1 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:23,760 In my long life, 2 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:29,040 I've been lucky enough to travel to almost every part of the globe 3 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:34,080 and gaze upon some of its most beautiful and dramatic sights. 4 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:38,080 But I can assure you that nature in these islands, 5 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,600 if you know where to look, can be just as dramatic 6 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,600 and spectacular as anything that I've seen elsewhere. 7 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,600 The British Isles are globally important for nature. 8 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,240 SQUAWKING 9 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,320 In this series, we'll show you why that is so... 10 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,360 ..and celebrate the wonders of these islands 11 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,400 that we call home. 12 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,480 This is Wild Isles. 13 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,200 Muckle Flugga. 14 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,280 The very far north of the British Isles. 15 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,520 SQUAWKING 16 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:06,760 170 miles from mainland Scotland, 17 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,440 at the northern tip of the Shetland Islands, 18 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,520 it's home to some of our richest marine and birdlife. 19 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:30,000 These rough waters are patrolled by our largest marine predator. 20 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,920 Orca - killer whales. 21 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,880 Three pods of them, having spent the winter fishing for herring 22 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:58,760 off Iceland, regularly return to Shetland's waters each spring. 23 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,280 They do so for one particular reason. 24 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:21,480 Thousands of common and grey seals live here. 25 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,920 The waters are full of food 26 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,280 and there are plenty of gullies and channels that offer safety... 27 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:43,880 ..most of the time. 28 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:54,400 The orca that come here have a particular taste for seals. 29 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,400 ORCAS WHISTLE 30 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,560 And they have developed a unique way of catching them. 31 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,760 Their strategy is one of surprise. 32 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,600 They have discovered how to travel up channels in the kelp 33 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,520 to reach the shallow water where seals often hide. 34 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,560 No gully is left unchecked. 35 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,200 The orca turn on their side, so that their dorsal fin 36 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,280 doesn't break the surface and reveal their presence. 37 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,040 A seal. 38 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,040 It stays close to the rocks, 39 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,200 where a large orca would find swimming difficult. 40 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,760 It hides and waits for the danger to pass. 41 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,080 The orca bide their time. 42 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:15,000 Their best chance is to find a seal asleep in the water... 43 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:19,080 ..like this one. 44 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,280 It wakes up and flees, but there's a pup here, too. 45 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,320 The orca takes its catch out into open water 46 00:06:55,320 --> 00:07:00,080 and there shows younger members of the pod how to drown it. 47 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:09,520 The whole group now share the catch. 48 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:12,560 Nothing will be wasted. 49 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,800 Shetland is the only place in Britain and Ireland 50 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,680 where orca breed. 51 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:35,560 Just one of the many remarkable creatures that inhabit our seas, 52 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:37,880 lands and skies. 53 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:54,360 One reason why our natural world is so rich comes from its geology - 54 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:58,160 amongst the most varied to be found anywhere on the planet... 55 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,400 ..from the chalk cliffs and downs of southern England 56 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,320 to the limestone pavements of Yorkshire... 57 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,080 ..from the rugged whinstone cliffs of Durham 58 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,000 to the volcanic basalt of the Giant's Causeway 59 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,800 in Northern Ireland. 60 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,360 Each kind of rock creates its own landscape 61 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,360 with its own community of animals and plants. 62 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:35,400 Another reason our nature is so diverse is our varied climate. 63 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:42,480 In the north, it can be very cold indeed. 64 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:49,080 A thousand metres up in Scotland's Cairngorm Mountains. 65 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,520 Winter here can be truly arctic... 66 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:57,280 ..with temperatures dropping to -27 degrees centigrade. 67 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,280 These peaks in the Highlands are patrolled 68 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,480 by one of our most spectacular birds of prey... 69 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:11,560 ..the golden eagle. 70 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,600 They were once widespread across Britain and Ireland, 71 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,280 but today almost all of our 500 or so pairs 72 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,520 nest here in Scotland. 73 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,720 Now, however, after years of persecution, 74 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,360 golden eagle numbers are on the rise. 75 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:53,840 Within their territory, there is clear evidence 76 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,320 of how precious our few remaining wild places are. 77 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:04,600 There are now only remnants of the vast ancient forest 78 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,000 that once covered most of the Highlands. 79 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,520 The Caledonian Forest is the only native coniferous woodland 80 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:15,040 left in Britain. 81 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:21,280 It's less than 1% of its original extent. 82 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:32,360 Only 13% of Britain as a whole is covered by trees. 83 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,560 That's one of the lowest proportions in the whole of Europe. 84 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:41,480 Our oak trees, however, are globally important. 85 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,280 England alone has more ancient oaks 86 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:48,440 than the whole of Europe put together. 87 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:53,000 And over three-quarters of them are more than 500 years old. 88 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:07,200 In the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire 89 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,280 stands the oldest oak tree in Britain. 90 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:15,080 It's 1,046 years old 91 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,760 and began its life before the Norman Conquest. 92 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:34,160 Oak trees, throughout their long lives, provide food and shelter 93 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:39,520 for over 2,300 different species of plants and animals. 94 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:55,120 As the sun sets, the oak tree's night shift appears. 95 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,000 OWL HOOTS 96 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:04,960 Among them, one of the most charming animals in Britain... 97 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:11,720 ..a dormouse. 98 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:15,800 She assesses the light levels outside her nest. 99 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,960 The full moon could be a problem. 100 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:26,360 But after sleeping all day, she needs to get out and about. 101 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:39,040 She has four growing babies who all depend on her for milk. 102 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,200 But fortunately, higher up in the oak, 103 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:52,000 there is a particularly energy-rich food waiting to be collected. 104 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,320 For us, it would be like climbing to the top of a skyscraper. 105 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:17,280 Left alone, the babies begin to explore the dangerous world 106 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:19,800 beyond their nest-hole. 107 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:42,280 Their mother is getting closer to what she's looking for. 108 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:54,120 But tawny owls also nest in oak trees. 109 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:58,280 She freezes... 110 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,960 ..and can stay motionless for over an hour to avoid detection. 111 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:22,520 At last, she decides it's safe to continue her climb. 112 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,400 Now she can smell the plant that she's looking for... 113 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:36,360 ..honeysuckle. 114 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:41,960 This is worth the climb. 115 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,960 The flowers are loaded with sugar-rich nectar. 116 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:57,480 She bites off the petals to get to the sweet liquid at their base. 117 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,760 Her young are getting impatient. 118 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:24,880 One ventures out... 119 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,000 ..and starts to explore. 120 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:37,520 Mother decides that she's eaten enough. 121 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:50,000 The baby dormice scuttle back home. 122 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:08,760 Safe at last. 123 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:11,440 But for how long? 124 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,200 Dormice were once widespread... 125 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,560 ..but now they are largely restricted to Wales 126 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,560 and southern England. 127 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:37,760 Spring brings with it one of the woodlands' greatest spectacles... 128 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,000 ..bluebells. 129 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:50,000 Within only a few days, the ground is flooded with colour. 130 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,760 More than half the world's common bluebells 131 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,280 flower in Britain and Ireland. 132 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,880 The peak of their display coincides with an important event 133 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:05,480 in the lives of one of the woodlands' bigger inhabitants. 134 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:16,320 With a sense of smell that's much more acute than ours, 135 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:20,480 a badger in East Sussex checks that the coast is clear. 136 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,320 Once they're sure that it's safe, 137 00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:33,000 the adults allow their cubs above ground for the very first time. 138 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:40,480 Badger clans are tightly knit - 139 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,640 and these young cubs are linked by scent, 140 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:48,200 not just to their mother but to the whole extended family. 141 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,760 Britain is home to over a quarter of Europe's badgers 142 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,960 and their digging and foraging has been a major factor 143 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,040 in shaping the forest floor. 144 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:17,120 Woodlands are complex communities containing great numbers of species 145 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:20,280 of plants and mammals, birds and insects. 146 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:25,040 But over the decades, they've been greatly diminished. 147 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:33,000 In just the last 20 years, 60% of our flying insects have vanished. 148 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,560 Insects play a crucial role in pollinating 149 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,280 both our wild flowers and our crops 150 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:45,240 and they do so in a variety of remarkable ways. 151 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,840 The flowers of red valerian, for instance, 152 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:54,360 store their nectar at the base of their elongated blooms, 153 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:59,280 so only a pollinator with very special mouthparts can drink it. 154 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:07,480 The hummingbird hawk-moth has just the right equipment for the job... 155 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,280 ..a long tubular proboscis. 156 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:21,360 These summer visitors can beat their wings 85 times a second 157 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:25,320 and need lots of nectar to fuel the effort of doing so. 158 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:39,840 Other flowers, like bittersweet, offer a different reward - 159 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:43,080 not nectar but pollen, which is produced 160 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:46,000 within its tightly-sealed yellow anthers. 161 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,920 And one insect knows how to reach it - 162 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,520 a bumblebee. 163 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:57,560 BUZZING 164 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,800 This female has developed a very clever way to get at the pollen. 165 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,320 She vibrates her body at exactly the right frequency 166 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:09,480 to make the pollen pour out. 167 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,320 BUZZING 168 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,720 The pollen will feed her young, 169 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:27,560 but some will rub off when she visits other flowers on her way home 170 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,560 and so fertilise them... 171 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,280 ..a win for both flower and bee. 172 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:45,080 Perhaps the most complicated pollination technique of all 173 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:49,760 is that used by a common woodland plant known as lords-and-ladies. 174 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:55,000 It produces a very odd-looking flower... 175 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:00,200 ..with a large purple spike called a spadix. 176 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:06,040 In the late afternoon, the spadix heats up 177 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:09,360 until it becomes 20 degrees centigrade hotter 178 00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:14,560 than its surroundings and releases a foul-smelling scent. 179 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,240 Tiny owl midge-flies, looking for rotting matter 180 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:24,760 on which to lay their eggs, find the stink irresistibly attractive. 181 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,560 But the inner side of the hooded leaf that surrounds the spadix 182 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,840 is very slippery. 183 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,760 The flies tumble down into a dungeon... 184 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:44,240 ..the bulbous chamber at the base of the plant. 185 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,120 The female parts that need pollinating 186 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:53,360 are at the bottom of this chamber. 187 00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:57,280 Above them, the male parts that produce the pollen. 188 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:04,080 And at the very top, spikey, slippery, downward-pointing hairs. 189 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:11,760 These act like the bars of a prison, trapping the owl-flies below... 190 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:13,280 BUZZING 191 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,760 ..and holding them there overnight. 192 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:27,080 Trapped, the flies get glued to the flower's sticky female parts, 193 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,640 transferring any pollen they may have brought 194 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:31,800 from other lords-and-ladies. 195 00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:36,600 The flies then eat the now-dried sweet secretion 196 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,080 and then try to leave, 197 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:42,280 but the flower will not release them just yet. 198 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,760 The male flowers above are now ripe and their pollen bursts out, 199 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:50,680 showering the flies below. 200 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,040 The prison bars now wilt... 201 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,280 ..and the flies are free to go. 202 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,720 For this extraordinary pollination to be successful, 203 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,320 a fly must escape this prison twice - 204 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,720 first to be loaded with pollen 205 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,960 and then, once again, to deliver the pollen 206 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,600 to another lords-and-ladies flower. 207 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:34,760 Nowhere here is richer in wild flowers and insect pollinators 208 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,320 than our traditional hay meadows. 209 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,280 Sadly, in the last 60 years, 210 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,560 we've lost 97% of this precious habitat. 211 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,360 But with nature-friendly farming, 212 00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:55,000 meadows can be restored to provide a haven for wildlife. 213 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,760 It's all about the timing. 214 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,480 Delaying mowing until mid-July 215 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,080 allows birds and insects to complete their breeding 216 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,280 and flowers to set their seed. 217 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:19,360 It also creates opportunities 218 00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:21,600 for those that are ready to exploit them. 219 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:32,320 The local foxes here in Gloucestershire 220 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:34,560 know these fields very well. 221 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,320 Every year, they follow the farmers from field to field 222 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,280 as they make hay. 223 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,320 And sometimes the cubs come with them. 224 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,760 These cubs are only three months old 225 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,520 and mostly interested in play. 226 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,120 GROWLING 227 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:11,520 Summer chafers emerging from the grass are worth eating. 228 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,320 If you can catch them! 229 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,000 But the cubs need to be taught how to hunt properly. 230 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,560 By September, they will be on their own, 231 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,320 so their mother shows them how. 232 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:50,000 Her acute sense of hearing enables her to detect 233 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,800 even the slightest rustle in the grass. 234 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:05,240 By moving her head, 235 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,760 she can pin-point exactly where the noise is coming from. 236 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,280 And then, silently, she leaps. 237 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,200 SQUEALING 238 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,800 At least the cubs will have something to eat this evening. 239 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:48,720 Britain and Ireland's position on the globe 240 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:53,040 gives us a special importance for wildlife internationally. 241 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:57,480 We are in just the right place to welcome migrants 242 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:01,320 from the south in summer and from the north in winter. 243 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:11,120 Each autumn, around 30,000 barnacle geese arrive 244 00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:13,520 on the Hebridean island of Islay. 245 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:15,280 SQUAWKING 246 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:23,280 They have all come from Greenland, where they spent the summer. 247 00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:33,200 Some years, half the world population arrive here, 248 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,800 all attracted by the same food... 249 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:42,800 ..grass. 250 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,480 They feed in groups. 251 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:52,560 That way, there will always be some eyes keeping watch. 252 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:55,760 SQUAWKING 253 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:04,480 White-tailed eagles - our biggest bird of prey. 254 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:09,760 Once extinct in Britain, 255 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:14,000 today, up to a dozen now spend winter on Islay. 256 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,000 But they've been spotted. 257 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:22,920 SQUAWKING 258 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,280 The eagles must select a particular bird as a target. 259 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,200 They're testing the geese, trying to identify a weak one. 260 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:50,000 After a journey of almost 2,000 miles, 261 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:53,040 some will be particularly exhausted. 262 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:00,960 But the eagles haven't chosen one yet. 263 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:11,120 At low tide, out on the estuary, the geese come down. 264 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,960 Even here, the eagles don't let them rest for long. 265 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:28,320 A young, inexperienced eagle tries his luck... 266 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,800 SQUAWKING 267 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,360 ..driving them on again. 268 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,280 The youngster keeps the flock on the move. 269 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,520 One exhausted goose, however, gets left behind. 270 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,280 Another young eagle swoops in. 271 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,760 In the confusion, the goose manages to fly off. 272 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:26,320 But neither of the eagles is going to give up now. 273 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:40,320 GOOSE SQUAWKS 274 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:47,800 As the goose turns, 275 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,480 it loses one of its pursuers. 276 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:54,920 Now it's just a one-on-one. 277 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:26,440 The goose is so heavy, the young eagle has to struggle to hold on. 278 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:51,000 This young bird and all the other white-tailed eagles here on Islay 279 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,800 have only learnt how to hunt barnacle geese 280 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:55,640 in the last ten years. 281 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,080 Across Britain and Ireland, 282 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:14,040 our mild climate attracts more than half a million geese each winter... 283 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:20,000 ..making us a vital refuge for these long-distance travellers. 284 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:37,160 Here in Britain, we have one of the rarest habitats on Earth - 285 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:39,040 chalk streams. 286 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,800 There are only about 200 chalk streams in the world 287 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:50,040 and 85% of them flow through southern England. 288 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:57,280 Their waters, rising through chalk and flowing over it, 289 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:00,000 are rich in minerals and oxygen. 290 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:06,360 This creates the right conditions for water-crowfoot 291 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:10,560 that each summer produces floating carpets of white flowers. 292 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:22,320 Above them fly banded demoiselle damselflies - 293 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:25,000 slimmer relatives of dragonflies. 294 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:31,120 These, with dark patches on their wings, are the males, 295 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,520 and they are an iridescent blue. 296 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:46,520 The more metallic-green ones with plain, unmarked wings 297 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:48,320 are the females. 298 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:56,240 To attract a female, a male must secure a patch 299 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,960 of healthy floating leaves on which she can lay her eggs. 300 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:08,080 The male declares his ownership of a patch by flaunting his wings... 301 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,520 ..before returning to a nearby perch. 302 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:22,680 But other males want both his territory and the female, 303 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:24,960 and they are willing to fight. 304 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:41,040 He's outnumbered. 305 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,080 In the chaos, he returns to his perch, 306 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,360 watched closely by the female. 307 00:34:55,840 --> 00:35:00,240 This time, he invites her down to view his patch of leaves... 308 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:04,360 ..and settles on the water surface, 309 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:08,560 showing her that the oxygen-rich waters are flowing well, 310 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,040 which will be vital for her eggs. 311 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,520 She's impressed. 312 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:21,320 Mating, however, is a complicated business. 313 00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:25,600 First, he grasps her firmly by the neck 314 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:28,880 and carefully removes any rival's sperm. 315 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,800 Then he collects his own sperm from an opening near his head 316 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,000 and transfers it to her. 317 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:56,280 Once mated, the female flies to his patch of leaves to lay her eggs. 318 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:06,680 And the male joins her to guard her from his rivals. 319 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:15,120 They barge in and try and pull the couple apart, 320 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:19,320 for it's still not too late for them to mate with this female themselves. 321 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,280 But she has an escape route... 322 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,040 ..under the water. 323 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:38,080 A silver layer of bubbles allows her to breathe 324 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:40,080 while she's beneath the surface. 325 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:48,000 She cuts into the plant stems with her sharp ovipositor 326 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,920 and starts to inject her eggs, 327 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:54,280 producing more than 400 in under an hour. 328 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:05,000 Mission accomplished. 329 00:37:14,720 --> 00:37:18,200 To breed in this way, the damsels require clean, 330 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:20,280 free-flowing fresh water... 331 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:26,800 ..as do other animals that live in chalk streams... 332 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:31,360 ..our native brown trout and minnows. 333 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:39,120 These small fish are preyed upon by one of our loveliest birds. 334 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:43,520 We often hear them... 335 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:45,720 BIRDS CHIRP 336 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:50,640 ..but usually get only a glimpse, a flash of electric blue. 337 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:55,800 Kingfishers speed along rivers at 30mph. 338 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,320 Each claims a particular stretch of river 339 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:03,520 which can be over two miles long. 340 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:12,440 Fishing territories are vigorously defended 341 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,760 and a male will only share one with his partner. 342 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:43,600 Just to stay alive, 343 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:47,800 this female must eat over half her body weight each day. 344 00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:58,040 If they have chicks, a pair of kingfishers 345 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:01,600 must catch a further 70 fish every day. 346 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:23,320 The coastline of Britain and Ireland is over 22,000 miles long 347 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:27,280 and our seas are amongst the richest in Europe. 348 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:35,360 Because of this, our sea bird colonies are among the biggest 349 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:39,320 and most spectacular to be found anywhere on the planet. 350 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:41,320 SQUAWKING 351 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,560 Bass Rock in Scotland's Firth of Forth 352 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:56,560 is the largest gannet colony in the world... 353 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:03,520 ..with 75,000 pairs returning here each year. 354 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:10,680 Our waters, in fact, support nearly 70% 355 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:14,040 of the northern gannet's global population. 356 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:21,120 At the height of summer, the whole of Bass Rock is jam-packed, 357 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:24,280 with two nests to every square metre. 358 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:30,280 Male and female spend the winter apart, far out at sea. 359 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,400 But in spring, they return to their breeding grounds, 360 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:37,320 and each couple re-establish their partnership 361 00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:40,560 with a delicate courtship display. 362 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:42,560 SQUAWKING 363 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:56,160 It takes over three months to rear a chick 364 00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:59,800 and, during that time, both parents will make hundreds of trips 365 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:01,520 to collect food. 366 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:07,760 On average, each feeding trip is over 140 miles long... 367 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:14,880 ..but, on occasion, they may travel as far as 600 miles. 368 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:39,360 The gannet's immense journeys are only possible 369 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:42,320 because they bring their catch home in their stomachs. 370 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:51,680 Mackerel and herring are the gannet's favourite food... 371 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:58,280 ..though the size of a portion can be a bit of a problem for some. 372 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:14,280 Another much smaller fish is also very important to our sea birds. 373 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:19,560 Sand eels are only 30cm long, 374 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:22,320 but they occur in vast shoals. 375 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:26,120 They're a critical link in the food chains 376 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:29,120 of a whole range of different sea birds. 377 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:38,040 Lesser sand eels are the favourite prey of puffins. 378 00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:40,840 Almost half a million of these lovable birds 379 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:45,160 come to our coast each summer, mostly to islands such as these - 380 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:47,240 the Farnes off Northumberland. 381 00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:49,040 SQUAWKING 382 00:42:52,240 --> 00:42:54,320 PUFFINS GROWL 383 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:10,360 Puffins mate for life and pairs use the same burrow every year. 384 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:15,000 Here, they raise a single chick called a puffling. 385 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:21,920 Unlike gannets, the journeys they make for food 386 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:23,640 are usually shorter. 387 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:28,360 Their broad bills enable them to carry 388 00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:32,120 remarkably large numbers of sand eels. 389 00:43:32,120 --> 00:43:35,000 But their catch is always temptingly visible. 390 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:48,280 Herring gulls are twice the size of a puffin. 391 00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:10,320 But the greatest threat to puffins on this island 392 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:13,120 comes from a smaller gull... 393 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:15,000 SQUAWKING 394 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:25,280 ..the black-headed gull. 395 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:45,160 They are not strong enough to grab a puffin in the air. 396 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:47,360 They have to use another technique. 397 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:49,600 GULL SQUAWKS 398 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:53,280 They try to snatch the sand eels right out of the puffin's beak. 399 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:13,920 This puffin escapes. 400 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:19,280 But the problem is that this burrow is not his. 401 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:21,840 And the gulls seem to know that. 402 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:29,920 He can't stay down there for long. 403 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:32,960 PUFFIN GROWLS 404 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:47,280 This little puffin is determined that these sand eels 405 00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:50,040 are for his chick and nobody else. 406 00:46:33,160 --> 00:46:34,600 Made it! 407 00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:52,600 Here off the coast of Pembrokeshire, 408 00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:55,840 puffin numbers have been steadily increasing. 409 00:46:56,920 --> 00:47:02,040 Today, nearly 40,000 return to this tiny island every summer. 410 00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:06,120 But Skomer is an exception. 411 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:10,440 Most of our puffin colonies are in decline. 412 00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:14,120 Over-fishing and climate change mean the sand eels 413 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:17,400 they depend on are increasingly hard to find. 414 00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:21,520 It's a clear example of just how fragile and fragmented 415 00:47:21,520 --> 00:47:23,840 our nature is. 416 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:26,760 Though rich in places, Britain as a whole 417 00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:30,520 is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. 418 00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:35,040 Never has there been a more important time 419 00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:38,840 to invest in our own wildlife, 420 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:42,080 to try and set an example for the rest of the world 421 00:47:42,080 --> 00:47:47,600 and restore our once wild isles for future generation. 422 00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:04,680 To film orca hunting seals, 423 00:48:04,680 --> 00:48:08,160 the Wild Isles team travelled to Shetland. 424 00:48:08,160 --> 00:48:11,800 The plan was to find and follow one particular pod... 425 00:48:13,080 --> 00:48:17,240 ..a family of eight individuals known as the 27s. 426 00:48:19,040 --> 00:48:22,360 As Shetland's biggest pod, they were the team's best chance 427 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:24,000 to film a hunt. 428 00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:33,040 They had a fast boat, modified to carry a stabilised camera system... 429 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:38,000 ..and drones to give them a far-reaching eye in the sky. 430 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:44,240 But finding the pod in this vast territory was not going to be easy. 431 00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:48,320 So the crew enlisted local knowledge. 432 00:48:49,840 --> 00:48:53,720 I just messaged my wife and asked her the, erm... 433 00:48:53,720 --> 00:48:56,400 How big is Shetland's coastline? 434 00:48:56,400 --> 00:49:00,160 And she wrote back to me and said it's 2,700km. 435 00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:03,280 And we're looking for basically a pod of eight animals 436 00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:06,680 in 2,700km of coast. 437 00:49:06,680 --> 00:49:08,600 It suddenly dawned on me... 438 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:11,520 ..the enormity of what we're trying to do. 439 00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:17,080 Richard has vital extra help, 440 00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:20,400 a WhatsApp group of 250 islanders 441 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:23,800 who regularly update each other on their sightings. 442 00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:28,360 Without all these eyes looking and picking up 443 00:49:28,360 --> 00:49:32,720 and posting on social media, I think it would be very difficult 444 00:49:32,720 --> 00:49:34,520 to follow these killer whales. 445 00:49:36,720 --> 00:49:40,880 Orca can travel 100 miles a day in their search for food. 446 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:46,240 They can appear anywhere on Shetland's coast at any time. 447 00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:52,080 So the strategy was to spend as much time at sea as possible 448 00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:55,800 to be able to react quickly to any sightings. 449 00:49:55,800 --> 00:49:59,280 Three weeks, they haven't been anywhere... 450 00:49:59,280 --> 00:50:02,760 ..seen anywhere in Shetland, this pod. 451 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:05,080 It's quite difficult to film a killer whale sequence 452 00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:06,760 without killer whales. 453 00:50:06,760 --> 00:50:09,160 There's literally nothing more we can do 454 00:50:09,160 --> 00:50:12,760 than go out, search every day, hope that the phone rings 455 00:50:12,760 --> 00:50:16,720 and someone else has seen it or we find them. 456 00:50:16,720 --> 00:50:18,920 And the challenge was made even greater 457 00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:23,760 when thick fog made navigating the islands near impossible. 458 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:26,360 Well, the weather changes pretty quickly up here. 459 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:32,040 We were in glorious, becalmed, blue sky, flat water conditions 460 00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:34,040 about two hours ago. 461 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:39,040 We've just started our journey back and we've come into this bank of fog 462 00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:41,360 and it's completely surrounded the boat. 463 00:50:41,360 --> 00:50:43,720 There are no reference points out here now. 464 00:50:44,720 --> 00:50:46,600 Time was running out. 465 00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:49,520 With just a few days left, Richard finally got a call 466 00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:52,600 from one of the islanders. 467 00:50:52,600 --> 00:50:54,680 Right. Cheers, cheers. 468 00:50:54,680 --> 00:50:56,360 What's just happened? 469 00:50:56,360 --> 00:50:59,040 They've got two bulls coming down Bluemull Sound, 470 00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:01,000 heading south towards Fetlar. 471 00:51:02,120 --> 00:51:04,800 The team raced to catch up with the orca. 472 00:51:06,080 --> 00:51:08,200 Oh, they're there! To the right, to the right. 473 00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:10,880 They've gone under us. They're right behind you. 474 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:14,640 Oh, one's in front. They've split. One either side of the boat. 475 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:18,520 They got in position ahead of the bulls and waited for them to pass. 476 00:51:18,520 --> 00:51:22,640 Look at the size of that dorsal fin! 477 00:51:22,640 --> 00:51:25,360 Sadly, the excitement was short lived. 478 00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:28,400 It's not the 27s, which is the family group 479 00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:32,960 we were hoping to catch up with, but it is killer whales. 480 00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:36,840 After a month of effort, they had run out of time that year. 481 00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:45,240 And the following year saw a new team, a new boat and a new plan. 482 00:51:46,840 --> 00:51:51,000 Basing themselves on land, the team could be more reactive. 483 00:51:52,560 --> 00:51:56,280 When the orca do turn up, we need to drop everything 484 00:51:56,280 --> 00:51:59,280 and go and try and find them, 485 00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:03,280 and the quickest way to do that on this island 486 00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:07,200 is to tow the boat to where we think they're about to be 487 00:52:07,200 --> 00:52:09,240 based on the last sightings. 488 00:52:09,240 --> 00:52:12,280 That means that we have to know our slipways, 489 00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:16,000 but quite a few of them are covered in this green slimy weed. 490 00:52:17,680 --> 00:52:21,440 For the crew, this meant regular cleaning duty. 491 00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:29,800 With the slipways weed-free, they could test the new camera set-up. 492 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:33,680 This time, they mounted the camera on a jib 493 00:52:33,680 --> 00:52:36,480 to move it more quickly into position. 494 00:52:37,480 --> 00:52:41,120 After two weeks with no sightings, it felt like a replay 495 00:52:41,120 --> 00:52:43,360 of last year's bad luck. 496 00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:47,560 But, once again, the network of islanders came to the rescue. 497 00:52:48,840 --> 00:52:51,200 Second-hand information, but some orca were seen 498 00:52:51,200 --> 00:52:53,840 about 10km from here at 8:00pm last night. 499 00:52:53,840 --> 00:52:57,840 We just got the text this morning at 7:00am. 500 00:52:57,840 --> 00:53:00,400 Tipped off that a pod of orcas was close, 501 00:53:00,400 --> 00:53:03,120 the team could quickly catch up with them. 502 00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:04,800 But it wasn't the 27s. 503 00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:09,120 It's the 19 pod with an individual in it called Mousa, 504 00:53:09,120 --> 00:53:11,000 which is quite a well-known individual. 505 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:13,280 But she was last seen on Friday 506 00:53:13,280 --> 00:53:16,360 with the 27 pod in Orkney. 507 00:53:16,360 --> 00:53:19,800 So we're now on Sunday and she's here, 508 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:23,200 so does that mean the 27 pod is here? 509 00:53:23,200 --> 00:53:26,760 The team stuck around, hoping the pods were travelling together. 510 00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:30,840 There they are! There they are, there they are, in the bay. 511 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:34,240 In the bay here. Yeah, the other side of the skerries. 512 00:53:34,240 --> 00:53:36,560 Can we just spin round, please? 513 00:53:36,560 --> 00:53:38,760 It's took patience and determination, 514 00:53:38,760 --> 00:53:40,720 but after two years of effort, 515 00:53:40,720 --> 00:53:44,320 the crew finally caught up with the 27 pod. 516 00:53:45,680 --> 00:53:49,240 We are here right now on the 27s, which is our best pod, 517 00:53:49,240 --> 00:53:52,240 because one of the guys working on the ferry saw them, 518 00:53:52,240 --> 00:53:53,680 posted it on WhatsApp. 519 00:53:53,680 --> 00:53:56,880 We were five minutes away and we were straight onto it. 520 00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:01,560 The pod soon lived up to their promise 521 00:54:01,560 --> 00:54:04,000 and began to hunt along the coast. 522 00:54:06,120 --> 00:54:10,240 Using the drone, the team could follow as the pod spread out, 523 00:54:10,240 --> 00:54:12,560 searching every inch of the shoreline. 524 00:54:14,560 --> 00:54:17,240 From the boat, the stabilised camera rig 525 00:54:17,240 --> 00:54:19,840 allowed them to film the action close-up. 526 00:54:28,040 --> 00:54:30,600 That was carnage. All so fast. 527 00:54:31,720 --> 00:54:33,800 It just goes crazy. 528 00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:37,520 Yeah, a really crazy hunt. Just... 529 00:54:37,520 --> 00:54:39,720 ..bonkers. Just, like, chaos. 530 00:54:41,080 --> 00:54:45,000 After two years of filming and thanks to the network of islanders 531 00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:48,600 and Richard's expertise, the team were finally able 532 00:54:48,600 --> 00:54:51,520 to capture this extraordinary hunting behaviour. 533 00:54:57,800 --> 00:55:02,920 Three months after returning from Shetland, there was some sad news. 534 00:55:02,920 --> 00:55:08,920 A young male orca from the 27 pod was found dead, washed up onshore. 535 00:55:10,120 --> 00:55:13,320 A postmortem revealed he had drowned 536 00:55:13,320 --> 00:55:15,920 after becoming entangled in fishing gear. 537 00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:20,800 Each year, dozens of whales and dolphins die in this way. 538 00:55:22,600 --> 00:55:26,040 But since filming, three new calves have been spotted, 539 00:55:26,040 --> 00:55:29,720 the youngest belonging to the 27s. 540 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:36,600 We must do everything we can to ensure that our waters 541 00:55:36,600 --> 00:55:41,000 are safe and welcoming for these rare and special visitors. 542 00:55:46,440 --> 00:55:48,360 Next time... 543 00:55:48,360 --> 00:55:52,280 ..woodland - ruled by the seasons... 544 00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:56,080 ..home to dramatic battles... 545 00:56:04,200 --> 00:56:08,120 ..and hitherto unseen spectacles. 546 00:56:12,480 --> 00:56:15,640 The Open University has produced a free poster 547 00:56:15,640 --> 00:56:20,880 exploring our wild isles and their diverse habitat and species. 548 00:56:20,880 --> 00:56:26,320 Order your copy by calling 0300 303 0265 549 00:56:26,320 --> 00:56:31,840 or go to bbc.co.uk/wildisles 550 00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:35,160 and follow the links to the Open University. 551 00:56:35,160 --> 00:56:39,080 If you'd like to play your part in restoring our wild isles 552 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:41,840 and learn more about what you can do to help, 553 00:56:41,840 --> 00:56:45,720 just search Wild Isles on the BBC website.