ones that are on now. Those are the ones
:06:43. > :06:48.that you can see online right now. If you go to the Springwatch website
:06:48. > :06:54.- not while you are watching the show. But after the show get on to
:06:54. > :07:01.the web. You are only a couple of clicks from the interior of a bird's
:07:01. > :07:11.nest. How wonderful is that? Thank you guys. We'll no doubt be back at
:07:11. > :07:22.
:07:22. > :07:30.some other point. Bbc.co.uk/springwatch
:07:30. > :07:34.Out the door we go. Look at this lovely little place. We come here
:07:34. > :07:38.and to the back of the truck. I like it here because we are sheltered
:07:38. > :07:44.from the rain. Don't ask me to explain what it all does, I'm a
:07:44. > :07:49.naturalist, I have a simple, logical mind. This to me is just pretty,
:07:49. > :07:53.lots of primary colours. I've got no idea what they do but I know they
:07:53. > :07:59.are very important. That's Springwatch as it stands. This is
:07:59. > :08:03.how it is now. But it is not always been this way. Let's look at what
:08:03. > :08:08.this site looked like two weeks ago. This is how Springwatch became
:08:08. > :08:14.sprung. It is two weeks before transmission
:08:14. > :08:19.and producer Nigel Bean is on a recce around the reserve. He is a
:08:19. > :08:24.keen member of the wildlife filming team. This year he's got his
:08:24. > :08:28.wildlife work cut out. It is particularly cold and it makes you
:08:28. > :08:33.think how the migrant birds from Africa cope. They are coming here
:08:33. > :08:37.for insects and on a day like today there are not a lot of insects
:08:37. > :08:42.about. It is has been the coldest start to bring support 30 years and
:08:42. > :08:45.everything is late. But the reserve is huge. Almost 2,000 acres of mixed
:08:45. > :08:50.habitat. He's got to make sure he puts his cameras in the very best
:08:50. > :08:56.spots. This map is what I'm using to work out which areas this year we
:08:57. > :09:06.are going to concentrate on this. Is the reed bed. Hopefully in that will
:09:07. > :09:07.
:09:07. > :09:12.be species like reed warbler. got a lot of oak woodland. The main
:09:12. > :09:17.species are redstart, pied flycatcher. Once you've got a few
:09:17. > :09:23.nests pinned down where you think you are going to get cameras oranges
:09:24. > :09:28.you can relax a bit. There's a lot of hard work ahead of us. It is
:09:28. > :09:34.exciting but nerve-racking. Nigel is in luck. Jackdaws are nesting in the
:09:34. > :09:41.bash. His -- nesting in the barn. His team put a camera in place.
:09:41. > :09:45.they don't react in the way we are not happy with, we put things back
:09:45. > :09:52.the way they were. The important thing is not to upset the birds.
:09:52. > :09:57.down, just 24 to go. One week later the weather is finally warming up
:09:57. > :10:02.and the Springwatch nerve centre is taking shape. Can a maximum crew of
:10:02. > :10:08.120 it is one of the BBC's largest outside broadcast events. Everyone
:10:08. > :10:12.is getting ready for the very first live shows. But with only a few
:10:12. > :10:17.cameras in place Nigel calls in nest-finding expert Steve Roberts.
:10:17. > :10:21.We are looking for a willow warbler's nest. On the ground with
:10:21. > :10:26.vegetation. You will go into a likely area with a stick. You don't
:10:26. > :10:32.want to walk in there, or you might step on something. You tap the
:10:32. > :10:40.vegetation and if she is sitting on eggs, she will slip off. There she
:10:40. > :10:45.goes. Crikey. What have we got there Steve, eggs or chicks? Six of those.
:10:45. > :10:50.They'll be eggs then. Yes. Steve follows strict guidelines to ensure
:10:50. > :10:55.the wildlife isn't disturbed and he records every nest he finds,
:10:55. > :11:01.collecting vital data for the RSPB and the British Trust for
:11:01. > :11:06.Ornithology. We'll keep an eye on that nest, check it every few days.
:11:06. > :11:16.Once the chicks hatch we'll look at maybe putting a camera on it.
:11:16. > :11:19.
:11:19. > :11:26.go look for a reed bunting. There it goes. A full clutch?Yes. What you
:11:26. > :11:29.do now, we'll cover it back over. No-one is any the wiser. Steve's
:11:29. > :11:34.knowledge and experience in looking at patches of habitat and saying,
:11:34. > :11:38.that looks good for whatever it be, without that knowledge we wouldn't
:11:38. > :11:44.have Springwatch. It is as simple as that. It is wonderfully steam punk
:11:44. > :11:48.this operation. It is that wonderful blend of old skills like finding
:11:48. > :11:54.birds nests combined with the technology to bring them to your
:11:54. > :12:00.living rooms. That's why I'm here. We are favourite for the -- famous
:12:00. > :12:08.for the bird nestcam as but less famous for the other ones. We have a
:12:08. > :12:13.log-cam or a mammal cam. Here is the live shot of the log cam. This is a
:12:13. > :12:18.hollow log with a camera in it, with infrared light. Loads of seeds and
:12:18. > :12:23.meal worms in there. It takes a while for the animals to get an idea
:12:23. > :12:33.that it is there, so earlier on we had this. It happened last night,
:12:33. > :12:43.very excite. In comes a common shrew. He is not a carnivore -- he
:12:43. > :12:44.
:12:44. > :12:49.is a corn have, not a rodent. He is taking a meal worm. -- he is a
:12:49. > :12:54.carnivore. Hopefully we'll get more on the common shrew. I'm going to
:12:54. > :12:58.put a bug in front of the camera. I like my bugs. This is what happened
:12:58. > :13:03.last night. There is is a ground beetle who has come into the log. He
:13:03. > :13:08.came in, first of all picked up a sunflower seed. Then another seed
:13:08. > :13:12.and threw them over his shoulder before he ran off with the meal
:13:12. > :13:16.worm. Fantastic. What will happen if the shrew and the beetle turn up at
:13:17. > :13:20.the same time? There is only one way to find out - keep watching the
:13:20. > :13:25.cameras. Springwatch is big. But it is
:13:25. > :13:28.nothing compared to the summer of wildlife. This massive event that
:13:28. > :13:32.the BBC are throwing this summer is going to be brilliant. The whole
:13:32. > :13:36.point of it is we are going to help you get out there to experience the
:13:36. > :13:45.countryside for yourself. To give you more information about what's
:13:45. > :13:52.going on, here is the rest of the team.
:13:52. > :13:57.The UK is home to so many amazing creatures. Who needs to go abroad to
:13:57. > :14:07.see incredible things? This summer is the time to get out there and
:14:07. > :14:16.
:14:16. > :14:22.brings you a whole raft of special programmes across the BBC. This
:14:22. > :14:32.country really does have the most incredible wildlife. It is a
:14:32. > :14:34.
:14:34. > :14:38.nationwide celebration of our natural history. We want you to go
:14:38. > :14:44.out and about with your camera, so we can see what wild things are
:14:44. > :14:47.living on your doorstep. If you want to see wildlife, go down to your
:14:48. > :14:57.local pond. Lookout for hundreds of wildlife events, and a website
:14:57. > :15:07.packed full of top tips and guides. All the advice you need to get out
:15:07. > :15:16.
:15:16. > :15:20.and meet your extraordinary truly wild summer. Beautiful
:15:20. > :15:25.pictures, beautiful music and we are in a beautiful land. There are no
:15:25. > :15:35.excuses, get out there and enjoy it. Go to the Springwatch website and
:15:35. > :15:37.
:15:37. > :15:41.follow the links for more help on on our doorstep. I can guarantee
:15:42. > :15:51.that you have got things just about -- just as exciting unfolding right
:15:52. > :15:55.
:15:55. > :16:00.close to home, on your local patch. It doesn't have to be anything
:16:00. > :16:04.spectacular, it can be your local park or even a common. It doesn't
:16:04. > :16:09.matter, where you walk the dogs. It is the place you get to know the
:16:09. > :16:13.most. And this one is mine. I live here and that little bit of rough
:16:13. > :16:17.grassland, that soggy corner of Dartmoor, is my local patch. It's
:16:17. > :16:20.where I find my sense of belonging. Every naturalist has their own local
:16:21. > :16:24.patch, and I've been rummaging around in the Springwatch archives
:16:24. > :16:34.and found this little film made a couple of years ago. It's all about
:16:34. > :16:46.
:16:46. > :16:53.the local patch of our current first animals here. Seeing deer
:16:53. > :16:58.rutting for the first time. Finding my first nightjars, a bird made out
:16:58. > :17:08.of twigs sat on the ground with its big, glassy, black eye looking at
:17:08. > :17:11.
:17:11. > :17:17.you. I can take you to the spot diaries. Thursday 29th of July,
:17:17. > :17:22.1976. At 11:30 a.m. I was bitten for the first, and as it turns out, the
:17:22. > :17:28.last time, by a grass snake. As I picked it up its troubled and bit me
:17:28. > :17:35.between my forefinger and thumb. Only a small incision was made.
:17:35. > :17:43.Tuesday made the 18th, 1982. The worst night in the history of
:17:43. > :17:49.badgering has yet to end the book. Two our weight as mosquito bit. 227
:17:49. > :17:53.bytes. Nearly went mad. The badgers saw me. One of the things I like
:17:53. > :17:56.about the forest is that it is a really dynamic place. It is
:17:56. > :18:01.constantly changing, whether it's through the hand of man or through
:18:01. > :18:05.the natural processes of nature. I've seen trees topple and fall in
:18:05. > :18:10.my lifetime. A lot of people perceived change in the environment
:18:10. > :18:20.is almost exclusively a -1. I can take you to lots of places in the
:18:20. > :18:24.
:18:24. > :18:28.forest where it's better now than it Packham. He has got one, you know!
:18:28. > :18:31.We've all got our favourite things about spring. The favourite
:18:31. > :18:39.manifestations of what this season is all about, whether it be
:18:39. > :18:41.bluebells or bloody nosed beetles. And I'm no exception. I'm a bit of
:18:41. > :18:48.an optimist, so spring starts from which almost as soon as the calendar
:18:49. > :18:56.year starts. I look to the trees. Before the leaves have even begun to
:18:56. > :19:00.think about unfurling, the rooks are busy at it building their nests.
:19:00. > :19:04.Those very first sunny days of spring are the times when the wood
:19:04. > :19:08.ants come out. They gather together on their mounds, absorbing warmth
:19:08. > :19:13.from the sun which gets them kickstarted. The warm weather also
:19:13. > :19:20.brings out adders. The first rays of sunshine bring them out of their
:19:20. > :19:29.high vernacular, their hibernation sites. If you are really lucky, you
:19:29. > :19:33.might see them going about their mating. And then you've got the dawn
:19:33. > :19:38.chorus. That is the soundtrack of spring. For us, it's lovely to hear,
:19:38. > :19:43.but for the birds it is all about passion and violence. They are
:19:43. > :19:47.proclaiming their territories and securing mates. I know it's a bit of
:19:47. > :19:52.a spring cliche, but one of my favourite things is the sound of the
:19:52. > :19:56.cuckoo. They are becoming much rarer. They are in big trouble. So
:19:56. > :20:02.if you hear a cuckoo this spring, savour it because they are even more
:20:02. > :20:05.special than ever before. As the season continues, bees and
:20:05. > :20:09.butterflies emerge in greater numbers and become active as the
:20:09. > :20:13.spring flowers bloom. Later in the season, it's all about babies,
:20:13. > :20:17.unashamedly so. Baby badgers and baby fox cubs. They are all above
:20:17. > :20:24.the surface and they are fun to watch as they go about finding their
:20:24. > :20:34.feet for their lies ahead. -- life ahead. Those are my favourite signs
:20:34. > :20:37.
:20:37. > :20:40.your favourite signs of spring? We asked you this via the website and
:20:40. > :20:46.you've already started sending in some stuff. You've been sending in
:20:46. > :20:55.your comments, but we are also matching them up with those who have
:20:55. > :21:03.sent in images to our group. Our first favourite sign of spring comes
:21:03. > :21:06.from licorice allsorts, these are web names. He or she, the first
:21:06. > :21:16.indication of spring for me is when black headed bills start to show
:21:16. > :21:44.
:21:44. > :21:54.part of our countryside. The hidden badger. It's the little things like
:21:54. > :22:00.
:22:00. > :22:06.sunshine brings them out. They sit in hibernation all winter, the first
:22:06. > :22:10.rays of sun warmed the ground and everything kicks into action.
:22:10. > :22:20.Catherine Birkett is impatient for her first signs of spring. For her,
:22:20. > :22:28.
:22:28. > :22:38.it's the snowdrops coming into birds chirping and shipping early in
:22:38. > :22:44.
:22:44. > :22:49.the morning. The first thing is Lambs are my most favourite sign of
:22:49. > :22:54.spring. I live by the sea, and the first sign of spring for me is when
:22:54. > :23:00.the tides begin to settle down and I start thinking about dusting off my
:23:00. > :23:05.kayak! That's a euphemism, obviously. For me, it's snowdrops.
:23:05. > :23:10.The beginning of the end of winter. It's definitely the change in the
:23:10. > :23:15.weather. This slight warmth and then the colours start to appear, the
:23:15. > :23:20.arrival of the birds. My favourite sign of spring are the swallows.
:23:20. > :23:27.When the sun pops its head through the clouds. For me, spring arrives
:23:27. > :23:37.with the snowdrops, pushing up through that crossed that has
:23:37. > :23:38.
:23:38. > :23:42.frozen, and telling me it will be the Chelsea flower show for doing
:23:42. > :23:49.those interviews for us. Thank you to all of the celebrities who gave
:23:49. > :23:52.us their opinions. I've got my own caravan. Forget it, we've got some
:23:52. > :24:02.real Springwatch celebrities here. One of them is my neighbour. I will
:24:02. > :24:09.reveal one of my favourites. This is... Gary! We are about to talk to
:24:09. > :24:14.a man who is a soundman. And we have a jet fighter flying over our heads.
:24:14. > :24:24.It's not paradise here, there are a view flies in the ointment! We go
:24:24. > :24:25.
:24:25. > :24:31.back a long way. Explain a bit about cameramen and get proper synced
:24:31. > :24:37.sound to go with the images. Even on his day off he'd been up in the
:24:37. > :24:41.mountings -- Mountains trying to get sounds. Let me show you some tips of
:24:41. > :24:49.the trade. This is one of the smallest microphones I use. It's
:24:49. > :24:56.tiny. For the mini beasts, things like snails eating, invertebrates.
:24:56. > :25:01.That is ideal. The opposite spectrum is this one here. Now you are
:25:01. > :25:06.showing off! This is a directional microphone. I never like to intrude
:25:06. > :25:13.upon the animal. But let's compare the two. If you were in the field
:25:13. > :25:20.and you saw that and that, which, as an animal... That would freak out
:25:20. > :25:24.the birds. One of the real specialist bits of kit is this. It's
:25:24. > :25:30.a parabolic reflector. It's 1930s technology. What happens is as the
:25:30. > :25:40.sound heads the dish, it's focused on to a microphone in the centre. A
:25:40. > :25:56.
:25:56. > :26:00.classic recording that I would make individual, Gary is a regular start
:26:00. > :26:05.on the show. He's going to be giving us a daily challenge. The mystery
:26:05. > :26:15.sound of the day. What have you got for us?
:26:15. > :26:33.
:26:33. > :26:43.I know you know your stuff, but have get in touch. We will say goodbye to
:26:43. > :26:53.you for now. Your lovely warm, dry van. We will now get back to the
:26:53. > :26:54.
:26:54. > :27:03.pictures. This is live. I'm so happy about this bird. That is our water
:27:03. > :27:06.rail, with the rain bouncing off her plumage. This is a bit of a mystery
:27:06. > :27:10.bird for us. Not only is it an incredibly rare bird to see, you
:27:10. > :27:15.often hear them in the reed beds and the weapons, but seeing one is very
:27:15. > :27:20.rare, seeing one on the nest, well, it just doesn't happen. Two next
:27:20. > :27:25.year found. The mystery is, how is it sustaining itself? We've got no
:27:25. > :27:29.idea. Just before we went on air, this happened. Yesterday it was seen
:27:29. > :27:36.off the nest for about ten seconds. The bird is getting off the nest.
:27:36. > :27:40.You can see the eggs, even rarer. Then she is off for a little bit of
:27:40. > :27:48.time and then what I thought initially was her coming back onto
:27:48. > :27:54.the nest... Could that be the other bird, the mail? Was that a nest
:27:54. > :27:59.changeover? What do you think? Maybe Chris, Martin or Michaela will shed
:27:59. > :28:06.some light on that later on. I get very excited about all sorts of
:28:06. > :28:08.things. Something very exciting has been happening in my garden. This is
:28:08. > :28:18.all shot in infrared, because it happened that night. Please don't
:28:18. > :28:22.
:28:22. > :28:25.wanted to have in my garden. That is the badger. Not a particularly rare
:28:26. > :28:31.animal but a special one nonetheless. The news was broken to
:28:31. > :28:35.me by my wife. I came home from work and she said, good news, we've got
:28:35. > :28:39.badgers in the garden. The bad news is we don't have chickens any more.
:28:39. > :28:44.The badgers have broken in and exploited what to them was just a
:28:44. > :28:49.food source. But for me, I'm quite willing to exchange chickens for
:28:49. > :28:53.badgers. It would be a perfect world if they laid eggs, though! This is
:28:53. > :28:56.the best badger viewing I've got here in the kitchen. If I go into
:28:56. > :29:06.the other room and get really close to them through the French doors it
:29:06. > :29:11.
:29:11. > :29:16.We need three here together and then it really kicks off. They are a
:29:16. > :29:22.bizarre animal in the sense that they live together socially but they
:29:22. > :29:27.are very solitary creatures within that set-up. So to see two badgers
:29:27. > :29:37.foraging together is quite rare unless the resources are
:29:37. > :29:41.
:29:41. > :29:44.particularly good, like here. And they tolerate each other. Of course,
:29:44. > :29:54.they are incredibly short-sighted. Badgers aren't known for their
:29:54. > :29:55.
:29:55. > :29:59.brilliant eyesight. The claws, phenomenal claws. And that is their
:29:59. > :30:03.digging hardware. If you do feed the badgers you've got to be prepared
:30:03. > :30:09.for the consequences of this. They will at some point probably start
:30:09. > :30:15.foraging across your lawn. So you've got to be prepared for great big
:30:15. > :30:25.divots of your lawn to be dug up as they search for earthworms and
:30:25. > :30:26.
:30:26. > :30:31.beetles. Like any member of of that family. It is vital to all of us, we
:30:31. > :30:37.all need to be surrounded by nature. We are part of it, after all. You
:30:37. > :30:43.can get out there and get to experience wildlife like this on
:30:43. > :30:47.your own doorstep. As Michaela mentioned in last
:30:47. > :30:53.night's show I'm not the only one getting badge ers in the garden. It
:30:53. > :30:58.has been a tough spring for a lot of wildlife and it is forcing them to
:30:58. > :31:02.take desperate measures and overcome their fear of human beings. It might
:31:03. > :31:08.be a terrible side effect of the spring that I've got badgers in my
:31:08. > :31:13.garden, but whatever it is, I'm proud of them. You may have gathered
:31:13. > :31:18.we've got some special guests here. Let's go to one of our cameras.
:31:18. > :31:22.We've got one of the stars of the show, our buzzards. This is
:31:22. > :31:32.revealing the chick and the egg. That was shot before it started
:31:32. > :31:37.
:31:37. > :31:42.Fantastic. And then in a minute it flies off. Lovely. We thought we
:31:42. > :31:52.would take this opportunity, because we get quite close to the buzzards,
:31:52. > :31:52.
:31:52. > :31:59.but we are getting closer. We've got Jemima from the international sphhr
:31:59. > :32:08.centre for -- centre for birds of prey. This is a male common buzzard
:32:08. > :32:13.by the name of Cowan Red. Let's go through a few of the features. Talk
:32:13. > :32:19.me through what makes this a great bird of prey. Long legs, a short
:32:19. > :32:23.tail. If I can get him to open his wings a little, will soaring wings
:32:23. > :32:27.rounded at the end. Brown, in the case of this one, but that's a
:32:27. > :32:34.really important thing to remember, they vary from cream through to
:32:34. > :32:41.almost black. I often get people say, I saw an osprey and it was just
:32:41. > :32:46.a pale buzzard. Absolutely. Rather worried about being upstaged by a
:32:46. > :32:49.buzzard we have a red kite. Let's put the two together so you can
:32:49. > :32:55.compare and contrast. I always thought a red kite was smaller than
:32:55. > :33:03.a buzzard. But that's not true. They are quite a lot bigger, the red
:33:03. > :33:12.kite, than the buzzard. Longer thanks to that tail and a longer,
:33:12. > :33:18.narrow wingspan. And heavier, she weighs 1,000 grams and he weighs
:33:18. > :33:23.700. For most of us we see these birds a distance, soaring above the
:33:24. > :33:29.motorway. When I see a red kite like this... Anyway, the buzzards when
:33:29. > :33:33.they are soaring it is distinctive. A nice broad tail, a broad wing, a
:33:33. > :33:42.square bird and the red kite is different. Look at the shape of the
:33:42. > :33:47.tail. A forked tail. That helps with manoeuvre aability. They can switch
:33:47. > :33:53.direction on the spot. Fortunately these are a common sight pretty much
:33:53. > :33:58.around the UK. Common buzzards are found almost everywhere and kites
:33:58. > :34:03.are slowly spreading, which is nice to see. We think the kites from the
:34:03. > :34:06.Oxfordshire area and Wales are going to meet in Gloucestershire.
:34:06. > :34:11.occasionally see them flying over Dartmoor but I don't think they are
:34:11. > :34:17.breeding in the county yet. It is something I'm looking forward to.
:34:17. > :34:26.too. It hasn't always been this way? No, the when we moved to Gloucester
:34:26. > :34:32.in the 1960s it was a rare sight to see buzzards and never kites.
:34:32. > :34:35.were on the - one of the a member of the kite committee? I was.I used to
:34:35. > :34:41.take summer holidays in Wales up the road from here. One of the
:34:41. > :34:47.highlights was to see the buzzards, because I never saw them at home in
:34:47. > :34:52.East Sussex. Now I can go to my dad's and see a buzzard circling
:34:53. > :34:55.above us. They really have done very well and they are completely
:34:55. > :34:59.harmless as well. Thank you very much for bringing them. In Chris
:34:59. > :35:05.mentioned last night the state of nature report that was published
:35:05. > :35:09.last week. I do recommend you have a read of it, as it has got some
:35:09. > :35:13.success stories in it. The buzzard and red kite are one of those.
:35:13. > :35:20.Unfortunately 60% of the stories in that report are not so good. It is
:35:20. > :35:22.worth checking out. I agree with Chris it is a vital thing, if you
:35:22. > :35:26.have any cares for the wild world, look at it and see what you think.
:35:26. > :35:31.Maybe it will inspire you or us to try harder to stop the decline of
:35:31. > :35:36.most of our species. Now, birds are smart. Most of them
:35:36. > :35:40.are quite small, and they are incredibly flighty, so to really
:35:40. > :35:45.appreciate the true beauty, the poetry in motion that is a bird is
:35:45. > :35:49.very difficult. Unless you've got a Springwatch film crew nearby. What I
:35:49. > :35:59.implore you to do right now is to turn tit up a little bit, kick back,
:35:59. > :36:00.
:36:00. > :37:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 109 seconds
:37:49. > :37:54.Isn't that fantastic? I could watch that over and over again. Really, I
:37:54. > :37:59.could. My favourite bit is the birds on the bird afford. Just common
:37:59. > :38:03.species battling it out in slow motion. Even the common ceasies when
:38:03. > :38:08.looked at through the right eyes in a fresh new way take on a different
:38:08. > :38:15.meaning. Stunning. I've got a question for you, do midges look
:38:15. > :38:20.quite as good in slow motion? I'm not enjoying them right now. The
:38:20. > :38:29.rain has brought them out. If you haven't got a bird afford, it
:38:29. > :38:35.doesn't -- a bird feeder, it doesn't matter. This is the Springwatch bird
:38:35. > :38:45.feeder and it is streaming pictures to you all day. This is the latest
:38:45. > :38:50.state of the art gorgeous sculptural lump of alloys and polished glass.
:38:50. > :38:58.It is giving you beautiful high definition shots of the birds. At
:38:58. > :39:08.the moment it is showing you me! If you want to install a feeder in your
:39:08. > :39:11.
:39:11. > :39:16.patch, here are a few of my top tips.
:39:16. > :39:20.Feeding the birds has to be one of the most popular ways for anybody to
:39:20. > :39:26.get close to their local wildlife. I've been doing it sore Tom years.
:39:26. > :39:29.First of all your feeding station, whether it be a bird table or a
:39:29. > :39:34.feeding pole, needs to be positioned where the birds feel safe and
:39:34. > :39:38.comfortable. This is next to some cover. Not so close that the
:39:39. > :39:43.neighbourhood cat can sneak up on the birds but close enough that the
:39:43. > :39:49.birds are comfortable. If a sparrowhawk turns up, they can take
:39:49. > :39:55.cover. Feed a variety of foods. If you feed a variety of foods, you get
:39:55. > :40:01.a variety of birds. We've got sunflower seeshgsdz millet, peanuts,
:40:01. > :40:06.the tits like that. Fat is really important. High energy. Particularly
:40:06. > :40:11.at this time of year when fledglings are around and need to put on
:40:11. > :40:17.somebody weight. We've got the oil-rich seeds, and the long-bill
:40:17. > :40:23.billed birds such as goldfinches and siskins like weedling those out. You
:40:23. > :40:28.need a specialist feeder for that but it is worthwhile. Feed the birds
:40:28. > :40:34.all year round, not just in the winter. Now is really important,
:40:34. > :40:40.because they've got eggs to hatch and chicks to field. I don't go
:40:40. > :40:48.overboard, because they are expense sieve, but provide protein in the
:40:48. > :40:52.form of meal worms. Your local rob Lynn be thankful for that. -- robin
:40:52. > :40:56.will be thankful for that. Keep your feeding stations clean. Clean out
:40:56. > :41:01.your feeders regularly. That minimises the chance of disease
:41:01. > :41:11.being transferred from bird to bird. You wouldn't feed off a plate that
:41:11. > :41:30.
:41:30. > :41:35.will been pooed on would you? And Wasn't that lovely? I really do love
:41:35. > :41:39.my bird feeders. Every day they bring me joy. Even a common species
:41:39. > :41:44.like a bluetit can get exciting that. Bird at the end with the red
:41:44. > :41:49.forehead is a bit special. That's a lesser red pole. They arrived this
:41:49. > :41:56.winter with the siskins. They stayed and I've got two pairs on my
:41:56. > :42:03.feeders. They bring me so much joy. I was about to power you a cup of
:42:03. > :42:13.tea but you've helped yourself. I'm glad you removed the midge from the
:42:13. > :42:14.
:42:14. > :42:23.milk. Let's do a sound of the day. Isn't that wonderful? I've got,
:42:23. > :42:29.well, initially I thought mammal and then I thought I don't know. Batman
:42:29. > :42:39.has come up with his reveal. He thinks it is a puffin. I've got it
:42:39. > :42:49.wrong! I've seen the real answer. However, Michael Buckley, all got it
:42:49. > :42:57.right. It was a manx shearwater. I thought it was a water rail. A male
:42:57. > :43:01.Manx shearwater recorded underground two years ago. This cake was made by
:43:01. > :43:05.my wife. The best thing she's done other than marry me. Have we got
:43:05. > :43:11.time to look at the cams? Maybe we haven't. I think the plane has
:43:12. > :43:17.scuppered us! A quick look at the tits. That's live. You can look at
:43:17. > :43:22.them yourself. Just go to be the website - bbc.co.uk/springwatch.
:43:22. > :43:26.Thank you Gary. If you want to see more of the cams, if you can't wait
:43:26. > :43:30.for this evening's programme, check out the website. The live feeds are
:43:30. > :43:35.there. If you want to know more go to the Summer of Wildlife Season