03/07/2011 Countryfile


03/07/2011

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Deep in the heart of the Cotswolds Hills, something is stirring.

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These ancient meadows hide a secret.

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It's hoped they'll soon be home to something very special indeed.

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A wildlife wonder so rare and so fragile it's not been a feature

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of this landscape for 50 years.

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The Large Blue butterfly is an extraordinary creature

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and reintroducing them is a very ambitious plan.

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So much so, this site, for now, is top secret.

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But it looks like the weather is on our side so fingers crossed

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we should be in with the chance of seeing them almost as they emerge.

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They actually hatch inside the earth because

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they spend the first part of their life cycle

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pretending to be red ants and I'll be finding out more

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about their wonderful development with the help of some cake.

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-Actually, I might just have a little bit.

-No, don't.

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Like many other parts of England and Wales, the Cotswolds suffered

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from the extra ordinarily hot and dry spring that we had.

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If with climate change that could be a possible sign of things to come,

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what could the impacts be, from forest fires to the future of farming?

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That's what I'll be investigating. And also on Countryfile tonight -

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Adam's keeping a watchful eye on a hen who's taken some new arrivals under her wing.

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Now, if I can pick her off without getting pecked, six little chicks,

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including...a little duckling there.

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You're going to be a mixed up kid, aren't you, having a chicken as a mother?

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And Julia has a close encounter with one of our most elusive woodland creatures.

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The nation will be looking at their television screens now

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and I guarantee there will be a universal, "Aw".

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Even by the standards of the Cotswolds,

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these steep-sided valleys and sunlit slopes are something to marvel at.

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It's beautiful.

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I'd love to tell you where I am, but I can't.

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All I can say is we're a few miles from Stroud in Gloucestershire.

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Because this lumpy, bumpy bit of landscape is top secret.

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And I mean top secret.

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And it's all because of this - the Large Blue butterfly,

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one of the most endangered insects on Earth.

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Not seen around here for over 50 years, it's now the focus

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of a massive effort to bring it back.

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There's been several failed attempts at other sites in the Cotswolds.

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Now, all rests on this one.

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Last summer, 200 Large Blue caterpillars were placed around this area and scientists

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chose this site because it was the right habitat, plenty of sunshine and well away from prying eyes.

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Well, almost!

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'Patrick Barkham is a butterfly enthusiast and author.

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'He's just one of a handful of people who know what's going on here.'

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Patrick, how are you doing, all right?

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-Yeah.

-Good to see you. You're obviously very hopeful today that we'll clap eyes on these?

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I wouldn't like to promise you a Large Blue because they've not been seen here for 50 years.

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That sounds massive in itself.

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But how big a deal is this whole project?

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It's a major deal. It's not just the biggest conservation project, Butterfly Conservation Project,

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it's really the biggest and most successful insect conservation project. Probably in the world.

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Will we see them in the same area that the caterpillars were placed?

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You can see them within a metre of where they spend the winter,

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but they will be emerging and flying down the hill towards the bottom.

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That's where we will try and catch them.

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So, the key is just keep them peeled?

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Sheltered spot, sunshine, looking good.

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OK, well, we won't know for sure if the project has been successful

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until the Large Blues emerge and we are here as and when they do.

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But there's one place where they've already been successfully reintroduced.

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While I'm near Stroud in the Cotswolds, James has been to Collard Hill in Somerset to find out more.

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Pioneering work has been done right here

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to bring it back from extinction.

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It's taken more than a decade, but the Large Blue

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has finally gained a foothold.

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It's eggs from here in Somerset that are being used to reseed

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the secret site in the Cotswolds where Matt's on standby.

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If the scientists get it right there and another colony's established,

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then the future for the whole species is as good as guaranteed.

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This little guy here is what all the fuss is about.

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None of this would have been possible without Professor Jeremy Thomas.

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The Large Blue died out in Britain at the end of the 1970s,

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but just a few years later,

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Jeremy and his team began the work that would bring them back.

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They set about reseeding our grasslands with caterpillars

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and it worked! Today, he's back to check on his little charges.

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So, why had the Large Blue become extinct in the first place?

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Well, it's really a victim of modern agriculture.

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As farming has become more intensive

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so the flatter lands have been ploughed and fertilised,

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but so many of the old slopes that used to be grazed were abandoned,

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the grass grew taller, there are a large number of creatures of which the Large Blue is a particularly

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sensitive one, but like short, open, sparse conditions that lets the sun beat down and bake the ground.

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Nowadays the National Trust, working with local farmers, are once again grazing these

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slopes to recreate the conditions needed for the Large Blue to survive.

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But that's not enough on its own. It took a helping hand from Jeremy to bring the butterfly back.

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So, how do you go about reintroducing a whole species?

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Well, it was no easy matter.

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We had to find a race of the butterfly that was suitable for the English climate and we eventually

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located some in southern Sweden and so we had a hunting expedition,

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you can't just get the adults of these butterflies

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and release them in the countryside so we had to actually collect the eggs and

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bring the little caterpillars over and then release the caterpillars, just sprinkle them over the sites.

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Today, there are 1,000 Large Blues here,

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descendants of those first caterpillars.

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It's a good start, but it's just the first step.

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Right now is the perfect time to spot Large Blues.

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'They're only on the wing for a few weeks in June and July.

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'And bang on cue, Jeremy and I spot one.'

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This is a very fresh female, almost certainly emerged today.

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And as you can see she's sitting on the flower head of wild thyme,

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which is where she will lay her eggs later on.

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She'll only lay on the tight flower buds of wild thyme.

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So, she'll drink nectar from this plant, this flower she's on here,

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and that's the only food that the caterpillars will eat.

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I imagine that's part of the reason why they were rare in the first place?

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It's a really specific relationship.

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They have a much more complicated life cycle later on which restricts them even further.

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Julia's going to be finding out even more about that remarkable life cycle in a little while.

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But for me and Jeremy, all that's left to do is admire the fruits of his life's work.

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It must be so rewarding after so much work to be able

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to see it so visually, walk through a field of them?

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Yeah, I must say, I've been watching for a very long time, but I still

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get a terrific kick every year when I see them coming out again.

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The Large Blues in Somerset are doing OK, but if the species is to avoid becoming extinct again,

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then colonies elsewhere in the country are vital.

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That's why this experiment further north is so important.

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We'll be finding out later if it's worked.

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Here in the Cotswolds, they have experienced an exceptionally dry spring, and they're not alone.

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Parts of the country are now officially facing drought conditions

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and thanks to this dry weather, a spate of forest fires has broken out across England and Wales.

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But are they a one-off or a taste of things to come? John's been investigating.

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There are few things more damaging to nature than fire.

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It destroys plants and trees, wildlife and habitat.

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In the last few months, its effect on the countryside has been disastrous.

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In April this year, England and Wales had only one fifth of their average monthly rainfall.

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As a result, vast areas of parched woodland burst into flames.

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Forest fires broke out on a scale rarely seen before.

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Wildfires are continuing to burn in parts of Scotland.

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The smoke rising...

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Dangerous work...

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From the top of Scotland to the south of England, wildfires raged.

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It took thousands of fire-fighters and millions of pounds to put them all out and it left a big question.

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As the impact of climate change begins to be felt, will forest fires become

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a more regular feature of extreme and volatile weather conditions?

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And if so, what lessons can be learned by fire-fighters and foresters

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in the aftermath of a huge outbreak like the one here at Swinley Forest?

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This was the biggest fire in Berkshire's history.

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Over nine days, 500 acres of woodland were engulfed in flames that leapt more than 60 ft into the sky.

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It caused damage on a scale that no-one had seen before.

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How much of the forest has been lost?

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I think about 25% of our holding here

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has been destroyed beyond recovery.

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-How many trees is that?

-It's at least 100,000 trees to replace here.

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Across Britain, small forest fires aren't actually that unusual.

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And with a little help, woodland usually bounces back.

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But recovering from a fire on this scale will take many years and lots of hard work.

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We aim to have most of the plantations restocked probably by this time next year.

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But then we'll have another five or 10 years of nurturing

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those before they can be left to their own devices.

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It must have been a nightmare come true for you, Nick?

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Absolutely, John, it was really devastating.

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It gave me a cold...

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clammy hand on the pit of my stomach

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and really did feel emotionally very, very difficult.

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It's quite an act of faith putting a tree in the ground and then spending five or 10 years ensuring they get

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-the best start. You really put a lot of yourself into that.

-To see it go up in flames?

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To see it go up in flames there's an element of, you think, how can this ever recover?

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But Nick believes things can be done to prevent wildfires like this in the future.

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We will, I think, take some lessons from this.

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We will look at how we can design the next phase here with

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maybe greater robustness, greater flexibility in coping with fire.

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Some cultural changes in how we manage the vegetation, there's a lot of fuel here

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that's not necessarily part of the crop we're promoting,

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but is a consequence of naturally seeding trees.

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The sort of stuff that helps the forest fires spread?

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That's right, and it adds fuel to it.

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But managing woodland may not be enough and if a fire does break

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out again, it will be up to the emergency services to tackle it.

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400 fire-fighters from 13 counties battled to contain the flames

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at Swinley Forest and for many from urban areas, it was a new experience.

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Nick Oxborough was one of the senior officers involved.

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A fire on this scale, a huge challenge for your brigade?

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Yes, this has been an exceptional fire.

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We have had fires, large fires here over the last 10 to 15 years.

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This was very exceptional. Where the timber, the trees,

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were like this, densely packed, the fire just literally ripped through the whole thing.

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It sounds like an express train coming at you if you're at the side

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of a platform and a train goes through, it was just like that sound

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as the fire ripped through. There's nothing you can do about that.

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Climate change experts say that we can expect more of this

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kind of thing in the future as the country hots up.

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Are we going to be prepared for it?

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From a fire service perspective, yes, we will be prepared for it.

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We know that you cannot put that type of fire out

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with, however much water you've got, you can't just squirt water on it, it will not work.

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So it's about being slightly smarter, more proactive in our thinking and planning

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and saying "If it burns through there, where will it stop?

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"Where can we actually stand and tackle it?"

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But how often will people like Nick need to put what they've learnt into practice?

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It's virtually impossible to predict the weather and the effect climate change will have on it.

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But as they've discovered at Swinley, certain risk factors should be possible to control.

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Jonathan, you actually predict wildfires, don't you?

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Did you predict this one?

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This one's easy. Dry weather, lots of inflammable undergrowth and people,

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particularly on that bank holiday, go out into the countryside,

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light barbecues, throw away cigarettes.

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Arson, negligence, that's what causes them.

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To further reduce risk, Jonathan would like to see

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more landowners across the country actively protecting their woodland.

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I think what we need to do now is to think much more

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carefully about the way in which we manage the countryside and recognise that there is this risk of wildfire.

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Remove a lot of the undergrowth from forests, things like that?

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Well, it's very clear from countries like Spain that if you just abandon the countryside and scrub grows up,

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you then have a terrible wildfire problem because the farmers have left for the cities.

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And it's much the same in Britain.

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If a dry spring causes devastating fires, what's going to happen if we get a very dry, hot summer?

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We can't control the weather, but we can find more effective

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ways of coping with the results of its extremes.

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Drought is another consequence.

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More about that in a few minutes.

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Deep in the steep, green-sided valleys of the Cotswolds near Stroud is a magical place.

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The Golden Valley.

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It's all green, really, but what's a little poetic licence when you're surrounded by this?

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It's called Golden because of the wealth of old wool merchants that lived here in medieval times,

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when wool was making the Cotswolds rich.

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And threading its way through the Golden Valley is the Golden Valley Walk -

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an easy five miles through some stunning country.

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Undoubtedly pretty, but scratch the surface and this landscape can tell you plenty.

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What do you reckon this is? Molehill?

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Mm-mm. It's an ant hill. And what these mean is that this is ancient, unimproved pasture land.

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Some of them have been here for decades.

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Better get off.

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This is rough pasture, but that's not the reason it's left mostly ungrazed.

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Limestone terrain like this doesn't hold water well,

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and that's a problem if you've got thirsty animals.

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'So, here's the answer.

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'A dew pond. A traditional way of gathering the dew

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'that rolls off the grass on summer mornings. It also catches rainwater.

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'This is the first one built in the Cotswolds for over 100 years.

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'But the idea goes back thousands.'

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-Hey up, Pete.

-Hi, Julia.

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I've got to say, the dew pond is looking a little arid.

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It is, just a bit, unfortunately, yes.

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-It's a problem in the area, isn't it?

-It's a big problem in the area.

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The idea of a dew pond is to hold water for livestock and, unfortunately,

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with such a dry spring it just hasn't managed to do that.

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'Nevertheless, when the rain does come, it will hold water.

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'To show me how it works, Pete's brought some stuff from his kitchen.'

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If you can imagine that this is the dew pond, the hole that we dug here,

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before everything else went in - the ingredients if you like.

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-Then what we basically start doing is building up the layers.

-Right.

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'Clay goes in first to form a watertight lining.

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'Then lime is added or, in this case, flour, to stop worms from chewing holes into the clay.

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'Straw is next, which prevents everything underneath from drying out.

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'And then the process is repeated.'

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And then, finally, we just need some stone to cap it off.

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The idea of the final capping of stone was to prevent

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the animals putting their hooves through the clay and actually, er,

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-making a hole.

-Or getting stuck?

-Or even getting stuck, actually.

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-That could've happened, couldn't it?

-Yes.

-And it should be watertight?

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In theory, it should be watertight.

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In theory? Shall we test it?

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-Yes, let's.

-OK. Right.

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Here we go.

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Let's have a little look.

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'The water is sitting on top of the mix,

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'and the clay is stopping it from seeping to the bottom of the bowl.'

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Looks to be holding.

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By Jove...

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I think you're right.

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'The real thing is seven foot deep.

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'More than 30 tons of clay were used to build it

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'and water or no water, I think it looks great.'

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'From dew ponds and open pasture, the walk drops down to follow

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'the route of the old Thames and Severn Canal.

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'It's long fallen into disuse and nature has taken over.'

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-Hear that?

-SILENCE

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Neither do I.

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Utter...peace

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and quiet.

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A little further on, you come to Siccaridge Wood -

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a patch of ancient woodland that was traditionally coppiced

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and which today is managed by one very special resident - the dormouse.

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Nationally in decline but doing pretty well here.

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Why is this woodland such an ideal habitat for them?

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Dormice, when they come out of hibernation,

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throughout the spring, summer and autumn they actually need

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woodlands whereby they can access a range of foods.

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And also, they need a good linkage of branches above

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so they can actually move through the tree canopy.

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A coppiced woodland like this, where trees are cut on a regular basis,

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there's good linkage so they can move around well,

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and the act of cutting the coppice means that different shrubs and plants will come up,

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which gives them access to different foods throughout the year.

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-How long DO they sleep? Longer than me?

-Probably, yeah.

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They usually go down to hibernation about November, and they'll start to wake up again about March or April.

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-That's what I call a good sleep!

-Not bad, is it?

-That's very good, yeah.

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Are these pretty good conditions today to see a dormouse?

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Well, they're not bad, but dormice are nocturnal.

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They'll have been out last night feeding,

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which means they should be back in their nest boxes by today so hopefully we should see something.

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-Hello, Mick.

-Oh, hello, how are you?

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-Tell me you've got something in there.

-I'm afraid not.

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Have we got an empty one?

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That just wouldn't have been the way that it works generally for us, I must say.

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'Mick's been monitoring the dormice in these woods for over 20 years.

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'His work feeds into the National Dormice Survey -

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'one of the longest-running mammal surveys in the world.

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'Even with Mick on hand, we're having trouble spotting them today.'

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SHE SIGHS

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I want to see a dormouse.

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I'm feeling lucky about this one.

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Box 100.

0:20:380:20:39

-Yeah? No? Yes?

-Yes.

0:20:410:20:44

Probably cos it was a cold night last night.

0:20:440:20:46

Just gone into a mini-hibernation.

0:20:460:20:48

He might stay like that for the rest of the morning.

0:20:480:20:51

He'll have shut his body down - uses less energy -

0:20:510:20:53

but he'll wake up about lunchtime and be ready to go and feed again tonight.

0:20:530:20:57

'Mick and Ian are licensed handlers,

0:20:570:21:00

'which means it's OK for me to handle them under their supervision.'

0:21:000:21:04

What's our climate like generally for dormice?

0:21:040:21:08

Well, the winters are too warm and too wet.

0:21:080:21:11

They're much happier where it's colder.

0:21:110:21:13

That's why this winter, being so cold,

0:21:130:21:16

has kept them in hibernation for longer, so they don't wake up early and use up their body reserves.

0:21:160:21:22

Because if they wake up and its mild, they come out and there's nothing for them to eat.

0:21:220:21:27

'Cute she is, but there's a serious side to this job.

0:21:270:21:31

'A good weight means she's come through the winter well and is in tip-top condition for breeding.'

0:21:310:21:37

-13½.

-13 and a bit? Yeah, 13½.

0:21:370:21:40

-13½ grams.

-13½ grams?!

0:21:400:21:44

Roll him back into me there.

0:21:440:21:47

'Even with experienced handlers, it's important to keep the disturbance to a minimum.

0:21:470:21:51

'But this little lady's perked up and doesn't seem so sleepy.'

0:21:510:21:55

She's a little bit more active now,

0:21:550:21:57

so let me turn her around so you can see her eyes.

0:21:570:22:01

The nation will be looking at their television screens now

0:22:020:22:05

and I guarantee there will be a universal "aww".

0:22:050:22:09

'All in all, the perfect end to a perfect walk.'

0:22:120:22:17

Later in the programme...

0:22:190:22:20

Adam's spoilt for choice when he goes shopping for some fancy fowl.

0:22:200:22:25

Chickens galore!

0:22:250:22:27

We'll have a sneak preview of the entries in our photographic competition.

0:22:270:22:31

But will yours be among them?

0:22:320:22:34

And there's still time to enter so if you're hoping to take the perfect picture,

0:22:340:22:38

you'll need the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.

0:22:380:22:42

Our unusually dry spring has caused its fair share of problems around here, and the rest of the country.

0:22:480:22:53

But if this weather pattern is here to stay,

0:22:530:22:56

is it time for our farmers to rethink what they grow?

0:22:560:22:58

John has been investigating.

0:22:580:23:00

Wild fires are continuing to burn in parts of Scotland.

0:23:030:23:06

JOHN: Earlier, I looked at how it our dry spring led to catastrophic forest fires,

0:23:060:23:11

and I found out what needs to be done to stop such damage happening again.

0:23:110:23:15

But that wasn't the only weather problem.

0:23:150:23:17

Officially, in some areas, there's now a drought.

0:23:170:23:20

The longest dry spell for a century has created anxious times for farmers,

0:23:220:23:26

so what should they do?

0:23:260:23:28

Farming has always been a gamble with the weather,

0:23:280:23:30

but extreme conditions certainly raise the stakes.

0:23:300:23:34

Some farmers in East Anglia are expecting their crops to be down by a fifth.

0:23:340:23:38

Many livestock and dairy farmers

0:23:380:23:41

started using their winter feed stocks in May.

0:23:410:23:44

I'm meeting David Taylor, a farmer whose 700 acres of arable land

0:23:440:23:47

on the chalky South Downs certainly suffered.

0:23:470:23:51

What effect has the very dry spring had on your barley crop here?

0:23:520:23:57

It's had the effect of making the crop much thinner,

0:23:570:24:00

in as much as there are less stems per given area,

0:24:000:24:03

and that's caused by the fact that, when a seed is sown,

0:24:030:24:08

it throws up one stem, and subsequently other stems develop,

0:24:080:24:12

so that each seed produces a number of ears, such as these.

0:24:120:24:16

You can see that these ones here will never produce an ear. And in a better year, they would have done.

0:24:160:24:21

-Look how dry the roots are.

-Very dry indeed.

0:24:210:24:23

So, unless there's a lot more rain before harvest time, how much do you think your crop will be down?

0:24:230:24:28

It's very difficult to tell. All sorts of figures are bandied about.

0:24:280:24:31

Even in a good year, I don't know what sort of crop we'll get.

0:24:310:24:35

But I would say for certain we've lost 30% of our crop.

0:24:350:24:37

To make matters worse, many farmers like David have contracts to honour.

0:24:370:24:42

If they've already agreed to sell a certain amount of their harvest and can't fulfil that,

0:24:420:24:48

they'll have to buy in the difference -

0:24:480:24:50

and with wheat prices hitting the roof, that's an even bigger blow.

0:24:500:24:53

You tend to go through periods of elation and depression in farming.

0:24:530:24:58

And if I had an inch of rain tonight, I'd probably feel far better than I do right now,

0:24:580:25:03

and that's the way farming is, I'm afraid.

0:25:030:25:05

We have to be pragmatic and philosophical about it,

0:25:050:25:08

and accept the one thing we can't do is affect what nature gives us.

0:25:080:25:12

There ARE farmers who welcome weather like we had in spring.

0:25:120:25:16

It means they can take on foreign competition earlier in the season.

0:25:160:25:20

This fruit farm belongs to a firm which, every year, grows 8,000 tonnes of strawberries, blackberries,

0:25:200:25:27

raspberries and blueberries in the south of England.

0:25:270:25:30

And this year's dry conditions and sunny days have been ideal for all these soft fruits,

0:25:300:25:36

which were ready for market two weeks ahead of schedule.

0:25:360:25:39

But it's not all down to sunshine.

0:25:390:25:42

The farm uses half a million litres of water every day, so how does it manage this precious resource?

0:25:420:25:49

Your situation is very different from arable farmers,

0:25:490:25:52

who can't just water a field like that - you can control your water, can't you?

0:25:520:25:56

That's right. All our soft fruit, when it's grown out of the soil,

0:25:560:26:00

has a drip system so we can give the plants exactly what they need in terms of feed and water.

0:26:000:26:05

On this particular fruit farm, have you got reservoirs?

0:26:050:26:08

Yeah, we bought this farm in 1966 and since then, we've built four reservoirs,

0:26:080:26:14

and we think now we've got a fairly belt-and-braces approach to water security.

0:26:140:26:19

The Environment Agency is currently reviewing the amount of water available to farmers.

0:26:190:26:25

They'll be stopped from taking it from free sources if that's found to be unsustainable.

0:26:250:26:29

Harry manages his supplies carefully,

0:26:290:26:32

harvesting rainwater in reservoirs instead of just taking it from boreholes and rivers.

0:26:320:26:38

Do you think more farmers will be doing what you do, and have your own reservoir space?

0:26:380:26:43

Yeah, I think it's the only way forward.

0:26:430:26:45

I think winter extraction is going to become more and more necessary,

0:26:450:26:49

and being able to pump water out of rivers and streams in the summer

0:26:490:26:52

is going to be in decline, definitely.

0:26:520:26:55

In the UK, there's simply not enough water to go around.

0:26:550:26:59

Jenny Bashford is a water policy adviser, so how SHOULD we be conserving such a valuable resource?

0:26:590:27:05

If, as predicted, we're going to get longer periods of dry weather,

0:27:050:27:09

serious droughts, what can farmers - what can we ALL - do about it?

0:27:090:27:13

It's quite difficult to know what is going to happen -

0:27:130:27:17

whether we're going to have long periods of drought or get other extreme weather conditions.

0:27:170:27:22

I think we've got to learn to build the capacity to cope with those conditions,

0:27:220:27:26

not necessarily plan for one condition in particular.

0:27:260:27:29

-How do we cope?

-There's a number of different ways.

0:27:290:27:32

One is about building more on-farm winter storage reservoirs.

0:27:320:27:36

Ultimately, there will be some farmers that will want to make decisions

0:27:360:27:39

about whether they continue to grow the crops they do.

0:27:390:27:42

It could be that they're growing crops in the wrong place, so they need to think about moving.

0:27:420:27:46

They may well do. The circumstances are very particular to local circumstances.

0:27:460:27:51

This is not wall-to-wall sunshine -

0:27:510:27:53

there are pockets where people are receiving rain and it is enough,

0:27:530:27:56

-and other pockets that are very deprived.

-Scotland's had a lot.

-Absolutely.

0:27:560:28:00

Northern Ireland's had quite a lot.

0:28:000:28:02

But if we do get more drought than we've ever been used to,

0:28:020:28:05

that could change the whole face of British farming, couldn't it?

0:28:050:28:09

Farmers tend to work on the short term, which is about weather, and they'll react to the weather,

0:28:090:28:14

rather than long-term climate change, which would be viewed over a 50-60 year period.

0:28:140:28:18

What's really concerning our farmers and members at the moment

0:28:180:28:22

is what is going to happen over the rest of this summer, going into autumn and winter.

0:28:220:28:26

If we get the same weather patterns as we appear to be getting for the moment for the rest of this summer,

0:28:260:28:31

we should be all right.

0:28:310:28:33

-It's a waiting game, but we should be all right.

-Rain and shine?

-Rain and shine.

0:28:330:28:36

But if we go into autumn being reasonably dry and have another dry winter,

0:28:360:28:40

making it the fourth on the trot of having a dry winter,

0:28:400:28:44

we could be looking at a very serious water-resource situation next spring.

0:28:440:28:48

Water is such a vital commodity that if we don't manage it more effectively,

0:28:480:28:54

crops will really suffer, increasing our reliance on imports.

0:28:540:28:57

The pressure is on for farmers to adapt -

0:28:570:29:00

pressure that'll only increase if we get more extreme, volatile weather in years to come.

0:29:000:29:06

We're in the Cotswolds, hoping to witness history -

0:29:110:29:14

the return of the large blue butterfly,

0:29:140:29:17

not seen at this secret site in 50 years.

0:29:170:29:21

But whether we do or not is due in no small part to these girls - Welsh Black cattle.

0:29:210:29:26

I'll tell you why soon, but first we've got to get them rounded up.

0:29:260:29:29

These Welsh Blacks are part of a special grazing programme

0:29:310:29:35

that's helping maintain all kinds of important habitat throughout the Cotswolds.

0:29:350:29:40

Go on, girls! Oh, look at that - bit of fresh grass.

0:29:400:29:45

They're owned by Natural England and managed by stockman Matt Stanway.

0:29:450:29:50

And why go for the Welsh Blacks?

0:29:500:29:52

They're a real tough, hardy breed.

0:29:520:29:54

We don't have any sheds, any buildings,

0:29:540:29:57

these girls stay outside all the way through the year.

0:29:570:29:59

And they don't only just survive on this rough grassland,

0:29:590:30:02

it looks quite rich here, but on the rough,

0:30:020:30:04

normal grassland, they actually really thrive on it,

0:30:040:30:08

so you can see how fat these ones are.

0:30:080:30:10

This girl here, she is 19, 20 next year.

0:30:120:30:15

-Wow!

-It shows what

0:30:150:30:17

a nice life they have, really, up on these hills.

0:30:170:30:20

This is like the retired herd, then?

0:30:200:30:22

They are, very much, like geriatric cows.

0:30:220:30:24

Right, the interesting news is that that's where they're meant to go...

0:30:260:30:30

And that's where they are.

0:30:330:30:34

'This is real fine dining to these ladies,

0:30:340:30:38

'but this pasture's not where they need to be.

0:30:380:30:40

'We let them have a quick munch and get them back on track with the help of a feed bucket.'

0:30:400:30:44

So what makes these Welsh Blacks

0:30:440:30:47

such good grazing partners for the Large Blue?

0:30:470:30:50

Well, we tend to graze for the Large Blue in the winter,

0:30:500:30:55

so we need cattle which can stand the cold temperatures of winter,

0:30:550:30:59

and those last cold winters have been particularly bad, haven't they?

0:30:590:31:03

'All through those harsh winters, these ladies were going about their

0:31:030:31:06

'business grazing for the Large Blue a few miles from here.

0:31:060:31:11

'It's the way they eat that makes them so good at their job.'

0:31:110:31:15

The cattle need to graze the turf to a very short length of height, so,

0:31:150:31:19

ideally for the Large Blue, we're talking less than two centimetres.

0:31:190:31:25

Normally you would assume that would be done by sheep, very short turf,

0:31:250:31:29

but cattle, in fact, can take it through to those low levels.

0:31:290:31:32

-JULIA:

-And stay with Countryfile to discover if those Welsh Black cattle

0:31:370:31:41

have done their work when we go in search of the elusive Large Blue.

0:31:410:31:46

We've seen the small blue, the common blue, lots of blue butterflies, but no Large Blues.

0:31:460:31:51

Nothing so far, Mattias, not a sausage.

0:31:510:31:55

Definitely not a butterfly.

0:31:550:31:57

And for her wildlife watchers everywhere, we'll have the country forecast for the week ahead.

0:31:580:32:03

Now to the farm, where Adam's looking to add to his collection of rare-breed chickens.

0:32:100:32:15

One of his hens has been particularly busy.

0:32:150:32:18

One of the great things about working with animals

0:32:240:32:27

is when there's new life.

0:32:270:32:28

I've just brought some food and water to this hen.

0:32:280:32:32

She's what is known as a broody.

0:32:320:32:34

A chicken will lay fertile eggs if they've got a cockerel with them,

0:32:340:32:37

and it isn't until they decide that

0:32:370:32:39

they want to hatch the eggs that they go broody, and they'll sit tight.

0:32:390:32:42

In fact, this hen decided to go broody,

0:32:420:32:44

didn't have any eggs under her.

0:32:440:32:46

So I put some fertile eggs from other breeds

0:32:460:32:48

under her. Now, if I can pick her off without getting pecked...

0:32:480:32:54

Six little chicks of various different breeds,

0:32:540:32:57

including a little duckling there.

0:32:570:33:00

CHICKS CHEEP

0:33:000:33:02

They're so sweet, and you can see the differences

0:33:020:33:05

between the duckling and the chick.

0:33:050:33:07

The bill of the duck for filter feeding,

0:33:070:33:10

and the beak of the chick for pecking the grain.

0:33:100:33:13

You're going to be a mixed-up kid, having a chicken as a mother.

0:33:130:33:15

It's fairly common, though, for a broody hen to hatch out whatever eggs

0:33:150:33:20

you put under her, guinea-fowl, pheasant eggs, chicks or ducklings,

0:33:200:33:23

but not that often they'll hatch out mixed species, so chickens and ducks

0:33:230:33:28

in the same hatch, but she's managed it very well.

0:33:280:33:32

I keep about half a dozen rare breeds of chickens, too.

0:33:320:33:35

It's a passion that my dad had, and he started the collection and I just kept it going.

0:33:350:33:40

The chickens we've got on the farm include one of the oldest known breeds - the Light Sussex.

0:33:400:33:47

We have also got Buff Orpingtons from Kent.

0:33:470:33:50

And Pekin bantams, known for their feathery feet.

0:33:510:33:55

One of my favourite breeds is the Welsummer, which comes from Holland.

0:33:580:34:03

The thing I really like about these Welsummers are their eggs.

0:34:030:34:08

Take a look at these.

0:34:080:34:10

They're a lovely, rich, brown colour.

0:34:100:34:14

Six chickens, six eggs. And they're delicious to eat.

0:34:140:34:18

But these have got a cockerel with them, so I can incubate these to hatch out some chicks.

0:34:180:34:22

For some of the other breeds, I'm getting low on numbers and I need to get in

0:34:220:34:25

some fresh blood lines, so I'm off shopping to go to another breeder.

0:34:250:34:29

I am on my way to a smallholding near Pershore in Worcestershire,

0:34:310:34:35

where Sharon Gould breeds poultry.

0:34:350:34:37

Just a few months ago, Sharon was given planning permission to live on the land with her family.

0:34:370:34:42

I suppose, being on site, there's a bit of an advantage with lots of animals?

0:34:430:34:47

It's been so much easier to just be here, keep an eye on the stock,

0:34:470:34:51

I haven't got to keep chasing up and down the road wasting fuel and time.

0:34:510:34:54

How many different types of animals have you got?

0:34:540:34:57

There's about 15 different types altogether.

0:34:570:35:01

Ducks, geese, several breeds of chickens, goats, bees...

0:35:010:35:05

Goodness me!

0:35:050:35:06

And I suppose the dream would be to have a house, would it?

0:35:060:35:10

Yes, we want a Scandinavian build so that we've got

0:35:100:35:13

a nice wooden structure, in keeping with everything else that we do.

0:35:130:35:17

One of the more unusual animals Sharon keeps is the rhea,

0:35:170:35:21

a flightless bird from South America.

0:35:210:35:24

We have not got any rheas at home, what are they like?

0:35:240:35:27

They're fantastic, very friendly, lay beautiful big yellow eggs.

0:35:270:35:32

-Got a bit of a shock when one laid one on my lap the other day!

-No!

0:35:320:35:35

Yeah, just wandered over, sat on me and laid this egg.

0:35:350:35:39

-Incredible!

-Absolutely.

0:35:390:35:41

They're really lovely, but it's British breeds of poultry I'm after.

0:35:410:35:45

Yes.

0:35:450:35:48

So, I'm interested bend the Jubilee game. What's their history?

0:35:480:35:52

They come from Cornwall, they're Cornish game, that's their proper name.

0:35:520:35:57

I've had people come from Cornwall to get them and down from Scotland, because they're getting so rare.

0:35:570:36:02

-Amazing. And what are they worth?

-The cock's about £50 apiece, and the hen's £35.

0:36:020:36:07

COCK CROWS LOUDLY

0:36:070:36:10

-A good pair of lungs.

-Yeah!

0:36:100:36:12

'The Jubilee variety of these Cornish game aren't for sale, but there are others I'm interested in buying.'

0:36:120:36:18

Hey, guys. Yep, there's one.

0:36:180:36:21

And there's the other one.

0:36:210:36:22

Chickens galore!

0:36:220:36:23

'Amongst this group are a couple of hens from a different variety of the Cornish game family.'

0:36:230:36:29

So, the difference between these and Jubilee is what?

0:36:290:36:33

The Jubilees are just,

0:36:330:36:35

where these have got the dark brown, they're pale cream.

0:36:350:36:40

-So, this is just a darker version, really?

-Darker version, yes.

0:36:400:36:43

They're very nice. There's some weight about them, isn't there?

0:36:430:36:46

Yeah. Incredible.

0:36:460:36:48

The breast on them... That's why they use them for the meat.

0:36:480:36:50

Yes. So, how old are these?

0:36:500:36:53

These are what you term point of lay.

0:36:530:36:55

She's just starting to lay her first eggs.

0:36:550:36:58

How do you know that?

0:36:580:36:59

-Pelvic bones, just in there. Can you feel them?

-Oh, yeah.

0:36:590:37:04

-There's quite a gap there, you can get nearly three fingers in the gap.

-Yeah.

0:37:040:37:07

-That just shows that they're just about to lay their first eggs.

-OK.

0:37:070:37:11

You learn something every day.

0:37:110:37:13

I think these will do me well, thank you very much. I'll take these.

0:37:130:37:17

'With so many breeds of bird on site, Sharon has quite a collection of eggs

0:37:170:37:21

'and some are larger than others.'

0:37:210:37:24

Look at these!

0:37:240:37:25

-Can I pick one up?

-You can, yes, they're quite heavy.

0:37:260:37:29

-They are heavy! So these are rhea eggs?

-Yes.

0:37:290:37:32

And how often does a rhea lay?

0:37:320:37:34

-They lay every other day.

-Do they?

-Very heavy, aren't they?

0:37:340:37:37

They are, very heavy, yes.

0:37:370:37:38

-About three-quarters of a kilo.

-Can you have them fried?

0:37:380:37:41

You can, but it fills your frying-pan!

0:37:410:37:43

-Takes some frying.

-It takes an hour and a quarter to boil one.

0:37:430:37:49

Does it?

0:37:490:37:50

'Sharon keeps chicken's eggs in here too, and hatches out 1,000 per year.'

0:37:500:37:54

Is this an important part of the business?

0:37:540:37:57

Yes, it is. We do some hatching.

0:37:570:37:59

I also sell fertilised eggs online, and we put them in the post.

0:37:590:38:05

And they don't get damaged in transit?

0:38:050:38:07

Sometimes they do, it all depends on whether Mr Postman's kind or not.

0:38:070:38:12

'As well as selling fertilised eggs, Sharon also has young chicks for sale.

0:38:140:38:17

'They're very cute, but I'm really looking for hens ready to lay their own eggs.

0:38:170:38:22

'In particular I'd like some different varieties of Pekin bantams.'

0:38:220:38:25

So, what colour do you call these ones?

0:38:250:38:28

These are silver partridge.

0:38:280:38:30

-OK.

-There we go.

0:38:300:38:32

They're lovely, aren't they? How old are these ones, then?

0:38:320:38:35

They're just starting to lay, they're about 26 weeks.

0:38:350:38:37

Right. And it was particularly lavender ones I was after.

0:38:370:38:41

I've got one of those left down the bottom.

0:38:410:38:43

Let's see her, then.

0:38:430:38:45

Here she is.

0:38:470:38:49

She's lovely, isn't she?

0:38:490:38:51

-I think I'll take them all, if that's all right.

-That's fine.

0:38:520:38:55

I'm terrible when I go shopping.

0:38:550:38:57

It's great to see Sharon making a success of her smallholding adventure.

0:38:580:39:02

It is dedicated people like her who help keep these breeds going.

0:39:020:39:06

Back at the farm, Sharon's chicken's are quickly settling in to their new home,

0:39:100:39:14

and I'm expecting some other new arrivals, too.

0:39:140:39:17

A couple of months ago, I bought some Golden Guernsey goats from Tim and Marion Collis.

0:39:170:39:23

-Hi, Adam.

-How are you? Great to see you.

0:39:230:39:25

-And you again.

-How was the journey?

-Not too bad, actually.

0:39:250:39:28

'When I bought them, the goats were in kid and couldn't travel, so I couldn't take them home at the time.

0:39:280:39:33

'The kids are now a few weeks old and today they've made it to the farm.'

0:39:330:39:37

Let the kids out, shall I?

0:39:370:39:40

There we go.

0:39:400:39:42

'These are the last of Tim and Marion's golden Guernseys.

0:39:420:39:46

'After nearly 25 years of keeping goats, they've decided to retire.'

0:39:460:39:50

And this is the little male.

0:39:500:39:52

-That's right.

-He's smart, isn't he?

0:39:520:39:54

Nice upright ears. Is he good enough to be a stud, Billy?

0:39:540:39:57

He's very well grown. I think he'll make a good breeding male for you.

0:39:570:40:01

How many weeks old now are they?

0:40:010:40:03

I think he's six weeks now, and so she's about five.

0:40:030:40:06

How does it feel now, then?

0:40:060:40:08

That's it for the goats for you.

0:40:080:40:10

-I'd rather not talk about it, really.

-Really, is it hard?

0:40:100:40:13

-Very hard, yes.

-Yes.

0:40:130:40:15

Yes, it will be strange for a while now, so it's a new stage in our lives, I suppose, really.

0:40:150:40:20

You won't have the tie of staying at home because of livestock.

0:40:200:40:24

No, apart from the dog and a few chickens!

0:40:240:40:26

Well, it's great to be building my herd back up to strength.

0:40:260:40:29

Yes, and it's nice to know they'll be helping to preserve the breed.

0:40:290:40:32

Well, a very big thank you to all those who sent in photos

0:40:400:40:43

for our Countryfile photographic competition.

0:40:430:40:45

The quality of the entries that's been sent in so far has been amazing, but if you haven't snapped

0:40:450:40:50

your winning shot yet or simply haven't sent it in to us, here's John with a reminder of what to do.

0:40:500:40:56

This year, we've really set you a challenge.

0:40:560:40:58

There are 12 different classes for you to enter in our theme of Best In Show.

0:40:580:41:04

And here are just some of the entries that have come in so far.

0:41:040:41:07

Remember, the very best entries will make up the Countryfile calendar,

0:41:420:41:45

which we sell in aid of Children in Need.

0:41:450:41:49

The best photo in each class will be put to the viewers' vote -

0:41:490:41:53

the person who takes the winning photo

0:41:530:41:54

will be declared Best In Show and gets to choose

0:41:540:41:57

from a range of the latest photographic equipment to the value of £1,000.

0:41:570:42:02

Whoever takes the judges' favourite photo will get to choose equipment to the value of £500.

0:42:020:42:09

Our competition isn't open to professionals.

0:42:090:42:11

Your entries mustn't have been offered for sale or won other competitions.

0:42:110:42:16

That's because we want something original.

0:42:160:42:20

You can enter up to four photos, which must be taken in the UK.

0:42:200:42:24

Please write your name, address, and daytime and evening phone number

0:42:240:42:29

on the back of each photo with a note of which class

0:42:290:42:32

you want it to be judged in.

0:42:320:42:34

Each photo can only be entered in one class.

0:42:340:42:37

Then, all you have to do is send your entries to -

0:42:390:42:42

The full terms and conditions are on our website,

0:42:500:42:52

as well as details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.

0:42:520:42:56

Please write to us enclosing a stamped address envelope

0:42:560:42:59

if you want a copy of the rules.

0:42:590:43:01

The closing date isn't until Friday 12th August.

0:43:010:43:06

Sorry, but we can't return any entries.

0:43:060:43:09

I don't envy the judges this year.

0:43:090:43:11

It's going to be a tough competition.

0:43:110:43:13

We've set ourselves a pretty tough task here in the Cotswolds as well,

0:43:130:43:17

trying to track down the Large Blue butterfly.

0:43:170:43:20

It hasn't been seen in this spot in the Cotswolds for 50 years.

0:43:200:43:25

Earlier, Matt revealed ambitious plans to bring it back - several attempts have already failed.

0:43:250:43:32

We've seen how fussy these butterflies can be.

0:43:320:43:35

They need short grass and warm soils. But there's more.

0:43:350:43:40

They could be deep underneath me right now.

0:43:400:43:43

But what exactly are they doing?

0:43:430:43:45

Unusually for a butterfly, the Large Blue spends

0:43:450:43:48

almost all of its caterpillar life underground, masquerading as an ant.

0:43:480:43:54

Ecologist David Simcox is here to tell me more.

0:43:540:43:59

-Hello, David.

-Hello. Hi!

0:44:000:44:03

Right, explain to me what's happening in the subterranean labyrinth down there.

0:44:030:44:07

Well, let's have a look at this. I'll try and explain.

0:44:070:44:12

There's a caterpillar.

0:44:120:44:14

So, just out in the open ground.

0:44:140:44:15

Sitting out in the open ground and waits for a passing ant to find it.

0:44:150:44:20

When it does, it produces a sugary solution from special glands on its back.

0:44:200:44:24

And, whilst the ant is feeding on the sugar, it's making

0:44:240:44:29

the ant believe this is one of its own babies

0:44:290:44:31

that somehow mysteriously got above ground.

0:44:310:44:35

So, the caterpillar's foxing the ant.

0:44:350:44:37

Absolutely! The ant then picks up the caterpillar, takes it below

0:44:370:44:40

ground and puts it where it thinks it belongs,

0:44:400:44:43

-which is in one of its brew chambers.

-Playing very dirty.

0:44:430:44:47

Absolutely! The caterpillar then becomes a carnivore and starts eating the ant grubs.

0:44:470:44:53

-It spends ten months actually in the ants' nest.

-Urgh!

0:44:530:44:57

It then turns into a chrysalis - still underground -

0:44:570:45:01

and after about ten days, the butterfly emerges.

0:45:010:45:04

Can't blow its wings up instantly like most butterflies do

0:45:040:45:07

because it's in an ants' nest

0:45:070:45:09

so it has to crawl through all these tiny chambers -

0:45:090:45:12

the labyrinth you described - out into the outside world.

0:45:120:45:16

Crawls up usually a grass stem and blows its wings up

0:45:160:45:19

and then flies off and looks for a mate.

0:45:190:45:22

-That is some process.

-And that's the full circle.

0:45:220:45:27

And it's happening now, hopefully...

0:45:270:45:29

-Underneath our feet.

-Underneath there.

0:45:290:45:32

But for that to be happening, conditions on the site have to be

0:45:340:45:37

just right for a very specific species of red ant.

0:45:370:45:42

Thermometer in - and the obvious question is why.

0:45:420:45:45

Why are you measuring the temperature of the earth?

0:45:450:45:48

The basis of the whole Large Blue story is ground temperature.

0:45:480:45:52

On a site like this, you've got five species of red ant.

0:45:520:45:55

Any of those five species will pick up a caterpillar and take it into its nest.

0:45:550:46:01

But four of them can detect it's an impostor and will kill it,

0:46:010:46:05

so there's only one species

0:46:050:46:07

that's called Myrmica sabuleti, which cannot detect it's an impostor

0:46:070:46:12

and that's how the Large Blue can survive in its nests.

0:46:120:46:16

Myrmica sabuleti needs it warm.

0:46:160:46:19

-So, there's one kind of red ant that will accept the caterpillars.

-Yes.

0:46:190:46:23

-And it thrives in particular conditions and has to be a certain temperature.

-That's correct.

0:46:230:46:28

Just ten extra centimetres in the height of the grass can make the ground cooler by five degrees.

0:46:280:46:35

That's why grazing animals like the Welsh Black cattle

0:46:350:46:38

Matt saw earlier are crucial to the survival of the Large Blue's food source.

0:46:380:46:43

What's the optimum temperature for the red ant?

0:46:430:46:45

Certainly, on a day like today, we'd be looking at anything over about 25 centigrade.

0:46:450:46:50

Well, I think we're in luck. All we need now are the right ants.

0:46:500:46:53

David has a curious way of baiting them - with cake.

0:46:530:46:59

Let's hope they're partial to trifle sponge.

0:46:590:47:01

After nearly 30 years pioneering the reintroduction of these butterflies,

0:47:030:47:08

when it comes to the ants, David's got his eye in.

0:47:080:47:11

Yeah, that's Myrmica sabuleti.

0:47:110:47:13

-That is the right one.

-That is the right ant.

0:47:130:47:15

It's all about the first bend on their antennae.

0:47:150:47:19

A wasted life, really, isn't it?

0:47:190:47:21

This is good for us - the right ant -

0:47:210:47:24

wild thyme,

0:47:240:47:26

-Large Blue comes next.

-Let's hope so.

0:47:260:47:28

Let's hope so.

0:47:280:47:30

Are the Large Blues going to hatch in the Cotswolds and, if they do,

0:47:330:47:37

who's going to see one first, Matt or me?

0:47:370:47:40

Find out after the Countryfile weather forecast.

0:47:400:47:42

.

0:49:500:49:57

We've been in the Southwest on the hunt for a very special butterfly -

0:50:110:50:14

the Large Blue.

0:50:140:50:18

They haven't been seen at this spot in the Cotswolds in over 50 years.

0:50:190:50:24

Several attempts to reintroduce them have failed,

0:50:240:50:27

but scientists are hopeful they've got it right this time.

0:50:270:50:30

The site is top secret, but we've got exclusive access,

0:50:300:50:34

and today is the day that the butterflies should start to emerge. But will they?

0:50:340:50:39

Tell me what you were doing this time last summer here, David?

0:50:390:50:44

Well, what we were doing - we were actually making an experimental introduction onto the site.

0:50:440:50:50

To do that, we collected eggs from Somerset

0:50:500:50:54

and reared the caterpillars for about three weeks in captivity.

0:50:540:50:59

Each day, at about four o'clock, you'd bring them down on the site

0:50:590:51:03

and then using a paintbrush, gently move them onto the ground.

0:51:030:51:08

-So, you're laying eggs, basically?

-In effect, yes.

0:51:080:51:11

Painstaking work.

0:51:110:51:13

If successful, it'll mean the Large Blue has a better chance of avoiding extinction a second time.

0:51:130:51:19

They're doing well in Somerset, but a breeding colony here in

0:51:190:51:22

the Cotswolds vastly improves their chances - their future could depend on what's happening here.

0:51:220:51:28

Worst-case scenario, we don't see any today, which will be very sad,

0:51:280:51:32

but even worse would be if the experiment hasn't worked. Then what?

0:51:320:51:37

I'd be very disappointed.

0:51:370:51:40

But we could be in luck - conditions are good.

0:51:420:51:44

To give ourselves the best chance of seeing them, Matt and I have split up.

0:51:440:51:48

He's a few fields away with self-confessed butterfly geek and author Patrick Barkham.

0:51:480:51:54

Patrick's been fascinated with butterflies since he was a kid.

0:51:560:52:00

Yeah, he's the small one on the left.

0:52:000:52:02

When I was a boy in the 1980s, there were no Large Blues but there was a site called Site X,

0:52:020:52:07

where Jeremy Thomas and David Simcox were introducing the Large Blue for the first time.

0:52:070:52:11

My dad got hold of the location of Site X - we went along and we found the Large Blue.

0:52:110:52:15

You can imagine the thrill on this forbidden site - we were just skipping off the field with delight.

0:52:150:52:20

And then this figure strode across and said, "What are you doing here?

0:52:200:52:24

"This is private property." It turns out that was David Simcox.

0:52:240:52:27

We were like, "We're seeing the Large Blue." He was like,

0:52:270:52:29

"I don't know what you're seeing, but it's not the Large Blue."

0:52:290:52:32

We were told in no uncertain terms to go away.

0:52:320:52:35

Happily, I've met him under happier times now, so...

0:52:350:52:39

You can imagine the thrill for a small boy of Site X,

0:52:390:52:42

finding this extinct butterfly, a butterfly that doesn't even exist.

0:52:420:52:46

Fingers crossed, we'll get to see another Large Blue on the top-secret site.

0:52:460:52:50

You've got to be patient, haven't you?

0:52:500:52:53

-Very patient.

-Patient and have a keen eye.

0:52:530:52:57

-Is that...?

-A moth.

0:52:570:53:00

Yeah.

0:53:000:53:01

Come on, you blues.

0:53:010:53:04

This is looking pretty good. Sheltered.

0:53:040:53:07

Nice. Oh, here we go.

0:53:070:53:09

-Meadow Brown.

-Meadow Brown.

0:53:090:53:12

We've got a Meadow Brown. Over.

0:53:140:53:17

Well at least you're seeing butterflies. Nothing here.

0:53:170:53:20

-Have you got something there, Patrick?

-Yeah, we've got a Small Blue here.

0:53:250:53:29

The Large Blue doesn't look large,

0:53:290:53:31

but it's twice the size of one of these little ones.

0:53:310:53:33

So, this is our smallest butterfly.

0:53:330:53:36

OK, we've seen the Small Blue - the common blue.

0:53:360:53:40

Lots of blue butterflies, but no Large Blues.

0:53:400:53:43

Nothing so far, Mattias, not a sausage!

0:53:430:53:47

Definitely not a butterfly.

0:53:470:53:49

Well, there's loads of butterfly action around here, but no Large Blues.

0:53:490:53:53

It's a perfect day for it. I'm feeling optimistic.

0:53:530:53:56

You feeling up here? Left, right, straight up?

0:53:560:53:58

-I think up here.

-OK.

0:53:580:53:59

OK, so we've seen Meadow Browns, Small Blues, even the odd moth out and about in daylight,

0:54:050:54:12

but still no sign of the butterfly we're all here to see.

0:54:120:54:15

And just when you're about to give up...

0:54:150:54:19

Look, there's one there.

0:54:190:54:22

-Where?

-Can you see? Sitting in the bush.

0:54:220:54:24

Oh, yes.

0:54:250:54:27

'Our search is over - they're here.

0:54:270:54:31

'Success!'

0:54:310:54:33

What a stunner!

0:54:330:54:35

How long have you waited for this?

0:54:370:54:38

Well... What to me is so pleasing is this is the first time

0:54:380:54:43

a Large Blue has been alive on this site for over 50 years.

0:54:430:54:49

Baker boy, we've got one. Come down the hill!

0:54:490:54:52

Juliet, you would not believe

0:54:520:54:54

how close Patrick and I are to a Large Blue right now.

0:54:540:54:58

It's unbelievable.

0:54:580:54:59

Fantastic! You've got one as well. Amazing!

0:55:010:55:05

The perfect one - basking.

0:55:050:55:08

It's closing its wings now.

0:55:080:55:09

Honestly, I'm like inches away.

0:55:090:55:13

'Ditto that. All right, come down when you're ready.'

0:55:130:55:15

So this butterfly didn't officially exist all through our childhood,

0:55:170:55:20

and this is the closest I've ever got to one in my life.

0:55:200:55:23

I can't tell you how thrilling that is.

0:55:230:55:25

It's wings are still soft.

0:55:250:55:28

This butterfly keeps its wings soft

0:55:280:55:30

so it can emerge from the nest underground - from the ants' nest.

0:55:300:55:33

This guy's wings are still soft and floppy

0:55:330:55:36

from that emergence because it's only just come out this morning.

0:55:360:55:39

-Where are we looking, where are we looking?

-Right there,

0:55:400:55:45

-in the hazel bush.

-Oh, yeah.

0:55:450:55:48

It's a good feeling, isn't it?

0:55:480:55:50

It must be a fantastic feeling for YOU.

0:55:500:55:51

It's a fantastic feeling, absolutely fantastic.

0:55:510:55:54

All of your hard work paid off.

0:55:540:55:56

Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. This time it has.

0:55:560:56:01

Patrick, as a self-confessed butterfly geek,

0:56:010:56:03

what's this moment like for you?

0:56:030:56:05

So exciting. It's the most exciting moment in contemporary British butterfly history.

0:56:050:56:11

This is the most exciting single insect

0:56:110:56:13

you could be seeing in Britain today. It's brilliant.

0:56:130:56:16

The Large Blue is back. Now it's down to them.

0:56:190:56:23

Hopefully they will breed, and next summer

0:56:230:56:25

they'll be thriving here without the help of the scientists.

0:56:250:56:29

But today's a day that will go down in Cotswolds history.

0:56:290:56:32

And we were part of it.

0:56:320:56:36

What a wonderful comeback for the Large Blue!

0:56:380:56:41

Such a privilege for us to be here.

0:56:410:56:43

Our first sighting in 50 years. Just incredible.

0:56:430:56:46

And she's sticking with us for the end of the programme.

0:56:460:56:49

That is it from the Cotswolds.

0:56:490:56:50

-Next week, John will be here with river deep and mountain high.

-One of your favourite songs!

0:56:500:56:55

Yeah, he'll be looking back at some of our best river and mountain stories from the series.

0:56:550:56:59

But, for now, from the three of us, goodbye.

0:56:590:57:01

Bye-bye.

0:57:010:57:03

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0:57:150:57:20

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0:57:200:57:25

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