A Winter's Tale - The Journey of the Snowy Owls | Free Documentary Nature

somewhere high up in the north in the vast and barren terrains of the tundra lives a very mysterious animal often symbolic of wisdom historically revered as a medium between the worlds [Music] the snowy owl best known by fans of harry potter in some years it undertakes the long journey westwards to europe sometimes to germany why does it exert itself to such extremes lemmings and snowy owls are entwined their relationship exists over thousands of years most for the lemming and with its death for the owl it is essential the prey is not for the hunter his mate is waiting the pair have four offspring to rear the father has to leave again straight away the mother stays to feed the three week old chicks they have to gain weight quickly because autumn will begin in three months time [Music] in the land of the snowy owl the sun won't sit for many weeks and thus quite untypically for hours it hunts in the daylight its eyes are accustomed to it nothing escapes its attention [Music] watching and waiting that is its strategy but not for waterfowl's they're not so well suited for the chicks the owl is waiting for the lemming above all else it's taking too long for the female the chicks need at least four rodents per day not a problem in good lemming years when the male can provide one after the other then the owls can manage to raise up to 11 offspring but right now there are few to be found that's why the family is so small when food is in short supply owls lay fewer eggs but nevertheless it is still not enough for the little ones around every four years there is an explosion in the lemming numbers at least that's how it's been until now but now such a boom time for lemmings is long overdue what is it that has disrupted this cycle [Music] if there is too little food it is the last born and therefore the smallest it will pay the price in its development chances to compete for its share against the larger chicks will be ever more remote the male is out for increasingly prolonged amounts of time to find prey it's vital that the mother manages to protect her young against the icy winds in a short time the temperature will drop to near freezing point the mother deepens the hollow of the nest for protection while the father searches in vain for lemmings the family is starving [Music] it's as if the lemmings have been swallowed up by the ground the mother has nothing more to offer the pleas of her nestling [Music] she seems to have run out of ideas as to how to help her dying chick [Music] the adults can deal with far lower temperatures but for the smallest in these circumstances there is no chance [Music] [Applause] the male has no time to lose he has to make sure at least that the other chicks survive [Music] the hour will feed the dead chick to the other chicks every form of nutrition is imperative as long as the male continues to have problems [Music] the fortune of the family is uncertain one thing is for certain though an increase in lemming numbers this summer has not materialized [Music] the chicks have to manage to achieve a weight of at least two kilos within the next three weeks if not they will not survive the winter [Music] the fog hardly clears at all already in the middle of august it is autumn the geese begin their escape to the south snowy owls however are not migratory birds they remain where they are [Music] a little later and the tundra is covered with snow much earlier than expected [Music] the landscape is in the grip of temperatures that sink to minus 40 degrees celsius it is only they who can adapt that will survive even the feet velvety souls are covered with feathers as is the beak it's the same with the arctic fox white as camouflage and warmly covered with fur even under the pores owls and foxes share a similar fate in that they both hunt lemmings and for both of them it is now essential that they find some as the temperature sinks the owl now has a difficult decision should it try and bear it out here and continue searching like the fox or is the snow too deep and hard and it'll be under threat of diminishing fat reserves the forks has no choice in the matter [Music] but the snowy owl does [Music] it doesn't always migrate like other birds but will travel if the conditions are too extreme it leaves the siberian desert of ice behind and travels westwards [Music] traveling at up to 85 kilometers per hour it can cover large areas of russia [Music] ahead lay the fells of north scandinavia 2 500 kilometers away from its breeding grounds here the wind clears the tops of the mountains increasing the owl's chances of finding some lemmings the open terrain is an invitation to rest the owl needs the clear view for its hunting the stranger's presence doesn't go unnoticed however the reindeers soon return their attentions to the arduous process of uncovering moss and lightning the secret as to why they don't suffer from hypothermia lies with their large snouts the icy air warms up through the long nasal passage and the heat is retained when they breathe out their wide hooves act like snowshoes and prevent the animal from sinking too deeply into the snow but the true master of walking on snow is the alpine rabbit with its white fur and smaller ears it's perfectly suited to the subpolar environment elegant snowshoe sprinter would be the perfect catch for the owl if only it wasn't so very quick what else is on offer snow grouse they've spent the night in a well-insulated snow chamber a bit like an igloo but hunger has forced them to leave their cover together many eyes are their best protection to survive the owl observes them attentively however its attentions don't go unnoticed [Music] no luck again [Music] finally a mountain lemming a little more perspective than its brown cousin in siberia but just as delicious it's collecting grasses and lychen to stock up its pantry under the snow that's where it spends most of its time in the winter well protected and hard to find the snowy owl must use its chance [Music] the lemming is watchful walking on its snowshoes it stalks the lemming trusting in its camouflage and the element of surprise however its cover has been blown [Music] the lemming is confoundedly fast [Music] another attempt is for now out of the question [Music] heavy snowfall impedes the visibility this is the beginning of a very hard time even for the reindeer who are so well used to the cold they only have the chance to remain and starve or to make the energy sapping journey through the deep snow to search out new pastures for their meager diet the lemming has absolutely no problem with the snow quite the opposite it's an ally foraging stalking up eating raising its young up to six times throughout the winter it manages all that buried under the snow and rarely ventures out if there's a new covering of snow it offers the perfect protection against the cold and enemies for the owl it's a tragedy because it makes the rodents much harder to find it's only in those places where the wind blows a clearing that it has a chance [Music] the first attempt the rodent hidden in its labyrinth has a clear advantage [Music] and it's no stranger to protecting himself deep snow hunting it seems is not for the owl the reindeer leave the inhospitable terrain the snowy owl is also forced to move on indeed the perennial aviator will cover the circumference of the pole throughout the winter in search of nourishment if it doesn't meet with success the journey will be very risky will its undernourished energy reserves last long enough to reach the south where it can hunt again [Music] the energy sapping flight is grueling a short catch in between could be much needed but here also the snow is far too deep [Music] the great grail shows how to be a good deep snow hunter it seeks out the mice from above and makes its approach silently gliding before plunging the last meters with a full force landing deep in the snow although only around 2 kilos in weight it manages to pinpointedly capture its prey up to 40 centimeters under the snow the competition looks in the background the supply of mice is small but the hunger is big every little bit counts in the winter the hunter has already swallowed his well-earned rewards but it takes a while for his competition to notice with such tough competition around the snowy owl has no chance it has to leave the tigers forests behind it can't hunt between trees open spaces with a milder climate are the aim but its destination is still as yet a long journey away after a further 500 kilometers it has still not crossed the undesirable coniferous forest exhausted it stops for a rest [Music] as dusk approaches the forest of the trolls is suddenly awake millions of bramblings are heading south and are looking for a place to rest for the night [Music] a very real spirit of the forest makes an entrance the snowy owl must heed him attentively he could be very dangerous a wolverine this giant martin can cover up to 45 kilometers in a night in its relentless search for food in the winter it'll eat anything it can find nothing escapes its highly tuned sense of smell a leftover carcass distracts its attentions [Music] however its attentions don't go unnoticed the lynx is not impressed when it discovers someone hunting on its terrain the wolverine thinks better of it and ambles on the lynx is already full and is looking for a quiet branch to settle down for the night taken the lynx decides not to trouble itself with an argumentative owl long and cold hours lay ahead of the owl it's a night as if made for myths and fairy tales [Music] where the northern lights dance like florescent ghosts in the night sky [Music] perhaps the myths about the ambassadors to the other side stem from such knights as this they are the stuff of jk rowling's creation hedwig the messenger owl in harry potter's magical world [Music] a little more factually seen they are the result of a natural phenomena the solar winds highly charged particles collide with the earth's atmosphere triggering the atoms into this majestic play of light [Music] [Music] as the sun rises this intriguing spectacle is totally absorbed by the daylight the starting gun for the black grouse who come to the same place year after year to perform their communal courtship rituals [Music] every male occupies his own small personal territory and sets out to impress the competition not only acoustically but dramatically as well [Music] the red wattles above the eyes swell up for the annual occasion the oldest and the highest ranking occupy the centre of the courting arena [Music] a younger member of the group is staking his challenge to the helm a jewel is caught like two swordsmen the birds sit at each other with their powerful beaks they attempt to hit each other on the red wattles a direct hit the younger has managed to grab hold of the older [Music] for this it'll have to endure some powerful retaliatory swipes with the wings [Music] with this jewel both young and old can be disciplined it will only be the winner who is allowed to mate with the females [Music] it seems grouse won't be on the menu for breakfast it forces the owl to continue its journey southwards and to leave the scandinavian tiger behind it has to finally get to suitable hunting grounds by and by deciduous trees such as birch are mixed into the palate of the forest and the days grow longer and warmer after another 10 days flight it finally reaches the north sea on the south coast of scandinavia however instead of finding a large stretch of open water with resting sea birds beneath there is nothing else but an icy desert this year the arctic temperatures have even gripped the expanse's moderate climbs across denmark land of the vikings the picture remains the same 5 000 kilometers now lay behind it it's only as it reaches the wooden sea around the german north sea islands that things look better in between the tidal waves swim schools of flounders without the protection of ice has it finally reached its goal [Music] a young snowy owl has arrived two weeks earlier although less experienced the younger birds intuitively set off for the journey earlier [Music] it's found a fully set table on germany's north sea coast sea boats as far as the eye can see from mallards to shell drakes all fighting for a place as the evening sets in on the interior freshwater lakes behind the coast here they're best protected overnight against such nocturnal predators like the martin or the fox by the next morning most of them have survived the uncomfortable cold of the night and in ice cold water with bare feet at that [Music] how do those water birds manage not to freeze [Music] astonishingly enough they actually lose very little heat on the ice they're equipped with a perfect heat exchange system in their legs [Music] warm blood flows downwards and the cold blood upwards at an abundantly flowing bottleneck the warm blood exchanges with the cold blood which travels back into the body saving energy by keeping one's feet cold in principle [Music] without such an ingenious heat recovery system the smaller birds above all else would quickly freeze [Music] but despite this impressive wonder of nature the birds are constantly under pressure throughout the winter not to starve the grey heron normally hunts fish however when the waters are frozen a plan b is needed it keeps its eyes on the sheldricks fish hunters like itself perhaps you can wrangle something out of them the smew comes from far away from siberia like the snowy owl which is watching on as ever [Music] the owl waits perhaps one of the many birds won't be paying attention [Music] this solitary duck perhaps [Music] the lemming hunter transforms into a bird hunter the tactic remains the same it'll take what is easiest to overpower but hunting birds is not such an easy undertaking what makes it even more difficult is that the birds warn each other the snowy owl has to stay hungry for now [Music] a shell drake is having a bit more luck with its catch however that is only short-lived here thievery is the order of the day thieves are bound everywhere no movement escapes attention [Music] albeit when two are having a dispute the third one reaps the benefits but the herons haven't given up yet the gull doesn't even get a chance to swallow [Music] so much commotion all over one fish nothing illustrates the necessity of the birds more [Music] it's not absolutely the strongest that perseveres here but more they were the most cunning the clever gull swallows the fish straight away should the waters freeze completely it will come down to a basic fight for survival a fight has flared up over the last fish among the herrings [Music] no rule is barred in the bird's efforts to stop the other swallowing they who run out of steam to struggle will die during the harder winters around 50 of the herons will starve only the most resourceful of them will survive some animals decide not to trouble themselves at all with the hardships of winter hidden away in the hollow of a tree a garden dormouse takes its leave of the inconveniently cold season its body temperature has sunk to just above freezing and its metabolism has reduced itself to a minimum its heart beats only slightly per minute a whole range of animals disappear from the picture altogether during the winter months and emaciate themselves from their fat reserves while sleeping tree hollows are mostly favored by the household and the edible dormice the hedgehog on the other hand likes to bury itself under dried out foliage and grass hunters like the snowy owl have no chance to find them in their hideaways many other animals simply have to bear it out with its bushes filled with berries and its apple trees the coastal region in the north of germany serves as a gigantic fridge for the birds field fairs and the common blackbirds absolutely love the rich frozen fare apples contain large amounts of sweet fructose and are good sources of energy every apple harvested could be a lifesaver even the newcomers arriving from the tiger enjoy the benefits of the fruit the wax wings are not the only guests who have made the arduous journey from the north the older snowy owl arrives on the scene famished after a flight of nearly 5 000 kilometers it is in urgent need of nutrition but the partridges are all too aware but finally there is a hope for the owl again on the relatively open plains chances are much better for hunting [Music] a hundred years ago the snowy owls numbers were much larger in central europe today it is extremely rare some even come as stowaways during a storm in 2014 five american owls found shelter on a ship bound for europe from board they flew over the netherlands and back home again a modern winter's fairytale [Music] such a comfortable journey wasn't had by this owl added to that it now faces competition fox and irma [Music] all are chasing the same thing the mouse the omen looks as if it could have a plan what could be the reason for this sprightly little romp the fox is taking its time it's monitoring for slight sounds beneath the snow the performance was not without its merit the ermine aims to shock the mouse and tried to scare it out of its safe haven [Music] and it works [Music] the victory is short-lived try again very fortunate for the patient guest [Music] urbans and foxes hunt mice as their primary source of prey they are dependent on it for their numbers [Music] as ever the snowy owl watches on [Music] the urban has to keep a close eye on the owl sometimes owls just can't resist their kleptomaniac urges a younger snowy owler enters the scene the feathers of the young and the females are covered with brown speckles perhaps it's one of her own chicks the irman has had enough for the day end of the show [Music] not all are such rare guests as the snowy elbow whooper swans rest in their thousands in the north of germany before undertaking their return journey to the siberian tiger [Music] throughout february the sun's rays increase and the spirit of departure reverberates across the lake [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] getting 11 kilos off the surface is a job in itself [Music] for the young snowy owl their departure is the signal to return [Music] it takes the route along the baltic coast it's following the route of the other birds [Music] the best hunting chances are wherever they choose to take a break [Music] finally comes the thor without snow and ice everything is much easier hunting strategies suddenly change this time the owl wants the ducks to see it and it glides directly towards them forcing them to dive it hovers above with patience the first to come up for air dies today it is catered for around 50 000 barnacle geese now set off for their arctic breeding grounds the snowy owl also has to endure this last grueling stage over four thousand kilometers passing via the arctic circle [Music] an unusually hard northern winter has led the owl to europe however such years will become less common who knows if it'll find its way to these shores again climate change will also have an effect on its life the cyclical lemming outbreak in many regions of the tundra has dropped drastically over the last 20 years [Music] a possible reason is the rise in temperature in the arctic at present it is around 1 degree centigrade per decade the winters become shorter and more clement [Music] as a result the lemmings lose their deep and protective layer of snow early in the year the large-scale outbreak of the last generations has been dramatically reduced [Music] the gradual thor of the arctic will have pronounced effects on many of the specialized inhabitants of the arctic and yet the exact ecological consequences remain largely unknown [Music] the snowy owl has returned just in time for the arctic spring [Music] the lapland loan spore is at the height of its mating season when the cotton grasses heads are formed the first half of the six week arctic summer has already passed the birds have to hurry in rearing their new offspring the growing season to the advantage of many chicks will increase due to climate change even the geese which feed on grass will be a beneficiary the snowy owls have yet again a small family this year now as before they're dependent on their supply of lemmings how the diminishing numbers will have an effect over the long term remains to be seen on the other hand perhaps they won't be forced to fly so far south as a result of the milder arctic winter one thing remains clear for the snowy owls to survive in the magical world of the winter one needs particular qualities intelligence a sense of adventure and immense powers of insurance [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Documentary 2021, Nature, Animals, Animal Documentary, Snowy Owl, Snowy Owl Documentary, Arctic, Arctic Wildlife, Owl, Owl Documentary, Polar Owl, White Owl, Arctic Owl, Birds of Prey, Bubo scandiacus, Lemming, Lemmings, Lemming Documentary

Id: 0e2TpkZ1FEY

Length: 44min 31sec (2671 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 10 2021