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00:00The branches have been stripped bare of nature's wild harvest and the creatures that depend on
00:12them were they waiting for the new growth of spring. Wetlands like this are a magnet for all
00:19kinds of waders and wildlife all scurrying in search of small morsels. It's the season when
00:27food is very difficult to find. In this program I'm going to be looking at the
00:33ways in which our wildlife exploits winter's wild larders. Welcome to Winter Watch in Wales.
00:57Welcome to a very blustery Newport Wetlands Reserve. It's hard to tell today but this was
01:13actually a former industrial site. You've got the Eskma power station adjacent to it and the reed beds
01:21we see today were once the fly ash lagoons. Here we're on the banks of the Severn Estuary and when
01:29the tide is out the mud flats provide food for thousands of waders and wildfowl. But this program
01:37is all about food glorious food and you know me I like my food particularly fond of my cakes and
01:44there's nothing I like more in the winter than a mince pie and a warm cup of tea. But for our wildlife
01:51food can be very difficult to come by. Areas like this are often battered by winter storms. It's a very
02:00hostile environment for all kinds of wildlife and yet the winter storms provide an opportunity for certain species.
02:14It's a place carved of ice as glaciers made their way from the heights of Snowdonia and in winter it's a safe harbour for many species.
02:44Avian migrants make their way to this coastline but they aren't here for the scenery.
02:50They're drawn by an abundance of riches hidden along the shore. Food. Oyster catchers use long beaks to probe for their prize.
03:04Whilst brent geese sift through the shallows.
03:09But one resourceful bird has a trick to find fortune where others may struggle.
03:18The turnstone. Their beaks may be small but they are mighty. For them the rocky shore is a treasure trove of invertebrates.
03:34When you know where to look.
03:41Their powerful knack makes them excellent excavators. And in winter North Wales becomes home to over 2,000 of them.
03:51No stone is left unturned. No insect is safe. They are driven by the need to feed.
04:08Larger turnstones can consume a third of their body weight each day. Building up reserves to travel back to their breeding grounds in spring.
04:21Many have travelled from the Canadian Arctic in the hope of a milder season.
04:27But occasionally the Welsh weather has other ideas.
04:34The turnstone's holiday hopes are shattered.
04:44But this is also an opportunity. Seaweed and fallen leaves litter the strand line.
05:06It's rich in invertebrates. An intertidal tasting menu for these birds.
05:15Like bulldozers of the beach, they use their forehead and bill to push through the piles.
05:24Teasing out insects hidden inside.
05:42The true titan of the land here is the tide. And now it's on the turn.
05:47Oyster catchers retreat to their jetty-like roost safe from the high water.
06:08And for our flock of turnstones, foraging is over for today.
06:14I do like to turnstone lovely little birds. And they can sometimes be seen here in the Seven Estuary.
06:34Although they tend to be more of a bit of rocky coastline.
06:38Now, a turnstone weighs, what, about 100 grams?
06:41And yet, they travel from their breeding grounds in Arctic Canada to winter with us here in Wales every year.
06:48That's a distance of about 2,800 miles.
06:52That takes a lot of energy and an awful lot of food.
06:57Winter can provide us with some spectacular wildlife sightings.
07:02Sometimes, even in our very own back gardens.
07:06And that's just what wildlife photographer Richard Bowler found out when he moved over to Wales a few years ago.
07:14Michaela Strachan unveils more.
07:18I've worked in the building trade all my life, and there comes a time when enough's enough.
07:28You know, your back's going, your knees are going.
07:30I've decided the time was right to drop out the rat race and come and move to Wales.
07:36It's remote. It's got a nice piece of woodland that we use as a haven for wildlife.
07:47I could set up little feeding stations and attract the wildlife from inside the woodland to photograph.
07:54I use a 15mm wide-angle lens. That allows me to get in very close.
08:05I use a PIR sensor, similar to how a security light would work.
08:09And when that's triggered, that fires my camera, and that also will fire two flashes.
08:15It started off photographing birds.
08:18You get grass snakes predating on the frogs.
08:21I was putting out a bit of dog food.
08:26I noticed hedgehogs were coming in.
08:28So I kept the food going out because we were coming into autumn.
08:33Then, as winter approached, an unexpected visitor emerged from the woods.
08:40A polecat!
08:42I was shocked, really.
08:43I couldn't have dreamed that a polecat was going to show up.
08:46Coming from Bedfordshire, it's not something that you're likely to see.
08:53Close cousins of stoats and pine martins, polecats were almost exterminated by gamekeepers in the last century.
09:01Nocturnal and secretive, spending much of their time below ground hunting rabbits, they are very rarely seen.
09:09We were lucky, we didn't know, but this is a stronghold for polecats.
09:14It's a wonderful opportunity, really, that I couldn't miss to set up camera traps and photograph them.
09:20Each morning, once our camera traps have been out, you know, it's like a kid at Christmas, really.
09:33Come out and see how he's triggered the camera and what shots you've got.
09:36I normally get the shot, but like any photographer, you're never happy with what you end up with.
09:48It's always, oh, I can do something better next time, you know, maybe the lighting's too much, not enough.
09:54Maybe it's not quite looking the right way.
09:56It's a continuous effort to try and get the shot I'm really happy with.
10:01Incredibly, Richard has never seen his polecat in the flesh, but he has pieced together an idea of his character.
10:15I grew up watching Johnny Morris, so I know it's totally unscientific and unrealistic, but, you know, I think every animal's got a little character.
10:23And I kind of think a polecat's like a bolshie kind of character, you know, he's not really bothered by anything.
10:29He stomps in, picks up the scent of anything I've left for him under the leaf litter.
10:36If it's in a rotten log, the rotten log gets ripped to pieces and, you know, he's like a little mini wolverine, really, with his claws as he rips into stuff.
10:47Then, one night last spring, Richard's polecat stopped coming.
10:52To begin with, I was a bit concerned, maybe something had happened to him, but speaking to an expert, polecats, March, April time, they dispersed, looking for a mate.
11:03Happily, this winter, he was back.
11:06I've grown very attached to him now. It was a relief when he turned up, you know, I was pleased to see that he had made it safely through the summer.
11:16While he wants to visit, there'll be little tidbits waiting for him, and whoever permitting, I'll be photographing him.
11:29A polecat is something that I could have never photographed back in Bedfordshire, and most people haven't got that opportunity.
11:34So, it's really made the move way far.
11:44How about that? Polecats in your back garden. Fantastic animals, polecats.
11:50I see them occasionally, and Wales is a real stronghold for them.
11:55Up till the 1950s, well, they were only found in mid-Wales because of persecution.
12:01They've been exterminated in England and Scotland.
12:04Now, I'm pleased to say they're a protected species, and they're starting to reclaim their former haunts.
12:12Not many people will have seen polecats, but I'm sure most of you will have seen these, earthworms.
12:20Earthworms are the unsung heroes of the recycling world, and at this time of year, they're having a veritable feast.
12:28Chris Packham takes us underground.
12:34Earthworms may be simple creatures, but they are actually pretty amazing.
12:39Living a largely subterranean lifestyle, they have no need of eyes or ears,
12:45and instead they rely on touch and taste to detect their world.
12:49They belong to the phylum analida, which translated means little rings.
13:04Each of their 150 segments is encircled by muscle.
13:07These contract and relax in a concertina wave, propelling the animal forward.
13:15In this way, an earthworm can achieve top speeds.
13:19It's by no means a record breaker.
13:22They get up to 20 metres per hour.
13:24Earthworms are the world's recycling heroes.
13:31Biological reprocessors that transform dead plant matter into fertile humus.
13:37You can actually see soil being created as it moves through the earthworm's body.
13:44When it comes out the other end, the plant debris has become earth, enriched with recycled nutrients.
13:49Aristotle called them the intestines of the soil.
13:59Autumn is a particularly busy time for our earthworms.
14:03With the trees shedding their leaves, there's an abundance of new plant material for them to recycle.
14:08With no arms and no legs to help them grab their food, they have instead a specially adapted prehensile head called the prostomium.
14:19They use this flexible appendage like a hand.
14:24Earthworms won't eat in the open.
14:29They drag leaves into the ground to enable them to feed in safety.
14:33By pulling the leaf at its tip, the worm ensures it folds neatly as it enters the soil.
14:47Underground, the worm becomes a biological piston, forcing life-giving air through the earth as it moves, creating tunnels as it goes.
14:56In one acre of woodland, there may be as many as a million worms, eating 10 tonnes of leaves, stems and dead roots a year and turning over 40 tonnes of soil.
15:16Their industry will bury the majority of leaves that fall each autumn, and in doing so they replenish the soil with vital nutrients and ensure the dead leaves don't go to waste.
15:29I give you the earthworm, the world's busiest and greatest recycler.
15:35Who'd have thought it? Without the mighty moodyn or the earthworm, our planet wouldn't exist.
15:47And Charles Darwin himself said that few animals have played such an important role in the history of the world than the earthworm.
15:55And this time of year, you do see quite a few of them, especially on flooded fields.
16:03And of course, they're a vital food source for birds like the red kite and the little owl.
16:08Now one plant that's quite obvious in winter, but often overlooked, is the ivy.
16:15Not only does it provide food for the hungry, but it's also a hive of activity.
16:29The blooms of summer are over, and for the nation's pollinators, sources of pollen and nectar are drying up.
16:35Focus now turns to one of the most important late-season bloomers.
16:46Mature ivy, more than ten years old, starts flowering from late August.
16:56Its flowers are not particularly shoy, with inconspicuous green petals like tiny pom-poms.
17:03But at this time of year, they're a lifeline, drawing in a whole host of insects.
17:13Nearly 90% of pollen collected by honeybees in autumn comes from ivy.
17:22Hoverflies and butterflies e-count their last meals before winter.
17:26It's an open buffet of food at a critical time of year.
17:34But the ivy hides dangers within.
17:40Perfectly camouflaged predators lie in wait, ready for this glut of visitors.
17:47A spider known by its scientific name.
17:54Nygma walkenairi.
17:57The female is a beautiful emerald green.
18:01She spins a mesh web.
18:08The curl of the ivy leaf allows the web to be spun across, covering the surface.
18:18Eventually forming a superstructure.
18:23It seems quite simple.
18:27But upon closer inspection, it's made up of thousands of incredibly fine dry threads.
18:35Which are vigorously combed into a velcro-like trap.
18:38The spider lies hidden underneath, waiting for a meal to come to her.
18:54She's tiny, just five millimeters big.
18:58But this ambush predator can catch prey many times its size.
19:02They become inextricably snared in the silken sheet.
19:14The spider feels the vibrations on the web.
19:18And rushes out to subdue its prey with a venomous bite.
19:27This drama plays out on leaves all over the ivy.
19:33But ivy isn't just a good place for a hearty meal.
19:38It's also a great backdrop for romance.
19:42This female has caught the attention of a male.
19:47He's even smaller than the female, but more colourful.
19:53And he's got competition.
19:55The two males fight it out, leg to leg.
20:14The loser leaves defeated.
20:17The stronger emerges victorious.
20:20He's still significantly smaller than the female.
20:25So his first task is to persuade her he's a mate and not a meal.
20:31This species isn't above eating one of their own.
20:35He's in luck and is accepted as a mate.
20:43Both male and female hold their abdomens perpendicular to the leaf.
20:48They'll stay locked in this mating position until his sperm has been transferred.
21:06Job done, he retreats quickly before his luck runs out.
21:09So next time you walk by an ivy plant, stop and take a closer look.
21:19For you never know what diminutive dramas might be playing out within this autumn sanctuary.
21:24What an amazing spider.
21:37And did you know of the 500 species of spider that call Wales home,
21:42some are found almost nowhere else in the world.
21:47But for a plant as common as ivy, it's such an important food plant for a lot of our wildlife.
21:53These berries, they're green at the moment.
21:56When they ripen, they turn black.
21:58They provide winter food for small mammals, mice and bulls,
22:03and for birds like blackbirds, wood pigeons, robins, blackcaps.
22:08And gram for gram, there are as many calories in one of these as there is in a bar of chocolate.
22:16Isn't that amazing?
22:17And our hedgerows, well, please don't cut them back whether it's in green spaces or in our gardens,
22:25because they provide seeds, berries, fruits for all kinds of wildlife.
22:31Breeding there, feeding there, or just using them as a corridor to pass through.
22:36Gillian Burke takes us to have a look at the plethora of species that are dependent on our hedgerows,
22:44including some that are underwater.
22:47The bright light of a new day reveals the full splendor of autumn's berry banquet.
22:59At least 2,000 species of animal, plant and fungi are hosted by the humble hedgerow.
23:16By far, the greatest number of these guests are insects.
23:31The comma butterfly is a particular bramble lover.
23:38Perched on the fruit, they show off the white markings on the underside of their wings that give them their name.
23:52The flowers that sustain them in the summer have given way to succulent blackberries,
24:02which are an irresistible autumn lifeline.
24:06The seasonal variety is welcomed by this dinner guest, the dock bug.
24:22After a monotonous summer diet, feeding on dock seeds from which they get their name,
24:28these bugs are now turning their attention elsewhere.
24:40They are extraordinarily well adapted for the task.
24:42Their mouthparts are shaped into a tube with a sharp tip, which they use to pierce the fruit and suck out the juice from inside.
24:51After the bugs and birds have had their fill, the leftovers won't go to waste.
25:08Fallen fruit serves as the feast's finale.
25:17An aptly named chub has manoeuvred into position, especially for the occasion.
25:30Favouring areas with overhanging brambles and tree roots, chub lie in wait beneath the surface for the ripe offerings to fall.
25:55These youngsters aren't fussy eaters.
25:57They're opportunists, munching on whatever food is seasonally available.
26:14As they grow older, they will become less sociable and more aggressive,
26:19and will change their diet to hunting eels, frogs, even water voles.
26:23But for now, they're happy hoovering up the crumbs of this season's flavoursome feast.
26:32Hedgerows are at their best in the autumn, of course, but they're also vital for our wildlife in winter.
26:47And one national park in Wales has got an estimated three and a half thousand miles of hedgerow, and that equates to about 30 million trees and shrubs.
26:58So it's vitally important that we conserve and protect our hedgerows.
27:04There are ancient hedgerows around us here in the Newport wetlands too, but it's mainly a lowland reserve and, of course, extensive reed beds.
27:14And these reed beds provide a home for three very rare bird species, marsh harriers, bittons, and the bearded tits.
27:23Now, the bearded tit is very elusive, difficult to see, so listen out for a ping-type call as you walk through the reed beds.
27:32On my last visit here, I was lucky enough to see a stunning male with its blue-grey head and big black moustache.
27:42And these are amazing birds because in spring and summer, they feed on invertebrates, they feed on insects in the reed bed.
27:49But then in the autumn and winter, they change and they feed on seeds, mainly the seeds that you find at the tops of these reeds.
27:58So if you want to see a bearded tit, come to the Newport wetlands.
28:03Well, that's it for this show. Don't forget, please, to look after your green areas and your hedgerows.
28:10Encourage the fruits, the seeds, and the berries, because in the winter, that's where the wildlife is going to be.
28:16And when you're tucking into your roast dinner, spare a thought for the wildlife out there in the worst of the weather, scratching around for mere morsels.
28:28That's it for now. Till next time. Hwyl fawr. Take care.
28:46Bye.
28:47Bye.
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