All language subtitles for Wales Land of the Wild 3of4 BBC 1080p_ENG_Subtitles01

It's June
and the temperature is rising.

Wales is at the start
of one of the hottest

and driest summers in a generation.

The whole country is
sweltering in the heat.

This should be the most
bountiful time of year.

But for wildlife,
this summer will prove challenging.

In this season of extremes,
it's time for some of the smaller

and more unusual species to shine.

Wales...

..a land of mountains...

..and rugged shoreline...

..where lush meadows border
ancient forests...

..and where you're never too
far from wildlife.

Home to 50,000 species.

The spectacular,

and the surprising.

Each season brings its own
challenges.

Finding a mate...

..raising a family,

or simply surviving.

Filmed over a year of extremes...

..through storms...

..and drought...

..and wonder.

Welcome to the Land of the Wild.

It's early summer.

There's no sign of the heat wave
letting up.

Gronant Beach, a stone's
throw from Prestatyn in North Wales,

provides a welcome
refuge for overheated
holiday-makers.

But there's one group of visitors

who've come from slightly
further afield.

Little terns.

They've travelled
thousands of kilometres,

from West Africa, to breed here.

350 birds make up Wales's
last breeding colony

of this rare species.

The females have spread
out across the beach,

choosing isolated patches of
sand, in which to lay perfectly

camouflaged eggs.

In the last few days,
some of the chicks have hatched.

Parents take it in turn to guard...

..and feed their demanding chick.

They're also protecting a second egg
that has just begun to hatch.

GULL SCREECHES

Hungry gulls lurk above.

But the best form of defence
is attack.

The smaller terns are much more
manoeuvrable than the gulls.

The chicks panic.

Terns from across the
beach join forces

and see off the danger.

But there's another
threat on the horizon.

One which no tern will be able
to chase away.

Today is June's biggest tide
and it's coming in fast.

Time for the female
and her chick to move.

But the egg still hasn't hatched...

..and she stands her ground.

It seems all is lost.

But finally,
the tide reaches high water.

The chick is stranded.

Bedraggled but safe.

Hopefully, the chick inside the egg
has also survived.

With luck, it will soon hatch

and two more little terns will join
this very special colony.

Wales is blessed with a coastline
that is both spectacular and varied.

Almost 1,700 miles of beaches...

..estuaries...

..and rocky headlands.

It's the only country
in the world with a coastal path

stretching its entire length.

And it's a coastline that's home to
much of the country's wild riches.

But some won't be seen
until after dark.

On the Pembrokeshire coast,
a female is looking for love.

And she has a trick that should
help her find it.

Special enzymes in her tail create
a dazzling bioluminescent display...

..for she is a glow-worm.

Like a candle,
her light will eventually burn out.

But for a couple of weeks, she will
shine through the dune grasses,

hoping to be found by a suitor.

Further along the shoreline,
she's joined by another glimmer.

A late night walker disturbs
the shallows.

Across Wales, the exceptionally warm
still seas are alive with light.

The hot weather has created
this spectacle.

A lack of storms and the calm,

warm water have encouraged
an inshore plankton bloom,

which, when disturbed, glows.

But this party trick isn't only
reserved for plankton.

Just below the surface, snakelock
anemones have got their glow on.

A green fluorescent protein,
found within their tentacles,

lights up their own watery rave.

It's late June

and the warm sheltered shallows of
West Wales play host to an invasion.

Spider crabs.

They've come here
in their tens of thousands.

This collective gathering
is known as a mound.

And the reason for it?

The need to moult.

A crab's hard outer shell
is excellent

protection against predators.

But in order to grow,
they need to shed it.

Special enzymes begin the process,

then water sucked into the body
causes the shell to split.

15 minutes later, as good as new.

It'll take a week before the new
shell has fully hardened.

In the meantime,
a passing seal poses a real threat.

So it's best to hide in the crowd.

Although,
you've got to watch your comrades.

Some have cannibalistic tendencies.

Equipped with a new suit of armour,

these spider crabs are ready
for another year in the deep.

And as stealthily as they arrived,
they disappear.

There are about 100 islands
off the coast of Wales.

Three miles off the Pembrokeshire
coast is Skomer

and its smaller neighbour, Skokholm.

Both are famed for their
sea bird colonies.

Now the courtship's over,
they're much more peaceful.

The pufflings are still underground,
so most of the adult puffins

undertake daily hunting
forays out at sea.

But the cliffs are still
full of life.

Rabbits were brought here
in the 13th century,

as a source of meat and fur.

They're now a wild
feature of the landscape,

living underground
in century-old warrens.

Unlike their cousins
on the mainland, who have up to five

litters a year, these females have
evolved to produce only one.

It's this self-enforced ability
to not breed like rabbits that

has enabled them
to thrive on this small island.

The little kits have emerged.

They're taking advantage
of the sweet summer grass.

But they aren't the only
youngsters above ground.

These are great black-backed
gull chicks.

They're precocious
and love to explore.

But out in the open,

they're exposed and would make
a tasty meal for a crafty crow.

So, at least one of the parents
is always on hand to ensure

they don't get into trouble.

The chicks are demanding.

So, Dad's left in charge,

whilst Mum's off in search
of food for the family.

These are the largest gulls in
the world, with a wingspan of more

than five feet.

Anything smaller than
themselves is on the menu.

A puffin would make
a very good meal.

But they're not always
that easy to catch.

Sometimes, it's better to
go for the easy option.

This is nature red in tooth,
claw and beak.

What happens next may look brutal,

but it's all part of Skokholm's
circle of life.

Down in one.

GULL CALLS

Back at her nest,
her mate calls the chicks.

The prey is regurgitated,
in time for tea.

These hungry chicks need
a lot of food,

a fifth of their body weight
every 24 hours.

Great black-backed gulls only
have one brood a year,

so there's a lot
riding on these three.

Soon, the chicks will be able to
fly, but they'll continue to

rely on their parents for food
for a few more months.

So it's just as well their island
home provides such

a well-stocked larder.

By mid-July, the searing summer heat
is taking its toll on the mainland.

A month and a half with
virtually no rain has left

the reservoirs at their lowest
for more than 20 years.

Even the rivers are drying up.

Some watery oases do still remain.

The National Botanic Gardens
in Carmarthenshire.

Its lily ponds provide a haven
for water birds, like this heron,

and moorhen.

But it's also attracted
a different pair of visitors...

..an otter and her cub.

The cub is five months old and is
still totally dependent on Mum.

But with the water levels a foot
lower than normal, the fish are

becoming concentrated, making this
the perfect place to learn to hunt.

Success.

There's a long way to go before
this cub will be independent,

but its mother has chosen
the perfect spot to spend the hot,

dry summer.

Right at the top of the country
lie the dramatic limestone

cliffs of the Great Orme Peninsula.

In summer, it is home to a uniquely
Welsh race of butterfly...

..the Caernarfonshire
silver-studded blue.

It's morning and they're busy
fuelling up on nectar.

These bluer ones are males.

And these browner
ones are the females.

This little male has only
just come out of his pupa.

His wings are still wet and he can
only fly when they've dried.

He's vulnerable.

Black ants.
They're voracious predators

and they're on the trail
of our young butterfly.

But they don't want to eat him.
Quite the opposite.

They're here to protect him.

Another male comes to check him out.

He's hoping to find a newly
emerged virgin female.

This unwanted attention could
damage our male's still damp wings.

But the ants send him packing.

They are this butterfly's personal
security service...

..and they won't tolerate
unwanted attention.

These ants have been with him since
he was a caterpillar...

..when he rewarded them
with a sugary liquid,

made by a special gland.

And as payment, the ants continue to
honour the deal and protect him.

Finally,
the little male's wings are dry.

He's ready to
start his search for a mate.

Here on the meadow,
females seem thin on the ground.

Just a lot of desperate males.

Maybe he'll have more
luck among the brambles.

There are certainly more
females here.

He makes his move.

She's playing hard to get.

Her fluttering
wings are a sign of rejection.

But eventually, she decides that
he's not so bad after all.

A jealous rival.

With so few females around,
many males never get a chance to

mate, so it's imperative
our butterfly hangs on to his girl.

Less than a day old,
he's already fulfilled his life's

purpose by ensuring
that his line will continue.

The heat wave is breaking records.

After the driest June for almost a
century, there's no let up in July.

There's been hardly any
rain for 80 days.

The parched land
is like a tinder box.

For the last few weeks, large parts
of the uplands have been ablaze.

This summer, wild fires are keeping
Welsh firefighters busier

than they've been for
more than a decade.

Wales is famed for its wet weather.

But not this summer.

The hot, dry weather has
taken its toll across the rest

of the Welsh countryside.

Little remains of once lush
grasslands.

Although, for one of the
UK's smallest mammals,

even a little clump will do.

This tiny harvest mouse weighs
less than a 20 pence piece.

She's so light,
she can balance on a flower stem.

Most of the time.

Her special prehensile tail
acts like a fifth limb.

Perfect for high-rise living.

Harvest mice eat a range of seeds
and berries, but their tiny

size means they need to consume
30% of their body weight every day.

This time of year brings
unnatural dangers.

ENGINE APPROACHING

A lucky escape.

When darkness falls,
this little mouse will need

to go in search of a new patch
of grass in which to nest.

Even areas that are usually wet
all year round are suffering.

An upland bog in the Preseli
Mountains is drying out in the heat.

A worker ant in search of moisture.

It's heading for the dampest,
softest part of the bog...

..unaware that a crimson
predator lies in wait.

For this is a patch
of flesh-eating plants.

These are sundews.

They get their name
from the glistening drops that

look like morning dew.

They may be beautiful,
but they're deadly.

The sweet tasting
droplets are a sticky trap.

Once stuck, it's hard to escape.

As soon as their prey is trapped,
they curl up and engulf it.

This carnivorous lifestyle enables
these plants to survive the drought.

Their victims provide them
with everything they need.

The worker ant makes it
further than most.

But eventually,
her luck runs out, too.

The trap is sprung.

Unlike many of the others who've
fallen victim to these deadly

snares, ants are strong
and unhindered by delicate wings.

Her tenacity pays off.

But another ant is not so lucky.

In mid-August,
the dry spell is finally broken.

For once,
these summer rains are welcome,

providing a respite
from the oppressive heat.

They're dramatic, but short-lived.

In an ancient
deer park in West Wales,

fallow deer take
advantage of the new shoots.

Badgers will eat as many
as 200 earthworms a night.

The hard, baked ground this summer
has made them difficult to find,

so the recent rain is making life
just a little bit easier.

And the badgers aren't
the only ones to benefit.

Worms can make up
to 20% of a fox's diet.

Just as well there are plenty
to go around.

Welsh woodlands provide
food for an abundance of wildlife,

but there are other more unusual
places where rare

species are also thriving.

Cwm Colliery was one of the biggest
mines in Wales.

The last coal was shipped
out in 1986,

but 200 years of industry have left
a surprisingly wild legacy.

The abandoned spoil heaps are heat
absorbent and free draining.

They are, in effect,
the sand dunes of the Welsh Valleys,

providing a much needed
refuge for many plants and insects.

One in particular is doing
very well here.

Lurking in the shadows is one of the
UK's most ferocious predators...

..a green tiger beetle.

He may be small, but he's well
equipped to tackle his prey,

with a ferocious set of jaws...

..powerful wings...

..and three pairs of legs that
give him the equivalent speed

of an Olympic sprinter.

A party of ants is on the move.

When food comes to you, there's
no need to run at all.

The helpless insect is quickly
despatched.

A winged queen makes a more
formidable opponent.

She won't give up without a fight.

It's not so easy
when your prey bites back.

She recently mated
and is now looking for a nest site,

in which to start her colony.

But there's another killer
hiding in this colliery site.

And this time,
there'll be no escape for the queen.

A green tiger beetle larva.

It hatched in this burrow

and now waits at the entrance
to snatch passing prey.

It's Wales's ultimate ambush
predator.

Like its parent, it's a
veracious hunter...

..with a fearsome set of jaws.

It can stay in this larval
form for up to four years,

enlarging the burrow,
as it feeds and grows...

..before eventually
emerging as an adult beetle.

Summer is drawing to a close.

On the coast, the twice daily rising

and falling tides continue to govern
the lives of everything living here.

On the Gower Peninsula
is Worms Head...

..an area famed for its rock pools.

It's home to a red jewel...

..a beadlet anemone.

High tide means it's feeding time.

192 tentacles lined with microscopic
harpoons allow the anemone to

catch and eat just about anything
it can get in its mouth.

It pays to be in a good spot.

And everyone wants
a piece of prime real estate.

So, relations with
neighbours can be hostile,

especially when seen in fast motion.

If another anemone encroaches,
things can get heated.

At the base of the tentacles,
blue acrorhagi contain

a mass of stinging cells that help
repel unwanted intrusions.

Disputes like this take place
all the time.

But with the falling tide,
tentacles retract

and hostilities are suspended.

Further along the south coast,
and just a mile offshore,

is Ramsey Island.

Now it's late August, its remote
beaches are drawing a crowd.

Female grey seals.

Attracted by the seclusion,
they've come to give birth.

Space is already at a premium.

And tempers are fraying.

SHE ROARS

ROARING

There's no concessions,
even for the newborns.

Some of the mothers are old hands,

while others have given
birth for the first time.

This pup is just a few minutes old.

This one, with dried fur,
is a few hours older.

Seal pups are born with fluffy white
coats that keep them warm.

But they're only on land briefly
and they'll need a thick

layer of blubber before they can
head out to sea.

They need to put on weight quickly,
and they do.

A grey seal's milk contains 15
times as much fat as a human's,

enabling the little pups
to pile on the pounds.

They triple in size in just
over two weeks.

This supercharged weight
gain makes them

one of the world's fastest
growing mammals.

But as the pups thrive,
their mums weaken.

Females don't eat at all
while suckling,

and they can lose up to
a third of their own body weight.

After just 20 days,
they abandon their pups,

in order to feed themselves.

So the more experienced mothers try

and get their youngsters
used to the water early on.

Pups that are taught to
swim before they're weaned are more

likely to survive
their first year at sea,

so this early life lesson
is important.

But some pups are reluctant
to take the plunge...

..while others take to
it like seals to water.

And for the really bold,
a full-on swimming lesson.

For now, life is good.

But in just a few weeks' time,

these pups are going to have
to fend for themselves.

The last few months have been
a struggle for Wales's wildlife.

The hunt for food has intensified...

..the demands of the young
have increased.

They've survived the summer,
but now, with autumn looming,

they'll face a whole new
set of challenges.

To capture Wales's animals in all
their glory, the team relied

on passionate people who study,
live and work alongside wildlife.

And filming the predatory green
tiger beetle was no different.

Tiger beetles usually live in warm,
sandy habitats,

but in Wales, they're
thriving on the abandoned colliery

spoil heaps in the valleys
of the south.

The crew was determined to
film their remarkable hunting

behaviour in this uniquely
Welsh habitat.

So, producer Adrian Seymour got in
touch with local bug expert

Liam Olds
from the National Museum of Wales.

A lot of it comes down to the actual
spoil itself.

So, being black,
it absorbs the heat, so you

get those really high temperatures
that the beetles need and also,

the spoil itself being composed
largely of just rock is very

free draining, so it's very dry,
so basically it replicates sandy

conditions that the
beetles really like.

It is estimates we have about 1,200
coal tips within

the South Wales coalfield.

They're massively important,
in terms of nature conservation,

so they support
loads of nationally rare

and nationally scarce species and
even some new to science as well.

These spoil tips have always been
close to Liam's heart.

I live in the South Wales Valleys.

I was quite lucky to live
across the road from a coal tip,

so in my early teens, I was over
there on a regular basis, really.

And I was just blown
away by the wildlife on that site,

largely going
unnoticed by local people

and it was basically like having
my own person nature reserve.

Now I'm obsessed with the sites
and I'm obsessed with insects.

So, here we are, Adrian.
This is the best spot on the whole

sort of site really for these
tiger beetles.

So they love all this bare ground
cos it warms up really

rapidly in the sun.
You can really feel that.

You can really feel the temperature,
yeah.

And we should be able to find
plenty of larval burrows.

So, within this will be a larvae
and they'll be ambush predators

and they'll be grabbing anything
that comes past.

So they're quite ferocious
little things. Wow!

OK, so do you reckon there'll be
some adults running around here?

Yeah, should be.
We can go and have a look for them.

They'll be actively hunting
other insects

on this sort of open, bare ground.

This is exactly the behaviour
the crew had come to film.

But first, they had to catch one,
which is no easy task.

They're quite small, quite fast,

but they've got that metallic
sort of green, almost jewel-like.

Can't see anything yet.

I think that's one.
Want to give it a go?

Missed that one.
Can't even see him now.

They're pretty quick, yeah.
And they fly off.

But they usually don't travel
huge distances.

How about that one up there?
Go, go, go!

There he is! There he is!

I think he's in the pot. OK, good.
Let's have a look.

Yeah, there's one. Cool!
Look at that!

Brilliant!

All sorted now. Look at that!
Brilliant!

Now they had one, they could film
it in its rather surprising habitat.

To the west of this
unusual location,

a much more familiar destination
for a wildlife camera team...

..a sheltered
bay on the Pembrokeshire coast...

and the site of an underwater
gathering...

..the spider crab migration.

Professional diver Lloyd Jones
and his dad come here every

summer to witness and film this
extraordinary spectacle.

I once saw a video of spider crab
mass migration in Australia

and the sea conditions looked
almost identical to here.

And once we noticed they were
happening on our own doorstep,

we thought, we've got
to get in on this action

and see what it's all about, really.

The last time we were here,
we counted around 600, 700 crabs,

usually in small
pockets of around 50.

This part of the Pembrokeshire coast
is well known to Lloyd

and his family. We had a caravan
just round the corner,

in one of the local campsites.

And me and my brother used to
spend our summers here on the beach,

playing in the sand, when my father

and his dive club were obviously
off, offshore, enjoying the reefs.

As soon as Lloyd was old enough,
his father was keen to teach him

to dive and it wasn't long before
Lloyd was hooked.

Oh, it's definitely a family affair.
More of a competition between me

and my father, really,
of who can see the best wildlife.

It's fantastic to see it down there.

There's a lot of life teeming around
and the visibility is fantastic.

There seems to be a lot of spider
crabs congregating in the kelp.

There's a lot of character
in the crabs,

especially around the
shedding period.

You get the placid crabs,
which are the fresh ones, that have

just emerged from their shell,
to the larger aggressive crabs.

But it's not just seeing

and filming the wildlife that Lloyd
is passionate about.

This is fishing line.

As divers, we do like to keep the
dive site as pristine as possible,

so part of that is a little marine
conservation effort, on our behalf.

In his spare time, Lloyd volunteers
with Neptune's army of rubbish

cleaners,
clearing the seabed of litter.

Definitely, it is
a case of education.

We're all enjoying the outdoors.

The more we all work together, the
better it is for the environment.

Obviously, I am a little biased,

but this is pretty much the best
dive site in the world.

You can see the crabs in this
location with the crystal

clear water,
the pristine white sand,

you could be anywhere in the world,
but it is in fact Wales.

Right, if you'll excuse me,
I'm going

to get back in the water
and collect some more footage.

Over a number of visits to the bay,

Lloyd managed to film the crabs
gathering, moulting, and mating.

I'll never get bored of this.
I mean, look at it.

It's a beautiful location,
beautiful dive.

If I had to choose between the Med
or here, it'd probably be here!

Next time,
it's the season of change.

Wales's wildlife is on the move.

And there are battles to be fought.

Winter is coming.