Birds of Passage - A Secret Journey Through the Skies | Free Documentary Nature

[Music] every year migratory birds make their epic journey across Europe South in the Autumn North in early spring they have been flying here for thousands of years but recently there have been fewer in our skies some species have even vanished entirely why my name is Christian for over 20 years I have watched and studied Birds I learned to Pilot a micrite to fly alongside them I have been sharing this magical experience with anyone wishing to see these [Music] wonders but I can't bear standing by and watching these birds disappear what could be discouraging them from flying over our lands the expanding towns The Disappearing Meadowland are there any other reasons I want to understand and act I want to do everything I can to help these birds continue their seasonal pilgrimages and so I have dreamt up a slightly mad project a school of migration I will fly off with a small group of geese discover with them the pitfalls and dangers of our modern world and find a new way of crossing our [Music] lands then I will leave them to their freedom with the hope that my pupils will retain their Journey's lessons and one day pass these on to other wild geese come with me let me show you the secret roots of migratory [Music] Birds here we go I am flying with my birds it's August and this is the moment I've chosen to begin our great [Music] journey we are leaving the plains of alas borrowing the root from the stalks then over the forest of the vge to a from the lir all the way to the great marshlands of the Atlantic coast a migrator birds [Music] Paradise oh sorry I forgotten to introduce you here are my eight young geese all of them are gray geese the most common breed in these lands the five brothers and sisters with the yellow beaks are from the Scandinavian side of the family and a three pink big sisters from the Siberian side so here I am the head of this little family of wild geese all born this spring but in incubators at my [Music] home so how did I become the adoped father first I stayed with the eggs day and night talking to them right up until they hatched it's my voice along with my face that the golins recognize that's me 20 years ago learning how to do it geese identify with whoever is with them in the first few hours of their lives even if it's a man over the coming weeks I would reinforce this Bond the same method has worked for my geese today if they seem at ease with the micrite that's because I told them to Waddle flap and then fly [Applause] [Music] alongside that's why they have no problem following me [Music] today greay geese migrate from northern Europe to the south of Spain to spend the winter in the wild they learn the root of this Migration by following their parents on the way down on the way back up they often manage it on their own flying in the crisp morning light the landscape appears clearly castles Church Towers Villages Rivers so many landmarks for my student Navigators who wedge the route into their memory with eyesight that is eight times times sharper than mine they calculate their position using the stars and the Sun and possess cells capable of sensing the Earth's magnetic field a compass built into their eye and a GPS in their Peak they are perfectly equipped and yet it is me they follow it's hot beaks open their tongues catching the tiniest drop of moisture so many clear signs they are thirsty below us a gravel pit with strange turquoise water out of instinct a wild Grey Goose would not land here time for the first [Music] lesson OD place for a swim indeed my geese AR Keen to dive into this Caribbean water here nothing is wild and yet it's a safe place [Music] y by overcoming their suspicion Magis have one more resting place on their route taking advantage of what man has done to Nature that's the moral of this afternoon we've been flying since morning hunger is setting in they're still unaccustomed to Long flights in the wild they Feast on tender shoots of soft grass and seeds but here no Meadows just cultivated Farmland as far as the eye can see it's the same story elsewhere nothing to Peck [Music] [Applause] at I decide to sit down near cornfield lesson number two taking advantage of the Harvest seeds leaves corn a ghoul May Feast for starving [Music] Birds unafraid the smallest of the pink beaks winds away through the rose of corn I keep my eye on her but let her go migration is also growing up you soon learn caution that was close a good lesson the leftovers from the Harvest are a Gods sand for migrating birds some Farmers know this and leave the stubble for a few weeks before playing back my geese have learned to take advantage Bell's full we leave the plain of AAS heading for the vge [Music] mountains above the forest the geese stay close to the microlite instinct tells them that this ocean of trees beneath offers no suitable place for landing or space to take off in case of danger I decide to take us down onto this Reservoir closed in and surrounded by trees its Black Water fascinates the birds [Music] for their first Everlong flight Magis have had to draw on their reserves they will spend the night feeding on algae in the water and drinking drinking water whose taste they will memorize like the address of a good hostel to visit again one day o we're at the foot of the premari volcano as with every new landscape we fly over conversation picks up they're a chatty Bunch Gees they sound their position to the group to avoid a midair pileup they cannot turn their heads to look at each other it's also a way of checking everyone's there they re recognize each individual call they expect me to join in with these conversations too I do my [Music] [Applause] best the geese at the front spotted this enticing Pete bog long before me you could call the migration of wild geese the tour fr is lakes and ponds so vital to them is [Music] water [Music] on the ground I have to admit it's a perfect sight any Predators like Foxes or Birds of Prey would be spotted from far away as for the other guests they seem quite harmless as a Goose your first task in a new place is to really take in the scenery after the exertion and stress of a flight nothing beats a good swim the water's full of great things too lari insects Roots pulled up from the bottom [Music] [Music] I'm amazed at the things they can do without ever having seen or learned them from anyone it's innate maintaining 20 ,000 feathers not just as decoration but a flying machine fuselage Wings Rudder propeller with the tip of their beak they apply wax from a gland on their rear leaving their feathers waterproof flexible and resistant to parasites one floor in their plumage can cause exhaustion over a long flight real contortionists I couldn't teach them [Music] that I keep a close eye on the little pink beak a little cheeky she wers off from her brothers and sisters inquisitive adventurous or careless The Grass Is Always Greener as they [Music] say neck stretch upward the big male is not happy instinct tells him that a lone bird attracts predators and puts everyone in [Music] danger she stamps the ground she's worried I do not interfere on purpose eventually the oldest ping beig sister takes control bringing the little one back to her senses back to the [Music] fold stretching out and swaying the neck is how we say [Music] hello get back before it's too [Music] late [Music] happy hey the incident is over but a rift has appeared between the pin beaks and the yellow beaks we don't need to wait long before the group indulges in a little argument Goose to Goose the in beaks quickly take the upper hand they are dominant the pink beaks will have to tread care Stephanie every family group needs a hierarchy it reassures [Music] everybody nothing like a grooming session to repair family [Music] bonds I am always touched by the attachment my geese have shown since they were young I'm attached to them too and yet I will have to Le them at the end of the journey by the evening their wings are itching it's an irresistible urge they are young they've got to move they've got to [Music] fly at the end of a summer's day hot and cold currents whip up the air in the valley I make the most of it they will soon need to face high wind storms turbulence so kids you wanted some exercise tonight's lesson acrobatics if the air was visible this Valley would be a rough sea with waves crashing against the cliffs lashing my geese and my [Music] machine here come the [Music] gusts I keep counting them in my head 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 one's missing [Music] eight the group is breaking up my geese Drift from one side to the other above and below it would only take a second to lose [Music] one she would try to find us flying until complete exhaustion and eventually abandoning us she would have no chance of survival on her own that's my greatest [Music] fear above a certain altitude the turbulence stops the air carries us like a strong current calm and smooth they have to learn this for the day they must cross higher mountains [Music] alone with the tips of their long outer feathers or flight feathers each bird learns to feel the slightest Breeze and shap themselves to it not flying but [Music] surfing no longer pink or yellow beaks we're a family The Sky Is [Music] Ours September [Music] a thick fog Keeps Us grounded in the morning flying is impossible there's a constant fear of losing one another the geese stay [Music] close as usual the little pink beak explores the surroundings alone in a group of geese there's always is one more inquisitive than the others and that often benefits the group I let her go but keep her in [Music] sight then everything happens once the sun breaks through the fog the big maale surprises everyone and preempts my signal to leave I have to catch them up our little Explorer is caught off [Music] guard in the wild she would have a slim chance of rejoining the group I forced the Squadron to fly close to the surface to stay visible for the little [Music] one at the last moment she rejoins the group The Ping bigs get close to their little sister this accidental lesson of caution will have been useful to her I [Music] hope we leave the lake the mountains an [Music] noan a new day A new challenge the lir for Millennia migratory birds have followed the courses of rivers there they have places to feed to land and to rest a direct route to the Sea a route that never changes the leading Birds maintain an impressive Pace 30 [Music] mph the strong strongest take turns at the front and use 20% more energy the others Glide in their wake and are drawn in like the cyclist in t the France by the chasing [Music] pack we look for a river bank but after after the Autumn rains the swollen W has swallowed its islands and eaten into its [Music] banks the big male and the little pink beak compete for attention and lead the [Music] group [Music] I notice we're fighting against the wind our grand speed is practically [Music] zero my geese are tying themselves out for nothing and my motor is beginning to suffer no wild bird would be stupid enough to carry on we have to land quick and [Music] [Laughter] safe [Music] good at this quiet little airport I'm not taking a big risk and being on the ground gives me a chance to check the motor and leave when the conditions [Music] allow [Music] but leaving this little gang of teenagers unsupervised is a mistake [Music] in the end I think this little fright will be useful to [Laughter] them airports offer tempting Meadowland for migrating birds but they have to learn to be cautious get to know their limits I have to resolve myself to spend the night securing the campsite is still vital foxes attack at night they fly off into the darkness and I lose them all a fox's cry puts them on alert like every night they only sleep for a few minutes at a time with only one eye shut like [Music] me [Music] [Music] sh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] in the morning the wind has dropped but the clouds are low the microlite is soaked the thick cloud cover would swallow us like flies we'll have to wait they're getting restless so I'll let them blow off some [Music] steam [Music] ready hey happy [Music] no traveling today just a [Music] flyby the little Explorer and her sister venture to where the current is strong like a treadmill beneath their feet they drift where I wouldn't want them [Music] to In The Middle on the river the Trap is set live ducks one foot tied down call passing birds and fade Ducks make it seem like a peaceful [Music] place a hunter's hide [Music] [Applause] [Music] empty lucky useless Hunters they have to get back quick I hope that this fear will stay in the memories of my geese and they'll remember to avoid similar traps elsewhere hunting is one of our Traditions but it kills 177,000 of the 50,000 greay geese that still attend this journey every year [Music] a weather window signals our departure the oldest of the Ping beaks appears to memorize the location for next year Direction Due West the stages follow one another between gray and blue sky between Countryside and town where another formidable rival species has been living for a long time man he is [Music] everywhere but his activities are not always harmful to Wild Birds here's a chance for a new lesson some motorways have become navigational tools for Birds visible by day and night less winding than the [Music] rivers the big male and the pink beaks are mesmerized and can't look [Music] away some species are already used to these easy to follow routs [Music] TI wellow try one of the many rest stops along the way a few 38 ton trucks okay but no hunting and no [Music] [Music] Hustle wind farms are not the Gee's best friends with headwinds and low visibility the Instinct for geese is to fly low surprised by these giant fans they panic and their group breaks up some get lost I could pass further away but I prefer to flirt with danger tame Their Fear [Music] every day new windmills spring up like mushrooms next time they might be less [Music] surprised [Music] a it's October and Autumn is upon us day after day we follow the lir and its fertile PLS their super sharp eyesight allows the geese to distinguish all the shades of green and to pick out the best grass by Instinct they're never wrong well [Music] almost my pig beaks have drawn the group to the most delicious looking part of the course the [Music] green [Music] this time their comfort around people comes in useful I encourage them further other species have already G crash public parts and Gardens where people presume they are decorative Birds this bwick Swan for example has probably come from Siberia to spend the winter here where the water won't [Music] freeze I [Music] clearly the three pink beak sisters are drifting away from the group The dominance of the yellow beaks like my paternal Authority is starting to Wayne it's normal they're Cutting Loose deep down I know it's for the best as we were about to leave a bird invites himself over to the group a duck separated from her own kind and trying to find some company I have often seen lone Birds mingle in colonies of different species anything but aone is the motto of the migrators and they're happy to welcome a bird that doesn't speak their [Music] [Music] language [Music] today the air is full of a new scent they inhale at length I know what lies in store but they [Music] don't and suddenly there it is the endless blue of the Atlantic which must awaken within the Millennia of hidden Memories We have reached an essential stage on this Great Migration some birds stop [Music] here the abandoned duck takes command where to go she knows she must recognize the [Music] terrain everything is new the sand The Sounds the smells the light even the taste of the water the crashing waves Intrigue them the big male keeps a lookout cautious as ever the Ping beaks LED Away by the little Explorer look for a venture away from his gaze the beach is full of Temptations For Better or Worse with no hands they use their beaks they nibble each item examining its taste smell texture they stamp the ground hoping to dislodge a tasty morsel Birds die in their thousands from accidentally ingesting the tons of litter dropped on beaches or returned by the Sea they're grown up now I won't be with them forever they must learn for themselves the difference between what's okay and what isn't the big male hears the duck but cannot see her is she lost it sounds like there's nothing they can do to save her now how could she resist such a male with that two-tone [Music] outfit she shows off her catch one last time we won't see her again one day my geese will also have to find a partner one they'll keep for [Music] Life The Tide Rises the sun sets now is a time for roting this great flight common to migratory Birds the world over takes them from the shore to Inland marshes to spend the night then return again in the morning this coming and going is a vital lesson for my geese who will spend many months [Music] here [Music] we are a little early but a few cranes have already started arriving from northern Europe the wild geese will arrive the next few [Applause] days there is one final lesson to be learned the most difficult the less certain the time has come to give my geese their freedom in this Nature Reserve with no hunting they have every chance but they will have to forget about me the yellow beaks already distant the pink beaks still so affectionate but I must leave them now [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh rushing forward with them one last time I picture them joining the wild geese to stop here the school of migration has prepared them for it not only to learn from the other geese but also to pass on what we have discovered [Music] together I imagine them crossing the mountains to reach their winter [Music] pastures and I see them one day teaching their own young the roots of migration [Music]

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 1,456,810

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Nature, Animals, Animal Documentary, The secret journey of migratory birds, Migratory Birds, Bird of Passage, Birds of Passage, Geese, Goose, Greylag goose, Migration of Birds, Bird Migration, Wild Birds, Bird is the Word, migratory birds documentary, European Birds, Wild Geese, Netflix

Id: 0I-2C5fulCw

Length: 52min 43sec (3163 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 20 2023