This lush cloud forest
might seem like the tropics,
but in fact it lies at the eastern tip of Russia.
Ussuriland contains the richest temperate forest on Earth
and the most diverse ecosystem in Russia.
A world full of challenging extremes,
a unique refuge for the rare and the powerful.
From Europe one must fly a third of the way around the globe
to reach the Russian Far East.
About 6,000 miles east of Moscow,
across the grand massive Siberia,
the world's vastest stretch of land
gives way to an even bigger realm - the Pacific Ocean.
At it's edge lies the claw of Ussuriland.
In March, the far eastern taiga is still in the grip of winter.
This Indian marten has made it through it's first winter of life.
Indian martens are typically found in tropical rainforests,
but, as usual, Ussuriland is an exception.
Here Indian martens have somehow learned to manage in the snow.
This time of year food supplies are still short.
Indian martens spend most of their life in the treetops
alongside Ussuriland's 450 species of birds.
To the north-west of Ussuriland flows the Amur,
the second largest river in Russia, among the 10 largest in the world.
The Amur drains water from an area about the size of Mexico.
Ussuriland is the only Russian region within the temperate monsoon zone.
In winter it's chilled by the fridged Siberian land mass to the west,
but in summer the ice will give way to warm currents of the tropical Pacific.
In this unique habitat
animals from the northern taiga mingle with species from the south.
Among the latter is the legendary Amur tiger, the largest wild cat on Earth.
Ussuriland is home to the only sizeable population of these big cats.
At only one year of age this young male already weighs well over 400 pounds.
The young tiger is still with his mother and will stay until she conceives again.
As his mother goes into heat, the young male gives her plenty of space.
Tigresses broadcast their status through scent markings.
Adult male Amur tigers cover vast territories,
up to 10 times bigger than the tropical tigers.
They do not always show up on time.
This time the suitor is a few days early.
The female is not quiet ready yet for mating,
instead of responding to the male, she keeps her distance.
The male can read the female's signals by flehming,
using his sensitive organ on the roof of his mouth.
The suitorwill be sure to return a few days from now.
Meanwhile the young adolescent practices his own flehming
for future situations.
In early spring the far eastern rivers are ice-free in just a few patches.
Rare there they are,
these spots are vital to some of Ussuriland's most elusive nocturnal creatures.
In the dead of night, their haunting duet can be heard.
This darkness belongs to the largest owl on Earth,
the Blakiston's Fish Owl.
The owls wait for hours in the cold night air.
Although a rich variety of fish species are active in the rivers,
they're mostly hidden under the ice.
Among the rarest owls on the planet,
Blakiston's Fish Owls are especially adapted to live on cold-blooded prey.
Only the enormous wealth of fish available in the Ussuri rivers
permits this truly unusual adaption.
At the coast
the rivers of Ussuriland
empty into the Sea of Japan.
In April the tropical Tsushima current
flows northward on route to Japan
and begins to awaken Ussuriland from its winter slumber.
Groups of Harlequin Ducks flock together
and pair off for mating season.
Nearby, as waters rise,
Larga Seals get ready to leave their basking grounds.
Having just shed theirwinter fur,
the seals soak up as much sun as they can,
before entering the still fridged water.
Thanks to the Tsushima,
the tropical sea current,
the water temperature is starting to rise at last.
In the coming months it will reach 15 degrees Celsius.
Larga seals thrive on the plentiful fish and sea urchins in these waters.
The Harlequins make ready
as the tide corrals plankton and other nutrients shoreward.
The currents are rough,
but the fearless Harlequins take the plunge.
While tides are still high,
they raise to gather their fill of sea snails, shrimps and small fish
from the underwater meadows.
Soon they will leave the sea to raise their young farther inland.
In the far eastern spring,
the meeting of cold and warm waters
forms fog banks over the sea,
as the heating effect of the Tsushima current increases.
Mist reaches the mountainsides and is driven inland.
Like a magic spell, the moisture spreads throughout the taiga,
slowly rousing it from its winter torpor.
Places that were harsh and forbidding during the long winter months
become inviting once more.
As the landscape awakens,
so do many inhabitants who choose to spend the winter underwraps.
For chipmunks, the first order of business
is to find the food stores they prepared in the autumn.
ldeally though, chipmunks prefer to raid their neighbour's larders
and leave their own food stores intact for emergencies.
When one chipmunk reveals where its rationales are hidden,
open season for food snatching begins.
At this time of year, the pair of Blakiston's Fish Owls are tending their chick.
At two months of age the youngster is already the size of a goose.
The parents have strategically place him in a poplar tree,
perched about 35 feet above the river.
Calls echoing through the woods signal it's time to wake up.
Dinner is on its way.
Although the young owl now has a nest of its own,
he's not yet ready to hunt his own prey.
From the vantage point of the poplar tree
the young owl watches and learns as his parents fish nearby.
In a few months he will have to fend for himself,
but for now he's the spoiled only child.
A growing fish owl will need another ten of these tonight.
At dusk the parents' work has just begun.
For an owl the moon illuminates the valley like daylight
and helps ensure the success of the hunt.
The owl couple will fish tirelessly until dawn.
In this time they must nourish themselves
and still bring at least ten feeds to their eagerly awaiting chick.
Meanwhile,
spring fully descends upon the waiting Ussuri landscape.
The world's richest temperate forest comes alive
in every imaginable shade of green.
In the west of Ussuriland,
an enormous marshland of flooded rice fields
extends over the Chinese border.
At its heart is the Khanka,
the biggest inland sea in the Far East.
Khanka's unique features support the world's largest fields of lotus flowers
and in turn countless other species.
Herons are supreme water hunters.
With their sharp beaks they harpoon their aquatic prey.
But some targets seem too strange to tackle.
The Chinese Softshell Turtle can snorkel,
using its long neck and tube-like nostrils to breathe air,
while its body remains submerged and protected.
The turtles' soft and flexible shell
makes them more agile in the water and also vulnerable,
but the turtles have a lot of achieve in 5 short months of summer.
They cannot afford to be timid.
Optimal sunbathing territory is in high demand.
Female Chinese Softshell Turtles are far larger than males.
When it comes to territory disputes, there is no contest.
The turtles' strong jaws help them lacerate prey,
but are also useful for managing the competition.
Unlike their tropical relatives, these turtles have limited access to the sun.
During the short intense summer
they must soak up all the warmth they need for the entire year.
When the ice eventually returns to the Khanka,
the turtles will disappear into hibernation beneath it until next summer.
The warmth of the Tsushima current
spreads throughout the Ussuri summer
and is reflected in the vibrancy of the taiga.
Each summer Sika Deer gather and made theirway to the sea together.
The Sika find safety in numbers.
Easily startled, the herd makes slow progress.
Their high-pitched whistles warn companions to be on the lookout.
Bit by bit the herd draws closer to the shoreline.
The sound of the nearby surf draws them onwards.
Once they've reached the sea, the Sika have a singular purpose - kelp.
The foliage in these coastal forests is lacking in salt
due to the constant rain and snow.
The deer must quench their need for sodium here.
The salty sea spray makes constant grooming a must.
Driven by their salt cravings,
the Sikas expose themselves to danger
on the unprotected beach.
The Amur tiger knows theirweakness well.
This time the deer's skittishness is justified.
Though deer hunting is usually done at night,
the tiger stores his prey and returns for more helpings later.
It may take several sittings to finish off a large deer.
It doesn't take long for the first onlookers to arrive.
In the summer the nocturnal tigers mainly hunt Himalayan Black Bears,
Badgers or Racoon Dogs,
but on the coastal peninsulas
Sika Deer have few escape roots and are easy prey.
Once the tiger has had his fill, he will usually leave the rest for later.
But there is no shortage of opportunists on hand.
They are tiny compared to the mighty tiger, but unlikely to give up.
The king is faced with a rather irritating dilemma.
There is little left and this time it's easier to let the crows have theirway.
Once the buffet is opened, tensions begin to rise.
Jungle Crows are among the cleverest of the corvid birds.
Though small, they work in groups
to drive off even large and dangerous competitors like the Sea Eagle.
With their persistence
the eagle will eventually move off in search of more peaceful feeding ground.
Like swarming crows, starting in May,
the monsoon clouds begin to gather.
The Ussuri taiga is the only rainforest in Russia.
In summer it takes full advantage of the warmth and moisture while it lasts.
Ceaseless rain is no bother to the Himalayan Black Bear.
Unlike their Grizzly cousins,
these bears spend most of the year in the treetops of the taiga,
not on the ground.
Climbing skills are essential for avoiding the Amur tiger,
but these bears have virtually no other foes to fear.
The bears eat cambium, a layer beneath the bark,
which helps cleanse their digestive system before another round of leaves, berries and insects.
When the rest bite from the rain finally comes,
the young owl is a bit the worse forwear.
He's been out in the elements all night.
The nest is flooded and the river is on the rise.
It's time to find somewhere higher and drier.
If he tries to move,
he may fall into the rough current
where he wouldn't stand a chance.
Unfortunately, the venture has only brought him closer to the rapids.
The rains turn small streams into raging rivers.
Flooding the landscape, they create a mirror universe beneath the surface.
Trout swim where only minutes ago there was not a drop of water.
The nearby Khanka Lake is shielded from the heavy rains,
but floodwaters flow in and fill the basin.
The monsoon winds whip the treeless valley into a frenzy.
The shallow Khanka Lake becomes a treacherous sea,
the choppy waves build enormous power and wash away entire banks.
Strong gusts of wind mean even experienced flyers are reluctant to take off.
Much like a mangrove swamp, lagoons form along the shore.
As soon as the storm has subsided,
the Softshell Turtles are drawn to the new lagoons
like moths to the flame.
They know that the floods bring shoals of prey.
But competition has already arrived.
Powerful predators, Snakeheads prefer to feed on fish,
but are known to eat even small mammals.
Caught between the two hunters, the small fish have no way out.
In summer, the Ussuri turtles must gorge themselves to the maximum.
By now they have only one more month
to feed and build the energy stores to last them all winter.
Like few fish on Earth, Snakeheads breathe air from the surface.
The Snakeheads' daring leap
helps it gage the distance back to the safety of the main lake.
It can propel itself for several yards with its riving technique.
The turtle's movements, too, are dictated by the waters.
When one lagoon begins to dry out, they're off to raid another.
In August the inflow of the Tsushima current reaches its annual high point.
The sea temperature is now at its peak of about 20 degrees Celsius.
Islands, such as the Rimsky-Korsakov Archipelago,
still carry signs of terrestrial life.
After 6, 000 rugged miles, here the Russian expanse comes to an end.
The blooming taiga grows sparse
and gives way to a seascape just as exotic.
Among the sun-nourished stalks curious creatures are bound.
Japanese Fugus, or Blowfish, are carried to the Russian coast on the Tsushima current.
Fugus are small in size, but have excellent protection.
Their organs contain one of the most powerful toxins in nature.
Nearby a Pacific Starfish gropes for food.
Within minutes a feeding frenzy ensues.
The Shellfish has no chance.
Potent digestive juices liquefy its insides before they are sucked out.
Minutes later, the shell is all that remains.
These mussel beds form the protective reefs of the Sea of Japan.
Sea cucumbers vacuum its surface for food.
While some creatures inhabit these seas year round,
others like the Fringe Blenny are summer visitors, swept in from Japan.
Before winter hits, migrants like the blennies will finish spawning
and return to the warmerwaters south-east of here.
Though the nighttime seas are calm, the coastal forest is churning with life.
The young fish owl has managed to find a dry perch.
When waters are high and fish hide deep underwater,
frogs are an important part of the owls' diet.
Frogs have more than just the owls to fear.
Racoon Dogs have adapted perfectly to the Pacific rainforests
and have mastered the art of frog hunting.
The fish owls use their ultra sharp eyesight to lock in on prey.
The Racoon Dog uses its uncannily keen sense of smell
to root out even the smallest tadpoles.
With such fine-tuned senses neither opaque water nor darkness poses a challenge.
At the heights of the warm damp summer
all life in the taiga absorbs as much nourishment as possible,
while it still can.
The young owl is now nearly the size of its parents.
Soon the time will come when he must learn to hunt his own meals.
Making ready, he waits for the waters to subside and become calmer fishing grounds.
Along with hunting skills
his budding adult feathers will be vital when summer is gone.
The rains have created a maze of islands in the floodplain forest.
A female Himalayan Black Bear takes full advantage of the summer greenery on hand.
She, too, is raising young.
At only a few weeks old her cubs are already skillful climbers.
In the slender topmost branches the cubs are safest from tiger attacks.
With their unique balance and grip
the hefty bears live as naturally in the forest canopy as any other tree dweller.
After the monsoon has blown through,
a thick blanket of morning fog looms over Khanka Lake.
In the summer months,
Racoon Dogs make a pilgrimage to the flood lagoons in search of food.
A fine aroma hangs over the sands
and the Racoon Dog's nose is the first to track it.
Though turtle eggs are usually odorless to protect from predators,
some nests are flooded and spoiled before they have the chance to hatch.
The Racoon Dog, lucky enough to sniff it out, will find a tasty buried treasure.
The turtle nests farther from the water's edge are safe,
incubated for three months in the summer sun.
In September the moment arrives.
For the Chinese Softshell Turtles
the first minutes out in the world are the most perilous.
In a blind sprint the hatchlings make for the relative safety of the water.
The young are fast and alert,
but at less than two centimeters in width they are vulnerable to nearly any predator:
bird, frogs or even adult turtles.
Fewer than 20 percent will survive these first trials.
Those who do will not dally in the shallows for long.
Sometimes the tide can lend a helping hand.
By hook or by crook,
the hatchlings navigate theirway alone to the floating meadows.
The vegetation offers protection from predators both above and below.
Here the tiny turtles can relax for the first time,
warm themselves in the sun and eat their fill of the plentiful algae.
Excellent eyesight and a good sense of smell
helps them find dead fish or other leftover food.
But the Snakehead is after live prey.
The small turtle is intent on its unwieldy scrap.
A lucky break this time.
In late September summer is quickly drawing to a close.
As though to bid it farewell, Mayflies begin to rise from the waters synchron.
Hundreds of thousands fill the air
and become millions, minutes later billions.
The flies dance weightlessly like the snow that will soon return to the taiga.
Within 30 minutes a twilight comes
and the flies relent along with the summerwarmth.
Each evening, for a week, a new throng will perform.
Then autumn descends upon Ussuriland.
Harkening winter's approach, a blaze of color erupts from the mountains downward.
To its inhabitants, the taiga issues are bright signal
that it is time to store up for the long cold season.
Musk deer, the shyest in the taiga, are revealed briefly by the thinning leaves.
The taiga renders large antlers impractical,
so the males' oversized canines serve to intimidate rivals.
By now, the young Himalayan Black Bears have been looking after themselves for sometime.
Like the Ussuri Badger, they will soon retire for the winter.
Having stuffed themselves in late summer,
the young bears now weigh 3 times what they did before.
All manner of play fighting help them to build their strength.
In another year's time the siblings will separate
and begin their lives as solitary adults.
For all the bears' roughhousing, the badger has nothing to fear from them.
Soft dead leaves make cosy cushion nests for autumn.
The leaf nests are fine for now,
but at the first sign of snow
the bears will retire to their tree holes forwarmth and safety.
Autumn in the Far East is brief and its effects are felt quickly.
The lotus capsules are empty, the seeds long since dispersed in the water.
The sparkle of hoarfrost spreads across the marshy Khanka lakeside,
but the reeds still hold life in them.
Tiny Heude's Parrotbills bite into the stalks
and seek out the insects hibernating inside.
All winter the stalks are their exclusive foodstores,
and only this species is equipped to open them.
The vast inland Khanka Lake will be covered with ice in 2 weeks' time,
locked for 7 months in the grip of winter.
In nights, just before winter's final descend,
an uncommon sight startles a flying squirrel.
An Amur leopard, the rarest big cat on Earth.
The male leopard has killed a red deer
and dragged the carcass under a tree trunk for safe keeping.
The squirrel would do best to make himself scares,
but the Amur leopard is sated for tonight.
For the flying squirrels, vertical trunks are a playground and race track.
The northernmost leopard in the world, the Amur leopard is ready forwinter.
A three inch thick coat defends it from the impending chill.
By the end of October, winter can no longer be kept at bay.
Rapidly falling temperatures
freeze the taiga both literally and figuratively,
immobilizing it in time.
The remnants of the fleeting Ussuri summer are preserved in an eerie portrait.
Winter reaches the coast last of all.
Just as the sea resists and delays the onset of spring,
it thwarts the icy winter air for a time.
But by November,
the tropical Tsushima is pushed aside by the Arctic currents.
Now the first snow swirls into the Pacific surf.
Those who made their lives in Ussuriland know the polar opposites of life,
both ease and hardship,
and perhaps for this very reason they remain as they have been for millennia.
Like the winter taiga, they are both alive and frozen in time.