Episode 7 Springwatch Unsprung

You're too kind! Thank you. Hello. Welcome to Springwatch Unsprung.

Coming to you on this fine, sunny evening at Minsmere with this local

audience we've drawn from the bowls of Suffolk! Sorry the hen Terre land

of Suffolk and some RSPB staff thrown in as well. Why have we come

to Minsmere? It is a fantastic place. 5,500 different species of

plant, animal and fungus here. We bug the place with all of our

cameras so we can get intimate views of fluffy gulls like this and the

adults patrolling trying to keep them alive at this time of year when

everything else seems to want to eat them. The deer are looked splendid.

Plenty of mammals, stoats, plenty of foxes. Predators and prey. They all

play out tremendous dramas for us. We're set to have an exciting time

for the reof the week and series. What's this programme about? Well,

it's a bit about the audience involvement. A bit about other

people's involvement. It is a relationship we have with animals.

In our 8.00pm show, it is principally animals. Here we focus

on the human as well. We like to invite guests into the studio. We've

a couple of fantastic guests this evening. The first one, he won Pop

Idol in 2002. He's had four number one albums. He sold 10 million

copies, got two Brit Awards and an Olivier nomination. He is the one

and only Mr Will Young! CHEERING

He's also very passionate about wildlife. Quite a keen artist.

Obviously, Will, hands on. Looking forward to seeing your artistic

endeavours later. Our sect guest, if you're envious of Will's goods looks

and remarkable voice, you'll be envious of our next guest's

workplace. He's working at a world biosphere sight. He's surrounded by

some of the animals even cuter than Will lying out there on the badge.

Ajay, we'll learn about all those. To keep our finger on the internet

pulse, Lindsey Chapman. Loving this warmer weather as are some of our

animals. This is one of our newest live cameras. This is our

sparrowhawk splash pool. It's looking lovely this evening. Can't

spot anything on there at the moment. We've some amazing footage

from earlier on. This is our male sparrowhawk having a wash. Look at

that! Look at that. This is an intimate view of a bird at its bath.

Really goes for it, as well. Look at that, absolutely astonishing. They

have to keep themselves in tiptop condition. This bird is providing

food for the female as you will have seen if you were watching through

the course of the week. He has to be in pristine condition. We've some

amazing footage sent into us. Another bird having a bit of a bath.

Let's have a look. Tawny owl. This was taken on a camera trap. Watch

it. Look can guilty. Popping in. Then, really going for it, having a

nice splosh. I think they look guilty because they're always

worried about predators if they get wet. Not able to fly as well as they

can. That tawny on the bank, susceptible to fox and badger

attacks. Keeping his eyes peeled. Before that clip, it looks both ways

to check nobody's looking. I do the same whenever I get into the shower.

We're loving watching everything you're accepting in, the photographs

the comments. Here's how to send them in: Never been easier to get in

touch with us here on Unsprung. Whether you use a phone, a laptop or

tablet. The easiest way to find us is go online and be our friend. Like

us on Facebook. You can Postcomments and pictures to our wall. Tomorrow

us on Instagram and tag us into your photographs or tweet us

#springwatch. If you can't remember all this, it's explained on our

website. There you go, as easy as that. People have sent in lots of

photos. I thought I would sneak a few Peaky Blinders in. These are

animals peeking. Can you spot the peeky blinder there? A little owl

just peeking over the rock. Now the next one. Look at that. A peeky

blinder but also quite gymnastic. Aerobatics going on there. Finally,

have a look at this one. Can you make out that wildcat. Taken by one

of our cameramen. It's a camera trap. It's peeking out from behind

the rock there. The interesting thing about this, the cat set off

the trap. Essentially, it took a selfie! Took a selfie of itself

hiding bind a rock. You're calling that a peeky blinder. That's a

failed photograph. Keep trying, Neil. Keep trying. It is, of course,

time for our quiz set by Sophie. She has a selection of birds wings and

feathers. Here she is with tonight's quiz. I'm Sophie. This is my quiz

for you. These wing feathers have a soft surface to muffle the sound of

the flight. You're most likely to hear and see this bird at night.

Whose wing feathers are these? So, I've got some here. We'll set

these off around the audience. Pass it on, see what you think. Get in

touch. Send your answers to #springwatch. Now back over to Will.

Thanks ever so much for coming in, mate. Pop Idol 2002 was a massive

break. That's an understatement of some magnitude? Yeah, it was. I

thought it was a comedy of competition but then I had to sing.

Thank God I had the pipes. You had the pipes. Here you are. Gosh, I

look like the joker! Look at me. You've hardly aged. Hardly at all. I

know. I freeze myself every night! Wildlife has always been part of

your life. You grew up with a keen interest in birds? I grew up in the

countryside. Still live in the countryside. I did my first nature

walk when I was seven. Wrote a short story about it. Won the school

competition. Actually, earlier today... Thanks I GOT A ?1 BOOK

TOKEN. DO YOU REMEMBER THOSE? THEY DID. I WAS AT THE RIVER TODAY WHERE

I DID THAT FIRST NATURE WALK. HAS IT CHANGED MUCH? IT HAS ACTUALLY. NEAR

HUMBERFORD. THEY'VE PRESERVED IT. IT IS PRESERVED. I live between

Cornwall and London. On the M 4. Yes, not much wildlife. Very noisy.

I live on Bodmin Moor. That's absolutely stunning. Still tooled up

with binoculars? Yeah, though one of my lenses has misted up. So

annoying. We'll give you advice later. There's a lot of snobbery in

binoculars. I bet there is. My uncle Dominic is a manager of a few

estates. He has prime binoculars. Last a lifetime binoculars. You can

spend a lot of money. Here's you in contact with a bird. You might know

better than me, it is a Guier falcon. A hybrid. Is that right? I'm

afraid you've mispronounced the bird. Up until last week, I was

saying that with you. For a lifetime. We've had to revise it.

Suzie Dent from countdown said it was ger falcon. You have to put 10p

in the pot. Oh, my God, what is this? Who'd have thought it would

come to this. You get 20p. You're allowed another in a moment. It

looks like a ger Lana falcon. It is the Cornwall Birds of Prey Centre

outside of Weybridge. I'm going to open their indoor barn. I've never

got to hold a bird before. They are going to teach me how to fly them.

I'm so excited. It is fantastic. Even seeing that sparrowhawk with

the pattern down there. I just love them. When it comes to patterns, you

are ear patterned yourself. Tattoos, mate. That's a good link. You're

good at this. You should do this for a living. I have a Robin. Very nice,

actually. I like the simplistic design. Very accurate

ornitholgically. Then I have this up the side. I had two pieces of your

chocolate cake. Make sure we can see that here. It's a Sun Bird. It is a

Sun Bird. Now I want - going tor an underwear campaign - now I want an

owl. But I don't know which one to get. Wings open or closed? Tawny.

Barn owl. Any advances on barn owl, anyone? What do you reckon? I'd go

for something highly patterned. Maybe snowy owl. I said snowy owl.

Symmetrical over your back. I'll do a design later. Come into the

caravan... We've some tattoos over here as well. Take a look at this. I

only have six minutes. Don't... Just comparing. And yours is nicer than

mine. That's beautiful. Boy, cham is beautiful. Pretty good. Wildlife

concern is still at the forefront. You did that amazing video with WWF?

Yeah, last year. They approached me. I hadn't done anything with them

before. The dulcet tones... It was wonderful. I'm hoping to do more

stuff with them. I really want to go out and see... Let's take a look.

# Is love sweet love # No, not just for some

# But for everyone...? # That's all still photos. They do

something to make it look like it's slightly moving. Fantastic.

Absolutely beautiful. A little bird idol competition. Speak on, dear

friend. We've three contestants. I'll introduce you to their stories.

This plucky mum mass been working day and night to bring up foray do

theed little ones completely on our own. She's exhausted but her babies

are thriving. This devoted dad has had a tough time lately. He and his

partner were expecting his first brood but disaster struck. She was

killed. He struggled on alone regardless. This courageous couple

are fighting hard to keep their little one safe. It must feel

sometimes the whole world's against them. Will they be able to stick it

out together and finally hear the flutter of tiny wings? Yes, the sob

stories behind the characters, so typical. Let's listen to them. The

first one are the bluetits. BLUETIT SONG Someone hold that for me. Next

up, the swallow. SWALLOW SONG The chattering. Chatter, chatter. Hold

the swallow. Last up, the stone curlew. CURLEW SONG Move this way

and hold that one. It's an easy one. The curlew is one of my favourite

sounds. Reminds me of spending a lot of time in Scotland during my

childhood. It is the cure lieu. So, the Pop Idol is... The curlew. Such

a sad story. Happy with that, folks? ALL: Yes! Still out there sat on one

egg. What are you up to next? Gosh. Oh, no, yes. I'm touring. I have a

gig on Thursday. I'm doing summer shows. Then I have an EP coming out.

Like half an album because I'm lazy! LAUGHTER I've recorded it live.

Never done a fully live album. Ranges from the sixties to the

eighties done with a five-piece band. Another number one? If only it

could be a bestseller like your book, Chris. I've been listening to

it. There are lots of other books that you can get as well. Other

books are available at the BBC. Thank you very much. You fancy

yourself as an artist? Yes. You like art? I love art. You put energy into

art? Yes. Just as well. All of our guests are given ten minutes and a

range of artist materials to come up with their representation of

Minsmere. Landscape, a species. Almost anything. What is it from

Will Young? Can I show you? It's so precious I don't want to break it.

It's abstract. Here we are. What do you we think?

CHEERING CHEER

Well, I have the enviable task of being able to judge these

endeavours. Do you want 20 p? A bribe of some sort. I saw all the

change you have in your pocket. You will have to work harder than that.

I like your ambition. I admire ambition in art. What is going on at

the bottom? Is that a fence or something? It is the view from here.

That's the flower pot. God, do you not know anything? Oh, yes. That's

just lost a few points, hasn't it, really? I like the abstract nature.

I love the smell. You have used the spray-on paints. I'm enjoying it.

The mood has been enhanced by the amount of paint aroamia. I'll put it

up here alongside Jason Singh's abstract expression. Love that. What

do you think? Pretty good. Not bad at all. I like it. No problem. This

year on Unsprung we are celebrating the hundreds of people that devote

their time to vital conservation work. Today it is a family affair as

we see Nicholas Watts and his grandson, Tim, who have managed to

up bird numbers on their farm in Lincolnshire, despite years of

decline. Springwatch presenter, Martin Hughes-Games went to see our

Junction sprung heroes. -- Unsprung Heroes.

You have been a keen naturalist birder all your life. You monitor

the bird species. I believe you noticed a worrying trend back then

More than slightly worrying. In ten years, the first ten years I was

recording, the numbers dropped by 90% and skylark numbers dropped by

60%. That fist winter we started feeding the birds in the farm yard.

We had so many come it was a spectacle. I realised if we want to

see a lot of birds we have to breed a lot of birds. To do that, we have

got to create insect-rich habitat. So, putting up these nest boxes and

putting up things like the tower, how has that affected the population

here? Well there's a barn owl breeding in there at the moment with

three young, I have 110 nest boxes up for tree sparrows and 105 of them

are occupied. Tim, how did you get interested in

wildlife in the first place? When I was about six months old in a pram I

was always pointing at birds. Where have you got your knowledge from,

then? My granddad. Most. Also, you lead tours around the farm now,

don't you? Yes. What sort of things do people ask about? They ask why

the nest box is so low. It is because so I can look in them. So

you literally, that is he a your job to check them. What are you checking

them for? For eggs, chicks and if they are old enough, we ring them.

Why do you think it is important to help the birds? Well, they are

declining and it is like us declining, we don't want them to go

extinct. They are nice, beautiful birds.

You couldn't be doing this, if you didn't have a deep knowledge and a

great passion for wildlife. You farm now for wildlife? Yes, I'm

interested in wildlife. I can see I'm having success, increasing

wildlife. So, why not keep doing it? If you wanted to do nothing but make

money, you wouldn't do any of it. If you had crops absolutely everywhere.

But it must have had an impact on your finances? Yes, it has. I like

counting birds. The joy I get out of, you know, seeing a skylark pop

up or a corn bunting sing, just - I really do enjoy it.

APPLAUSE What can we say - tree sparrow and

barn owl up by 1,000% everyone. APPLAUSE

We are very pleased to present you with one of our Unsprung Hero

awards. Both of you. I kneel before you and salute your endeavours.

APPLAUSE Thank you very much. Keep up the

good work. Learn from the good man. Absolutely. We will look at more

unsprung heroes across the series and there are exclusives on the web.

If you would like to nominate anyone use the hashtag #springwatch.

Let's go to our next guest, Ajay, join us over here. Thank you for

coming in again. As I was saying in the introe, you are lucky enough to

live, or spend the summer in an extraordinary place at Blake ni.

Yes, four miles along the shingles, amongst the wilderness of sand do

you knows and salt marsh. It is important to watch nature. There are

important sea birds and mammals there. You are pretty much left to

your own devices. It is a long walk out if the boat isn't running. It

certainly is. It must be great. You spend what, four months of the year

out there? Six months. In the rather leaky lifeboat house, though, which

I have had - that's not t it is leakier than that building. Hasnin

else been out there? When the wind blows, you can feel it in your

sleeping bag, to be honest, can't you? We are not envious but a

spectacular place to be. You are working with the little

terns. We are involved in an EU life project led by the RSPB they place

so many pressures from food be availability to disturbance by

people and dogs and, were predation and flooding. So many nests getting

flooded. Across the country people have been making decoys. I had a

bash. The idea is these look like little terns. Vaguely.

You put them in a suitable place. A hell of a break on that one. If it

is foo fine, it falls off. They come and settle next to them. We put them

in areas that won't get flooded and they successfully nest They don't

get flooded. This has worked on Blakeley point. Last year we had 11

pairs nested to the decoys and all fledged yuck. You are so used to the

calls. We can hear a little tern now, I think.

LITTLE TERN CALL

So it worked. You lured them out of the beach out of the floods zone.

You mentioned dog. What is the policy on Blake? I There are

restriction. Where they are nesting there are no dogs. But in certain

areas they are aloud on leads. Dogs on leads. Good luck with the

project. If it is working they should benefit.

This time of year, it is a spectacular time. Sale pupping time?

? Common seals. How many do you have? We have two, so far. This is

one of your photos. Last week. AHHHH!

I KNEW IT WAS COMING. I SENSED THE COLLECTIVE SWOON It was sweeping

around the room. Here they are.

How many do you expect in total? We get about 20. Not like grey seals in

the winter, where we get 2,000-plus. Just a few common seals. They are

not that common. Worthy of looking after. Be a important sight.

Chris, I have lots of cute seal pictures on our twitter site. Have a

look but I have put together my very own, you will like this, Will, Pup

Idol. Speaking my language. Look at the screen.s in 23478 one. Audience,

you can judge these with an aw and we'll see what is best? That sounded

more like disappointment. Put effort into the swoon. Try the next one.

Oh, bashful. Ahhhh. Not bad at all.

And finally... Ahhhhhhh. The last one? Yes, Andy Brown. I like the

weather sand in the foreground. Photographically superior. Lovely

animals. What do you reckon? I would like one, yes. But number three for

me. I have to agree. OK, number #3, Andy Brown wins. What about the art,

Ajay. You have been busy this afternoon for ten minutes with our

little challenge there. I had a wonderful moment at Minsmere today

and I saw one of these. A bittern. Did it look like that? If it did,

you need new binoculars. What do we think, though?

APPLAUSE I'm kind of liking it. It has a bit

of sort of Munch, the Scream about it. Maybe we could call it the Boom.

But the bug-eyed bittern in the reeds. I'm going to say, yes, I

think it is better than the Robin. I'm going up here with that. Dump

It's going in here. Higher, higher. No, no, no. We do revise, from time

to time, we do revise from time to time.

Now, Chris we have another one of our unsprung heroes in the audience.

Let me introduce you to Ellie. Hi. One of the UK's youngest bird

ringers but you are super qualified. Is that right? Yes. Tell bus bird

ringing. What is it like? Amazing. You get to hold loads of different

kinds of birds. It is really just like a privilege to look and feel

them. You like getting other young people into wildlife. It is

something we care about, so we will give you your certificate. Well

done, you. Congratulations.

APPLAUSE Now, we must get back to the quiz,

very importantly. At the beginning of the show we asked - what kind of

bird had these feathers? I have had a lot of guesses. Buzzard, hawk,

barn owl. Any guesses in the audience? Tawny owl. Tawny owl.

Interesting, let's find out from Sophie just what they are.

These are the wing feterings of a tawny owl.

-- feathers. So quite a few getting that right.

Andy, Dave, Will, lots of people. Excellent. Soft, distinctly marked.

Obviously in the hand easier to identify. But the tawny owl is

undoubtedly a case in part. What else? I will sneak in a question.

This is a question that has come in, called crazy caterpillars. Have a

look at this. I have had so many of these pictures coming in. Do you

know what that is? They are lachie moth caterpillars, they are easy to

identify because of the stripy bodies and smiley face. They are two

markings on the top there and they form the tents. I used to have them

on a pear tree in the garden as a kid. Sometimes you get too many in

one place, and peel don't like them. I rather do like them. And a

wonderful picture that has come in of a stoat by Kieren. He is 13 from

Manchester. I love the head. It is nice. I like that and the body. Will

and Ajay should have taken a leaf out of his book.

Thank goodness we are coming towards the end of the show. It is all going

to end terribly badly. Will thank you for coming in and Ajay thank you

as well. A pleasure to have you on board. Good luck on Blakeney for the

rest of the summer. I hope you get plenty of seals and keep the dogs

under control. Join us for the 8.00pm programme coming