Original subtitles

It's the beginning of autumn.

Though the days are still warm, this is a time of change.

Leaves are turning,

storm clouds are gathering.

Wildlife is on the move.

It's a critical time of year for animals...

..as they prepare for the lean times ahead.

There are battles to be fought...

..and mates to be won. BELLOWING

Time is short.

Winter is coming.

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.

HORSE NEIGHS

It's early autumn.

Wales's trees are still in full leaf

and form an impenetrable green canopy.

BIRDS CHIRP

It's the ideal hunting ground

for a master ambush predator.

The goshawk.

Around half of all British breeding goshawks live in Wales.

They can easily navigate the maze of trees,

and are strong enough to take down prey more than twice their size.

And they have a cunning ability to just disappear.

But soon the leaves will be gone...

..and the goshawk's cover will be blown.

But this seasonal challenge is not a problem

for such an incredible hunter.

In a forest in the Black Mountains of Monmouthshire,

a female goshawk turns her attentions

to a nearby walnut grove.

Barrels protect the trees from grazing sheep,

but their fallen bounty is up for grabs.

Nuts are definitely worth caching

in preparation for the hard times ahead.

Distracted, the squirrel is unaware of the danger it's in.

It would make a substantial meal for the goshawk.

Our female makes her move.

LOUD CHITTERING

INTENSE CHITTERING

Goshawks will pursue squirrels in a chase

that can last many minutes.

A missed opportunity.

But this formidable hunter won't go hungry for long.

TWIG SNAPS

It's mid-September.

Though the days are shortening,

South Wales is still bathed in sunshine.

The long hot summer has produced a bounty of food.

Ivy is one of the last plants to flower in the UK.

This vital food source attracts lingering butterflies...

..and a host of other insects.

One of which is so in tune with the plant

that it synchronises its life cycle around it.

GENTLE BUZZING

And even takes its name from it.

The ivy bee.

These recent arrivals blew in from Europe

on warm continental winds 18 years ago.

They are now permanent residents in South Wales.

They live for only six weeks.

And now it's the peak of their breeding season.

Just outside Caldicott is a rather special meadow.

In an exposed patch of sun-baked earth,

there are hundreds of tiny holes,

each home to a female.

LOUD BUZZING

This one is emerging for the first time...

..and is looking for a partner.

She's giving off a powerful scent that is irresistible

to the males hovering nearby.

She will only mate once

so competition for her affections is fierce.

Males pile in from all directions,

and a rolling maul ensues.

INTENSE BUZZING

The lucky male at the bottom must hang on tight to the female.

His competitors will try and wrestle her from him in a scrum

that can last ten minutes.

But a victor eventually emerges.

Unlike honeybees, ivy bees are solitary.

Our female digs a burrow into which she'll lay her eggs.

She'll fill the nursery with ivy pollen

for her growing young to feed on.

Next autumn they will emerge as adults,

just as their favourite plant flowers again.

The ivy bees are not the only mothers busy

at this crucial time of year.

A mile off the Pembrokeshire coast is Ramsey Island.

Its remote beaches are becoming rather crowded.

SEAL ROARS

SEAL GROANS

Female grey seals and their pups relax in the late season sunshine.

Seals spend most of their time in the water,

but for a few weeks they come ashore to give birth.

And Ramsey is the largest breeding colony in southern Britain.

Where there are females, males are quick to follow.

This one is the first to arrive at the pupping beach.

He wants to mate.

But grey seals are dedicated mothers.

When they're suckling a pup

they're completely devoted to that task,

and will rebuff any male advances.

Males are twice the size of females

and could accidentally crush a newborn pup if they get too close.

So it's understandable why the females don't want them nearby.

SHE ROARS

At times like this, retreat is often the best tactic.

But even that can cause a ruckus.

LOUD ROARING

Despite his size, these females have no qualms about letting him know

they don't want him around.

LOUD ROARING

He won't be welcome until their pups are weaned.

HIGH PITCHED MOAN

So for now, our male needs to bide his time.

A few days later, and it seems like the females might be ready.

Another male has arrived, and he hasn't been chased away.

Our male must try again.

This time he receives a less hostile welcome.

One female is interested.

She comes in for a cwtch.

And one thing leads to another.

It's his first successful conquest.

But more males are on their way...

..and he'll soon have to fight for the right to mate.

It's October,

and another species' mating season is in full swing.

BELLOWING

On the south coast, just a stone's throw from the town of Port Talbot,

is Margam Park.

DEEP BELLOWING

Red deer are the UK's largest land mammals.

STAG BELLOWS LOUDLY

At this time of year, the stags are full of swagger.

The stags and hinds have spent the summer apart,

but now come together to mate.

INCESSANT BELLOWING

This male has already laid claim to his harem

by seeing off a number of rivals.

But the risk of serious injury is never far away.

On the sidelines,

two young stags watch on.

They are full of testosterone

but not yet big enough to challenge the older males.

For now, all they can do is practise.

The rut is a test of stamina and strength.

Early battles allow with the stags to hone their technique.

BELLOWING

Our male has seen enough and asserts his authority.

His roar resonates far and wide.

There's no mistaking that he's the boss.

The hinds are only in season for 24 hours, so time is of the essence.

But this is his first year in charge.

He's not mated before and seems reluctant to make the first move.

The females are ready and show him what to do.

This is awkward.

Finally, he gets the message.

But his technique leaves a lot to be desired.

He'll need to get his act together.

He's surrounded by rivals.

Down below in the bracken, another male has his own harem.

And he's at the top of his game.

HE BELLOWS

Dominant stags will steal another male's hinds, given half a chance.

On the higher ground,

our male is unperturbed.

But he's still missing the mark.

Hopefully, it won't be long before he finds his mojo

and has a successful end to his first season as top stag.

Autumn is when much of Wales's wildlife

hunkers down in preparation for the cold months ahead.

But in a tiny meadow nestled beneath the Brecon Beacons,

there's an unexpected sight.

Marsh fritillary butterfly caterpillars.

This species is in decline across Europe,

but Wales is a stronghold.

The caterpillars have lived in several silken webs like this one

since they hatched in early July.

And now it's time to move home.

They've undergone three moults and are ready to hibernate.

But first, they need to make a more sheltered tent

lower down in the vegetation.

At this stage in their lives

they enjoy the company of their siblings...

..and work together to weave a new home.

They'll spend the winter months cocooned within.

Next spring, larvae will emerge and begin a new phase of life.

In November, it's not just the animals

that are preparing for winter.

Across Wales, the trees are too.

The green pigments essential for photosynthesis

will not be needed in the dark months ahead.

As they break down, orange hues come to the fore.

Creating an ever-changing palette of colour.

As the days shorten, the trees continue to shut down.

But these golden offerings won't go to waste.

Their nutrients are recycled,

adding much-needed nourishment to the soil.

As deciduous trees shut down,

the woodlands come alive with new arrivals.

Fungi.

These vital organisms usually remain in the soil, hidden from view.

But at this time of year they put out their fruiting bodies -

mushrooms and toadstools.

These are like the apples of an underground tree

and they enable the fungi to reproduce.

TRAIN HORN TOOTS

In a woodland in Carmarthenshire,

strange egg-like forms litter the ground.

They're actually part of a fungus,

one whose Latin name, Phallus impudicus,

means "shamelessly phallic".

And as they hatch, it's obvious why.

Two hours later, the fruiting body is fully formed

and it immediately attracts attention.

This is a stinkhorn fungus.

It smells like decaying meat,

but to flies, it is ambrosia.

As they land to feed,

spores from the fungi attach to their feet.

And when the fly leaves, it carries them away to scatter elsewhere.

This cunning trick ensures the stinkhorn colonises new areas

of the woodland.

The fungus shrivels,

but it will re-emerge next autumn.

In mid-November, the countryside is still ablaze with colour.

The rivers are flushed with autumn rain.

One remarkable animal swims against this torrent

on a final pilgrimage.

Three years ago, this salmon was born here in the River Vyrnwy.

Now, thanks to an extraordinary ability to smell the river

of her birth, she has returned from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn.

She faces an arduous journey with many obstacles.

It's a test of agility

and endurance.

Many tire and don't make it upstream.

Some are wounded along the way.

Those that do succeed

have a chance to breed.

It's not just the rivers that are drawing autumn migrants.

The Welsh coast is also a magnet for long-distance travellers.

At the very top of Wales's north-eastern edge

is the Dee Estuary.

It's a haven for wading birds...

..like oystercatchers...

..curlew...

..and dunlin.

They've been driven south from the freezing Arctic

to spend the winter here.

This is the most important wetland in the whole of Wales.

By November, many migrants have already arrived,

and with each passing day the numbers grow.

All the birds wait for the retreating tide.

Estuarine mud is twice as fertile as the richest farmland.

It's full of cockles, mussels and worms...

..their calling cards the only sign they're there at all.

Once the tide is out, the banquet can begin.

Waders have special receptors on their beaks,

and can find these juicy snacks even though they can't see them.

This is the ultimate fast food joint for hungry birds.

BIRDS TWEET

All this activity has caught the eye of Wales's top gun -

a peregrine falcon.

The packed mudflats are the perfect hunting ground.

Peregrines are the fastest birds on the planet,

with a top speed of 200mph.

They hunt by hitting their prey at speed.

But this one is a juvenile and has a lot to learn.

BIRDS SQUAWK LOUDLY

He's not afraid, however, to have a go.

For ten minutes, he terrorises the other birds on the beach.

What he lacks in experience,

he's certainly making up for with attitude.

There are other threats on the horizon.

Late autumn is the beginning of storm season.

WAVES CRASH

WIND HOWLS

At this time of year, high over the Atlantic,

the jet stream picks up speed,

driving low pressure systems onto the Welsh coast.

Seaside towns like Porthcawl bear the brunt of this brutal weather.

WAVES ROAR

But as quickly as the storms blow in,

they move on.

These brief blasts of winter are a warning

of harsher weather to come.

Wales is still experiencing unseasonable warmth,

even in some of the most mountainous parts of the country.

On the abandoned Dinorwig slate quarry, in the heart

of the Snowdonia National Park,

one of Wales's most sure-footed animals makes its home.

Feral goats are Neolithic survivors and have lived here

for at least 5,000 years.

GOAT BLEATS

Most animals can't cope with this treacherous terrain.

But curved toenails and special footpads enable the goats

to grip even the most slippery slate.

At this time of year the males, or billies as they are known,

have one thing on their mind.

Females.

It's the mating season.

This alpha male has his work cut out.

Rival billies are a constant irritation.

BLEATING

Our male curls his lip to taste the air,

using what's known as the flehmen response.

The females, or nannies, give off a potent smell

when they're ready to mate.

So he can tell when one is receptive.

He's been keeping an eye on this female for the last few days.

She's close, but she's not quite ready.

The weather here in the mountains can change in an instant.

At this time of year, torrential downpours

are an almost daily occurrence.

Their thick coats may be warm,

but they aren't waterproof.

Some of the herd retreat downslope.

BLEATING

The ancient woodland provides shelter and a chance to feed.

Back on the mountain,

hormones are raging.

And even the nannies are feeling feisty.

With so many females around, the alpha billy is easily distracted.

The female who is just coming in to season

has wandered down into the woodland.

This has not gone unnoticed by a younger, smaller male.

She's playing hard to get, quite literally.

Eventually she relents.

For this sneaky male, a chance to sire some offspring.

It's an opportunity he wouldn't have got on the open hillside.

Wales is one of the more mountainous countries in Europe.

Much of the land is over 500 feet high.

The peaks are covered with snow for more than 30 days every year.

This is where winter hits first.

It's a wild, rugged place to live.

Only the strong can survive here.

Carneddau ponies graze on Snowdonia's highest peaks.

They are an ancient breed

that have roamed these mountains for thousands of years.

Their small size and thick coats enable them to live here

even during the depths of winter,

when temperatures plummet well below freezing.

They are surely contenders for Wales's toughest wild animal.

As winter continues,

the first flurries of snow arrive at lower altitudes.

The days are short

and there's less time to feed.

Many species make the most of free hand-outs.

In Powys, Mid Wales, it's not just the sheep

that are being looked after.

Come rain, shine or snow,

the farmer provides food for the country's national bird.

The red kite.

KITE SCREECHES

Kites are nature's scavengers,

but they also eat a lot of worms and beetles.

During winter, the frozen ground makes these harder to find

so this free meal is incredibly welcome.

Kites come here every day from far and wide.

A feeding frenzy ensues.

KITES SQUAWK AND SCREECH

As even more birds arrive,

the competition intensifies.

In the end,

there's plenty to go around.

Snow continues to blanket the land...

..and Wales is transformed into a winter wonderland.

Snow-covered fields attract flocks of migrants.

BIRDS CHATTER

Some starlings live here all year round,

but in winter their numbers swell as millions fly in from Scandinavia,

escaping even colder temperatures.

Their short, stubby beaks are perfect for sifting through snow

on the hunt for seeds and insects.

BIRDS CHATTER BUSILY

As the light begins to fade,

it's time to find a place to roost.

They head to the coast where temperatures are milder.

Small feeding flocks join together.

Aberystwyth then becomes the stage

for the season's greatest wild spectacle.

A murmuration, 50,000 strong.

There's safety in numbers

and the starlings' wheeling, mesmerising display

confuses peregrine falcons and other predators.

Every evening, this huge super-flock roosts in the shelter

of Aberystwyth Pier, huddling together against the cold.

The next morning, there's a very rare sight.

Snow on Aberystwyth beach.

Winter has truly arrived.

The starlings lift off as one...

..ready for another day's feeding.

In a year of extremes,

Wales's animals have coped with everything

the seasons have thrown at them.

Each passing day will bring new challenges...

..as next year's cycle begins again.

To capture Wales's wildlife in all its glory,

the team travelled the length and breadth of the country,

from high peaks to rugged shores.

And Ramsey Island, off the Pembrokeshire coast,

was one of the most remote locations the crew travelled to.

In autumn, it's the site of a dramatic spectacle

when hundreds of grey seals come ashore to breed.

With so many seals gathered in one place,

it's the perfect opportunity to study their behaviour.

Scientist Alice Perry has been coming to the island for many years.

From a really young age, I used to go out and do the lobster pots

with my grandpa, and we used to come do some fishing around the island.

So it's always been a big part of my life from a very young age.

These early experiences ignited her passion

for the natural world.

Obviously, when you're out at sea and you've got all the sea birds

flying around you, and you've got the porpoises popping up,

it was just fascinating,

and I think that's what inspired me to study marine biology.

And her research has brought her back.

I'm studying seals on Ramsey Island as part of my dissertation.

So the project is looking at the seals

during the breeding season.

So we get 400 to 700 seal pups born on the island

from August to the end of October.

So it is the biggest population of Atlantic grey seals

breeding in the south-west of Britain.

The first birth I actually saw was on this beach

and I was really confused.

I was like, "What is she doing?

"She looks like she's acting really weirdly."

And then I realised she was just about to give birth,

and there it was, there was the pup.

It happened so quickly.

So you really have to be looking at that individual

otherwise you'll miss it.

Having watched the seals every day for many weeks,

Alice was able to take producer Myles and cameraman Pete

straight to her favourite monitoring spot.

This is the biggest beach that we have on Ramsey Island

and this is where we get most of the pups born.

We get about 100 pups born on this beach at a time, but if you wanted

to get a female giving birth or anything like that,

this is probably the beach to look at.

Great. Cool. Looks good. Yeah.

And she had some extra advice on how to spot a seal in labour.

Look for the female that comes onto the beach

and then separates herself from the others.

Usually, they'll look a bit agitated

and they might, you might even see them start to contract.

You might see their body kind of like convulse,

and that usually means they're about to have a pup.

So just keep your eye on that because it will happen so quickly.

And then either a couple of minutes later,

to sometimes about an hour later,

she will then produce the afterbirth, and the gulls will

spot that straight away,

come straight down for it and fight over it.

And when you see that happening,

you know there's been a pup just been born.

Armed with that information,

it was simply a case of watching and waiting.

Conditions on Ramsey Island are notoriously unpredictable.

But over the next few days, the sunshine held.

The crew had the perfect conditions

to film nursing females and their pups.

And on the final day, to top it all off,

they captured the moment they'd been waiting for.

We spotted some of the pools were red with blood

and gulls were descending to take away the afterbirth.

And we looked over and found the female had just given birth.

There was still blood around the mum and yellow goo all over the pup.

And it was really nice to witness their first moment of interacting.

They were rubbing their noses together,

kind of trying to make sure that that pup is their own.

That was just a really amazing moment to experience.

It had been a successful shoot.

Not only had the crew filmed the most intimate moments

between newborn pups and their mothers,

but they had also managed to capture the cycle beginning again

as males returned to mate with the females.

The team were determined to feature the country's

most iconic wild species -

the red kite.

But filming these magnificent birds hasn't always been easy.

They were almost driven into extinction.

In the 1970s, just a handful of breeding pairs remained here

in Mid Wales.

Chris Powell, a local farmer, is closely linked to their recovery

but this happened purely by chance, thanks to his dog Jamie.

We had a spaniel who went into the hedgerows and caught rabbits.

Every time he caught one, we'd lay it out for the ravens.

And we came out for lunch one day

and looked up, and there were two kites bobbing around.

I'd never seen anything like them.

I'd seen them in books but never in real life.

So we got the dog to catch more rabbits,

and over time it became a daily occurrence, the kites would turn up.

And then we got the local butcher to give us some off-cuts.

As the winter went on, we ended up with, I think, six kites visiting

so it was quite something.

And then we had a telephone call from the RSPB,

they wanted an urgent meeting.

And we thought we were in trouble because these were protected birds.

And out of that, they asked us to become

the official red kite feeding station.

One rabbit used to be enough to feed the kites.

But as their numbers began to recover,

so did the demand for food.

These days, Chris has to use a tractor to haul the huge amount

of meat that's needed every day.

Whatever the weather, the kites are waiting for him.

When we put the feed out at three o'clock,

there's a pecking order - the first birds in will be the adults,

following that there'll be the younger ones,

last year's chicks if you like.

We get a rolling population of kites during the week.

It's not the same birds every day.

Feeding time is the best opportunity

to see these fabulous birds up close.

It's an opportunity that wildlife cameraman Graham couldn't pass up.

It's amazing, isn't it?

The place is alive with kites.

I filmed most of this in slow motion

so you can see perhaps what is going on in some sort of detail.

When they pick a piece of meat up, they take it up

and they pass it from their foot deftly to their beak.

They do that quite quickly to get rid of it,

otherwise they'll get mobbed in mid-air.

And when they do it,

it's almost like time has stopped just momentarily.

They stop flapping, you'd almost imagine they stop breathing.

How many do you think are here, Chris, at the minute?

Er, anything between 400 or 500. 400-500, yeah.

It's difficult to count,

and that's going up every year, you say. It is, yes, yes.

There's no air traffic control there, is there?

With as many as 1,000 kites now visiting Chris's farm every week,

it's hard to believe that they'd almost disappeared

from the Welsh countryside.

What feeding has done is given a rise to the number of chicks

that are hatched and kept alive.

The average before was one,

and now they're raising two and three chicks.

And they're spreading now into Shropshire and Herefordshire,

and into...

I think there's kites being seen in all of the Welsh counties now

and that's all come from here.

The red kite is the bird of Wales.

I love the agility, their colour.

You know, they are just so very precious, really.

I don't think anybody could look at it and see the way it flies,

and not come away and say

that's the most fantastic bird they've seen.

When we first put that first rabbit out...

..and two kites appeared,

never did I imagine that this would happen.