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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.
07:15Buzzards are known to kill each other with theirẽ.
07:16Her greater size gives her the advantage.
07:21But she holds back.
07:27The male is likely to be her son.
07:38The male is likely to be her son.
07:43And he's no longer welcome.
08:01Now he must find a place of his own.
08:10To get through the winter, she will need Matt's handouts all for herself.
08:28When spring eventually arrives,
08:32the garden is visited by one of Britain's rarest mammals.
08:48A pine marten.
08:51A cat-sized member of the weasel family.
09:05They're cautious around people.
09:14And 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.
10:09Such as this one down the road from Matt.
10:17Without trees, the pine martins use what they can to hone their climbing skills.
10:24The forest.
10:25Un Saris.
10:26The forest.
10:46The forest.
10:51These youngsters have really had no idea.
10:54grown up here generations have been coming to this garden for the last 20
11:18years, becoming bolder and bolder up 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 but maybe his garden can provide
12:24the 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
13:03he can report on one typically secretive garden resident
13:21barn owls are found across Britain
13:30but there could be fewer than a thousand pairs in Scotland
13:38the 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 is 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
15:04her 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
15:58so he may have been grounded
16:06finding 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
16:43the red squirrel
16:45the red squirrel
16:54across 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
17:15so 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
17:34autumn'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
18:23the young pine marten is still very cautious
18:36your perseverance
18:55the young pine marten is a picole
18:58the young pine marten is a very rational that you can see with the queen of fish
19:06are omnivores with a taste for meat.
19:12Soon, there will be a chance to hunt.
19:28By late March, the daytime temperature
19:31climbs to a balmy nine degrees.
19:40It's good news for the garden's cold-blooded inhabitants.
19:48Slow worms.
19:53And common lizards.
19:57They have survived the winter by hibernating underground.
20:03Now, on warmer days, they emerge to bask.
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, in search of a
20:48mate.
20:52But 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.
21:59But driven by the need to breed,
22:05this toad is determined.
22:09The end.
22:32Safe?
22:41Safe?
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.
23:30Up 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.
24:31We'll never know what kept him.
24:36But it's still the breeding season, and he only has one thing on his mind, wooing 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.
25:52How about a mouse?
25:58It's going to take more than that.
26:03He brings back gift, after gift, after gift.
26:16Eventually, he wins her over.
26:20Just in time, if they're going to raise a family.
26:38A few nights later, the 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 are productive hunting grounds.
27:21And just as well, the pair may need to catch a thousand small mammals in the next three months.
27:40Pine martens also need plenty of prey.
27:50They 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 from their wintering grounds in Africa.
28:29To take advantage of Scotland's longer days.
28:33And gorge on swarms of flying insects.
28:38Essential food for raising a family.
28:51They set about digging a burrow about a metre long.
28:55So that they can nest out of the reach of predators.
29:04It's a mammoth task.
29:14After a promising start, this male is hoping to attract a mate.
29:27But 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.
30:18All this activity has attracted attention.
30:35Pine martens have an excellent sense of smell.
30:43Pine martens have an excellent sense of smell.
30:51Pine martens have been released on theìš´ of the
30:59Tone Best Mix.
31:03The strong 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
31:51Providing the meal she needs
32:06Safely out of reach
32:08The owl family is growing fast
32:1430 days after the eggs were laid
32:18The first owlet hatches
32:30Over the next few days
32:32Two more emerge
32:39A good start
32:48But each owlet will lead 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
33:43It barely feels like summer at all
33:46But when the sun does shine
33:50Everyone takes full advantage
33:57Crossbills move in to feed on Matt's pines
34:03Using their twisted beaks
34:06To extract ripening seeds from the cones
34:09To extract ripening seeds from the cones
34:18House martins hurried their young out of the nest
34:29And in the warm compost heap
34:31The slow worms take their chance to mate
34:37While they can
34:49Four months after the toads abandon their little eggs
34:54Something is stirring in the pond
35:02A tiny toadlet
35:04No bigger than a human fingernail
35:10Only around one in five hundred toad eggs
35:14Develops into an adult
35:19So this newly emerged toadlet
35:22Has a long way to go
35:28His very first sight above water
35:32A giant
35:38Matt is thinning the plants at the edge of his pond
35:44To encourage the sundews that grow in his bog
35:50These bizarre looking plants thrive here
35:54Even in the poor soil
36:00And provide a useful service
36:08Bug control
36:12Like Venus flytraps
36:15Sundews are carnivores
36:26Their sticky tentacles
36:29Trap unwary victims
36:35Then they release enzymes
36:38To digest their prey
36:40Then they release enzymes
36:46To digest their prey
36:47The toadlet
36:49The toadlet is heading straight through them
36:51The toadlet is heading straight through them
37:03But he's strong enough to get past
37:10He's developing his own hunger for insects
37:14But only those that are alive
37:28But only those that are alive
37:30Soon he will head out into the hills
37:32Helping to keep the local midges in check
37:42Until, with luck
37:44Until, with luck
37:45One spring night
37:48He will return to Matt's pond
37:50To breed
37:52To breed
38:08In the race to grow up
38:10The owlets are a little behind
38:15It takes weeks to replace fluff
38:18With feathers
38:20With feathers
38:25But two months after hatching
38:28They're fully grown
38:34Now they must learn to fly
38:43A wing workout is a good start
38:53It will take a few nights to build flight muscles
38:57And confidence
39:02But with no more gifts from their parents
39:05Hunger is urging them on
39:23Matt's nest box
39:25Has kept them safe and dry
39:37Now it's up to each of them
39:40To find a new home
39:41Now it's up to each of them
39:53To find a new home
39:56Only one in four barn owls
39:59Survive their first year
40:04For now, they will stay close by
40:10Learning to hunt for themselves
40:12Or the millions before the fields
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40:41With the youngsters waiting on human
40:42If it's gone, their mother can reclaim her home.
40:51Matt has now seen this female raise a remarkable 13 owls.
41:00And he's still hopeful for more.
41:26At the end of August, the autumn gales sweep in.
41:32At 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.
41:55His native trees and shrubs will come into fruit.
42:02Providing food for locals and visitors alike.
42:09Some, such as red wings,
42:11are escaping even tougher conditions in Europe's far north.
42:20As temperatures fall, garden animals seek shelter.
42:34It's the same.
42:38It's the same.
42:42Strange bedfellows come together
42:45to escape the cold winter ahead.
43:08The pine marten also needs a place to den.
43:17Somewhere safe.
43:26Preferably high off the ground.
43:33Away from foxes.
43:43But she can't find a cosy nook in this shed.
44:03But 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 lead 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
45:05in 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
45:29from the area around Matt's garden.
45:33But just a few miles from him,
45:36they're being reintroduced.
45:38And are using gardens as stepping stones
45:42to reclaim their former range.
45:52As Matt's own tree is mature,
45:58perhaps one day,
46:00like the pine marten,
46:02red squirrels will find their way here.
46:27We're widely well below freezing out there,
46:30and the northerly winds aren't helping today,
46:32as this particular cold snap continues to bite.
46:47as the young female pine marten faces her second highland winter.
46:56Matt does all he can to help her survive.
47:00Matt does all he can to help her survive.
47:08His supply of peanuts will give her the fat reserves she needs
47:13for the months ahead.
47:25Remarkably, when she's focused on food,
47:29she momentarily loses her fear.
47:36Even after 40 years of encouraging wildlife into his garden,
47:41this is a special moment for Matt.
47:50And it's about to get even better.
48:10The fact that the garden now has multiple pine martins
48:15suggests that there could be young next year.
48:34But there's one more thing that the female needs.
48:44Somewhere to hide.
49:01Matt's specially built box,
49:03furnished with comfy bedding.
49:08And it's above the lounge,
49:10so it's nice and warm too.
49:17It's the perfect place to see out the winter.
49:22And perhaps next spring,
49:24she'll give birth to her first litter of kits.
49:36Over a lifetime of dedication,
49:39Matt has created a welcome shelter for all kinds of Scottish wildlife.
49:49I feel privileged to have been able to create this garden
49:54for 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.
50:07First,
50:09I feel it's like a desert wizard,
50:11Even the sea shows twice the
50:11It's the उनist,
50:34I bring things together,
50:34which الله ornamental was attached by taking a Hilfe.
50:34But it would look so similarly,
50:35you will hear each other inside,
50:35and I will see you anyways intake of assistance from where other small animals
50:40Filming one of Britain's most secretive animals,
50:44the pine martin, in a highland garden,
50:50presented a formidable challenge
50:52to 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,
51:34Simon will need all his experience
51:36to capture the pine martins on camera.
51:43He needs to be ready before they emerge after dark.
51:49It's pretty midgy out here.
51:50Yeah, a few midges a bit 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.
52:52Oh, the midges are getting a bit bad.
53:02Plenty of bites, but 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 in pine martin.
53:14I'm going to get some sleep.
53:21Simon just has to put in the hours.
53:31Oh, here we go, here 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.
54:15Camera traps,
54:16remote cams,
54:19and den cams.
54:22Simon and Matt check the footage
54:25every few days.
54:27They're slowly building a picture
54:29of the pine martin's movements.
54:34Matt is keen to see where she hunts.
54:38All the clues point towards the sand martin colony
54:42at the end of the garden.
54:51Yeah,
54:53the 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,
55:04more definitive evidence.
55:07Okay.
55:08Classic remains.
55:09There you go.
55:11That's an adult wing.
55:12Must have grabbed that one in there.
55:14Time to set up
55:15yet more cameras.
55:19And wait.
55:28Now it's the moment of truth.
55:35Oh, oh.
55:37Okay.
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.
55:55Pfft.
55:56Oh.
55:57Just, well,
55:58these holes are
55:59three feet deep.
56:00Oh, yeah.
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
56:10we'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.
56:18Heart and mouth stuff, isn't it?
56:21Because the sand martins
56:22are such a charming feature.
56:24But then so are the pine martins
56:25and the two coming together.
56:27Everything's interlaced.
56:30It's rare to have a predator like this
56:33living in your garden.
56:36But thanks to Matt's
56:37wildlife-friendly approach,
56:41it's just one of
56:42an enchanting cast of animals
56:44whose secret lives
56:46Simon has revealed.
56:49It's been great having Simon here.
56:52All these intimate views
56:53of creatures around the house
56:55has given me a better understanding
56:57and appreciation.
56:58and all the species
57:00that will keep on coming in.
57:02It's an exciting thing.
57:09Discover the wildlife
57:11on your doorstep
57:12with the Open University's
57:14Secret Garden
57:15Interactive Experience.
57:17Scan the QR code
57:19on screen now
57:21or head to
57:23connect.open.ac.uk
57:26forward slash
57:28secret garden
57:29or head to
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