Best of Natural History Radio

Ep 2 of 3: In the second of three tales written by Lynne Truss, the Water Boatman (Sandi Toksvig) and the Great Diving Beetle (David Ryall) reveal the funny side of life in a garden pond. Producer: Sarah Blunt

The fate of the Pantanal rests largely in the hands of Brazil's emerging economy. Monty Don explores the future of the Pantanal and its resident the giant otter. Producer: Mary Colwell

Ep: 1 of 3 In the first of three tales written by Lynne Truss, the Tadpole (Julian Rhind-Tutt) and the Dragonfly (Alison Steadman) reveal the funny side of life in a garden pond. Producer: Sarah Blunt

In the final programme in the series, wildlife cameraman and narrator Doug Allan joins a film crew on Goudier island to film leopard seals hunting Gentoo penguins, but in Antarctica nothing is ever guaranteed! Producer: Sarah Blunt

Life is tough not only for a colony of Gentoo penguins on a tiny island in Antarctica, but also for the team who are filming their lives. Narrator Doug Allan. Producer: Sarah Blunt

With their ship locked in ice a film crew attempt to walk across the frozen Antarctic waters to film a colony of Gentoo penguins on a tiny island. Narrator cameraman Doug Allan. Producer: Sarah Blunt

Fierce storms and dense sea ice provide more challenges to a film crew trying to reach a tiny Antarctic island to film a colony of Gentoo penguins. Narrator cameraman Doug Allan. Producer: Sarah Blunt

As demand for oil continues to increase conflict with wildlife is inevitable. Monty Don explores this in the context of a population of beluga whales in Canada's St Lawrence River. Producer: Mary Colwell

Wildlife cameraman Doug Allan narrates the first of five programmes following the adventures of a film crew who travel to Antarctica to film a colony of Gentoo penguins. Producer: Sarah Blunt

Ep 3 of 3: Listening is about more than hearing as we discover with four individuals for whom listening is very much the focus of their lives. Presented by Matthew Watson. Produced by Sarah Blunt.

Skomer Island lies off the south east coast of Wales and is home to thousands of seabird. In the early decades of the 20th Century there were 100,000 guillemots on Skomer, but numbers plummeted to just 2000 after the second world war, probably due to oil pollution in the sea. Now numbers are slowly recovering with the current estimated to be around 25,000; but the increase in storms may be a problem for them in the future. Professor Tim Birkhead from Sheffield University has led a 42 year study of the birds and reveals some of their secrets. Produced and presented by Mary Colwell.

Ep 2 of 3: Listening is about more than hearing as we discover with people who listen to sounds. Presented by Matthew Watson. Produced by Sarah Blunt.

The Green Hairstreak butterfly is small, bright green and feisty. The males fight for females, spiralling in the air at break neck speed. This lovely butterfly was not recorded in the Pentland Hills, south of Edinburgh, until 20 years ago but now populations are being discovered in more and more places. Sensitive management is helping bring back this bright jewel to the bilberry and heather clad hills. By excluding sheep and letting gorse and bilberry grow together the right conditions now exist. Green Hairstreak only appear on the wing in May and Victor Partirdge takes Mary Colwell to see where he first spotted them in the Pentland Hills. Produced and Presented by Mary Colwell

Ep 1 of 3: Professional listeners reveal how there's far more to listening than hearing. Presented by Matthew Watson Produced by Sarah Blunt

In the second programme from the Turks and Caicos islands, Tom Heap meets up with marine biologist Mark Parrish to look at the problems facing the critically endangered Rock Iguana. Mark Parrish is a marine biologist who runs a local eco-tourism business. He tells Tom Heap about the problems facing this critically endangered species, particularly the tendency of feral cats to predate on the young lizards. Cats have been spotted crossing onto the island but the warden Alex Williams is determined to keep the local population safe. He takes Tom to see Rocky, the dominant male, his harem of mates and the young challenger to his crown. Presented by Tom Heap Produced by Alasdair Cross