"(narrator)The skies around the British Isles contain some spectacular creatures." "Some of them set up home on off-shore island kingdoms." "One such kingdom is Skokholm, just off the coast of Pembrokeshire." "It has permanent residents, but also many seasonal visitors." "It's the destination for thousands of exotic visitors every summer." "They come from South Africa, South America and the Mediterranean." "It's the ledges of the red sandstone cliffs that provide the main attraction." "They offer a haven for these seabirds, which may have flown thousands of miles to reach their destination." "But like any good summer resort," "Skokholm offers a range of accommodation to suit the needs of all its visitors." "The resident rabbits face a summer invasion of colourful island tourists." "The rabbit burrows provide a safe hotel for some of the guests who fly across the Atlantic to spend the summer here." "Puffins can dig their own burrows, but on Skokholm there is little need for them to do so, thanks to the efforts of the industrious rabbits." "All the puffins must do is provide their own bedding." "Puffins don't breed until they're five or six years old." "Then they choose a mate, for life." "And a puffin's life can be long - up to 30 years." "Puffins come back to the same mate, same island and same burrow every year." "They're surrounded by old neighbours." "There may be arguments about accommodation when newcomers try to evict an old-established pair, but no one's hurt." "There's an atmosphere of friendliness, but puffins are sociable for a reason." "They breed in colonies to defend themselves against their common enemy:" "Gulls." "Lesser black-backed gulls arrive early in the season after spending the winter in Spain, Portugal or even North Africa." "Their traditional stronghold lies on a wetter part of the island where bracken thrives, fertilised by guano deposited by the gulls." "(raucous call)" "The strategy of the predatory gulls is to nest early, so they can feed their young on the newly hatched chicks of some of the other birds." "In spring, oystercatchers come to Skokholm, where each male defends a territory about the size of a football pitch." "There's not enough space along the shore, so some are forced to nest inland." "Here they feed on earthworms instead of their normal seaside menu of limpets and mussels." "This rare visitor, a woodchat shrike, may stop for a few days' rest while on migration." "(shrill warble)" "If this sedge warbler attracts a mate, it may stay and breed on Skokholm." "Great black-backed gulls also visit." "They can be difficult guests." "With their five-foot wingspan and powerful beak, they can kill rabbits without difficulty." "In summer, many rabbits are living above ground, and the inexperienced amongst them are easy prey." "With 10,000 rabbits on the island, there's also plenty of carrion." "The great black-backed gulls take whichever is easiest." "They skin the rabbit first and often share their prey, helping each other to dismember the victim." "Oystercatchers call to establish their breeding territory." "Unfortunately, this is a great black-backed gull's chosen territory too, and it's nesting." "Gulls and oystercatchers frequently nest close together, but it's not a comfortable arrangement." "The oystercatcher probably arrived here first, staking out its claim to this patch sometime in February." "But it knows when it's met its match." "A natural fortress of old red sandstone, weathered into pinnacles by the salt wind, dominates the island of Skokholm." "Below the walls of this island hotel lie the deep beds of bracken where the lesser black-backed gulls have chosen to nest." "The young gulls need shelter, because they abandon the nest to wander around only a few days after hatching." "They're fat and vulnerable." "Their parents keep a sharp lookout for danger." "They guard the chicks until they're nearly fledged." "This is the call that means"supper"." "The adult regurgitates a mess of partly digested fish and earthworms." "The youngsters peck, asking for more." "Lesser black-backed gulls are agile hunters, but they'll often have to fly a long way out to sea to catch fish." "This is an unfriendly coast from a sailor's point of view." "There's no shelter for man." "But grey seals come to the island all year as day-trippers, to dry their fur, and rest on the convenient sun beds along the shore." "Their blubber protects them from the icy sea and the dig of the needle-sharp rocks." "Skokholm experiences very big tides." "Pulled by the moon and sucked through the channels of the Pembrokeshire coast, the sea can rise up to 25 feet." "Razorbills nest just above the reach of the tide, where the cliffs have crumbled into ledges." "The females lay one egg, tucking it safely away in a narrow crevice, well out of sight of the gulls." "Clad in velvety black, razorbills are amongst the chicest of the seabird set." "Their name is particularly apt- their bills are the shape of an old cutthroat razor." "Many spend the winter off the coasts of Spain and Portugal." "Like other seabirds, razorbill numbers have been devastated by oil spills, and sometimes they become trapped in fishermen's nets." "Both sexes raise the chick." "But later on, the male will take charge, accompanying the youngster when it makes its first voyage out to sea." "Immature puffins spend their time out on the water." "Sometimes they find their life partners at these teenage get-togethers." "But they have many skills to learn before they can go on to rear their own young successfully." "When they're carrying fish back to the colony, puffins tend to keep close to the shelter of the cliffs." "The gulls can't catch up with them- but they may swoop down on them." "Puffin flight is not elegant flight, but it's surprisingly fast." "They can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour." "This one's made it, with a supper of sand eels hooked in its beak." "It's the last hundred yards that's the most dangerous stretch." "Centuries of breeding puffins have furrowed the cliff with their tunnels." "One by one, the rafting juveniles leave the sea to mingle with the older birds, who are busy feeding their chicks in the underground burrows." "More fish arrive by the minute, attracting the robbers." "Intimidation is the lesser black-backed gull's weapon - attempting to force successful puffins into dropping their catch." "The puffins bring so much fish onto the island that some gulls seldom bother to fish for themselves during the summer months." "Given the gull's impressive stature, it would be foolish for a puffin to argue." "It's hard to believe, but there used to be ten times more puffins on Skokholm." "Over the years their numbers have decreased, and now there's only a couple of thousand pairs left here." "This is thought to be linked to a decrease in sand eels, the puffins' staple diet, coupled with gull predation and pollution." "The youngsters are keen to join the adults." "But this is not allowed." "It's much too dangerous." "The fate of all seabirds is inextricably linked to the health of the sea." "Their fate also rests on the continued peace and tranquillity of a handful of remarkable islands like Skokholm." "Island destinations so special, a bird might fly halfway round the world just to spend the summer there." "Away from coastal seas on stiller inland waters, a hungry coot is searching for underwater nymphs to feed its family." "These underwater creatures will soon rise to the surface themselves." "For they're hawker dragonfly nymphs." "Despite their reputation as aerialists, the years spent underwater constitute the majority of the dragonfly's life." "This nymph has now been in this pond for nearly two years." "Having fed well over the last few months, it's as big as it's going to get." "It will not feed again until it's on the wing." "No longer able to breathe through its gut, the hawker nymph's body begins to change, preparing for a life breathing air." "If the weather remains favourable, tonight will be its last in the pond." "Under cover of darkness, on a still evening, a miraculous change is about to take place." "As the nymph emerges from its aquatic home, it is slowed as it's forced to carry its own bodyweight for the first time." "It uses spurs to grasp the sedge grass and haul itself towards the next stage in its life." "If danger threatens, the nymph can beat a hasty retreat to the safety of the pond." "But once the eyes turn milky, there's no turning back." "The nymph inflates its thorax, splitting its old skin." "First the head comes free." "Then, segment by segment, the body emerges from the old skin." "The nymph's creeping existence in the depths of the pond is a thing of the past." "The empty husk is all that remains of its old life." "The dragonfly pumps fluid into the veins of its wings." "They unfurl." "Normally this happens under cover of darkness, but tonight the moonlight reveals their delicate structure- an engineer's dream of lightness and strength, the identical design that gave the dragonfly's prehistoric relatives wingspans the size of a sparrow hawk." "In the cold morning air, the dragonfly prepares for flight." "By flapping its wings, the massive flight muscles occupying one third of the insect's body are warmed in preparation for the race for food." "Afinal wipe of the eyes and it takes to the air, for the first time." "Fast-flowing rivers are not the usual hatching place for the hawker dragonfly." "But species that favour well-oxygenated waters are the demoiselle- named poetically "the banded and the beautiful"." "These species are highly territorial." "These delicate iridescent insects put on a stunning aerial display." "Their in-flight acrobatics are an aggressive fight for supremacy." "None are injured, however." "Having dispensed with his rivals, the intrepid male faces a tougher test:" "To impress the ladies." "Could a strong backstroke be enough to win him the adoration of a mate?" "Recklessly throwing himself into the torrent, this amorous male's display demonstrates that this is the spot to lay." "The undulating movements made by the male are not for mutual gratification, but are an attempt to scoop out the seed of any who have previously mated her." "The male's organ is like a miniature Swiss army knife, with attachments evolved solely for this task." "His paternity is not yet assured and he keeps a vigil over the female to ensure that no rogue males intrude." "Under his guard, she safely deposits the eggs." "Elsewhere, another male has different preoccupations about his family." "The barn owl is surveying his domain under the early evening light." "There's good hunting out there in the grass:" "It's alive with hidden rodents." "Only with a regular supply of rodents can barn owls successfully raise a family." "This one has been lucky enough to find a good family home in the privacy and darkness of an old, derelict barn." "His mate has already settled in and is getting the feel of a rather rudimentary nest." "He and she mate for life." "Their union could last for up to 25 years." "And, unless something happens to it, this will be their home for all that time, and they will mate in its privacy." "But the owls have company:" "Mice." "Ones with an apparent disregard for dangerous predators." "But barn owls prefer to hunt under open skies." "So it seems the mice may go about their business without fear." "The female sits tight while the male heads out to hunt." "The weather's fine, and even under such bright moonlight, there should be good hunting." "Pale as a ghost on silent wings, the barn owl has the most acute sense of hearing." "Not even the tiniest slight rustle in the grass escapes his ears." "His catch will be welcome back in the barn, because once she's incubating, the female relies totally on her mate for food." "Until the eggs have hatched, he'll be the chief rodent-catcher." "The number of rodents he can catch will affect the number of eggs she can lay." "The better the supply of rodents, the more eggs- up to 13 in really good times." "So a successful father needs to work full night shifts." "The weather can work against him." "On a rainy and windy night it's difficult for him to hunt." "Wind drowns the rustles in the grass and rain makes his feathers soggy." "But not tonight." "Another small rodent falls victim." "The female doesn't seem to have an appetite for food." "Her huntsman is obviously doing his job too well." "Her rodent neighbours in the barn should be thankful." "Though her mate has done his job well, her clutch of eggs is on the small side- just four this year." "She's been sitting now for nearlyfour weeks." "Life for the pair is soon going to change." "(thunder)" "The summer storm outside has driven the male under cover." "But not before he's caught himself a meal." "He's already done his duty by the latest member of the family, who'll eventually learn that a mouse goes down more smoothly head first." "Luckilyfor the owls, out in the fields the vole production line never seems to stop." "It continues all summer long." "In one season, a female vole can become a mother and a grandmother, ensuring a plentiful supply for the owls." "All the eggs in the barn have now hatched, and the male is busier than ever supplying rodents." "These ones have still got away with their lives." "Barn owls are tropical birds." "Here in Britain and Ireland, they're at the northernmost limits of their range." "If the weather's against him, the male will find hunting a problem, and his family's survival may hang in the balance." "So far, it's been kind to them all." "The largest chick was the first to hatch, and always has first call on food supplies." "The youngest can't see yet- but you don't need to see to eat." "Other birds choose very different homes to the barn owl's in order to rear their young." "This woodland is alive with nesting birds." "A pair of pied flycatchers have chosen this tree hole for a nest site." "Asummer migrant from Central Africa, the pied flycatcher favours the west and north of mainland Britain, especially the wooded hillsides of mid-Wales." "Another rare bird, the lesser spotted woodpecker, has made its nest nearby." "This red kite chick is now about four weeks old." "Its adult feathers are starting to show through, and it instinctively preens them." "Nearby, the more common greater spotted woodpecker is also raising its family." "As the summer moves on, the kite chick grows considerably." "It is now seven weeks old and it is nearly ready to fledge." "The parents continue to feed it busily." "It takes a lot of energy to grow the full set of flight feathers it needs to leave the nest." "The juvenile can now feed itself from the scraps brought to it by its parents." "Once it has fledged, the kite will remain close to the nest for a couple of weeks, while still being brought food by its parents." "Flapping its wings helps the kite develop and strengthen the flight muscles it needs before it can make its first flight." "The young kite starts to venture away from the nest onto the outer branches." "Eventually the moment comes and it rises into the wide-open skies." "In another woodland in the depths of the fir forest, the fledgling goshawks are also preparing to leave the nest." "This is a rare opportunity to see the first adult stirrings of these remarkable birds." "Soon they too will be fending for themselves." "The devastatingly effective hunting skills that their parents have used to raise them are slowly and instinctively being discovered and mastered." "Now the tunnels left under the canopy can begin to be used to full advantage." "The clumsy movements are not the only thing that distinguishes the children from their parents." "The teardrop shaped brown markings on their chests help camouflage them during their adolescent vulnerability." "These will eventually give way to the horizontal stripes of their parents." "The youngsters' instincts are beginning to take over." "Part of this is a selfishness over food." "No longer happy to share, they begin to defend their catch against all comers- even their siblings." "Those lucky few that survive the coming winter will most probably pair and nest within 20 miles of their place of birth." "For centuries these spectacular birds of prey have been both admired and persecuted." "But with a more sympathetic approach from humans, they're fighting back, returning once more as masters of the skies." "The inland waters of Britain are also home to many species of feathered friends." "The moorhen is one of these." "Its name is something of a misnomer, as it has nothing to do with moorland." "Rather, it is a corruption of the old word "mere", or lake." "Perhaps the Irish name"cearc uisce", water hen, is a more accurate description." "White wing tips and a bright red bill and head shield are its trademarks." "Relatives found in Britain and Ireland include the shy and retiring water rail." "It's not often seen and has an even more discreet private life." "This bird shuns life on the open water." "It's far happier poking around under cover." "Coots, on the other hand, prefer open water." "They are bigger than both the rail and the moorhen." "In their reed-pool hideaway, a moorhen pair has already hatched its first spring chicks." "In the right location, moorhens can raise two or three broods a year." "And in a really good place, like this reed pool, there's even room for others to set up their territories not far off." "Anest in thick vegetation, close to water or over water, is a moorhen's ideal." "From the bird's point of view, its nest sits right in a larder- living in the vegetation are all sorts of nutritious insects and other invertebrates." "With so much food on their doorstep this already successful pair prepare for their second brood this year." "But their prime location has attracted a rival." "The occupying male prepares to fight for his territorial rights." "Usually a short, sharp attack is enough - but not this time." "Hunched in anger, tails up, heads down, they now quarrel on dry land." "Scarlet head shields become aggressive banners, flagging their owners' size and strength." "This posturing usually avoids the need for a real fight." "But they're too evenly matched." "The surface of the pond becomes a battlefield." "Sharp claws can do great harm." "The resident male's mate is taking a very close interest, and it's hard to tell them all apart." "On some occasions, both fighting birds' partners willjoin in the fray." "In this scrap, the resident female waits for her moment." "When the time is right, she stops the fight with a couple of sharp pecks." "Aformidable woman." "For a passing pochard, it's all too much." "But the resident pair have conquered, and prepare for that second brood." "Any bit of suitable nest material is soon snapped up." "The neighbours are one step ahead of the game." "Their nest's already brimming over with eggs." "Everywhere, construction proceeds apace." "The birds from the reed pool have battled and won, and a new nest sits ready for a clutch of eggs." "But first, ritual demands they preen each other." "They also sometimes pass food from beak to beak." "Convention honoured, the pair will mate." "Her eggs fertilised, the female disappears to the privacy of her nest to lay them." "They'll develop through the buzz and bloom of summer days." "By midsummer, the female from the reed pool has laid her second clutch." "But, unusually, it's the male moorhens who do most of the incubation." "While she's off finding food, he faithfully stays put- no matter what the weather throws at him." "(thunder)" "It's the time of hidden dangers, when a temporary absence could be disastrous." "It is fear, not hunger, that's driven this bird from its nest." "There's danger close by." "Apolecat, sharp-toothed and hungry." "This rare predator is not a creature to tangle with if you're only a small bird." "The polecat has struck gold." "By the time it's finished, there may be nothing left." "The owners of the nest will have to start again." "The coots on the open waters now have two healthy chicks in constant need of food." "Adult dragonflies and nymphs are a rich source of protein for the growing young." "Under a parent's watchful eye the chicks go on their first outing into the pond - their first taste of life outside the nest." "Despite the summer warmth, this is a brief foray for the chicks, as their thin, immature plumage is a poor insulator and they could easily catch a chill." "She carefully wipes the water from her own feathers on returning to the nest so she can better warm her chicks." "The dabchick too has offspring to maintain and is kept occupied in the search for food." "But it isn't just the summer months that see this rush of avian activity." "Indeed, during the winter months the British wetlands come alive." "Tens of thousands of swans and other water birds have come here to winter." "Snow lies deep in the northern countries they've fled, and here they find milder temperatures." "Migratory birds like Bewick and whooper swans will shelter here until next spring." "And this winter refuge is vital to their survival, as it's an excellent place to feed." "As they graze the bottom of the shallows, the swans gradually recoup energy lost from their long flight to these wetlands." "Each swan selects a patch ofwater as its private eating spot." "It's not actually easy to say where one starts and another finishes- boundaries here cannot be seen." "But border disputes are quite easily spotted." "There are pochard feeding here too." "But they're no competition -they're after plant seeds and tiny, hidden shellfish." "Swans are strictly vegetarian." "Thousands of teal also overwinter here, sifting the mud for small snails and seeds." "And shovellers live up to their name, digging for food with distinctive spade-shaped bills." "As winter draws on, some of the wetland birds begin courting." "Shelduck argue hotly over the best feeding grounds." "Each male wants the edge in the breeding stakes, and a good feeding area gives him better odds." "Others are turning their thoughts to new families too." "Though it's still early spring, this pair of coots has a head start in the annual race to rear young." "On dry land, life is mostly quiet." "But the lagoons are noisy with life." "(loud honking)" "The winter's been a dry one and water levels are low." "But there's a change on the way." "Further inland, departing clouds have shed a heavy load of rain." "Rivers are rising, and their waters snake out over surrounding fields and meadows." "Fields everywhere lie under a sheet of grey that matches the sky." "Now even a long, elegant swan's neck cannot touch bottom to reach food." "It's time to fly to fresh pastures." "The swans are heading for fields laid out like dining tables with freshly growing winter wheat." "The bright new crop draws them like a magnet." "A hungry gathering like this doesn't look good for the winter wheat." "The swans do damage the young crop, but only in a limited way." "They nip off the top shoots- and, in fact, this pruning makes the wheat grow stronger and thicker." "Soon they'll be heading north again, 2,000 miles away to their summer breeding grounds." "Back in the barn, the young members of the barn owl family are preparing for a much shorter, but equally as important, flight." "The two eldest owlets are getting their first look at the outside world - not necessarily an approving one." "The two youngest can't yet be so adventurous." "They need to lose their babyfluff before they can fly properly." "But it won't be long." "All in all, the owl family is doing well." "The mice are doing well too, even though they still seem to be playing Russian roulette in a barn full of owls." "By the light of the setting sun, the eldest owlets make their maiden flights." "How well they weather life's storms from now on will depend on newly acquired hunting skills and on finding a territory of their own." "This is their parents' territory, and their presence won't be tolerated for long." "Good hunting areas elsewhere are likely to have barn owls already in residence." "But there may be odd corners available which they can take over and in which they can make a home for themselves and hopefully breed their own young." "In the wetlands, the Bewick swans are also looking to move home and are becoming increasingly restless." "Before long they'll start the long trek north to breed." "It'll take them two months to fly there, and they must have enough fuel to make the journey." "They were the last to reach the fenlands a few months ago, and now they're the first to leave, pounding the choppy grey runway." "Young Bewick swans face the second long journey of their lives, learning from their parents a migratory route that'll become second nature." "The journey will be hard and fraught with difficulty." "Some will not complete it." "Those that do will come here again next autumn." "Spring has stirred these whooper swans into a state of excitement." "This pair will cross the North Sea to Iceland." "One by one, the swans rise to the majestic skies and power their way north." "It'll be eight months before they return to the wetlands and to their British home."