Original subtitles

BIRDSONG

BUZZING

Across the British Isles there are magical places,

our pride and joy - our gardens.

LAUGHTER

Yet, many of us are completely unaware of the wild world...

..right under our noses.

BUBBLE POPS

Amazingly, some British gardens

are almost as diverse

as a tropical rainforest.

And when our backs are turned...

CHICKS CHEEP

..they come alive.

QUACKING

From the wilds of Scotland...

STAG BELLOWS

..to a metropolitan oasis...

..in each episode we will reveal the extraordinary dramas

playing out within a single garden.

HIGH-PITCHED CRY

Welcome to a hidden world

right on our doorsteps.

OWL HOOTS

Hidden away in a Welsh woodland

at the bottom of a steep-sided valley...

..an old cottage.

Home to Robin and Laura.

We fell in love with this property

because it was just nestled in this sea of green.

We just discovered it all a bit by accident, didn't we?

We just bumped into this secluded little valley

hidden in the Welsh countryside.

PIGEON COOS

Robin is a wildlife cameraman

and spends much of the year filming abroad.

Sort of quite ironic that you probably observe wildlife

around the world more than he does here in his own back yard.

So this is our vegetable garden.

It's in the sunniest spot.

We've got a brook that comes along here, goes under the house,

and then runs down into the river at the bottom of the valley.

And then, either side of us, we are absolutely surrounded

by woodland.

This is one of the most biodiverse parts of Britain.

BIRD CHIRRUPS

But this woodland garden keeps its secrets close.

Its wildlife goes largely unseen

by Robin, Laura and their two young boys.

And there is one feature of this valley that sets this garden apart.

It's quite a unique garden in that the light isn't here all the time.

The sun doesn't come up over the trees.

As the light changes from month to month,

each garden resident

must await its moment in the sun.

BIRD CAWS

Late winter,

and direct sunlight hasn't reached the valley floor for four months.

Sheltering from the cold, damp conditions...

..under a protective pile of leaves...

..one of our most elusive little mammals -

a hazel dormouse.

Her body temperature is barely above freezing.

Her heart rate and breathing

is reduced to 10% of its summer rate.

She'll remain in deep hibernation until spring.

Wake up too early,

and she risks hunger...

OWL HOOTS ..and being hunted.

These trees are haunted by tawny owls.

HIGH-PITCHED CRY

HIGH-PITCHED CRY

The garden is an excellent hunting ground for them.

Bare branches make very good observation posts.

HIGH-PITCHED CRY

Owls have exceptionally good night vision.

RUSTLING

And acute hearing makes this male a top predator.

HOOT

METALLIC GRATING

Bird feeders attract rodents.

MOUSE SQUEAKS

Among them, woodmice.

He just has to pick his moment.

SQUEAKING

Each rodent he catches is more than just a meal.

It's proof that he is a reliable hunter...

..and a worthy partner for his long-term mate.

OWL CRIES

She calls "too-wits".

HIGH PITCHED CALL

And he responds... HOOTING

.."too-woos".

TOO-WIT

TOO-WOO

Few of us realise

that this is a duet.

if they're going to have a family,

they will need a home.

OWL HOOTS

Even in a woodland like this,

tree hollows are in short supply.

So Robin and Laura have installed a large nest box, three metres up.

FLAPPING

Tawny owls breed early,

so that their chicks hatch in time for the abundance of spring.

But the weather has to be right.

TOO-WIT, TOO-WOO

When the spring sun reaches deep into the valley

for the first time...

BIRDSONG

..the garden finally awakens.

In March, the leafless trees

allow the sun's warming rays to reach the forest floor.

Woodland flowers bloom quickly before the canopy closes overhead.

For Laura, the emergence of wild garlic

means that spring is well under way.

BIRD CHIRRUPS

SNORTING

In the woods at the top of the garden...

GRUNTING

..the undergrowth conceals a growing family

that has spent winter deep underground.

There could be 400,000 of them in Britain

but few of us have ever seen one alive.

SCREECHING

Badgers.

A mother cautiously leads her three-month-old cubs

out of their sett for the first time.

They rarely come out during the day.

But in an undisturbed woodland

they seem to feel secure enough to do so.

Badgers may be Britain's largest land predators...

..but their diet consists mainly of small delicacies.

GRUNTING

Invertebrates such as worms...

..slugs...

..and snails.

The forest is crawling with them at this time of the year...

..but badgers are learning that gardens can offer bigger rewards.

BIRD CAWS

One of last year's cubs is eager to explore.

He gathers his courage...

..and sets off down a well-trodden path...

..towards the garden.

INSECT BUZZES

Here there is an abundance of food...

LOUD BUZZING

..including a hive of around 40,000 honeybees.

BADGER GRUNTS

But this hive...

..has strange guardians.

BADGER SNORTS

BEES BUZZ

Better to come back after dark.

CACOPHONY OF BUZZING

A thorough spring clean ensures that by late summer

there will be enough honey for both bees and humans to share.

Beekeepers like Robin and Laura

know their honeybees well.

But the wild bees in the garden

are easily overlooked.

There are 270 native species of bee in the UK.

And one of them has been hibernating underground for six months...

..a buff-tailed bumblebee.

She is a queen.

Her fat reserves have sustained her over the winter.

And now, it's down to her to build a new colony.

Before tackling the hard work,

she needs to warm up.

She vibrates her flight muscles.

She may have to do this for 15 minutes or so.

But once she reaches 30 degrees,

she's ready to go.

LOW BUZZING

BUZZING CONTINUES

Next, she must build up her strength.

BEE BUZZES

And she does so by collecting pollen and nectar -

visiting thousands of flowers every day.

After a week of foraging,

it's time to find a place to nest.

An old mouse hole will do nicely.

She has a major task ahead of her.

So she secretes wax from her abdomen...

..and moulds it into brood cells.

And then she lays a single

fertilised egg in each.

Now she keeps them warm

by vibrating her muscles once again.

The colony's fate depends on her.

RATTLING

Once the sunlight is strong enough to warm the garden...

..insect numbers suddenly increase.

Just in time for the 70 species of woodland birds here,

many with chicks.

CHICKS CRY

But one parent doesn't need to share.

She lives largely unnoticed

down by the stream.

A dipper.

Her specialised feathers and strong wings

give her access to another world.

She is an accomplished diver,

and is able to negotiate fast-flowing rapids

to catch aquatic insects.

Insects that are beyond the reach of other birds.

She can stay submerged for up to 30 seconds at a time...

..and has transparent eyelids which act like goggles,

so she can find her prey.

Her main competitors...

..fish.

She needs to collect hundreds of insects every day...

CHILDREN LAUGH

..because hidden under the cottage,

away from prying eyes...

..she has a nestful of hungry chicks.

CHICKS CHEEP

Her mate shares the workload.

BIRD CHIRRUPS

CHICKS CHEEP

But the waterways around here

aren't as clean as they once were...

CHICKS CHIRP

..so catching enough insects...

..is far from guaranteed.

OWL HOOTS

As night sets in,

the family is unaware of the drama unfolding

in the surrounding oak trees.

TOO-WIT

The tawnies' nightly duet has been joined

by a less harmonious call.

SCREECHING

Inside their nestbox, it's pitch-black.

But our infrared lights reveal the source.

Two young owlets, just two weeks old.

Already there are signs of sibling rivalry.

TWITTERING

The larger owlet, which hatched a few days earlier,

is winning the fight for food.

SCREECHING

CHICKS CHATTER

To start with, earthworms will do.

But the owls have timed things well.

The garden is now full of prey.

The larger owlet is always first in the queue.

He now wolfs down three rodents a day...

..And if left hungry,

he may eat his smaller sibling.

If food becomes scarce,

only the strongest will survive.

BIRDSONG

By late spring, the sun is high enough

to flood the valley with light.

CUCKOO CALLS

The garden is getting more productive by the day.

BUZZING

The bumblebee queen has successfully raised her first brood.

Her eggs have developed from larvae into adult female worker bees.

The queen releases a pheromone which suppresses their desire to breed.

They have other duties.

The smaller workers tend to yet more of her larvae,

while larger ones venture out to gather more food.

BEES BUZZ

Vital fuel for the growing colony.

But juicy larvae...

..are a great prize...

RUSTLING

..for badgers.

Their strong claws would enable them

to dig up a nest without any problem.

LOUD BUZZING

The workers' angry buzz is a warning.

Unlike honeybees, a single bumblebee

can sting multiple times.

Badgers are wary of people...

..so the bumblebees are safe.

BUZZING

But to secure the royal line,

the queen needs to raise another brood.

A few weeks without rain

and the garden's woodland starts to dry out.

It's a tough time to be a badger.

PIGEON COOS

Earthworms, that make up 60% of their diet,

burrow deep underground.

BADGER SNORTS

Two-thirds of badger cubs may die

in a dry spell like this.

But Laura's watering could be a life-saver.

CRIES, HOOTING

Tonight, the year-old cub

waits for the cover of darkness.

RUSTLING

His sense of smell is extremely sensitive...

SNUFFLING

..and the garden is filled...

LAUGHTER, CHATTERING

..with a cocktail of scents.

BADGER SNIFFS

The most alluring...

..comes from the patio.

Peanuts.

A nutritious starter...

..but not enough to satisfy the appetite of a growing badger.

OWL HOOTS

Down on the lawn - the main course.

Laura's watering has brought the worms closer to the surface.

Though it still takes muscle to reach them.

A hungry badger can make quite a mess.

But it comes with the territory...

..when you live in such a wild and wonderful place.

By May,

the longer days are bringing the woodland into leaf.

The canopy comes alive with insects.

Oak trees host over 1,000 species of invertebrates.

Good news for pied flycatchers

that have travelled thousands of miles from West Africa

to breed here.

But the dipper family is hungrier than ever.

CHICKS SHRIEK

The chicks now need hundreds of insects every day.

And their parents are struggling to meet their demands.

So Robin comes bearing gifts.

Mealworms -

little packages of protein and fat.

They could make all the difference.

But with both parents away collecting food...

..one chick slips out.

CHICKS CHIRRUP

Its mother hasn't noticed.

And the chick is too young to fend for itself.

The chick's call is hardly audible above the rushing water.

CHICK SQUEAKS

HIGH-PITCHED CRY

But its mother is attuned to its high frequency.

CHICK CHEEPS

An unconventional start...

CHICK CHIRPS

..but its parents will continue to look after it...

..until it has learnt how to hunt for itself.

Soon all the chicks will fledge,

and everyone can relax.

As the canopy thickens,

shadows cover large parts of the garden.

BIRD WARBLES

WILD BOAR GRUNTS

Cover for cautious forest animals such as wild boar.

OWL HOOTS

Only under the cover of darkness...

BIRD CRIES, OWL HOOTS

..will the garden's sleepiest resident

dare to emerge.

OWL CRIES

The dormouse.

Even after seven months in hibernation,

she has lost half her body weight.

And she needs food urgently

if she is to survive.

Even at night, she is dangerously exposed.

OWL HOOTS

But some risks are worth taking.

Redcurrants.

BIRD CRIES

She needs to double her weight in just five months...

..before she curls up once again for her long winter sleep.

On a warm summer evening,

another family gathering.

BIRD CRIES

Beyond the firelight,

two young brothers face the most dangerous night of their lives

so far.

The elder, larger owlet is now

five times his hatching weight...

CHICK SCREECHES

..because he's continued to consume

most of the deliveries.

Trapped inside the nest box...

CHICK CHEEPS

..his younger brother is growing weaker by the day.

HIGH-PITCHED CRY

Until, driven by hunger...

..the little brother...

..makes a bid to get out...

..and pushes his older brother...

CHICK SQUEALS

THUMP

..onto the ground.

CHICK CRIES OUT

He's too young to fly.

FOX SCREAMS

If a predator finds him...

..he won't stand a chance.

He must get back...up there.

BADGER SNUFFLES

BADGER SNORTS

Fortunately, he is strong enough to climb.

But he's not safe yet.

TELEVISION PLAYS

OWL SQUAWKS

His parents call to encourage him.

OWL SQUAWKS

HIGH-PITCHED SCREECH

Big brother is safe.

And his little brother's fortunes are looking up.

With his sensitive eyesight,

it must be a magical view.

At long last, he gets the attention he needs.

CHICK SQUEAKS

The parents' gamble of breeding early has paid off.

The owlets have had their difficulties,

but both look set to survive.

As summer comes to an end,

the family harvest the honey from their beehive.

BEE BUZZES

But things are not so sweet for the garden's other bees.

BUZZING

After laying hundreds of eggs,

the bumblebee queen is close to collapse.

She can no longer produce the pheromones...

..that keep her workers in check.

So they start laying eggs of their own.

And her larvae grow larger...

..as they will become the next generation of queens.

Her reign is over.

The old queen is dead.

With cold weather on its way,

her loyal workers will die too.

But soon, the new queens will head out on their own.

If just one of them survives,

the succession will be secured.

And a new generation of bees...

..will pollinate the flowers in this garden and beyond.

Life in the garden is slowing down.

As the days shorten and the temperature falls,

the trees absorb valuable nutrients from their leaves.

Only then do they drop them.

A single tree can shed hundreds of thousands of leaves.

Laura works hard to keep the patio and the paths clear.

LEAF BLOWER HUMS

But the vast majority of leaves lie where they fall.

They are what the soil...

..and its inhabitants need.

A miniature clean-up crew

gets to work.

Slugs...

..and woodlice return carbon and other nutrients to the soil.

Their presence attracts predators.

Centipedes patrol this underworld.

Now it's time for the garden's most important animal to get to work.

The humble earthworm...

..lured from deep underground.

There may be hundreds of them in every cubic metre of soil.

The worms in this garden will consume tonnes of fallen leaves...

..converting them into next year's plant food in a matter of months.

Earthworms are essential.

They support not just plants,

but also many animals.

BADGER SNUFFLES

This year's badger cubs are now big and strong.

BADGER CUBS CHATTER

And their older brother is still on hand...

..for some rough and tumble.

It turns out that a woodland garden

can provide for even a large badger family.

Now they can prepare for winter.

A clean coat, extra fat...

..and a pile of cosy bedding...

..will see them through the difficult months ahead.

Life in this wooded valley

is governed by its changing light.

It's vital for each plant and animal in the garden

to get its timing just right.

And Robin and Laura do their best to keep pace.

Our garden's actually quite a small part of the world,

but to us it's a big part of our lives.

Probably not only does it drive the wildlife and the nature around us,

to an extent it probably drives our lives as well.

This garden really is like a clock.

You know, the changing colours of the leaves

and where the light falls in different parts of the garden

and, of course, all the animals that come and go.

It's time to hunker down for winter.

Most animals retreat into the trees

or hide underground...

..waiting until the sunlight returns...

..to reveal this garden's secrets once again.

OWL CRIES

Homeowner Robin Smith has been a wildlife cameraman

for over 20 years.

He's travelled the world,

filming some of the planet's most exotic animals.

Filming wildlife in the British Isles is, I think,

can be more challenging actually than filming wildlife in places

like the Amazon because we're a relatively crowded, small island.

So our wildlife has got very good at avoiding people.

To film the secret life in his garden,

Robin has re-purposed some domestic technology.

So these are basically adapted security cameras

that I've set up to work alongside a wireless network.

They've got a little solar panel on top,

so we don't have to worry about batteries.

Robin has also rigged a large owl box.

We've just put this one up this year,

and we've got a camera already fitted inside that

that's rigged up to an infrared light and it's all ready to go.

The trick is to try and think like an animal if you can.

While Robin leaves his new system to record,

he returns to his trusty camera to film a remarkable resident

living right under the house...

..the dipper.

We're super lucky to have dippers on this stretch of the brook.

They're a pretty small and fast bird.

So they're quite challenging to film.

And we only get a relatively small window of opportunity.

Dippers only come to the garden to breed for a few weeks a year.

They can travel quite a long way.

They can be gone for 40 minutes to an hour sometimes,

so you have to be quite patient.

Things can be fairly quiet for hours and hours on end

with nothing happening.

Filming wildlife always requires patience.

But at least Robin only has a short commute.

I've spent many, many hours filming in hides,

but this puts a whole new slant on the whole working from home thing.

A few weeks later, Robin and Laura check in on the remote cameras.

At first, a series of what could be called common or garden animals.

Oh! A mouse.

Oh, there, look. Ha-ha!

Oh, brocky badger. Badger, all right. Aw!

LAURA SQUEALS Oh, no!

Rats. Two massive rats.

Luckily, one of the security cameras

also picks up the garden's rodent control.

Oh, that's cool.

Brand-new box, and straight away that tawny owl's checking it out.

That's really good.

And a surprise.

Oh... Oh, my God. Is that a boar?

Yeah, it's a wild boar, yeah. Oh, my word. Oh, my goodness.

I've never seen them down this close to the house before.

These native mammals were eradicated

by hunters hundreds of years ago,

but escapees from farms are now repopulating Britain's woodlands.

The boar aren't the only surprise.

What is that? Hang on, hang on.

I've got to just look at that, I've got to play that back.

That was really quick. Do you know what that is?

Yeah, I do. That's a pine marten!

Oh, my goodness!

I cannot believe it.

The presence of a rare predator in Robin and Laura's garden

is a sign that their woodland is in excellent health.

And so it seems, is the stream.

What's really nice about having dippers in our brook,

is they're a really good indicator species.

If the dipper's around then we know the insect life is good,

there's a good chance that we've got fish life in the river.

The dippers appear to be doing well.

CHICKS CHIRP

But then, one last surprise.

Oh, my G... Is that one of the chicks? Yeah.

It's decided to make a break for it, a little bit ahead of schedule.

So will that chick be OK?

Yeah, it should be fine. I mean there's obviously a risk.

It's great that, you know, the parents found the chick

and...it all worked out in the end.

I just never get tired of them.

They're just such charismatic little birds.

Nationwide, dipper numbers have fallen by almost 40%.

This pair follows the stream down to the Wye,

which has been affected by widespread pollution.

But with a little help, they've raised three healthy chicks

and brought a great deal of pleasure.

It's been so wonderful to be able to film, you know,

wildlife on our own patch.

It's almost like we've got this cast of characters that play out

this wonderful wildlife soap opera just for us.

It's been super special.

Next time...

..a remote garden in the Highlands of Scotland,

where a tough climate drives rare animals...

..to an unconventional sanctuary.

Discover the wildlife on your doorstep

with the Open University's Secret Garden

interactive experience.

Scan the QR code on the screen now

or head to...

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