01x07 - Beyond the Nest

[bunniefuu]

[crickets chirping]

[ominous music playing]

[narrator] The streets of Simon's Town

are dangerous for a lone bird after dark.

[tense music playing]

[tires screech]

[car honks]

[dramatic music rising]

Lord Courtyard is quicker than he looks.

[braying]

But his night isn't over yet.

Who's this?

Help you with something?

[sinister music playing]

Lord C has a stalker.

[intriguing music playing]

Silent.

Unshakable.

Female.

He already has a wife and kids.

She… doesn't care.

But this obsession

could mean trouble.

They're on a collision course

with Lady Courtyard.

[opening theme song playing]

Yeah! ♪

Yeah, yeah ♪

Till my breath's all gone

I'll be pushing on so strong ♪

I'll keep pushing on ♪

Till the river runs dry

I've got to try, try, try ♪

I'll keep pushing on ♪

When my soul's burnt through

I won't be feeling blue ♪

I'll keep pushing on ♪

Pushing on ♪

Till my dying day

I won't give it all away ♪

I keep pushing on ♪

Yeah! ♪

[penguins braying]

[narrator]

It's a huge week in Penguin Town.

Around nine weeks old,

the colony's first round of chicks

sheds its final baby feathers.

[gentle music playing]

Their new coats earn them a new title…

blues.

Fully fledged and waterproof…

though most have never even

seen the water.

[brays]

Time for them to head out

and face the real world.

[uplifting music playing]

Their final step towards independence.

But the farther from the ocean you live,

the more hazardous that journey.

[upbeat music playing]

It's not surprising some suburban kids

are reluctant to leave.

[chirping]

In the garden,

the Wheelbarrows' remaining chick

is technically grown up.

His big brother left for the beach

a few days ago.

But this oversized baby

is in no hurry to follow.

[chirping]

[braying]

His super-parents

expect new eggs any day now.

Time to kick this third wheel

to the beach.

Someone's gonna have to show him the way.

Dad explains the rules of the road.

Look both ways.

[whimsical music playing]

Keep an eye out for the car park punks.

It's a bird-eat-bird world out here.

Now, prepare to scale…

[grandiose music playing]

…the great wall.

[birds chirping]

It's just two small steps for Dad.

But it's one giant leap for a blue.

[grandiose music continues]

-[music stops]

-[thuds]

[screeching]

[braying]

Everybody falls the first time.

[gentle music playing]

Though they're older

than the Wheelbarrows,

the Bougainvillea chicks next door

still haven't fully fledged.

Growing up can take twice as long

when you only have one parent feeding you.

[chirping]

[braying]

They're small…

but Twig and his younger sister, Petal,

are two tough chicks.

[grunting] Some morning yoga…

[sighs]

…and Petal is ready to take on the world.

[whimsical music playing]

[squawks]

[squawking]

How does he do that?

Uh-oh.

Incoming.

[dramatic music playing]

The Cape gull is twice Petal's size.

And one of the most

cantankerous birds around.

Gulls pick fights for no good reason.

That beak could k*ll a young penguin.

[tense music playing]

[squawking]

Petal and Twig have been

picked on their whole lives.

-[chicks screeching]

-[squawking]

But enough is enough.

No more.

[tense music continues]

Hold your ground, Petal.

[screeching]

[screeching]

Time you summon up

that Bougainvillea courage.

[screeching]

[squawking]

That's right, you better walk away.

A little confidence goes a long way.

[squawking]

Good job, little sis.

High five.

[chirping]

[light upbeat music playing]

At the castle up the hill,

Lord Courtyard has that funny feeling

he's being followed.

Again.

This time, all the way home.

[braying]

This young bird has had a thing for Lord C

ever since she first laid eyes on him.

Now, it's getting kind of creepy.

But his young admirer

is not looking to make out.

Young adults sometimes

shadow more experienced grownups

to learn how to be a better penguin.

And here in Simon's Town,

how to navigate a human world.

She's hoping for a mentor, not a mate.

All she has to do

is win over Lady Courtyard.

[braying]

Or not.

Persistent, isn't she?

Tonight's lesson is a hard one.

[braying continues]

[screeches]

Strange birds are not welcome.

[brays]

Have a nice trip.

See ya next fall.

[penguins braying]

[chicks chirping]

[whimsical music playing]

Mr. Bougainvillea is a single parent

working double duty

to get his chicks ready for departure.

And it's finally paying off.

His eldest, Twig, is fully fledged.

[chirping]

The ocean is calling.

He just has to get there in one piece.

Dad leads the way.

Right into the dreaded Car Park g*ng.

[ominous music playing]

Not long ago, they nearly broke Twig.

[braying]

But he was a much different bird

back then.

Time to stand your ground.

Show no fear.

[braying]

You are a full-grown Bougainvillea now.

[triumphant music playing]

Huh!

That actually worked!

Nicely done.

Petal ventures out

to bid her big brother farewell.

She needs a few more days

to finish fledging.

[chirping]

These siblings have spent

their entire lives together.

This could be the last time

they ever see each other.

[chirping]

Good luck, Twig.

[braying]

May the tides be with you.

[screeches]

[uplifting music playing]

[chirping]

[penguins braying]

[birds chirping]

All across the colony,

parents are dropping

their blues off at the beach…

to prepare for graduation.

[Elgar's

"Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1" plays]

[braying]

[chirping]

They'll gather their courage

here for a few days…

until they're hungry enough

to go hunt for themselves…

[chirping]

…out there.

For the parents, that means

their duties are done for the year.

Their first time in months

with no mouths to feed.

[braying]

And the freedom to do whatever they want.

[light upbeat music playing]

But some ambitious couples

have chosen to start all over again.

Mr. and Mrs. Wheelbarrow

did the empty nest thing…

for about a minute.

And now, they welcome

their second clutch of eggs.

Their ironclad nursery

is a deterrent to most predators.

But not all.

[ominous music playing]

[panting]

[sniffing]

Dogs have a long history

of k*lling penguins in Simon's Town.

[tense music playing]

[dog sniffing]

He could dig out

the Wheelbarrows' new eggs in seconds.

[dog whimpers]

And a single bite could k*ll Mom.

-[braying]

-[dog growling]

[dog growling]

But Mrs. Wheelbarrow

has one thing most dogs don't.

[woman exclaims]

[whimpers]

[narrator] Freedom.

[triumphant music playing]

No one owns a penguin.

[birds chirping]

[light upbeat music playing]

Growing up in their hillside fortress,

the little Ladies Courtyard

have never known such dangers.

But living this far away is a trade-off.

Now that their eldest daughter

is ready to leave,

she faces a half-mile obstacle course

to the beach,

the longest commute in town,

and she's never even been down the stairs.

[brays]

It's a steep learning curve.

[whimsical music playing]

Dad demonstrates the technique.

[chirps]

Little hops.

[screeches]

She's determined to do better.

[chirping]

Practice makes perfect.

That was just the beginning.

It's a maze through the giant's lair.

[whimsical music continues]

Blues don't usually return

to the nest where they were born.

When she comes back to Simon's Town,

she'll likely find her own place.

This may be the last time

she ever sees her childhood home.

[gentle music playing]

At Burghers' Walk,

Mr. Bougainvillea returns from fishing…

with a feast

for his remaining daughter, Petal.

[ominous music playing]

But heads up, Mr. B.

You've got company.

A young caracal has ventured into town…

the number-one k*ller of penguins on land.

[dramatic music playing]

And she has Mr. B in her sights.

It's a dangerous game…

of cat…

and bird.

[growls]

You may run for a long time ♪

Run on for a long time ♪

Run on for a long time ♪

Let me tell you

That God's gonna cut you down ♪

Let me tell you

That God's gonna cut you down ♪

Let me tell you

That God's gonna strike you down ♪