Next Generation

While many species are simply trying to stay alive at this challenging time of year, others are focusing on the next generation. Iolo Williams looks back at some of the best seasonal stories of reproduction featured on the watches over the years. He begins with an autumn visit to Skomer Island, where a globally important colony of Manx shearwaters breed in burrows underground. The parent birds have already left on their mammoth migration to South America, but their chicks are left to fend for themselves until they are ready to fledge. Under the cover of darkness, dozens of chicks clamber up Iolo and scientist Tim Guilford to gain as much height as possible for their maiden flight. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Iolo as chicks launch themselves from his head before setting off on a daunting journey to cross the Atlantic. With no parents to guide them, these remarkable birds rely on instinct to navigate thousands of miles across the ocean.