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CHIRPING
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BUZZING
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Across the British Isles,
there are magical places.
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Our pride and joy - our gardens.
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LAUGHTER
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Yet many of us are completely
unaware of the wild world...
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..right under our noses.
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Amazingly, some British gardens
are almost as diverse
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as a tropical rainforest.
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00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,040
And when our backs are turned...
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CHIRPING
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..they come alive.
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00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:07,960
QUACKING
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00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:16,760
From the wilds of Scotland...
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00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,760
STAG GRUNTS
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..to a metropolitan oasis.
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00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,600
In each episode, we will reveal
the extraordinary dramas
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playing out within a single garden.
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EAGLE WHISTLES
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00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:38,080
Welcome to a hidden world
right on our doorsteps.
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00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,800
Nestling in the heart of Cumbria...
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..an idyllic country garden...
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..cherished by owners Chris and Liz.
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Ten years ago,
we decided to leave the city
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and actually live somewhere
more rural.
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We found this house and garden.
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Actually, it was really the garden
we fell in love with. It was.
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Absolutely, yeah. And it has become
a bit of an obsession.
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Well, you normally find Liz
in the greenhouse through here.
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00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,880
Then there are these really
lovely dry stone walls.
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My favourite place is the meadow,
down here.
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Then, down in the
far corner there...
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..is a really beautiful pond.
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Chris and Liz do everything
they can to encourage wildlife.
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Every year, we like to move some
of our tools out of our tool shed...
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..to make way for the swallows
when they return.
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CHIRPING
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We like to think
of the garden as an ark.
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And it's incredibly
rich in wildlife.
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But we know so little, still,
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about the secret lives
of the animals that live here.
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One of the most secretive...
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..is the field mouse.
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MOUSE SQUEAKS
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00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:08,080
This brave little female
may be only four months old,
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but she's already
looking for a mate.
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Field mice are abundant
in this garden.
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The danger?
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00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,720
Garden predators.
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00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:35,240
A tawny owl has hearing ten times
more sensitive than ours...
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OWL SQUAWKS
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..and he can detect
the slightest sound.
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00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,280
But the mouse has her own
sonic superpower.
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GRASS RUSTLES
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She listens out...
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..for a secret song...
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..inaudible to an owl.
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But if we slow it right down...
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..it's the ultrasonic serenade
of a male mouse.
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SQUEAKING
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00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:42,000
But her potential partner
is on the other side...
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..of a wide, featureless lawn.
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To reach him, and get back safely...
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..she has a special solution.
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She creates a trail
to signpost the way home.
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Field mice are the only mammals,
other than humans,
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known to position objects
as landmarks.
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Impressive...
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..for a brain the size of a pea.
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SQUEAKING
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She likes what she hears.
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SQUEAKING
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A fleeting romance.
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Spotted!
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FRANTIC SQUEAKING
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Thanks to her signposts,
safely home
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00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,520
and ready to produce
her first litter.
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Just as Liz and Chris hoped...
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..a barn swallow.
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Coming to the end of an epic
6,000-mile journey...
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..from southern Africa.
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In a remarkable feat
of navigation,
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00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:26,760
he has finally reached
the north of England.
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SHEEP BLEAT
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Of 25 million gardens in Britain,
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he returns to the one
where he was raised.
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Home.
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He's made this hazardous journey
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00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,960
to feast on insects that come
with a British summer...
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..and to try and raise a family.
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The male returns first
to prepare their nest.
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Barn swallows mate for life...
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..but the pair only come together
to rear their young.
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Other couples are already reuniting,
after seven months apart.
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But his partner
is nowhere to be seen.
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Time is not on his side.
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Down at the bottom of the garden...
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00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,840
..after five months of overwintering
in the compost heap...
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..a more secretive creature emerges.
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A palmate newt.
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00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:02,800
Barely the length
of your little finger.
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00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:12,000
She is embarking on her own
intrepid journey.
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00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:23,320
Her first step is to find a mate.
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00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,080
But their numbers are in decline.
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00:11:34,560 --> 00:11:37,040
In the last 50 years,
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we have lost half of
our rural ponds,
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drained for farmland.
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So garden ponds have
never been so important.
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She enters a secret world...
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..full of boldly marked,
flirtatious males.
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Each trying to catch her eye...
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..flexing their supersized feet...
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..and wafting perfumes towards her.
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00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:36,920
Larger males may attract
her attention...
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..but one by one,
they run out of air...
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..until only one
tiny dancer remains.
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His smaller size enables him
to absorb all the oxygen he needs,
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just through his skin.
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Once in a while,
the underdog comes out on top.
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Closer to home...
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..another hidden romance
spells trouble.
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Mole-hills!
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Less than a metre
below the surface...
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..a young male mole is frantically
digging in search of a mate.
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He can tunnel over 20 metres a day.
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All that earth has to go somewhere!
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He only stops to feed...
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..and can consume half his body
weight in worms in a single day.
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00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,280
But to find a female,
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you sometimes need to go
above and beyond.
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He can barely see
past the end of his nose...
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..but that nose smells in stereo...
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..and he can pinpoint
a female's burrow from afar.
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It's not a warm reception.
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Female moles have unusually
high levels of testosterone...
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MOLES SQUEAK
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..and that makes them
highly aggressive.
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SQUEAKING CONTINUES
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00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,240
Eventually, persistence prevails.
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00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:20,960
In pursuit of the perfect lawn...
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..British gardeners kill
thousands of moles every year.
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00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,000
Mole-hills do drive Liz mad...
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..but she also knows that they
create fertile soil for planting.
144
00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:10,840
By late spring,
the lonesome swallow's chances
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00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,440
of becoming a parent
look increasingly slim.
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00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:23,040
Swallows only live
for three or four years.
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This may be his last chance
to breed.
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00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:39,920
But fewer swallows
are arriving each year,
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as they face more
unpredictable weather.
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00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:48,440
THUNDER CRACKS
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Then...
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CHIRPING
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..a familiar sound.
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00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,960
After more than half a year apart...
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..the long-distance couple...
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..are reunited.
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They have no time to waste.
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Across the garden, the breeding
season is in full swing.
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00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:07,840
The pond becomes the setting
for a record-breaking romance.
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00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,120
To see it,
you need to get into the weeds.
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A male semaphore fly.
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00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:27,280
One of the 7,000 fly species
found in the UK.
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BUZZING
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But this one has the most elaborate
courtship display of all.
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The ritual begins with four bursts
of wing-waving a second.
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Still, she is unimpressed.
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Time to pull out all the stops.
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In just a 25th of a second...
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..he performs a lightning flip.
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00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,560
It is the fastest backflip
in the insect world.
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Such a grand display
attracts unwanted attention.
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00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,360
A predatory dung fly,
almost twice his size.
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But the semaphore fly
is fixated on the female.
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Oh, well...
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00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,080
..plenty more flies in the pond.
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Beneath the surface...
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..the female palmate performs
her own extraordinary act.
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00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,480
She delicately folds a leaf
around each of her 100 eggs...
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..to protect them until they hatch
in three weeks' time.
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Her mothering duties are complete.
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As the romance of spring turns
to the baby boom of early summer...
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..a family of house sparrows
leave the nest...
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..hundreds of young bees
harvest nectar and pollen...
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..newly-hatched newts
are growing up in the pond...
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..and just a month
after reuniting...
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..the swallows have five
hungry mouths to feed.
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Astonishingly, each chick needs
1,000 insects every single day.
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Surely, an impossible task!
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Nationwide, flying insect numbers
have crashed
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due to pesticides,
pollution and habitat loss.
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Swallow numbers have almost halved
in the last decade.
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But here,
next to a well-managed sheep farm,
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the swallows can catch
all they need.
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00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:57,720
And closer to home...
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00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:01,640
..Chris and Liz's garden meadow...
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..is crowded with miniature life.
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Even a small patch of grass,
left untrimmed,
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can support hundreds
of species of insects.
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00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:27,840
For now, at least...
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00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:31,360
..the chicks have a chance.
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00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,360
Back at the dry stone wall...
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00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:51,080
..newborn field mice depend
entirely on their mother
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00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,120
for the first three weeks
of their lives.
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She must now brave the daylight
to find enough food.
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00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,880
This time, with no waymarks
to guide her home.
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00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:48,160
From over 40 metres away,
she has been spotted.
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00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,720
Kestrels are prolific
daytime predators...
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00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,560
..catching up to
eight rodents a day.
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00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:02,360
BUZZING
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00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:17,440
DRAMATIC MUSIC
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Made it!
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00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,920
Mice have excellent memories...
213
00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:14,160
..and she knows the greenhouse
has a stash of food.
214
00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:01,840
Here they are.
215
00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:04,840
Seeds!
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00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:11,360
Packed with nutrients and energy.
217
00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,440
But she can't afford to stay long.
218
00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:33,680
She must feed her babies
every few hours.
219
00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,040
While Liz continues her planting,
220
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:46,080
another life and death mini-drama
plays out right under her nose.
221
00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:57,600
One of over 100 species of spider
living in British gardens.
222
00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:02,320
A zebra jumping spider.
223
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:08,800
He's smart...
224
00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:13,520
..able to use a variety
of techniques when hunting.
225
00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,920
Spiders aren't everyone's
cup of tea...
226
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:24,880
..but he eats insects...
227
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,160
..that would damage Liz's
precious seedlings.
228
00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:35,760
Garden pests.
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00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:47,040
Unlike other spiders,
he doesn't use a web.
230
00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:54,040
He actively hunts for prey.
231
00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:04,880
And with eight eyes...
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00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:08,600
..he's good at finding it.
233
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,760
Six of them detect movement...
234
00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:20,960
..while the two big front eyes
focus on and identify lunch.
235
00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,840
A miniature pest controller.
236
00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:01,760
With the coast finally clear...
237
00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:06,920
..the mouse desperately needs
to get back to her young.
238
00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:20,120
But the kestrel
is still on the hunt.
239
00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:23,960
FOREBODING MUSIC
240
00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,800
Suddenly, something
extraordinary happens.
241
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The garden air force scrambles.
242
00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:46,360
With newly-hatched chicks,
243
00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:49,040
the swallows won't tolerate
any threat.
244
00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:47,160
As a single mum,
245
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,200
she has to keep taking
enormous risks...
246
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,200
..to keep her pups alive.
247
00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,080
And just two weeks later,
248
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:08,600
the youngsters are almost ready
to leave the nest...
249
00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:16,440
..which will allow mum
to raise more babies
250
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,080
before the short summer ends.
251
00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:44,720
At the peak of summer...
252
00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,160
..the sheer variety of flowers
in this garden
253
00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,200
makes it a little slice
of paradise...
254
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:56,400
..with more species of plant
255
00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:00,200
than can be found in a patch
of tropical rainforest.
256
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:10,920
Left untouched...
257
00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:14,560
..the meadow hums with life.
258
00:34:21,240 --> 00:34:25,160
At least 20 species of butterfly
259
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:27,800
are found in British gardens.
260
00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,200
Each has a particular diet.
261
00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:46,760
And we can help by growing
nectar-rich flowers for the adults,
262
00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:51,760
as well as the native plants their
caterpillars will depend upon.
263
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,960
Even a patch of nettle
and bramble will do!
264
00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:11,160
The swallows are making
the most of the sunny weather.
265
00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:19,560
Incredibly,
all five chicks have survived.
266
00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:27,760
THUNDER CRACKS
267
00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:39,400
But Cumbria is the wettest
county in England.
268
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,680
RADIO: Looking at the picture
in Cumbria, that's one of the places
269
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:45,880
that's seen lots of heavy rain today
from our weather.
270
00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:49,560
And in recent years,
has been getting even wetter.
271
00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:00,960
Grounded by the weather...
272
00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:07,120
..flying insects...
273
00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,840
..are suddenly three times
harder to find.
274
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,880
So the swallows will have
to work three times as hard.
275
00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:21,080
CHICKS TWITTER
276
00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:23,720
If the weather doesn't improve,
277
00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:25,760
the chicks will die.
278
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:54,320
They may be exceptional parents,
but facing a wet summer...
279
00:36:57,720 --> 00:37:00,440
..can they keep their chicks alive?
280
00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:25,960
While the swallows struggle
to raise a single brood...
281
00:37:27,720 --> 00:37:31,560
..the field mouse has reared
her first litter...
282
00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,720
..and is eager to get going
with a second.
283
00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:42,400
So she's following her ears
to find another partner.
284
00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:44,440
SQUEAKING
285
00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:49,160
At every turn...
286
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:52,760
..predators are lurking...
287
00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:00,440
..catching her offspring
all over the garden.
288
00:38:06,240 --> 00:38:09,520
For mice,
survival is a numbers game.
289
00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:22,120
Her strategy is to flood
the garden with young...
290
00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:30,960
..so that at least some...
291
00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:35,080
..will have families of their own.
292
00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:47,520
Soon, she'll be a mother again.
293
00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:08,240
A damp night brings out some of our
most destructive garden beasts.
294
00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:17,000
As any country gardener knows,
295
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:21,200
slugs can decimate a veg patch
overnight.
296
00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:32,160
But help for the gardeners
arrives unexpectedly.
297
00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:36,280
A palmate newt...
298
00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:39,640
..in search of food.
299
00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:54,360
Surprisingly, newts spend
most of the year on land.
300
00:39:56,120 --> 00:40:01,920
Their slimy skin becomes rough and
dry to conserve precious moisture.
301
00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:17,560
Another key member
of the pest control army.
302
00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:38,200
By day, the meadow would seem
an excellent place to hide.
303
00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:42,640
ENGINE STARTS
304
00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:48,400
DRAMATIC MUSIC
305
00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:11,960
Phew!
306
00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:22,920
Although, the newt
isn't out of danger yet.
307
00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:48,120
But Chris has chosen a
wildlife-friendly method of mowing.
308
00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:54,280
Traditional scything leaves
plenty of wriggle-room.
309
00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:02,280
The moment Chris leaves...
310
00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:06,480
..real danger arrives.
311
00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:09,320
DRAMATIC MUSIC
312
00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:18,800
Pheasants.
313
00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,680
Native to Asia,
314
00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:28,280
but now released into our
countryside on an industrial scale.
315
00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,920
Over 30 million every year...
316
00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:47,960
..eating vast numbers of insects,
reptiles and amphibians every day.
317
00:43:56,560 --> 00:44:00,360
The field mouse has another
litter of pups.
318
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,840
Up until the end of autumn,
319
00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:12,040
she will almost always be pregnant
or have babies.
320
00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:16,560
As many as six litters a year.
321
00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:22,280
If just two of her offspring
have young of their own,
322
00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:24,640
her efforts will have been
worthwhile.
323
00:44:37,240 --> 00:44:40,080
While the mouse spreads her risk...
324
00:44:42,160 --> 00:44:47,600
..Chris and Liz's swallows put
all their eggs in one basket.
325
00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:53,160
But the nest is empty.
326
00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:03,640
The devoted parents
tried their hardest...
327
00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:13,160
..and, against all the odds...
328
00:45:16,720 --> 00:45:19,000
..not one, not two...
329
00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:23,640
..but all five chicks have fledged!
330
00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:35,320
The parents still have work to do.
331
00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:44,920
The yard is now a flight school
for lessons with mum and dad.
332
00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:53,960
They must master the air
to catch their own food.
333
00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:07,960
Oh, here it comes, here it comes!
Yeah. Oh, brilliant!
334
00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:10,080
Oh, look at that dive!
335
00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:12,120
They are such fast fliers.
336
00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:16,320
Cos they're here and then
they're gone. Yeah.
337
00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:18,320
It's like each year, as well,
338
00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:21,040
you get a glimpse and then
they're gone for the year.
339
00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:31,080
Soon, the chicks will make
their first epic journey...
340
00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:36,720
..crossing continents
and surviving storms.
341
00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:46,240
Thanks to Chris and Liz
and their country haven...
342
00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:52,160
..with its old shed
and bug-filled meadow,
343
00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:59,480
..the swallows may well return
next spring...
344
00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:04,120
..to join the many other animals...
345
00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:07,880
..which have made this garden
their home.
346
00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:28,800
When the production team
first got in touch,
347
00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:33,160
Liz and Chris were excited to
have their garden secrets revealed.
348
00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:37,520
When Chris called me to say
that we might be having
349
00:47:37,520 --> 00:47:40,360
some interest in filming
the wildlife,
350
00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:43,360
on one side, I was thinking,
oh, that would be amazing.
351
00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:46,840
I am very curious to know
who's doing what.
352
00:47:46,840 --> 00:47:49,400
But they were also nervous.
353
00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:51,800
However, I was thinking,
wouldn't it be typical
354
00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:55,440
that if we say yes to this,
the swallows won't come back?
355
00:47:55,440 --> 00:48:00,800
Wildlife cameraman Lindsay McCrae
has filmed on every continent,
356
00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:03,800
but he's Cumbrian born and bred.
357
00:48:03,800 --> 00:48:05,520
So this is the Lake District
358
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:07,720
and I grew up actually
just over that hill.
359
00:48:07,720 --> 00:48:10,520
So I feel like I know this area
like the back of my hand.
360
00:48:12,240 --> 00:48:15,040
The valley I grew up in was
surrounded by small farms,
361
00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:17,400
full of swallows' nests.
362
00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:20,440
I just became obsessed with them
growing up.
363
00:48:20,440 --> 00:48:25,600
His mission now is to film a family
of swallows in a country garden.
364
00:48:32,840 --> 00:48:38,520
As it turned out, Liz's concern
wasn't completely unfounded.
365
00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:44,960
A male swallow has returned on time,
but no sign of a female.
366
00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:48,840
Everyone knows it's a mammoth
journey these small birds
367
00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:52,280
have to make and I've not only
just read about it,
368
00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:55,000
I've actually been to the Sahara
and seen swallows
369
00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:56,400
flying across the desert.
370
00:48:56,400 --> 00:48:58,800
So I know what they've
got to get through.
371
00:48:58,800 --> 00:49:01,840
It's a journey that's getting
harder and harder.
372
00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:06,160
Over the last few years, we're
definitely seeing fewer swallows.
373
00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:08,240
I think it's the story
everywhere, isn't it?
374
00:49:08,240 --> 00:49:10,560
Even in my lifetime, I've...
Oh, that's tragic, isn't it?
375
00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:13,240
Yeah, noticed a huge, huge decline.
376
00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:17,440
They are THE bird
each spring, aren't they,
377
00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:19,520
that everyone wants to see first?
Yeah.
378
00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:23,520
WHISPERING: Look, here it comes.
Look!
379
00:49:28,520 --> 00:49:31,760
They're such beautiful
and characterful birds.
380
00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:38,280
Hopefully, the female that is due
back here knows where she's going.
381
00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:44,120
While Lindsay follows
the swallows' fortunes...
382
00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:50,000
..camera woman Katie Mayhew
is working the garden night shift.
383
00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:57,920
Her mission is to cover
the garden's tiniest inhabitants.
384
00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:02,080
Down at the pond,
385
00:50:02,080 --> 00:50:06,400
she's setting up a complicated
system to get beneath the surface.
386
00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:08,320
Right, idiot's checks.
387
00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:11,200
Is the camera going
to fall in the water?
388
00:50:13,520 --> 00:50:16,520
OK, here we go.
Shall we put it in the pond?
389
00:50:17,560 --> 00:50:20,040
I've got no idea until I stick
this lens into the water
390
00:50:20,040 --> 00:50:22,040
what we're actually going to see.
391
00:50:24,800 --> 00:50:26,880
It's going in! We're going in!
392
00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:32,080
Gosh, I can't believe it.
You can actually see something!
393
00:50:32,080 --> 00:50:35,440
There's something there.
There's a newt on... There's a newt!
394
00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:38,200
There's a newt on the left.
I see it. It is a newt!
395
00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:43,600
An amazing first glimpse.
396
00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:49,920
And over the next few days,
397
00:50:49,920 --> 00:50:54,400
Katie captures all the newt
behaviour she could possibly want.
398
00:51:10,560 --> 00:51:15,480
Spring wears on, but still no sign
of the female swallow.
399
00:51:18,160 --> 00:51:19,760
Until...
400
00:51:23,160 --> 00:51:25,040
There's one.
401
00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:26,960
In fact, there's two.
402
00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:29,720
And they've both dropped
into the courtyard.
403
00:51:29,720 --> 00:51:31,400
I wonder...
404
00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:35,040
..if that's the female?
405
00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:39,320
It is the female,
406
00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:42,600
and with the pair back together,
they'll soon have eggs.
407
00:51:47,480 --> 00:51:52,040
Before they do, Lindsay needs to
get a camera set up in the shed.
408
00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:56,280
They're such good little birds
to put cameras on
409
00:51:56,280 --> 00:51:59,920
because they're so brave
when they're on the nest.
410
00:51:59,920 --> 00:52:03,040
Is that right? A lot of birds can
obviously feel a little bit nervous.
411
00:52:03,040 --> 00:52:05,480
When do you think
they'll start laying, then?
412
00:52:05,480 --> 00:52:08,120
Any minute! If there's feathers
in the nest... Yeah?
413
00:52:08,120 --> 00:52:10,800
..that means it's lined
and ready to go.
414
00:52:10,800 --> 00:52:13,480
And I reckon these feathers
have just fallen on the floor
415
00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:15,160
at the end of the season
416
00:52:15,160 --> 00:52:17,160
and this pair has picked them
back up again.
417
00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:19,480
Well, it's a reason not to be
too tidy!
418
00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:26,040
It's now a waiting game.
419
00:52:34,640 --> 00:52:37,840
A few weeks later
and the chicks have hatched.
420
00:52:37,840 --> 00:52:39,520
Five of them!
421
00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:44,760
The parents are working overtime
to feed them insects.
422
00:52:53,440 --> 00:52:57,400
Lindsay struggles to keep up
with the male swallow in flight.
423
00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:03,080
Swallows fly at around
11 metres per second...
424
00:53:03,080 --> 00:53:04,720
There's one.
425
00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:07,360
Gone.
426
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:09,640
..rarely in a straight line.
427
00:53:09,640 --> 00:53:12,880
Oh! Just a split second
and they're gone.
428
00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:17,960
But with the camera slowing down
the action ten times...
429
00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:23,840
..his skill and perseverance
give Lindsay an insight
430
00:53:23,840 --> 00:53:27,360
into the swallows'
amazing aerobatics.
431
00:53:29,720 --> 00:53:34,040
I know it sounds crazy, but I swear
our female bird's easier to film.
432
00:53:35,640 --> 00:53:39,160
The male is just so
erratic in flight!
433
00:53:39,160 --> 00:53:42,600
Those longer tail feathers
are the reason.
434
00:53:44,080 --> 00:53:46,640
Evolved to look good to a female,
435
00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:49,640
they also enable extreme
manoeuvrability.
436
00:53:51,640 --> 00:53:53,480
THUNDER CRACKS
437
00:53:57,640 --> 00:54:01,360
But when summer rains arrive
and bugs hide away...
438
00:54:03,240 --> 00:54:06,320
..the swallows face
their biggest test yet.
439
00:54:10,600 --> 00:54:12,960
I live here, so I know how bad
the weather in the Lake District
440
00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:15,520
can get, but this is ridiculous now!
441
00:54:20,640 --> 00:54:22,840
These summers in the Lakes
just seem to be getting
442
00:54:22,840 --> 00:54:27,480
more and more unpredictable and
it's life or death for the wildlife.
443
00:54:31,440 --> 00:54:34,720
The thought of those chicks
just sat in the nest
444
00:54:34,720 --> 00:54:37,520
begging and nothing coming,
it's just heartbreaking.
445
00:54:55,520 --> 00:54:57,680
When the weather finally clears...
446
00:54:59,040 --> 00:55:03,160
..Liz is desperate to see
whether the chicks have survived.
447
00:55:03,160 --> 00:55:04,760
Here's one.
448
00:55:06,480 --> 00:55:08,440
There he goes. Oh, look.
449
00:55:08,440 --> 00:55:10,480
It's going in.
Will we be able to see it?
450
00:55:13,480 --> 00:55:15,280
Oh, look at that!
451
00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:17,200
I can see all their...
452
00:55:18,960 --> 00:55:21,000
..like, little smiles.
453
00:55:21,000 --> 00:55:24,400
Their faces, all opening up.
454
00:55:28,400 --> 00:55:31,320
We now have one, two, three,
four, five chicks. Yeah.
455
00:55:33,720 --> 00:55:36,640
Very happy and tired, aren't they?
456
00:55:36,640 --> 00:55:39,320
They are kind of like little
monsters, I have to say! Mm.
457
00:55:39,320 --> 00:55:40,840
SHE LAUGHS
458
00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:49,960
Just two weeks later...
459
00:55:54,280 --> 00:55:57,120
..all five chicks have fledged.
460
00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:04,840
Working with all the people
from the film crew
461
00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:08,400
and all their specialities has
really opened my eyes up...
462
00:56:09,720 --> 00:56:12,440
..to just the vast
variety of creatures
463
00:56:12,440 --> 00:56:14,560
that are living in a garden.
464
00:56:16,080 --> 00:56:21,400
I just hope that everyone that's
got a small garden, a medium garden,
465
00:56:21,400 --> 00:56:23,720
a bigger garden, a balcony...
466
00:56:26,360 --> 00:56:28,760
..can just fall in love
with them a bit more
467
00:56:28,760 --> 00:56:31,920
and understand what a massive
impact we could all have
468
00:56:31,920 --> 00:56:34,640
if we just out a little bit of space
469
00:56:34,640 --> 00:56:38,800
to provide for those bugs and
birds and animals.
470
00:56:41,200 --> 00:56:43,400
That to me is massively inspiring.
471
00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:56,640
Next time, a woodland garden
in a Welsh valley...
472
00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:02,200
..where secretive
and surprising wildlife...
473
00:57:03,720 --> 00:57:06,840
..is attracted to a magical glade.
474
00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:12,600
Discover the wildlife
on your doorstep
475
00:57:12,600 --> 00:57:16,760
with the Open University's Secret
Garden interactive experience.
476
00:57:17,720 --> 00:57:20,960
Scan the QR code on the screen now.
477
00:57:22,400 --> 00:57:29,160
Or head to
connect.open.ac.uk/secretgarden.
478
00:57:29,210 --> 00:57:33,760
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