1 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:35,840 Our isles were once covered by ice. 2 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,280 As the Earth warmed, 3 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,720 grasses became the first plants to reclaim the land. 4 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:46,240 Today, 5 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,880 they cover more than 40% of it. 6 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,480 Most of that is farmed, 7 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,320 but when these lands are well managed, 8 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,440 they still provide homes for wildlife. 9 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,720 It's early spring. 10 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:10,800 In a field of barley, 11 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,320 a male brown hare is searching for a female. 12 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,880 Using his excellent sense of smell, 13 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,880 he can tell that there is one nearby. 14 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,440 But getting to mate with her won't be easy 15 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,720 He must deal with three challenges, 16 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:45,720 before she'll consider him. 17 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:50,000 First... 18 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,320 DRUM ROLL 19 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:52,480 ..boxing. 20 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:55,720 To impress her, 21 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:57,880 he must match her strength, 22 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,080 but be careful not to hurt her. 23 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,080 Only if he can hold his own, 24 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,000 will he be allowed to move to the next stage. 25 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:20,080 He puts up a good fight and, so, passes her first test. 26 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,000 Her second test? 27 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:25,960 Stamina. 28 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,880 Hares are Britain's fastest mammal, 29 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,440 and can reach speeds of 45mph. 30 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,560 The chase attracts other males, 31 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,400 all fired up and eager to mate. 32 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:51,800 His final test 33 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,800 is to get rid of his rivals. 34 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,440 HIGH-SPIRITED MUSIC PLAYS 35 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,920 Despite their competition, 36 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:07,600 he hangs on to the top spot. 37 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,440 But distracted hares must be careful. 38 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,920 OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS 39 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,640 Their courtship competitions have made them conspicuous. 40 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,760 A golden eagle can spot one from two miles away. 41 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,400 In a straight line, the eagle is faster, 42 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:48,400 but by twisting and turning, 43 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,120 the hare dodges its attacks. 44 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,160 Nonetheless, she is relentless. 45 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,360 DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS 46 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,600 Golden eagles once chased hares 47 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,280 across all of our isles. 48 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,960 But as our wild grasslands have diminished, 49 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,240 these contests have become a rare sight. 50 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:51,000 When I was a boy, back in the 1930s, growing up in Leicester, 51 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:57,680 I spent days on my bicycle exploring the local countryside. 52 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:02,640 Back then, it was easy to find hay meadows like this one, 53 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,480 rich with wild flowers 54 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,080 and swarming with butterflies 55 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,120 and insects of all kinds. 56 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,680 But since then, we have lost more than 95% 57 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,440 of these wonderful habitats. 58 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:20,960 In this episode, 59 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:26,480 we will show why our wildlife needs rich, wild grasslands 60 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,240 and take you on a journey from the rare coastal flower meadows 61 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,760 of the Scottish Hebrides, 62 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,240 right up to the heather moorlands 63 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,800 in the high mountains. 64 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,480 WIND WHISTLES 65 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:49,240 Few things can tame this fierce landscape... 66 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,480 ..but grasses can. 67 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,720 Here in the Outer Hebrides, 68 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,960 their roots have bound the loose grains together 69 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:09,400 and created a formidable barrier. 70 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:17,000 Miles of sand dunes form a natural sea wall, 71 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,920 protecting one of the most important habitats in the world - 72 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,240 the machair grassland. 73 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,400 BIRDSONG AND BUZZING 74 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:33,120 5,500 years of traditional, non-intensive farming 75 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:38,360 on shell-sand soils has created these rich, wild flower meadows, 76 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,200 unique to Scotland and Ireland. 77 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:45,560 Free from pesticides, 78 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,240 they are home to hundreds of rare flowers and insects. 79 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:51,960 BUZZING 80 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:59,440 Each spring, the machair becomes a nursery for ground-nesting birds. 81 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:01,800 CHIRPING 82 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,240 It's alive with chicks, 83 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:09,120 all doing their best to escape from their parents. 84 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:13,960 Since 1960, 85 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:15,880 lapwing numbers in Britain and Ireland 86 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:18,920 have dropped by 80%... 87 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,840 ..which makes every one of these chicks 88 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:26,280 very valuable. 89 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,800 Just a day old, this youngster is starting off on 90 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,560 its first food-finding mission. 91 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,880 Common gulls patrol the nursery, 92 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,240 hoping to pick off an unwary chick. 93 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,800 Adult lapwings have excellent eyesight, 94 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,160 and attack at the first sign of threat. 95 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:02,560 DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS 96 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,480 SQUAWKING 97 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,560 And there are other wading birds here, too... 98 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:20,360 ..and a multi-species air force takes to the wing. 99 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,280 Alarm calls warn all the chicks, 100 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,080 whatever their species, to stay hidden. 101 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:32,360 SIREN CALL 102 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:52,120 But the gull knows that the grass is full of chicks 103 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,320 and won't give up. 104 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:55,800 CHIRPING 105 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:00,000 SQUAWKING 106 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,600 This time, it takes a young oystercatcher... 107 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,760 ..and the lapwing chick gets back to its mother. 108 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,240 MELANCHOLY MUSIC PLAYS 109 00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:16,840 SQUAWKING 110 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,000 Across Britain and Ireland, 111 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,360 habitat loss to intensive agriculture 112 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:26,160 has caused numbers of birds like these to greatly reduce. 113 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,280 But thanks to nature-friendly farming methods, 114 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,480 the Outer Hebrides remain a vital sanctuary 115 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,960 for our most endangered ground-nesting species. 116 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:52,080 All our grasslands are now managed by people. 117 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,440 But they weren't always like this. 118 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,160 Once there were vast scrub-covered wildernesses, 119 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,640 studded with patches of grassland. 120 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,160 Roaming freely across them 121 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,920 were herds of wild cattle 122 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:18,800 and wild horses. 123 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:22,600 HORSES WHINNY 124 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:27,360 In some areas, such species are being reintroduced 125 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:32,560 in the hope of recreating these once extensive grasslands. 126 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:34,480 HORSES NEIGH 127 00:10:42,560 --> 00:10:47,880 In Cambridgeshire, there are large free-ranging herds of horses. 128 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,480 There are five family units in this herd... 129 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,360 ..each ruled by a dominant stallion. 130 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:07,760 THEY GRUNT AND WHINNY 131 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,840 They're regularly on the move, 132 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,720 searching for the best food. 133 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,360 They eat young trees, 134 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:32,320 and so prevent grassland turning into forest. 135 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:36,560 By disturbing the ground, 136 00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:41,320 they allow many species that were once common in such places, 137 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,120 to return. 138 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,440 It's late spring, 139 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:55,000 and the herd's numbers are increasing. 140 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:03,320 Just 24 hours old, this youngster is taking his first faltering steps. 141 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,720 The stallion guards the mare closely. 142 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:13,800 WHINNIES 143 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:18,560 Having just given birth, 144 00:12:18,560 --> 00:12:21,160 she will soon be ready to mate again. 145 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,880 A rival stallion notices her condition 146 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,520 and tensions begin to rise. 147 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:39,840 WHINNYING AND SNORTING 148 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,720 Looks might be tolerated by the dominant stallion... 149 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:49,640 WHINNIES 150 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:52,400 ..but anything else will bring trouble. 151 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:03,960 A well-placed kick 152 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:05,960 could do serious damage. 153 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:07,800 DRAMATIC MUSIC 154 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:11,360 NEIGHING 155 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:22,680 GRUNTING AND BRAYING 156 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:33,080 This time, the challenger retreats. 157 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:41,600 Traditional breeds of horses are now being gradually reintroduced 158 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:45,320 to isolated grasslands across the British Isles. 159 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:50,520 By expanding and connecting these reserves, 160 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:54,680 we could restore large swathes of our lost wilderness, 161 00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:56,520 if we wanted to. 162 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:58,800 HORSE NEIGHS 163 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,080 Grasses, when allowed to grow tall and wild, 164 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:11,080 can conceal animals that few people get to see. 165 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:16,800 Here, there is a network of hidden trails, 166 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,080 made by Britain's most abundant mammal. 167 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:30,360 Yet, despite there being more than 50-million of them... 168 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,320 ..this little rodent is tricky to spot. 169 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:38,200 It's NOT a mouse. 170 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:44,720 It's a vole - a small rodent with teeth specially adapted 171 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:46,200 for chewing grass. 172 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,240 This female is in a hurry... 173 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,600 ANIMATED MUSIC PLAYS 174 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:11,360 ..because it's time to feed her babies. 175 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:12,520 SQUEAKING 176 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:17,720 She has six. 177 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,040 They're just ten-days-old 178 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:24,160 and still reliant on her for milk and body heat. 179 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:25,600 She doesn't leave them 180 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,800 for more than half an hour at a time. 181 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,480 But to feed them all and herself, 182 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,240 she must eat almost her entire body weight in grass 183 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:38,600 every day. 184 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,680 Knowing every turn in her maze of trails, 185 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:52,080 she can reach her favourite feeding spots without being seen... 186 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:53,680 CRUNCHING 187 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:56,920 ..but she can be heard. 188 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,880 Short-eared owls have excellent hearing, 189 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,560 and field voles make up 90% of their diet. 190 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:24,960 At the slightest hint of danger, 191 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,560 the mother vole deploys her best defence. 192 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:29,720 DRAMATIC MUSIC CRESCENDOS 193 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:39,080 She freezes. 194 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:50,920 Short-eared owls can hear a whisker scratching against grass. 195 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,080 But she must get back to her babies. 196 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:08,600 SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC 197 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:43,800 Field voles breed successfully when grasses aren't cut short, 198 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,480 meaning the owl's next meal won't be far away. 199 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:54,960 BELL TOLLS 200 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,960 In southern England, a few precious pockets 201 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,960 of chalk grassland have remained unchanged for thousands of years. 202 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,920 Light grazing by livestock maintains their rich variety of plants. 203 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,040 On a hillside near Dorchester, 204 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:19,120 an apparently empty snail shell is moving. 205 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:21,240 JOCULAR MUSIC 206 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,120 A mason bee. 207 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:34,000 There are a dozen different species of mason bee in Britain. 208 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,000 Most nest in holes. 209 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,560 But this one, the two-coloured mason bee, 210 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,480 prefers to rear her family in snail shells. 211 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,360 Many of those, of course, are still occupied. 212 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:00,800 She needs help. 213 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,400 Glow worm larvae are always hungry. 214 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,960 These little insects might be slow... 215 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:17,920 ..but that doesn't matter 216 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,160 when you're hunting a snail. 217 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,000 SINISTER MUSIC 218 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,200 The meal may take a week, 219 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:35,840 but once it's finished, all that is left is an empty shell. 220 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:43,600 And that is perfect 221 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,600 for the bee. 222 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:49,520 Fresh shells are the strongest 223 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,200 and will give her young the best chance of survival. 224 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,560 She sets about filling it with pollen, 225 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:04,640 food for her young, when the egg she lays inside hatches. 226 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:06,760 BUZZING 227 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:16,280 Using tiny pieces of rubble, and glue made from chewed-up leaves, 228 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,520 she carefully seals the front door. 229 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:29,400 But that isn't the end of this mother's care. 230 00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:34,920 And her last trick is extraordinary... 231 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,800 ..because this bee is something of a witch! 232 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:50,000 There are more than 250 species of wild bees in Britain, 233 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:54,440 but this is the only one that rides a broomstick! 234 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,600 She's collecting hundreds of dry grass stems 235 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,840 to hide her snail-shell nests. 236 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,080 She may build up to 20 of them. 237 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:26,440 About a third of our food comes from plants pollinated by bees, 238 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,760 but due to habitat loss and use of pesticides, 239 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:33,720 wild bee species are in decline. 240 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:41,400 We can help them recover, 241 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,800 by restoring wild areas between our intensively-managed fields. 242 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:04,840 If grasslands are to be rich and diverse, they have to be grazed. 243 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:11,600 And we can thank the Romans and the Normans for bringing with them 244 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,680 one of nature's best lawnmowers... 245 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,080 ..rabbits. 246 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:24,600 Unlike their cousins, 247 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,280 the larger hares, 248 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,680 they dig tunnels. 249 00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:33,800 Bolt holes are essential... 250 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,960 ..if you're the favourite food of a buzzard. 251 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:39,520 OMINOUS MUSIC 252 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,320 A foot-thump raises the alarm. 253 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,520 But not everyone pays attention. 254 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:03,840 DRAMATIC MUSIC CRESCENDOS 255 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,560 One less youngster, 256 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,400 ..but then, rabbits are rather good at breeding. 257 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,000 A male - a buck - 258 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,560 offers a female two kinds of gift. 259 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,840 First, perfume. 260 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:51,840 A gland under his chin produces a cocktail of pheromones. 261 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,200 His second gift is rather less romantic. 262 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,160 He pees on her. 263 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,520 JOCULAR MUSIC PLAYS 264 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,440 His particular smell helps her decide whether or not 265 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:23,640 she will let him father her babies. 266 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,640 His choice of aftershave, however, 267 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,880 hasn't yet convinced her. 268 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:44,480 Darkness does nothing 269 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:46,880 to dampen his enthusiasm. 270 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:58,560 Finally, the buck is in luck! 271 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,400 This giant warren in Dorset 272 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:07,480 is one of the largest in Britain. 273 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,240 OWL HOOTS 274 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,960 It's home to more than a thousand rabbits... 275 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:17,920 ..and at night, they all feel sufficiently confident 276 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:20,000 to leave their burrows. 277 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:25,840 And foxes know that. 278 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,640 So this is when they usually hunt. 279 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:36,000 DROLL MUSIC PLAYS 280 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:45,960 That was just a vole. 281 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:49,400 Back at the den, 282 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,960 his vixen is looking after their four hungry pups. 283 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:54,880 PUPS WHINE 284 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:01,760 Make that five! 285 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,680 The rabbits watch the fox closely. 286 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,640 As long as they can see him, 287 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:25,560 they can outrun him. 288 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:36,800 But they can't hide. 289 00:26:41,360 --> 00:26:45,360 It's a mistake to think that you are always safe in a burrow. 290 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:49,960 If there is only one way out, 291 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:53,160 a tunnel could become a trap. 292 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:54,400 SHRIEK 293 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:58,320 SOMBRE MUSIC 294 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,000 A rabbit's life is full of danger. 295 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:31,400 A big warren can lose hundreds each year, 296 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,440 but without losses to foxes and buzzards, 297 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:38,560 rabbits could soon eat themselves into starvation. 298 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:47,320 BIRDSONG 299 00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:51,840 As farming has intensified, 300 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:55,600 most of our traditional meadows have disappeared. 301 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:03,840 Species-rich grasslands now occupy only about 1% of the land. 302 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:05,680 BUZZING 303 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,280 Their reduction in numbers is one of the reasons 304 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:15,400 why half of our butterfly species are now at risk of extinction. 305 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,600 But, in Gloucestershire, one species is making a comeback. 306 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:31,800 It has one of the most extraordinary lifecycles of any insect anywhere. 307 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:39,320 Most caterpillars find their food among flowers. 308 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,800 This particular species, however, feeds in an entirely different way. 309 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,720 A way that is full of risks. 310 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:01,760 Ants eat caterpillars. 311 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,920 But this caterpillar is a master trickster. 312 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:18,800 First, she releases a droplet of honeydew from a gland on her back... 313 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,600 ..encouraging the worker ant to tend to her. 314 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,360 Next, she does something even more remarkable. 315 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,520 She takes in air, 316 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:40,360 inflating her body... 317 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:49,600 ..and then she releases it... 318 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:51,240 MIMICS CHIRRUPING 319 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:55,440 ..making a sound that resembles the distress call of a queen ant... 320 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:02,280 ..whilst bathing the worker in intoxicating pheromones. 321 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,480 In response, the worker ant picks up the caterpillar 322 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:13,080 and takes it back to the nest - as if rescuing it. 323 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:20,880 But will the other ants accept the caterpillar as a queen? 324 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:24,720 SQUEAKS 325 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,160 She continues her royal squeaking 326 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,880 and, amazingly, they do. 327 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:35,360 Once inside the nest, 328 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,040 the caterpillar can go wherever she likes. 329 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:45,040 Surrounded by thousands of ants that could easily kill her, 330 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:48,240 she finally gets the reward for her trickery. 331 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:58,320 This caterpillar is one of the very few in the world 332 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,200 that becomes carnivorous. 333 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:03,680 DRAMATIC MUSIC 334 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:10,360 Over the next six months, 335 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:15,120 this fake queen eats the defenceless ant larvae, 336 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:20,040 until she's 100 times her original size. 337 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,400 Then, having consumed almost the entire ant colony... 338 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:37,840 ..she pupates... 339 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:41,480 ..and becomes a chrysalis. 340 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:49,320 Nearly a year later, 341 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:52,600 on one warm spring day... 342 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:56,800 ..she performs her final trick. 343 00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:58,760 ENTHRALLING MUSIC 344 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,440 She emerges from the shroud of her chrysalis 345 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,480 as an adult Large Blue butterfly. 346 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:29,480 40 years ago, the Large Blue was extinct in Britain. 347 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:34,960 But once its extraordinary life cycle was understood, 348 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:39,600 it was reintroduced from Europe to restored meadows here 349 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:44,760 and now we have one of the densest populations to be found anywhere. 350 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:59,240 Throughout the British Isles there are rugged uplands, 351 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:02,480 where grasses are replaced by other kinds of plants. 352 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:09,920 For thousands of years, people have farmed these seemingly wild places, 353 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,520 creating a landscape that is now dominated by heather. 354 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,600 And in the wilder parts, 355 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,600 lives one of Britain's rarest birds... 356 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:23,560 ..black grouse. 357 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:31,040 The males come here at dawn to display competitively 358 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:34,720 throughout the spring in special places called leks. 359 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:41,920 Each male competes to claim a small area in the centre of the lek 360 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:45,320 and then invites females to visit him 361 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,800 by producing an extraordinary bubbling song. 362 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:50,960 GROUSE SINGS 363 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:02,160 This particular lek in the Cairngorms 364 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,680 is dominated by a formidable male, 365 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,520 nicknamed The Boss. 366 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:07,520 DRAMATIC MUSIC 367 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:14,120 Each morning, he fights off challengers. 368 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:16,680 IRATE COOING 369 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:25,960 But now, a new cock on the block has arrived... 370 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:27,520 HISSING 371 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:28,920 ..Half Tail. 372 00:34:31,720 --> 00:34:34,040 He's no stranger to a fight, 373 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:37,120 having already lost some of his tail feathers 374 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:39,760 in a close shave with a golden eagle. 375 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:45,800 And now, he's set his sights on The Boss's crown. 376 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:56,200 For the past week, the two of them have been sizing each other up. 377 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,720 And now, it's the showdown. 378 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,240 DRAMATIC MUSIC 379 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,720 Half Tail has triumphed. 380 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,920 This lek has a new boss. 381 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:49,920 And his timing couldn't be better. 382 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,560 A female has arrived. 383 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:56,440 HALF TAIL COOS 384 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:02,280 This is his chance to impress. 385 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:06,000 She might only visit this lek once this year. 386 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,160 COOING CONTINUES 387 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:27,800 He's been lucky this morning, 388 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:32,080 but Half Tail must hold his position at the centre of the lek 389 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,520 if he's to get another chance. 390 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:45,280 Our uplands have harsh winters. 391 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,880 But there are some sheltered and undisturbed places 392 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:54,800 that suit one surprising year-round resident. 393 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:01,600 As the spring sun warms these slopes in Northumbria... 394 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,920 ..a rare reptile becomes active. 395 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:18,120 A male adder sheds his winter skin, 396 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:20,960 revealing his zigzag stripe, 397 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,800 the distinctive pattern that identifies 398 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:26,280 Britain's only venomous snake. 399 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:34,360 Now, he needs to find a female. 400 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,920 Guided by an acute sense of smell, 401 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:45,120 this 40cm long male sets off to find a female. 402 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:50,840 He may have to travel a mile or more. 403 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:54,440 But he's in luck. 404 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:58,120 A female, newly emerged from hibernation. 405 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:07,600 Sliding over her back... 406 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,480 ..he begins a delicate courtship. 407 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:34,560 But he's not the only one around here searching for a mate. 408 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,040 Rearing up as high as he can, 409 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:55,320 he uses his whole body to try and pin his opponent to the ground. 410 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:07,720 These duels can last for up to an hour. 411 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:27,680 Eventually, the challenger gives way. 412 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:35,320 The male continues his courtship, 413 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:38,120 gently tapping the female with his head 414 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:40,680 while using his coils to massage her... 415 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:44,640 ..until she allows him to mate. 416 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,440 But then, more eager males arrive. 417 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:02,000 He must stay attached to her long enough to transfer his sperm. 418 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:06,680 And fortunately, he has just the equipment needed 419 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:08,800 to help him do that... 420 00:40:11,720 --> 00:40:13,960 ..a penis with barbs. 421 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:19,840 Once mating has started, 422 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:23,480 the adders remain locked together for up to an hour. 423 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,200 And that means wherever the female goes, 424 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:31,560 the male is also dragged along. 425 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:44,240 She will mate with many males in the coming months. 426 00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:48,480 So for her other suitors, 427 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:50,400 all is not lost. 428 00:40:56,080 --> 00:41:00,360 At the end of spring, a more relaxed courtship takes place 429 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,520 in the skies of the Scottish Highlands. 430 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:10,880 A sky dance. 431 00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:13,040 SOARING VIOLIN MUSIC 432 00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:25,760 A male hen harrier. 433 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:40,600 Weaving and rolling through the air, 434 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:44,120 he's doing his best to catch the attention of a female. 435 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:55,920 But conspicuous behaviour can bring danger. 436 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:03,280 Decades of illegal persecution of hen harriers on some grouse moors 437 00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:07,360 has meant that this dance almost vanished from our skies. 438 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:17,720 Fortunately, in a few protected places, 439 00:42:17,720 --> 00:42:20,760 hen harriers are now slowly starting to recover. 440 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:27,480 And this male's efforts have paid off. 441 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:29,440 CHIRPING 442 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:37,280 But being a great aerial dancer isn't enough. 443 00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:46,400 He must also provide his mate with a meal. 444 00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:52,800 And he must deliver it in exactly the right way. 445 00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:59,200 CHIRPING 446 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:09,680 Convinced by his performance... 447 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:14,160 ..she chooses a nest deep in the heather. 448 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:24,600 Six weeks later, it's full of hungry mouths waiting for food. 449 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:29,960 The female has chosen a good mate. 450 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:39,200 Only with both parents working full-time 451 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,760 will the chicks get enough food to enable them to fledge 452 00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:47,000 and eventually help these rare birds to recover their numbers. 453 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:08,560 Even in our crowded isles, 454 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:12,160 there are still places that retain their wildness. 455 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:21,920 In Ireland's County Kerry lies a land that looks almost untouched. 456 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:34,040 This is a landscape being returned to wilderness. 457 00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:40,000 And it's the scene of an age-old battle. 458 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:52,400 This red deer stag has spent his summer feeding in the mountains. 459 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:57,840 HE BELLOWS 460 00:44:57,840 --> 00:44:59,760 But as autumn approaches, 461 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:02,680 he comes down to lower ground 462 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:06,720 to compete in the rut and fight for females. 463 00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:17,360 But a more experienced stag 464 00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:20,560 has already claimed this group of females. 465 00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:22,520 STAG GRUNTS 466 00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:27,920 The newcomer declares his intentions. 467 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:34,680 To win these females however... 468 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:38,480 ..he will have to fight. 469 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:39,720 DRAMATIC MUSIC 470 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:48,040 An antler in the eye would blind him. 471 00:45:49,720 --> 00:45:52,480 An antler to the body could kill him. 472 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:56,600 ANTLERS CLATTER 473 00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:18,480 His inexperience has cost him this victory. 474 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:23,320 But losing one battle doesn't necessarily mean 475 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:25,760 that he's lost his chance to mate. 476 00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:37,840 Over the next few weeks, the dominant stag 477 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:42,200 is so busy guarding his harem of females, that he doesn't eat. 478 00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:47,560 And that leaves him weak. 479 00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:54,280 This is the opportunity the newcomer has been waiting for. 480 00:46:57,720 --> 00:46:59,920 The dominant stag is tired, 481 00:46:59,920 --> 00:47:04,440 but he has to fight once again if he is to keep his females. 482 00:47:14,680 --> 00:47:18,080 For the newcomer, it's now or never. 483 00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:25,120 DRAMATIC MUSIC 484 00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:55,760 MUSIC CRESCENDOS 485 00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:10,000 BELLOWING 486 00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:17,120 The harem has been taken over by the newcomer. 487 00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:21,800 At the end of this season, 488 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:25,760 he will return to the mountains, victorious. 489 00:48:33,880 --> 00:48:36,640 Almost all the grasslands in our isles 490 00:48:36,640 --> 00:48:39,680 are now managed by and for people. 491 00:48:41,040 --> 00:48:45,520 Whether in the future we choose to make room in them for wildlife... 492 00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:48,520 ..is up to us. 493 00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:05,080 Wild eagles have never been filmed hunting in the UK before. 494 00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:08,880 The challenge was to capture this behaviour 495 00:49:08,880 --> 00:49:11,040 with not just golden eagles, 496 00:49:11,040 --> 00:49:14,720 but also the larger and rarer white-tailed eagles. 497 00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:19,680 The team travelled to Islay in the Scottish Hebrides. 498 00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:22,680 The eagle numbers here have been increasing year-on-year 499 00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:26,000 and in a good year, you can have eight or ten different eagles 500 00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:28,560 visiting this reserve during the winter. 501 00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:31,400 The reserve is part of a working farm 502 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:34,200 and managed in a way that benefits nature. 503 00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:37,920 Reserve manager James How was the first to witness 504 00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:42,120 the returning white-tailed eagles doing something extraordinary. 505 00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:44,480 It was probably four years ago 506 00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:47,800 that we started to see the eagles coming in 507 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:49,760 and having a look at the geese. 508 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:51,960 At that stage it was just one eagle. 509 00:49:51,960 --> 00:49:55,480 Over the last few years, that behaviour has just increased. 510 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:58,360 So you've got these phenomenal flocks of geese here 511 00:49:58,360 --> 00:50:01,680 and now we have apex predators hunting them, which... 512 00:50:01,680 --> 00:50:03,600 It feels complete somehow. 513 00:50:04,680 --> 00:50:06,840 But it wasn't always like this. 514 00:50:06,840 --> 00:50:10,800 White-tailed eagles once lived across Britain and Ireland, 515 00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:14,200 but were so heavily persecuted that they became extinct 516 00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:16,320 at the start of the 20th century. 517 00:50:17,560 --> 00:50:21,160 These giants needed a helping hand to return. 518 00:50:22,440 --> 00:50:25,840 The first attempt at releases was back in 1968. 519 00:50:27,360 --> 00:50:29,280 I was, crikey, 520 00:50:29,280 --> 00:50:31,840 27, on the island of Fiaraidh. 521 00:50:31,840 --> 00:50:33,480 And my boss said, 522 00:50:33,480 --> 00:50:37,240 "Look, I'm going to get four young white-tailed eagles from Norway 523 00:50:37,240 --> 00:50:39,960 "and I want you to reintroduce them to the island." 524 00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:44,680 Back then, re-introductions were new and not always welcome. 525 00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:49,080 But these early efforts eventually paid off 526 00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:53,480 and today, there are more than 100 breeding pairs across Scotland. 527 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:59,720 On Islay, the team focus their work around the eagles' favourite prey - 528 00:50:59,720 --> 00:51:02,680 brown hares and barnacle geese. 529 00:51:02,680 --> 00:51:06,120 What we're trying to attempt is so difficult here 530 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:08,360 because we are filming birds 531 00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:11,520 that can be over two mountains in five or ten minutes. 532 00:51:11,520 --> 00:51:13,520 And to get ahead of them 533 00:51:13,520 --> 00:51:16,120 and try and work out where their pray are going to be, 534 00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:17,400 there's no choice, 535 00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:19,320 you just have to put hours and hours and hours into it. 536 00:51:19,320 --> 00:51:23,680 The team spread out to watch as many geese and hares as possible. 537 00:51:25,240 --> 00:51:28,680 We have to have static camera teams, hide camera teams, 538 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:30,640 roving camera teams. 539 00:51:30,640 --> 00:51:33,160 And we also have to have a huge team of spotters. 540 00:51:33,160 --> 00:51:36,040 But the famous Hebridean weather had other ideas. 541 00:51:38,600 --> 00:51:42,760 Ouch! These hailstones are about 2mm or 3mm across. 542 00:51:42,760 --> 00:51:44,440 They are like being hit with BB pellets! 543 00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:52,000 How are we supposed to film in this? 544 00:51:52,000 --> 00:51:54,880 No wonder there are no eagles this morning! 545 00:51:54,880 --> 00:51:59,440 And one team member couldn't even make it across from the mainland. 546 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:01,360 We've been grounded. 547 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:03,680 Because the bad weather and the storm, 548 00:52:03,680 --> 00:52:05,880 the ferries are not going any more. 549 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:09,840 But all I can do is wait until the storm finishes 550 00:52:09,840 --> 00:52:12,600 and then I can head over and see them. 551 00:52:12,600 --> 00:52:17,160 Once the storm blows through and the whole team are safely on the island, 552 00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:19,520 filming can finally begin. 553 00:52:21,440 --> 00:52:24,880 The tower hides enable views right across the grassland 554 00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:27,400 where the eagles' prey congregate. 555 00:52:28,760 --> 00:52:32,520 But first, the team need to learn the habits of the individual birds 556 00:52:32,520 --> 00:52:35,160 and each day, the challenge is to find them. 557 00:52:36,640 --> 00:52:39,840 OK, I think I've got them very distant, way to the east. 558 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:43,760 The white-tails went off with an escort of jackdaws, over. 559 00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:46,840 OK. One's taken off and is flying south-east now 560 00:52:46,840 --> 00:52:50,360 towards the fields. Hamza, be much closer to you now. 561 00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:54,320 No, we don't have eyes on it just yet. 562 00:52:54,320 --> 00:52:57,320 If you guys can direct me to it, that would be ace. 563 00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:00,680 Still just going over the field. 564 00:53:00,680 --> 00:53:03,520 It doesn't look like it's got any hunting on the brain 565 00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:05,320 at the moment though. 566 00:53:05,320 --> 00:53:07,880 Eagles don't always hunt for their food. 567 00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:11,040 Young birds often scavenge for an easy meal. 568 00:53:11,040 --> 00:53:15,080 So learning when they are in hunt mode is key for the team. 569 00:53:15,080 --> 00:53:17,000 Getting the hang of who's who, 570 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:19,800 because we can recognise four different young eagles now 571 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:22,680 and they do have a pattern and they do have favourite places. 572 00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:25,520 There is a hierarchy where they boss each other around. 573 00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:27,880 We've had four different golden eagles today. 574 00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:30,040 We've had six different white-tailed eagles. 575 00:53:30,040 --> 00:53:32,520 And we're still expecting more to come in. 576 00:53:32,520 --> 00:53:35,440 As the team get to know these birds intimately, 577 00:53:35,440 --> 00:53:38,720 it becomes clear how special this place is. 578 00:53:38,720 --> 00:53:40,920 You can only really describe it as an eagle school. 579 00:53:40,920 --> 00:53:44,200 You know, these young birds are coming here to learn to hunt. 580 00:53:44,200 --> 00:53:46,320 It's basically Top Gun for eagles. 581 00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:50,920 We are surrounded by eagles. That is amazing. 582 00:53:52,600 --> 00:53:54,720 We've just had birds fighting. 583 00:53:54,720 --> 00:53:58,280 Really, really lovely footage of all of them, kind of, like, tumbling. 584 00:54:00,640 --> 00:54:04,200 After six weeks, Jesse captures their first hunt. 585 00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:08,320 A young golden eagle flushes a hare out on the flats. 586 00:54:10,640 --> 00:54:13,560 He bolted straight out across the short grass. 587 00:54:13,560 --> 00:54:15,720 He jinked from side to side. 588 00:54:15,720 --> 00:54:18,960 The power that the eagle would have had in a straight line, 589 00:54:18,960 --> 00:54:21,520 he could have just mown down the hare. 590 00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:24,120 Who needs lions? Who needs polar bears? 591 00:54:24,120 --> 00:54:26,600 This is just as impressive. 592 00:54:26,600 --> 00:54:30,600 After weeks of watching and learning the eagles' routines, 593 00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:35,400 the white-tails finally begin hunting in range of the cameras. 594 00:54:35,400 --> 00:54:37,000 Eagle! 595 00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:39,560 Eagle on the flats just going down. 596 00:54:40,720 --> 00:54:42,120 Whoa! 597 00:54:42,120 --> 00:54:46,480 Jesse's patience in the hide gives him a front row seat 598 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:48,360 at the start of the chase. 599 00:54:48,360 --> 00:54:52,760 And in the tower, John and Rachael can pick up where he left off. 600 00:54:54,520 --> 00:54:58,600 Oh, he caught it by its tail and then claws at the goose 601 00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:02,240 and is now carrying it by its neck and its head. 602 00:55:02,240 --> 00:55:04,000 Whoa, that's incredible! 603 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:07,720 That was something else. 604 00:55:07,720 --> 00:55:10,280 She just took off and went straight into the flock. 605 00:55:10,280 --> 00:55:12,040 One went up, singled one out, 606 00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:14,560 plucked it out of mid air and landed with it. 607 00:55:14,560 --> 00:55:17,200 That was a very special thing to witness. 608 00:55:17,200 --> 00:55:20,400 The team's dogged persistence has paid off 609 00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:24,760 and they film these wild eagles hunting for the first time. 610 00:55:24,760 --> 00:55:28,000 I feel so happy that we managed to get it. Like... 611 00:55:29,120 --> 00:55:32,760 ..words can't explain how excited I am. 612 00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:38,800 The return of these majestic hunters has taken decades of effort 613 00:55:38,800 --> 00:55:43,640 and Roy is now broadening his horizons to the south of England. 614 00:55:43,640 --> 00:55:46,840 This is a young female white-tailed eagle 615 00:55:46,840 --> 00:55:49,720 and it's come from the island of Skye. 616 00:55:49,720 --> 00:55:53,280 Two more will arrive from the Hebrides tomorrow. 617 00:55:53,280 --> 00:55:56,200 And then they will go by plane to the Isle of Wight. 618 00:55:57,520 --> 00:56:00,680 In the early part of my life, nature was losing. 619 00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:03,480 And suddenly in this last 20 years... 620 00:56:04,520 --> 00:56:08,760 ..people have realised that we can't live a future without nature. 621 00:56:10,200 --> 00:56:13,440 Top predators like eagles play a key role 622 00:56:13,440 --> 00:56:17,240 in maintaining healthy, robust, natural habitats. 623 00:56:18,800 --> 00:56:22,960 This crucial work will ensure eagles might once again 624 00:56:22,960 --> 00:56:26,200 be seen across all of Britain and Ireland. 625 00:56:33,800 --> 00:56:36,680 Next time - freshwater. 626 00:56:39,560 --> 00:56:41,200 From source... 627 00:56:43,160 --> 00:56:44,840 ..to sea... 628 00:56:54,240 --> 00:56:56,320 ..it connects everything. 629 00:56:59,280 --> 00:57:02,480 The Open University has produced a free poster, 630 00:57:02,480 --> 00:57:07,280 exploring our wild isles and their diverse habitats and species. 631 00:57:07,280 --> 00:57:09,400 Order your copy by calling... 632 00:57:12,920 --> 00:57:14,680 or go to... 633 00:57:18,480 --> 00:57:21,960 ..and follow the links to the Open University. 634 00:57:21,960 --> 00:57:25,960 If you'd like to play your part in restoring our wild isles 635 00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:28,960 and learn more about what you can do to help, 636 00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:32,440 just search Wild Isles on the BBC website.