0:00:05 > 0:00:09Tonight will be pheno-moon-al...
0:00:09 > 0:00:12It's not just once in a blue moon you see one of these -
0:00:12 > 0:00:20it's once in a super blue moon!
0:00:24 > 0:00:30It's fascinating and it is new to science.Loose so tonight, in the
0:00:30 > 0:00:34cold moonlight, welcome to Winterwatch.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57Hello, and welcome to Winterwatch 2018, coming to you live from the
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Sherborne Park Estate managed by the National Trust up here in
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Gloucestershire. Our home for Springwatch, all some watch and now
0:01:04 > 0:01:10Winterwatch. Our mission is to bring you the very best of this season's
0:01:10 > 0:01:16wildlife. Late one we will be going up to the island of Islay in
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Scotland, to meet Gillian. What about that little mouse that froze
0:01:20 > 0:01:26last night after it was scared by the owl, for five minutes 20
0:01:26 > 0:01:31seconds? Stock still. We have also shown you Kate Bush and Mark arm and
0:01:31 > 0:01:36live on the programme this week, and we have had a tweet from Mark to say
0:01:36 > 0:01:41how pleased he is to have a badger named after him on Winterwatch. As
0:01:41 > 0:01:47yet, we've heard nothing from Kate Bush.It is very chilly tonight, but
0:01:47 > 0:01:53it is
0:02:00 > 0:02:04a special a super blue moon. It is super because it is closest to the
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Earth, which makes it appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter. A blue moon
0:02:06 > 0:02:11is when you get two full moons in a month. If you haven't seen it, it's
0:02:11 > 0:02:15worth going to have a look. We saw it just before the show. It was a
0:02:15 > 0:02:19lot brighter, absolutely beautiful. It was orange to begin with as well.
0:02:19 > 0:02:27Not quite the colour of your code! Elsewhere in the world it is a super
0:02:27 > 0:02:31blue blood moon, which is everything we've got. A lunar eclipse only
0:02:31 > 0:02:37happens once every 150 years, so it is a very special night. When you
0:02:37 > 0:02:45have that sort of moon, people can go really crazy. Anything
0:02:48 > 0:02:51go really crazy. Anything could happen tonight!Not any thing when
0:02:51 > 0:02:54we arrived last week, we got a tip off from a gentleman in the village
0:02:54 > 0:02:58of Sherborne. He said there was a very curious thing going on in his
0:02:58 > 0:03:01back garden, and would be like to go and see it. Our researchers when
0:03:01 > 0:03:06they're off their own bat and took a camera with them, and put it where
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Brian was suggesting, and film something extraordinary. See this
0:03:10 > 0:03:16picture. Quite hard to see. That white animal. What could it be? It
0:03:16 > 0:03:22turns out it is not a rat or a ferret. It is a ermine, which is a
0:03:22 > 0:03:36stoat in its winter coat. Stoves are a form any
0:03:50 > 0:03:52colour normally, but some go white in winter. It shouldn't be down
0:03:52 > 0:03:55here, because it is meant to camouflage it against the snow, and
0:03:55 > 0:03:58it hasn't done a really good job. What is going on, Chris?There are a
0:03:58 > 0:04:00couple of elements why stoats go white in winter. There was a
0:04:00 > 0:04:03daylight element and the temperature element.If you have seen a ermine,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06we would love to see it. It is a magical animal.We love it when you
0:04:06 > 0:04:09get in touch and get involved in the Winterwatch conversation, and there
0:04:09 > 0:04:14are plenty of ways to do that. The easiest way to do that is to go
0:04:14 > 0:04:21online and be our friend on social media. You can like us on Facebook,
0:04:21 > 0:04:27follow us on Instagram and tagged as in your photographs, or tweet us
0:04:27 > 0:04:35your questions, at #BBCSpringwatch. Our website is full of in-depth
0:04:35 > 0:04:40articles, links to videos, and in-depth information.We have a
0:04:40 > 0:04:45number of cameras scattered around the estate that allows us to look at
0:04:45 > 0:04:49the owls living there without intruding on them. They will never
0:04:49 > 0:04:59know we are there. We have one around, kilometre away. We have had
0:04:59 > 0:05:04a range of visitors. This is a female muntjac deer, which were
0:05:04 > 0:05:11introduced from China. Jays have been very active down there. There's
0:05:11 > 0:05:18lots of food out there, lots of nuts, as we are baiting them. Some
0:05:18 > 0:05:23hung in the tree, which attracts woodpeckers and also grey squirrels,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27which are numerous here. Nuthatches and other things down there. We were
0:05:27 > 0:05:33watching it at night and in the early morning. It looks dark in this
0:05:33 > 0:05:38shot, but it is getting light here. Squirrels are a diurnal rodent and
0:05:38 > 0:05:44don't normally come out at night. The muntjac is still there. The grey
0:05:44 > 0:05:49squirrel has the temerity to take on a mammal much larger than itself,
0:05:49 > 0:05:56and it drives the muntjac away. How about that?Cheeky squirrel.Muntjac
0:05:56 > 0:06:05are very nervous animal, which is probably wise.I don't think it is
0:06:05 > 0:06:07because it's a squirrel, but because it's something moving quickly near
0:06:07 > 0:06:15it. They ask is T, muntjac.Have you seen a muntjac?There are a lot near
0:06:15 > 0:06:20us. They eat a lot of vegetation on the ground, so they impact
0:06:20 > 0:06:25negatively on butterfly and woodland bird populations. In some places,
0:06:25 > 0:06:32they are a nuisance.I like them! The cameras we just showed you an
0:06:32 > 0:06:39live sometimes. In fact now. Let's go live and see what is going on.
0:06:39 > 0:06:46What a magical scene. Nothing much going on there, though. Here is this
0:06:46 > 0:06:49one. We have seen a lot of action down here. Can you see
0:06:49 > 0:06:50one. We have seen a lot of action down here. Can you see anything
0:06:50 > 0:06:56there at all? No. We also have our thermal camera, which is roving
0:06:56 > 0:07:01around the countryside. Let's see if there is anything on the thermal
0:07:01 > 0:07:06camera. Yes! Chris and I were having an argument about this before we
0:07:06 > 0:07:12came on air.It is a rabbit. Very difficult to tell the difference
0:07:12 > 0:07:19between a rabbit and a hare.You can see how warm it is around the head.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24The
0:07:29 > 0:07:32The whole body is quite warm. I would have thought it would be a --
0:07:32 > 0:07:36it would be as warm.Very cold ears though, on the tips. It is not going
0:07:36 > 0:07:38to pump blood into those extremities. I'm sure it is their Mo
0:07:38 > 0:07:46regulating.Its ears are bit like my feet right now! As well as live
0:07:46 > 0:07:50cameras, we also have pre-recorded wildlife films. For those it is
0:07:50 > 0:07:55important to have three elements. Wildlife pictures, music and also
0:07:55 > 0:08:01words on top of that. Usually that is done by three individuals who are
0:08:01 > 0:08:06working separately. So what would you create if you had a shared
0:08:06 > 0:08:12experience? We wanted to put that to the test, so we sent out wildlife
0:08:12 > 0:08:17camerawoman Sophie Darlington with a couple of her close friends,
0:08:17 > 0:08:24musician Ali friend and writer Ben Webb. They went to West Sedgemoor in
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Somerset, where they went to look for wildlife and the bit of
0:08:27 > 0:08:37inspiration.We have been friends for years, and we all have different
0:08:37 > 0:08:41disciplines and jobs and lives. But the one thing that absolutely binds
0:08:41 > 0:08:49us is a deep love of nature. Being with Ben and Ali is an extraordinary
0:08:49 > 0:08:54thing. It is very, very different to anything I've ever done before.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Mainly because you don't normally take a double bass out with you into
0:08:58 > 0:09:06the wild!There is no way I'm going to get through there.West Sedgemoor
0:09:06 > 0:09:09is known for its winter flocks, and it's very much within a working
0:09:09 > 0:09:16landscape. The Somerset Levels are the perfect place for the birds to
0:09:16 > 0:09:21come in during harsh winters in northern Europe. Thousands and
0:09:21 > 0:09:29thousands of which and teal. 50 to 60 cranes live here year-round.The
0:09:29 > 0:09:35good news is there's plenty of cranes. The bad news is, they are
0:09:35 > 0:09:42quite a long way away.Cranes extended trachea, which means they
0:09:42 > 0:09:47make a particular noise, which carries, and it makes the most
0:09:47 > 0:09:55atmospheric noise.When I experienced nature, I'm very often
0:09:55 > 0:10:00looking at it from a sound point of view. My ears experienced things
0:10:00 > 0:10:10almost before my eyes do, I think. The cranes' call is quite harsh,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13quite cranky, and slightly plaintiff, and very loud. They want
0:10:13 > 0:10:19to be heard above everyone else. Is there a note they are singing, do
0:10:19 > 0:10:35you think? I think that is a C Sharp. In nature, C is very common.
0:10:35 > 0:10:43If you hear a general harm of wildlife, it tends to be around a C.
0:10:43 > 0:10:49A C seems right round here.I am filming away, and I can hear Ali
0:10:49 > 0:10:58playing the bass. It is almost like the sound waves of the base, which
0:10:58 > 0:11:04fit beautifully into the landscape. I am watching it down the lens.
0:11:10 > 0:11:18Brilliant, isn't it? There is a perch. There is a pike.There is a
0:11:18 > 0:11:25chub on the way!
0:11:25 > 0:11:35chub on the way! Look at that. Amazingly beautiful, isn't it?
0:11:37 > 0:11:44My favourite moments everyday have always been drawn. Even though they
0:11:44 > 0:11:50have been, at times, the most frustrating.Here comes the rain
0:11:50 > 0:12:01again. The weather, inevitably, will affect the experience. It's been
0:12:01 > 0:12:06quite wet and quite cold. The mood reminds me of a Dickensian novel,
0:12:06 > 0:12:17and a load estuary landscape. It is always changing, always captivating.
0:12:19 > 0:12:27The reason is the Marsh Harrier is up and about. Take-off!
0:12:28 > 0:12:30up and about. Take-off!They slip on either side of the trees as they
0:12:30 > 0:12:36tried to dodge the Harrier.What I think grabs me the most is the
0:12:36 > 0:12:44moments where you go from silence to a cacophony of calls of ducks. They
0:12:44 > 0:12:57leapt up, and there's a sudden surge in sound. It is awe-inspiring.
0:13:01 > 0:13:09That is a mixture of the cranes, and the plumbers underneath them. Look
0:13:09 > 0:13:12at that!That was wonderful.
0:13:18 > 0:13:29We live in an era of shared experience. Shared memories are more
0:13:29 > 0:13:33enjoyable than ones that are tucked away in your own consciousness
0:13:33 > 0:13:35somewhere.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49What a beautiful place. Later in the show we are going to see the results
0:13:49 > 0:13:56of those shared memories in the film that captures West Sedgemoor and its
0:13:56 > 0:14:05wildlife. This is our third night on Islay. We have come to Loch
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Gruinart. Let's take a look on the map to see where we are. Last night
0:14:08 > 0:14:14we were down here with our golden eagles, and tonight we are up here
0:14:14 > 0:14:18at Loch Gruinart. To really appreciate this place, you've got to
0:14:18 > 0:14:28see it in the daytime. This is an area of low-lying marshes. There is
0:14:28 > 0:14:35where we are tonight. In the background, you can see the edge of
0:14:35 > 0:14:42the sea loch. This is where waders come in winter. What an family that
0:14:42 > 0:14:47uses this in particular are the geese. And they come here in their
0:14:47 > 0:14:52thousands.
0:14:55 > 0:15:02This truly is one of Britain's greatest wildlife spectacles.And
0:15:02 > 0:15:09the common species of geese that comes here is the barnacle geese.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Over 50,000 birds arrived here from Greenland each year, late in the
0:15:14 > 0:15:22autumn. And they are joined by another species. The Greenland white
0:15:22 > 0:15:27fronted geese and over 5000 of them. Why do these birds all come here?
0:15:27 > 0:15:32There is no land predators, but mainly because there is plenty of
0:15:32 > 0:15:37good grazing, the farmland and the marshes makes this place is a real
0:15:37 > 0:15:44haven for these birds. And this hide just outside here is a known
0:15:44 > 0:15:48roosting site for the white fronted geese. We have rigged some
0:15:48 > 0:15:51microphones so we can listen. Let's see if there is anything going on
0:15:51 > 0:16:00outside. It is pretty quiet. It is possible that because it is such a
0:16:00 > 0:16:05bright moon, and very clear night outside, the geese might be making
0:16:05 > 0:16:10the most of this bright light to go out feeding. But we did record a few
0:16:10 > 0:16:16calls earlier in the day.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23calls earlier in the day. Those are contact calls and it makes the geese
0:16:23 > 0:16:27special. They use the contact calls to hold their family groups
0:16:27 > 0:16:33together. It is quite rare in birds, social behaviour. To appreciate it,
0:16:33 > 0:16:39let's take a look at this. At first glance it looks like these are large
0:16:39 > 0:16:45flocks of geese, as we would expect. But when we look closely, they
0:16:45 > 0:16:49congregate in small family units, with birds of different ages. This
0:16:49 > 0:16:55year's young don't have white and black bars on their chest. That is
0:16:55 > 0:17:00like the bird on the left. The bird behind it has black bars, that is
0:17:00 > 0:17:05the adults. These family units, these groups have more than two
0:17:05 > 0:17:10adults. There is the breeding pair and also nonbreeding adults from
0:17:10 > 0:17:17previous years. They work together to defend their territories. They
0:17:17 > 0:17:21show the Fidelity because they come back to the same field year, after
0:17:21 > 0:17:27year. They will stay together in their family groups for up to nine
0:17:27 > 0:17:33years. They show strength in numbers. They really work together.
0:17:33 > 0:17:40With these birds, it really is all about the clan. Now, this is a
0:17:40 > 0:17:45strategy called kin selection and it is rare in birds. The nonbreeding
0:17:45 > 0:17:50adults forfeit their right to breed and they help their close relatives
0:17:50 > 0:17:54to successfully breed. This is a good strategy when resources are
0:17:54 > 0:17:58limited. There is no point in having all the adults breeding, it would be
0:17:58 > 0:18:05too much competition. Instead, in the case of the white fronted geese,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09they help their parents breed successfully by helping to raise
0:18:09 > 0:18:12siblings, they can at least ensure some of their genes get passed on to
0:18:12 > 0:18:18the next generation. There is a problem with the population that
0:18:18 > 0:18:23come here. In the last 16 years, the population has declined by 50%.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28Later on we will be meeting someone who is doing some really amazing
0:18:28 > 0:18:32research to try and find out why and he is doing it with this little bit
0:18:32 > 0:18:38of kit. By now, it is back to Sherborne and Martin.Astonishing.
0:18:38 > 0:18:45Live pictures from the island way up in Scotland. Fascinating stuff. If
0:18:45 > 0:18:52you were in a band like this earlier on in the autumn, you might have
0:18:52 > 0:18:55seen bats flit in a row. It was so warm they didn't hibernate as early
0:18:55 > 0:19:02as they should have done. Hopefully on a bitter cold night like this,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06they are hibernating. In Autumnwatch, I went out to try to
0:19:06 > 0:19:13have a look at a
0:19:13 > 0:19:18have a look at a small, colony at Sherborne. It is in an old mine and
0:19:18 > 0:19:25we are told the bats are inside. We don't know how many are roosting. Oh
0:19:25 > 0:19:36yes! Like little hairy plums hanging on the ceiling. It was brilliant to
0:19:36 > 0:19:44see those bats. But I was expecting a few more. What we did, after
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Autumnwatch, the remote camera team went back and under strict
0:19:48 > 0:19:52supervision, they were allowed to go in for a short period and put
0:19:52 > 0:19:56cameras in and also special microphones to see what might
0:19:56 > 0:20:01happen. Well, the morning after they put those cameras in, they were
0:20:01 > 0:20:07sitting there about five o'clock in the morning and something started to
0:20:07 > 0:20:17stare. There were a lot more bats, Lesser horseshoe bats. This one
0:20:17 > 0:20:25coming in is a male. Why would that come in to disturb the females?
0:20:25 > 0:20:31Autumn is the mating season and we thing he's trying to find a partner.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36You can see him echo locating all around. And sure enough, he starts
0:20:36 > 0:20:44to cosy up to this female he really doesn't seem interested. She might
0:20:44 > 0:20:48be asleep or she just might not fancy him. But he is incredibly
0:20:48 > 0:20:57persistent. He keeps nuzzling around. If I was the female, I would
0:20:57 > 0:21:02be furious by now and give him a slap. Eventually he gives up comedy
0:21:02 > 0:21:08goes away and he settles down. He has a little bit of a stretch now.
0:21:08 > 0:21:14Then he settles down for a bit of a snooze. But by now, all that flying
0:21:14 > 0:21:19around seems to have alerted the other bats. They started to
0:21:19 > 0:21:23vocalise. We had special microphones, but if we were there we
0:21:23 > 0:21:28wouldn't hear anything. But these microphones bring the noise is the
0:21:28 > 0:21:32bats are making down to our level. We cannot only hear them we can see
0:21:32 > 0:21:36the structure of the sound in a sonogram. This is what was going on
0:21:36 > 0:21:45while he was flying around there.
0:21:53 > 0:22:05They are weird sounds. Maggie Andrews is an expert. She reckons
0:22:05 > 0:22:12because they are talking to each other and getting agitated and this
0:22:12 > 0:22:17was the vanguard of science. Fascinating though it was, that one
0:22:17 > 0:22:21male coming in? The team continue to watch the remote cameras and new
0:22:21 > 0:22:31things started to happen. This is quite astonishing. This is horseshoe
0:22:31 > 0:22:37bats mating. The female is behind and you can see the male closely
0:22:37 > 0:22:43attached and you can see him thrusting and his legs going in.
0:22:43 > 0:22:50This mating went on for more than two hours, in fact. It is quite a
0:22:50 > 0:22:55prolonged process.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58prolonged process. Other males are getting very interested in what was
0:22:58 > 0:23:03going on and they started to fly around as well. Eventually the
0:23:03 > 0:23:12mating process finished and they separated. She had a bit of a brush
0:23:12 > 0:23:16down, sorted herself out and he went away and went off for a little bit
0:23:16 > 0:23:25of a preen. If you look closely, you can see the Venus, which is
0:23:25 > 0:23:36remarkably big on the batter. There's a microphone started
0:23:36 > 0:23:40There's a microphone started what -- to record what was going on and
0:23:40 > 0:23:51during the mating we can hear the sound the male was making. Now he is
0:23:51 > 0:23:55echo locating. The first call, Maggie thinks it was probably him
0:23:55 > 0:24:07saying to the other bats, we are busy. It was a busy mating call. Was
0:24:07 > 0:24:13it all over? No, the drama continued. Another male comes in. We
0:24:13 > 0:24:28think this female is hibernating. You can see his penis probing about,
0:24:28 > 0:24:34trying to make with her. She is cold, fast asleep. He is very
0:24:34 > 0:24:39persistent again.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42persistent again. Extraordinary footage. I never thought we would
0:24:42 > 0:24:50see anything like this. The penis is remarkably big. Apparently it comes
0:24:50 > 0:25:03up to the top of his chest. She is not having any of it at all. Then he
0:25:03 > 0:25:09disappears and leaves her alone. But one more sonogram, we can hear the
0:25:09 > 0:25:16sound he was making trying to mate with the female.
0:25:19 > 0:25:25with the female. That is a slightly grumpy male, trying to mate. We
0:25:25 > 0:25:29don't know what the sound is and Maggie is going to write a
0:25:29 > 0:25:33scientific paper about some of the sounds we have been able to record.
0:25:33 > 0:25:39It is a new area. We are glad to be able to contribute in a small way to
0:25:39 > 0:25:44the study of these bats. I have been working on these programmes for
0:25:44 > 0:25:50nearly ten years, we have never seen behaviour like that. It is
0:25:50 > 0:25:54brilliant. We left Sophie Darlington and her friends down on Sedgemoor
0:25:54 > 0:26:00trying to record the pictures, sounds and also the lyrics of the
0:26:00 > 0:26:12more. What did they come up with? The Somerset levels... Water
0:26:12 > 0:26:20meadows.
0:26:20 > 0:26:34meadows. Sedge and rushes rustling. Water shimmers and reflects.
0:26:34 > 0:26:43Rivers, rinds and pools. The levels managed for waders and wildfowl.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Annual migrants, sweeping down from the north.
0:27:02 > 0:27:13Male teal, chestnut and livid green. Brown and cream. Wind, ruffling
0:27:13 > 0:27:18feathers.
0:27:18 > 0:27:32feathers. Bills preening. Shovellers, feeding.
0:27:37 > 0:27:48Black clouds in the wind. Darkness falls...
0:27:54 > 0:28:02Pascual, silence stretches across the water and the meadows and the
0:28:02 > 0:28:11low willows. In the sedge, a Brown stripe wades.
0:28:12 > 0:28:19stripe wades. The cold sunshine breaks through the cloud.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21breaks through the cloud. Flocks of Golden Globe was fly and sparkle in
0:28:21 > 0:28:29the light. Bright, snow globe flakes on the horizon and the white
0:28:29 > 0:28:34farmhouses.
0:28:40 > 0:28:48A 125 rattles across the levels.
0:28:48 > 0:28:59Gurgling comedy calls resonate and carry. The cranes. Long wings and
0:28:59 > 0:29:04necks and trailing legs.
0:29:04 > 0:29:11necks and trailing legs. Then... Quiet.
0:29:11 > 0:29:27Quiet. Resting, but ever aware. A jolt of alarm.
0:29:27 > 0:29:37jolt of alarm. A glimpse of danger. The bridging and teal take flight.
0:29:37 > 0:29:46Sweep and fold. Swelling, mesmerising forms, the wing beat,
0:29:46 > 0:29:55symphony.
0:30:07 > 0:30:19And then the sun starts to slip away.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Isn't it great when nature inspires us to be creative? In so many ways,
0:30:26 > 0:30:31making films, doing a piece of art, music, dance... Do you know the
0:30:31 > 0:30:39first time I was inspired by nature? Where are we going here?Five years
0:30:39 > 0:30:46old, listening to Bambi, and I put a two to one and did a little dance to
0:30:46 > 0:30:52the April showers Song!I love books. Once a future king, put me in
0:30:52 > 0:30:56the forest with balls all around. There is a wonderful book about
0:30:56 > 0:31:00three boys who run off into the woods and live there for about a
0:31:00 > 0:31:06year. I really wanted to do that! You never dressed up and danced
0:31:06 > 0:31:12around?Surprisingly, no. The arts and humanities research Centre set
0:31:12 > 0:31:18up a project with three universities to try to study modern natural
0:31:18 > 0:31:24history writing, nature writing. As part of that, they tried to find out
0:31:24 > 0:31:33the nation's favourite natural history books. We asked you to tell
0:31:33 > 0:31:39us your favourite natural history book. You came up with 278. I get
0:31:39 > 0:31:44them the wrong way round! 278 different books, and that was
0:31:44 > 0:31:50whittled down by a group of experts to just ten, and then we asked the
0:31:50 > 0:31:55nation to vote for their favourite from that ten. We are about to
0:31:55 > 0:32:03reveal the winners.Let's start with third place. It is a book by a guy
0:32:03 > 0:32:09called Rob Callan, and it is called Common Ground. It is a story of his
0:32:09 > 0:32:15experiences of moving from London to Yorkshire, and how he connects with
0:32:15 > 0:32:19the outdoors, and he explores the Common Ground we have with the
0:32:19 > 0:32:24outdoors. Congratulations to him for being in third place.In second
0:32:24 > 0:32:29place, one of my personal favourites, Tarka the Otter, by
0:32:29 > 0:32:35Henry Williamson. A very non-sentimental book about Tarka and
0:32:35 > 0:32:43his nemesis, deadlock the otter hand. I actually met him.It is a
0:32:43 > 0:32:50great book.Very unsentimental.In the first place is a deeply personal
0:32:50 > 0:32:56memoir about a young boy who was very shy, introverted, isolated, and
0:32:56 > 0:33:01he had an incredible passion, an obsession, and a great connection
0:33:01 > 0:33:06with wildlife. I've read it, you've read it, a lot of our viewers have
0:33:06 > 0:33:13read it. It is the number-1 book. Fingers In The Sparkle Jar, by our
0:33:13 > 0:33:21very own Chris Packham. That got the vote for the best nature wildlife
0:33:21 > 0:33:25book fantastic. Well done, Chris. If you want to be inspired by nature,
0:33:25 > 0:33:32you have to get out in it. Gillian is certainly doing that, getting out
0:33:32 > 0:33:39and being inspired by the rich wildlife of Islay.We are at the
0:33:39 > 0:33:43RSPB Loch Gruinart. This is the roosting site for thousands of green
0:33:43 > 0:33:49and white-fronted geese. The numbers here are crashing. Fewer birds are
0:33:49 > 0:33:53returning from their breeding grounds. I am joined here by Ed
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Burrell from the University of Exeter and the wildfowl trust. The
0:33:57 > 0:34:07problems you are seeing, why are you seeing them here in Islay?The birds
0:34:07 > 0:34:11nest at incredibly low densities, so we simply can't get the quantity and
0:34:11 > 0:34:17quality of data we need.How is your research helping here?Here is great
0:34:17 > 0:34:23because they are around us everywhere. We can get a real
0:34:23 > 0:34:27insight into their lives. We can catch them and mark them with
0:34:27 > 0:34:31specially coded collars.We can see that in the shot tear.Some of the
0:34:31 > 0:34:38birds on the right have the coded collars. The bird on the left has a
0:34:38 > 0:34:43GPS tag. It allows us to work out the behaviour of that bird.I have
0:34:43 > 0:34:48one of these here. This tag right here allows you not just to see
0:34:48 > 0:34:53where the birds are going, but also what they are doing. You have
0:34:53 > 0:34:57brought in this lovely graphic here that shows the level of detail that
0:34:57 > 0:35:03you can discern with these tags. Just talk us through it.These
0:35:03 > 0:35:07measures very sad to leave the movement in three-dimensional. On
0:35:07 > 0:35:13the left, a grazing process, a real peeking up and down. Then you get a
0:35:13 > 0:35:17digging trace, which is more grinding down into the soil for
0:35:17 > 0:35:23roots, a key part of their diet. And then there is the other, head up,
0:35:23 > 0:35:30looking for predators, and the other is asleep in the roost.So what
0:35:30 > 0:35:33picture are you building up of what is going on in the breeding grounds
0:35:33 > 0:35:38in Greenland?Is guts is a great idea of what is going on. We can see
0:35:38 > 0:35:43when the females are trying to nest and when they are incubating, and
0:35:43 > 0:35:47how long that lasts. Most of the birds are attempting to nest, but
0:35:47 > 0:35:51lots of failing midway through incubation. We don't necessarily
0:35:51 > 0:35:56know why. It may be predators, whether events or a lack of body
0:35:56 > 0:36:03condition.That is incredible. This is a brilliant piece of research.
0:36:03 > 0:36:09This piece of kit is providing a window into the world of a bird that
0:36:09 > 0:36:13breeds over 2000 miles away. Hopefully this research is going to
0:36:13 > 0:36:17reverse this worrying trend of their decline in numbers. Back to
0:36:17 > 0:36:23Sherborne now with Chris and Michaela.We went to Islay years ago
0:36:23 > 0:36:30for Autumnwatch. Great to see those are huge flocks of geese, but sad to
0:36:30 > 0:36:34hear they are not the only birds flocking at this time of the year.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38Farmland birds are as well. This is a group of birds in serious decline
0:36:38 > 0:36:43generally in the UK, but here at Sherborne they do active management
0:36:43 > 0:36:49to attract these birds and give them a safe habitat. At this time of
0:36:49 > 0:36:55year, they are flocking in these wonderful mixed groups. All sorts of
0:36:55 > 0:37:00birds in that flock. Linnet, yellowhammer... The fact they flock
0:37:00 > 0:37:05together has given us the perfect opportunity to do an experiment.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10Many farmers take up countryside stewardship schemes, which encourage
0:37:10 > 0:37:17them to plant strips of land that provide winter food for these birds.
0:37:17 > 0:37:22Other farmers put seed like that out into the field to keep these birds
0:37:22 > 0:37:26going. We wanted to see which sees appeal to which birds and how
0:37:26 > 0:37:32important they were in their diet. We set up an experiment with six
0:37:32 > 0:37:40trays. We separated the seeds. We left this out in the fields and we
0:37:40 > 0:37:45waited for the birds to come and do their work.It's been quite a
0:37:45 > 0:37:50successful experiment, because we've had lots of visitors. A whole
0:37:50 > 0:37:55variety of farmland birds, and a few garden birds taking advantage as
0:37:55 > 0:38:03well. They are on lots of different seeds. Linnets, greenfinch as well,
0:38:03 > 0:38:09you can see them chewing away at the seed. A robin in the background.
0:38:09 > 0:38:20Very mixed. Bluetits Mac pro, and a huge variety. We have been watching
0:38:20 > 0:38:26them to see who is eating what.We saw the beaks working there, and we
0:38:26 > 0:38:30can make an analogy between those beaks and household tools like
0:38:30 > 0:38:37these. Long nosed pliers, Bull nose pliers and secateurs. Let's look at
0:38:37 > 0:38:43the birds individually. Let's start off with the linnet. Which seeds did
0:38:43 > 0:38:50the linnet go for? You can see those tiny little bills. Short, stubby but
0:38:50 > 0:38:55sharp bills, manipulating the seeds to remove the husk and get to the
0:38:55 > 0:39:02interior. The shot shows that the linnet is quite keen on the rape
0:39:02 > 0:39:11seed. Most of the time, they were on that. We think that might be an
0:39:11 > 0:39:14artefact of the experiment because some of the birds were messy at the
0:39:14 > 0:39:20table and scattered the seeds around. The linnets may have been
0:39:20 > 0:39:27taking them from other trays. They are feeding on this very small seed
0:39:27 > 0:39:33here, the rape seed. You can see that the linnet has that very fine
0:39:33 > 0:39:38beak. They use that to hold the seeds, crush it and remove the husk
0:39:38 > 0:39:45and try to get to the interior part. They are much more dextrous than a
0:39:45 > 0:39:51pair of pliers.Let's look at another bird that uses a different
0:39:51 > 0:39:55technique, the reed bunting. That has a slightly bigger beak, and it
0:39:55 > 0:40:03has a very different techniques. It picks those seeds up and get them
0:40:03 > 0:40:14into the side of its beak, the toe meal rich. And it slices through.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17meal rich. And it slices through. So 23% canary seed, 23% wheat. I guess
0:40:17 > 0:40:23they're beak is more like these, the secateurs. If I take one of the
0:40:23 > 0:40:27seeds that reed bunting was eating and put it into the secateurs, just
0:40:27 > 0:40:33like the reed bunting's beak, it slices through the husk and releases
0:40:33 > 0:40:39the seed. It means that it can go for a larger variety of seeds,
0:40:39 > 0:40:44because it has that bigger beak. Indeed. What about the last species
0:40:44 > 0:40:50we are looking at, the greenfinch? You may think of them as a garden
0:40:50 > 0:40:54bird, but before gardens they were feeding on woodland edges, where
0:40:54 > 0:40:59these plants were growing. The greenfinches have a stouter bill.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03Still sharp and pointed. You can see them using their tongue to
0:41:03 > 0:41:12manipulate the seed into the right place, where they can place it on to
0:41:12 > 0:41:18the tomia Ridge. They were not interested in canary or wheat at
0:41:18 > 0:41:25all. This is the equivalent of the green Finch beak, a pair of bullnose
0:41:25 > 0:41:33pliers. Same principle, but it allows them to feed on larger seeds.
0:41:33 > 0:41:40We asked if this was the optimal seed mix? Should it be a mix?
0:41:40 > 0:41:45Sunflowers are good, rape seeds are good, but I reckon we could probably
0:41:45 > 0:41:50get rid of the oats. Not much was taken. They are basically a cheap
0:41:50 > 0:41:55filler.It's not just about handling time with the seeds and the ability
0:41:55 > 0:42:00to open them, it's about the calorific award for them. Of all the
0:42:00 > 0:42:04seeds here, the richest are the rape seed and sunflower seed, and that is
0:42:04 > 0:42:09what the birds were going for. They were leaving those that represented
0:42:09 > 0:42:16less calorific return for effort behind. 29% of European birds are
0:42:16 > 0:42:24eating seeds. Another neat fact, scientists from universities, in
0:42:24 > 0:42:28conjunction with the Netherlands Institute of ecology, have been
0:42:28 > 0:42:33contrast in great tits in Holland and the UK. They found that since
0:42:33 > 0:42:401970, the bills of the UK's great tits have increased in length by 0.3
0:42:40 > 0:42:45of a millimetre. They think it is because they are feeding more on
0:42:45 > 0:42:54bird feeders. We spent £337 million a year in the UK feeding our birds,
0:42:54 > 0:43:05whilst our European neighbours spend £167 million a year on the whole
0:43:11 > 0:43:14continent feeding birds. We are way ahead, and some evidence suggests we
0:43:14 > 0:43:16are driving evolution by doing so. Evidence in Arizona shows the same
0:43:16 > 0:43:20thing. Birds to eat in cities are changing their bill shape. And it is
0:43:20 > 0:43:25affecting their ability to sing. They are having to sing to a
0:43:25 > 0:43:32different tune to their country cousins!That is amazing. Let's head
0:43:32 > 0:43:36back to Scotland, to the East Coast, where Lucy Cooke went a couple of
0:43:36 > 0:43:41weeks ago to take a look at one of our largest mammals, and the fact
0:43:41 > 0:43:47that sometimes there's a lot more going on than meets the eye.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52The UK is a relatively small group of islands, but it punches well
0:43:52 > 0:44:02above its weight for wildlife. Our coasts are home to almost 40% of the
0:44:04 > 0:44:08world's population of grey seals, and this population has been studied
0:44:08 > 0:44:12for 30 years. Every winter, they come ashore to give birth. It may
0:44:12 > 0:44:20look tranquil, but this researcher from Durham University has been
0:44:20 > 0:44:25looking into life at this crucial time of year.There's so many of
0:44:25 > 0:44:31them! I can't believe it. In a lot of ways, they are a mammal that
0:44:31 > 0:44:36wants to be a fish, but unlike fish, they have to come onto land to
0:44:36 > 0:44:46breed.Here in lies the problem.The natural world is difficult. It is
0:44:46 > 0:44:52how these animals cope with stress. Finding food, reproducing. Here they
0:44:52 > 0:44:58have to raise a nice pup that is going to be healthy, and protect it.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02How can you tell if they are stressed?If they are fighting,
0:45:02 > 0:45:07there is a stress there, but they quickly go back to a resting state.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12But that doesn't mean that they have recovered from stress. We have been
0:45:12 > 0:45:18monitoring their heart rates.Sean can record the animals' behaviour
0:45:18 > 0:45:22and their heart rate together. If there is a disturbance in the
0:45:22 > 0:45:27colony, he can compare the behaviour he is seen with the data recorded by
0:45:27 > 0:45:32the heart monitor. You have a lot of kit.This is what we need to monitor
0:45:32 > 0:45:37the seals. We have a camera here that is recording the behaviour of
0:45:37 > 0:45:46this female here. She is wearing one of our heart rate monitors.That is
0:45:46 > 0:45:49her heart rate now? She looks pretty chilled out, just lying there. Is
0:45:49 > 0:45:55that a chilled out heart rate?It is pretty flat across the screen, with
0:45:55 > 0:46:01no big changes. When you get a stressful event like a fight, or a
0:46:01 > 0:46:06pup wanders off, you will see a big change in heart rate. The problem in
0:46:06 > 0:46:11a natural situation like this is it's very difficult to expose a seal
0:46:11 > 0:46:15to a standardised stress. The fights are not the same. So we have to come
0:46:15 > 0:46:28up with a way to expose them to a standardised form of
0:46:28 > 0:46:33standardised form of stress.What is that?There is a trick there.Enter
0:46:33 > 0:46:38Rocky, a remote-controlled car which monitors how the seal mothers
0:46:38 > 0:46:43respond to stress. Presumably this will not harm them in any way?It is
0:46:43 > 0:46:48a very mild form of stress, but it gives them time to get used to
0:46:48 > 0:46:53Rocky. Taking it steady.She is looking around now. Looking at
0:46:53 > 0:47:03Rocky. Her heart rate has gone up.
0:47:03 > 0:47:13Usually their heart rate goes up with the arrival of Rocky.Once
0:47:13 > 0:47:18she's settled, Sean plays a wolf call. Not something she would
0:47:18 > 0:47:33encounter in the wild.That lever, flick it forward. Ready, steady, go.
0:47:37 > 0:47:45She is showing a degree of stress. People often use behaviour as a
0:47:45 > 0:47:50measure of how stressed wild animals are, particularly the presence of
0:47:50 > 0:47:54people and it might be they look pretty chilled, but in terms of
0:47:54 > 0:48:00their physiology, they are quite stressed.A stressed out mother
0:48:00 > 0:48:11burns precious energy that could be better used producing milk for her
0:48:11 > 0:48:17pup. If you are out watching at seal colony, and you think it is fine,
0:48:17 > 0:48:22just because they look OK, it doesn't mean they are?Just be
0:48:22 > 0:48:26careful, don't go jumping around in view of the wildlife, just take it
0:48:26 > 0:48:34easy essentially.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37easy essentially.It is fascinating to discover that even though they
0:48:37 > 0:48:41looked calm, they may be feeling very stressed by your presence. And
0:48:41 > 0:48:50that is food for thought, for those of us who love watching wildlife.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52of us who love watching wildlife.It certainly is, we are constantly
0:48:52 > 0:48:59encouraging people to go out, as we do and try to get as close to
0:48:59 > 0:49:04wildlife and enjoyed it. But those stress calls are very subtle. It
0:49:04 > 0:49:09would be interesting to know more about that, particularly in
0:49:09 > 0:49:14photography and film-making. We think we are far away not to
0:49:14 > 0:49:18interrupt these animals, but maybe we are not far enough.We don't
0:49:18 > 0:49:23speak the same language do we.You know when your dog is stress, but it
0:49:23 > 0:49:28is difficult to know when a seal is stressed, but we are learning.If
0:49:28 > 0:49:38you are stressed, there is a great way to distress, go out and do some
0:49:38 > 0:49:43bird-watching, especially the lapwing. They are beautiful animals.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46They have very error doesn't feathers, hard to see with this.
0:49:46 > 0:49:51They have clubbed wings. They have the lovely crest on the top of their
0:49:51 > 0:50:00head. It is my dad's favourite bird. The numbers have dropped by 60% in
0:50:00 > 0:50:07the last 40 years.But it is a beautiful bird. Stunning.Our
0:50:07 > 0:50:10cameraman went out last night and managed to film the lapwing at
0:50:10 > 0:50:20night. What was going on was that under the bright moonlight, these
0:50:20 > 0:50:26lapwing were taking advantage to feed. Quite a substantial flock.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29There is the rabbit in the background. But they are feeding on
0:50:29 > 0:50:34worms and invertebrates on the ground. It wasn't completely dark
0:50:34 > 0:50:38because the moon was out, but I am surprised that when they fly off,
0:50:38 > 0:50:44these birds but are used to flying in the day, they go bashing into
0:50:44 > 0:50:49each other. They look slightly wobbly. Not quite in control of
0:50:49 > 0:50:54their flight. But remarkable to see them taking advantage of the
0:50:54 > 0:50:59moonlight. Avian predators are not around, so as sensible strategy.Not
0:50:59 > 0:51:03the
0:51:04 > 0:51:09the only species foraging. Our cameraman found a heron hunting.
0:51:09 > 0:51:16Typical hunting strategy. Still, stand and wait and then stabbed. It
0:51:16 > 0:51:20scores as well. The must have been a little light for this bird to be
0:51:20 > 0:51:24hunting. Sometimes they will use artificial light, street lights. If
0:51:24 > 0:51:28they are near somewhere where there is plenty of fish, they will turn
0:51:28 > 0:51:34up. The other thing is, we have seen other birds taking advantage of
0:51:34 > 0:51:39human writing. Read Shanks, I remember reading a few years ago do
0:51:39 > 0:51:45well, wading birds.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47well, wading birds. It illuminates the muds, which would otherwise be
0:51:47 > 0:51:52darker.
0:51:53 > 0:52:01darker. And the birds who were foraging under this light had a
0:52:01 > 0:52:09heavier body mass.My dad used to go out to try and harpoon Mullet. He
0:52:09 > 0:52:15never got one. He wasn't like the heron. He never got one. Just as
0:52:15 > 0:52:22well.Heron have adapted, unlike your dad. What about this time a
0:52:22 > 0:52:30beer? It has got cold this morning. The most inhospitable environment,
0:52:30 > 0:52:36top of the Cairngorms perhaps? Ice and snow, terrible wind. You could
0:52:36 > 0:52:44dress up warm, but you wouldn't want to jump into a loch on the West
0:52:44 > 0:52:49Coast of Scotland, you think it would be dead cold. But in fact,
0:52:49 > 0:52:56they are dead of life. Midwinter in the Scottish Highlands.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00Snowcapped mountains stand sentinel over the still surface of
0:53:00 > 0:53:12Lochcarron. But underwater, the cold current still team with activity.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19And for one, strange life form, these cold months herald the start
0:53:19 > 0:53:25of their year. These peculiar protrusions are colonial soft corals
0:53:25 > 0:53:32and they have lain dormant since high summer, when encrusting orange
0:53:32 > 0:53:37algae overpowered them, causing them to shut down. Now, with the algae
0:53:37 > 0:53:45killed by the cold, pale feeding fingers or polyps start to emerge
0:53:45 > 0:53:50from the fleshy colonies. Waving gently in the current, they beat to
0:53:50 > 0:53:55the rid of the tide. They are collecting the early-season plankton
0:53:55 > 0:54:01and it is the ghostly colour and feathery appearance that gives this
0:54:01 > 0:54:07coral its common name, dead man's fingers. But names can be
0:54:07 > 0:54:13misleading. For these colonial beings, actually bring life to this
0:54:13 > 0:54:25reef, creating a unique habitat for a multifaceted sci-fi cast.
0:54:27 > 0:54:35A tiny and the pod scavengers amongst the feathery polyps of the
0:54:35 > 0:54:40coral. Microscopic scraps litter the surface, but this little crustacean
0:54:40 > 0:54:44is brazen and will even try to steal food from the polyps themselves.
0:54:44 > 0:54:56They seem to know what it wants and shrink away as it comes close.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59shrink away as it comes close. It causes little harm to the colony,
0:54:59 > 0:55:05but lurking nearby is a genuine threat.
0:55:12 > 0:55:17This sea slug only lives for a year but is entirely dependent on dead
0:55:17 > 0:55:24man's fingers throughout its short life.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28life. Its eyes are extremely primitive, relying instead on a pair
0:55:28 > 0:55:33of sensory tentacles to build a chemical picture of their world to
0:55:33 > 0:55:42find their food. Sensing danger, the dead man's finger retracts its
0:55:42 > 0:55:50polyps, but it's still vulnerable. Unlike hard corals have a
0:55:50 > 0:55:56protective, calcified casing, soft is
0:55:58 > 0:56:03is rubbery and the slug's jaws are more than capable of biting through
0:56:03 > 0:56:11it. With a captive food source, they grow quickly, reaching a whopping
0:56:11 > 0:56:17eight inches in length, making them the UK's largest sea slug. Despite
0:56:17 > 0:56:21the onslaught, the dead man's fingers thrive in these cold waters
0:56:21 > 0:56:26and at this time of the year, they have put themselves in prime
0:56:26 > 0:56:31position to take advantage of the plankton rich spring tides. He would
0:56:31 > 0:56:36have thought it? A winter reef teeming with life at the bottom of
0:56:36 > 0:56:39the Scottish loch, all built on a colonial creature with death in its
0:56:39 > 0:56:45name. I cannot believe there is that much
0:56:45 > 0:56:50colour and explosion of life in the freezing cold loch.To the cameraman
0:56:50 > 0:56:56for getting in that freezing cold loch. At the beginning we told you a
0:56:56 > 0:57:01tantalising
0:57:03 > 0:57:11tantalising view of ermin. This is what has been sent in. This is from
0:57:11 > 0:57:17Killian and this is in her back garden.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23garden. This is an ermin rolling an egg. It rolled along the patio. Have
0:57:23 > 0:57:33you ever seen an ermin.In 18.7 lumens, I have never seen one.Take
0:57:33 > 0:57:41a look at these.
0:57:41 > 0:57:46a look at these. Simon West, we don't know where it is from. This is
0:57:46 > 0:57:52from Pat Wallace on Facebook.This is a quote from a Renaissance writer
0:57:52 > 0:57:58who reminds us to keep our minds and consciences as pure as the ermin
0:57:58 > 0:58:09keeps its first.Do you do that?My fair is always spotless.We are
0:58:09 > 0:58:13doing a Facebook live, so go to the Springwatch Facebook page and we
0:58:13 > 0:58:18will answer some of your questions. Tomorrow is our final show. Killian
0:58:18 > 0:58:26will still be in Ireland where she will be investigating the hen
0:58:26 > 0:58:29harrier population.We will be looking at the badgers scene where
0:58:29 > 0:58:34they have been and using resources. I shall have a nocturnal adventure
0:58:34 > 0:58:38as I search for an enchanting bird, catching it in the middle of the
0:58:38 > 0:58:47night. Tomorrow night, we are on at 9pm, an hour later. Immediately
0:58:47 > 0:58:51after this, McHale will take over on Facebook and we will be answering
0:58:51 > 0:59:05questions you have sent him. -- Micaela.Goodbye. Goodbye.Goodbye.