0:00:06 > 0:00:11It might be our final show but the action hasn't stopped.
0:00:11 > 0:00:17We're going to burn out with a fabulous last show.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Tonight we'll catch up with some of our old friends.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26And some chart-topping new ones.It sounds like a hit to me, welcome to
0:00:26 > 0:00:33Winterwatch!
0:00:47 > 0:00:52Hello and welcome to our final show of Winterwatch, 2018, coming to you
0:00:52 > 0:00:54live from the National Trust's Sherborne Park estate in
0:00:54 > 0:00:58Gloucestershire. We were here for Springwatch and Autumnwatch and
0:00:58 > 0:01:02we've enjoyed our time on Winterwatch but it is sadly the
0:01:02 > 0:01:06final show. Another good show, and other scientific first and we've
0:01:06 > 0:01:16also got some bad news. Mark Allman and -- Mark Hendrie is limping badly
0:01:16 > 0:01:21and I'm afraid to say we've yet to hear from the lady. Honestly,
0:01:21 > 0:01:28honestly.Don't hold your breath! It's been a fantastic week, we've
0:01:28 > 0:01:34seen some great wildlife. Let's see what our cameramen have been seeing.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37This is the Cotswolds countryside, a lot of grassland, rabbits and hares
0:01:37 > 0:01:44you can see there. This time of year is great for winter visitors and in
0:01:44 > 0:01:52the tree at the back, the redwing. This is a mixed flock, very common
0:01:52 > 0:02:00at this time of year. Beautiful shot of a kestrel. You can see a lot of
0:02:00 > 0:02:03barn owls. We enjoyed them on Springwatch. This one is hunting in
0:02:03 > 0:02:08the day but I'm sure with the super blue moon last night he made the
0:02:08 > 0:02:14most of it, was probably out all night. Beautiful. This is fantastic,
0:02:14 > 0:02:26piece are -- fees are golden plovers. Quite a spectacle. Lapwings
0:02:26 > 0:02:33mixed in as well. A winter spectacle not just to see but also to here as
0:02:33 > 0:02:38well. I love it, don't you, that white flash that goes across the
0:02:38 > 0:02:43screen.Gorgeous, suddenly turning together. We've seen a lot of
0:02:43 > 0:02:47wonderful things during the daylight hours but we've also seen some
0:02:47 > 0:02:50fascinating animal activity at night. A
0:02:50 > 0:02:51fascinating animal activity at night. A couple of nights ago we had
0:02:51 > 0:02:56a glimpse of a Woodcock and this is another one that we recorded about
0:02:56 > 0:03:04three minutes ago. Here's a Woodcock doing what they do, going out at
0:03:04 > 0:03:10night, finding food, worms, insects and insect larvae. We have a
0:03:10 > 0:03:15resident population of Woodcock but they are swollen by about 1 million
0:03:15 > 0:03:18migrants coming to us in the autumn. A
0:03:18 > 0:03:20migrants coming to us in the autumn. A lovely bird. One of my favourite
0:03:20 > 0:03:37Latin names. If I have any more children I think I will call
0:03:37 > 0:03:43children I think I will call them Scolopax.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Scolopax. Have we still got it? Yes, it's still feeding. You can see the
0:03:47 > 0:03:56length of the bill, enormously long, probing around.Great to see because
0:03:56 > 0:03:58you never see them.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00probing around.Great to see because you never see them.They go in
0:04:00 > 0:04:03amongst the leaves and dates snuggle down and apparently you can
0:04:03 > 0:04:03amongst the leaves and dates snuggle down and apparently you can tread on
0:04:03 > 0:04:11them before they take off. Great to see. Chris Kamara you're going to
0:04:11 > 0:04:13show us?This is a
0:04:13 > 0:04:13see. Chris Kamara you're going to show us?This is a taxidermy
0:04:13 > 0:04:18specimen to give you the idea of scale, you can see how big is next
0:04:18 > 0:04:24to this 50p piece and you can see the remarkable plumage. When they
0:04:24 > 0:04:28nestle down, as you say, in the daytime, they are nearly impossible
0:04:28 > 0:04:31to spot. Beautiful birds.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33daytime, they are nearly impossible to spot. Beautiful birds.I once had
0:04:33 > 0:04:42one in my hand, Chris, and I could smell it. It was like
0:04:42 > 0:04:49smell it. It was like Marc Almond and herbs.Let's sniff this one. --
0:04:49 > 0:04:56it was like houmous and herbs. We've been watching mammals using the
0:04:56 > 0:04:56it was like houmous and herbs. We've been watching mammals using the
0:04:56 > 0:05:01thermal camera. We started with the lapwing in the foreground but in the
0:05:01 > 0:05:06background you can see the hares. Quite a lot of hare activity. They
0:05:06 > 0:05:10are in groups because the mating season is coming up. You can see a
0:05:10 > 0:05:17rather keen male chasing a female and she turns around and gives him a
0:05:17 > 0:05:21quick box. The females do the boxing, driving away the unwanted
0:05:21 > 0:05:26attention. This one seems to be practising. We think it's actually
0:05:26 > 0:05:31shaking water off of its feet. We're not sure family hares there are in
0:05:31 > 0:05:31the
0:05:31 > 0:05:32not sure family hares there are in the UK, there hasn't been an
0:05:32 > 0:05:37up-to-date census. We know that there are more in the east and fewer
0:05:37 > 0:05:42in the south-west. Another thing to McVeigh and introduced species. Most
0:05:42 > 0:05:53people know that the rabbits were introduced, but the hares are also.
0:05:53 > 0:05:5948% of them are native and the rest are not.Punishing statistic when
0:05:59 > 0:06:05you think about it, a lot of non-native mammals -- astonishing
0:06:05 > 0:06:06statistic.Let's see what we
0:06:06 > 0:06:07non-native mammals -- astonishing statistic.Let's see what we can see
0:06:07 > 0:06:13on the thermal camera. We have a hare.Is it a hare or a rabbit?
0:06:13 > 0:06:18That's a hare! It's
0:06:18 > 0:06:19hare.Is it a hare or a rabbit? That's a hare! It's quite mild this
0:06:19 > 0:06:23evening. An interesting week for the weather because the temperature has
0:06:23 > 0:06:26dropped over the last couple of days but let's face it, the weather is
0:06:26 > 0:06:32nothing when you compared it to winter up in the Scottish Highlands.
0:06:36 > 0:06:42The Cairngorms mountain 's, Scotland's last true wilderness.
0:06:48 > 0:06:56Winter brings a serene beauty to the landscape. It's a majestic
0:06:56 > 0:07:03monochrome Medley.
0:07:03 > 0:07:10While much of the land is held in an icy grip, some of the deeper locks
0:07:10 > 0:07:16escape its grasp.
0:07:16 > 0:07:23escape its grasp. A GoldenEye makes the most of the opportunity.
0:07:23 > 0:07:29the most of the opportunity. It is a diving duck and must face the icy
0:07:29 > 0:07:34water to find food. These ducks are very well adapted to their
0:07:34 > 0:07:38lifestyle. More compact and heavier than other
0:07:38 > 0:07:40lifestyle. More compact and heavier than other waterfowl, they also
0:07:40 > 0:07:47appear to shrink just before they dive. Feathers squeezing together to
0:07:47 > 0:07:54get rid of trapped air and reduce buoyancy.
0:07:54 > 0:08:02buoyancy. Resurfacing, the cold loch is literally water off a duck's back
0:08:02 > 0:08:10which is just as well because it could otherwise be fatal.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15The Cairngorms are the only place in the UK that experiences a true
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Arctic style winter. And the beauty of the landscape belies the harsh
0:08:20 > 0:08:33reality of life here. In the depths of winter, animals are scarce. Only
0:08:33 > 0:08:43the hardiest can survive.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49Mountain hares are the largest mammal is able to remain up here.
0:08:52 > 0:08:59Having shed their summer coats, they blend in perfectly. Only their ears
0:08:59 > 0:09:07give them away. Mountain hares have an incredibly thick coat with three
0:09:07 > 0:09:13different layers
0:09:15 > 0:09:18different layers of fur. To survive in these temperatures they must rest
0:09:18 > 0:09:27as much as they can. Food is scarce on the mountain. The summer grasses
0:09:27 > 0:09:33have died and only Heather remains, hidden under the thick snow.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43But hares are experts in knowing where to
0:09:43 > 0:09:48But hares are experts in knowing where to
0:09:48 > 0:09:49But hares are experts in knowing where to
0:09:49 > 0:09:54dig. They aren't the only creatures
0:09:54 > 0:10:00relying on this nutrient poor plants to get them through the winter.
0:10:01 > 0:10:10Ptarmigan are also abundant here. Like the hares, these grouse have
0:10:10 > 0:10:18special winter plumage. They are, perhaps, the ultimate mountain
0:10:18 > 0:10:24specialists and are fully equipped to survive the cold.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27to survive the cold. Expensive foot feathers act like dual-purpose
0:10:27 > 0:10:37snowshoes. Their nostrils are hidden. And even their eyelids have
0:10:37 > 0:10:43a feathery outer coating. But even with all this protection, they still
0:10:43 > 0:10:50need to hunker down to keep warm. Snow holes give a degree of shelter
0:10:50 > 0:10:57on these exposed slopes. But why dig your own if you can steal somebody
0:10:57 > 0:11:02else's.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14A raised red eye: indicates that the faith isn't about to give up his
0:11:14 > 0:11:20spot in a hurry. -- the thief.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28This is an unforgiving place to overwinter but these ptarmigan, like
0:11:28 > 0:11:33the other animals that live here, have found ways to survive, even in
0:11:33 > 0:11:38the UK's most extreme winter environment.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53It's absolutely beautiful in the Cairngorms, isn't it? It has been
0:11:53 > 0:11:58cold today, -4, which doesn't sound so bad, heavy snow, wind is up to 75
0:11:58 > 0:12:05mph, making it feel like -20! Now that's cold.And those ptarmigan are
0:12:05 > 0:12:09still out there, hunker down in the snow. You have to take your hat off
0:12:09 > 0:12:13to them. We tend to think that we know pretty much everything there is
0:12:13 > 0:12:18to know about our British wildlife but even species like the badger, we
0:12:18 > 0:12:21don't know everything yet. When we arrived at Sherborne we noticed that
0:12:21 > 0:12:25the badgers weren't living like they do in other parts of the country so
0:12:25 > 0:12:30we've been working with Doctor Dawn Scott and her team from the
0:12:30 > 0:12:32University of Brighton to learn about the ecology of these animals
0:12:32 > 0:12:38here and we have tagged three of them so we can learn about their
0:12:38 > 0:12:43movements.There are three different setts. Let's see which ones we've
0:12:43 > 0:12:48seen. This is the century would sett, that's Marc Almond. We've seen
0:12:48 > 0:12:55a lot of him, he's enjoyed the limelight. This is the other sett,
0:12:55 > 0:13:00and we've had glimpses of David Bowie on the thermal camera. The
0:13:00 > 0:13:04final sett is in a bush on the hill and we finally seen the shy and
0:13:04 > 0:13:08retiring Kate Bush. She was on the wild and windy moors, but she came
0:13:08 > 0:13:13home.We named a badger after Kate Bush and we respect the fact that
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Kate is a rather private and even slightly reclusive lady but come on,
0:13:17 > 0:13:23Kate, but acknowledged the fact that we named a badger after you! Not
0:13:23 > 0:13:29everybody does. What about the collars? Some people think they are
0:13:29 > 0:13:35rather large. Dawn and her team are very well qualified and well
0:13:35 > 0:13:38practised, the whole thing is strictly regulated and the collars
0:13:38 > 0:13:44are very robust because they need to be strong enough so the badgers
0:13:44 > 0:13:48cannot scratch them off, they are very strong animals. The battery is
0:13:48 > 0:13:51large but it isn't heavy so the badger isn't carrying a lot of
0:13:51 > 0:13:56weight. Its large because sometimes when we fit these tracking devices,
0:13:56 > 0:14:01they are solar powered and these animals are nocturnal, they can't
0:14:01 > 0:14:05recharge the batteries so they are carrying a battery which we hope
0:14:05 > 0:14:10will last through to the end of Springwatch, giving us later. Rest
0:14:10 > 0:14:13assured, they've been tried and tested and they aren't interrupting
0:14:13 > 0:14:19the health of these animals. Let's see what these animals are up to.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25Let's take a look at the thermal camera. Here is the sett with a
0:14:25 > 0:14:30couple of animals. This is where David is, he's just coming from the
0:14:30 > 0:14:32left. That's David Bowery.
0:14:32 > 0:14:32David is, he's just coming from the left. That's David Bowery. Carrying
0:14:32 > 0:14:43our collar. A bit of anal marking. And look at this, this appears to be
0:14:43 > 0:14:46mating behaviour. Whether it is successful, we can't see because
0:14:46 > 0:14:50they are being quite discreet, making behind a tree. You can
0:14:50 > 0:14:59definitely see that it is a male and he is nibbling the nape of the
0:14:59 > 0:15:03female which is typical when they go through the copulating process. It
0:15:03 > 0:15:04female which is typical when they go through the copulating process. It
0:15:04 > 0:15:07doesn't go well, she's quite grumpy about it. This is the time of year
0:15:07 > 0:15:12when they should be mating. If the female has given birth than the
0:15:12 > 0:15:14males tried to mate with them as quickly as possible and they
0:15:14 > 0:15:22practice delayed implantation, so the embryos are implanted later in
0:15:22 > 0:15:25the year so the female can regulate the number of young she's going to
0:15:25 > 0:15:29have in her litter in the springtime.We've seen a lot of
0:15:29 > 0:15:34action and at this time of year they don't hibernate but they will go
0:15:34 > 0:15:38into winter lethargy and have long periods of inactivity above ground
0:15:38 > 0:15:41but that's not what we're seeing here probably because it's been so
0:15:41 > 0:15:46mild.And they've been hanging around the setts either because they
0:15:46 > 0:15:51are giving birth or keen on mating. A lot of activity from Marc Almond
0:15:51 > 0:15:56but there has been a bit of a development.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00If you look closely you can see he is holding up his left back foot,
0:16:00 > 0:16:06clearly injured. He can't put any pressure on it. We haven't seen any
0:16:06 > 0:16:12other bite marks on him so we don't know if this is from a fight, maybe,
0:16:12 > 0:16:18maybe he has broken it. By quite robust animals, so we are quite
0:16:18 > 0:16:24hopeful that he will be OK -- they are quite. He seems to be OK. He
0:16:24 > 0:16:29disappears into the woods and there is clearly a fight going on. This
0:16:29 > 0:16:35was him at 3:41am this morning. Tending that injured leg, doing some
0:16:35 > 0:16:42preening. Interesting to know how many badgers we have in this sett.
0:16:42 > 0:16:48This is a different badger, there is no collar on this and there is a
0:16:48 > 0:16:52white patch on its back. We could almost call that white patch so we
0:16:52 > 0:16:57know which one we are talking about. These are different badgers again.
0:16:57 > 0:17:04They have markings. They are very subtle but you can see the black
0:17:04 > 0:17:09stripe, and the other one doesn't have that. Subtle but enough to
0:17:09 > 0:17:12determine that they are different badgers and we know we have four
0:17:12 > 0:17:18badgers in this sett and we think there might be Cubs, as well, and
0:17:18 > 0:17:22the reason we think this, this is a female chasing off another badger
0:17:22 > 0:17:29out of that hole, it doesn't happen just once. Throughout the night it
0:17:29 > 0:17:37happens time and time again. As I say, we think she might have given
0:17:37 > 0:17:40birth on the ground, and clearly those Cubs will be tiny and
0:17:40 > 0:17:45vulnerable, and the main reason she is chasing the badgers away is
0:17:45 > 0:17:50because infanticide is common in the badgers especially with females, a
0:17:50 > 0:17:54female badger might go down there and kill the young badgers which
0:17:54 > 0:18:00have been born by another female.We have had them coloured for a number
0:18:00 > 0:18:04of weeks and this is what we have learned so far, this is a map of our
0:18:04 > 0:18:10sett. David Bowie has been ranging over a large area and spending a lot
0:18:10 > 0:18:18of time in the open pasture area, may be feeding on worms, and a bit
0:18:18 > 0:18:23of time in the woodland, we think there might be some outlying setts
0:18:23 > 0:18:27so he might be dividing his time between a main sett and an outline
0:18:27 > 0:18:32one. We have not seen much of Kate Bush but we have been getting plenty
0:18:32 > 0:18:35of good data, and she has been spending some time in the woods and
0:18:35 > 0:18:41also time out foraging in the fields as well. Lastly, Mark Allman, his
0:18:41 > 0:18:45behaviour is different, he has been spending 75% of his time in the wood
0:18:45 > 0:18:48-- Mark Allman.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53Given that he is robust, he weighed 16 kilograms when he was collared,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57he is probably potentially the dominant male in that group, and it
0:18:57 > 0:19:01could be that he is focusing his attention in the woods so that he is
0:19:01 > 0:19:08ready to mate. That limp is clearly a concern but I don't think it was a
0:19:08 > 0:19:14full on fight because if it was, we would expect other injuries. He is a
0:19:14 > 0:19:19very handsome badger and hasn't been torn up around the ears and nose.We
0:19:19 > 0:19:23were keen to see what has happened to him since and this is what we saw
0:19:23 > 0:19:33earlier. That is not Mark because he doesn't have a collar, but he is
0:19:33 > 0:19:38still clearly limping. We have been keeping a eye on him through the day
0:19:38 > 0:19:43and it seems that he is OK. This is interesting. We have heard
0:19:43 > 0:19:47aggressive behaviour.Look how cautions that other animal is when
0:19:47 > 0:19:53approaching him.It is not aggressive, though. Very passive.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Now some in all rubbing between the two of them but no doubt who is the
0:19:58 > 0:20:10top badger. It is marked. -- mark. Often happens with badgers and
0:20:10 > 0:20:14fingers crossed they will be OK.We will be monitoring him over the next
0:20:14 > 0:20:18couple of weeks to make sure that his injuries heal otherwise we will
0:20:18 > 0:20:23try to get some veterinary care. Our farmland birds are in big trouble,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27we tell you that quite often, with some quite serious declines, and we
0:20:27 > 0:20:31know that this is because of changes in agricultural practice in terms of
0:20:31 > 0:20:35loss of habitat and impact on the environment especially after the
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Second World War, but there is one species that have suffered more than
0:20:38 > 0:20:44most, and its range shrank to a tiny part of the South West, a very
0:20:44 > 0:20:52beautiful bird and Gillian was lucky enough to go down and meet it.
0:20:54 > 0:21:01In the depths of winter our farmland might seem completely devoid of life
0:21:01 > 0:21:10but a field like this one is full and has proven to be a lifeline for
0:21:10 > 0:21:18one of our rarest birds. This bunting, a close relative of the
0:21:18 > 0:21:20yellowhammer, although never a common, 100 years ago these
0:21:20 > 0:21:24beautiful birds could be found on farmland right across southern
0:21:24 > 0:21:33Britain. But after the 1950s the numbers plummeted and by 1989 the
0:21:33 > 0:21:38entire population was confined to one tiny corner of the country, the
0:21:38 > 0:21:45coastal farmlands of South Devon. I met with RSPB conservation officer
0:21:45 > 0:21:50Cathy who came here 20 years ago to try and save these birds from what
0:21:50 > 0:21:56seems like inevitable extinction from our shores. This is such a
0:21:56 > 0:22:00beautiful part of the country, but why have these buntings being able
0:22:00 > 0:22:07to hang on?This area is still a area of mixed farmland, so we have
0:22:07 > 0:22:11grassland and arable on the same farm, and in their heyday in the
0:22:11 > 0:22:151930s, that is what all farms across the UK would have had. But since
0:22:15 > 0:22:20then we have seen farm specialisation so in the east you
0:22:20 > 0:22:23have big arable farms and in the West is good for growing grass
0:22:23 > 0:22:30because it rains and we have a lot of Pastoral farms. Having this mixed
0:22:30 > 0:22:36landscape which the buntings favour has become rarer. Where we have
0:22:36 > 0:22:44mixed farming is where we find them. In summer they feed their chicks.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49Miles of hedgerows provides the perfect place to nest but it is the
0:22:49 > 0:22:53arable fields and how they are farmed that is crucial to their
0:22:53 > 0:22:58surviving the winter. John Andrews family have been farming this
0:22:58 > 0:23:05stretch of Devon coast for four generations La
0:23:05 > 0:23:08generations La -- and for nearly 20 years he has been trying to bring
0:23:08 > 0:23:13about a change of fortune for these birds. How has farming changed in
0:23:13 > 0:23:19your time?Going back to the old ways, the single biggest thing we
0:23:19 > 0:23:23have done is shifting away from autumn planting of our cereal crops
0:23:23 > 0:23:31so we were planting in September and October and then the club was
0:23:31 > 0:23:34overwintering, but what we have done is move back to sowing in the spring
0:23:34 > 0:23:41and leaving the club residue over Windsor and in so doing provide
0:23:41 > 0:23:47feeding for overwintering birds -- over winter. So, Gillian, take a
0:23:47 > 0:23:52look at what we have got here. Our spring barley stubble but what you
0:23:52 > 0:23:59can see is the weeds. These weeds provide food. These tufty clumps of
0:23:59 > 0:24:06grass, if we take some, and rub out the seed, here, you will see there
0:24:06 > 0:24:11is food here being provided for overwintering birds and if we look
0:24:11 > 0:24:16underneath we have some grains of Bali. These will provide feed, as
0:24:16 > 0:24:22well. If this was an autumn crop this would now be the new crop which
0:24:22 > 0:24:28would be harvested next year and there wouldn't be any provision for
0:24:28 > 0:24:34food in the autumn crop.This simple shift in sowing times is having a
0:24:34 > 0:24:44dramatic impact on the birdlife on this farm.There, look.Oh!
0:24:44 > 0:24:54Overlook. Those markings, those facial markings, they are beautiful.
0:24:54 > 0:25:02Looking so magnificent. Perched right on the top.They have that
0:25:02 > 0:25:07lash of markings right across the eye.Once you have seen that, you
0:25:07 > 0:25:14know you have got one. Oh, that has made my day.And that proves that
0:25:14 > 0:25:17what we are doing here on the farm is working. It makes my day, as
0:25:17 > 0:25:25well.It must be a great have such a rare bird.Yeah, I'm proud to walk
0:25:25 > 0:25:30round here and see that, to think we are making a difference.And he's
0:25:30 > 0:25:36not alone for the there are now over 200 farms involved in the bunting
0:25:36 > 0:25:41recovery project and is collective effort has benefited these birds in
0:25:41 > 0:25:47a big way.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52a big way. Fantastic. Thanks to the efforts of the RSP and those
0:25:52 > 0:25:55excellent farmers in Devon the number of buntings has gone up from
0:25:55 > 0:26:04around 100 pairs to a thousand pairs -- RSPB. Great news. Some of the
0:26:04 > 0:26:07farmers here in Sherborne are also putting themselves out on a limb for
0:26:07 > 0:26:12the wildlife and especially for the skylarks. The Skylark is a beautiful
0:26:12 > 0:26:20bird. It flies up very high, the mail, to display, and then it
0:26:20 > 0:26:25parachutes down and you get this lovely Skylark song. The lark
0:26:25 > 0:26:29ascending and descending, absolutely beautiful, and you start to hear
0:26:29 > 0:26:33that song now, and by the end of the breed you will hear this much more.
0:26:33 > 0:26:40Very uplifting. -- by the end of February. But they are difficulties
0:26:40 > 0:26:43in studying the skylarks, because when bird ringers want to catch
0:26:43 > 0:26:49their birds they put up those missed nets with very thin mesh so the
0:26:49 > 0:26:54birds can't see it but skylarks tend to live right out in the middle of
0:26:54 > 0:26:58the fields and if you put these nets up they conceived them very easily,
0:26:58 > 0:27:03and that makes catching them to ring them extremely difficult -- they can
0:27:03 > 0:27:08see them very easily for them but there is a brand-new technique and
0:27:08 > 0:27:16in December I went out with a bird ringers group to see them in action,
0:27:16 > 0:27:21and they using a thermal camera, much smaller version compared to
0:27:21 > 0:27:24ours, to see the skylarks as they are roosting in the fields at night,
0:27:24 > 0:27:29picking up the temperature of the birds. This is Anna Field, one of
0:27:29 > 0:27:34the naturalists here at Sherborne. She is brilliant at catching the
0:27:34 > 0:27:40birds. She has got that Skylark. You couldn't possibly have seen that
0:27:40 > 0:27:48without the thermal camera. She puts it gently into the bag. And then it
0:27:48 > 0:27:53gets taken off to be processed and that is what we did next, we had a
0:27:53 > 0:28:04Skylark in hand. There we go.Aren't they gorgeous question at for a
0:28:04 > 0:28:10little brown bird -- aren't they gorgeous?It is fascinating, you
0:28:10 > 0:28:14hear them, the sound of summer, the beautiful evocative sound but to see
0:28:14 > 0:28:22them close up is a real treat.Ring number 37.37.We are doing a winger
0:28:22 > 0:28:32measurement. 116. -- wing.This new technique allows you to catch many
0:28:32 > 0:28:38more skylarks and ring them than you had been able to do before, why?It
0:28:38 > 0:28:42is precisely because so few have been caught in the past and it means
0:28:42 > 0:28:47that we get very little data back from those skylarks to enable us to
0:28:47 > 0:28:50know where they moved to and how long they live and changes in their
0:28:50 > 0:28:57body size. It is a red listed species, endangered.We need other
0:28:57 > 0:29:02people to use the technique we can acquire more data?Indeed, and then
0:29:02 > 0:29:08our knowledge of the Skylark will increase because we will get more
0:29:08 > 0:29:15recoveries of birds that have been ruined. -- ringed.To give you an
0:29:15 > 0:29:19idea of how successful the thermal camera has been, they managed to
0:29:19 > 0:29:28capture a total of... Let me get this right, 200 birds. The whole
0:29:28 > 0:29:33country, 200 skylarks, but in the winter of 2016-2017, they caught a
0:29:33 > 0:29:40total of 400 on just three separate farms, so this is clearly very
0:29:40 > 0:29:44successful, this way of catching those very difficult birds. While we
0:29:44 > 0:29:49were out on that trip, we didn't just catch skylarks, we got
0:29:49 > 0:29:57something else. This is a meadow pipit, also a very difficult birds
0:29:57 > 0:30:07to catch, but this was a golden plover, and this was the first one
0:30:07 > 0:30:11which is ever been ringed in the whole of Gloucester. The whole
0:30:11 > 0:30:16ringing group hope that this technique can be extended to other
0:30:16 > 0:30:19ringing groups up and down the country so they can catch the very
0:30:19 > 0:30:28difficult birds. Chris, this is a great technique can others use it?
0:30:28 > 0:30:35They have been using it, Ian Livingstone and the Clyde ringing
0:30:35 > 0:30:40group have been using them to catch another enigmatic bird, the jack
0:30:40 > 0:30:45snipe. Like the common snipe but it is a winter migrants arriving in the
0:30:45 > 0:30:52UK. We have no idea how many arrive in the winter, maybe 100,000. Ian
0:30:52 > 0:30:56and his colleagues last winter caught 20 of them and fitted them
0:30:56 > 0:30:58with geode locators, tiny devices recording the information about
0:30:58 > 0:31:04where the bird is. This year one of them came back and they cod it and
0:31:04 > 0:31:05where the bird is. This year one of them came back and they cod it and
0:31:05 > 0:31:10discovered something extraordinary. They cod the bird last year in
0:31:10 > 0:31:12December, it stayed the other side
0:31:12 > 0:31:12They cod the bird last year in December, it stayed the other side
0:31:12 > 0:31:16of Glasgow on the western side until February, then it flew over to
0:31:16 > 0:31:20northern Germany where it spent between March and April and then it
0:31:20 > 0:31:25took an enormous flight out here to the top northern part of Russia
0:31:25 > 0:31:31where it stayed between May and September, presumably breeding. In
0:31:31 > 0:31:37September it went back over here and arrived in Sweden in October and
0:31:37 > 0:31:40finally it jumped back over to Scotland where they recovered the
0:31:40 > 0:31:48locator. The distance between Glasgow and the reserve here in
0:31:48 > 0:31:53Russia is 3500 kilometres and this bird weighs just 55 grams. This is
0:31:53 > 0:31:59the first time ever in the UK that we found out where any of the Jack
0:31:59 > 0:32:04Snipe are going to or from and is the second time in the world. Great
0:32:04 > 0:32:08piece of science from Ian and the Clyde ringing group. That's what we
0:32:08 > 0:32:09piece of science from Ian and the Clyde ringing group. That's what we
0:32:09 > 0:32:11like, those tracking devices are teaching us a lot more a lot more
0:32:11 > 0:32:18quickly about these animals so we can better conserve them. Britain's
0:32:18 > 0:32:22favourite mammal is in a catastrophic decline and we are
0:32:22 > 0:32:26really worried about it but we'll is future be science fiction or science
0:32:26 > 0:32:34fact? -- will its future.
0:32:34 > 0:32:44Climate change has altered Britain. Combined with unrelenting urban
0:32:44 > 0:32:50sprawl, it's had a devastating effect on the natural world. And for
0:32:50 > 0:33:01some species, time is running out.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Do you like our hedgehog? It's not artificial but it is increasingly
0:33:05 > 0:33:14rare. Our spine manner should be hibernating but this winter it's
0:33:14 > 0:33:20just not cold enough. The drive to find food forces her onto the busy
0:33:20 > 0:33:28streets.
0:33:32 > 0:33:44Quite an experience, to live in fear, isn't it?
0:33:48 > 0:33:59Cities aren't built with hedgehogs in mind.
0:33:59 > 0:34:06in mind. She's not equipped to deal with this unnatural landscape. To
0:34:06 > 0:34:16survive each night she must eat at least 16% of her own body weight.
0:34:16 > 0:34:27But in winter, food is scarce.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33An upturned rubbish bin provides temporary relief. And this meagre
0:34:33 > 0:34:38meal may have to do for tonight.
0:34:51 > 0:35:03In a metropolis full of synthetic smells... She's drawn to the toxic
0:35:03 > 0:35:07chemicals coating abandoned car parks.
0:35:09 > 0:35:15But hunger is not the reason here. She's mixing the grease with saliva
0:35:15 > 0:35:23to form a thick foam. She copes hurt finds in it. Could this be a ploy to
0:35:23 > 0:35:30deter potential predators with a noxious taste and smell? It is
0:35:30 > 0:35:37called self anointing and where once she would have used became material
0:35:37 > 0:35:42and natural toxins now she makes do with man-made toxins. Nothing is
0:35:42 > 0:35:50worse than having an itch you can never scratch. Escaping the bright
0:35:50 > 0:35:53lights, she struggles through a small hole in a fence into a darker
0:35:53 > 0:36:01territory. Holes like this used to be commonplace. But now she's lucky
0:36:01 > 0:36:06to find one.
0:36:06 > 0:36:14to find one. Our gardens were once an oasis for hedgehogs. But this
0:36:14 > 0:36:16sterile environment replicates the city around it, restricting what
0:36:16 > 0:36:28life remains. An abundance of slug pellets poisons her food.
0:36:28 > 0:36:38This is no place to find a meal.
0:36:39 > 0:36:51A new danger looms. A busy road is a dangerous obstacle for a hedgehog.
0:36:53 > 0:36:59Those self-anointed spines won't save her here.
0:37:06 > 0:37:12With the volume of traffic out of control, roads have crisscrossed and
0:37:12 > 0:37:25fragmented her brave new world. She needs to find refuge before dawn.
0:37:30 > 0:37:37Finally, a place where she can retire.
0:37:37 > 0:37:43retire. Do hedgehogs dream of Electric slugs? She's seen things we
0:37:43 > 0:37:49wouldn't believe, meadows blowing under the consolation of Orion,
0:37:49 > 0:37:54moonbeams listening by the garden gate and if we don't act, those
0:37:54 > 0:38:02moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06tears in rain.That may seem like a very bleak vision of the future but
0:38:06 > 0:38:12sadly, for some of our hedgehogs, that's already a reality. They used
0:38:12 > 0:38:17to be common but now you are lucky to see one in your gardens. Since
0:38:17 > 0:38:202002 they've declined by 30% and we think there are only about 1 million
0:38:20 > 0:38:26left in the UK. This winter must be very confusing because in so areas
0:38:26 > 0:38:33it's been so mild. If you're lucky to see one in your garden, please
0:38:33 > 0:38:39put down some food for him, a tin of dog meat. A lot of information on
0:38:39 > 0:38:45the website. Go to the website and check it out.In the last couple of
0:38:45 > 0:38:51days on-site in Sherborne we've been hearing a curious sound.
0:38:51 > 0:38:57RATTLING SOUND.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02Have you been hearing that? What is it? It is a woodpecker drumming.
0:39:02 > 0:39:10They do it at this time of year, the males do it to attract a mate and
0:39:10 > 0:39:15define their territory. We managed to film one doing its drumming. It's
0:39:15 > 0:39:23right behind the caravan.You can clearly hear it.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26clearly hear it.DRUMMING SOUND.It was filmed this morning.
0:39:26 > 0:39:35Extraordinary sound.They can actually hit the wood is 20 times in
0:39:35 > 0:39:40a second as they are doing that with that fantastic impact. You'd imagine
0:39:40 > 0:39:46they get a headache. It is not any old piece of wood, they are very
0:39:46 > 0:39:52selective, to find the right one.At this time of year, all times of
0:39:52 > 0:39:55year, you see them trying lots of different trees and they are looking
0:39:55 > 0:40:00to see which one is the loudest because that's what they want. We'll
0:40:00 > 0:40:05demonstrate it. You have to use your imagination a bit! This is a
0:40:05 > 0:40:14woodpecker, my drill! And this is its beak. This is a solid piece of
0:40:14 > 0:40:22wood. If I do that, pretty loud. Quite noisy.Let's try a hollow
0:40:22 > 0:40:25piece of wood.I will illustrate the hollowness.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29LOUDER SOUND.
0:40:32 > 0:40:38Clearly that is a lot louder so the hollow tree resonates the sound,
0:40:38 > 0:40:44meaning it goes much further. They are looking for a hollow tree. What
0:40:44 > 0:40:48is truly remarkable is the force that they experience when their beak
0:40:48 > 0:40:56hits the tree. They can experience a deceleration force of 1000 G, 1000
0:40:56 > 0:41:02times the force of gravity. Now, if we did that, then just 100 G would
0:41:02 > 0:41:07be enough to kill us. So they can cope with ten times what we can cope
0:41:07 > 0:41:12with. So how have they adapted to do that sort of head-banging?
0:41:12 > 0:41:18Fascinating biology. There are three things. Firstly the structure of the
0:41:18 > 0:41:24skull itself, the bones. That is a section through the skull of a
0:41:24 > 0:41:28woodpecker. It looks very open but that's actually very tough, light
0:41:28 > 0:41:34but strong, so it resists fracture. They don't fracture their skulls as
0:41:34 > 0:41:39baits into the wood. Their brains, they have very little cerebrospinal
0:41:39 > 0:41:43fluid, so the brain fills the skull and it doesn't move around as they
0:41:43 > 0:41:48bang into the word. And this is the most extraordinary thing, this is
0:41:48 > 0:41:49the skull of a woodpecker.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51most extraordinary thing, this is the skull of a woodpecker. Can you
0:41:51 > 0:41:56see these little bits going over the top? That is a special bone that
0:41:56 > 0:42:01acts like a safety belt. It wraps around and as the skull goes in, it
0:42:01 > 0:42:07grabs hold very tight to the skull. Extraordinary bit of biology.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09grabs hold very tight to the skull. Extraordinary bit of biology.Have
0:42:09 > 0:42:14you ever tried head-banging? It really hurts! You know, when you
0:42:14 > 0:42:19were younger, to the music.I remember that!From King wishes to
0:42:19 > 0:42:28hen harriers... From Kingfisher 's! Tonight Gillian is finding out why
0:42:28 > 0:42:32Islay is one of the best places in the UK to see them.
0:42:32 > 0:42:41Welcome to a beautiful moonlit but windy night on Islay. We are on the
0:42:41 > 0:42:45RSPB reserve. Last night we were down on the marshland and tonight
0:42:45 > 0:42:52we've come to higher ground.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56we've come to higher ground. This is an open and wild country and it's
0:42:56 > 0:43:03dominated by heather moorland. It's managed by the RSPB for the benefit
0:43:03 > 0:43:08of ground nesting birds and also wildlife. What that means is that
0:43:08 > 0:43:11they keep the cattle off and they leave it alone and this is what you
0:43:11 > 0:43:19get. This really tall heather which is the perfect habitat for a very
0:43:19 > 0:43:25special bird. The hen harrier. Now that's a female. You can see the
0:43:25 > 0:43:34white rump and that fail, sometimes they are called ring tails. She will
0:43:34 > 0:43:37fly low, using her very keen eyesight, looking for prey but she's
0:43:37 > 0:43:46going to listen for them. A bit like an owl, the shape of the face
0:43:46 > 0:43:52focuses the sound as she's hunting. This isn't a different species, this
0:43:52 > 0:43:58is the male with the grey back and black wing tips, strikingly
0:43:58 > 0:44:04different. One third smaller than the female and very agile meaning he
0:44:04 > 0:44:10can fly low and fast and flush out birds that he hunts. This is a nice
0:44:10 > 0:44:13night to try and demonstrate why this is a great habitat for the
0:44:13 > 0:44:21bird. If I hunker down by can immediately feel the benefit of
0:44:21 > 0:44:27this. I'm sheltered by the wind and it actually feels warmer. This is
0:44:27 > 0:44:33exactly where the birds are going to nest and in the winter, come here to
0:44:33 > 0:44:37roost. Now, this reserve has the densest population, one of the
0:44:37 > 0:44:43densest of hen harriers in the country. Last year, six breeding
0:44:43 > 0:44:50pairs successfully raised 20 chicks. To put it in perspective, in England
0:44:50 > 0:44:54where it's estimated there is enough habitat to support 300 breeding
0:44:54 > 0:45:02pairs, there were only three. So, in the reserve, possibly the size of a
0:45:02 > 0:45:06bit larger than two square miles, double the number of breeding pairs
0:45:06 > 0:45:13of fine harriers than in the whole of England. -- of hen harriers. Hen
0:45:13 > 0:45:17harriers have been persecuted for centuries, especially in their
0:45:17 > 0:45:21breeding grounds in the upper heather moors. The RSPB has been
0:45:21 > 0:45:25running the life project since 2014 to help these birds recover,
0:45:25 > 0:45:32especially on the mainland. They do this by monitoring their resting
0:45:32 > 0:45:36grounds, talking to local communities and landowners and
0:45:36 > 0:45:40satellite tagging some of the chicks.
0:45:40 > 0:45:45All of this will hope to pinpoint places of persecution but also where
0:45:45 > 0:45:48the birds go in the winter and the results of that are quite
0:45:48 > 0:45:54surprising. There is a yellow track up there in the North, that is
0:45:54 > 0:45:57Orkney and there is a bird that doesn't range very far but if you
0:45:57 > 0:46:02look further south there is a red track and that is a bird which was
0:46:02 > 0:46:07born in Clyde and went across to the Hebrides and back again. This starts
0:46:07 > 0:46:12to show that these birds do range further than we previously thought
0:46:12 > 0:46:18and the next one was a real surprise, however. Take a look at
0:46:18 > 0:46:24this. This is a track of a bird called Tony, starting off way up
0:46:24 > 0:46:28north in Scotland and went all the way and made landfall in the north
0:46:28 > 0:46:34of Spain. These birds are ranging much further than previously thought
0:46:34 > 0:46:42and that means they -- their conservation must include their
0:46:42 > 0:46:44whole range and that starts in breeding grounds like here on this
0:46:44 > 0:46:51reserve where they are free from this occasion. Beard is not just a
0:46:51 > 0:46:57haven for hen harriers, it is a haven for all sorts of Harriers --
0:46:57 > 0:47:02Islay is not just a haven for ten one.
0:47:04 > 0:47:13We have seen a truly spectacular landscape.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46And all that is left to say is thank you to all the people that have
0:47:46 > 0:47:51helped on this island, everyone who has helped, you know who you are,
0:47:51 > 0:47:59that is it from tonight, it is back to Sherborne. Thank you, Gillian. If
0:47:59 > 0:48:02you were watching Springwatch in 2016 you will know we watched the
0:48:02 > 0:48:06fortunes of a golden eagle, it hatched on the 11th of May in
0:48:06 > 0:48:08Scotland and we had cameras on the nest and we watched this bird
0:48:08 > 0:48:16growing. It was fantastic to see it growing through this process. In
0:48:16 > 0:48:23July I went to put a satellite tag on this bird. It continued to grow,
0:48:23 > 0:48:29and then on the 2nd of August 2016 she took to the air, we had a vote
0:48:29 > 0:48:32to see which name you would like to call the Eagle and she became known
0:48:32 > 0:48:41as Freya, the Springwatch a go, and since
0:48:42 > 0:48:45since the 2nd of August 2016 no one has knowingly seen Freya alive but
0:48:45 > 0:48:52that tracking device gives us a lot of data and we know exactly where
0:48:52 > 0:48:57she is and she has been roaming over a huge area, many thousands of
0:48:57 > 0:49:01kilometres, typical of a young eagle, looking for a territory. Good
0:49:01 > 0:49:08news, just before Christmas, we found her at a carcass. This is her,
0:49:08 > 0:49:13the first time we have seen her. She has grown into a fantastic animal,
0:49:13 > 0:49:18you can see the tracking device on her back, she also has a lot of
0:49:18 > 0:49:22white in detail, showing you that she is a young bird, and she went
0:49:22 > 0:49:26start to breed until she is four years old, another couple of years
0:49:26 > 0:49:30before she is big enough to establish a territory and that might
0:49:30 > 0:49:34mean fighting with another territorial female. A few days ago,
0:49:34 > 0:49:41we saw her again, 60 kilometres from where the film was taken, we got
0:49:41 > 0:49:48these pictures of Freya our golden eagle, so great to know she is still
0:49:48 > 0:49:52out there and we will be keeping a very very close eye on all of her
0:49:52 > 0:49:57activities.Greater note she is safe and sound and fingers crossed it
0:49:57 > 0:50:04stays that way -- great to know. In December Keith Ross said in this
0:50:04 > 0:50:12very interesting footage, this is in Ramsgate harbour -- sent in. These
0:50:12 > 0:50:15are two female kingfishers having a go at each other, one is a adult,
0:50:15 > 0:50:23with the red legs, and the other is a juvenile, and it has a pale belly.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26We wanted to know what happened after that fight so we sent one of
0:50:26 > 0:50:36our cameramen to Ramsgate to find out.
0:50:36 > 0:50:42The sun rises over Ramsgate harbour. Glinting across the water and onto a
0:50:42 > 0:50:49metal walkway. Revealing the favourite roosting site of a
0:50:49 > 0:50:55solitary kingfisher. Hidden from predators and sheltered from the
0:50:55 > 0:51:02storms, it is a perfect base from which this little bird can hunt. She
0:51:02 > 0:51:09uses the gaps between the wall and pontoons like a river. And it is
0:51:09 > 0:51:17quickly apparent why she is here. Although kingfishers will eat prawns
0:51:17 > 0:51:25and even crabs, this bird is after fish. It swallowed headfirst to
0:51:25 > 0:51:35prevent the scales from sticking in her throat.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38her throat. So, is this one of the fighting females from Keith's
0:51:38 > 0:51:44footage? With the same pale belly and juvenile markings it seems she
0:51:44 > 0:51:54is. But what about the adult bird, is she still living in the harbour?
0:51:54 > 0:52:01The pale bellied juvenile uses a shrill territorial call, a sign that
0:52:01 > 0:52:07another bird is in the vicinity. As she retreats to safety a second
0:52:07 > 0:52:16kingfisher does arrive and flies daringly close.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19daringly close. This one seems to live near the fuel barges on the
0:52:19 > 0:52:26other side of the harbour. But a closer inspection reveals the brown
0:52:26 > 0:52:32feet and Bill of a juvenile bird. This is not the adult from the
0:52:32 > 0:52:42fight. On rivers kingfishers hold separate territories of up to five
0:52:42 > 0:52:45kilometres and the pickings in the harbour must be rich for them to
0:52:45 > 0:52:50tolerate such close proximity. But nevertheless, competition is still
0:52:50 > 0:53:00high. The juvenile flashes by with pale belly in hot pursuit. And then
0:53:00 > 0:53:08a third kingfisher rockets out of the old tunnels. Clearly another
0:53:08 > 0:53:14territorial kingfisher but is she the female we are looking for? A
0:53:14 > 0:53:22close up view reveals bright red feet and strong orange lower bill
0:53:22 > 0:53:29markings. Finally it seems we have found the adult female from the
0:53:29 > 0:53:36footage.
0:53:36 > 0:53:42footage. So, two juveniles and one adult female kingfisher are sharing
0:53:42 > 0:53:48the same harbour home.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56But Ramsgate harbour's busy port life means that the dynamics are
0:53:56 > 0:54:03constantly changing. When huge fishing boats dock along the
0:54:03 > 0:54:08refuelling jetty one of the juvenile is favoured hunting spots is lost.
0:54:08 > 0:54:15Forced to move on she tries to use the other bird's haunts but both
0:54:15 > 0:54:22chase her off. It seems territorial instincts are hard to lose
0:54:22 > 0:54:30especially at this time of year when food is at a premium. Only a quarter
0:54:30 > 0:54:33of some adult kingfishers make it through the winter months and it
0:54:33 > 0:54:38seems at first that the ousted juvenile could be one of the
0:54:38 > 0:54:44season's casualties.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47season's casualties. But then a few days later something remarkable
0:54:47 > 0:54:56happens. Not in the harbour but in the town's old Victorian boating
0:54:56 > 0:55:04lake a mile up the road. It is a juvenile and the chances are it is
0:55:04 > 0:55:09the one we have been following but what is she doing at this abandoned
0:55:09 > 0:55:18paddling pool? A successful dive reveals the answer.
0:55:18 > 0:55:24reveals the answer. Goldfish. They were released into the pool by the
0:55:24 > 0:55:32cafe owner a few years ago and now there are hundreds. It seems the
0:55:32 > 0:55:39juvenile has chanced upon a lucky find. Which hopefully will bring a
0:55:39 > 0:55:46happy ending, not just for her, but for all three of these remarkable
0:55:46 > 0:55:53birds, adopting their own tactics to survive the British winter.
0:55:56 > 0:56:04I love a kingfisher. It is a living joule. I think. If I see a
0:56:04 > 0:56:09kingfisher in a day it makes me chirpy for the rest of the day. Some
0:56:09 > 0:56:12of you have seen kingfishers in the most extraordinary places. Can you
0:56:12 > 0:56:21see that, the top left-hand corner? It is waiting for a number nine.I
0:56:21 > 0:56:29was going to say that!What is going on there, that looks stuffed. This
0:56:29 > 0:56:37is in the middle of the pavement. Lovely, thanks for sending those in.
0:56:37 > 0:56:46I'm afraid it is time for us to go. It is goodbye from us.Goodbye from
0:56:46 > 0:56:52Islay.Thanks to the National Trust and the staff at the Sherborne
0:56:52 > 0:56:56Estate and to the villages down in Sherborne who have been tolerant of
0:56:56 > 0:57:01our intrusion and lastly to the scientists who have helped us in the
0:57:01 > 0:57:06course of the series.That might be the end of Winterwatch but stay in
0:57:06 > 0:57:11touch on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook. We will be back for
0:57:11 > 0:57:16spring, for Springwatch, but in the meantime we will leave you with some
0:57:16 > 0:57:24highlights of Winterwatch 2018. From us, goodbye.Goodbye.
0:57:28 > 0:57:37Welcome to a brand spanking new series of Winterwatch!Oh! That was
0:57:37 > 0:57:40a bird, wasn't it?
0:57:45 > 0:57:51We have captured the essence of winter.
0:57:53 > 0:57:59winter.I never thought we'd see anything like this.There's no mercy
0:57:59 > 0:58:08on this game.Look at this. It is nail-biting stuff!And check this
0:58:08 > 0:58:13out.
0:58:13 > 0:58:24out.Anything could happen tonight. Oh! That's my sweater gone.This is
0:58:24 > 0:58:29the winter, get your wellies on and get your binoculars and get out
0:58:29 > 0:58:37there.