Secret Life of the Forest

With autumn well on its way, much of the wildlife in Dalby and Cropton Forests prepare for a new season and all that it brings. Over at the beaver pond, ecologist Cath is keeping a close eye on the family, as the older siblings begin to show signs of causing conflict in the wider group. Meanwhile, apprentice forester Holly must master using a chainsaw as the team cut down trees that could be risky to the public.

Summer is coming to an end in Dalby and Cropton Forests. After record breaking temperatures, the air now feels fresher. But with the leaves already turning orange and the berries ripening, August is seeing a false Autumn taking place, caused by heat and drought. At the beaver pond, it's at this time of year you have a good chance of seeing one of the great sights of British wildlife: the kingfisher. They can be seen perched on a branch sticking out of the beaver dams, a captivating presence with their vibrant colours of turquoise and orange. Then, in a flash, they dive head first into the water and emerge with a catch. Deep in the forest, the search is on for a much harder creature to spot: the pine marten. Once a common sight in North Yorkshire, hunting and a loss of woodland put them on the brink of extinction in England. It's only in recent years there have been exciting developments suggesting they are back in our forests. They are now one of Dalby's rarest animals with a dedicated team using motion sensitive cameras to try and capture footage of them. But it's been months since a pine marten has been caught on camera, so will we see any evidence that they are actually here in the forest? We meet another team on the hunt for bats in Cropton. Since the beavers arrived it's believed the number of bats has increased, but they need proof, so armed with specialist equipment they are on a mission to count the number of bat passes in the area to discover if there really are more bats here.

It's the start of autumn in Dalby and Cropton Forests. Change is in the air as the sun's power is fading. After months of warm weather, and even a false autumn, more leaves are beginning to turn a golden yellow and many of the birds are preparing for their migration south. Life among the trees might seem to be slowing down, but underneath the canopy there is a transformation taking place. It's showtime for one of the delights of autumn: fungi.

There's a final visit to the beaver family in Cropton. Having spent summer hard at work, building dams, increasing flood plains and having two young kits to look after, we follow the beavers in the run up to autumn. They work at an astonishing speed, late at night and in the early mornings, so every visit is full of surprises.

Throughout the summer, apprentice Holly has become embedded in forest life. She's now a master of the chainsaw and is becoming an expert on all the trees that grow in the forest. With her exams approaching, she learns about threats to the trees and how important it is to identify vulnerable trees, which might be prone to breaking or falling down.

Alongside the animals and plants that call Dalby home, we meet some four-legged friends who are visiting to take part in a very special event; the Canicross. The canine competitors of the race come in all shapes and sizes and, having never previously had a Chihuahua take part, the organisers are in for a surprise.