(Squawking)
Earthﬂight took us on an extraordinary journey into the bird's world.
It took four years to make, filmed over 100 species
and covered 40 different countries in six continents.
To capture a bird 's-eye view, the team employed the latest state-of-the-art techniques.
On the way, they witnessed behaviour that had never been seen before...
..and looked anew at some of the greatest wildlife events on earth.
But at its heart, the series depended on some extraordinary relationships
between people and birds.
With their help, we flew on wings across the world.
It's spring, and here in Central France, an extraordinary story is about to unfold.
Avid bird-enthusiast Christian Moullec is about to raise his very own flock of geese.
(They speak French)
Ga-ga-ga-ga...
OK. (Speaks French)
(Makes honking sounds)
(chirping)
For the first two years of their life, these chicks will think of him as Mother.
They'll trust and follow him above all others.
It's a process known as imprinting,
and it's something that many birds do from the moment they're born.
A few hours later,
the hatchlings are already following their oversized mother goose wherever he goes.
Allez, allez, allez!
(Hooter)
(Makes honking sounds)
(Hooter)
Christian's ultimate goal is to film these chicks
retracing the great journeys of wild birds from his microlight.
It's a huge commitment that will continue long after the filming is over.
And it will take months of tender care and devotion
before he and his new bird family take to the air.
Allez, allez!
(Makes honking sounds)
But Christian is just one of countless professionals and cameramen
who devoted their skills to the Earthﬂight series.
In the heart of the Amazon, the series enlisted the help of another remarkable group of people
who have a similar relationship with macaws.
They have the power to call the birds out of the wild.
Felix and Ben Ben are two of the rangers in a reserve in deepest Peru.
(Whistling)
Nearly a year ago, as part of a conservation programme
they hand-reared a group of scarlet macaws.
But they've long since been released into the wild
Will they still come to Bon Bon's call?
(Whistles bird call)
There's a lot invested in the plan
A special microlight has been shipped from France to film the birds from the air.
While the ground crew tries to call the birds down,
the microlight films elsewhere along the river.
Suddenly it spots four macaws, heading over the treetops.
The birds are flying purposefully along the river as if they have a destination in mind.
Then many more join the party.
From the air, it's clear that they are heading towards trees that have just come into fruit.
The news is passed on to the local team who head off to where the birds are gathering.
(Whistled bird call)
(Further bird calls)
The hand-reared birds might be somewhere in the flock,
but no matter how hard Bon Bon and Felix try,
none of the birds show any interest in coming down.
(Squawking)
(Whistles bird call)
The plan is for the birds to fly alongside the boat...
..but this is starting to look like a distant dream.
Back in France, Christian is spending all his time with his young goslings.
It's important that they trust him completely.
Pet dog, Loovy, is introduced to these new family members.
(Speaks French)
He's seen it all before and will make sure they never come to harm.
(chirping)
(They speak French)
While Christian is raising a flock of geese,
his colleague Cedric is mum to some baby cranes.
(Makes cooing sounds)
Just like any devoted mother, he coos to them and teaches them what is food.
Allez, allez, allez!
And at the farm pond, Christian's daughter Lisa has her hands full with yet more new babies.
The parasol isn't just for shade, it's a portable substitute for a microlight wing.
Lisa wants them to learn they are safe in its shadow.
But to fully prepare them for flying with a microlight,
something has to shatter the rural peace.
(Chainsaw revs and buzzes)
A chainsaw mimics the noise of a microlight's engine.
But with Lisa on hand, the chicks soon learn the sound is nothing to be afraid of.
(chirping)
Allez, allez!
(Hooter)
Meanwhile Christian introduces another batch of chicks to the real microlight -
or rather a parasol attached to the real microlight.
(Makes honking sounds)
For the goslings, the engine's quite a surprise,
but the reassuring figure of Christian confirms there is nothing to be scared of.
Allez, allez!
Their next task is to follow the microlight with Christian offering encouragement.
Allez, allez, allez!
(Hooter)
These are just baby steps.
They have many challenges ahead before their mission is accomplished.
But Christian isn't alone in hand-rearing geese
Along the Mississippi In North America, a flock of snow geese are at a later stage of training.
Cameraman Neil Rettig is their foster mother.
Like Christian's birds, they follow Neil and his wife Laura wherever they go,
but this is the first time they have been flown.
They will help retrace the flight paths of wild birds that Neil has filmed across America.
The geese are so keen to be with Neil and his team, they are flying too close for filming,
or at least too close to film without the boat being in shot
But these training sessions help the birds develop their flight muscles -
vital for the ambitious plans that lie ahead.
As well as learning to make long sustained flights, they must also perfect formation flying
(Hooters)
A Mississippi steamer is a handy prop to practise on.
The aim is to get the birds, steamboat and camera boat to line up perfectly,
but the birds are all over the place.
OK, yeah, go. Go now.
They try one last time.
- Come on. - Come on!
That's it.
With a bit of encouragement, the geese start to line up alongside the boat.
They just have to stay like that for a little bit longer.
And there it is - perfect formation flying.
- Come on, guys. - Good guys.
It has taken seven months to get the geese to this point,
but Neil has far more ambitious plans for his foster children - next stop is New York City.
(Squawking)
Back in Peru, Bon Bon and Felix are having no success luring the macaws down to the boat.
With so much fruit around, the birds just aren't hungry.
(Whistled bird call)
But then suddenly, two birds veer away from the flock, fluttering down to the boat
It seems the bond's still there.
Felix can still offer something they can't get in the wild - a good scratch
He reaches the pan's that beaks fail to reach.
Even after six months living with wild flocks, the birds won't miss this chance of a tickle.
But will these be the only macaws to respond to the call?
(Whistled bird calls)
It seems someone else remembers his old friends.
Then another.
All four share some titbits for old times' sake.
The birds may be on board, but for the plan to work,
Bon Bon must persuade them to fly alongside the boat.
Cameraman Richard Cook is ready and waiting.
The macaws fly with the boat, exactly as planned.
Richard finally gets his chance to capture some arresting images.
(Squawking)
You've got some nice stuff.
It's a lovely shot.
The macaw coming up the side of the boat here, and on this side, so we're looking down on it.
It worked well.
The visit provides just a few magical seconds of footage.
It took four weeks in total to capture all the close flying shots seen in the film.
New York City.
And for the snow geese, their big day has finally arrived.
The plan is to fly past the famous Manhattan skyline,
retracing the flight path taken by thousands of wild snow geese.
For adoptive parents Neil and Laura, it's a big moment-
the birds have never been flown this far from home.
The geese are now seasoned aeronauts,
so they don't need much encouragement to get airborne.
By now, the birds have formation flying down to a fine an.
(Hooter)
Even the New York coastguard comes to investigate the astonishing sight.
Come on, guys.
Come on, guys. Whoo!
Come on, babies!
Success. But there is an even more ambitious plan for one of the birds.
Amazing.
He has been trained to carry a tiny HD camera
He joins the rest of the flock and captures a viewpoint that has never been seen before.
He has such control he lands back on the boat as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
The rest of the flock keep in formation but as their confidence grows,
their natural desire to explore kicks in
They are heading off into town.
Can you still see them?
The only contact Neil and Laura have is a signal from a transmitter attached to one of the birds.
- I think they're still flying. - OK.
The signal's fluctuating.
Wild birds make similar exploratory flights away from their parents.
But human parents are at a distinct disadvantage -
they can '2' fly after them.
Neil and Laura now have a real challenge on their hands.
(Birds chirping)
Back in France, Christian's geese are now three weeks old.
Allez, allez, allez!
Ga, 98, ga, ga.
It's time for Christian to teach the birds some of the skills
a mother goose passes on to her own offspring.
First he must make them feel comfortable in the largest expanse of water they've ever seen.
(They speak French)
But they must also learn to be aware of danger.
Christian keeps looking up, teaching the birds to watch for predators overhead.
He also shows them that they must kick hard to strengthen their legs.
Even this improvised water pistol isn't for fun -
wetting the birds encourages them to preen and produce oil to waterproof their plumage.
These early bonding sessions are vital
if the birds are to grow up with all the natural skills they need.
Back in New York, the signal from the goose's transmitter
has taken Neil to the streets of Brooklyn.
But the buildings are confusing and bouncing the signals.
It's turning into a real wild-goose chase
- Anything? - Nothing.
Yeah, go go.
- You've got a signal? - Yeah.
But suddenly a breakthrough.
(Static)
OK, let me out right here.
- Go straight ahead and there's a park. - Let me come, Neil.
They shouldn't be too far away.
I think it's unbelievable. They might be up here.
- This makes Monument Valley look like... - Yeah, it does.
I just pray that the transmitter hasn't been taken.
- I think they're in this park. - OK.
We're going to get caught jaywalking here.
- I see them. I see them straight ahead. - Really?
What are you doing here? Hey, guys.
- (Bird squawks) - Whee-whee-whee-whee!
- Good boys. Good boys. - (Squawking)
Just like wild birds, they simply headed for the best grazing they could find.
Good boys.
Now, Neil just has to wait for backup to arrive.
We got them, we got them.
Obviously, we don't have them, but we are with them in a little park.
Yeah, we've got them. Yeah, they're in a park.
We got them. Yeah.
So we need to regroup and get the kennels...
Although many birds went AWOL over the course of the series,
all were ultimately reunited with their owners.
But knowing this doesn't make it any easier
when you lose the birds you've spent so long nurturing
It's a relief for Neil and Laura. They are as attached to the geese as the geese are to them.
- Well done. Thank goodness. - Oh, my God.
- We are gonna run out of miracles! - I can't believe it.
To fly amongst birds, Eaithﬂight used a huge variety of techniques.
In South Africa, a paraglider soars among flocks of wild vultures.
He uses the same updrafts and thermals as the birds,
making it the perfect way to film in their midst.
The paragliders are piloted by biologists, who use them as part of their work.
It was this kind of cooperation with experts in the field that made much of the filming possible.
But there is yet another way to get even closer to vultures.
This is the latest spy in the flock.
Model maker Malcolm Beard spent hundreds of hours
designing and building this perfect full-scale replica of a vulture
Vulturecam even has a moving tail, just like the real thing.
It also carries a pan and tilt camera, allowing 360-degree filming.
(Whirring)
Fortunately, the vultures are fascinated by this new strange bird
that can soar with them in the thermals.
The pictures are sent back to ground
allowing producer Rob Pilley to control and adjust the camera.
But despite the success,
the team fear they might never get their radio-controlled vulture back in one piece.
Unlike a real vulture, vulturecam needs a smooth path to land on
And it doesn't get rougher than a rocky mountain top.
To make matters worse, the cliff face creates strong updrafts.
But with the camera's memory card full, they can '2' put off landing any longer.
- It's lost its head. -(Laughs)
It could have been far worse.
That's what you call a nose-dive.
Look, you've actually scratched the granite!
But Earthﬂight needed to get even deeper into the vulture's world.
This is a world first - a camera-carrying vulture trained to fly from a microlight.
Vultures usually need perfect weather conditions to get airborne,
but this pampered bird can let an aircraft do the hard work,
taking off when she reaches the correct altitude.
Her normal routine is at this airfield not far from Geneva,
but it's time for her to attempt something far more ambitious.
Her next flight will be in amongst her wild cousins in Africa.
(Hooter)
Back in France, the young geese are preparing for their first flight.
They are happily following the microlight, but will they fly with it?
On a nearby airfield, the moment of truth finally arrives.
(Engine starts)
The birds are certainly enthusiastic, but they are not sure what is expected
and most fall at the first hurdle.
Only two birds have got the idea.
But even this limited success is short-lived
The microlight lands without its out-riders
(Conversation in French)
These first flights are always the most stressful.
(Hooter)
Then relief, the flock is reunited.
(Engine starts)
Christian knows he must try again as quickly as possible.
This time, the two leading birds encourage the others into the air.
But there's always one that doesn't quite get it.
Up above, things are starting to gel.
They could hardly fly any closer.
This is what six months of training has been about-
flying and filming as part of the flock
A perfect test flight but soon the real challenges will begin,
flying the route of their wild counterparts
As the vulture crew assemble in Kenya, the camera-bird takes it all in her stride.
Like a pet dog, she follows her owner, Yohann, wherever he goes.
I love this.
The eventual aim is to fly high over many other African locations.
It may be a different plane but the vulture knows the routine.
She always sets off from around 1,500 feet up.
For her safety, the engines of the plane are stopped just before she flies.
This is her first taste of African skies.
And she's clearly enjoying the view.
The on board camera reveals the bird is turning in a thermal, soaring upwards.
Magnifique!
It's an exhilarating moment for the vulture team.
But the thermals are far stronger here than in Europe.
Time to call her back down.
But the strong winds are taking the vulture away.
She's heading to the peak of a very high hill.
(Men call out)
The launch plane touches down to join in the search.
(Speaks French)
Yohann and team are going to need all the help they can get to find their missing bird.
Across the world, in the wilds of Alaska,
another contingent of the Earthﬂight team are going on a bear hunt.
Leading the group is bear expert Derek Stonorov,
a man who knows everything there is about working in grizzly bear country.
Following behind is field producer Matt Gordon
They are here to film eagles stealing fish from the bears,
but right now it's the bears that are focusing the mind.
Hey there. Hey there.
(Loud tapping)
For safety, the drill is to follow the trails made by bears.
And make a lot of noise, so you don't surprise any hiding in the bushes
Hey there.
Grizzly bears are the most aggressive and dangerous animals in North America
No one can take any chances.
Hey there.
But the crew knows that to film the bears' interactions with eagles,
they will have to get closer than usual.
The bears are gathering for a salmon run.
But they are still waiting for all the fish to arrive.
The bears turn up early, anxious to bag the best fishing spots.
It's a chance for the bears to get used to people.
And for the people to get used to the bears.
That's pretty cool, man.
As a zoologist, Matt is more aware of the dangers than anyone.
Tranquil next to us, you know what I mean?
When working close to bears, it's important to understand their body language
and act in a calm and non-threatening manner.
Oh!
That was close!
The plan is to film from a large crane
so the bears need to become used to its movements as well as the presence of the team.
It's all going to plan, but as yet not a single eagle has been seen,
and without them, there is no story.
The bears are poised and ready, and the salmon are gathering at the mouth of the river.
Then, as if on cue, the first eagle arrives.
(Gulls cry)
- That's one eagle. - There is an eagle, see it?
- Yeah. - Then another.
As so often occurs, the birds know exactly when nature's greatest events are set to happen.
It's action stations. The salmon run has started
The team have to work quickly,
but thankfully the bears are more interested in the salmon than the crew.
And the eagles do exactly what was expected -
stealing great hunks of fat salmon from under the noses of the bears.
Back in Africa, the lost vulture is concerning the ground crew.
A spotter plane goes up to see if it can locate where she has landed.
The on board pictures show that she is safe and well...
..but where?
There is no shortage of willing helpers
I tried to see it.
I think our other guys have gone off down and up again.
So...I'll get them to stop. Do you want to hook back this way and join us?
The ground crew head to the distant hills
No, we can't see anything, because there are many trees and she lands somewhere up there,
but now we have to find her.
In Africa, it's always difficult because there are no tracks to find.
- Look at that plane. - She's just there, I think.
- You see it? - No, no, no.
(They speak French)
The plane is right above us so hopefully it's not too far.
Thank you, Willie. Let's move.
The plane circles the spot.
She is just there, but on the top of a mountain. Now we have to climb.
But it's not going to be easy.
All on board cameras are designed so the bird can remove them,
but it's clear from the relayed signal that the vulture hasn't a care in the world.
The same can '2' be said for Yohann and the team.
(Man calls out)
(Conversation in French)
She hears the approaching voices.
OK, go.
Some sharp-eyed local children are first at the scene.
(Panting)
Crazy bird!
But it's Yohann that the vulture has been waiting for.
Great.
There we go.
Well done. Well done.
Amazing.
A moment for the whole team to reflect on the hard-earned success
But this was just the beginning.
The vulture captured a bird 's-eye view in many different locations after this.
- I can't believe how high that bird is. - She's very stable.
Incredibly. Oh, it's amazing.
Now you really are flying with the bird. You're really up in the sky with it.
It's thermalling like a vulture does.
It really is behaving like a wild vulture.
Yeah. There you are!
Well done, you. That's awesome.
Back in Europe, Christian's team have set their sights on the next big challenge,
a flight over Edinburgh in Scotland,
following the tracks of thousands of migrating barnacle geese.
It's time to see whether all the hard work will pay off.
But it's not going to be easy.
Permissions have been difficult to obtain
and they have been given a narrow window of only an hour to get the shot.
All other air traffic has had to be diverted around Edinburgh for the flight.
The birds seem eager to stretch their wings.
(Engine starts)
Air traffic control give the signal and the geese emerge with a spring in their step.
It's a good start, all the training is paying off.
But their designated take-off site was five miles from the city.
To succeed, the birds need to be fit enough to keep up with the microlight all the way.
The birds must maintain a tight formation.
If any get lost, the shoot will have to be abandoned.
Ten minutes of flying takes them over Arthur's Seat,
the famous hill overlooking the city.
They now power onwards towards the heart of Edinburgh
In case of engine failure, Christian must maintain good altitude,
he must always be able to glide to safety.
The geese perform to perfection.
By now, flying with a microlight comes naturally to them.
They even take on the classic formation of a migrating flock, with Christian at the helm.
Just like wild geese, their mother shows them the way.
(Honking)
Finally they've got what they came for -
the view that wild flocks see as they fly over Scotland's capital.
It's a success, but Christian has even greater ambitions for his birds.
(Squawking)
Back in Africa, at Kenya's Lake Bogoria,
flamingos are the next challenge for the Earthflight team.
Wild flamingos are one of the most nervous birds in the world.
To film among the masses requires a variety of spycams.
Producer Philip Dalton buries a remote camera in the steaming hot mud
at a favourite drinking spot.
- It's steaming up at the front. - Yeah.
It captures intimate images like these.
He also deploys another camera disguised by its own mini-flock of flamingos
But to capture shots of these notoriously skittish birds from the air needs stealth tactics.
This futuristic drone is the team's secret weapon.
Its tiny rotor blades allow an almost silent approach
and its alien shape is nothing like any predator they've seen.
The drone hardly ruffles a feather,
as it captures a view of the greatest gathering of flamingos seen for 20 years.
Then, at the flick of a switch, it returns to base.
But this was just pan' of a much bigger sequence shot at Lake Bogoria,
one that took 100 filming days to complete.
The beautiful dance of the flamingos only happens when conditions are perfect.
To capture extraordinary behaviour always takes time.
In Bogoria, baboons have turned killers.
(Screeching)
Behaviour like this takes countless days to capture.
Patience is also of the essence when dealing with red tape.
London is the most over-crowded airspace in the world
and for two years, the production team sought permission for Christian's birds to fly over it.
It finally came in the last summer of filming.
The venue is London City Airport
But there's a catch:
the birds can only fly if they become pan' of the airshow
that is closing the airport for the day.
Like the other participants, the birds must perform on cue.
For a display pilot, this goes with the territory,
but Christian's birds need perfect wind conditions.
It's not going to be easy.
The microlight is assembled in double-quick time while the display goes on around them.
(Speaks French)
But the team have some concerns.
The unfamiliar sights and sounds of the stunt planes may disturb the birds.
With the buildings, I have turbulence...
(Low conversation)
(Helicopter overhead)
And Christian has other worries.
Geese moult their feathers at this time of year,
so he thinks only a few of them are able to fly strongly enough in these weather conditions
and their flying speed is limited.
The birds don't want to climb.
He is particularly worried by turbulence from hot air rising from the sun-baked runway.
So to make it easier for them, Christian is now using a slower flying, single-seat microlight.
Everyone's aware that if the geese don't fly on cue, there will be no second chance.
I have to wait and this plane will land.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Ready.
As the allocated time slot arrives, the geese take up position.
Now it's the moment of truth.
Christian is using a special lightweight camera,
but flying and filming at the same time is never going to be easy.
Despite all of the distractions, the bond between Christian and his birds is as strong as ever.
They hold a nice tight formation.
But he has to juggle everything to achieve what he came for.
His amazing affinity with his birds is paying off once more.
(Honks)
For Christian and his geese, it's mission accomplished.
But one more big challenge still faces the team,
one that will take huge resources and military planning.
Istanbul is the gateway into Europe for many birds migrating from Africa and Asia.
The team is interested in one bird that arrives here in the hundreds of thousands -
the famous white stork.
To spot the approaching birds,
a network of ornithologists are stationed at different points along the migration route.
Even so, the birds' arrival is spontaneous and unpredictable.
And strong winds can push them high out of sight.
After a week of false alarms, the storks suddenly appear.
To the other one. To the front one, who is now thermalling a bit.
Then others join them, heading right for the city.
(Speaks Turkish)
The filming teams have been waiting for this moment.
A microlight is first to be scrambled.
Then a helicopter with a stabilised camera mount.
The helicopter has been cleared to fly over the city...
while the microlight shadows the flocks through the city outskirts.
Then a spotter sees an unexpected sight, thousands of storks in trouble way out to sea.
The helicopter crew capture the moment the storks reach safety.
The Princes' Islands, seven miles from the mainland
Thermals rising from the rocks gives them the boost they need to make it to the mainland
In Istanbul, the ground teams are waiting.
One crew are even on the minarets of the famous Hagia Sophia.
They capture another view of this great invasion.
The stork's story was an epic Earthflight tale of endurance
and it became a fitting start to the programme on Europe.
Telling the story of the bird's great journeys across the world's continents
was a project that involved hundreds of dedicated people.
Helped by new technology and new filming techniques,
the birds' lives were captured as never before.
But at every stage, the story was guided by the behaviour of wild birds
who had an incredible tale to tell.
They took the film crews to sights never seen before.
And retold familiar stories from a whole new perspective
They continually surprised with their ingenuity...
..their intelligence...
..and their devotion.
(Squawking)
They showed us their challenges...
..and their triumphs.
We shared in their dramas...
..and their greatest successes.
Wherever they took us, they showed us the world with fresh eyes.
Earthﬂight was their story,
and it continually surprised the team that helped tell it.
Our view of birds will never be the same again.
(Screeches)