Rhaglen 6 Trefi Gwyllt Iolo

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-You find unexpected things

-in the middle of towns.

-I'm in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-There's an old railway line

-in the middle of town.

-It used to lead to Trawsfynydd

-but it's been closed for decades.

-People walk along the line and

-unfortunately they throw rubbish.

-There's rubbish everywhere.

-But it also gives nature a chance.

-During a warm spring...

-..any wasteland

-quickly fills with wild plants.

-It turns into a nature reserve...

-..and becomes a great habitat

-for insects and birds.

-One bird who loves wasteland,

-especially in a town centre...

-..is the sparrow.

-This place is perfect for them.

-There are lots of old houses.

-There are holes in the walls

-and in the eaves.

-Birds sit on the aerials and then

-go under the eaves to the nests.

-They gather grass and so on to build

-their nest from the old railway.

-For the first two weeks after

-the chicks have flown the nest...

-..they need lots of caterpillars,

-insects and seeds.

-They gather those from here.

-It's an ideal place for them.

-They're social and noisy birds.

-They've learnt how to take advantage

-of people's wastefulness.

-They live

-in almost every town in the world.

-At one time, they were so numerous

-that they were culled.

-Millions were eaten.

-Thankfully, the taste

-for small birds has gone...

-..or at least it has in Britain.

-It's now illegal to kill sparrows

-without a licence.

-That hasn't stopped a marked decline

-in their numbers.

-There are ten million

-fewer sparrows in Britain today...

-..than there were 25 years ago.

-A 70% drop.

-The reason for this...

-..is because there are fewer spaces

-like this one in Blaenau.

-This means there are fewer insects,

-the chicks' most important food.

-As well as that, there are

-fewer places for them to nest...

-..in the countryside and in towns.

-Roofs are an important part

-of urban birds' life.

-The guttering is ones of the

-best places to quench their thirst.

-It's like a pool in the middle

-of a dry savannah in Africa...

-..where everyone gathers

-for a drink.

-It's also a good place

-to find food.

-I've been watching a rock pipit.

-It's usually found on rocks

-by the sea.

-In winter,

-they gather on this building.

-There are holes in the walls

-which are full of insects.

-You can see them on the roof too.

-The reason for that

-is when the sun's out...

-..the roof is a little warmer

-than the surrounding land.

-The insects gather there.

-If there are insects there,

-that's where the birds go.

-Rock pipits know that.

-They go into the guttering too.

-There's soil in there

-and it's a sheltered area...

-..where you'll find small worms

-and all kinds of insects.

-It jumps in, disappears, feeds,

-comes back up, looks around...

-..and does the same again.

-I enjoy watching it.

-The bird that most of us associate

-with roofs is the swallow.

-Four species come to Wales

-every summer.

-One has claimed the name swallow

-all to itself.

-This is the swallow

-that most of us would recognize.

-The house martin meanwhile

-is a black and white bird...

-..which builds a nest out of mud

-under the guttering.

-The sand martin is a brown bird...

-..which is normally never seen

-in towns.

-It builds a nest out of mud,

-usually on a riverbank.

-This, in Llanrwst, is a swift.

-It only comes to Wales

-for a short period in summer...

-..and has the best call of the lot.

-I haven't seen so many swifts

-in one place this year...

-..as there are on this street

-in Llanrwst.

-It's right next to one of the

-busiest roads in Wales, the A470.

-Incredible.

-They scream back and forth.

-They want old houses like these

-which have holes in the eaves...

-..where they can go in and out.

-We're all a bit too fussy now.

-We don't like holes in the eaves.

-We close them.

-These then lose nesting places.

-This is perfect -

-a row of old houses...

-..fields where they can feed

-and trees too.

-For me, the noise they make,

-their scream...

-..is the sound of summer.

-They don't arrive from Africa...

-Wow, there are two or three

-above my head.

-They don't arrive from Africa

-until May.

-They leave in the first week

-of August, so they aren't here long.

-They have to make the best

-of what's here.

-They need insects

-and a place to nest.

-This street in Llanrwst

-is perfect for them.

-Swifts have created

-an unnatural habitat...

-..outside the house

-and above the street.

-There is wildlife that's gone

-the other side of the door...

-..and decided to move in with us...

-..something that Sue Coleman

-has discovered.

-In the garage?

-Yes, in the garage.

-Through the kitchen.

-Oh, wow!

-This is quite a garage.

-Excuse the mess.

-Excuse the mess.

-

-It's fine.

-Right, where are the mice?

-Do you know?

-We have apple trees in the garden.

-In autumn, we pick the apples

-and put them on the bench.

-Here.

-Here.

-

-There are droppings on the bench.

-Mice droppings.

-Mice droppings.

-

-Definitely.

-Have they eaten all these?

-Yes, around the skin.

-Mice come in during autumn...

-..into the garage

-or the house sometimes.

-Because you have

-so much in the garage...

-..they probably build a nest here.

-Do they come out

-when you're here? No.

-They don't like people, do they?

-They don't like people, do they?

-

-They're shy.

-I thought they would be.

-If it's OK with you,

-I'm going to leave these here.

-They obviously eat them.

-Can I leave a camera here

-pointing at the apples?

-Of course.

-We can then look

-what's on the camera.

-Hopefully, we can see

-exactly what they are.

-The apples look lovely.

-They're making me hungry.

-Not much is happening at the moment.

-I thought I saw something.

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

-

-There he is.

-A mouse. Wow.

-It didn't stay long!

-Oh, look. It's pretty.

-It's a wood mouse.

-A wood mouse.

-It's going straight in.

-Well, well, well.

-It's pretty.

-Very large ears, a long tail.

-It's eating.

-It has large eyes.

-The large eyes

-mean they can see at night...

-..and their large ears

-mean they can hear any sound.

-They are pretty.

-Well, well, well.

-That one didn't take long

-to come out.

-It came out

-almost immediately after we left.

-Within half an hour.

-It's possible there are

-more than one in the garage.

-This one is a female.

-Is it? OK.

-I didn't look at her closely.

-I only looked at her ears, tail

-and eyes.

-It's a female.

-It's a female.

-

-I think so.

-Let's see if a male comes along.

-Where did she go?

-She's disappeared somewhere.

-She's back. The same one.

-Yes.

-I can tell now - a female.

-Interestingly...

-..an apple is rotting

-but it's going for a fresher one.

-It is.

-It must be more nutritious.

-Yes. That apple is sweet.

-Oh. So they're different varieties.

-Cooking apples.

-Oh, I can tell from its shape.

-This one too.

-And these two are eating apples.

-Yes, that's it.

-Yes, that's it.

-

-She's going straight for them.

-You first found out

-they were here...

-..when you were bringing

-the apples in to store them.

-Yes.

-But you now

-leave out apples for them.

-Do you mind them being there?

-Most people wouldn't want them.

-I'm happy

-to live alongside wildlife.

-They're lovely.

-They're lovely.

-

-Well done.

-When you can watch them live,

-it's great.

-It is.

-Oh!

-Oh!

-

-Another one?

-It was darker.

-That's the male.

-That's the male.

-

-Yes, I'm sure.

-There's a hole in its ear.

-The other one didn't have one.

-This one looks bigger.

-The males are often larger.

-There are at least two in there.

-That explains all the droppings.

-The male's

-going for the rotting apple.

-That's very interesting.

-That's very interesting.

-

-He likes cooking apples!

-The bad news

-is you have a male and a female.

-In six months, you'll have hundreds.

-In six months, you'll have hundreds.

-

-Hundreds!

-You'll have to leave!

-Well, well.

-Who'd have thought

-that this is taking place...

-..and we're sat here watching them.

-Well, well.

-They usually come out at night

-and hide if there's any noise.

-These obviously know

-Sue's garage well.

-Wood mice are the species

-you'll most likely see in the house.

-They usually only come in

-during winter.

-They can be a pest sometimes.

-If that happens, don't kill them.

-Try and catch them and release them

-in their natural habitat...

-..woodland or a hedgerow.

-Release them far enough

-from the house, at least a mile...

-..or they'll be back.

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-Look at this.

-A butterfly

-has come into the shed...

-..to find a home for winter.

-This is a red admiral.

-It's very pretty.

-Its wings are closed now, of course.

-When it opens them out,

-the red, black and white are lovely.

-It looks for a place

-that's dry, out of the wind...

-..and where the temperature

-is fairly constant.

-If it's too warm, they wake up.

-If it's too cold, they die.

-A shed like this, despite the fact

-that someone's working here...

-..is perfect.

-They can spend the winter

-inside houses.

-The problem there

-is central heating.

-When everyone's home all day

-in midwinter with the heating on...

-..it wakes up and gets confused,

-but this one has chosen wisely.

-A shed

-where the temperature is constant.

-Pontypool

-A shed and garage are good places

-to look for wildlife.

-Who knows -

-you may find something unexpected.

-Especially if it's a garage full of

-stuff with plenty of hiding places.

-It's a good place for spiders.

-But this is no ordinary spider.

-One creature you may find,

-and there's one here...

-..is a very special spider -

-a false widow spider.

-You may remember, but three

-years ago, the press went crazy.

-They said that false widows

-were a danger...

-..that they bite and cause harm.

-Yes, they do bite. This one does.

-You must bear in mind that there are

-three different species.

-This is the largest.

-Its Latin name is nobilis.

-This is an alien species.

-It came to this country in 1879.

-For a long time, it was only found

-in south east England.

-As a result of global warming,

-it's moved northwards.

-It can be found all over Wales now,

-but it's not common.

-There's no reason

-to be scared of these.

-This will stay here its entire life.

-They don't travel far at all.

-It builds a small web, like this one

-here, which will catch insects.

-You can recognize it...

-..by its cream-coloured pattern

-on its abdomen.

-If you see one, don't be scared.

-Leave them alone, they're fine.

-If you are bitten,

-it's like a bee sting.

-It doesn't hurt much.

-I accept that some think...

-..that spiders and mice

-are the stuff of nightmares...

-..and banish them from their homes

-by any means.

-But one creature is welcomed by all.

-I've come to the village of Deri

-near Bargoed in the Valleys.

-The woman who lives in this house

-gives food to hedgehogs every night.

-There was one here last night

-and the night before.

-I hope it'll be out again tonight.

-There he is.

-A hedgehog has come to eat the food.

-I'm not going to put the torch

-on fully. I don't want to scare it.

-Aren't they pretty?

-I'm not sure where it's going.

-They do roam a long way.

-I'll shine the torch on its backside

-so you can see it better.

-Off it goes.

-This isn't a common sight

-these days...

-..especially in the countryside.

-I see hedgehogs more often

-in gardens in towns and villages...

-..than I do at home.

-There are a lot of reasons for that.

-They're killed on the roads.

-We use slug pellets in the garden.

-They don't like that.

-We concrete our gardens.

-These want to eat slugs, worms

-and insects.

-If gardens are concreted,

-there's nothing for them to eat.

-We also put fences

-all around the gardens.

-These can't go from one garden

-to the next.

-Research has shown...

-..that they can roam

-three kilometres in one night...

-..through gardens, in woodland

-and along hedgerows.

-They like to roam.

-Maggie, fair play,

-leaves out worms for it.

-She says that he comes every night

-at about eight o'clock.

-They are pretty.

-Everybody likes hedgehogs.

-If you want hedgehogs in

-your garden, don't tidy up too much.

-A pile of grass or stones...

-..is a good place for them to sleep

-during the day.

-Leave food out too.

-I leave out dog food or cat food.

-They love both.

-But don't give them milk and bread.

-They're not good for them at all.

-Hedgehogs have probably

-always lived alongside us in towns.

-With more bits of land

-being left to grow wild...

-..some very rare wildlife

-have appeared.

-How nice, and unexpected too.

-A great crested grebe

-nesting in the heart of Cardiff.

-These are very smart birds.

-When I was a lad, these were rare.

-To see one,

-you had to go to the countryside...

-..to a large lake

-where they'd be nesting.

-They were shy

-but this is fearless.

-There's a swan nesting beside it

-and a coot around the corner.

-It demonstrates

-that with the right habitat...

-..if there's shelter and food

-available and a place to nest...

-..wildlife

-will come into villages, towns...

-..and even into the heart

-of Wales's biggest city.

-There are excellent habitats

-in towns.

-Wildlife left in peace will thrive.

-This is important

-as many natural habitats in Wales...

-..have deteriorated.

-These have all adapted.

-They've learnt how to take advantage

-of what's available in towns.

-It can be a place to find food...

-..a place to sleep...

-..or a place to raise a family.

-But we're benefiting too.

-Quite often these days, you won't

-get a better wildlife spectacle...

-..than one seen in a town.

-What's great about Wales is

-it doesn't matter where you live...

-..even in a town centre, you don't

-have to go far to enjoy wildlife.

-It's right on the doorstep.

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