1 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,240 SQUAWKING 2 00:00:29,500 --> 00:00:32,080 A reed-bed in Somerset, 3 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:36,280 and dragonflies glint in the early morning sun. 4 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:44,360 They won't take to the air until their wings are dry. 5 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,000 Others have spent the night in large communal roosts... 6 00:00:55,080 --> 00:01:00,200 ..and, as the day warms, they slowly climb up the reeds. 7 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,440 Until finally... 8 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:07,760 ..they're ready. 9 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:15,760 All dragonflies begin their lives as larvae in freshwater 10 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,840 before emerging as adults for their summer in the sun. 11 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,520 Their flying agility is second to none. 12 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,720 Or almost none. 13 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:41,000 A hobby. 14 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,280 These small birds of prey spend the winter in Africa 15 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,600 and time their arrival in Britain 16 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,520 to take advantage of this mass emergence of dragonflies. 17 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,800 But things don't always go their way. 18 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,000 The dragonflies can dodge with a flick of their wings... 19 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:33,240 ..so the hobbies turn their attention to the female dragonflies, 20 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,760 who are busy laying their eggs on the water's surface. 21 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,000 The hobbies come in low and fast. 22 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:04,400 Got her! 23 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:12,000 This summer spectacle is totally dependent on one thing. 24 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:15,240 Freshwater. 25 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,560 Here in Britain and Ireland, 26 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:36,720 we have some of the loveliest rivers and lakes in the world. 27 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:41,520 From the lochs of Scotland to the waterfalls of Wales. 28 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,320 From the great Shannon River in Ireland 29 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:51,240 to small intimate chalk streams like this one in Wiltshire. 30 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,760 But today, less than half of our rivers and lakes 31 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,080 are in good health for nature. 32 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:03,080 In this episode, we will reveal the crucial role that freshwater plays 33 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,520 in supporting wildlife of all kinds. 34 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:14,800 Freshwater is the lifeblood of the natural world. 35 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:21,320 We have over 150,000 miles of rivers in the British Isles. 36 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:26,520 They flow through every landscape, connecting all our wildlife. 37 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:35,560 The water's journey starts at the top of the mountains. 38 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,040 Rivers shape the landscape. 39 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:06,000 They feed and water a multitude of different habitats. 40 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,760 And, finally, they enter the sea. 41 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,560 And here in northern Scotland, 42 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,000 ghostly shadows have gathered where they do so. 43 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:23,360 Atlantic salmon. 44 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,400 After four years at sea, they've returned to the very river 45 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:33,240 where they were hatched. 46 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,840 It's spring, and they will spend the next six-months 47 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:42,000 battling their way up-river to their breeding ground. 48 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:48,040 But their great numbers have attracted attention. 49 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,400 Bottlenose dolphins. 50 00:06:00,840 --> 00:06:04,440 A pod has gathered at the mouth of the River Ness. 51 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,560 The tide is rising, and this is when the fish 52 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,760 will try to enter the river itself. 53 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:24,520 The salmon may be over a metre long and difficult to swallow... 54 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,000 ..but these intelligent hunters still find time 55 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,360 to play with their food. 56 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:49,880 Those salmon that get past them swim through a hazy mix of waters... 57 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:53,800 ..and at last reach the fresh. 58 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,800 From this point on, they are freshwater fish. 59 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:09,520 Their bodies change, inside and out. 60 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,880 Their sea-fresh silvery sheen dulls to a darker hue 61 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,800 that camouflages them against the riverbed. 62 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:23,840 But the river is low. 63 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,760 Until there's rain, they can go no further. 64 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,920 They may be stuck here for months. 65 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:35,640 As they will no longer eat, conserving energy is key. 66 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,960 Rain - at last. 67 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:55,640 The river rises, so the fish can start moving further upstream. 68 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,560 The rapids of the lowlands are passed without much effort. 69 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,520 But things soon start to get more difficult. 70 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,560 The salmon push on ever higher, 71 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:29,800 before reaching the most demanding test on their journey. 72 00:08:33,560 --> 00:08:36,360 These falls are three metres high... 73 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:39,760 ..and right at the fish's limits. 74 00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:45,520 They gather beneath the thundering water. 75 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,280 Some make practice leaps... 76 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,000 ..assessing the best angles of attack. 77 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,440 Finally, the time is right... 78 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,320 ..and now the real leaping begins. 79 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:21,520 They use the white water to slingshot their bodies into the air. 80 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:28,280 No other fish can clear waterfalls as high as this one. 81 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,040 Some crash into the rocks, 82 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,800 the thud of their muscular bodies audible 83 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,320 even above the roar of the water. 84 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,520 Every year, fewer and fewer get to this point in the river. 85 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:54,000 Returning salmon numbers have fallen by 70% 86 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,280 in just 25 years. 87 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,640 But those that have got here push on with astonishing vigour. 88 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,600 By late autumn, the survivors finally arrive 89 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,240 at their traditional spawning grounds. 90 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,160 It's time, at last, to breed. 91 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:36,200 The females get straight to work, digging their redds - 92 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,560 shallow depressions in the gravel. 93 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,520 This is where they will lay their eggs. 94 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,320 The males, in full spawning colours 95 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:51,240 and with newly-developed hooked jaws, wait close by. 96 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:05,000 A female releases thousands of eggs... 97 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:10,240 ..and one of the males fertilises them as they emerge. 98 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,600 It's the culmination of a journey 99 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,520 against the flow and the odds. 100 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,240 The eggs will develop in the gravel throughout the winter 101 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,240 and soon become tiny fry. 102 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:38,520 Their heartbeats visible through their translucent skin. 103 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:44,680 The salmon's return will sustain the whole river ecosystem 104 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:47,800 through the long winter months. 105 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:56,080 But they need cold, clear, free-flowing water to thrive, 106 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,280 and due to climate change, pollution and dams, 107 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:01,560 all are in short supply. 108 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:08,920 Atlantic salmon were once common across Britain and Ireland, 109 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:13,520 but are now increasingly restricted to these remote northern rivers. 110 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,240 At the current rate of decline, they may disappear 111 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,880 from all our rivers in as little as 20 years' time. 112 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,160 The grandchildren of these fish may be the last 113 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,200 to make this astonishing journey. 114 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:42,760 The rivers, having left the mountains, widen and slacken. 115 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,440 In places, they enter lakes such as this loch in Perthshire. 116 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,840 But here something else may slow them. 117 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:01,760 Beavers. 118 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:07,880 400 years ago, they were hunted to extinction for their fur, 119 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,240 but now they've been reintroduced to Scotland 120 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:13,920 and it hasn't taken them long to get established. 121 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,360 Signs of their industry are easy to see. 122 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:33,320 They are best known, perhaps, for their skill in building dams, 123 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,760 and this family spends a lot of time making sure that theirs 124 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:39,640 is in good shape. 125 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,240 The dam has created a huge wetland. 126 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,920 It's a beaver-built paradise... 127 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,000 ..that provides plenty of living space 128 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,880 and unlimited access to food. 129 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:18,000 At this time of year, branches on the move can only mean one thing. 130 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,240 Newborn beaver kits. 131 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,840 The kits will stay with their family for the first few years, 132 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:33,000 before setting out to find territories of their own. 133 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:41,440 There are over 250 beaver territories in Scotland, 134 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:44,440 and they're now being reintroduced into England and Wales. 135 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:56,400 By slowing the river, the beavers create a rich habitat 136 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,480 for a whole range of other species. 137 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,480 Right to the top of the food chain. 138 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:13,520 Ospreys. 139 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:26,240 Still, clean water attracts all kinds of wildlife. 140 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:30,640 On a heathland in Dorset, 141 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:35,400 spiders' webs cover the bushes surrounding a pond. 142 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:42,600 And one specialist species lives at the very edge of the water. 143 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,480 A female raft spider. 144 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,240 She's the size of your palm and a deadly assassin. 145 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,000 She uses the surface of the water as her web... 146 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,400 ..and senses the presence of prey from its vibrations. 147 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,040 A good start, but it's mating season, 148 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:22,760 and she'll need much more food if she's going to breed. 149 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,760 A pond-skater could be a good snack. 150 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:30,960 But it's not easily caught. 151 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,760 Such a small meal is barely worth the effort... 152 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:22,000 ..but she can also hunt under the surface. 153 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:28,320 There are much bigger meals to be had down here. 154 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,000 The larva of a diving-beetle. 155 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:37,840 Itself a ferocious predator. 156 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,720 But it has to come to the surface to breathe 157 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,440 through a tube in its rear. 158 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,240 And that brings it within striking range of the spider. 159 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,520 At last, a real meal. 160 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:34,520 Now she has the energy needed to find a mate. 161 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,520 She lays down a thread of silk 162 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:42,800 laced with perfume... 163 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:50,000 ..before returning to her favourite spot. 164 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:57,000 And it's not long before another raft spider picks up the trail. 165 00:18:58,240 --> 00:18:59,760 A male. 166 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,880 He has a pair of large boxing glove-like organs 167 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:08,280 called pedipalps in which he stores his sperm. 168 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,600 And this is what he's been looking for - 169 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,520 a thread of silk that leads straight to her. 170 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,880 Once close, he taps the water's surface 171 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,760 to signal that he's about to approach. 172 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,520 He's no bigger than her last meal. 173 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:36,000 A wrong move now and he could become dessert. 174 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:41,600 She seems receptive. 175 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,240 It's now or never. 176 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,520 Carefully does it. 177 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,080 They mate in a tangle of legs 178 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:09,360 and he uses one of his palps to transfer his sperm 179 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:12,560 into a sac in her body, where she will keep it 180 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,000 until she's ready to use it. 181 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,280 The male then beats a hasty retreat... 182 00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:23,240 ..before she makes a meal of him, too. 183 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,960 As rivers reach the middle stages of their journey, 184 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:38,240 they increase in both size and power. 185 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:45,560 And it is their force over millennia that has shaped our landscape. 186 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,600 In limestone country, 187 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,000 the freshwater carves its way underground. 188 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:04,520 Britain and Ireland contain thousands of miles of caves, 189 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,560 including these in County Cavan. 190 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:17,840 The dripping water builds stalactites and stalagmites, 191 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:22,040 like these teeth coming together in a rocky grimace. 192 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:29,760 Over centuries, it can create all kinds of pillars and curtains. 193 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,040 Yet, even here, there is life. 194 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:35,600 CLICKING 195 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,320 Daubenton's bats roost in caves during the day. 196 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:44,280 And, as night falls, they head out to feed. 197 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,320 Ghostly shapes appear over a starlit river. 198 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,600 The bats navigate by sending out echolocation calls 199 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:06,520 which we can watch in operation if we slow down both sound and picture. 200 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,880 It's soon clear why Daubenton's bats 201 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,520 are also called water bats. 202 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:25,000 They patrol the river, searching for tiny movements on the surface 203 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,640 of the slow-moving water. 204 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,160 They use the echoes from their calls... 205 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,280 CLICKING 206 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:34,400 ..to lock on to their prey. 207 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,520 And then skim it from the surface. 208 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,640 Weighing about 8g, these little bats can nearly double 209 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,560 their body weight in a single night's hunting. 210 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,840 And on this autumn night, 211 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,560 the males in particular need all the energy they can get. 212 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,320 A Daubenton's bat circles in a woodland glade. 213 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,200 And it's soon joined by others emerging from a cave 214 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,040 at the base of a tree. 215 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:37,240 Amongst their navigational clicks, there's a different sound. 216 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,080 CHIRPING 217 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,960 They are calling to one another. 218 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:46,800 CHIRPING 219 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,520 As their numbers increase, so do their calls. 220 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,680 Soon, other species arrive, including Natterer's 221 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:01,840 and brown long-eared bats. 222 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:07,400 There can be up to ten species at any one time, 223 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,520 whirling around in this pitch-black arena. 224 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,320 This is a display ground 225 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:22,080 where male bats compete to impress the females. 226 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:41,800 Some of these bats have travelled over 40 miles to be here. 227 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:43,720 CHIRPING 228 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:57,920 Around midnight, the bats disappear back into the caves below, 229 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,240 where they will soon settle down to hibernate. 230 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:17,400 Spring brings the end of hibernation for another animal. 231 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,800 CROAKING 232 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:21,760 A common toad. 233 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,040 This is a female. 234 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:32,520 Common toads need freshwater in which to lay their eggs, 235 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:34,640 so she must find a pond... 236 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,280 ..and that can involve a journey of several miles 237 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,280 which is full of obstacles and dangers. 238 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,360 She's not the only one on the move tonight. 239 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,000 Male toads are also about. 240 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,920 They're in search of females, 241 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,760 and when this male finds one, he locks on tight. 242 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,000 But his rivals have the same idea... 243 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,200 ..and then it's a wet-legged wrestling match 244 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,240 to stay in prime position. 245 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:27,560 The competition is seen off and the bonus is a free ride. 246 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:31,760 But the biggest challenge lies ahead. 247 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:41,080 Roads now cross many of the toads' traditional migration routes 248 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:44,520 and tens of thousands are killed every year. 249 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,520 CROAKING 250 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:09,520 Made it. 251 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,800 With toad numbers down by two-thirds 252 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:16,840 in the past 30 years, 253 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:20,800 we ought to be careful on warm, wet nights in March. 254 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,840 At dawn, the female and her hitchhiker 255 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,080 reach the end of their journey. 256 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:38,520 The very pond in which she hatched as a tadpole. 257 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:44,320 They get straight down to business 258 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:50,040 and the female produces thousands of eggs in long links of spawn. 259 00:27:55,440 --> 00:28:00,040 The male, if he holds on tight, will fertilise them all. 260 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,040 A few months later and summer is here. 261 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:14,000 These tiny toadlets are now ready for their next stage. 262 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,480 They must head for dry land. 263 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:24,000 They will spend most of their adult lives in the woods 264 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,600 from which their mother emerged. 265 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:34,800 But to get there, they must cross a killing zone... 266 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:46,040 ..haunted by giant leeches. 267 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:55,040 Some are 15cm long. 268 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,040 And they have an appetite for baby toads. 269 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:12,640 They hunt using a keen sense of smell and five pairs of eyes. 270 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:29,560 The toadlets must keep going if they want to reach the woods. 271 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:42,880 If they're not quick enough, their fate is grim. 272 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,440 Consumed whole. 273 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:53,640 SQUEAKING 274 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:02,000 The leeches can grab with either end of their body 275 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,520 and three sets of teeth. 276 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,880 Once caught, a toadlet has no escape. 277 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:35,120 But for every one that is taken, 278 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:38,560 hundreds make it to the safety of the woods. 279 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:45,760 For most of these toadlets, it's a horror story with a happy end. 280 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,240 In the British Isles, we have one of the world's rarest 281 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:58,520 and most beautiful freshwater habitats. 282 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:02,240 Chalk streams. 283 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:07,600 Only around 200 exist in the world 284 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:11,800 and over three-quarters of those flow here in England. 285 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:19,000 A reliable flow of cool, mineral-rich water 286 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,600 bubbles up through the chalk below 287 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:25,040 and supports a rich freshwater community. 288 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,880 SQUAWKING 289 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:54,240 On the riverbed, something stirs. 290 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:01,240 This young insect has spent the last two years 291 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,600 buried in the gravel. 292 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:08,600 With strong front legs, feathery gills and a stream-lined body, 293 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,040 it's excellently adapted to life underwater. 294 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:20,040 But it's late May, and everything is about to change. 295 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:27,800 Even breaking through the surface is a challenge 296 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:30,280 when you're just 2cm long. 297 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:39,320 Finally, as its wings unfurl, 298 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:42,800 the little creature starts a new life as an adult - 299 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,200 a male mayfly. 300 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:52,840 He now has just a few short days to live, 301 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:56,280 so he quickly prepares for his first flight. 302 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:00,560 And the sooner the better. 303 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:09,520 The fish below are the first to notice this springtime bonanza. 304 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:24,080 And it's not long before those above water also get their eye in. 305 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:26,680 He needs to get airborne. 306 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,560 But it's out of the frying pan 307 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:37,400 and into the fire. 308 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,800 At least the mayfly have the advantage of great numbers. 309 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:52,520 In just a week, more than a million will emerge 310 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:54,800 from this stretch of river alone. 311 00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:00,800 And the first thing the male does is head for the river bank. 312 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:08,600 Unique among insects, mayfly undergo a second adult moult 313 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,080 before they're fully mature. 314 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:14,560 His whole life has been building to this moment. 315 00:34:17,240 --> 00:34:20,320 And finally, he's ready. 316 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:25,520 He flies high above the river 317 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,280 and joins the mating dance. 318 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,320 Rising and falling with the other males, 319 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:43,000 he spreads out his tail, showing off his aerial prowess. 320 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:03,800 It's all for the benefit of the females, 321 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,800 who are now emerging from the water below. 322 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:14,000 Soon, the river bank is alive with mating pairs. 323 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:28,800 Each male will continue to dance until he dies of exhaustion. 324 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:45,080 A small hole in the river bank - 325 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:50,000 home to one of the most secretive of the river's residents. 326 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:57,200 A shrew. 327 00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:01,280 This one, a female, 328 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:04,520 is pretty small - about the size of your thumb. 329 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:10,400 Being small means she loses heat quickly 330 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,760 and must eat almost constantly. 331 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:15,520 Three hours without food could be fatal... 332 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,120 ..so when supplies on the bank get low, 333 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:25,320 she must find food elsewhere. 334 00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:32,240 She's a water shrew. 335 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,640 She's somewhat reluctant at first. 336 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:39,880 Underwater, she will lose heat even faster. 337 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:44,000 But needs must, so when she does take the plunge, 338 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,240 she works at great speed. 339 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:02,000 In real time, it's impossible to see what's going on. 340 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:06,800 But slowing things down reveals how marvellously adapted she is 341 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,040 to the underwater world. 342 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:16,600 Stiff hairs on her feet act like flippers 343 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:20,000 and others on her tail turn it into a rudder. 344 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:27,320 She swims with her eyes closed... 345 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:32,240 ..fanning out her whiskers to help her sense her prey. 346 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,000 And, most remarkably, 347 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:42,000 she can detect smells down here. 348 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:48,480 She lets out tiny bubbles of air 349 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:51,160 to pick up scent particles in the water. 350 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,720 It's known as bubble sniffing. 351 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:06,040 But using this technique means she quickly runs out of air. 352 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:15,000 This time, everything comes together. 353 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:20,040 A dragonfly larva is a huge meal 354 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:22,000 but hard to subdue. 355 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:27,120 It's time to use her final weapon. 356 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:34,040 Water shrews are the only mammal in Britain with venomous saliva. 357 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:43,360 All wildlife is dependent, to some extent, on freshwater. 358 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:47,800 But here in England, every single river is polluted. 359 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:53,240 Run-off from farming and dumping of human waste 360 00:38:53,240 --> 00:38:55,840 causes algae to bloom. 361 00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:59,640 This reduces oxygen, chokes the plants, 362 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:03,560 and degrades the rivers on which our wildlife depends. 363 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:12,040 GRUNTING 364 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:21,240 As rivers approach the end of their journeys, they slow, 365 00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:24,520 and beds of reeds are able to take root. 366 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:31,560 Here in Suffolk, it's late winter. 367 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:43,960 Red deer. 368 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:51,320 This huge area is a little-known winter refuge 369 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:54,040 for Britain's largest land mammal. 370 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:06,520 The paths the deer create make gaps in the reeds. 371 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,960 And on the open water, 372 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:14,040 great crested grebes. 373 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:17,600 It may be early in the year, 374 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:20,760 but their mating dance is already well under way. 375 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:28,000 As a prologue, the birds shake their heads, 376 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,600 showing off their plumage and preening 377 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,800 to make sure their feathers are in tiptop condition. 378 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:40,000 Costumes ready, act one reaffirms any bonds 379 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:42,560 that were made in previous years. 380 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:47,600 Single birds call for a partner... 381 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:53,560 ..before adopting a posture known as the cat display. 382 00:40:57,760 --> 00:40:59,880 It's an invitation... 383 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,280 ..for a duet. 384 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:16,280 It seems to have been accepted. 385 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:18,960 The pair are falling into step. 386 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:27,800 But they are interrupted by a rival. 387 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:30,080 SQUAWKING 388 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:32,800 Another male is looking for a partner 389 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:35,560 and starts a sharp-beaked argument. 390 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:06,440 But all's well that ends well. 391 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:08,720 The rival is seen off 392 00:42:08,720 --> 00:42:12,760 and the pair begin the final act of their duet - 393 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:14,800 the weed dance. 394 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:30,880 These complex displays create a bond between the pair 395 00:42:30,880 --> 00:42:34,560 which will keep the two together as they raise their young. 396 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:43,760 A few weeks later, and the first chick appears, 397 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:46,600 shortly followed by the second. 398 00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:52,520 Both parents care for the chicks, taking turns to babysit 399 00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:54,760 while the other finds food. 400 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:56,560 CHIRPING 401 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,000 They even take feathers from their own backs 402 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:04,960 and feed them to the chicks 403 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:08,520 to protect tiny tummies from sharp fish bones. 404 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:13,600 This extraordinary caring behaviour 405 00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:18,000 depends on the firm bonds that were made back in the spring. 406 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:24,200 Grebes that dance together stay together. 407 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:32,320 We have lost huge areas of reedbeds over the years, 408 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:34,600 drained for agriculture. 409 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:39,560 But recent conservation efforts have shown that they can be restored 410 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:41,560 remarkably quickly. 411 00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:54,040 The journey of freshwater ends when rivers reach the sea. 412 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:57,320 Here they may create vast mudflats. 413 00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:00,760 Together, they constitute over 2,000 square miles 414 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:02,600 of our coastline. 415 00:44:04,240 --> 00:44:06,760 From above, they look lifeless. 416 00:44:08,040 --> 00:44:11,040 But they are full of opportunities. 417 00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:19,200 It's low tide, and there is plenty of space to forage. 418 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:29,360 Every winter, millions of migratory birds from all over 419 00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:34,240 the northern hemisphere arrive in our estuaries to refuel. 420 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:42,240 But the tide has turned and the sea starts rushing in. 421 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:48,960 The restaurant is closing 422 00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:51,600 and the birds are driven from the mud. 423 00:44:54,840 --> 00:45:00,240 The most common birds here - knot, take to the air en masse. 424 00:45:20,680 --> 00:45:23,520 Watching from above, a peregrine. 425 00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:29,520 It may be the fastest animal on the planet, 426 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:31,560 but it won't be rushed. 427 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:38,440 It surveys the flock from on high... 428 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:44,720 ..and then tucks in its wings 429 00:45:44,720 --> 00:45:47,800 and dives at speeds of up to 200mph. 430 00:45:58,520 --> 00:46:00,880 The knot bunch tightly together. 431 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:05,000 There's safety in the middle of the flock. 432 00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:14,160 It's difficult for the peregrine to select an individual bird... 433 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:18,160 ..so it changes its tactics. 434 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:26,480 Coming in low, it's easier to pick out an individual knot. 435 00:46:31,080 --> 00:46:34,320 Using the hard-packed mud as a weapon, 436 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:36,800 it drives its victim into the ground. 437 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:50,040 The knot is left with a damaged wing. 438 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:55,480 But the peregrine will be back. 439 00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:09,600 Every winter, peregrines come to the coasts of the British Isles 440 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:13,320 to take advantage of this seasonal bounty. 441 00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:42,200 The flock is reduced by one... 442 00:47:43,240 --> 00:47:46,240 ..but when you are 100,000 strong, 443 00:47:46,240 --> 00:47:48,720 that is a small price to pay. 444 00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:56,520 With the tide now at its highest, 445 00:47:56,520 --> 00:47:58,840 the birds settle down to rest. 446 00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:06,040 The position of the British Isles on the planet 447 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:09,240 makes our estuaries globally important. 448 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:13,920 SQUAWKING 449 00:48:13,920 --> 00:48:18,280 They provide vital refuelling stations for migratory birds 450 00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:20,160 from different parts of the globe. 451 00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:30,320 On its journey from the mountains to the sea, 452 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:34,560 freshwater has fed and refreshed the natural world. 453 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:39,880 It's the lifeblood of our Wild Isles. 454 00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:53,320 One of the greatest spectacles 455 00:48:53,320 --> 00:48:55,040 in the British Isles 456 00:48:55,040 --> 00:48:57,960 is the migration of Atlantic Salmon. 457 00:49:00,320 --> 00:49:02,960 Despite their numbers being in freefall, 458 00:49:02,960 --> 00:49:06,760 the freshwater team were determined to find new ways 459 00:49:06,760 --> 00:49:08,840 to film these astonishing fish. 460 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:15,040 Their story begins near Inverness in north-east Scotland. 461 00:49:15,040 --> 00:49:20,200 Every summer, a pod of bottlenose dolphins gather just offshore, 462 00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:22,200 drawn here by the salmon. 463 00:49:23,240 --> 00:49:26,240 They come along a very narrow channel that runs 464 00:49:26,240 --> 00:49:28,080 just off the beach here. 465 00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:31,520 The dolphins have clocked that 466 00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:35,320 and they can basically just sit off the point in this deep channel 467 00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:38,280 and wait for the fish to come and just pick them off. 468 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:41,960 The dolphins only hunt for about an hour, 469 00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:44,800 so the crew get into position early. 470 00:49:44,800 --> 00:49:47,320 But they're not the only ones. 471 00:49:47,320 --> 00:49:50,480 Crowds of people soon join to see the action. 472 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:55,760 This is one of the best places in the world 473 00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:58,440 to see this behaviour so close to shore. 474 00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:04,880 The next stage for the salmon is to swim up into the freshwater. 475 00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:09,840 Here, they're nervous and extremely wary of people, 476 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:14,480 so it's almost impossible to film using standard techniques. 477 00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:18,000 But the crew have a trick up their sleeves. 478 00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:20,400 An underwater drone. 479 00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:23,520 This is another, "What could possibly go wrong?" moment. 480 00:50:23,520 --> 00:50:25,480 HE LAUGHS 481 00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:30,600 Taff has been experimenting with this technology for over five years 482 00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:34,920 and thinks it's the only way to really enter the salmon's world. 483 00:50:37,080 --> 00:50:39,800 Even now, it doesn't always go to plan. 484 00:50:43,240 --> 00:50:44,760 Oh! 485 00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:47,560 Ah, no, one of the screws has gone. 486 00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:51,240 There is no way I'm going to find the screw. 487 00:50:52,560 --> 00:50:54,400 Oh, oh, oh! What?! 488 00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:56,000 Oh, you beauty. 489 00:50:57,640 --> 00:51:00,320 With the sub back up and running, 490 00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:04,440 the team begin to record the salmon's underwater world. 491 00:51:04,440 --> 00:51:07,840 A glimpse into this extraordinary migration 492 00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:10,080 that few people have seen. 493 00:51:10,080 --> 00:51:12,560 One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. 494 00:51:13,520 --> 00:51:15,760 Absolutely mesmerising. 495 00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:20,960 The next and greatest challenge for the salmon 496 00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:24,280 is ascending the three-metre waterfall. 497 00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:30,560 Filming the salmon leaping here is the team's biggest challenge, too. 498 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:35,400 For the first shot, the camera needs to be positioned 499 00:51:35,400 --> 00:51:37,560 directly above the falls. 500 00:51:38,600 --> 00:51:42,800 That means getting more than 100kg of kit into position 501 00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:45,240 four metres above the roaring water. 502 00:51:46,320 --> 00:51:48,160 The fish still aren't jumping at the moment, 503 00:51:48,160 --> 00:51:50,680 but that's fine cos they're waiting for the water to drop. 504 00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:53,000 Hopefully, in the next few hours, they'll start to jump 505 00:51:53,000 --> 00:51:55,680 and once they do start, there should be repeated attempts of this. 506 00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:58,600 The new camera position pays off. 507 00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:02,880 The team film the salmon leaping head-on for the first time. 508 00:52:04,560 --> 00:52:08,520 But there's one angle that Taff has been dreaming about for years. 509 00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:12,880 We're going to try the dream shot - 510 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:15,520 the fish actually leaving the water from below. 511 00:52:17,040 --> 00:52:20,240 OK, so this is it. The moment of truth 512 00:52:20,240 --> 00:52:22,760 OK. Yeah, yeah, I'm ready. 513 00:52:22,760 --> 00:52:24,160 Yeah. 514 00:52:24,160 --> 00:52:26,120 Away she goes. 515 00:52:26,120 --> 00:52:29,560 Below the falls, the water flow is at its highest... 516 00:52:30,640 --> 00:52:34,240 ..putting the sub and Taff's skills under serious pressure. 517 00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:39,040 You know, probably nobody's watched this behaviour, 518 00:52:39,040 --> 00:52:42,400 but they nervously go and look at it, and then they go around 519 00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:45,080 and they do a little test and then they come back 520 00:52:45,080 --> 00:52:47,920 and then they go for it. Absolutely amazing. 521 00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:51,440 All these years filming salmon, it's the first time I've seen this. 522 00:52:51,440 --> 00:52:56,200 This was the first time salmon had been filmed leaping from underwater. 523 00:53:01,040 --> 00:53:04,680 Finally, just a few salmon make it to the top of the river. 524 00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:10,200 The place in the river where they themselves hatched as young salmon. 525 00:53:12,600 --> 00:53:16,040 When breeding, they are at their most sensitive, 526 00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:20,600 and getting these intimate moments needs some serious dedication. 527 00:53:20,600 --> 00:53:24,080 I'll film every day other than Christmas Day and Boxing Day 528 00:53:24,080 --> 00:53:26,840 and I would film on Christmas Day if my wife would let me, 529 00:53:26,840 --> 00:53:28,840 but she does not let me do that. 530 00:53:28,840 --> 00:53:30,840 I've been doing this for about five years, 531 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:33,280 so we know when and where the fish are going to spawn now. 532 00:53:33,280 --> 00:53:36,000 So, that's the key thing - is knowing where they are. 533 00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:39,160 With spawning complete, the salmon's journey is done. 534 00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:43,960 But for the crew, there's one final part of the story. 535 00:53:45,280 --> 00:53:49,200 And they've waited three years for the perfect conditions. 536 00:53:55,800 --> 00:53:57,160 Not a very elegant slide, 537 00:53:57,160 --> 00:54:00,280 but this is a really cool slide. 538 00:54:00,280 --> 00:54:02,640 An otter slide. 539 00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:06,240 A clear indication there's one nearby. 540 00:54:06,240 --> 00:54:10,040 Otters are usually very elusive during the day. 541 00:54:10,040 --> 00:54:13,840 These cold conditions gave Raymond his chance. 542 00:54:13,840 --> 00:54:16,480 I can see the otter further downriver. 543 00:54:16,480 --> 00:54:19,280 It's just come out onto the ice shelf on the side there. 544 00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:21,880 It's only staying for, like, three or four seconds, 545 00:54:21,880 --> 00:54:23,840 then it's back in the water. 546 00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:25,320 It's hard work, this. 547 00:54:30,560 --> 00:54:33,640 At the very end of their journey, the salmon not only provide 548 00:54:33,640 --> 00:54:36,680 a much-needed meal for this otter, 549 00:54:36,680 --> 00:54:40,720 their dying bodies will provide essential nutrients, 550 00:54:40,720 --> 00:54:42,800 enriching the upper reaches of our rivers. 551 00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:47,600 Salmon once swam in rivers throughout the British Isles 552 00:54:47,600 --> 00:54:51,280 in huge numbers, but in the last 25 years 553 00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:55,200 the number returning from the sea has dropped by 70%. 554 00:54:56,240 --> 00:54:59,080 In England and Wales, the situation is critical, 555 00:54:59,080 --> 00:55:04,480 with over 90% of salmon river populations at risk of collapse. 556 00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:06,560 Having filmed them in all these different places 557 00:55:06,560 --> 00:55:08,200 and all these different environments, 558 00:55:08,200 --> 00:55:10,600 it's really brought home that, you know, 559 00:55:10,600 --> 00:55:13,640 we really are messing with them every step of the way. 560 00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:18,640 Our man-made barriers block their migration routes. 561 00:55:18,640 --> 00:55:21,400 Sewage from towns and cities 562 00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:25,920 and agricultural run-off from farms pollute our rivers, 563 00:55:25,920 --> 00:55:29,600 making the salmon more susceptible to disease. 564 00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:32,760 On top of all this, climate change presents them 565 00:55:32,760 --> 00:55:34,920 with even greater challenges. 566 00:55:34,920 --> 00:55:37,840 They need cold, clean water. That's what they need. 567 00:55:37,840 --> 00:55:40,360 And a lot of areas, they're not getting that. 568 00:55:40,360 --> 00:55:43,400 Anything over 23 degrees, they stop feeding, 569 00:55:43,400 --> 00:55:46,600 and anything over 30, they die within minutes. 570 00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:49,800 We need to look at trying to manage those water temperatures. 571 00:55:49,800 --> 00:55:52,320 And if we can bring that habitat back - 572 00:55:52,320 --> 00:55:54,760 in effect, rewild those bits of rivers to put them 573 00:55:54,760 --> 00:55:57,840 to how they should historically have been, it's going to have 574 00:55:57,840 --> 00:56:00,920 a knock-on benefit for all the species that use the ecosystem. 575 00:56:02,560 --> 00:56:05,600 Salmon are resilient animals. 576 00:56:05,600 --> 00:56:09,320 If we can improve the quality of our freshwater, 577 00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:11,600 remove barriers to its flow 578 00:56:11,600 --> 00:56:14,160 and better manage the challenges at sea... 579 00:56:16,040 --> 00:56:19,080 ..salmon could once more become abundant 580 00:56:19,080 --> 00:56:20,800 across the British Isles. 581 00:56:28,000 --> 00:56:31,840 Next time - our ocean. 582 00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:33,720 A hidden world... 583 00:56:37,160 --> 00:56:38,840 ..full of colour... 584 00:56:42,760 --> 00:56:44,520 ..and surprise. 585 00:56:53,120 --> 00:56:56,240 The Open University has produced a free poster 586 00:56:56,240 --> 00:57:01,120 exploring our wild isles and their diverse habitats and species. 587 00:57:01,120 --> 00:57:06,880 Order your copy by calling 0300 303 0265 588 00:57:06,880 --> 00:57:12,280 or go to bbc.co.uk/wildisles 589 00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:15,800 and follow the links through the Open University. 590 00:57:15,800 --> 00:57:19,600 If you'd like to play your part in restoring our wild isles 591 00:57:19,600 --> 00:57:22,640 and learn more about what you can do to help, 592 00:57:22,640 --> 00:57:26,000 just search Wild Isles on the BBC website.