1 00:00:03,540 --> 00:00:06,221 'A bird's life in Wales must be wonderful. 2 00:00:06,221 --> 00:00:08,940 'A life made in heaven. 3 00:00:12,378 --> 00:00:14,539 'Anything but. 4 00:00:16,539 --> 00:00:20,418 'Birds have to work from dawn to dusk to find food and water. 5 00:00:20,418 --> 00:00:22,738 'If they don't, they die. 6 00:00:23,778 --> 00:00:26,337 'They have to battle with the elements too. 7 00:00:27,338 --> 00:00:32,496 'Survival, especially during winter, is always difficult. 8 00:00:35,696 --> 00:00:38,857 'And during the spring, they're busy raising families. 9 00:00:40,376 --> 00:00:42,695 'They also have to put up with us 10 00:00:42,695 --> 00:00:46,456 'and find a way of surviving in our artificial landscape.' 11 00:00:46,456 --> 00:00:51,615 In this series, I'll be finding out what a bird's life is really like in Wales. 12 00:00:51,615 --> 00:00:56,335 I'm going to be discovering the vast array of species we have here. 13 00:00:56,335 --> 00:00:59,293 And I'll be probing into their secret lives. 14 00:01:24,691 --> 00:01:28,210 'A young swallow is waiting to be fed. 15 00:01:30,691 --> 00:01:35,209 'It'll be one of the last feeds he'll get from his parents 16 00:01:35,209 --> 00:01:39,048 'before he begins a mammoth journey south to Africa. 17 00:01:39,048 --> 00:01:44,728 'He spent the Welsh summer at this farm near Colwyn Bay. 18 00:01:50,287 --> 00:01:53,487 'A few weeks ago, he was tucked away in a nest 19 00:01:53,487 --> 00:01:58,807 'with his brothers and sisters, all vying for the biggest mouthful. 20 00:02:02,085 --> 00:02:06,166 'They grew up watching and listening to human activity. 21 00:02:08,445 --> 00:02:11,285 'And other animals sharing the accommodation. 22 00:02:14,845 --> 00:02:19,243 'Experience has taught the adults that this is a safe environment. 23 00:02:19,243 --> 00:02:22,684 'Like many other urban birds, 24 00:02:22,684 --> 00:02:27,684 'these swallows have adapted to live side by side with people. 25 00:02:44,241 --> 00:02:50,160 'In this programme, I'll be looking at the different ways birds make use of the landscape we create, 26 00:02:51,281 --> 00:02:56,160 'the structures we build, and the materials we discard. 27 00:03:08,239 --> 00:03:11,998 'Birds are so much at home in our towns in Wales, 28 00:03:11,998 --> 00:03:13,958 'we've got used to them. 29 00:03:13,958 --> 00:03:17,958 'We tend to ignore each other largely. 30 00:03:25,757 --> 00:03:30,596 'These two male blackbirds are fighting over a piece of park in Newtown 31 00:03:30,596 --> 00:03:34,795 'and the dispute is hardly noticed by anyone. 32 00:03:39,354 --> 00:03:41,955 'Early morning in Roath Park, Cardiff. 33 00:03:44,554 --> 00:03:49,234 'A goldcrest is busy looking for insects amongst the ivy. 34 00:03:55,474 --> 00:03:58,792 'Most of us don't realise that such a beautiful bird 35 00:03:58,792 --> 00:04:01,551 'can be a real towny. 36 00:04:04,152 --> 00:04:07,511 'Beside the main road in the west end of Pwllheli, 37 00:04:07,511 --> 00:04:11,431 'a fantastic wildlife show is provided by herons. 38 00:04:11,431 --> 00:04:14,750 'They've set up a nesting colony.' 39 00:04:16,070 --> 00:04:19,510 It's really unusual to be eye level with nesting herons like this, 40 00:04:19,510 --> 00:04:21,310 especially in the middle of a town. 41 00:04:21,310 --> 00:04:24,789 Usually, they nest right at the tops of the highest trees, 42 00:04:24,789 --> 00:04:27,429 but here, they're low down in willows. 43 00:04:27,429 --> 00:04:31,028 You can see how early it is. The pussy willows are out. 44 00:04:31,028 --> 00:04:34,750 They're actually flowering now. It's the beginning of April. 45 00:04:34,750 --> 00:04:40,308 Some of these are feeding chicks, which means they laid eggs in the middle of February. 46 00:04:40,308 --> 00:04:44,267 I like herons. They're kind of primordial birds. 47 00:04:44,267 --> 00:04:48,827 They look as if they belong 1,000 years ago, not now. 48 00:04:48,827 --> 00:04:51,747 They've got this prehistoric look about them. 49 00:04:51,747 --> 00:04:53,826 They're such great birds to watch. 50 00:04:53,826 --> 00:04:56,626 It's incredible to think that huge birds like that, 51 00:04:56,626 --> 00:04:59,664 they are four and a half feet tall, they nest in trees. 52 00:04:59,664 --> 00:05:04,226 I always expect them to nest in amongst reed beds, but they don't. 53 00:05:04,226 --> 00:05:06,464 They nest high up in trees like this. 54 00:05:07,664 --> 00:05:10,424 What's fantastic about these herons 55 00:05:10,424 --> 00:05:13,024 is that you can watch the whole breeding season 56 00:05:13,024 --> 00:05:15,064 in full, uninterrupted view. 57 00:05:19,223 --> 00:05:22,743 'I particularly like their courtship ritual. 58 00:05:24,662 --> 00:05:28,742 'Every time one of the adults returns to the nest, they greet each other. 59 00:05:32,062 --> 00:05:36,742 'And remember, you can see this view right in the middle of Pwllheli. 60 00:05:40,660 --> 00:05:44,699 'The chicks are one of the most dishevelled looking birds you'll ever see. 61 00:05:47,660 --> 00:05:52,419 'Herons have one of the longest breeding periods of any Welsh bird. 62 00:05:52,419 --> 00:05:56,258 'This is probably one of the best entertainments shows in Wales 63 00:05:56,258 --> 00:06:00,099 'and the performance lasts four months between March and June. 64 00:06:03,258 --> 00:06:07,578 'The views are exceptional because the herons are used to people. 65 00:06:10,658 --> 00:06:14,296 'But the best bird shows of all are often even nearer home. 66 00:06:14,296 --> 00:06:17,217 'It's in the back garden. 67 00:06:18,657 --> 00:06:23,577 'This wonderful one is at Pentrebeirdd near Welshpool. 68 00:06:26,255 --> 00:06:30,494 'It's a fabulous collection of flowers, trees and shrubs. 69 00:06:30,494 --> 00:06:34,255 'A great setting for people and birds alike.' 70 00:06:36,774 --> 00:06:40,135 When we usually think about man-made landscapes, 71 00:06:40,135 --> 00:06:43,813 we think about a habitat that's quite poor for birds. 72 00:06:43,813 --> 00:06:46,654 But it's not always the case. You take gardens now. 73 00:06:46,654 --> 00:06:48,492 There's an apple tree here. 74 00:06:48,492 --> 00:06:51,973 The birds will come in when they're ripe and eat the apples. 75 00:06:51,973 --> 00:06:56,092 Flowers, shrubs and bushes. They'll attract the insects. Food for the birds. 76 00:06:56,092 --> 00:06:58,733 They'll nest in there, they'll shelter in there. 77 00:06:58,733 --> 00:07:00,851 Every garden, virtually, has got a lawn 78 00:07:00,851 --> 00:07:03,371 where they can feed on earthworms and grubs. 79 00:07:03,371 --> 00:07:07,371 And we're talking here about birds like blackbirds and robins, 80 00:07:07,371 --> 00:07:11,370 who would have originally been woodland birds. 81 00:07:11,370 --> 00:07:16,210 But they've found in our gardens a habitat that's even better. 82 00:07:24,329 --> 00:07:28,128 'These woodland birds have found the perfect place. 83 00:07:28,128 --> 00:07:30,208 'Their equivalent of paradise, 84 00:07:30,208 --> 00:07:34,326 'where they'll find all they need in one rich habitat. 85 00:07:46,446 --> 00:07:50,286 'And birds occasionally make clever use of the plants that we grow. 86 00:07:54,645 --> 00:07:58,685 'These are the gardens of Gregynog Hall near Newtown in Powys. 87 00:07:58,685 --> 00:08:02,724 'Foreign conifer trees have been planted beside the main lawns. 88 00:08:02,724 --> 00:08:08,443 'Although trees like these have only appeared on the Welsh landscape during the past 200 years, 89 00:08:08,443 --> 00:08:12,645 one local bird has already taken advantage of the new opportunities 90 00:08:12,645 --> 00:08:15,962 that these exotic plants provide.' 91 00:08:17,443 --> 00:08:21,081 This is a great tree. It's a giant redwood or a Wellingtonia. 92 00:08:21,081 --> 00:08:24,042 Exactly the same as the big giant redwoods 93 00:08:24,042 --> 00:08:26,000 'you have over in California. 94 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,883 'This is only about 150 years old, so it's got a long way to go yet. 95 00:08:29,883 --> 00:08:34,161 One of the unique things about it is this thick, soft bark here. 96 00:08:34,161 --> 00:08:37,600 A common woodland bird takes advantage of this bark 97 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,400 to roost overnight on these freezing cold winter nights. 98 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,599 What it does, it digs a little hole, 99 00:08:43,599 --> 00:08:47,998 tucks itself in there until the early morning and then flies off. 100 00:08:47,998 --> 00:08:52,480 But if we want to see it, we've got to come back here after dark. 101 00:09:16,636 --> 00:09:19,555 And this is it. It's a treecreeper. 102 00:09:19,555 --> 00:09:23,475 The bird has dug himself a little hole into that soft bark, 103 00:09:23,475 --> 00:09:26,996 knowing full well he's going to be insulated all around. 104 00:09:26,996 --> 00:09:30,474 His face and his belly and feet have gone right in 105 00:09:30,474 --> 00:09:34,153 and all that sticks out are his dense back feathers. 106 00:09:34,153 --> 00:09:38,354 He also knows that any passing owl is never going to see him 107 00:09:38,354 --> 00:09:42,672 because those feathers blend in perfectly with the surrounding bark. 108 00:09:42,672 --> 00:09:46,592 'And that's one of the cosiest roosting sites 109 00:09:46,592 --> 00:09:49,233 'that any bird could possibly have. 110 00:09:56,232 --> 00:10:01,751 'Buildings provide an endless variety of possibilities for birdlife. 111 00:10:06,630 --> 00:10:09,469 'Jackdaws use chimneys as alternative nesting sites 112 00:10:09,469 --> 00:10:11,189 'to rocky cliffs and tree holes. 113 00:10:18,829 --> 00:10:22,948 'During winter, chimneys also have the added bonus of a source of heat. 114 00:10:24,068 --> 00:10:28,908 'You often see jackdaws warming themselves up on a cold winter's day. 115 00:10:28,908 --> 00:10:31,785 'These are at Betws-y-Coed. 116 00:10:40,426 --> 00:10:43,265 'Pigeons nest in nooks and crannies. 117 00:10:44,265 --> 00:10:47,106 'These have discovered useful gullies 118 00:10:47,106 --> 00:10:49,144 'in the walls of Raglan Castle. 119 00:10:54,824 --> 00:10:59,104 'Before people, wild pigeons nested on coastal cliffs. 120 00:11:03,023 --> 00:11:05,422 'But holes in buildings probably provide 121 00:11:05,422 --> 00:11:07,542 'better protection for their chicks. 122 00:11:11,341 --> 00:11:14,022 'All over Wales, birds use buildings. 123 00:11:14,022 --> 00:11:17,141 'High up on the Black Mountain in West Wales, 124 00:11:17,141 --> 00:11:19,661 'house martins are assembling mud nests 125 00:11:19,661 --> 00:11:22,062 'under the eaves of a waterworks building. 126 00:11:22,062 --> 00:11:26,181 'Naturally, they too would build them on cliffs. 127 00:11:26,181 --> 00:11:29,500 'Here in the uplands, this building presents the martins 128 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:31,700 'with an ideal nesting site. 129 00:11:31,700 --> 00:11:36,899 'An opportunity that otherwise wouldn't exist in this open landscape. 130 00:11:50,418 --> 00:11:54,418 'Derelict buildings also provide very useful habitats for birds. 131 00:11:55,417 --> 00:11:58,497 'Because they're usually in a ruinous state, 132 00:11:58,497 --> 00:12:01,097 'they're easy for the birds to access 133 00:12:01,097 --> 00:12:03,736 'and there are plenty of places to hide. 134 00:12:05,296 --> 00:12:08,735 'This building is on farmland near Abergavenny.' 135 00:12:11,775 --> 00:12:15,214 There's a lovely old barn here. I love exploring old barns. 136 00:12:15,214 --> 00:12:20,133 In a corner of the field, abandoned, surrounded by nettles, 137 00:12:20,133 --> 00:12:24,414 sheltered by trees, and one end is completely covered in ivy. 138 00:12:24,414 --> 00:12:26,652 Birds love places like this. 139 00:12:26,652 --> 00:12:32,332 They go in there to shelter from the wind, from the rain, some from the sun even. 140 00:12:32,332 --> 00:12:35,373 Some will nest in here too. It's a great place to nest. 141 00:12:35,373 --> 00:12:37,211 So many nooks and crannies. 142 00:12:37,211 --> 00:12:41,932 But we associate old barns like this with one bird in particular. 143 00:12:43,211 --> 00:12:45,051 'It's a barn owl. 144 00:12:45,051 --> 00:12:48,930 'They naturally nest in tree holes and cracks in cliffs 145 00:12:48,930 --> 00:12:50,971 'and a few still do. 146 00:12:52,611 --> 00:12:55,090 'But this family is using a nest box 147 00:12:55,090 --> 00:12:58,131 'which has been placed especially for them in this ruin 148 00:12:58,131 --> 00:13:01,489 'to help sustain the population of barn owls in Wales. 149 00:13:01,489 --> 00:13:06,407 'They're being filmed with an infrared camera in complete darkness 150 00:13:06,407 --> 00:13:08,449 'to avoid any disturbance to them. 151 00:13:09,809 --> 00:13:13,648 'There are five chicks and at around eight weeks, 152 00:13:13,648 --> 00:13:16,728 'they're just about old enough to leave the nest. 153 00:13:19,167 --> 00:13:23,366 'It's clearly been a good season for them, as all the chicks are big and healthy. 154 00:13:25,406 --> 00:13:28,127 'There must have been plenty of food around 155 00:13:28,127 --> 00:13:30,325 'in the surrounding countryside. 156 00:13:30,325 --> 00:13:34,685 'In a bad year, only the strongest survive and are preferentially fed. 157 00:13:36,605 --> 00:13:40,524 'The weakest perish. But all is well this year. 158 00:13:46,604 --> 00:13:50,244 'One of the parents, probably the male, returns with a vole. 159 00:13:51,485 --> 00:13:55,164 'He gives it to the female, who then takes it to the chicks. 160 00:13:57,802 --> 00:13:59,442 'For hundreds of years, 161 00:13:59,442 --> 00:14:02,882 'farmers have gone out of their way to accommodate barn owls 162 00:14:02,882 --> 00:14:06,042 'as they help keep rodents at bay on their land. 163 00:14:15,159 --> 00:14:18,201 'On Mumbles Pier, across the bay from Swansea, 164 00:14:18,201 --> 00:14:22,800 'gulls have also taken advantage of a nesting opportunity 165 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,240 'provided by an artificial structure. 166 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,038 'These are kittiwakes 167 00:14:27,038 --> 00:14:30,921 'and they're nesting on the pier during late spring and summer. 168 00:14:32,798 --> 00:14:35,279 'There must be 100 or more of them.' 169 00:14:42,198 --> 00:14:44,236 I don't know anywhere else in Wales 170 00:14:44,236 --> 00:14:47,277 where you can get this close to nesting kittiwakes. 171 00:14:47,277 --> 00:14:49,316 Kittiwakes are usually shy birds, 172 00:14:49,316 --> 00:14:52,997 but not Mumbles Pier kittiwakes obviously! 173 00:14:52,997 --> 00:14:57,116 If you look at it from the birds point of view, this is a sea cliff. 174 00:14:57,116 --> 00:15:02,876 It's isolated, it's safe, the seas around here are full of fish. 175 00:15:02,876 --> 00:15:07,275 They can gather their nesting material from the sea, usually seaweed, 176 00:15:07,275 --> 00:15:09,715 although one or two of these have been inland 177 00:15:09,715 --> 00:15:12,274 because I can see moss on some of the nests. 178 00:15:12,274 --> 00:15:16,994 If anything, this is actually better than some of the wild kittiwake colonies 179 00:15:16,994 --> 00:15:19,753 I've seen in parts of Pembrokeshire and Anglesey 180 00:15:19,753 --> 00:15:23,712 because there, they're exposed to some storms and huge waves. 181 00:15:23,712 --> 00:15:27,433 Here, you're in Swansea Bay, so you're perfectly safe. 182 00:15:27,433 --> 00:15:31,032 And what a backdrop! Look at that. The city of Swansea over there. 183 00:15:31,032 --> 00:15:35,071 If I was a kittiwake, this is where I'd come to nest, I think. 184 00:15:37,272 --> 00:15:41,390 'Kittiwakes first nested here nearly 20 years ago. 185 00:15:43,030 --> 00:15:46,150 'They've gradually learnt that this is a safe spot. 186 00:15:47,790 --> 00:15:51,110 'And generations of chicks have returned each year as adults, 187 00:15:51,110 --> 00:15:53,869 'increasing the population that nest here. 188 00:15:55,750 --> 00:15:58,148 'They get their name, kittiwake, 189 00:15:58,148 --> 00:16:02,069 'from the constant "kitti-wake, kitti-wake" call they make. 190 00:16:04,588 --> 00:16:07,628 'Over winter, they'll stay out at sea. 191 00:16:07,628 --> 00:16:10,947 'But during the spring, they arrive to build their nests. 192 00:16:12,187 --> 00:16:14,508 'And use all sorts of material. 193 00:16:17,587 --> 00:16:20,865 'They only stop building once the chicks have hatched, 194 00:16:20,865 --> 00:16:24,306 'presumably because with the arrival of hungry youngsters, 195 00:16:24,306 --> 00:16:27,505 'they'll have little time to keep up with the nest work. 196 00:16:27,505 --> 00:16:32,304 'The male constantly feeds the females to get them in good condition to lay 197 00:16:32,304 --> 00:16:35,065 'and she'll usually lay two eggs. 198 00:16:36,585 --> 00:16:39,904 'Compared to sea cliffs, the pier offers added protection, 199 00:16:39,904 --> 00:16:44,223 as the hustle and bustle of visitors keeps predators, such as foxes, away. 200 00:16:45,824 --> 00:16:49,502 'And with many people around, those who would do them harm 201 00:16:49,502 --> 00:16:51,863 'are less likely to disturb them. 202 00:17:01,381 --> 00:17:03,861 'In the port of Holyhead on Anglesey, 203 00:17:03,861 --> 00:17:06,182 'another sea bird has taken advantage 204 00:17:06,182 --> 00:17:08,460 'of a landscape created by people. 205 00:17:15,380 --> 00:17:17,741 'It's a setting that couldn't be further 206 00:17:17,741 --> 00:17:21,019 'from our understanding of a natural habitat. 207 00:17:22,019 --> 00:17:24,377 'This is a black guillemot. 208 00:17:28,300 --> 00:17:30,818 'They're beautiful birds and quite rare. 209 00:17:33,698 --> 00:17:37,297 'They usually nest in cracks and crevices in sea cliffs. 210 00:17:37,297 --> 00:17:41,655 'And currently, there's only one natural colony in the whole of Wales 211 00:17:41,655 --> 00:17:43,697 'and that too is on Anglesey. 212 00:17:50,256 --> 00:17:52,695 'These, together with a pair at Fishguard, 213 00:17:52,695 --> 00:17:55,095 'are the only black guillemots in Wales 214 00:17:55,095 --> 00:17:58,094 'that nest in an artificial landscape. 215 00:17:59,375 --> 00:18:01,214 'There are two pairs here 216 00:18:01,214 --> 00:18:04,654 'and they're using holes in the harbour wall as nesting sites. 217 00:18:04,654 --> 00:18:10,332 'The holes are deeper and safer than those that they'll find on the coast. 218 00:18:12,974 --> 00:18:15,174 'The location is perfect for them. 219 00:18:15,174 --> 00:18:18,693 'There's plenty of food in the harbour to feed their chicks. 220 00:18:18,693 --> 00:18:21,892 'This one has caught a small flatfish. 221 00:18:32,012 --> 00:18:36,771 'Birds make use of all sorts of unnatural structures. 222 00:18:40,370 --> 00:18:46,370 'The artificial landscapes created in our urban surroundings are particularly great habitats 223 00:18:46,370 --> 00:18:49,728 'for birds who've hatched and grown up in the town.' 224 00:18:52,569 --> 00:18:56,488 It's incredible just how adaptable some of our wildlife is. 225 00:18:56,488 --> 00:18:59,768 I'm right in the middle of Cardiff here 226 00:18:59,768 --> 00:19:02,647 and yet a pair of coots have decided to nest here. 227 00:19:02,647 --> 00:19:06,368 The nest is just against this metal grill over there. 228 00:19:06,368 --> 00:19:09,046 A pile of twigs with a bit of plastic in it. 229 00:19:09,046 --> 00:19:11,287 Look at this from a coot's point of view. 230 00:19:11,287 --> 00:19:13,126 It's got everything they need. 231 00:19:13,126 --> 00:19:16,287 It's got a lot of food. I can see the vegetation in here. 232 00:19:16,287 --> 00:19:20,005 There'd be a lot of invertebrates in there as well. It's got a nest site. 233 00:19:20,005 --> 00:19:22,605 And if there is any danger, they can scuttle away 234 00:19:22,605 --> 00:19:27,084 and hide underneath this vegetation right along the banks. 235 00:19:27,084 --> 00:19:28,925 In some ways, it's even better 236 00:19:28,925 --> 00:19:33,284 than a pond out in the countryside for them. 237 00:19:35,365 --> 00:19:39,683 'The nest is big and they're still finishing it off. 238 00:19:40,964 --> 00:19:42,803 'Coots dive for their food. 239 00:19:43,803 --> 00:19:47,682 'They also go underwater to collect some of the nesting material. 240 00:19:48,761 --> 00:19:51,322 'This is a perfect site for them. 241 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:57,001 'Naturally, they would choose an area of river, lake or pond 242 00:19:57,001 --> 00:20:00,121 'where there is an obstruction caused by dead wood. 243 00:20:00,121 --> 00:20:04,880 'Or an area of water where there's deep plant growth holding firm to the bottom. 244 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,440 'Here, the anchor point is provided by a metal grill, 245 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,559 'which has become stuck to the canal bed. 246 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:18,038 'This plastic bottle may well be used to provide extra support. 247 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:22,357 'It'll eventually be a giant stack 248 00:20:22,357 --> 00:20:25,558 'and they'll defend it very aggressively. 249 00:20:27,557 --> 00:20:32,278 'Although in the middle of town, the nest is reasonably safe from people, 250 00:20:32,278 --> 00:20:34,596 'as few will venture into the water. 251 00:20:36,557 --> 00:20:41,076 'The only danger here is from predatory birds, such as gulls and herons. 252 00:20:43,157 --> 00:20:47,436 'When the female has laid her eggs, and there could be as many as 10, 253 00:20:47,436 --> 00:20:50,474 'she'll usually cover them with weed to hide them. 254 00:20:53,715 --> 00:20:58,834 'Birds often use artificial landscapes in ingenious ways. 255 00:21:00,554 --> 00:21:04,113 'This is the River Leri near the Dyfi Estuary. 256 00:21:08,353 --> 00:21:13,232 'The river is crossed by the Cambrian railway, which joins Machynlleth with Aberystwyth. 257 00:21:16,152 --> 00:21:19,510 'Crows are a common sight throughout Wales. 258 00:21:19,510 --> 00:21:22,551 'But these are resourceful crows. 259 00:21:25,109 --> 00:21:29,631 'They've discovered that the railway track has many uses. 260 00:21:32,510 --> 00:21:35,989 'They collect mussels at low tide on the estuary. 261 00:21:46,549 --> 00:21:51,748 'Their beaks, however, are not the correct shape to prize open the shells. 262 00:21:51,748 --> 00:21:54,987 'But they've worked out a solution to the problem. 263 00:22:01,547 --> 00:22:04,226 'They drop the shells on to the railway track. 264 00:22:09,266 --> 00:22:12,945 'This behaviour is not only a measure of intelligence, 265 00:22:12,945 --> 00:22:17,305 'but also shows how birds learn how to improvise 266 00:22:17,305 --> 00:22:19,345 'and use whatever we build. 267 00:22:37,263 --> 00:22:41,942 'A watching kestrel seems impressed by the activity. 268 00:22:41,942 --> 00:22:44,742 'Pretty much everything we build can be used 269 00:22:44,742 --> 00:22:47,062 'by one species of bird or another. 270 00:22:48,222 --> 00:22:53,061 'And birds also use what we throw away. 271 00:22:54,541 --> 00:22:58,620 'It's 6:00am on a beautiful June morning. 272 00:22:58,620 --> 00:23:01,939 Cardiff is waking up. 273 00:23:08,177 --> 00:23:12,220 'Gulls have been active since first light. 274 00:23:14,138 --> 00:23:17,578 'They're patrolling the streets, looking for food. 275 00:23:17,578 --> 00:23:23,057 'It's an activity that you'll only see on a big scale during summer. 276 00:23:23,057 --> 00:23:28,497 'In the Riverside and Grangetown areas of the town, it's bin day. 277 00:23:28,497 --> 00:23:34,096 'Today, all the scavenging efforts of the gulls will be concentrated here. 278 00:23:40,816 --> 00:23:45,335 'They're mainly lesser black-backed gulls. 279 00:23:47,055 --> 00:23:50,854 'There are also herring gulls with light grey wings. 280 00:23:52,534 --> 00:23:56,173 'Sometimes, a lesser black-back is boss of the bag. 281 00:23:59,492 --> 00:24:01,813 'Sometimes, a herring gull. 282 00:24:03,533 --> 00:24:07,892 'But one gull always seems to dominate others once a bag is opened. 283 00:24:13,531 --> 00:24:17,571 'This herring gull is making this clear with his warning display. 284 00:24:20,932 --> 00:24:24,490 'Gulls are not popular with the council or with the residents. 285 00:24:24,490 --> 00:24:26,810 'They cause havoc on the streets. 286 00:24:28,129 --> 00:24:30,769 'Love them or hate them, and it's mostly hate, 287 00:24:30,769 --> 00:24:33,848 'all they're doing is adapting to an environment 288 00:24:33,848 --> 00:24:36,608 'that gives them what they want. 289 00:24:36,608 --> 00:24:38,649 'And bags of it. 290 00:24:41,928 --> 00:24:45,048 'And this is very important late spring. 291 00:24:51,166 --> 00:24:54,727 'These gulls are eating far more than they need. 292 00:24:55,727 --> 00:24:58,926 'And there's a good reason why they're being so greedy. 293 00:25:00,327 --> 00:25:02,445 'It's the breeding season. 294 00:25:03,445 --> 00:25:06,846 'And the city also has excellent gull nesting sites. 295 00:25:11,325 --> 00:25:15,884 'On an industrial site near the centre, a flat roof is an ideal base, 296 00:25:15,884 --> 00:25:18,524 'a short flight away from the feeding zones. 297 00:25:27,323 --> 00:25:32,002 'The gulls take off and land with food for their chicks from dawn to dusk. 298 00:25:36,162 --> 00:25:38,201 'With their gullets full, 299 00:25:38,201 --> 00:25:42,082 'they return and regurgitate the food for their chicks.' 300 00:25:49,759 --> 00:25:54,678 There must be 50, maybe even 60 pairs of gulls on this flat roof. 301 00:25:54,678 --> 00:25:57,959 They're mainly lesser black-backed gulls. 302 00:25:57,959 --> 00:26:01,638 There are a few herring gulls dotted here and there as well. 303 00:26:01,638 --> 00:26:07,077 This flat roof is exactly like an off-shore island, like a beach on an off-shore island. 304 00:26:07,077 --> 00:26:08,758 It's really safe. 305 00:26:08,758 --> 00:26:11,637 No foxes, no cats, no dogs can get up there. 306 00:26:11,637 --> 00:26:14,318 They're kind of like urban vultures. 307 00:26:14,318 --> 00:26:18,716 These gulls in the middle of Cardiff are really intelligent birds 308 00:26:18,716 --> 00:26:22,916 because they know when it's bin day over in the middle of the city. 309 00:26:22,916 --> 00:26:26,157 They'll rip up your bins and they'll get the food out of that. 310 00:26:26,157 --> 00:26:32,716 'Each gull pair will have its own small patch of space on this artificial nesting site. 311 00:26:32,716 --> 00:26:36,555 'Although the chicks are safe from predators, 312 00:26:36,555 --> 00:26:39,673 'they're not safe from other gulls. 313 00:26:41,514 --> 00:26:43,914 'If they venture from their own patch, 314 00:26:43,914 --> 00:26:48,593 'there's always a possibility that other adults will kill them. 315 00:26:52,353 --> 00:26:57,791 'Gulls are only in the city in big numbers during the breeding season, between April and August. 316 00:26:59,352 --> 00:27:03,310 'The rest of the time, they'll go elsewhere in search of food. 317 00:27:03,310 --> 00:27:08,909 'They don't provide one of the most beautiful views of the bird world, 318 00:27:08,909 --> 00:27:11,751 'but you have to admire their intelligence. 319 00:27:28,789 --> 00:27:32,107 'Birds are very special living creatures. 320 00:27:32,107 --> 00:27:35,428 'They can do many things that we can't. 321 00:27:41,147 --> 00:27:45,866 'And because of the range of habitats that we have in Wales, 322 00:27:45,866 --> 00:27:48,226 'we have a fantastic range of species 323 00:27:48,226 --> 00:27:51,746 'which have become specialists on their own patch. 324 00:28:04,546 --> 00:28:09,505 'In my next Secret Life of Birds, I'll be looking at the various ways 325 00:28:09,505 --> 00:28:14,023 'different bird species have adapted to the Welsh landscape 326 00:28:14,023 --> 00:28:19,102 'and how the birds of different designs cope with life in Wales.' 327 00:28:39,501 --> 00:28:41,539 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 328 00:28:42,700 --> 00:28:44,740 E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk