22/02/2012 Winterwatch

Welcome to Winterwatch. For the next hour, we are going to bring

you the very best of Britain's wintry wildlife, coming here from

the beautiful Brecon Beacons here in South Wales. And we are here on

the most glorious day to celebrate, and yes, I did say celebrate, went

up. As you will find out, there are masses to see and do as long as you

wrap up warm. So what happens to our wildlife in winter? How does it

manage to survive this harsh, unforgiving season?

Winter. It is the season of extremes. It is the coldest, the

windiest, the wettest and also the darkest time of the year, and yet

it can also be the most beautiful. It is a truly challenging few

months for our wildlife, a real test of the fittest, but as ABBA,

nature has devised ingenious solutions to allow our wildlife to

overcome the trials of winter -- as Winter brings some of our greatest

wildlife spectacles. So why not get the thermals on, get out and so cut

some of the wonders of the season? -- so Cup.

This says that winter is in a glorious season? -- who says. We

have been out on the trail of some of Britain's finest winter wildlife.

Charlie Hamilton James has been enjoying fabulous views of one of

our favourite animals. Maya Plass helped Martin to survive a -- sold

Lavery and mystery. Gordon Buchanan braved the cold to find out how one

of the our toughest birds makes it through the winter. Michaela

Strachan caught up with our swallows, who have flown 6,000

miles to South Africa. As always, we will be trying to answer some of

your questions and look at some of your spectacular photographs.

all of this, we wanted a spectacular location and we have

got one. Behind us there, capped with snow, Brecon Beacons National

Park. The highest mountain in southern Britain, Pen-y-Fan, 886

metres. For every 100m that you go up, it is said that it dropped one

degree centigrade and it is pretty chilly up there. A tough place to

be wildlife. Perhaps surprisingly, winter is actually a great time to

go wildlife watching. One of the best places to go this time of year

is an estuary. Chris showed me why. Martin, I have brought you here to

celebrate something quintessentially British. By the

patriotic? Do you know, I am. This here is the Diamond Jubilee. The

Olympics. -- this year. It the British Olympics will be the best

there has ever been. We invented everything from Parliament to punk

rock and we make the best motor bikes are the world. You forgot two

things. Spik fires and Geoff Hurst. And I am patriotic as well --

Spitfires. What I had actually brought you here to see his great

British mud. Mud? Go on, then, in we go. How is it? Martin, this mutt

is globally important, -- mud. Because of the Gulf Stream, a body

of warm water that reaches right up to the top a bystander and sweets

that the British coast, keeping our waters unfroze and and relatively

ball back reaches the top of ice land and sweeps down. As a result,

hundreds and 1,000 -- thousands, millions of birds come here to

exploit this resource. This very rich resource. Actually, Chris,

12.5 million wildfowl use our estuaries, marshes and mudflats

every winter. Half of the entire world population of golden plovers

come here. Almost three-quarters of the world's knot make the most of

our mud. And an unbelievable 91% of black-tailed godwits come to our

shores this time of year. But why do all these birds find our

This mud has a very high calorific value. There is a sort of scale, it

is a chocolate bar scale. Take this chocolate bar. One cubic metre of

mud can contain up to 38 chocolate- covered bars of calories. By Jude

Law of science? A chocolate bar scale -- don't you just love

science? This cubic metre of mud also contains an idiotic presenter

who has trodden into it. This could end very badly. It is not about

chocolate for the birds. This is absolutely packed with invertebrate

life. Shellfish, worms, you name it, it is in that. The problem is, they

have got to get it out. How are they going to get it out? Let's go

and look at some birds getting it out.

The key thing is of, of course, all of these birds have different

beaches. They are all after different things in the mud at

different depths. That means they can all feed in the same place at

the same time, but by feeding on different things at different

depths. So even in one foot of mud, different species will exploit

different bits. And the way they find it is fantastic. Some of them

have super-sensitive tips to their bill. You imagine a bird's billed

as being tough, but the tip of it can be quite soft and flexible, and

it is filled with a mass of nerves that can send any movement in the

mud. Others can even pick up electrical current in the mud that

are made as the creatures move through it. It is a whole range of

methods they have to get food dead. Sometimes they just put it in, have

a little feel and move on. Sometimes they will throw it in and

out of the mud. -- mud. I have tapped -- seen Italian mud, it is

rubbish. I have seen the enemies mutter, it is rubbish. A Brazilian

mud? This is the mud that really counts. The mud of that matters.

Great British mud! The mud of that matters. Where were you for that?

We were near Lymington in Hampshire. But the thing about the UK, there

is a lot of estuaries, Exe, the Wash, Morecambe Bay. Wherever you

are, there is an estuary nature. Slimbridge is fantastic, the

headquarters of the wildfowl Trust in Gloucestershire. Ian Llewellyn

spent the day there recently. Just bear that in mind, one day, and

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 86 seconds

Absolutely glorious. I love a steaming a cormorant. But we have

also had some pictures sent in by the viewers, and one bird has

cropped up time and time again. Here they are, this one... And Al,

clearly, but not one we I used to seeing. -- and Al. This is a short-

eared owl, and this winter, there has been a huge influx. Sometimes

they were coming in from the coast 40 or 50 at a time from Scandinavia

and we are seeing irruptive migration, not a regular migration

that happens every year, it requires special conditions. What

we think might have happened is there has been a very good breeding

season in Scandinavia, lots of lemmings, lots of small mammal prey,

then it got cold and they have got to go somewhere and they have come

to the UK. We have had lots of to the UK. We have had lots of

pictures coming. This one is really nice. Shame about the wire! Look at

this one, that is gorgeous. Nice grass, reflecting the colours and

the bird is beautifully lit. It is the bird is beautifully lit. It is

not just you who have been out capturing short-eared owls on

camera, our cameraman did the same. Have a look at this fabulous

footage of a short-eared owl hunting, by the looks of things.

really buoyant flight. That is what those long wings all about. They

are not nocturnal, they will hunt in daylight. It has spotted

something and it immediately swoops down, with its wings back so it

would damage them. It has either heard it or it has seen it and it

plunges down into the grass. It is a small mammal of some kind. When

you see it taking off, initially it is in its peak and then its swaps

it to its feet and makes its way off to eat it, possibly away from

it being stolen by another bird. real winter treat for us, but you

may think why on earth are these birds making the effort to come

here, when it is not exactly tropical? Bear in mind that in

Scandinavia and continental Europe, it is even colder than theirs. So

this is like a summer holiday for a short-eared owl. -- called the

bandits. -- colder than this. This is the weather station at the

Every day at 9 o'clock on the dot, measurements are taken and they are

sent to the Met Office. Let's have a look and see what the temperature

is now. It is minus 5.5 and I can tell you, it is extremely Parky.

That has not been the story of winter so far. November was the

warmest on record, it really was. December was the mildest for five

years, and extraordinarily, in Aberdeen Shia on Boxing Day, it was

a positively tropical 15C. We could do with a bit of that now. But what

has all this warmth meant for our wildlife? George told us that on

Christmas Day, 12:30pm, he saw a red admirable -- Red Admiral fly

past the window. He called his wife and daughter to confirm. A lot of

you have seen them. They should by rights be hibernating, but in the

warm, they will be out flying around. Now it is so cold, let's

hope they have all gone to sleep. Thank you, Martin. This month,

everything changed. Gone were the balmy days of December and January

and along came sub-zero temperatures, frost and some snow.

And very pretty it was as well. The landscape at last started to look

like a proper winter Wonderland. did for a few days, it was

fantastic. It was quite a relief after all of that much and drizzle

in December. -- mud. Where did it come from? Europe finally got cold.

Up in fin land, it got them to minus 36. Even in Germany, it was

down into the minus 20s and this had a big impact. Many bird species

finally got the push from continental Europe and came over

here to the UK. Everyone was out of bed with their cameras getting some

splendid pictures, which was sent That is what is fantastic about

winter, get great wildlife pictures. But some have been in touch to see

that birds have not been coming to your gardens budget trick in

December when it pours so warm. The reason is there was a lot of food

available through the countryside. So any birds could still find worms.

But of course that changed this month when the cold snap came in. I

noticed birds coming into the tedious in my garden. Although the

cold snap has been quite short so far, do you think it could have a

detrimental affect on birds? Generally it needs to be cold for a

longer period. The data has been analysed and some of the smaller

species, those prone to losing heat more quickly, did suffer. Robins

and song thrushes, even hedge birds down by 21%. But after the

prolonged period we had a mild spring last year and then we have

records because the birds were so productive. Chaffinches had their

best ever breeding seasons in the spring. So nature balanced out.

did. And I think unless we get a very long called period now, it

will not be as bad as the past two winters. While some species in this

country have adapted to deal would these very cold conditions. Gordon

Buchanan headed to the Cairngorms It is a true Arctic specialist. The

ptarmigan. It has adapted to live in extreme conditions of the high

mountains and is the UK's toughest bird bone reputation. I have been

given special permission to camp up here. Winter days are short and I

have to be out at first light. But putting up a tent in a gale-force

wind is not easy. Warmth is one of those simple

pleasures we take for granted! Incredible to think that these

ptarmigan are living out their. I'm going to try to get some rest.

In the morning the weather has closed in. I took all this

equipment into my tent, former clothing, and an having a

increasing appreciation for what these ptarmigan are up against. I'm

definitely not warm and cosy! There we go, I knew we were going

to see one. Perfect. These ptarmigan have evolved to exist

appear in many ways, it even their feet are feathered. They kind of

act like snowshoes. You can see the Anne Picking and the vegetation. It

is this kind of Alpine, shrubby kind of plant that they are feeding

on. They will actually store food in their crop so during the cold

nights they can sit there and regurgitate and feeding through the

night. The thing that does it for me but these birds is their ability

to change colour. As the mountain top is covered in snow lit

ptarmigan also change their colour. When the weather is really bad they

will actually dig little snow holes and tuck themselves in down there.

Ptarmigan and I definitely one of my favourite birds. It is

incredible that they can exist up here all year round. And what I

learned after last night is that they belong here and I do not!

That is one tough bird! Tough bloke as well! We are hiding in the

centre! I have got something to show you. It is slightly

embarrassing, but at least we can have a close look at one. I

inherited this, it was shot by my father! That was 50 years ago. How

do they change the colour of their feathers? Well the feather itself

cannot change colour, it is dead material, but they moult their

feathers in wintertime. Let's move on! Since that time when your

father was able to shoot that, if they were a lot more abundant.

Barbara it wants to know more about why some animals change the colour

of their fur in winter. Well like the birds it is a moulding process,

they have to physically changed their fur. And they produce a cult

which is not rich in pigment. Their ears can remain black so they can

keep them warm, basically. The length of the day is what triggers

it. The temperature controls the speed at which they turn colour but

it is also genetically controlled as well. If you take a southern

stoat up to Scotland and leave it on the top of the mountain it will

not turn colour because it is not genetically programmed to do that.

Some animals in the winter are able to change them stumps physically

but others change their behaviour. -- themselves. Some bird species

gathered together in huge groups at this time of year, in their tens of

thousands, like these rocks. It is fantastic sight for us but also has

some important advantages for the birds. For a start there are more

pairs of eyes on the lookout. But it is also about warmth. In winter

wagtails often come into the city centre looking for a warm place to

spend the night. And hundreds of Pied wagtails are making the most

of the escaped heat from this building. But the most impressive

have to beat starlings. Their vast swimming murmurations on winter

evenings are magnificent. They roost in large groups like these on

Aberystwyth peer. They can reduce their overnight heat loss by up to

one-third simply by huddling together. Not all birds will do

that, some will leave the shores in pursuit of much warmer weather.

Mikaela Strachan did the same thing. -- Michaela. We sent her on the

trail of one of our summer species. I mean South Africa on my way to

find out where one of our favourite little birds migrates to in our

winter. I'm joining local bird watcher Andrew Pickles in am

massive reed bed where the birds spend the night. Andrew is an

experienced birdwatcher and hopes to catch some swallows to shed some

light on their epic migration. This is the spot. I think we will put up

the next in a straight line down there. How many birds to expect?

could be up to 1.5 million. What kind of time to expect them?

would say any time from about a quarter to seven onwards.

So we have got a bit of time. What about predators? Yes we have a

bird that migrates with the swallows, and he is sensible, he

migrates with his prey! So we're all set up? Yes we just need to put

on recording of their roosting call which hopefully will attract them

into the nets. This is amazing, it is starting. Oh

my goodness! Literally within two minutes, suddenly all of them have

come over us. The sky becomes full. Look at that! They're just in and

out. They're just everywhere. huge numbers.

You have caught masses tonight. I make that 51. That is not bad.

What happens to them now? They will remain in those bags overnight.

it just too dark to ring them and release them tonight? Yes. They are

quite content. Are we ready to go? I will take the birds.

How long have you been ringing these birds of this most? About

three to four years. And what have you learnt? Well for the swallows

we have learnt their migration routes, these swallows can live up

to 10 or 11 years of age. That is a lot of flying. If you think about

it they travel to Europe and back every year for 10 years. One of

your British birds has been here! So if there is one there is going

to be 100. The important thing is to check the state of its primary

feathers. As soon as they arrive from Europe they will start malting.

When they get to the Last Feather then we know they're getting ready

to migrate. If the female bird does not return within a few days, the

male will find himself another mate! That is harsh! But it is

incredible that they fly back to the same spot year after year.

Reconnect this one go. -- we can't let.

I guess without any of that ringing going on you would not for one

minute think that they have flown all the way from Europe to South

Africa. Not at all. For the size of the bird it is hard to imagine that

they could fly that kind of distance. Good luck!

Michaela has got the right idea, going south for the winter! Well

those swallows will quite shortly be heading north. We should see

them returning to Britain Roundabout April. Yes some of the

early ones at the end of March. then there are the Ospreys. We went

to follow the young Ospreys in the autumn. And those youngsters will

not least but the adults will start heading back. The youngsters will

stay in West Africa and then start to make their way back in the next

One of the other species we were looking at last year was the

cuckoos. They have been fitted with new technology, satellite tax,

which meant we could see where they had gone for the winter. They have

been down here in central West Africa. They are beginning to get

fidgety. Martin the cuckoo has been rumbling about, he has moved 90

miles north. Perhaps not starting his migration, perhaps looking for

his car keys. In the springtime, for the first time ever, we are

going to find out the route that these birds take back to Europe and

hopefully back to the UK and we will bring you update on that.

will, but what do you do if you can't fly south? What do you do if

you have to stay here? You tough it out. One of the ways to do that is

to simply go to sleep. Take a leaf out of the Book of hedgehogs, bats

and dormice. They will sleep their way through the cold snap and wake

of a very sensibly when it starts to get warmer. We have had an

interesting question, what happens to things like insects and

invertebrates, how do they get through the winter? Many of them

hibernate as well. Many of the adult butterflies, tortoise shell,

red admiral, brimstone, they will hibernate as adult in Stakes. -- in

sex. They will start to become active in the spring when they

start to lay their eggs. But that inspects -- other adult insects

don't hibernate as adults, but as La they, and hide away from the

stove. Some of them have compounds within them like an defies that

stop them from a freezing -- anti- freeze. Then you have queen wasps

and bumblebees, they are fertilised females and only they survive from

the colony and in the springtime, they are some of the first one she

will see out, looking for a safe spot to stopover in the new year.

You may think it's the perfect time of the year to be hibernating, but

going to the seaside in the depths of winter? Surely not. Martin might

just change your mind. This is Salcombe in Devon. I used

to come here every year five family holiday, a houseboat. Out there.

And in summer, it is packed with people. But in the depths of winter,

it is a very different story, almost deserted. So the people are

gone, what about the wildlife? To uncover some of the secret of the

seashore in winter, I'm joining marine biologist Maya Plass, who

knows just where to look. Why are we on an old pontoon?

Pontoons are the best place to look for things. Underneath this will be

all sorts of amazing creatures, it is like a barrier Reef seen. Stick

your head right over. There are tons of things. Loads of really

beautiful anemones. There is a crab. A velvet swimming crab. And behind

that, there is a coral, called Dead man's fingers. I am amazed that the

richness. And it is called. It is. There is one down there, a sponge

called mermaids globe. The they had such lovely names. Apart from dead

man's fingers. The sea is cold in winter and the

water tends to be clear as there's less algae and plankton. And low

tide reveals a miscellany of marine marvels. There is a welcome.

that just a shell? It is a live one. It has bid for Caird. It is holding

itself in the mud. -- it has bit put out. That is how they glide

around. That stops it from drying - - drying up, and if any predators

try and get into eat the flesh, it is a protective device. I just

thought it was an empty shell. Shall we put him back? Yes, put him

back. Another really good place is to

look here. These are rare eggs. They are. That is actually the egg

capsule of what we just saw. In the spring Bunce, perfectly formed ones

will come out. -- spring guns. is a mollusc egg, that squishy

thing. So even in the depths of winter, there's plenty of wildlife

around, but we were not expecting this, something neither of us have

ever seen before. Is it natural or There it was. A couple of times.

That was nearly one metre. Come on, Maya. What the heck is squirting

this war to read? All around here, you have evidence of some of the

bivalves, a type of Shell, a type of snail, and they bury into the

water. They filter water out and as they squirt the water out into the

water, at high-tide, you wouldn't see it, but now you will see it

squirting out. You will see it with a razor clams and things. There's

only one way to finally solve this mystery. I can see something.

is that? Look. Shall we give it a Isn't that amazing? What a bizarre

structure. You think that is out all the time? It looks like it. I

think it is called a gaper. We have solved the mystery. That is the

mystery squirt of. By day out with Maya Is a perfect

example of what makes a seaside in winter so special -- my day out. It

is just full of surprises. Chris, Chris, Chris. Look at that,

Martyn. A just out of the blue, there it is. Here we are in Wales,

the perfect thing in -- on a better day it is... A red kite. The emblem

of these Brecon Hills. It is quartering, looking for small

mammals, I'm unlucky rabbit, perhaps. That is what they will do

even in the middle of winter. If you are red, due can see things

like that. They -- out you can see things.

Another creature you might seek out and about in winter, especially

near a river, is an otter. Charlie Hamilton James heard about an otter

family on an urban river and has his own theory about why such

younger cubs a might be around this time of year. -- might be around.

So hard to spot in this murky water. It is so nice, there is a bit of

It is so nice, there is a bit of tend to have their cubs in winter,

because they are going to stick around with their mother, they have

had this summer whether hunting is easy and they have honed their

skills by the time the winter comes -- aware of the hunting is easy.

And then they can make it on their own. I would say that covers three

or four months old. -- that young cub. It has another few months with

its mother and it has to learn the skills of being an otter. It isn't

just fishing, it is learning to fight, learning to hold territory,

learning what a good territory is. A whole load of stuff that this

tiny otter has got to learn from Maugham. They have gone quite a

long way away, so I suggest we go and find them -- learned from a

mother. I am quite surprised to see that

mother and a Moore with one club, because I had heard reports of one

with two. Either she has lost one of her young or there is another

there is a lovely Kingfisher. She has a bright red lower beak, which

means she is female, and she is in great condition. Look at that,

I am not sure if it is the same ones I have already seen. It looks

smaller, that one. There is a very high-pitched whistle. The reason is,

three otters. Beautiful. They are far too small to be catching food

for themselves. They are totally reliant on their mother to do the

fishing for them. So she has quite a lot of pressure on, she has to

catch food not just for herself but for these two. When you bear in

mind, and adult otter is putting away about one kilo of fish a day,

that is quite a lot of work to do to feed everyone.

You can hear sirens. It is a busy main road just there. I am about

100m from the supermarket car-park. Another siren. This is the modern

otter. Living in cities. Coming out in the day. Getting used to people.

This is basically exactly what foxes did in the 1970s and eighties,

when they became urbanised and came into cities. Now the otters are

I have nipped down the road from the mountain centre to meet Wynn

Morgan from the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Charlie said it is a great time of year not just to see otters but

other sort of revolt wildlife, including a bird I know you will

love and I certainly know, and it it is -- it is dippers. Is this a

good river for them? It is fantastic, it is fast flowing, you

can see how clear the water is, it is ideal. They are just such

is ideal. They are just such handsome birds, and much more

robust than you think. Quite chunky little things. He is just purged on

that rock with that lovely white breast showing. -- purged. Here he

his days patrolling? It is several hundred metres of river. Yes,

between the three bridges, I would say. The family of dippers we were

watching it Springwatch nested right in a waterfall. There is no

water for I can see, but where do they nest along here? That

waterfall. We put nest boxes up. We have one on the bridge, and one on

the bottom Bridge. I have brought one with me, we need to put one on

the middle Bridge. A I can feel work coming on. I can see why

looking pretty fit. There is no such thing as a quiet afternoon's

bird-watching! I will get my drill ladder? I was hoping he would, but

There we go, a nice new nest site for the dippers and if you want to

do the same for your garden birds, let's go back to Chris and Martin,

who have lots of advice for you. So if I am thinking of putting up a

bird box in the garden, what should I be thinking about? Doing it now.

Now is the time to get them up because birds will be prospecting

at this time of year to make sure there are nest holes available in

their territory so they can start straight away. And where do we put

them? It is very garden specific, so you have to use commonsense, but

don't put them where they are very exposed and will get lots of bad

weather but equally don't put them in the sunshine, where you will

cook the eggs and the young in the sun. And put them away from where

there might be predators, Catt, sparrowhawks. They like bushes to

be close by, so they birds can land and fly in and come out safely.

they don't get used one year, do you leave them or what? Move them.

It is very difficult to get your head into that of a blue tit or a

great tit. I have tried it, I have drunk eight pints and climbed into

a box. It is just not in the right place, move it the next winter and

shifted until eventually you are in the same thought pattern as the

birds -- shift it. I have a question. I took this box from my

garden only yesterday, what has done this? This has been opened by

a grey squirrel. Grey squirrel are quite serious predators, really,

art -- of young birds and even eggs in a nestbox like this. Woodpeckers

will open them as well, they tend to open them at the bottom, but

there are no Peck mark, this has been chewed by a squirrel. I had a

way you can overcome this problem. You put a little metal plate on

here and that. The squirrels from their large in the hole. -- that

will stop. Get yourself a played like this, you can stick them on to

any nestbox. Bath played. We have been putting them up already. Al

wildlife cameraman has been out and hopefully he has put them in the

right place so we can bring you some super pictures in time for

Winter it may look like a quiet and dormant time in the woodland. When

it is cold and windy the leaves can get damaged so many of the plants

that grow via survive the winter in a resting stage.

Most of the trees we have in the UK are deciduous which means that they

lose their leaves to stop them from freezing. But Prince agreed to

reduce water loss. That is not to say that there are not signs of

life. Here are the buds just waiting for the temperature and the

like to be right before they burst out. Trees produce their buds at

the end of summer, they would not have the energy to produce complex

structures like this during the winter. During the autumn and

winter the buds are small and insignificant but in the spring

they swell up just before they are ready to open. Before the tree's

shade out the floor of the woodland there is a window of opportunity

and the flowers race to make the most of that light. Primroses,

bluebells are sure signs that spring has arrived. But the first

of the year are the snowdrops and this year they have been especially

early, the first actually coming out in mid-December. Snowdrops are

not strictly speaking and native species. But they have become

ingrained in our culture as a sign that the winter is ending. It is

thought they came from Italy in the 15th century. The tip of the

flowering stem is covered with a protective leaf, so it can push up

through the soil without the flour getting damaged in the process.

Typically this species spreads by bulbs dividing. But it may also be

pollinated if it is warm enough and you have insects like bumble bees

and even flies that active. When the temperature reaches 10 degrees

the petals will open up horizontally and then the insects

can see the pattering on the petals that will attract them to the

nectar and get them to carry the pollen. There are a beautiful plant

and at the moment they have got the woodland pretty much to themselves.

But spring is on its way so they had better make the most of it.

Snowdrops are lovely it this time of year, they bring a smile to your

face. Now plants are dormant in the winter which means that it is a

good time of year to plan things like trees. I have, little further

down into the bracken is. You want to plant this cheap to replace that

rather splendid one that has come down in the winter storms. It is

important that the ground has not frozen? Exactly. We are also making

a square hole. If you dig a round hole the roads would just go round

instead of spreading out. So better to do it in a rectangle. Well I'm

going to watch you admiringly! How deep does it need to be? Just about

the depth of the pot. Trees are not really very deep rooted. The club's

owner took off the top we will put in the bottom because they contain

nutrients. -- the clods. probably know that this is the

Jubilee year, at the Queen has been on the throne for 60 years and the

Woodland Trust want to mug that occasion and leave a fantastic

Legacy by encouraging all of us to plant trees. They would like 6

million trees to be planted throughout the UK this year. And

ideally they would like 1 million of those to be planted this month.

So if you want to find out more and make sure that the tree you plant

counts as part of this wonderful national jubilee celebration, then

you can find all the details on our website. There's something else you

can do this winter it just as rewarding. But you'll have to get

up before dawn. If you set your alarm clock a little earlier, get

yourself a cup of tea and step out site. You could be in for a winter

a surprise. 6:30am. Wildlife sound recorders Chris Watson has agreed

to drop round to my house to help unravel the dawn chorus in the back

garden. We can instantly identify a robin,

it is beautiful stop Chris has brought along some kit that will

help pinpoint individual bird songs. That is the tawny owl. Fantastic.

And that is a cockerel! Why do they tend to sink at first light?

think they're singing now because actually it is too dark to feed.

They have just woken up so what they need to do is defend their

territory. The need to sing so all the neighbours know, I'm still here,

it still defending this territory. Some of the songs are fantastic and

complicated, like that of the Robin. The females like complexity? It is

a complex sound because they're giving multiple messages. Telling

rival males, do not come here. And also giving come on messages to the

female at the same time. And we are no work here understanding it.

someone like me not that great with birdsong, this is a good time of

year because, as the trees are bare, I can see more easily what is

producing the song. And also of the migrants have arrived so what we're

here in other resident birds. So it is a good time to start.

As it gets lighter the dawn chorus subsides. Like us, the birds are

getting hungry. So we now listening to what might feathered friends are

chatting about. Listen to this.

You're instantly engaged in that world. The microphone is in a place

where we would never be because we would affect their behaviour. You

can hear the power of those wings. That massive leap in Hanson's the

whole thing. These birds are constantly communicating. What

we're hearing now is not a song but contact calls. And of course now

they're not territorial. They have had to come to a temporary truce

because they're sharing this food supply. The great thing is that

these sounds are happening all the time. You can appreciate now the

mount of vocalisation. I'm so glad, this is where I do the washing up

every morning. You can just watch them. But now all I can hear them

as well. Do you mind if I keep this?! I will hire it out!

They're eating the out of house and Home! They clear that entire

feature every single day. And it is because you're doing something

right. You're clearly putting out a lot of really good food. And that

is quite an important thing at this time of year. The birds want to get

as fit and healthy as possible before the breeding season. So

putting out a good range of foods, I'm putting out meal worms now.

Peanuts, sunflower seeds, that type of thing, is really going to be

doing your birds of favour. And another thing on these cold and

frosty mornings is to make sure that they have fresh water.

One other thing we have noticed, the first signs of breeding. We

know just one little blue tit flying around the Land Rover and

especially at the mirrors. What is going on? It is just vanity! No, I

have seen this in other birds. Often individual males become

preoccupied with their own reflection because they believe it

is another male. It is a territorial display. It may be

February but this is an amorous month as many of our animals and

birds are proving. They're all kinds of ways to rule

your lover but surely the most elaborate is that of the great

crested grebe. In February they dance, if not quite cheek to cheek,

then the key to beak. This romances and brings the pair together making

sure that they are committed parents. Frogs and toads, what they

lack in romance they make up for in tenacity. The risk life and limb to

return to the pond where they were born. The male frog can hang on in

his tight embrace for several days to make sure he is the one to

fertilise her eggs. But he has got competition. Looks like this lot

are having a ball! Hazel trees are much less picky. For them, love

really is in the air. Hazel catkins are actually clusters of male

flowers. Their release millions of grains of pollen into the air.

These tiny love packages are at the mercy of the wind, ready to be

caught by the tufts of the female flowers. The final result is a

tasty hazelnut, planted neatly in the soil by a forgetful scroll.

Foxes probably count as one of the loudest lovers of the winter. But

notes suite serenades when Foxes are courting. The blood curdling

howls of the Vixens at night is enough to make the hair on the back

of your neck stand up. The vixen is receptive for just three days so

there is a frenzy of activity at this time of the year. Matings

brief but the pair may be stuck with each other for hours

afterwards because their genitals locked together. This strategy

ensures that the dog fox has the best chance of being the daddy!

Last leek Hare's take the award for the feisty EST partners of winter.

They may be called the Mad March hares but you can see these boxing

matches much earlier in the year. You might assume that these

fearless fighters are males but actually it is the feisty female,

fending off the advances of the male. She's only ready to mate for

a few hours every six weeks. So the rest of the time, any male food

gets too close will have his years box. That is girl power! All of

that goes to show that love is in their hair!

Well we hope we have managed to convince you that winter is