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A bird's life in Wales must seem
the most pleasant existence
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00:00:08,716 --> 00:00:10,966
you could ever wish for.
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00:00:14,343 --> 00:00:17,720
What could possibly be better
than being on a perch,
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00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,181
singing happily all day
without a worry in the world?
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00:00:24,641 --> 00:00:29,645
And, of course,
there's that ability to fly.
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00:00:29,645 --> 00:00:34,064
To go anywhere you feel like,
totally free.
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00:00:36,858 --> 00:00:39,401
A life made in heaven.
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00:00:47,531 --> 00:00:49,532
Anything but.
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00:00:51,576 --> 00:00:54,827
Birds have to work
from dawn until dusk.
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00:00:55,953 --> 00:00:59,370
They have to find food
and water to live.
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00:00:59,370 --> 00:01:02,958
If they fail to do so, they die.
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00:01:05,501 --> 00:01:08,126
They have to battle the elements.
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00:01:10,878 --> 00:01:16,299
Survival, especially during
Winter, is extremely difficult.
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00:01:21,094 --> 00:01:25,805
During Spring, they're busy
raising new families.
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Then they not only have
to feed themselves,
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but also their hungry chicks.
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They have to protect the chicks from
others who wish to do them harm.
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They can be targets themselves.
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00:01:53,780 --> 00:01:57,950
And, of course,
they have to put up with us.
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They have to find a way of surviving
in our artificial landscape.
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In this series, I'm going
to be finding out
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what a bird's life
is really like in Wales.
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I'm going to be discovering the
vast array of species we have here.
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00:02:13,918 --> 00:02:17,087
And I'm going to be probing
into their secret lives.
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00:02:51,025 --> 00:02:55,778
The uplands of Traeth Mawr
in the Brecon Beacons.
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00:02:55,778 --> 00:02:59,488
Dawn's breaking
on a cold April morning.
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00:03:01,074 --> 00:03:04,659
The Beacons' highest peak,
Pen y Fan, is in the distance.
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This first hour
is alive with sounds.
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The day starts early for birds.
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As the sun rises
and the mist lifts,
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the birds are revealed
in all their glory.
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In this programme, I'm exploring
the secret life of bird calls.
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00:03:39,389 --> 00:03:42,681
There can't be that many
places left in Wales now
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where you've got a fairly
unspoilt area like this
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with an incredible variety
of habitats in it.
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You've got the tall grassland here,
you've got the gorse,
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00:03:53,356 --> 00:03:57,359
you've got the hills behind me,
you've got marshland,
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00:03:57,359 --> 00:04:00,944
you've got bracken-covered hills
over there as well.
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00:04:00,944 --> 00:04:03,069
And you've got so many birds here.
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00:04:03,069 --> 00:04:06,531
You can identify all of them
from their calls and their songs.
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00:04:09,823 --> 00:04:11,741
This is a dunnock.
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A willow warbler.
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00:04:24,918 --> 00:04:26,835
And a sedge warbler.
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These are all male birds and they're
singing to mark their territory.
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00:04:38,258 --> 00:04:40,428
And in their territory,
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they've chosen the highest perch
on the tallest bush to sing.
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00:04:45,888 --> 00:04:50,600
There's this scratchy kind
of call here amongst the gorse.
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00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,811
That's a sedge warbler
just in from Africa now.
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00:04:53,811 --> 00:04:57,104
There are skylarks in this grass.
There are meadow pipits.
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00:04:57,104 --> 00:04:59,063
There's a pair of curlew over there.
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00:04:59,063 --> 00:05:01,399
There's a willow warbler
going away now.
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00:05:01,399 --> 00:05:04,817
There's been a cuckoo calling
from that hillside over there.
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00:05:04,817 --> 00:05:09,405
The best one, I think, of all
is in this marshy, wet area here.
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00:05:09,405 --> 00:05:11,612
It's a bird called a snipe
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00:05:11,612 --> 00:05:16,616
and it's got a kind of a
tick-tock-tick-tock kind of call.
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00:05:16,616 --> 00:05:21,160
But it also does a display,
where it doesn't use its beak,
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it actually uses its tail.
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00:05:23,205 --> 00:05:26,039
It pushes out these two
outer tail feathers,
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and when it dives down, it does
this most incredible noise.
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00:05:38,630 --> 00:05:41,507
This is the snipe's tick-tack call.
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The snipe is calling
somewhere on the ground.
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It's loud enough to attract
a female into its territory.
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00:05:55,391 --> 00:05:58,517
And then he displays.
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00:06:03,187 --> 00:06:06,314
The movement of wind through
his outer tail feathers
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creates a unique noise.
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This is Bute Park, Cardiff.
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Here too, it's an early
start for the birds.
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00:06:53,885 --> 00:06:57,179
This is a song thrush,
one of our finest singers.
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00:07:00,557 --> 00:07:03,642
It'll always repeat a phrase
at least twice.
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00:07:10,144 --> 00:07:12,105
It's important to sing early
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00:07:12,105 --> 00:07:15,775
to be the first one to attract
the attention of a female.
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Also, his sound will travel
further in the park
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in the relative
silence of the dawn
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00:07:22,946 --> 00:07:25,614
than it will do later on in the day.
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00:07:28,906 --> 00:07:32,911
A lot of our birds actually start
singing in the middle of Winter.
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00:07:32,911 --> 00:07:36,578
That's a good thing because there
are no leaves and you can see them.
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00:07:36,578 --> 00:07:40,247
One of the earliest
and the smallest is the wren.
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00:07:40,247 --> 00:07:42,582
There's one singing away
in here now.
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00:07:42,582 --> 00:07:47,378
It's one of our smallest birds and
yet it has an incredibly loud song.
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00:07:47,378 --> 00:07:50,964
I think it's all lungs because
it doesn't burst into song,
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00:07:50,964 --> 00:07:53,131
it absolutely explodes.
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00:07:53,131 --> 00:07:56,215
This one is waggling
its wings like this.
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He's got a rival somewhere nearby
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00:07:58,467 --> 00:08:02,054
and he's trying to make himself
look just that little bit bigger.
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00:08:03,095 --> 00:08:05,138
Cracking birds. I like wrens.
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00:08:37,576 --> 00:08:40,410
Tee-cher-tee-cher-tee-cher.
Can you hear that?
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00:08:40,410 --> 00:08:42,996
That's a great tit.
There's one up here,
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and there's another one
answering from over there.
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00:08:46,248 --> 00:08:49,625
It's a really common
garden and woodland bird
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00:08:49,625 --> 00:08:52,834
and yet, you look at it
close up and it's stunning.
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00:08:52,834 --> 00:08:56,003
Greens and yellows
and blacks and whites.
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The song is interesting.
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00:08:57,796 --> 00:09:03,008
They've found that the males with
the longest and most intricate songs
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00:09:03,008 --> 00:09:06,218
are the most successful
at attracting a mate.
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00:09:06,218 --> 00:09:10,096
So what they do is, they'll steal
little bits of other birds' songs
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00:09:10,096 --> 00:09:12,263
and incorporate it into their own.
97
00:09:12,263 --> 00:09:17,391
But they've always got that
tee-cher-tee-cher element in it.
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There are lots of them here.
99
00:09:31,901 --> 00:09:35,236
Great spotted woodpeckers too
are attracting each other,
100
00:09:35,236 --> 00:09:39,573
but they have a different method.
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They drum.
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This is a female.
Both males and females drum.
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00:09:47,661 --> 00:09:52,956
The male has a red patch
on his neck.
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00:09:52,956 --> 00:09:57,042
And like all good drummers,
they select the best drum.
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00:09:57,042 --> 00:09:59,669
The one that will make
the most noise.
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00:10:14,636 --> 00:10:18,972
Although birdsongs can be complex
and varied within species,
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some birds make do
with a very simple one.
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This little bird is singing
above Ceibwr Bay near Cardigan
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on the North Pembrokeshire coast.
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When we think of birdsong,
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we tend to think of really tuneful
songs like the melodious songs
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00:10:38,942 --> 00:10:43,029
of robins and blackbirds
or maybe even the skylark.
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00:10:43,029 --> 00:10:47,364
But not all birds sing like that.
This is a whitethroat.
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00:10:47,364 --> 00:10:51,242
It's a little warbler that's just
come all the way back from Africa.
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00:10:51,242 --> 00:10:54,244
He keeps singing from the
song post he's got here.
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In this case, it's an
old bit of bramble.
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His song is what you could call,
at best, a scratchy song.
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But it obviously works
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because he's got a female
nesting just over the bank here.
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00:11:08,419 --> 00:11:11,881
There he goes. He's going off
to feed her for a while
121
00:11:11,881 --> 00:11:16,508
before he comes back and sings
from exactly the same post.
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00:11:19,677 --> 00:11:25,181
This lucky whitethroat probably
has one of the best patches
of territory in Wales.
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A Summer residence
with outstanding views.
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00:11:40,607 --> 00:11:45,235
Some birds are not so lucky.
Even very special birds.
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00:11:51,571 --> 00:11:55,909
This is a Dartford warbler.
It's one of Wales' rarest birds.
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00:11:58,661 --> 00:12:02,245
And his residence
overlooks Port Talbot.
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00:12:09,707 --> 00:12:12,460
The Dartford warbler
looks quite different
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00:12:12,460 --> 00:12:15,421
to any other small bird
that you'll see in Wales.
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00:12:20,590 --> 00:12:22,509
The view doesn't matter.
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00:12:22,509 --> 00:12:28,262
What's more important is that
he's found a small patch
of perfect habitat,
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00:12:28,262 --> 00:12:30,388
where he can sing and nest.
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00:12:34,140 --> 00:12:37,810
But he'll have to sing very loud
above the traffic noise
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00:12:37,810 --> 00:12:41,436
and this is something all urban
birds have to get used to.
134
00:12:50,984 --> 00:12:53,527
This is Betws-y-Coed in North Wales.
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00:12:53,527 --> 00:12:57,780
It's early morning
and the A5 is very busy.
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00:12:57,780 --> 00:13:01,867
In the park, birds are also getting
on with their busy lives.
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00:13:11,122 --> 00:13:13,582
A song thrush singing away up there.
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00:13:13,582 --> 00:13:16,751
Singing its little heart out
from the top of that tree.
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00:13:16,751 --> 00:13:20,752
It'll do that all through
the Spring and into the Summer.
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00:13:20,752 --> 00:13:23,588
The problem is, it's decided
to nest in a town,
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00:13:23,588 --> 00:13:28,342
so it's got to compete every
morning with the traffic.
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00:13:31,635 --> 00:13:35,845
Research has shown that urban birds
may make their songs louder
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00:13:35,845 --> 00:13:38,097
to compensate for this noise.
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00:13:42,683 --> 00:13:45,810
The songs can also be
very different to the songs
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of the same species
living in the countryside.
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00:13:56,858 --> 00:13:59,276
Not all birds sing from a perch.
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00:14:04,571 --> 00:14:06,906
Some Welsh birds live in habitats
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where there are no trees
or suitable perches to sing from.
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00:14:16,244 --> 00:14:20,248
These are the Gronant sand dunes
near Prestatyn in North Wales.
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00:14:25,001 --> 00:14:28,170
Here, skylarks breed
during the Spring and Summer.
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00:14:35,591 --> 00:14:40,553
I don't think many songs
can compete with the skylark song.
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00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,429
It's a busy time for them.
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00:14:43,888 --> 00:14:46,849
It's Spring and the males
are setting up territories.
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00:14:46,849 --> 00:14:49,226
They are chasing each other around.
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00:14:49,226 --> 00:14:55,103
They'll sing and climb and climb
and climb and sing and sing.
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00:14:55,103 --> 00:14:59,606
It's like a competition
to see which one can do
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the most complicated
song and climb the highest.
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00:15:04,318 --> 00:15:08,779
It's important they do that because
the territory that they establish
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00:15:08,779 --> 00:15:13,574
has got to sustain, not just them,
but a mate and a family as well.
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00:15:13,574 --> 00:15:18,701
That's why you'll get lots of them.
There are dozens of them.
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00:15:18,701 --> 00:15:22,663
They're singing all the
way through Spring into Summer
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and into the Autumn as well.
It's a lovely sound.
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Skylarks have incorporated
their song into an aerial display.
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The males attract the females
by literally falling from the sky.
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They will do it over and over
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even when a female has been found,
to keep her, and the territory.
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00:15:56,267 --> 00:15:59,436
MUSIC
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00:16:29,122 --> 00:16:33,748
Since I was a lad,
I've been fascinated by birds nests.
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00:16:33,748 --> 00:16:39,085
A wall like this is ideal
for a robin or a wren.
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Because they tuck the nests away,
one of the best ways to find them
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is to listen for an alarm call.
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00:16:48,174 --> 00:16:53,095
An alarm call is different for
every bird but they are similar.
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They are loud,
very harsh and often staccato
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bit like a machine gun.
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00:16:59,056 --> 00:17:02,767
When you hear that,
you know the nest isn't far.
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00:17:02,767 --> 00:17:05,145
The alarm call
serves several purposes.
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00:17:05,145 --> 00:17:08,353
It warns me to stay back.
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00:17:08,353 --> 00:17:13,566
Also, it's to warn other birds
that there is danger in the area.
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00:17:13,566 --> 00:17:18,485
It's to warn the mate, who
will be incubating eggs or young,
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00:17:18,485 --> 00:17:23,655
to stay quiet, still and not
to give away the nest's location.
181
00:17:23,655 --> 00:17:28,908
We've all heard this one,
an unhappy blackbird.
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00:17:33,203 --> 00:17:38,373
It's usually a cat or a person
walking under his tree.
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00:17:42,500 --> 00:17:46,044
It's illegal to go
anywhere near a peregrine's nest
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00:17:46,044 --> 00:17:48,045
as it's a protected species.
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00:17:48,045 --> 00:17:54,341
But the peregrine would soon let
you know if you were too near.
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00:18:00,469 --> 00:18:04,680
This is an interesting situation
in a woodland near Harlech.
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00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:10,392
A nuthatch pair has taken up
residence in an old woodpecker hole.
188
00:18:10,392 --> 00:18:16,438
The nuthatch at the nest is alerted
by an alarm call from his mate.
189
00:18:16,438 --> 00:18:22,650
A woodpecker is now an unwelcome
guest when he ventures too close.
190
00:18:29,237 --> 00:18:34,491
The nuthatch pair do their
very best to scare him off.
191
00:18:39,327 --> 00:18:43,330
Eventually,
the woodpecker gets the message.
192
00:18:48,666 --> 00:18:52,209
This chaffinch has a nest nearby.
193
00:18:52,209 --> 00:18:55,962
It's making a high-pitched
alarm call.
194
00:18:55,962 --> 00:19:01,008
It's very high frequency and very
difficult for us to make out.
195
00:19:03,593 --> 00:19:07,261
But it's meant for its chicks.
196
00:19:07,261 --> 00:19:12,931
A sign to be quiet and not
to give away the nest's location.
197
00:19:17,310 --> 00:19:20,854
All of these calls are
an early warning system
198
00:19:20,854 --> 00:19:23,979
and are essential in helping birds
escape danger.
199
00:19:37,322 --> 00:19:40,491
Some birds have calls
that are so complicated
200
00:19:40,491 --> 00:19:45,453
it's as if they
have their own language.
201
00:19:47,036 --> 00:19:51,372
This is Newborough Forest
on the west coast of Anglesey.
202
00:19:51,372 --> 00:19:55,750
It's one of the largest
conifer plantations in Wales.
203
00:19:58,210 --> 00:20:02,754
During Winter, around 800 ravens
roost every night in the forest.
204
00:20:02,754 --> 00:20:07,841
It's one of the biggest
assemblages of ravens in Britain.
205
00:20:09,425 --> 00:20:14,513
Ravens have the widest
range of calls of any bird.
206
00:20:17,222 --> 00:20:22,350
During the day,
they scavenge the land for food,
207
00:20:22,350 --> 00:20:28,104
and return here at dusk to the
security and warmth of the forest.
208
00:20:28,104 --> 00:20:32,941
As they arrive and occupy
roosting positions in the trees,
209
00:20:32,941 --> 00:20:37,860
the calls they make to each other
are fascinating.
210
00:20:50,910 --> 00:20:56,413
I've sneaked in below the trees,
right at the edge of the roost now.
211
00:20:56,413 --> 00:21:03,251
The main roost is to my left but
there are vocal birds to my right.
212
00:21:03,251 --> 00:21:05,418
Listen to these noises.
213
00:21:08,170 --> 00:21:12,924
They say that ravens have
more than 30 different calls
214
00:21:12,924 --> 00:21:15,884
and I can well believe it.
215
00:21:15,884 --> 00:21:18,260
It's a kind of language really.
216
00:21:18,260 --> 00:21:22,722
A language we don't understand,
but a language none the less.
217
00:21:22,722 --> 00:21:26,390
Constantly
communicating with each other.
218
00:21:26,390 --> 00:21:30,933
Some of these noises are so weird.
219
00:21:34,021 --> 00:21:39,273
There must be a reason why
ravens are calling like this.
220
00:21:39,273 --> 00:21:43,276
They are not simply
calling for fun.
221
00:21:43,276 --> 00:21:48,445
For the time being, it's a mystery.
We don't understand their language.
222
00:21:48,445 --> 00:21:51,656
There's good evidence
they maybe sharing information
223
00:21:51,656 --> 00:21:53,825
about food sources.
224
00:21:57,076 --> 00:22:00,870
A raven cannot defend
a carcass on its own.
225
00:22:00,870 --> 00:22:05,039
But it can if
it's part of a group.
226
00:22:09,709 --> 00:22:13,337
It's thought the volume
and nature of a call
227
00:22:13,337 --> 00:22:16,130
maybe giving information
about the location, distance
228
00:22:16,130 --> 00:22:18,923
and size of a find.
229
00:22:18,923 --> 00:22:24,677
By sharing this information, they
can go back together the next day
230
00:22:24,677 --> 00:22:27,386
to benefit from the food.
231
00:22:37,269 --> 00:22:41,229
All over Wales, fabulous views
of flying flocks are common,
232
00:22:41,229 --> 00:22:44,064
especially along the coast.
233
00:22:47,524 --> 00:22:53,237
And in these flocks,
birds often call to each other.
234
00:22:57,197 --> 00:23:00,699
These waders are
near the Menai Strait.
235
00:23:00,699 --> 00:23:05,327
It's a place where you'll hear
a fabulous range of calls.
236
00:23:13,125 --> 00:23:18,126
These Canada Geese are taking off
from the Nevern Estuary.
237
00:23:24,548 --> 00:23:27,507
Jackdaws are particular noisy.
238
00:23:29,510 --> 00:23:32,720
These are returning
to roost near Llanelli.
239
00:23:36,389 --> 00:23:40,559
But the most impressive
communication show in Wales,
240
00:23:40,559 --> 00:23:46,727
both in terms of sound and vision,
is that performed by starlings.
241
00:23:49,147 --> 00:23:54,274
These have arrived at Aberystwyth
to spend the night on the pier.
242
00:23:59,486 --> 00:24:03,572
Oh! The sky here
is just full of starlings.
243
00:24:03,572 --> 00:24:09,367
Back and forth. Watching them coming
into roost is really hypnotic.
244
00:24:09,367 --> 00:24:14,704
This huge shape that is constantly
changing all the time.
245
00:24:14,704 --> 00:24:18,623
The advantage with Aberystwyth
Pier is that it's so short.
246
00:24:18,623 --> 00:24:23,000
That means that the display
comes right over your head.
247
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,377
And also, you can hear them.
248
00:24:25,377 --> 00:24:29,922
If you listen carefully,
all these wings beating at once.
249
00:24:29,922 --> 00:24:32,382
They call to each other constantly.
250
00:24:32,382 --> 00:24:36,343
Because you are so close
to the whole spectacle here,
251
00:24:36,343 --> 00:24:38,469
you feel part of it.
252
00:24:38,469 --> 00:24:43,889
Here they go again, look at that!
A wave of starlings coming over.
253
00:24:44,848 --> 00:24:47,225
Oh, wow!
254
00:24:49,851 --> 00:24:55,355
By dusk, thousands arrive.
Maybe 20,000 or more.
255
00:24:58,148 --> 00:25:01,483
No-one knows for sure
why starlings do this,
256
00:25:01,483 --> 00:25:06,611
but they are certainly communicating
with each other for some reason.
257
00:25:06,611 --> 00:25:09,196
They are constantly calling.
258
00:25:12,114 --> 00:25:16,242
The flying display
itself may serve a social need.
259
00:25:16,242 --> 00:25:21,579
They might be organising themselves
into the strongest and fittest
260
00:25:21,579 --> 00:25:24,748
to eventually get
the best roosting position.
261
00:25:24,748 --> 00:25:27,917
They might be moving
around to protect themselves
262
00:25:27,917 --> 00:25:29,251
from predatory birds.
263
00:25:30,627 --> 00:25:36,422
It could simply be checking
out the roost before they land.
264
00:25:36,422 --> 00:25:41,383
Whatever the reason,
it's an impressive sight.
265
00:25:41,383 --> 00:25:46,971
They continue to call
and chatter after landing.
266
00:25:48,554 --> 00:25:52,099
By the time every bird
has found a perch,
267
00:25:52,099 --> 00:25:54,684
there's hardly a
single position free.
268
00:25:56,060 --> 00:25:59,353
Huddled together, they keep warm.
269
00:25:59,353 --> 00:26:04,481
The birds at the centre of the roost
will not only be warmer,
270
00:26:04,481 --> 00:26:05,691
but safer too.
271
00:26:05,691 --> 00:26:09,818
No fox, cat or peregrine
can get at them here.
272
00:26:19,824 --> 00:26:23,285
It's first light on Ruabon Mountain
near Llangollen
273
00:26:23,285 --> 00:26:25,536
in North East Wales.
274
00:26:30,205 --> 00:26:33,583
Dawn, literally, is stirring.
275
00:26:38,294 --> 00:26:43,673
Strange noises can be heard for
miles across the barren moore.
276
00:26:46,632 --> 00:26:50,177
The sounds are made
by male black grouse.
277
00:26:52,805 --> 00:26:56,055
They are displaying.
278
00:26:56,055 --> 00:26:58,056
A contest is taking place.
279
00:26:58,056 --> 00:27:02,643
The winner will be the
top bird of this patch.
280
00:27:05,018 --> 00:27:08,354
He will be the
best and fittest grouse.
281
00:27:11,731 --> 00:27:16,025
The one that will have
the pick of the females.
282
00:27:18,445 --> 00:27:23,364
To win the contest, making
a big noise will not be enough.
283
00:27:23,989 --> 00:27:27,992
The best grouse will
also have to look good.
284
00:27:31,410 --> 00:27:34,580
These birds have made
themselves big and colourful.
285
00:27:37,957 --> 00:27:41,501
Their body feathers
have a beautiful sheen.
286
00:27:42,459 --> 00:27:47,464
The tail has transformed
to a bright white fan.
287
00:27:50,214 --> 00:27:55,718
The red head pats or wattles are
normally a quarter of this size.
288
00:27:55,718 --> 00:28:00,470
They have been engorged by blood
to make them more visible.
289
00:28:05,225 --> 00:28:11,227
And all this massive visual and
vocal effort is for one thing only,
290
00:28:11,227 --> 00:28:15,730
to earn the right
to mate with a female.
291
00:28:17,689 --> 00:28:20,858
BIRDS WARBLING
292
00:28:24,569 --> 00:28:29,738
And for this male,
all the effort has paid off.
293
00:28:34,075 --> 00:28:37,244
MUSIC
294
00:28:38,786 --> 00:28:41,580
The need for males
to attract females
295
00:28:41,580 --> 00:28:47,000
has led to the huge variety of
beautiful birds we have in Wales.
296
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,584
Lapwings with headdresses,
297
00:28:51,295 --> 00:28:54,128
goldfinches with
multi-coloured jackets,
298
00:28:57,090 --> 00:29:00,009
wagtails with bright
coloured waistcoats
299
00:29:03,343 --> 00:29:06,596
and colourfully adorned pheasants.
300
00:29:08,805 --> 00:29:13,808
Male birds often change their
colour from Winter to Spring.
301
00:29:13,808 --> 00:29:19,020
This is the Winter version
of a black headed gull.
302
00:29:19,479 --> 00:29:23,148
This is the Summer version.
303
00:29:24,105 --> 00:29:28,985
Starlings change their beak colour
and develop a very glossy coat.
304
00:29:34,071 --> 00:29:38,740
Little grebes also grow
colourful feathers for the Spring.
305
00:29:42,493 --> 00:29:46,204
The all do this to court females.
306
00:29:46,204 --> 00:29:51,499
That will be my
next Secret Life of Birds.
26554
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