The Fascinating Wildlife of the Rhine Gorge | Free Documentary Nature

[Music] the river rhyme no german river has inspired so much writing song and poetry and nowhere in germany is as famous for its castles as the upper middle rhine valley what is not widely known however is the area's extraordinary flora and fauna the wild romantic steep rocky slopes flanking the river are home to a fascinating variety of plant and wildlife some species are actually native to south east europe and the mediterranean and they include some real gems found only rarely in germany and only here in the wild lorelai valley [Music] the wild lorelei valley [Music] the geology dates back around 300 million years since then the riverscape has been molded by wind and water in the course of time the rhine has eroded away the hard rock and created this stunning valley with dramatic gorges the waves of the rhine have been harnessed to carry all kinds of freight since time immemorable even today modern cargo ships ply between basel and rotterdam laden with goods and materials flowing for one thousand 1 320 kilometers the rhine is europe's longest and biggest river after the danube and the volga but the romantic upper middle rhine valley accounts for only a 65 kilometer stretch of it at zant gorshausen the rhine flows around the famous laura lye rock the river is only about 110 meters wide here but up to 25 meters deep this is the narrowest and most dangerous point on the river feared by boatman because of the treacherous rocks below the water line up until a few years ago shippers relied on local pilots to help them navigate these waters safely the legend of the seductive siren lore said to have lured many boatmen to their deaths 200 years ago lives on today each year innumerable visitors from all over the world come to the middle ryan valley to get a glimpse of the beguiling lorelai [Music] in the 19th century the wild rhine valley between bingham and koblenz was discovered by writers and philosophers painters and musicians they established the image of the romantic rhine for the well-heeled travelers of that time this was one of the places that every educated person just had to have seen no fairy tale from the depths of time the middle rhine valley is the quintessential romantic rhine landscape even today the upper middle rhine valley is world renowned for its extraordinary wealth of cultural treasures nowhere else can match the number and density of castles and stately homes found here [Music] a cultivated landscape of great diversity and beauty with an exceptionally rich cultural legacy the entire upper middle ryan valley was declared a unesco world heritage site in 2002 [Music] but since its discovery as a romantic getaway the face of the rhine valley has been scarred roads and railway lines architectural dereliction and post-war budget tourism all took their toll here there's no trace of the romantic rhyme only the rocky areas were spared the areas that were not suitable for farming or other uses for decades father ryan was also heavily polluted today thanks to a range of environmental programs even salmon have returned to the river the middle rhine valley is a picture book landscape that can easily be explored on foot this is the only way to experience in the flesh the rare plants and animals that inhabit the rocky knolls and steep slopes the thickets ravines and dry grassland anyone who makes the effort to climb up here reaps rewards exciting encounters with nature and breathtaking views it's a fascinating and satisfying experience at any time of the year early january not far from the lorelei rock an unusual sight for the middle rhine valley dancing snowflakes because the rhine rocks store heat the climate here is actually almost mediterranean even if it looks here as though winter has driven all life away or undercover nature with its myriad of plants and wildlife has adapted to the changing temperatures to hot dry summers and cold winters halibur for example flowers in the depths of winter it's a relative of the christmas rose when the ponds and streams of the middle rhine valley freeze over many animals come to the river in search of food mute swans black-headed gulls and coats winter visitors from far field also feel at home here like this tufted duck and these gussanders from the far north the great egret is also an increasingly frequent winter visitor a relative of the local grey heron it feeds on small fish which it stalks in shallow water so many water birds also attract enemies of course such as this buzzard the muskrat feeds on aquatic vegetation which it retrieves from under the ice but this is a hard time for the kestrel even if the snow is thin it's not easy to hunt field mice there are also slim pickings for those grey partridges scouring the snow-covered fields for seeds the ice and snow took this aerial acrobat by surprise the red kite normally migrates south in the winter but winters in the rhine valley are so mild now that some birds don't bother making the long trip even when winter makes an icy appearance in the rhine valley the big freeze doesn't normally last long the first northbound cranes often fly over the valley as early as february they're one of the first signs that winter is coming to an end as the ice recedes the fist-sized little grib can be seen bobbing and diving for fish and a familiar voice is now heard everywhere the wren one of the smallest songbirds in germany on the way to spawn the fire salamander toads and frogs are also now looking for a nursery the dipper is another songbird one that can also swim and dive the brilliantly colored kingfisher is a master at catching fish it prefers the smaller rivers and streams running into the rhine over the riverbank a black kite waits for prey to float by slowly but surely the middle rhine valley awakes from its winter sleep once the sun traces a higher arc across the sky people start to emerge on the streets it's a response that runs deep in our genes for rhinelanders this is the fifth season of the year carnival on the ride the revelers banish winter according to custom [Music] in the plant world the early flowers benefit particularly from the mild climate of the rhine valley among them violas whose delicate scent attracts the first butterflies [Music] the attractive past flower grows in well-sheltered places and willow catkins bloom everywhere much to the delight of the bees down by the river strange calls can now be heard the great crested greeb has started courting the riverbank is not the only busy place the woods are also coming to life a nut hatch fixes up last year's nesting hall the squirrel grooms its paws a spotted woodpecker finishes carving out a chamber for its young only the wild cat dozes and dreams in the warm morning sun gradually the small birds of the thicket make an appearance again the chaffidge and the robin have both staked out their territory is it just sunning itself or is the buzzard tracking a mouse maybe it's eyeing the young wild rabbits high above the valley a pair of ravens have settled in the old beach forest and it looks as if they already have young the early sun also lures the slow worm out into the oven and the wall lizard is already catching the first insects if the stone chat is back from its wintering grounds spring must be just around the corner [Applause] the heat stored by the rhine rocks not only makes for a mild climate along the riverbank the slopes of the upper middle rhine valley are a vibrant green even in april while mountain and hillsides elsewhere are still bare yellow cow slips now flower in the dry meadows wall flowers bloom in rock niches that catch the sun so does rare buckler mustard the flowers of the periwinkle spread over shady ground like a blue carpet inconspicuous whitlow grass is one of the many species that grow here in nutrient poor soil others include euphorbia potentially and sand rock crests once the cherry blossom appears spring has finally arrived in the rhine valley greylag geese are already taking their young to nearby marshland the grey heron is not so quick off the mark it's still busy building its nest at the top of a willow tree the rugged rocky slopes are the hunting grounds of the kestrel it can hover like this for minutes brown hairs get better acquainted while grazing new shoots but remain on the alert for danger [Music] they have nothing to fear from this predator the red kite is more interested in field mice and other small animals but the partridge could well be at risk it needs to stay on its guard unlike the fox cubs playing outside their den they haven't a care in the world a robin sings its sweet but melancholy song some drenched rocks offer a good place for a green lizard to warm up a rare sight during the day an eagle owl thanks to major conservation programs these large owls have become re-established in the middle rhine valley and raised their young and the safety of the rocks as each day of spring passes a landscape becomes more colorful more and more shrubs and flowers come into bloom musk thistle for example with its reddish purple flowers and broom its vivid yellow flowers are seen everywhere but burning bush used as a medicinal herb in medieval times is a rare sight so is catchfly which gets its name from its sticky stem from morning widow to rare orchid the diversity of flowering plants here is breathtaking and entirely typical for the warm climate of the upper middle ryan valley some species are widespread others are pioneers at the northernmost tip of their distribution area pretty much the same can be said of the wildlife there are rare species and there are ubiquitous ones like the starling which raises its youngs in just about any nook or cranny or the yellow hammer which is found throughout the ryan valley among the rarest finds are owl flies they are known to biologists as ascalophus labelloids which means dragonfly-like a member of the net winged insect order they are thought to have migrated to the upper middle rhine valley during a brief warm spell only a few hundred years ago when temperatures returned to normal a few survived and laid foundations for the small population that is found here today viewed close up the high contrast yellow and black wings with their fine mesh or veins make the insects look more robust and resilient than a dragonfly also interesting is the fact that these filigree creatures have managed to survive in this area without any special protection another resident who has come to feel at home in the cultivated landscape is the garden red star it likes to build its nest in holes and gnarled old fruit trees which it finds in abundance here stone crop is the food of a particularly fine and rare butterfly scolitante orion commonly known as the checkered blue the undersides of its wings are strikingly marked with large black dots and a vibrant orange ribbon the checkered blue is found only at a few special places well concealed on steep rocky slopes this small butterfly is one of the very special residents of the rocky areas of the middle rhine valley when the village pastor august fox published his observations about butterflies in the middle rhine valley over a hundred years ago this area became famous far and wide and it still is today for good reason in spring and summer more species of butterfly can be observed here and anywhere else in the middle rhine valley [Music] one of the finest and largest butterflies in the middle rhine region is the scarce or sail swallowtail distinctive features include the black tiger bands on its wings and hind wings with long tails only about an hour after emerging from its pupil case the swallowtail dries its wings in preparation for its first flight sometimes it stays like this for hours [Music] when it's absorbed enough heat [Music] it becomes suddenly active vigorously flapping its wings it takes to the air for a trial flight around the metal there are two generations of swallowtail here the summer generation whose progeny spend the winter as chrysalises and emerge the following spring and the spring generation whose offspring pupate and emerge in the same year in the middle ryan area the swallowtail prefers to lay its eggs on the leaves of the saint lucy cherry the female lays only a single egg then flies on to the next tree the song of the skylark over its breeding territory can now be heard far and wide early summer is the time for insects which also occur here in a wide variety of colors and shapes the colorful goldfinch is already collecting the first seeds a robin takes a breather between feeding its young and the rock bunting which ranges no further north than the vineyards of the middle rhine competes with its neighbor for the favors of a female in an old apple tree young middle spotted woodpeckers call for food which is served by the parents in bite-sized pieces nearly every species of european woodpecker is found here including the green woodpecker which is already looking after almost adult young hidden among the briars is the nest of the red-backed shrike also known as the warri angle or warrior the parents share the work of raising their young red back shrikes feed on large insects which they catch on the wing and nearby meadows surplus prey is skewered on thorns in the old trees beneath these castle ruins young long-eared owls wait for dark killing time by grooming their feathers the parent dozes on a branch within sight of its young but one eye remains vigilant ever alert for signs of danger a diurnal hunter the buzzard conducts an aerial surveillance flight over its breeding territory the peregrine falcon which returned to the middle rhine valley a number of years ago watches its partner in the sky looking for food peregrine falcons are among the fastest birds on the way you can reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers an hour their smaller relatives kestrels have lived here for years in the old castle walls but the place the small birds of prey like best is on the other side of the valley high up on the crown of germania the central figure of the nidavad monument erected to commemorate the foundation of the german empire mid-summer brings noise and bustle to the normally quiet valley the summer temperatures lured tourists to the rhine in earlier times travel was a time-consuming business visitors came mostly from neighboring countries and made leisurely trips along the ride [Music] today holidaymakers dash by car from one place to the next [Applause] modern trains operate frequent services bringing tourists to the valley everyone is looking for something for some it's rhineland cheer for others the romantic ride and for others still the most popular day trip destinations but they are all on a tight schedule today's traveler has no time to linger in search of the ultimate souvenir photos they rush from one tourist attraction to another taking in the island toll castle of borg fights gravenstein for example [Music] or the deutsches egg in koblenz the lorelai the moisertorn at bingham the blucher monument at culp rhine fairies and rhineviews [Music] old inns and wine cellars [Music] the marksborg the best known castle of the middle ride or just picturesque half-timbered houses and of course the nidawide monument at rideshare one of the most popular tourist attractions in germany also much photographed are two examples of rhineland humor legend has it that the monastery church at irental was at one time accessible only through the inn built in front of it and that many churchgoers fell by the wayside on the way to mass [Music] in the parish church of saint martin at lois there is an oregon with a curious and doubtless unique oregon stop for riesling pulling it out opens a small door in the organ revealing something to gladden the heart of a wine loving rhinelander back to nature away from the noise and bustle of the valley up to the peace and seclusion of the high rocky terrain in the old tower the young kestrels wait patiently to be fed huddled closely together they grew up not in a comfortably padded nest but on a hard cold stone floor the kestrel is the most widespread member of the falcon family in germany and is highly skilled in a special hunting technique with quivering wings and widespread tail it can remain stationary in midair longer than any other bird of prey when it spots a mouse on the ground it folds its wings and plunges headlong for its quarry meanwhile its partner keeps watch on the flagpole until the young falcons can eat on their own the parent places food in their beaks in ready to swallow pieces in a niche in the wall at the bottom of the tower a small furry neighbor has made its nest this is the fat or edible dormouse and it doesn't come out of hiding until dusk a beak full of food means hungry mouths to feed the grey wagtail has bred twice this year already this time it's made its nest in the old dry stone wall not far away is the home of its relative the pied wagtail easily distinguished from its yellow cousin the pied wagtail is also raising its young in a niche in the wall in a small oak wood above the old dry stone walls male stag beetles fight over a female using their powerful pincers they try to turn their opponent onto its back high above the rhine valley the young peregrine falcons are being trained in the art of hunting the fast birds take their prey out of the sky never on the ground the parent simulates the fleeing quarry the juveniles follow in hot pursuit [Music] in august the landscape changes in many places the ground is now parched flowers are mostly faded and gone but even in scorching summer temperatures innumerable plants bloom on the rhine slopes including very common ones such as hela which is often found in large dense patches [Music] viper's bugloss with its protruding stamens resembling an adder's tongue [Music] or goldilocks aster which is happy in dry pore soils this ordinary looking plant is found nowhere else in the world it's bobard candy tuft a subspecies named after the place where it grows it is the botanical gem of the upper middle rhine valley [Music] in the rocky drive forests of the upper middle rhine valley are two tree species that are characteristic of the area the small leaf montpelier maple is widely distributed through the rhine valley it likes the steep rocky slopes and the warm dry climate so does the saint lucy cherry here in the middle ryan valley its leaves are food for the scarce swallowtail caterpillar superbly camouflaged and colored to blend with its surroundings it's barely visible to the naked eye eventually the caterpillar pubates suspends itself by two thin threads and stays like this until it emerges from its pupil case next spring in the sun-soaked dry meadows this is now the time for crickets and grasshoppers perfectly camouflaged barely identifiable on the ground the blue winged grasshopper the species predominantly found in warm places in september when the sun warms the south side of the valley through to early evening the small queen of spain fritillary looks for a quiet place to rest but suddenly it's in a hurry seen here from april to october this butterfly is now looking for egg laying sites so that a new generation of its species will emerge next spring each time it finds a suitable place it lays a single egg under a leaf or blade of grass other butterflies have finished their parental duties and are now sipping nectar from flowering plants this is a small white the small tortoise shell and the small copper also come to feed on the goldilocks aster the hedgehog is already looking for a place to winter as well as the wild cat the eagle owl and the hazel grouse this area is home to another rare wildlife species the praying mantis which is actually a native of southern europe maybe global warming is encouraging it to follow the rhine and spread further north it has certainly reached the upper middle rhine valley and the future will show whether it becomes endemic and perhaps even migrates further downstream the wall lizard is a long-standing resident of the valley it has benefited from the cultivation of the rhine slopes and the creation of dry stone walls for wine growing of course it also needs the rhine valley's mild climate and warm slate soils lots of sun is important not just for the wall lizard but also for the grapes that produce fine rhine wines depending on position and exposure to sunlight the grapes ripen at different rates it can actually happen for example that the first grapes are ready for picking as early as september which is when the first wine festivals are traditionally held the historical wine growing towns and villages get all decked out to pay tribute to the wine queen the wine god mahouse and the new wine [Music] okay [Music] morning mist blankets the rhine valley like a delicate veil [Music] transfiguring the landscape and heralding the approach of autumn [Music] while a gray haze still envelops the rhine the hills are already bathed in sunlight the warming rays keep plants in flower here well into the autumn narrow-leaved ragwort for instance chicory [Music] carline thistle and globe this one in these almost pristine rocky areas massive outcrops of slate retain the sun's heat till late autumn a female blue-winged grasshopper has found a warm depression in the rock where she can lay her eggs drilling her abdomen deep into the soil she uses her rear legs to scrape earth over the hole so that her offspring can grow in safety protected from enemies for the ladybird spider this could be a last chance to catch prey before winter the male with its brightly colored abdomen is particularly conspicuous on its way to winter quarters in africa an osprey flies over the middle rhine valley for the smooth snake it's the last opportunity to soak up the sun this small reptile is at home between rock and thicket around 50 centimeters long the non-poisonous smooth snake is not only a skilled hunter feeding up here mostly on lizards it's also a very good climber it uses the gnarled tree bark like a ladder to get to a basking place a risky undertaking that exposes the otherwise well camouflaged reptile to its enemies before long the smooth snake will retreat to an underground shelter to hibernate its prey is often not much smaller than itself the peregrine falcon hunts exclusively in the air but always eats at a safe spot on the ground it will have plunged onto this unsuspecting partridge from a great height and brought it to this rock to gorge at its leisure or at least until another peregrine falcon turns up to dispute the prey [Music] the morning mists in the lorelai valley linger ever longer enveloping the legendary rock [Music] autumn casts its long cool shadows now the sun often doesn't appear until [Music] midday the valley is still green but now dotted with patches of yellow and red foilage [Music] nature again presents itself in all its splendor gleaming splashes of color add decorative detail to the slopes of the rhine valley a few more every day on the uplands the ground vegetation has already become noticeably more sparse even so a few stalwarts are still in bloom companion toad flax [Music] chamomile [Music] and ground salt [Music] others that shape the autumn face of the middle rhine valley include old man's beard [Music] rose hips the fruit of the wild rose [Music] virginia creeper and the autumn crocus [Music] this is also part of autumn in the middle rhine valley blustery winds that shake bushes and trees this is good weather for buzzards which can hang effortlessly in the air for minutes on end without beating a wing nature adapts not only to the ever-changing seasons but also to its changing residents there are winners and losers among both flora and fauna the winners clearly include cormorants the first ones to return to the middle ryan appeared in the late 1970s they found such good conditions that they soon started nesting here and raising young today home rents are found all along the ride being rich in fish the river is a perfect source of food and the many secluded islands make excellent reading areas these are the secret but undisputed conquerors of the rhine valley as the days get cooler and shorter the crickets and grasshoppers also fall silent the animals prepare for the winter ahead squirrels now collect as much as they can and store nuts underground field mice have already laid up their winter stocks and made themselves comfortable in their underground burrows the rodents are food for the red fox but they're getting hard to find its efforts to stalk one are watched with interest by a powerfully built muflon when the cranes migrate it's time to say goodbye the birds fly over the middle rhine valley twice a year in opposite directions in spring and in autumn winter has arrived overnight in the lorelai valley [Music] its animals now face a fight for survival squabbling over food increases only the sociable crow family seems unaffected but for the big grey heron having to feed on tiddlers is hard work [Music] so it's certainly not pleased to find its cousin the great egret competing at the same feeding site and possibly even doing better dusk descends slowly over the middle rhine immersing the valley in a truly mystical atmosphere no artist can match warfrost as a creator of enchanting landscapes [Music] down by the rhine the mist wraps the land in a silver gray cloak the place is quiet the noise and bustle of summer are now a mere memory people retreat into their houses and everyone is glad to find somewhere warm the year gradually draws to a close at first silent and solemn [Music] then mary and fun [Music] [Music] [Music] another new year begins in the lorelai [Music] valley a rich natural world stunning views and healthy exercise can be enjoyed and experienced here absolutely free of charge in this picturesque landscape nature and culture human activity and history form a unique microcosm that has rightly been awarded the status of a unesco world heritage site but it comes with obligations this is a cultivated landscape which needs to be nurtured so that future generations may also enjoy the wild lorelai valley [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 2,522,026

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Rhine, Rhine River, Rhine Gorge, upper middle rhine valley, Rhine River Documentary, Germany, Germany Documentary, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Documentary 2020, Fascianting Wildlife of the Rhine Gorge, Animal Documentary, Buzzard, birds of prey

Id: VAqCx_JhbhA

Length: 52min 15sec (3135 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 07 2020