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Secret Garden Season 1 Episode 1
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00:18Across the British Isles, there are magical places, our pride and joy, our gardens.
00:30Yet many of us are completely unaware of the wild world, right under our noses.
00:47Amazingly, some British gardens are almost as diverse as a tropical rainforest.
00:55And when our backs are turned, they come alive.
01:14From the wilds of Scotland to a metropolitan oasis.
01:22In each episode, we'll reveal the extraordinary dramas playing out within a single garden.
01:33Welcome to a hidden world right on our doorsteps.
02:00A millhouse has been standing here since the Doomsday Book, a thousand years ago.
02:06A millhouse has been standing here since the Doomsday Book, a thousand years ago.
02:09Sarah and Henry are the latest in a long line of owners.
02:15It's like living on a boat, living in this house, because first of all, we are surrounded by water.
02:20Water there and the other side, water, water front and back.
02:23So we are literally marooned.
02:25The water presents some unique gardening challenges.
02:30Because this river floods.
02:34Are you worried about next week?
02:36Well, you never know.
02:37Well, this week's fine.
02:39But next week, there's a lot of rain forecast.
02:42Weather forecast is pretty key to us.
02:44Everything changes.
02:45If the water gets really, really high, we see about two-thirds of our garden disappear underwater.
02:53With so much of the garden lost to the river, Henry and Sarah allow large parts of it to run
03:01wild.
03:03All of this is flood plain, as far as you can see.
03:08Over here, the wood and the meadow, which we leave completely wild.
03:13But here and over there, above the flood plain, we try to manage as a garden.
03:22The garden is a sanctuary.
03:26But every animal's chances of survival rise and fall with the ebb and flow of the river.
03:36One of the most exciting things that happens here is that you get this flash of blue, followed by a
03:42whistle, and then there goes a kingfisher.
03:59The kingfisher is a much-loved British bird.
04:05But it first evolved in the jungles of Asia.
04:13This male needs to catch 15 fish a day.
04:21But in the early spring, the river runs high.
04:27It's thick with silt.
04:32And things are going to get a lot worse.
04:37It's just a question of when.
04:48Only one in four kingfishers lives for more than a single year.
04:58Each failed hunt wastes precious energy.
05:10His territory extends half a mile on each side of the millhouse.
05:18So he tries upstream where it's shallower.
05:28Special oils in his eyes reduce the glare from the surface.
05:38He hits the water at 25 miles an hour.
05:57Here, there should be no problem in catching enough fish for himself.
06:03But a new arrival is eyeing him up.
06:08A female.
06:11If he is to win her over, he needs to prove that he can provide enough fish for a family.
06:20Not easy while the river is high.
06:38After the long, wet winter, all the garden animals are hungry.
06:48But it's not just birds that are drawn to this feeder.
07:07A bank vole.
07:11A bank vole.
07:14A bank vole.
07:17A bank vole.
07:19A bank vole.
07:22A bank vole.
07:27A bank vole.
07:29A bank vole.
07:31A bank vole.
07:33A bank vole.
07:36A bank vole.
07:37A bank vole.
07:38A bank vole.
07:39A bank vole.
07:39Many that hunt them detect them by watching for their movements.
07:48When under threat, she normally stays still.
08:04But doing that might be dangerous on this lawn.
08:23Robotic lawn mowers are becoming increasingly common.
08:32Many fail to detect small mammals.
08:59To survive in the modern world, she must choose her moment with care.
09:36Mankfuls aren't the only animals.
09:38That wait for nightfall to look for food.
09:49Underneath the TV room,
09:52the old mill channel has become home to the garden's top predator.
10:04An otter.
10:12In the 30 years Henry and Sarah have lived here,
10:17they've only seen one three times.
10:27She catches over a kilo of fish every night.
10:38But as the seasons change, so does her diet.
10:53One garden resident...
10:57...is much bolder.
10:59...is much bolder.
11:02Mallards are the most common of Britain's 22 species of duck.
11:09Henry and Sarah have an affectionate name for one regular visitor.
11:16Doris.
11:22But this sweet little duck...
11:29...is the garden's resident heartbreaker.
11:36With their iridescent good looks...
11:40These males...
11:42...are all trying to catch her eye.
11:49But she wants...
11:54...to assess their strength.
12:23One by one...
12:25...the lightweights...
12:26...are dismissed.
12:32The female nods her head...
12:35...signalling her approval.
12:45The female nods her head...
12:54...is the one.
12:56The female nods her head...
13:00She has picked her partner.
13:19Now she needs a place to nest.
13:26Not easy to find in this garden.
13:39As the days get longer, the otter's diet shifts to larger, plumper prey.
14:13Mallards usually nest on the ground.
14:19But here, Doris has a safer choice.
14:28This pollarded willow will do nicely.
14:34And just in time.
14:45The April showers have arrived.
14:54The river rises surprisingly fast.
15:01Almost a metre in 24 hours.
15:06Those that have nested low have already lost their eggs.
15:16When the weather clears, the waters quickly recede,
15:20making it easier for the resident kingfisher to resume hunting.
15:37He can now afford to share his catch.
15:52And one minnow at a time, he is winning her over.
15:59This
16:27This
16:28is a
16:31After mating,
16:35the pair begin digging a metre-long burrow.
16:46But it's only just above the waterline.
16:54As Sarah mows, she leaves the birds intact.
16:58to prevent the river eroding the bank.
17:03But if it rains heavily,
17:07the Kingfisher's family home could be washed away.
17:25For four long weeks, all on her own, Doris has barely left her nest.
17:42She has been quietly incubating a clutch of nine eggs.
17:50She laid each of them on a different day.
17:57But to survive, they must hatch at the same time.
18:10Remarkably, they talk to each other.
18:15From inside the egg.
18:23And so coordinate their hatching.
18:43Over just a few hours...
18:50...nine new lives begin to appear.
18:57But without a father to bring them food,
19:00the mother must lead her flightless babies down from the nest.
19:22Less than 24 hours after hatching...
19:30One small step...
19:37...becomes a giant leap.
19:50Their downy feathers...
19:54...cushion their fall.
20:04...in the day.
20:06Parasite.
20:06...
20:16...
20:17...
20:18...
20:19Ah!
20:38Doris hurries them all into hiding.
20:43Garden predators will be hard to avoid.
21:07Still, there are many noises I can imagine.
21:07In a strange setting, in a strange setting,
21:11Don't let go out balls.
21:12The site is one of the most unique tunnels.
21:13In this area, it's not important.
21:16The canal site is a great thing.
21:17The final stop is to ciek know the video.
21:19High and dry on the lawn, the vole has survived a wet spring.
21:27And new opportunities are opening up, just upstream.
21:39The garden's woodland is drying out.
21:50Henry is creating a huge log pile.
22:05In doing so, he creates a new haven for wildlife.
22:22A hideout for the vole.
22:35There is more food for her here than on the lawn.
22:41And she's not alone.
22:49A male attracted by her scent.
23:00Their time together may be brief.
23:10But as long as the woods stay dry,
23:15there could be a litter of pups in just three weeks.
23:40After a week in hiding,
23:44Doris is ready to bring her ducklings into the open.
23:53She wants to lead them to better feeding grounds.
23:59Just upstream from the mill.
24:03But to get there, they must cross the open lawn.
24:18It's a bold move.
24:28Oxfordshire has one of the highest densities of red kites in Britain.
24:36They are usually scavengers.
24:40But they will take a baby bird.
25:03Just one in three ducklings make it to adulthood.
25:13Not great odds for a mother of nine.
25:27The river here is not as safe as it may look.
25:41Just downstream from the ducks.
25:45Hidden away in their burrow.
25:51The kingfishers also have a growing family.
25:58Only two days old.
26:04The parents take it in turns to provide food.
26:14Fortunately, the river is now low and crystal clear.
26:40With six tiny mouths to feed.
26:47The parents need to catch over a hundred minnows a day.
27:07But if the water level rises, the chicks could drown.
27:18For now, at least, the weather stays dry.
27:26A sunny May bank holiday.
27:30An excellent time for a party.
27:37The lengthening days and soaring temperatures trigger another kind of gathering.
27:44That starts out of sight.
27:52This tiny mayfly nymph has spent two years underwater.
28:06The time has come to make a break for the surface.
28:13Out in the open, she is exposed.
28:26A narval damselfly is on the hunt.
28:32Fortunately for her, there is safety in numbers.
28:55At the surface, she sheds her exoskeleton and spreads a set of wings.
29:09Her destination?
29:13The lawn.
29:17Here, males are dancing.
29:22Competing to catch the eye of a female.
29:28It's a glorious sign of the arrival of summer.
29:37But she is late for the party.
29:44And she needs to get past the deadly damselflies.
29:56Others try their luck.
30:07Damselflies are exceptional predators.
30:10With a 95% hunting success rate.
30:20Time to make her move.
30:37safe.
30:38Safe.
30:39But she's not yet ready for the dance.
30:48Mayflies are the only winged insects to undergo a second adult moult.
31:07Time to join the throng.
31:34Time to join the throng.
31:43ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS
31:55Mayflies mate on the wing,
31:59then fly together,
32:02back to the river.
32:07Where the female lays her eggs.
32:30After just one day as an adult,
32:35her life is over.
32:40In death,
32:42she
32:44and countless others
32:49become food for the next generation.
33:14In the woods,
33:20Henry's log pile
33:23has become a nursery
33:25for the bank vole.
33:29Smaller than the jelly baby
33:31and completely blind.
33:37Her pups are defenceless.
33:45So, the mother keeps watch.
34:04A grass snake.
34:07At one and a half meters long,
34:11it's Britain's largest reptile.
34:15The spider becomes an all-star
34:36But by resting its lower jaw on the ground,
34:40it can detect
34:42the tiniest vibrations.
34:53It's forked tongue can smell in stereo,
35:02pinpointing the scent coming from the nest.
35:20The female has no option but to move her babies one by one.
36:11Deep inside the logpile,
36:14her family is safe.
36:36It hasn't rained in weeks
36:42and the river is at its lowest.
36:49Its calm water allows brandy bottle lilies to flower.
36:57Their alcoholic scent attracts insects,
37:02food for the growing ducklings.
37:10They're now six weeks old.
37:13Amazingly, Doris has managed to keep all nine alive.
37:39An alarm call.
37:43Predator nearby.
38:01Doris' instinct is to retreat to water.
38:11But she's leading her family into harm's way.
38:18The one who's been trapped in the middle,
38:20I'm don't know what the hell is.
38:20It's going nowhere,
38:27it's so reevaluate.
38:29I don't know how many people are running away.
38:31And she's sleeping now.
38:33And he's sleeping now,
38:36No, no!
38:43Do you think you can go on this way?
38:56The ducklings are still too young to fly.
39:07So Doris puts her own life on the line,
39:13acting as a decoy.
39:38Remarkably, it works.
39:53And the otter has to settle for something smaller.
40:01Sarah and Henry have little idea what a resourceful mother Doris is.
40:12Successfully raising all nine ducklings.
40:34In midsummer, the young voles leave their logpile home.
40:47And disperse across the garden to make the most of fruit ripened by the long sunny days.
41:05But when the light eventually fades...
41:14The garden's nocturnal world is revealed by heat-sensitive cameras.
41:28It's a world Henry and Sarah know little about.
41:45Mice and shrews hunt for bugs around and even on the house.
42:00A miniature clean-up crew...
42:05...supported by an aerial team of bats.
42:12Six of Britain's 18 species are regularly attracted to the insects in our gardens.
42:31Dorbenton's bats thrive on the abundance of river insects.
42:48A single bat can catch 3,000 a night.
42:53A single bat can catch 3,000 a night.
43:23Decisions abruptly.
43:35Autumn has arrived early.
43:43These are the first heavy rains.
43:55But this year is different.
43:58There are a number of flood warnings in place.
44:01Some of the heaviest of the rain across central southern England.
44:04Oxfordshire as a whole has seen its wettest September on record.
44:12Rain that falls over miles of countryside
44:17is channelled between riverbanks just a few metres apart.
44:24The river is now dangerously close to the kingfisher's burrow.
44:33The ticks will drown if the water floods their home.
44:47Water from upstream continues to arrive.
44:53Until the river bursts its banks.
44:57And spreads into the woods.
45:03The bank voles young may have already left.
45:07But now she needs to abandon her summer home.
45:19She has a mental map of her territory.
45:28But many landmarks have been lost.
45:32At least she knows her destination.
45:36The highest point in the garden.
45:39The lawn.
45:44Bank voles avoid water.
45:57To be continued.
46:05The north-point green is not fair.
46:08The invisible roof.
46:11The enemy.
46:13The iron.
46:15The one.
46:21Eventually, she gets back to the lawn.
46:31She can stay dry here
46:35because the rising water spills out over the floodplain
46:40and into the surrounding fields.
46:47It's a natural defense that has protected the millhouse for a thousand years
46:54and keeps the waterline just below the kingfisher's nest.
47:02The chicks are now so big, there is barely enough room to move.
47:11It's time to get out.
47:18One leaves.
47:22And Dad uses treats to tempt out the others.
47:43But one stubborn chick is refusing to budge.
47:56He takes some convincing.
48:07Dad's patience...
48:13eventually pays off.
48:19Fully-fledged, the young males begin to flex their territorial muscles.
48:30These shy birds are so caught up in their own world,
48:35they don't notice someone is watching.
48:45The kingfishers are really, really special, and to see them in the most incredible tussle,
48:52which I'd never seen before.
48:54I just feel very lucky to have seen it.
49:03This place is a sort of throwback because you have wildlife congregating in a way that you just don't see
49:10in many other places.
49:13We certainly don't own the house.
49:15The kingfishers have been here much longer than us, and we just hope we don't get in their way.
49:28At a time when many of our rivers are struggling with poor water quality,
49:35Henry and Sarah's approach to gardening,
49:38letting much of their garden run wild,
49:42means that this is one of this river's wildlife hotspots.
49:50Yet, for all its abundance,
49:54they catch only fleeting glimpses.
50:06Now, as the young seek homes of their own,
50:13the kingfisher will be seen once again,
50:21as little more than a flash of blue.
50:42of all the animals in this river garden,
50:47the most challenging to film proved to be the otter.
50:52They are extremely shy,
50:55and can spend much of their time underwater.
51:01Undeterred, the team has high hopes of revealing the otter's private lives
51:06to Sarah and Henry.
51:10Fortunately, they have a head start,
51:14thanks to Henry setting up remote wildlife cameras.
51:19Valuable knowledge for wildlife cinematographer Sam Oakes.
51:24So sweet. Yeah, he is.
51:26So small.
51:27But I know that they're quite elusive.
51:29How often have you seen them?
51:30Well, we've been here for 30 years,
51:32and I've seen them twice.
51:35Wow.
51:37Very elusive then.
51:40Henry's cameras only offer a snapshot of the otter's lives.
51:45So Sam has brought equipment,
51:47usually deployed in more exotic locations.
51:51So we're going to need everything we can on our side,
51:54including this super long lens.
51:56Normally these would be used on African film shoots in the Serengeti,
52:00so it's quite nice to be using it in the garden in Oxfordshire.
52:08Sam and assistant producer Matt Tomlinson are looking for signs of otters to decide on a filming location.
52:16I think they're using this tree.
52:19And it looks like they've pooed down here.
52:21An otter poo is actually called Sprint,
52:22and you can see some scales in there.
52:25So it's obviously feeding around here, hunting.
52:27That's a really good sign.
52:33While Matt is perched safely on the riverbank,
52:40Sam wants to immerse himself in the otter's world.
52:44Welcome to my flooded office.
52:47I'm just sat on a chair in the river.
52:49It's 20 degrees outside,
52:51but really cold sat in this water.
52:55Let's see if I can last long enough.
52:58Luckily for Sam,
53:01Sarah is on hand with refreshments.
53:03I don't even know where he is.
53:05Sam, would you like a cup of tea?
53:08Yes, please.
53:14Three days in,
53:16and still no sign of otters.
53:22But another river garden character has made an appearance.
53:27The kingfisher has just landed in a tree in front of me.
53:32Hopefully it comes out into the open.
53:40And now it's just flown past and landed behind my hide.
53:43Not quite going to plan.
53:46To make matters worse,
53:48the year turns out to be the wettest on record.
53:58It's more than just an annoyance.
54:02We have to be really careful filming,
54:04because the river can rise so quickly.
54:06We can lose equipment if we don't get it out of the river in time.
54:10The rain eventually stops.
54:15But still no otters.
54:18The fifth day looking for otters.
54:21And nothing so far.
54:25To pass the time,
54:26Matt turns his attention to Doris,
54:30Henry and Sarah's resident mallard.
54:33I just saw a ripple.
54:36It's a bit too big to be a fish.
54:41And then...
54:42There's an otter.
54:47It's really charging though.
54:56Sadly for Sam,
54:57the action is nowhere near his sunken hide.
55:05But Matt is able to capture something rarely filmed before.
55:10In a garden of all places.
55:14Amazing.
55:18Fortunately, Sam isn't going home empty handed.
55:23I've got a kingfisher just outside my hide.
55:32It's so fast.
55:34The speed it hits the surface at is absolutely amazing.
55:39The team's patience on the river has paid off.
55:43And Sam is ready to reveal to Henry and Sarah the secret lives of the animals in their garden.
55:50Oh wow.
55:52Look at those whiskers.
55:54And this is brilliant.
55:56I mean it sort of jaws all over again.
55:58But with an otter this time.
56:01That was amazing.
56:02You just don't see these things unless you have this fabulous photography going on.
56:07The approach you take to gardening, which in some areas of the garden is a bit more hands-off.
56:12Yes.
56:12Is really beneficial to the wildlife in the area.
56:15It isn't manicured.
56:16It's not got beautifully gorgeous herbaceous borders.
56:20It's a good excuse not to do masses of gardening.
56:25Henry and Sarah have done their bit to preserve the wild nature of this garden.
56:32Now, having learned more about the lives of its animals, they have decided to redouble their efforts to protect their
56:42garden for generations to come.
56:50Next time, a city garden in the heart of Bristol, where intrepid animals find remarkable ways to live among us.
57:10Discover the wildlife on your doorstep with the Open University's Secret Garden Interactive Experience.
57:18Scan the QR code on a screen now.
57:22Or head to connect.open.ac.uk forward slash secret garden.
57:46To be continued...
57:49To be continued...
57:52To be continued...
57:55To be continued...
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