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(dramatic music)
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Somewhere high up in the north,
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in the vast and barren terrains of the tundra
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lives a very mysterious animal.
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Often symbolic of wisdom,
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historically revered as a medium between the worlds.
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(dramatic music)
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The snowy owl.
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Best known by fans of Harry Potter.
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(dramatic music)
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In some years it undertakes the long journey
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westwards to Europe, sometimes to Germany.
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(birds chirping)
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Why does it exert itself to such extremes?
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(dramatic music)
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Lemmings and snowy owls are entwined.
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Their relationship exists over thousands of years.
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Most, for the lemming, end with it's death.
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For the owl it is essential.
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(chicks peeping)
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The prey is not for the hunter.
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His mate is waiting,
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the pair have four offspring to rear.
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(chicks peeping)
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The father has to leave again straight away,
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the mother stays to feed the three week old chicks.
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They have to gain weight quickly because
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autumn will begin in three months time.
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(chicks peeping)
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In the land of the snowy owl
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the sun won't set for many weeks,
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and thus, quite untypically for owls,
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it hunts in the daylight,
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it's eyes are accustomed to it,
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nothing escapes it's attention.
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(birds chirping)
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Watching and waiting, that is it's strategy.
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(duck quacking)
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But not for water fowls,
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they're not so well suited for the chicks.
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The owl is waiting for the lemming above all else.
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(chicks chirping)
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It's taking too long for the female,
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the cicks need at least four rodents per day.
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Not a problem in good lemming years
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when the male can provide one after the other.
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(wings flapping)
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(chicks chirping)
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Then the owls can manage to raise up to eleven offspring.
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(chicks chirping)
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But right now there are few to be found,
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that's why the family is so small.
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When food is in short supply, owls lay fewer eggs.
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But nevertheless, it is still
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not enough for the little ones.
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(gentle music)
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Around every four years
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there is an explosion in the lemming numbers.
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At least that's how it's been until now.
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But now such a boon time for lemmings is long over-due.
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What is it that has disrupted this cycle?
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(chick chirping)
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If there is too little food,
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it is the last born, and therefore the smallest,
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that will pay the price in it's development.
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It's chances to compete for it's share against
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the larger chicks will be evermore remote.
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(gentle music)
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The male is out for increasingly prolonged
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amounts of time to find prey.
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It's vital that the mother manages to protect her young
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against the icy winds.
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(dramatic music)
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In a short time the temperature will drop
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to near freezing point.
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(splashing)
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The mother deepens the hollow of the nest for protection
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while the father searches in vain for lemmings.
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(owl screeching)
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The family is starving.
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(dramatic music)
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(wings flapping)
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(owl screaming)
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It's as if the lemmings have been
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swallowed up by the ground.
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The mother has nothing more
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to offer the pleas of her nestling.
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(dramatic music)
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She seems to have run out of ideas
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as to how to help her dying chick.
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(somber music)
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The adults can deal with far lower temperatures.
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(chicks chirping)
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But for the smallest, in these circumstances,
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there is no chance.
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(dramatic music)
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The male has no time to lose,
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he has to make sure, at least,
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that the other chicks survive.
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(somber music)
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The owl will feed the dead chick to the other chicks.
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Every form of nutrition is imperative
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as long as the male continues to have problems.
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(chicks chirping)
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The fortune of the family is uncertain.
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One thing is for certain though,
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an increase in lemming numbers this summer
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has not materialized.
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(gentle music)
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The chicks have to manage to achieve
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a weight of at least two kilos within the next three weeks.
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If not, they will not survive the winter.
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(dramatic music)
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(chick chirping)
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The fog hardly clears at all.
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All ready in the middle of August,
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it is autumn.
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(geese honking)
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The geese begin their escape to the south.
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Snowy owls however, are not migratory birds.
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They remain where they are.
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(geese honking)
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(dramatic music)
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A little later,
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and the tundra is covered with snow.
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Much earlier than expected.
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(dramatic music)
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(wind howling)
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The landscape is in the grip of temperatures
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that sink to -40 degrees Celsius.
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It is only they who can adapt that will survive.
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Even the feet, velvety soles,
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are covered with feathers, as is the beak.
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(wind howling)
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It's the same with the Arctic fox.
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White as camouflage,
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and warmly covered with fur
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even under the paws.
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(wind blowing)
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Owls and foxes share a similar fate,
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in that they both hunt lemmings.
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And for both of them it is now essential
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that they find some as the temperature sinks.
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(snow crunching)
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The owl now has a difficult decision.
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Should it try to bear it out here
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and continue searching like the fox?
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(wind blowing)
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Or is the snow too deep and hard?
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And it will be under threat of diminishing fat reserves.
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The fox has no choice in the matter,
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(gentle music)
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but the snowy owl does.
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It doesn't always migrate like other birds,
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but will travel if the conditions are too extreme.
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(gentle music)
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It leaves the Siberian desert of ice behind,
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and travels westwards.
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(gentle music)
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Traveling at up to 85 kilometers per hour,
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it can cover large areas of Russia.
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(gentle music)
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Ahead lay the fells of North Scandinavia,
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2,500 kilometers away from it's breeding grounds.
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(gentle music)
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Here the wind clears the tops of the mountains,
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increasing the owl's chances of finding some lemmings.
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(gentle music)
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The open terrain is an invitation to rest.
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The owl needs the clear view for it's hunting.
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(gentle music)
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The strangers presence doesn't go unnoticed.
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(grunting)
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However, the reindeers soon return their attentions
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to the arduous process of uncovering moss and linchen.
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(grunting)
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(pawing snow)
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The secret as to why they don't suffer from hypothermia
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lies with their large snouts.
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The icy air warms up through the long nasal passage,
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and the heat is retained when they breath out.
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(grunting)
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Their wide hooves act like snowshoes
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and prevent the animal from sinking
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too deeply into the snow.
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(grunting)
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(playful music)
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But the true master of walking on snow
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is the Alpine Rabbit.
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With it's white fur and smaller ears,
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it's perfectly suited to the sub-polar environment.
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(playful music)
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This elegant snowshoe sprinter would be
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the perfect catch for the owl,
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if only it wasn't so very quick.
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What else is on offer?
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(playful music)
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Snow grouse!
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They've spent the night
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in a well-insulated snow chamber,
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a bit like an igloo.
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(playful music)
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But hunger has forced them to leave their cover together,
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many eyes are their best protection to survive.
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(playful music)
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The owl observes them attentively.
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However, it's attentions don't go unnoticed.
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(bird calling)
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(wings flapping)
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No luck again.
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(owl screaming)
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(playful music)
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Finally a mountain lemming!
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A little more be-speckled
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than it's brown cousin in Siberia,
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but just as delicious!
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(rustling)
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It's collecting grasses and linchen
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to stock up it's pantry under the snow.
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That's where is spends most of it's time in the winter,
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well protected and hard to find.
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(rustling)
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The snowy owl must use it's chance.
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(rustling)
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(owl screaming)
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The lemming is watchful.
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Walking on it's snowshoes, it stalks the lemming,
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trusting in it's camouflage and the element of surprise.
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However, it's cover has been blown.
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(dramatic music)
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The lemming is confoundedly fast!
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(playful music)
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(owl screaming)
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Another attempt is for now out of the question.
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(gentle music)
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(wind blowing)
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Heavy snowfall impedes the visibility.
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(grunting)
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This is the beginning of a very hard time
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even for the reindeer, who are so well used to the cold.
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(dramatic music)
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They only have the chance to remain and starve,
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or to make the energy sapping journey
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through the deep snow to search out new pastures
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for their meagre diet.
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The lemming has absolutely no problem with the snow.
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Quite the opposite, it's an ally.
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Foraging, stocking up, eating,
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raising it's young up to six times throughout the winter.
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It manages all that buried under the snow,
251
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and rarely ventures out.
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If there's a new covering of snow,
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it offers the perfect protection
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against the cold and enemies.
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For the owl it's a trajedy,
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because it makes the rodents much harder to find.
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It's only in those places where the wind blows a clearing
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that it has a chance.
259
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(owl screaming)
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(wings flapping)
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(gentle music)
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The first attempt,
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the rodent hidden in it's labyrinth has a clear advantage.
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(clicking)
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(suspenseful music)
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(clicking)
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(squeaking)
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And it's no stranger to protecting himself.
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Deep snow hunting, it seems,
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is not for the owl.
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(reindeer running)
272
00:14:45,832 --> 00:14:48,510
The reindeer leave the inhospitable terrain.
273
00:14:48,510 --> 00:14:51,027
(gentle music)
274
00:14:51,027 --> 00:14:54,458
The snowy owl is also forced to move on.
275
00:14:54,458 --> 00:14:57,401
Indeed, the perennial aviator will cover
276
00:14:57,401 --> 00:14:59,737
the circumference of the pole throughout the winter
277
00:14:59,737 --> 00:15:02,137
in search of nourishment.
278
00:15:02,137 --> 00:15:03,961
If it doesn't meet with success,
279
00:15:03,961 --> 00:15:07,086
the journey will be very risky.
280
00:15:07,086 --> 00:15:10,738
(gentle music)
281
00:15:12,194 --> 00:15:14,019
Will it's undernourished energy reserves
282
00:15:14,019 --> 00:15:16,195
last long enough to reach the south
283
00:15:16,195 --> 00:15:18,243
where it can hunt again?
284
00:15:18,243 --> 00:15:21,234
(gentle music)
285
00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,569
The energy-sapping flight is grueling.
286
00:15:26,569 --> 00:15:30,451
A short catch in-between could be much needed,
287
00:15:30,451 --> 00:15:34,206
but here also, the snow is far too deep.
288
00:15:34,206 --> 00:15:37,700
(wings flapping)
289
00:15:37,700 --> 00:15:39,769
The great grey owl shows how to
290
00:15:39,769 --> 00:15:41,924
be a good deep snow hunter.
291
00:15:41,924 --> 00:15:43,915
(owl hooting)
292
00:15:43,915 --> 00:15:46,220
It seeks out the mice from above
293
00:15:46,220 --> 00:15:48,637
and makes it's approach silently gliding,
294
00:15:48,637 --> 00:15:51,889
before plunging the last meters with the full force,
295
00:15:51,889 --> 00:15:54,742
landing deep in the snow.
296
00:15:55,729 --> 00:15:58,129
Although only around two kilos in weight,
297
00:15:58,129 --> 00:16:01,073
in manages to pin-pointedly capture it's prey
298
00:16:01,073 --> 00:16:04,309
up to 40 centimeters under the snow.
299
00:16:05,723 --> 00:16:09,200
The competition lurks in the background.
300
00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:10,885
The supply of mice is small,
301
00:16:10,885 --> 00:16:12,859
but the hunger is big.
302
00:16:12,859 --> 00:16:16,005
Every little bit counts in the winter.
303
00:16:16,005 --> 00:16:18,807
(wings flapping)
304
00:16:18,807 --> 00:16:22,519
The hunter has already swallowed his well-earned rewards,
305
00:16:22,519 --> 00:16:26,153
but it takes a while for his competition to notice.
306
00:16:26,153 --> 00:16:28,686
(owl screaming)
307
00:16:33,598 --> 00:16:36,030
With such tough competition around,
308
00:16:36,030 --> 00:16:39,729
the snowy owl has no chance.
309
00:16:39,729 --> 00:16:43,543
(dramatic music)
310
00:16:43,543 --> 00:16:47,524
It has to leave the Tiger's Forests behind,
311
00:16:47,524 --> 00:16:50,692
it can't hunt between trees.
312
00:16:50,692 --> 00:16:54,595
Open spaces with a milder climate are the aim,
313
00:16:54,595 --> 00:16:59,595
but it's destination is still as yet a long journey away.
314
00:16:59,671 --> 00:17:03,312
(dramatic music)
315
00:17:14,827 --> 00:17:17,547
After a further 500 kilometers,
316
00:17:17,547 --> 00:17:21,674
it has still not crossed the undesirable coniferous forest.
317
00:17:21,674 --> 00:17:23,744
Exhausted, it stops for a rest.
318
00:17:23,744 --> 00:17:26,751
(wolf howling)
319
00:17:26,751 --> 00:17:28,362
As dusk approaches,
320
00:17:28,362 --> 00:17:30,964
the Forest of the Trolls is suddenly awake.
321
00:17:30,964 --> 00:17:32,404
(birds chirping)
322
00:17:32,404 --> 00:17:34,410
Millions of bramblings are heading south
323
00:17:34,410 --> 00:17:37,493
and are looking for a place to rest for the night.
324
00:17:38,298 --> 00:17:40,248
(wolves howling)
325
00:17:40,248 --> 00:17:42,814
(birds chirping)
326
00:17:45,034 --> 00:17:47,848
(owl hooting)
327
00:17:47,848 --> 00:17:50,702
(owl screaming)
328
00:17:50,702 --> 00:17:55,139
A very real spirit of the forest makes an entrance.
329
00:17:55,139 --> 00:17:58,488
The snowy owl must heed him attentively,
330
00:17:58,488 --> 00:18:01,187
he could be very dangerous.
331
00:18:01,187 --> 00:18:02,687
A wolverine.
332
00:18:02,687 --> 00:18:05,609
(sniffing)
333
00:18:06,769 --> 00:18:11,138
This Geraint Martin can cover up to 45 kilometers in a night
334
00:18:11,138 --> 00:18:14,390
in it's relentless search for food.
335
00:18:16,743 --> 00:18:20,210
In the winter it'll eat anything it can find.
336
00:18:20,210 --> 00:18:22,447
(suspenseful music)
337
00:18:22,447 --> 00:18:26,106
Nothing escapes it's highy tuned sense of smell.
338
00:18:28,277 --> 00:18:31,520
A leftover carcass distracts it's attentions.
339
00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:34,009
(chomping)
340
00:18:36,693 --> 00:18:40,668
However, it's attentions don't go unnoticed.
341
00:18:40,668 --> 00:18:43,725
(low growling)
342
00:18:43,725 --> 00:18:46,759
(suspenseful music)
343
00:18:50,978 --> 00:18:53,889
The lynx is not impressed when it discovers
344
00:18:53,889 --> 00:18:57,260
someone hunting on it's terrain.
345
00:19:00,550 --> 00:19:02,844
The wolverine thinks better of it,
346
00:19:02,844 --> 00:19:04,828
and ambles on.
347
00:19:04,828 --> 00:19:08,277
(low growling)
348
00:19:10,011 --> 00:19:12,433
The lynx is already full,
349
00:19:12,433 --> 00:19:14,161
and is looking for a quiet brunch
350
00:19:14,161 --> 00:19:17,397
to settle down for the night.
351
00:19:18,747 --> 00:19:21,705
(rustling)
352
00:19:22,512 --> 00:19:24,763
(low growling)
353
00:19:24,763 --> 00:19:26,736
(owl hooting)
354
00:19:26,736 --> 00:19:28,289
(rustling)
355
00:19:28,289 --> 00:19:30,017
Taken.
356
00:19:30,017 --> 00:19:32,374
The lynx decides not to trouble itself
357
00:19:32,374 --> 00:19:35,526
with an argumentative owl.
358
00:19:38,187 --> 00:19:41,571
Long and cold hours lay ahead of the owl.
359
00:19:43,151 --> 00:19:46,359
(gentle music)
360
00:19:47,979 --> 00:19:52,314
It's a night as if made for myths and fairy tales,
361
00:19:55,861 --> 00:19:57,354
where the Northern Lights dance
362
00:19:57,354 --> 00:20:00,906
like fluorescent ghosts in the night sky.
363
00:20:00,906 --> 00:20:04,388
(gentle music)
364
00:20:07,754 --> 00:20:10,836
Perhaps the myths about the ambassadors to the other side
365
00:20:10,836 --> 00:20:13,904
stem from such nights as this.
366
00:20:13,904 --> 00:20:17,232
They are the stuff of J.K. Rowling's creation,
367
00:20:17,232 --> 00:20:21,503
Hedwig, the messenger owl in Harry Potter's magical world.
368
00:20:28,406 --> 00:20:30,112
A little more factually seen,
369
00:20:30,112 --> 00:20:33,217
they are a result of a natural phenomenon.
370
00:20:33,217 --> 00:20:35,531
The solo winds, highly charged particles
371
00:20:35,531 --> 00:20:38,262
collide with the earth's atmosphere,
372
00:20:38,262 --> 00:20:42,752
triggering the atoms into this majestic play of light.
373
00:20:42,752 --> 00:20:46,437
(subdued music)
374
00:20:55,797 --> 00:20:57,685
As the sun rises
375
00:20:57,685 --> 00:21:02,154
this intriguing spectacle is total absorbed by the daylight.
376
00:21:02,154 --> 00:21:04,501
(birds cooing)
377
00:21:04,501 --> 00:21:06,784
(wings flapping)
378
00:21:06,784 --> 00:21:09,440
The starting gun for the black grouse
379
00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,085
who come to the same place year after year
380
00:21:12,085 --> 00:21:14,826
to perform their commutal courtship rituals.
381
00:21:14,826 --> 00:21:18,548
(birds cooing)
382
00:21:18,548 --> 00:21:20,262
(bird cawing)
383
00:21:20,262 --> 00:21:24,283
Every male occupies his own small personal territory,
384
00:21:24,283 --> 00:21:27,355
and sets out to impress the competition.
385
00:21:27,355 --> 00:21:29,179
Not only acoustically,
386
00:21:29,179 --> 00:21:32,091
but dramatically as well.
387
00:21:32,091 --> 00:21:34,975
(bird cawing)
388
00:21:35,802 --> 00:21:37,700
The red wattles above the eyes
389
00:21:37,700 --> 00:21:40,442
swell up for the annual occasion.
390
00:21:40,442 --> 00:21:42,676
(bird cooing)
391
00:21:42,676 --> 00:21:44,346
The oldest and the highest ranking
392
00:21:44,346 --> 00:21:47,648
occupy the center of the courting arena.
393
00:21:47,648 --> 00:21:50,213
(bird cooing)
394
00:21:56,117 --> 00:21:57,621
A younger member of the group
395
00:21:57,621 --> 00:22:00,287
is staking his challenge to the helm,
396
00:22:00,287 --> 00:22:01,930
a duel is called.
397
00:22:01,930 --> 00:22:04,223
(wings flapping)
398
00:22:04,223 --> 00:22:05,866
(bird cawing)
399
00:22:05,866 --> 00:22:07,124
Like two swordsmen,
400
00:22:07,124 --> 00:22:10,399
the birds set at each other with their powerful beaks.
401
00:22:10,399 --> 00:22:12,842
(dramatic music)
402
00:22:12,842 --> 00:22:16,711
They attempt to hit each other on the red wattles.
403
00:22:16,711 --> 00:22:19,255
(bird cawing)
404
00:22:19,255 --> 00:22:21,455
(dramatic music)
405
00:22:21,455 --> 00:22:23,595
A direct hit!
406
00:22:23,595 --> 00:22:27,348
The younger has managed to grab hold of the older.
407
00:22:27,348 --> 00:22:30,767
(dramatic music)
408
00:22:33,056 --> 00:22:34,622
For this, it will have to endure
409
00:22:34,622 --> 00:22:38,142
some powerful retaliatory swipes with the wings.
410
00:22:38,142 --> 00:22:42,509
(birds fighting)
411
00:22:45,288 --> 00:22:49,619
With this duel, both young and old can be dis-plumed.
412
00:22:49,619 --> 00:22:51,571
It will only be the winner
413
00:22:51,571 --> 00:22:54,333
who is allowed to mate with the females.
414
00:22:54,333 --> 00:22:56,351
(birds cooing)
415
00:22:56,351 --> 00:22:57,449
(wings flapping)
416
00:22:57,449 --> 00:23:00,616
It seems grouse won't be on the menu for breakfast.
417
00:23:00,616 --> 00:23:03,917
(gentle music)
418
00:23:08,786 --> 00:23:13,074
It forces the owl to continue it's journey southwards
419
00:23:13,074 --> 00:23:16,712
and to leave the Scandinavian Tiger behind.
420
00:23:16,712 --> 00:23:20,487
It has to finally get to suitable hunting grounds.
421
00:23:20,487 --> 00:23:22,802
(gentle music)
422
00:23:22,802 --> 00:23:25,749
By and by, deciduous trees such as birch,
423
00:23:25,749 --> 00:23:27,903
are mixed into the pallet of the forest,
424
00:23:27,903 --> 00:23:31,029
and the days grow longer and warmer.
425
00:23:31,029 --> 00:23:34,126
(gentle music)
426
00:23:40,862 --> 00:23:42,750
After another ten days flight,
427
00:23:42,750 --> 00:23:45,331
it finally reaches the North Sea
428
00:23:45,331 --> 00:23:48,474
on the south cast of Scandinavia.
429
00:23:48,474 --> 00:23:50,936
However, instead of finding a large stretch
430
00:23:50,936 --> 00:23:53,699
of open water with resting seabirds beneath,
431
00:23:53,699 --> 00:23:57,378
there is nothing else but an icy desert.
432
00:23:57,378 --> 00:23:59,566
This year the arctic temperatures have even
433
00:23:59,566 --> 00:24:03,148
gripped the expanses moderate climes.
434
00:24:03,148 --> 00:24:05,602
Across Denmark, land of the Vikings,
435
00:24:05,602 --> 00:24:08,471
the picture remains the same.
436
00:24:08,471 --> 00:24:11,757
5,000 kilometers now lay behind it.
437
00:24:11,757 --> 00:24:14,253
(gentle music)
438
00:24:14,253 --> 00:24:16,968
It's only as it reaches the open sea around
439
00:24:16,968 --> 00:24:18,512
the German North Sea Islands,
440
00:24:18,512 --> 00:24:20,157
that things look better.
441
00:24:20,157 --> 00:24:21,064
(birds chirping)
442
00:24:21,064 --> 00:24:24,587
In between the tidal waves swim schools of flounders
443
00:24:24,587 --> 00:24:27,596
without the protection of ice.
444
00:24:27,596 --> 00:24:29,926
Has it finally reached it's goal?
445
00:24:29,926 --> 00:24:32,571
(birds chirping)
446
00:24:32,571 --> 00:24:36,813
(gentle music)
447
00:24:39,495 --> 00:24:43,411
A young snowy owl has arrived two weeks earlier.
448
00:24:43,411 --> 00:24:45,895
Although less experienced, the younger birds
449
00:24:45,895 --> 00:24:49,758
intuitively set off for the journey earlier.
450
00:24:49,758 --> 00:24:51,458
(birds chirping)
451
00:24:51,458 --> 00:24:52,893
(water flowing)
452
00:24:52,893 --> 00:24:55,569
It's found a fully set table
453
00:24:55,569 --> 00:24:58,715
on Germany's North Sea Coast.
454
00:24:58,715 --> 00:25:02,374
Sea birds as far as the eye can see.
455
00:25:02,374 --> 00:25:05,354
(birds quacking)
456
00:25:10,332 --> 00:25:12,630
(splashing)
457
00:25:14,758 --> 00:25:17,894
From mallards to sheldricks,
458
00:25:17,894 --> 00:25:21,222
all fighting for a place as the evening sets in
459
00:25:21,222 --> 00:25:25,280
on the interior fresh water lakes behind the coast.
460
00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,883
Here they're best protected overnight
461
00:25:27,883 --> 00:25:32,461
against such nocturnal predators like the marten or the fox.
462
00:25:32,461 --> 00:25:35,944
(birds quacking)
463
00:25:35,944 --> 00:25:38,568
By the next morning most of them have survived
464
00:25:38,568 --> 00:25:41,618
the uncomfortable cold of the night.
465
00:25:41,618 --> 00:25:45,511
And in ice cold water with bare feet at that!
466
00:25:45,511 --> 00:25:47,549
(birds quacking)
467
00:25:47,549 --> 00:25:50,492
How do those water birds manage not to freeze?
468
00:25:50,492 --> 00:25:54,486
(playful music)
469
00:25:56,648 --> 00:25:58,502
Astonishingly enough,
470
00:25:58,502 --> 00:26:02,054
they actually lose very little heat on the ice.
471
00:26:02,054 --> 00:26:04,476
They're equipped with a perfect
472
00:26:04,476 --> 00:26:07,314
heat exchange system in their legs.
473
00:26:07,314 --> 00:26:10,663
(birds quacking)
474
00:26:10,663 --> 00:26:13,063
Warm blood flows downwards,
475
00:26:13,063 --> 00:26:15,117
and the cold bood upwards.
476
00:26:15,117 --> 00:26:17,410
(playful music)
477
00:26:17,410 --> 00:26:19,436
At an abundantly flowing bottleneck,
478
00:26:19,436 --> 00:26:21,654
the warm blood exchanges with the cold blood
479
00:26:21,654 --> 00:26:24,802
which travels back into the body.
480
00:26:24,802 --> 00:26:28,865
Saving energy by keeping ones feet cold, in principle.
481
00:26:28,865 --> 00:26:31,850
(birds chirping)
482
00:26:31,850 --> 00:26:35,204
(playful orchestral music)
483
00:26:37,867 --> 00:26:40,544
Without such an ingenious heat recovery system,
484
00:26:40,544 --> 00:26:42,357
the smaller birds, above all else,
485
00:26:42,357 --> 00:26:44,229
would quickly freeze.
486
00:26:46,217 --> 00:26:48,756
But despite this impressive wonder of nature,
487
00:26:48,756 --> 00:26:51,134
the birds are constantly under pressure
488
00:26:51,134 --> 00:26:54,200
throughout the winter not to starve.
489
00:26:56,009 --> 00:26:59,240
The grey heron normally hunts fish.
490
00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:03,289
However, when the waters are frozen a plan B is needed.
491
00:27:04,157 --> 00:27:07,156
It keeps it's eyes on the sheldricks,
492
00:27:07,156 --> 00:27:09,885
fish hunter like itself.
493
00:27:10,975 --> 00:27:12,504
(birds quacking)
494
00:27:12,504 --> 00:27:16,270
Perhaps it can wrangle something out of them.
495
00:27:18,140 --> 00:27:21,069
The smew comes from far away,
496
00:27:21,069 --> 00:27:23,480
from Siberia like the snowy owl,
497
00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:26,281
which is watching on as ever.
498
00:27:26,281 --> 00:27:29,267
(splashing)
499
00:27:30,807 --> 00:27:32,663
(birds chirping)
500
00:27:32,663 --> 00:27:34,935
The owl waits.
501
00:27:34,935 --> 00:27:39,020
Perhaps one of the many birds won't be paying attention.
502
00:27:39,020 --> 00:27:42,202
(gentle music)
503
00:27:42,923 --> 00:27:46,480
(birds quacking)
504
00:27:48,448 --> 00:27:50,912
This solitary duck, perhaps.
505
00:27:50,912 --> 00:27:53,733
(wings flapping)
506
00:27:57,088 --> 00:28:01,025
The lemming hunter transforms into a bird hunter.
507
00:28:01,025 --> 00:28:03,968
The tactic remains the same,
508
00:28:03,968 --> 00:28:07,720
it'll take what is easiest to overpower.
509
00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,840
But hunting birds is not such an easy undertaking.
510
00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:12,760
(birds quacking)
511
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:14,631
What makes it even more difficult
512
00:28:14,631 --> 00:28:18,136
is that the birds warn each other.
513
00:28:18,136 --> 00:28:22,205
The snowy owl has to stay hungry for now.
514
00:28:23,075 --> 00:28:25,784
(birds chirping)
515
00:28:25,784 --> 00:28:28,871
(feet sliding on ice)
516
00:28:36,905 --> 00:28:38,365
(splashing)
517
00:28:38,365 --> 00:28:42,820
A sheldrake is having a bit more luck with it's catch.
518
00:28:43,995 --> 00:28:45,805
(splashing)
519
00:28:45,805 --> 00:28:48,124
However, that is only short-lived.
520
00:28:48,124 --> 00:28:52,199
Here, thievery is the order of the day.
521
00:28:52,199 --> 00:28:55,495
Thieves abound everywhere.
522
00:28:56,642 --> 00:28:59,626
No movement escapes attention.
523
00:28:59,626 --> 00:29:02,724
(wings flapping)
524
00:29:04,852 --> 00:29:08,362
Or be it, when two are having a dispute,
525
00:29:08,362 --> 00:29:11,497
the third one reaps the benefits.
526
00:29:11,497 --> 00:29:15,566
(dramatic music)
527
00:29:17,182 --> 00:29:20,376
(birds calling)
528
00:29:22,014 --> 00:29:25,122
But the herons haven't given up yet,
529
00:29:25,122 --> 00:29:28,663
the gull doesn't even get a chance to swallow.
530
00:29:28,663 --> 00:29:32,478
(birds calling)
531
00:29:32,478 --> 00:29:34,429
So much commotion,
532
00:29:34,429 --> 00:29:36,947
all over one fish.
533
00:29:36,947 --> 00:29:41,103
Nothing illustrates the necessity of the birds more.
534
00:29:41,103 --> 00:29:43,577
(dramatic music)
535
00:29:43,577 --> 00:29:46,873
(birds calling)
536
00:29:46,873 --> 00:29:49,653
It's not absolutely the strongest that perseveres here,
537
00:29:49,653 --> 00:29:53,052
but more they with the most cunning.
538
00:29:54,592 --> 00:29:58,900
The clever gull swallows the fish straight away.
539
00:29:58,900 --> 00:30:01,977
(birds calling)
540
00:30:02,900 --> 00:30:04,991
Should the waters freeze completely,
541
00:30:04,991 --> 00:30:08,616
it will come down to a basic fight for survival.
542
00:30:08,616 --> 00:30:12,798
A fight has flared up over the last fish among the herons.
543
00:30:14,348 --> 00:30:17,325
(birds fighting)
544
00:30:19,069 --> 00:30:21,629
(suspenseful music)
545
00:30:21,629 --> 00:30:23,496
No rule is barred
546
00:30:23,496 --> 00:30:27,112
in the birds efforts to stop the other swallowing.
547
00:30:27,112 --> 00:30:32,012
They who run out of steam to struggle will die.
548
00:30:32,776 --> 00:30:34,204
During the harder winters
549
00:30:34,204 --> 00:30:38,002
around 50% of the herons will starve.
550
00:30:38,002 --> 00:30:42,210
(dramatic music)
551
00:30:42,210 --> 00:30:46,503
Only the most resourceful of them will survive.
552
00:30:46,503 --> 00:30:49,654
(birds chirping)
553
00:30:51,014 --> 00:30:55,125
(gentle music)
554
00:30:59,643 --> 00:31:03,212
(wind blowing)
555
00:31:03,212 --> 00:31:05,900
Some animals decide not to trouble themselves
556
00:31:05,900 --> 00:31:09,798
at all with the hardships of winter.
557
00:31:11,020 --> 00:31:13,249
Hidden away in the hollow of a tree,
558
00:31:13,249 --> 00:31:15,521
a garden dormouse takes it's leave
559
00:31:15,521 --> 00:31:18,757
of the inconveniently cold season.
560
00:31:20,118 --> 00:31:23,915
It's body temperature has sunk to just above freezing,
561
00:31:23,915 --> 00:31:27,936
and it's metabolism has reduced itself to a minimum.
562
00:31:27,936 --> 00:31:31,445
It's heart beats only slightly per minute.
563
00:31:31,445 --> 00:31:34,432
(gentle music)
564
00:31:34,432 --> 00:31:37,034
A whole range of animals disappear from the picture
565
00:31:37,034 --> 00:31:39,701
altogether during the winter months,
566
00:31:39,701 --> 00:31:41,403
and emaciate themselves
567
00:31:41,403 --> 00:31:44,974
from their fat reserves while sleeping.
568
00:31:46,174 --> 00:31:48,093
Tree hollows are mostly favored by
569
00:31:48,093 --> 00:31:51,507
the household and the edible dormice.
570
00:31:51,507 --> 00:31:53,618
The hedgehog, on the other hand,
571
00:31:53,618 --> 00:31:57,857
likes to bury itself under dried out foliage and grass.
572
00:31:57,857 --> 00:32:00,681
Hunters like the snowy owl have no chance
573
00:32:00,681 --> 00:32:03,746
to find them in their hideaways.
574
00:32:03,746 --> 00:32:07,610
Many other animals simply have to bear it out.
575
00:32:07,610 --> 00:32:10,799
With it's bushes filled with berries and it's apple trees,
576
00:32:10,799 --> 00:32:12,911
the coastal region in the North of Germany
577
00:32:12,911 --> 00:32:16,367
serves as a gigantic fridge for the birds.
578
00:32:16,367 --> 00:32:17,871
(gentle music)
579
00:32:17,871 --> 00:32:19,898
Fieldfares and the common blackbirds
580
00:32:19,898 --> 00:32:23,844
absolutely love the rich frozen fare.
581
00:32:23,844 --> 00:32:26,297
(rustling)
582
00:32:26,297 --> 00:32:29,284
Apples contain large amounts of sweet fructose
583
00:32:29,284 --> 00:32:31,971
and are good sources of energy.
584
00:32:31,971 --> 00:32:36,360
Every apple harvested could be a life-saver.
585
00:32:39,299 --> 00:32:41,816
Even the newcomers arriving from the Tiger
586
00:32:41,816 --> 00:32:43,905
enjoy the benefits of the fruit.
587
00:32:43,905 --> 00:32:44,841
(wings flapping)
588
00:32:44,841 --> 00:32:46,633
The waxwings are not the only guests
589
00:32:46,633 --> 00:32:49,620
who have made the arduous journey from the North.
590
00:32:50,736 --> 00:32:54,191
The older snowy owl arrives on the scene.
591
00:32:54,191 --> 00:32:56,890
(wings flapping)
592
00:32:56,890 --> 00:33:00,975
Famished after a flight of nearly 5,000 kilometers,
593
00:33:00,975 --> 00:33:04,666
it is in urgent need of nutrition.
594
00:33:08,074 --> 00:33:12,134
Bu the partridges are all too aware.
595
00:33:12,134 --> 00:33:14,384
(owl clucking)
596
00:33:14,384 --> 00:33:17,610
(wings flapping)
597
00:33:21,232 --> 00:33:24,890
But finally there is a hope for the owl again.
598
00:33:24,890 --> 00:33:26,864
On the relatively open plains,
599
00:33:26,864 --> 00:33:29,317
chances are much better for hunting.
600
00:33:29,317 --> 00:33:32,980
(gentle music)
601
00:33:37,838 --> 00:33:41,598
(snow falling)
602
00:33:44,271 --> 00:33:45,796
A hundred years ago,
603
00:33:45,796 --> 00:33:47,854
the snowy owl's numbers were much larger
604
00:33:47,854 --> 00:33:49,752
in the central Europe.
605
00:33:49,752 --> 00:33:52,840
Today, it is extremely rare.
606
00:33:53,512 --> 00:33:55,560
(gentle music)
607
00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,451
Some even come as stowaways.
608
00:33:58,451 --> 00:34:01,064
During a storm in 2014,
609
00:34:01,064 --> 00:34:05,298
five American owls found shelter on a ship bound for Europe.
610
00:34:05,298 --> 00:34:07,549
From board they flew over the Netherlands,
611
00:34:07,549 --> 00:34:09,809
and back home again,
612
00:34:09,809 --> 00:34:12,828
a modern winter's fairy tale.
613
00:34:12,828 --> 00:34:16,694
(gentle music)
614
00:34:17,556 --> 00:34:20,811
(rustling)
615
00:34:23,324 --> 00:34:24,828
Such a comfortable journey
616
00:34:24,828 --> 00:34:27,003
wasn't had by this owl.
617
00:34:27,003 --> 00:34:30,193
Added to that it now faces competition,
618
00:34:30,193 --> 00:34:31,325
Fox
619
00:34:33,145 --> 00:34:35,309
and ermine.
620
00:34:37,299 --> 00:34:41,337
(playful music)
621
00:34:41,337 --> 00:34:44,792
All are chasing the same thing,
622
00:34:44,792 --> 00:34:46,457
the mouse.
623
00:34:47,777 --> 00:34:50,902
The ermine looks as if it could have a plan.
624
00:34:52,262 --> 00:34:54,915
(playful music)
625
00:34:54,915 --> 00:34:56,349
What could be the reason
626
00:34:56,349 --> 00:34:58,930
for this sprightly little romp?
627
00:34:58,930 --> 00:35:01,959
(playful music)
628
00:35:01,959 --> 00:35:05,440
The fox is taking it's time.
629
00:35:07,356 --> 00:35:12,028
It's monitering for slight sounds beneath the snow.
630
00:35:14,268 --> 00:35:16,267
(crunching snow)
631
00:35:18,683 --> 00:35:21,766
The performance was not without it's merit.
632
00:35:21,766 --> 00:35:23,899
The ermine aims to shock the mouse
633
00:35:23,899 --> 00:35:27,216
andn try to scare it out of it's safe haven.
634
00:35:31,766 --> 00:35:35,231
(playful music)
635
00:35:36,762 --> 00:35:38,821
And it works!
636
00:35:42,390 --> 00:35:44,636
(rustling)
637
00:35:44,636 --> 00:35:47,949
The victory is short-lived,
638
00:35:47,949 --> 00:35:50,738
try again.
639
00:35:54,473 --> 00:35:57,035
Very fortunate for the patient guest.
640
00:35:57,035 --> 00:36:00,071
(chewing)
641
00:36:00,071 --> 00:36:01,176
(digging)
642
00:36:01,176 --> 00:36:03,373
Ermines and foxes hunt mice
643
00:36:03,373 --> 00:36:06,275
as their primary source of prey.
644
00:36:06,275 --> 00:36:09,436
They are dependant on it for their numbers.
645
00:36:11,130 --> 00:36:15,591
(dramatic music)
646
00:36:20,012 --> 00:36:23,425
As ever, the snowy owl watches on.
647
00:36:23,425 --> 00:36:27,109
(playful music)
648
00:36:33,173 --> 00:36:36,942
The ermine has to keep a close eye on the owl.
649
00:36:37,888 --> 00:36:40,064
Sometimes owls can't just resist
650
00:36:40,064 --> 00:36:42,656
their kleptomaniac urges.
651
00:36:45,947 --> 00:36:48,863
A younger snowy owl enters the scene.
652
00:36:48,863 --> 00:36:51,601
The feathers of the young and the females
653
00:36:51,601 --> 00:36:54,097
are covered with brown speckles.
654
00:36:56,257 --> 00:36:59,245
Perhaps it's one of her own chicks.
655
00:37:04,893 --> 00:37:07,186
(playful music)
656
00:37:07,186 --> 00:37:10,185
The ermine has had enough for the day.
657
00:37:11,641 --> 00:37:14,579
End of the show!
658
00:37:17,497 --> 00:37:21,401
(gentle music)
659
00:37:21,401 --> 00:37:23,555
(birds honking)
660
00:37:23,555 --> 00:37:27,513
Not all are such rare guests as the snowy owl, though.
661
00:37:27,513 --> 00:37:31,218
(gentle music)
662
00:37:33,283 --> 00:37:35,757
Whooper swans rest in their thousands
663
00:37:35,757 --> 00:37:37,999
in the North of Germany before undertaking
664
00:37:37,999 --> 00:37:41,817
their return journey to the Siberian Tiger.
665
00:37:41,817 --> 00:37:45,746
(gentle music)
666
00:37:49,369 --> 00:37:52,936
(water splashing)
667
00:37:55,384 --> 00:37:58,485
(wings flapping)
668
00:37:58,485 --> 00:38:02,367
Throughout February the suns rays increase,
669
00:38:02,367 --> 00:38:06,900
and the spirit of departure reverberates across the lake.
670
00:38:06,900 --> 00:38:10,174
(swans honking)
671
00:38:10,174 --> 00:38:13,007
(water splashing)
672
00:38:13,007 --> 00:38:17,412
Getting eleven kilos off the surface is a job in itself.
673
00:38:17,412 --> 00:38:21,075
(gentle music)
674
00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:30,624
For the young snowy owl
675
00:38:30,624 --> 00:38:34,447
their departure is the signal to return.
676
00:38:36,927 --> 00:38:39,807
It takes the route along the Baltic coast.
677
00:38:39,807 --> 00:38:43,694
(gentle music)
678
00:38:55,998 --> 00:38:59,166
It's following the route of the other birds.
679
00:38:59,166 --> 00:39:03,213
(birds calling)
680
00:39:05,811 --> 00:39:07,357
The best hunting chances
681
00:39:07,357 --> 00:39:10,842
are wherever they choose to take a break.
682
00:39:10,842 --> 00:39:13,849
(birds calling)
683
00:39:13,849 --> 00:39:17,598
(gentle music)
684
00:39:24,985 --> 00:39:28,340
Finally comes the fall.
685
00:39:28,340 --> 00:39:32,670
Without snow and ice, everything is much easier.
686
00:39:32,670 --> 00:39:36,547
(gentle music)
687
00:39:38,782 --> 00:39:42,110
Hunting strategies suddenly change.
688
00:39:42,110 --> 00:39:45,143
(water splashing)
689
00:39:46,536 --> 00:39:50,377
This time the owl wants the ducks to see it,
690
00:39:53,262 --> 00:39:55,694
and it glides directly towards them,
691
00:39:55,694 --> 00:39:57,781
forcing them to dive.
692
00:39:57,781 --> 00:39:59,475
(ducks quacking)
693
00:39:59,475 --> 00:40:01,287
(splashing)
694
00:40:02,968 --> 00:40:05,666
It hovers above with patience.
695
00:40:05,666 --> 00:40:08,679
(ducks quacking)
696
00:40:11,330 --> 00:40:14,513
(birds honking)
697
00:40:17,548 --> 00:40:21,047
The first to come up for air dies.
698
00:40:21,047 --> 00:40:23,318
Today it is catered for.
699
00:40:23,318 --> 00:40:26,310
(wings flapping)
700
00:40:31,179 --> 00:40:33,216
Around 50,000 barnacle geese
701
00:40:33,216 --> 00:40:36,656
now set off for their Arctic breeding grounds.
702
00:40:40,778 --> 00:40:45,256
The snowy owl also has to endure this last grueling stage,
703
00:40:45,256 --> 00:40:50,256
over 4,000 kilometers, passing by the Arctic Circle.
704
00:40:51,573 --> 00:40:53,866
(birds calling)
705
00:40:53,866 --> 00:40:56,105
An unusually hard Northern winter
706
00:40:56,105 --> 00:40:58,495
has led the owl to Europe.
707
00:40:58,495 --> 00:41:01,663
However, such years will become less common.
708
00:41:01,663 --> 00:41:04,692
(gentle music)
709
00:41:04,692 --> 00:41:08,533
Who knows if it'll find it's way to these shores again?
710
00:41:08,533 --> 00:41:13,092
Climate change will also have an effect on it's life.
711
00:41:14,406 --> 00:41:18,203
The cyclical lemming outbreak in many regions of the tundra
712
00:41:18,203 --> 00:41:21,452
has dropped drastically over the last 20 years.
713
00:41:21,452 --> 00:41:24,438
(birds chirping)
714
00:41:25,648 --> 00:41:30,274
A possible reason is the rise in temperature in the Arctic.
715
00:41:30,274 --> 00:41:35,169
At present, it is around one degree centigrade per decade,
716
00:41:35,169 --> 00:41:39,101
the winter's become shorter and more clement.
717
00:41:39,101 --> 00:41:42,849
(dramatic music)
718
00:41:45,565 --> 00:41:48,265
As a result, the lemmings lose their deep
719
00:41:48,272 --> 00:41:52,206
and protective layer of snow early in the year.
720
00:41:52,206 --> 00:41:55,054
The large scale outbreak of the last generations
721
00:41:55,054 --> 00:41:58,370
has been dramatically reduced.
722
00:41:58,370 --> 00:42:01,165
(water flowing)
723
00:42:01,165 --> 00:42:03,075
The gradual floor of the Arctic
724
00:42:03,075 --> 00:42:04,930
will have pronounced effects on many
725
00:42:04,930 --> 00:42:07,857
of the specialized inhabitants of the Arctic.
726
00:42:07,857 --> 00:42:11,184
And yet, the exact ecological consequences
727
00:42:11,184 --> 00:42:14,012
remain largely unknown.
728
00:42:15,937 --> 00:42:19,287
The snowy owl has returned
729
00:42:19,287 --> 00:42:22,636
just in time for the Arctic spring.
730
00:42:22,636 --> 00:42:25,036
(birds chirping)
731
00:42:25,036 --> 00:42:28,592
(gentle music)
732
00:42:35,136 --> 00:42:36,930
(bird singing)
733
00:42:36,930 --> 00:42:38,597
The Lapland Longspur
734
00:42:38,597 --> 00:42:41,009
is at the height of it's mating season.
735
00:42:41,009 --> 00:42:44,045
(birds chirping)
736
00:42:44,568 --> 00:42:46,954
When the cotton grass' heads are formed,
737
00:42:46,954 --> 00:42:49,662
the first half of the six week Arctic summer
738
00:42:49,662 --> 00:42:51,082
has already passed.
739
00:42:51,082 --> 00:42:53,602
(gentle music)
740
00:42:53,602 --> 00:42:57,355
The birds have to hurry in rearing their new offspring.
741
00:42:57,355 --> 00:43:00,610
(gentle music)
742
00:43:03,869 --> 00:43:06,664
The growing season, to the advantage of many chicks,
743
00:43:06,664 --> 00:43:09,501
will increase due to climate change.
744
00:43:09,501 --> 00:43:12,878
(birds chirping)
745
00:43:12,878 --> 00:43:15,214
Even the geese which feed on grass
746
00:43:15,214 --> 00:43:17,347
will be a benificiary.
747
00:43:17,347 --> 00:43:19,933
(gentle music)
748
00:43:19,933 --> 00:43:21,969
(chicks chirping)
749
00:43:21,969 --> 00:43:23,832
The snowy owls have yet again
750
00:43:23,832 --> 00:43:26,742
a small family this year.
751
00:43:28,002 --> 00:43:29,978
Now, as before,
752
00:43:29,978 --> 00:43:33,007
they're dependent on their supply of lemmings.
753
00:43:33,007 --> 00:43:34,351
How the diminishing numbers
754
00:43:34,351 --> 00:43:36,398
will have an effect over the long term,
755
00:43:36,398 --> 00:43:38,147
remains to be seen.
756
00:43:38,147 --> 00:43:40,996
(chicks chirping)
757
00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:43,949
On the other hand,
758
00:43:43,949 --> 00:43:46,872
perhaps they won't be forced to fly so far south
759
00:43:46,872 --> 00:43:50,018
as a result of the milder Arctic winter.
760
00:43:50,018 --> 00:43:53,159
(gentle music)
761
00:43:56,093 --> 00:44:00,247
One thing remains clear for the snowy owls,
762
00:44:00,247 --> 00:44:02,807
to survive in the magical world of the winter,
763
00:44:02,807 --> 00:44:05,431
one needs particular qualities:
764
00:44:05,431 --> 00:44:08,535
intelligence, a sense of adventure,
765
00:44:08,535 --> 00:44:11,660
and immense powers of endurance.
766
00:44:11,660 --> 00:44:15,163
(dramatic music)
53930
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