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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.
01:59On the west coast of Scotland.
02:04In a remote and sheltered glen, a garden offers sanctuary.
02:17Homeowner Matt Wilson does all he can to help protect animals from the worst of the weather.
02:25I enjoy making these boxes.
02:28It's always just making extra sort of homes and refuges and things for all the different species that come into
02:37the garden.
02:42Matt is a naturalist who has dedicated his life to working with Scottish animals.
02:51And he's spent nearly 40 years turning his garden into a haven for wildlife.
02:59When I moved in, this was all rough grassland, no trees.
03:05Now there's everything here from bog to woodland.
03:11With his children having left home, the garden has taken on an even greater value for him.
03:18It's funny, you look at the trees, and when you look at your children, you realise they've grown.
03:29As the garden has matured, it has acquired a life of its own.
03:35And Matt doesn't know what will happen from year to year.
04:00Winter in Scotland can hit hard.
04:11For the animals that live here, survival is a daily battle.
04:19The Met Office says Alt Nahara in Sutherland saw temperatures fall to minus 18 Celsius last night,
04:25the coldest January night in the UK for 15 years.
04:30The harsh weather brings a formidable predator into Matt's garden.
04:43A female buzzard.
04:48Buzzards are the most widespread bird of prey in Britain.
04:54But to have one land in your garden is a rare treat.
05:03With snow making hunting tough, the female is close to starvation.
05:19Matt offers her a lifeline.
05:24A hunk of venison may seem like extreme bird feeding.
05:32But it could make all the difference.
05:45Still, a prize like this won't stay secret for long.
06:06With eyesight three times sharper than her own, she can spot trouble coming from a mile away.
06:25But she can't keep watch and eat at the same time.
06:41But she can't keep watch and eat at the same time.
06:55The female pins down the aggressor, a young male.
07:05Buzzards are known to kill each other with their razor sharp beaks and talons.
07:15Her greater size gives her the advantage.
07:21But she holds back.
07:27The male is likely to be her son.
07:38But this is her territory, and he's no longer welcome.
08:00Now, he must find a place of his own.
08:11To get through the winter, she will need Matt's handouts all for herself.
08:28When spring eventually arrives, the garden is visited by one of Britain's rarest mammals.
08:48A pine marten, a cat-sized member of the weasel family.
09:05They're cautious around people, and Matt has yet to see his garden's new arrival.
09:26Their natural habitat is mature woodland.
09:34But by the early 20th century, all but 5% of Scotland's forests had been cut down.
09:43And pine martins were hunted almost to extinction.
09:51The western highlands have always been one of their strongholds.
09:58And although the forest here has become fragmented, they have found an alternative.
10:08Gardens, such as this one down the road from Matt.
10:17Without trees, the pine martins use what they can to hone their climbing skills.
10:36ss
10:40ss
10:41ss
10:43ss
10:43ss
10:44ss
10:44ss
10:45ss
10:47ss
10:52These youngsters have grown up here.
11:10Generations have been coming to this garden for the last 20 years.
11:19Becoming bolder and bolder.
11:34Up to 16 pine martins may visit in a single night.
11:50But the pine martin that visits Matt's house is much more cautious.
12:02This new arrival, a female less than a year old, is searching for a territory of her own.
12:16Matt doesn't want her to lose her natural caution around humans.
12:21But maybe his garden can provide the food and shelter that she needs.
12:44For four decades, Matt has kept a meticulous diary of the animals in his garden.
12:55Every morning, he brings it up to date.
13:00While he can't record everything that's happening, he can report on one typically secretive garden resident.
13:21Barn owls are found across Britain.
13:30But there could be fewer than a thousand pears in Scotland.
13:39The cold, wet climate makes this the northern limit of their range.
13:49To give them a better chance, Matt has built a special retreat.
13:56Sheltered from the elements and inaccessible to predatory pine martins.
14:07Remarkably, Matt now sees his female barn owl almost every day.
14:15She's got a nice nature, a nice easy nature. It's very approachable.
14:20She will come out and have a look at you during the day, which is rather nice.
14:27She's nice to have around. She's got a softness about her.
14:38But Matt is worried.
14:44She's a five-year-old mother who has successfully raised ten owlets in the garden.
14:52But after a run of good years, her luck may have turned.
15:00Just as spring has arrived, her partner has disappeared.
15:14Barn owls can hunt up to three miles away from their nest.
15:21And bad weather could have prevented him from getting home.
15:29It rains here on more than 200 days a year, making it among the wettest places in Britain.
15:42And while most birds' feathers are rain-resistant,
15:50Barn owls have sacrificed waterproofing to ensure that their wings are silent for hunting.
15:57So he may have been grounded.
16:07Finding a new mate now would be hard.
16:11All she can do is wait.
16:25This far north, spring temperatures can certainly plummet.
16:32Forcing one of our best-loved mammals into gardens in search of food.
16:44The red squirrel.
16:55Across most of Britain, these charming and inquisitive animals have been displaced by American grey squirrels.
17:05But they've held on in parts of Scotland.
17:11Their fluffy coats and tufted ears keep them warm.
17:16So they're well adapted to the climate.
17:22Although, at this time of year, coping with cold isn't the only challenge.
17:31Autumn's nuts and berries are long gone.
17:40But red squirrels know that gardens can offer a lifeline.
17:51Although, they have yet to reach mats.
18:02But there's one very special animal that he can help.
18:19The young pine marten is still very cautious.
18:32And only approaches when Matt is out of sight.
18:47And only approaches when Matt is out of sight.
18:56Peanuts are a welcome supplement.
18:59Peanuts are a welcome supplement.
19:00High in calories and fat.
19:04But pine martins are omnivores.
19:07With a taste for meat.
19:11Soon, there will be a chance to hunt.
19:28By late March, the daytime temperature climbs to a balmy nine degrees.
19:40It's good news for the garden's cold-blooded inhabitants.
19:49Slow worms.
19:53And common lizards.
19:58They have survived the winter by hibernating underground.
20:03Now, on warmer days, they emerge to Bosque.
20:14The hardiest of them all comes out at night.
20:21A common toad.
20:26He left the garden as a tiny toadlet nearly three years ago.
20:40Now, as an adult, it's time to head back to the only pond in the Glen.
20:47In search of a mate.
20:52But he is not the only toadlet.
20:55But he is not the only toad with surging hormones.
20:59Males are arriving from every direction.
21:07Some have already paired up.
21:14He must hurry.
21:20But between him and the pond...
21:25There's a road.
21:35Every year, tens of thousands of toads are killed en route to their breeding grounds.
21:58But driven by the need to breed...
22:06This toad is determined.
22:31It's determined.
22:32Safe?
22:39Toadlet.
22:44Toadlet.
23:02His timing is perfect.
23:05A female has also found her way to the pond.
23:16Their thousand or so eggs will hatch in ten days' time.
23:24Then their tadpoles will need to grow up fast.
23:29Up here, summer is short.
23:32Up here, summer is short.
23:41Ten nights after her mate left to hunt, the female barn owl is still alone.
24:02One calm night, she hears a familiar sound.
24:16One calm night, she hears a familiar sound.
24:31We'll never know what kept him.
24:36But it's still the breeding season.
24:40And he only has one thing on his mind.
24:46Wooing her back.
24:53Perhaps surprisingly, she doesn't accept his advances.
25:03He's going to have to prove, once again, that he is a worthy mate.
25:29His peace-offering, a plump vole.
25:38But she remains unimpressed.
25:51How about a mouse?
25:58It's going to take more than that.
26:01It's going to take more than that.
26:03He brings back gift.
26:07After gift.
26:11After gift.
26:16Eventually, he wins her over.
26:20Just in time, if they're going to raise a family.
26:38A few nights later,
26:42the female has laid four eggs.
26:49A decent-sized clutch.
26:57But rearing them won't be easy.
27:01Unless both parents do their bit.
27:12The open hill and rough grassland surrounding Matt's home
27:17are productive hunting grounds.
27:20And just as well,
27:22the pair may need to catch a thousand small mammals
27:26in the next three months.
27:40Pine martens also need plenty of prey.
27:49They usually hunt in the forest and can roam over five miles a night.
28:02But in spring, a new opportunity arrives.
28:08In a bank at the bottom of Matt's garden.
28:13Sand martens.
28:20These intrepid birds have flown around 3,000 miles
28:26from their wintering grounds in Africa.
28:29To take advantage of Scotland's longer days.
28:34and gorge on swarms of flying insects.
28:38Essential food for raising a family.
28:51They set about digging a burrow about a metre long
28:54so that they can nest out of the reach of predators.
29:04It's a mammoth task.
29:13After a promising start,
29:16this male is hoping to attract a mate.
29:19theShape has been potentially surrounded in about two o'erliners.
29:26They are almost young inborn.
29:28But this female is not impressed.
29:48Another male seems to be making better progress
29:51and she helps him dig.
30:00Without a deep nest, they will be dangerously exposed.
30:19All this activity has attracted attention.
30:35Pine martins have an excellent sense of smell.
30:43But these sand martin nests are out of reach.
31:03Strong claws and rotating ankles work well on the vertical face.
31:18But the bank is unstable.
31:23So she tries to flush out the adults instead.
31:46Her persistence pays off, providing the meal she needs.
32:06Safely out of reach, the owl family is growing fast.
32:14Thirty days after the eggs were laid, the first owlet hatches.
32:30Over the next few days, two more emerge.
32:39A good start.
32:49But each owlet will need up to four meals a day.
32:56So now the hard work really begins.
33:11The owlets should double their weight every ten days.
33:21They stand a good chance of doing so.
33:26As long as the weather holds.
33:40Some years in this highland garden, it barely feels like summer at all.
33:47But when the sun does shine, everyone takes full advantage.
33:57Crossbills move in to feed on Matt's pines.
34:03Using their twisted beaks to extract ripening seeds from the cones.
34:28And in the warm compost heap, the slow worms take their chance to mate while they can.
34:49Four months after the toads abandon their little eggs, something is stirring in the pond.
35:02A tiny toadlet, no bigger than a human fingernail.
35:10Only around one in five hundred toad eggs develops into an adult.
35:19So this newly emerged toadlet has a long way to go.
35:28His very first sight above water?
35:32A giant.
35:34S a giant giant.
35:38K root of aquently heard of Maient.
35:39Matt is thinning the plants at the edge of his pond.
35:44to encourage the sundews that grow in his bog.
35:51These bizarre-looking plants thrive here, even in the poor soil,
36:01and provide a useful service.
36:09Bug control.
36:12Like Venus flytraps, sundews are carnivores.
36:26Their sticky tentacles trap unwary victims.
36:35Then they release enzymes to digest their prey.
36:47The toadlet is heading straight through them.
37:02But he's strong enough to get past.
37:10He's developing his own hunger for insects, but only those that are alive.
37:30Soon he will head out into the hills, helping to keep the local midges in check.
37:42Until, with luck, one spring night, he will return to Matt's pond to breed.
38:07In the race to grow up, the owlets are a little behind.
38:15It takes weeks to replace fluff with feathers.
38:25But two months after hatching, they're fully grown.
38:34Now they must learn to fly.
38:43A wing workout is a good start.
38:52It will take a few nights to build flight muscles and confidence.
39:02But with no more gifts from their parents, hunger is urging them on.
39:22Matt's nest box has kept them safe and dry.
39:38Now it's up to each of them to find a new home.
39:56Only one in four barn owls survive their first year.
40:05For now, they will stay close by, learning to hunt for themselves.
40:41And they will stay close by, learning to hunt for themselves.
40:42Once gone, their mother can reclaim her home.
40:51Matt has now seen this female raise a remarkable 13 owls.
41:01And he's still hopeful for more.
41:26At the end of August, the autumn gales sweep in.
41:43Matt never knows what the changing seasons will bring.
41:49But a few things are certain.
41:55Matt's native trees and shrubs will come into fruit.
42:01Providing food for locals and visitors alike.
42:09Some, such as red wings, are escaping even tougher conditions in Europe's far north.
42:20As temperatures fall, garden animals seek shelter.
42:42Strange bedfellows come together to escape the cold winter ahead.
43:08The pine marten also needs a place to den.
43:17Somewhere safe.
43:26Preferably high off the ground.
43:32Away from foxes.
43:43But she can't find a cosy nook in this shed.
44:05Matt decides to lend the pine marten a helping hand.
44:12He builds a carefully designed den.
44:17And he knows just where to put it.
44:22There's a gap under the eaves where she could get in.
44:27And a ladder will need the way.
44:37But it will be up to her to find it for herself.
44:52As winter approaches, red squirrels are on the move.
45:01This year's youngsters may travel some ten miles in the search for a territory of their own.
45:14They come to the ground to find and store food.
45:19But they prefer the safety of the trees.
45:26For years, red squirrels have been absent from the area around Matt's garden.
45:33But just a few miles from him, they're being reintroduced.
45:38And are using gardens as stepping stones to reclaim their former range.
45:52As Matt's own tree is mature, perhaps one day, like the pine marten, red squirrels will find their way here.
46:27We're widely well below freezing out there, and the northerly winds aren't helping today.
46:32As this particular cold snap continues to bite.
46:48As the young female pine marten faces her second highland winter...
46:56Matt does all he can to help her survive.
47:08His supply of peanuts will give her the fat reserves she needs for the months ahead.
47:25Remarkably, when she's focused on food, she momentarily loses her fear.
47:36Even after 40 years of encouraging wildlife into his garden, this is a special moment for Matt.
47:50And it's about to get even better.
47:54And it's about to get even better.
48:10The fact that the garden now has multiple pine martins suggests that there could be young next year.
48:34But there's one more thing that the female needs.
48:44Somewhere to hide.
49:00Matt's specially built box, furnished with comfy bedding.
49:08And it's above the lounge, so it's nice and warm too.
49:17It's the perfect place to see out the winter.
49:22And perhaps next spring, she'll give birth to her first litter of kits.
49:36Over a lifetime of dedication, Matt has created a welcome shelter for all kinds of Scottish wildlife.
49:49I feel privileged to have been able to create this garden for all the animals that visit and use it.
49:59It's their garden, not mine.
50:03But it gives me a huge pleasure just to be able to share it with them.
50:17She says,
50:36She's a wonderful group.
50:36She has a great idea for us.
50:40Filming one of Britain's most secretive animals,
50:44the pine martin, in a highland garden,
50:50presented a formidable challenge to wildlife cameraman Simon King.
50:58I'm used to spending a lot of my life in wilderness areas,
51:02and being in a garden may sound like a domestic exercise.
51:06But it's every bit as wild.
51:07I'm under no illusion that this is going to be an easy task.
51:14At least Simon can expect a warm reception.
51:21I've probably known Simon for over 30 years now.
51:26Yeah, we just hit it off.
51:28There was a mutual interest about nature.
51:32Even with Matt's help, Simon will need all his experience
51:36to capture the pine martins on camera.
51:42He needs to be ready before they emerge after dark.
51:49It's pretty midgy out here.
51:50Yeah, a few midges of work tonight.
51:52I'll be thinking of you.
51:54Have fun.
51:55Cheers, bud.
51:58No one likes seeing an old friend draw the short straw.
52:02I'd rather him than me, yeah?
52:08Pine martins are extraordinary creatures
52:11and armed with the most acute senses.
52:16So filming them is challenging.
52:19Their hearing is fantastic.
52:22Even switching the camera like this,
52:23I'm going to...
52:24That clunk, that tiny little sound,
52:27they'll pick it up.
52:28They're very familiar with everything in their neighbourhood.
52:32Even putting a hide-up like this
52:34runs the risk of slightly affecting their behaviour.
52:38It can be a very, very long wait.
52:41Sometimes you get absolutely nothing.
52:54Midges are getting a bit bad.
53:02Plenty of bites,
53:04but no sign of pine martins.
53:08That's it.
53:09There's so much light in the sky.
53:11I don't think we're likely to see a pine martin.
53:14I'm going to get some sleep.
53:21Simon just has to put in the hours.
53:28Several long, midgy nights later...
53:32Oh, here we go.
53:33Here we go.
53:34The light spinning from Matt's kitchen
53:36is enough for Simon's ultra-sensitive camera
53:39to capture the first magical shots.
53:42Yes.
53:44That is a great view.
53:49Well, that was a wait of about six hours.
53:54But it lights up the night,
53:56just their charisma,
53:57their presence.
54:00Very, very special neighbours.
54:05It's a start.
54:07But to find out what this pine martin is up to,
54:11Simon rigs the garden
54:13with an assortment of kit.
54:21Simon and Matt check the footage every few days.
54:27They're slowly building a picture
54:29of the pine martin's movements.
54:33Matt is keen to see where she hunts.
54:38All the clues point towards the Sandmartin colony
54:42at the end of the garden.
54:52Yeah, the material's all been pulled out here.
54:54There's feathers there as well, look.
54:56Yeah.
54:57And scuff marks.
54:59Yeah.
55:01Definitely had a pine martin there
55:02not that long ago.
55:04Then, more definitive evidence.
55:07OK.
55:08Classic remains.
55:09There you go.
55:10That's an adult wing.
55:11Must have grabbed that one in there.
55:14Time to set up yet more cameras.
55:19And wait.
55:28Now, it's the moment of truth.
55:35Oh, oh.
55:37OK.
55:37There we go.
55:39He's coming across the top, look.
55:41Not successful, though.
55:42Just shows, doesn't it,
55:44that they are
55:46working that colony.
55:51It's like a cat.
55:53Just agile, yeah.
55:54Mm.
55:56Oh.
55:57Just where all these holes are
55:59three feet deep.
56:00Yeah.
56:01Oh, there we go.
56:02Oh, that was close.
56:03It was a flush route.
56:05And got one.
56:05Oh, I got one.
56:06Yeah, yeah, yeah.
56:07Definitely.
56:09This is the first time we've had this view
56:11of this sort of hunting behaviour.
56:13No one has ever filmed this before.
56:16But it's not an easy watch.
56:19Heart and mouth stuff, isn't it?
56:21Because the sand martins are such a charming feature.
56:24But then so are the pine martins and the two coming together.
56:27Everything's interlaced.
56:30It's rare to have a predator like this
56:33living in your garden.
56:35But thanks to Matt's wildlife-friendly approach,
56:41it's just one of an enchanting cast of animals
56:44whose secret lives Simon has revealed.
56:49It's been great having Simon here.
56:52All these intimate views of creatures around the house.
56:55It's given me a better understanding and appreciation.
56:59And all the species that will keep on coming in.
57:02It's an exciting thing.
57:09Discover the wildlife on your doorstep
57:12with the Open University's Secret Garden interactive experience.
57:17Scan the QR code on screen now
57:21or head to connect.open.ac.uk forward slash secret garden.
57:59The Open University's Secret Garden
57:59So we can see just a Schloss divers to walk around and talk to people around.
57:59Do we gravitate to each other on one?
57:59So let's go.
57:59Do we have some events?
58:00Now in thellavalue game.
58:00It seems like a group that will help us be a little bit more.
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