鸟类秘闻（2012）

草地鹨夫妻将会继续哺育布谷鸟的雏鸟
that the meadow pipit parents will continue to feed the cuckoo chick,
即使这是仅存的一只
even though itll be the only chick left
而且一点也不像它们的后代
and look different to their own
这对草原鹨来说太残酷了
Its cruel for the meadow pipit,
但却是布谷鸟的生存之基
but essential for the cuckoo.
隐藏鸟巢躲避猛禽 是生存至关重要的
Hiding the nest from predators is a crucial part of survival.
鸟类各有各的绝招
Birds have different ways of doing this.
藏在灌木丛中
Hidden in bushes,
在树洞里
inside trees,
高不可攀的悬崖峭壁之上
on inaccessible cliffs,
地下
underground,
在人类建筑中
in and around buildings.
冬天经常可以在河口看到麻鹬
While curlew are often seen on estuaries in the winter,
它们的巢在内陆草地中
they nest inland on the ground.
有只麻鹬把窝建在了纽镇附近的田野上
And one curlew has chosen a field near Newtown.
这是很典型的麻鹬筑巢地
Its a typical place for a curlew nest,
但不是典型的巢
but not really a typical nest
因为通常它们会下三四只蛋
because usually,they lay three or four eggs.
但这只有一只
There's only one here.
我也不知道怎么会这样
What's happened? I don't know.
很难说 其他的可能是白鼬
Its difficult to tell. It may well be that a stoat
或狐狸叼走了
or a fox has had the other eggs,
或者她在别的地方筑巢失败
or it may well be that she nested elsewhere, failed,
在这只够时间生这么一只了
and shes had time to lay just one more egg in the new place
这里是典型的麻鹬筑巢地
Its a typical situation
因为它们相当喜欢草地
because they love these grass fields.
它是种大鸟 所以需要高草作掩护
Its a big bird, so they need tall cover,
她会在这里孵蛋
shell be tucked down here on the eggs
即使她飞走了鸟蛋也隐藏的很好
and even when she has to fly off, the eggs is still well camouflaged.
记住这一点 当草像这样遮蔽时
And bear in mind, usually, the grass is over like that,
从高空俯视 你肯定什么也看不到
so from the air, youre going to see absolutely nothing.
我还是不打扰她了
Id better leave her, I think.
麻鹬在威尔士的生活很艰苦
Its tough being a curlew in Wales.
这里的麻鹬巢不多
There are few nesting pairs
因为没有那么多合适的栖息地
as there are not enough suitable habitats for them.
威尔士的土地大多是裸♥露♥的
Much of the Welsh landscape is bare ground
像乌鸦和秃鹰这样的猎食者
and predators, like crows and buzzards,
很快就能发现鸟蛋或雏鸟
soon find the eggs and chicks.
有些鸟并不筑巢来隐蔽自己
Some birds dont have a nest to hide.
它们有出色的伪装能力来隐藏自己
They simply hide themselves with excellent camouflage.
这只雏鸟被父母放在尼斯山谷
This chick has been left by its parents on bare ground above Resolven,
瑞瑟芬村的旷野上
in the Neath Valley.
如果你是只决定在地上筑巢的鸟
If youre a bird thats decided to nest on the floor,
那么你得有非常好的伪装能力
then youve got to be really well camouflaged
你的宝宝也得有
and your chicks have got to be really well camouflaged too.
在英国没有比欧夜鹰更会伪装的鸟了
Theres not a single bird in Britain that does that better than the nightjar.
在我前方几厘米处的是只欧夜鹰雏鸟
Just a few centimetres in front of me is a nightjar chick.
现在差不多是晚上九点 它父母去捕食了
Its nearly 9:00pm and the parents have gone off to hunt
它们把孩子就像这样留在地上
and theyve left their chick behind, on the floor like this,
对它出色的伪装相当自信
completely confident that its so well camouflaged
它绝不会被路过的狐狸或獾发现
it will never be found by any passing fox or badger,
任何捕食者都不会
or any predator at all.
想在这样的环境下发现这样的雏鸟
And to find a chick like that in an area like this
几乎是不可能的
is almost impossible.
雏鸟为了不被发现会一直保持不动
Not daring to give itself away, the chick is always very still,
即便是在夜晚 但当父母捕食归来时
even at night, but when the parents return from hunting,
保持躲藏就敌不过祭五脏庙了
remaining hidden takes second place to getting dinner.
这只雏鸟吃的是昆虫 可能是蛾子
The chick is being fed insects, probably moths.
这里是梅奈海峡的"拉梵海岸"
This is Traeth Lafan in the Menai Straits,
位于北威尔士海岸
on the north Wales coast.
这里是威尔士观看涉水鸟的最佳地点之一
Its one of the best locations in Wales to see wading birds.
在这样一个开阔暴露的地方觅食时
While feeding in such an open, exposed location,
鸟儿需要保护自己不被猛禽猎杀
birds need to protect themselves from being killed by predators.
在这样个不冻河口要做到这一点
And the most effective method of doing this on an open estuary
最有效的办法便是成群结队
is by keeping together in a flock.
这一点在涨潮时更加重要
This is even more important at high tide,
鸟儿此时停止觅食聚在一起休息
when the feeding stops and the birds gather together to rest.
这里应该有超过一千只的蛎鹬
There must be over 1,000 oyster catchers,
全都挤在这块巴掌大的地方
all packing into the end of this spit here.
现在是涨潮时 海水把它们从拉梵海岸赶到
Its high tide, so the waters driven them off Traeth Lafan,
这块狭窄细长的安全地
onto the last little bit of safety, this linear bit of land.
这样有个很大的好处
And theres a big advantage to this.
这里时常有游隼打猎
This area is regularly hunted by peregrines.
游隼会捕杀蛎鹬
Peregrines will take oyster catchers.
假设你是那千只蛎鹬中的一员
If youre one bird in amongst 1,000 over there,
肯定比这边自己落单的要安全的多
its much safer than being one on its own, right out here.
仪器显示有只游隼来了
The telltale sign that a peregrine is about
就有了鸟群迅速旋转来躲避捉捕这一幕
is the sight of flocks turning and twisting to evade capture.
这是只雄鸟 它落在地上观察环境
This is a male. It has landed to survey the scene.
一只雌鸟 可能是他的伴侣 也在被猎杀
A female, probably his partner, is also on the hunt.
游隼在这样开阔地带捕猎的问题是
The problem for a peregrine, in such an open area,
总是被目标鸟群立刻发现
is that it will always be immediately seen by the target birds
但是他有速度优势与抓捕策略
But he has speed and a strategy.
它猛烈俯冲 分散鸟群
He swoops low to make the birds scatter.
混乱之中 必有一只遭遇不幸
In the confusion, one might be caught.
游隼是速度最快的生物
Being the fastest living creature
俯冲速度可达每小时120英里
with a dive that can reach a speed of 120mph,
这个策略屡试不爽
that strategy usually works.
但并不是万无一失
But not always.
生存法则中最基本的一条是个人卫生
One essential part of survival is personal hygiene.
鸟儿会时常用嘴整理羽毛
Birds constantly preen.
它们这么做是为了保持自己羽毛状况良好
They do this to keep their feathers in good condition.
如果羽毛受损 便无法飞翔 以致无法虎口脱险
If theyre damaged, they cant fly and they cant escape from predators
或是寻找食物
or find food.
它们也不能在寒冷天气时抖动羽毛保持温度
They also wont be able to fluff out their feathers to keep warm during cold weather.
它们一丝不苟地照料羽毛
They meticulously work on each feather,
确保繁密的羽毛都井然有序
making sure that all the intricate parts are in the correct place.
绝大多数鸟类尾巴下有油腺
Most birds have an oil gland beneath the tail
并用喙将油脂涂在羽毛上
and use the bill to spread the oil over the feathers.
这样能保持翅膀的柔韧性
This maintains flexibility of the wings
让全身防水
and makes the whole body waterproof.
对像绿头鸭这样的水禽来说 这是必须的
For water birds such as the mallard, this is essential.
在夏季 它们会泡在水里解暑
And in the summer, theyll have a good dip, just to keep cool.
八♥九♥月时节
During August and September,
在威尔士度夏的迁徙鸟
the migrants that have spent the summer in Wales
会前往非洲寻求更温暖冬季气候
leave in search of warmer winter weather in Africa.
威尔士食虫鸟和昆虫的数量会大幅减少
Many are insect eaters and the supply of insects will soon dwindle in Wales.
为了生存 他们必须到南方觅食
To survive, they must go south to find food.
但秋季时 又会有些鸟迁徙到威尔士
But some migrants arrive in Wales during the autumn.
它们来这是为了躲避更远北方的寒冷天气
They come here to escape the cold weather developing further north.
这些是大天鹅
These are whooper swans
它们千里迢迢从冰岛 飞来波特马多克定居
and theyve flown all the way from Iceland to a field near Porthmadog.
大天鹅是素食者
Whooper swans feed on vegetation
此时的亚北极地区会被冰雪覆盖
and that, in the sub-Arctic, will be covered in ice and snow.
但威尔士整个冬天都有可食用的绿草
Here in Wales, grass will be available throughout the winter.
在里尔的海岸
On a beach at Rhyl,
另一种迁徙鸟从更远的地方来到威尔士
another migrant bird has travelled even further to be in Wales.
这种小型鸟从北极圈深处迁徙而来
These small birds have come from deep inside the Arctic Circle.
这些是雪鹀 非常出色的小鸟
These are snow buntings, smashing little birds.
我们常常认为它们的繁殖地在
And we tend to associate them with the Arctic
北极或是凯恩戈姆山脉山顶
or the tops of the Cairngorms, and thats where they breed,
但在冬天 它们会迁徙到维度更低的地区
but in winter, they move down to lower ground.
它们的常去地是北威尔士的这块海岸
One of their regular haunts is this beach in North Wales.
你可能会问为什么是这里？
you gona ask So why come here?
这又不是世界上风景最迷人的海滩
Its not the most scenic beach in the world.
原因其实是种子
But the reason is, seeds.
它们喜欢吃种子 和所有的鹀鸟一样
Theyre seed eaters, like all buntings.
种子被风带来到沙滩的鹅卵石上
Seeds blown by the wind get caught up on the pebbles on the beach
散落在这种植被 这种滨草中
and amongst this vegetation, this marram grass here.
这对雪鹀来说是很理想的 因为海滩很长
Its ideal for them and because the beach is long enough,