All language subtitles for Secret Garden s01e05 The Western Highlands.eng

Across the British Isles
there are magical places.

Our pride and joy - our gardens.

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

..right under our noses.

Amazingly, some British gardens
are almost as diverse

as a tropical rainforest.

And when our backs are turned...

..they come alive.

From the wilds of Scotland...

..to a metropolitan oasis...

..in each episode, we will reveal
the extraordinary dramas

playing out within a single garden.

Welcome to a hidden world
right on our doorsteps.

On the west coast of Scotland...

..in a remote and sheltered glen...

..a garden offers sanctuary.

Homeowner Matt Wilson does all
he can to help protect animals

from the worst of the weather.

I enjoy making these boxes.

I'm always just making extra
sort of homes and refuges and things

for all the different species
that come into the garden.

Matt is a naturalist

who has dedicated his life
to working with Scottish animals.

And he has spent nearly 40 years
turning his garden

into a haven for wildlife.

When I moved in,
this was all rough grassland.

No trees.

Now, there's everything here,
from bog to woodland.

With his children having left home,

the garden has taken on
an even greater value for him.

It's funny, you look at the trees,

and rather like when you look
at your children,

you realise they've grown.

As the garden has matured,
it has acquired a life of its own...

..and Matt doesn't know
what will happen from year to year.

Winter in Scotland can hit hard.

For the animals that live here,
survival is a daily battle.

RADIO: The Met Office says
Altnaharra in Sutherland

saw temperatures fall
to minus 18 Celsius last night,

the coldest January night
in the UK for 15 years.

The harsh weather
brings a formidable predator

into Matt's garden.

A female buzzard.

Buzzards are the most widespread
bird of prey in Britain...

..but to have one land in
your garden is a rare treat.

With snow making hunting tough...

..the female is close to starvation.

Matt offers her a lifeline.

A hunk of venison may seem like

extreme bird-feeding...

..but it could make
all the difference.

Still, a prize like this

won't stay secret for long.

With eyesight three times
sharper than our own...

..she can spot trouble
coming from a mile away.

But she can't keep watch
and eat at the same time.

The female pins down the aggressor,
a young male.

Buzzards are known
to kill each other

with their razor-sharp beaks
and talons.

Her greater size
gives her the advantage.

But she holds back.

The male is likely to be her son.

But this is her territory...

..and he's no longer welcome.

Now, he must find
a place of his own.

To get through the winter,

she will need Matt's hand-outs
all for herself.

When spring eventually arrives,

the garden is visited by one
of Britain's rarest mammals.

A pine marten.

A cat-sized member
of the weasel family.

They are cautious around people...

..and Matt has yet to see
his garden's new arrival.

Their natural habitat
is mature woodland.

But by the early 20th century,

all but 5% of Scotland's forests
had been cut down...

..and pine martens were hunted
almost to extinction.

The Western Highlands have always
been one of their strongholds.

And although the forest here
has become fragmented,

they have found an alternative.

Gardens.

Such as this one down
the road from Matt.

Without trees, the pine martens
use what they can

to hone their climbing skills.

These youngsters have grown up here.

Generations have been coming to
this garden for the last 20 years...

..becoming bolder and bolder.

Up to 16 pine martens
may visit in a single night.

But the pine marten that visits
Matt's house is much more cautious.

This new arrival, a female,
less than a year old...

..is searching
for a territory of her own.

Matt doesn't want her to lose her
natural caution around humans...

..but maybe his garden can provide
the food and shelter that she needs.

For four decades,

Matt has kept a meticulous diary
of the animals in his garden.

Every morning,
he brings it up-to-date.

While he can't record
everything that's happening,

he can report on one typically
secretive garden resident.

Barn owls are found
across Britain...

..but there could be fewer
than 1,000 pairs in Scotland.

The cold, wet climate makes this
the northern limit of their range.

To give them a better chance,
Matt has built a special retreat...

..sheltered from the elements

and inaccessible
to predatory pine martens.

Remarkably, Matt now sees his
female barn owl almost every day.

She's got a nice nature,
a nice, easy nature

and is very approachable.

She will come out and have
a look at you during the day,

which is rather nice.

She's nice to have around.
She's got a softness about her.

But Matt is worried.

She's a five-year-old mother

who has successfully raised
ten owlets in the garden.

But after a run of good years,
her luck may have turned.

Just as spring has arrived...

..her partner has disappeared.

Barn owls can hunt up to three miles
away from their nest...

..and bad weather could have
prevented him from getting home.

It rains here on more
than 200 days a year,

making it among
the wettest places in Britain.

And while most birds' feathers
are rain resistant...

..barn owls have
sacrificed waterproofing

to ensure that their wings
are silent for hunting.

So he may have been grounded.

Finding a new mate now
would be hard.

All she can do is wait.

This far north, spring temperatures
can suddenly plummet...

..forcing one of our
best-loved mammals into gardens

in search of food.

The red squirrel.

Across most of Britain, these
charming and inquisitive animals

have been displaced
by American grey squirrels.

But they've held on
in parts of Scotland.

Their fluffy coats
and tufted ears keep them warm,

so they're well adapted
to the climate.

Although, at this time of year,

coping with cold
isn't the only challenge.

Autumn's nuts and berries
are long gone...

..but red squirrels know
that gardens can offer a lifeline.

Although they have yet
to reach Matt's.

But there is one very special animal
that he can help.

The young female pine marten
is still very cautious...

..and only approaches
when Matt is out of sight.

Peanuts are a welcome supplement,
high in calories and fat.

But pine martens are omnivores,
with a taste for meat.

Soon, there will be
a chance to hunt.

By late March,

the daytime temperature climbs
to a balmy nine degrees.

It's good news for the garden's
cold-blooded inhabitants.

Slow worms...

..and common lizards.

They have survived the winter
by hibernating underground.

Now, on warmer days,
they emerge to bask.

The hardiest of them
all comes out at night.

A common toad.

He left the garden as a tiny toadlet
nearly three years ago.

Now, as an adult,
it's time to head back

to the only pond in the glen,

in search of a mate.

RUMBLING

But he is not the only toad
with surging hormones.

Males are arriving
from every direction.

Some have already paired up.

He must hurry.

But between him and the pond...

RUMBLING

..there's a road.

Every year, tens of thousands
of toads are killed

en route to their breeding grounds.

But driven by the need to breed...

CAR APPROACHES

..this toad is determined.

Safe!

His timing is perfect.

A female has also found her way
to the pond.

Their thousand or so eggs

will hatch in ten days' time.

Then their tadpoles will need
to grow up fast.

Up here, summer is short.

Ten nights after her mate
left to hunt,

the female barn owl is still alone.

OWL SCREECHES

One calm night,
she hears a familiar sound.

OWL SCREECHES

We'll never know what kept him.

But it's still
the breeding season...

..and he only has one thing
on his mind...

..wooing her back.

Perhaps surprisingly,
she doesn't accept his advances.

He is going to have to prove once
again that he is a worthy mate.

ANIMAL SQUEAKS

His peace-offering -

a plump vole.

But she remains unimpressed.

ANIMAL SQUEAKS

How about a mouse?

It's going to take more than that.

He brings back gift...

..after gift...

..after gift.

Eventually, he wins her over.

Just in time,
if they're going to raise a family.

MUFFLED SCREECHING

A few nights later...

..the female has laid four eggs.

A decent-sized clutch.

But rearing them won't be easy,

unless both parents do their bit.

The open hill and rough grassland
surrounding Matt's home

are productive hunting grounds.

And just as well -

the pair may need to catch
a thousand small mammals

in the next three months.

Pine martens also need
plenty of prey.

They usually hunt in the forest,

and can roam over five miles
a night.

INSECT BUZZES

But in spring,
a new opportunity arrives...

..in a bank at the bottom
of Matt's garden.

Sand martins.

These intrepid birds have flown
around 3,000 miles

from their wintering grounds
in Africa

to take advantage of
Scotland's longer days...

..and gorge on swarms
of flying insects -

essential food for raising a family.

BIRDS CHATTER

They set about digging a burrow,
about a metre long,

so that they can nest
out of the reach of predators.

It's a mammoth task.

After a promising start,

this male is hoping
to attract a mate.

BIRDS CHIRRUP

But this female is not impressed.

Another male seems to be
making better progress,

and she helps him dig.

Without a deep nest,

they will be dangerously exposed.

BIRDS CHATTER

ANIMAL SCREAMS

All this activity has
attracted attention.

Pine martens have
an excellent sense of smell.

But these sand martin nests
are out of reach.

Strong claws and rotating ankles

work well on the vertical face.

But the bank is unstable...

..so she tries to flush out
the adults instead.

CHATTERING

Her persistence pays off...

..providing the meal she needs.

ANIMAL CALLS

Safely out of reach,

the owl family is growing fast.

30 days after the eggs were laid,

the first owlet hatches.

Over the next few days,

two more emerge.

A good start.

CHICK SCREECHES

But each owlet will need

up to four meals a day.

So now the hard work really begins.

The owlets should double
their weight every ten days.

They stand a good chance
of doing so...

..as long as the weather holds.

CHICK HISSES

BIRDSONG

Some years in this Highland garden,

it barely feels like summer at all.

But when the sun does shine,

everyone takes full advantage.

MOTOR WHIRS

Crossbills move in
to feed on Matt's pines...

..using their twisted beaks

to extract ripening seeds
from the cones.

House martins hurry their young
out of the nest.

And in the warm compost heap,

the slowworms take their chance
to mate...

..while they can.

Four months after the toads
abandoned their little eggs,

something is stirring in the pond.

A tiny toadlet,

no bigger than a human fingernail.

Only around one in 500 toad eggs

develops into an adult.

So this newly emerged toadlet

has a long way to go.

His very first sight above water?

A giant!

Matt is thinning the plants
at the edge of his pond...

..to encourage the sundews
that grow in his bog.

These bizarre-looking plants
thrive here,

even in the poor soil...

..and provide a useful service...

..bug control.

Like Venus flytraps,
sundews are carnivores.

Their sticky tentacles
trap unwary victims.

Then they release enzymes

to digest their prey.

INSECT GULPS

The toadlet is heading
straight through them...

..but he's strong enough
to get past.

He's developing his own hunger
for insects,

but only those that are alive.

Soon he will head out
into the hills,

helping to keep the local midges
in check.

Until, with luck,

one spring night,

he will return to Matt's pond
to breed.

In the race to grow up,

the owlets are a little behind.

It takes weeks to replace
fluff with feathers.

But two months after hatching,

they're fully grown.

Now they must learn to fly.

A wing workout is a good start.

It will take a few nights
to build flight muscles

and confidence.

But with no more gifts
from their parents,

hunger is urging them on.

Matt's nestbox

has kept them safe and dry.

OWLS SCREECH

Now it's up to each of them
to find a new home.

Only one in four barn owls
survive their first year.

For now they will stay close by...

..learning to hunt for themselves.

With the youngsters gone,
their mother can reclaim her home.

Matt has now seen this female

raise a remarkable 13 owls.

And he's still hopeful for more.

WIND HOWLS

At the end of August,

the autumn gales sweep in.

Matt never knows what
the changing seasons will bring...

..but a few things are certain.

His native trees and shrubs
will come into fruit...

..providing food for locals
and visitors alike.

Some, such as redwings,

are escaping even tougher conditions
in Europe's far north.

As temperatures fall,

garden animals seek shelter.

SNUFFLING

Strange bedfellows come together

to escape the cold winter ahead.

DOOR CREAKS

The pine marten also needs
a place to den.

Somewhere safe.

Preferably high off the ground...

..away from foxes.

But she can't find a cosy nook
in this shed.

Matt decides to lend the pine marten
a helping hand.

He builds a carefully designed den.

And he knows just where to put it.

There's a gap under the eaves
where she could get in,

and a ladder will lead the way.

But it will be up to her
to find it for herself.

BIRD OF PREY CRIES

As winter approaches,

red squirrels are on the move.

SQUIRREL CHATTERS

This year's youngsters
may travel some ten miles

in the search for a territory
of their own.

They come to the ground
to find and store food,

but they prefer the safety
of the trees.

For years, red squirrels have been
absent from the area

around Matt's garden.

But just a few miles from him,

they're being reintroduced,

and are using gardens
as stepping stones

to reclaim their former range.

As Matt's own trees mature...

..perhaps one day,

like the pine marten...

..red squirrels
will find their way here.

WEATHER FORECAST: We're widely
well below freezing out there,

and the northerly winds
aren't helping today,

as this particular cold snap
continues to bite.

As the young female pine marten
faces her second Highland winter...

..Matt does all he can
to help her survive.

His supply of peanuts will give
her the fat reserves she needs

for the months ahead.

Remarkably,
when she's focused on food,

she momentarily loses her fear.

Even after 40 years of encouraging
wildlife into his garden,

this is a special moment for Matt.

And it's about to get even better.

The fact that the garden
now has multiple pine martens

suggests that there could be
young next year.

But there's one more thing
that the female needs...

..somewhere to hide.

Matt's specially built box,

furnished with comfy bedding.

And it's above the lounge,

so it is nice and warm too.

It's the perfect place to see out
the winter.

And perhaps next spring,

she'll give birth to her
first litter of kits.

Over a lifetime of dedication,

Matt has created a welcome shelter

for all kinds of Scottish wildlife.

BIRDSONG

BUZZING

I feel privileged to have been able
to create this garden

for all the animals
that visit and use it.

MATT CHUCKLES

It's their garden, not mine.

But it gives me huge pleasure just
to be able to share it with them.

Filming one of Britain's
most secretive animals -

the pine marten -

in a Highland garden,

presented a formidable challenge
to wildlife cameraman Simon King.

I'm used to spending a lot
of my life in wilderness areas,

and being in a garden may
sound like a domestic exercise,

but it's every bit as wild.

I'm under no illusion that this
is going to be an easy task.

At least Simon can expect
a warm reception.

I've probably known Simon
for over 30 years now.

Yeah, we just hit it off.

There was a mutual interest
about nature.

Even with Matt's help,

Simon will need all his experience

to capture the pine martens
on camera.

He'll need to be ready
before they emerge after dark.

MIDGES BUZZ

Oh, it's pretty midgey out here.
Yeah, a few midges about tonight.

I'll be thinking of you!

SIMON CHUCKLES
Have fun. Cheers, bud.

No-one likes seeing an old friend
draw the short straw.

Aye, rather him than me, eh?

Pine martens are
extraordinary creatures

and armed with the most
acute senses,

so filming them is challenging.

Their hearing is fantastic.

Even switching the camera
like this, I'm going to...

QUIET CLICK
That clunk, that tiny little sound,

they'll pick it up.

They're very familiar with
everything in their neighbourhood.

Even putting a hide up like this

runs the risk of slightly
affecting their behaviour.

It can be a very, very long wait.

Sometimes you get
absolutely nothing.

HIGH-PITCHED BUZZING

SIMON SIGHS

Oh, the midges are getting
a bit bad.

Plenty of bites,

but no sign of pine martens.

That's it.
There's so much light in the sky,

I don't think we're
likely to see a pine marten.

I'm going to get some sleep.

Simon just has to put in the hours.

Several long, midgey nights later...

SIMON WHISPERS: Oh, here we go,
here we go.

..the light spilling
from Matt's kitchen

is enough for Simon's
ultra-sensitive camera

to capture the first magical shots.

Yes.

That is a great view.

Well, that was a wait of about
six hours.

But it lights up the night,
just their charisma, their...

..their presence.

Very, very special neighbours.

It's a start.

But to find out what this
pine marten is up to,

Simon rigs the garden with
an assortment of kit -

camera traps,

remote cams,

and den cams.

Simon and Matt check the footage
every few days.

They're slowly building a picture
of the pine marten's movements.

Matt is keen to see where she hunts.

All the clues point towards
the sand martin colony

at the end of the garden.

Yeah, the material's
all been pulled out here.

There's feathers there as well,
look. Yeah.

And scuff marks.

Yeah, definitely had a pine marten
there not that long ago.

Then, more definitive evidence.

OK. Classic remains.

There you go.
That's an adult wing.

Must have grabbed that one in there.

Time to set up yet more cameras...

..and wait.

Now, it's the moment of truth.

Oh, oh.

OK, there we go.

Coming across the top, look.

Not successful though. Just shows,
doesn't it, that they are...

..working that colony.

It's like a cat.

Just agile, eh? Mm.

GASP
Oh!

Just as well these holes
are three feet deep. Yep.

Oh, there we go! Oh, that was close!

That was a flush out.

And got one! Yeah, yeah.

Definitely.

This is the first time
we've had this view

of this sort of hunting behaviour.

No-one has ever filmed this before.

But it's not an easy watch.

Heart in mouth stuff, isn't it?

Because the sand martins are such
a charming feature,

but, then, so are the pine martens,
and the two coming together.

Everything's interlaced, eh?

It's rare to have a predator like
this living in your garden.

But thanks to Matt's
wildlife-friendly approach,

it's just one of an enchanting
cast of animals

whose secret lives
Simon has revealed.

It's been great having Simon here.

All this intimate views of
the creatures round the house

has given me a better understanding
and appreciation.

And all the species that
will keep on coming in.

It's an exciting thing.

Discover the wildlife
on your doorstep

with the Open University's

Secret Garden
interactive experience.

Scan the QR code on screen now

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