0:00:02 > 0:00:04I'm Chris Packham and this is Hands On Nature -
0:00:04 > 0:00:08your guide to the very best wildlife spots in the UK,
0:00:08 > 0:00:14and today it's mud, mud, glorious mud, as we get to grips with the best of Britain's estuaries.
0:00:14 > 0:00:20I'm on a boat cruise spotting some beautiful birds, including one with a strange twitchy leg.
0:00:22 > 0:00:29Mike Dilger heads to the Wash, where you're guaranteed one of our great mammal spectacles.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34The seals are all around us.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Just the best time of year.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41And Janet Sumner discovers the beauty of the Humber Estuary.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45This is just the most amazing view.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59Yes, estuaries - where our rivers meet the sea, like here on the Exe estuary in Devon.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03They are brilliant places for wildlife - there's a great range of habitats.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Everything from shallow water to deep water, to salt marsh,
0:01:07 > 0:01:13and perhaps most importantly, lots of this - super mud.
0:01:20 > 0:01:26Now, the Exe may be one of our smaller estuaries, but it supports a wealth of habitats.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31As such, it deservedly has special environmental protection.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39In late autumn, winter and early spring, this estuary is teeming with birds.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Thousands of them come from northern Europe to join our resident species
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and take advantage of its rich pickings.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50There's probably no better way to get a view of them than to come on this boat.
0:01:57 > 0:02:03One of our first sightings is a really striking bird, the avocet.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Avocets are always popular, they are a very elegant bird.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12In the past they were a great rarity in Britain.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15They had been persecuted for the hat trade, millinery.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20They have come back and now breed in East Anglia but great numbers of continental birds come to the Exe
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and you get super views of them.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29The avocet's most distinctive feature is its upwardly curved beak,
0:02:29 > 0:02:34which it uses to good effect to find food.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36When you watch avocets feeding,
0:02:36 > 0:02:42what they are doing is scooping that very fine, up-turned bill through the mud.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47They use that to detect any small crustaceans or shellfish that they can find in there.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56This is the curlew, our largest wader.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01It has an easily recognisable down-turned beak, allowing it to probe deep into the mud.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Tony White, head of RSPB, thanks for the invite for the cruise, it's been fantastic.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- What is so special about the Exe? - The birds, absolutely fantastic.
0:03:10 > 0:03:17In the middle of winter here you're looking at 25,000 individual birds here using this estuary.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And the views you get of these birds are exceptional.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23It's a fantastic resource here as well, a huge amount of mud.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28A lot of people look at mud and think it's wasteland but it isn't.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31If you look closely in that mud, you've got a massive amount of life.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36If you calculate the calorific value of the mud, you're not going to eat this if you're on a diet.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40It is packed with energy, and that's why these birds are here.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Normally, we conservationists like to prattle on about declines,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45but here it is the reverse, thank goodness.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Yes, a lot of these birds are doing extremely well.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Take the avocet, it is increasing in numbers
0:03:50 > 0:03:55in terms of breeding and wintering down here, you are seeing more and more.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00These are birds that are doing great, and it is excellent to be able to talk about birds that are doing well.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Finally, a Brent goose fly-past.
0:04:06 > 0:04:12These birds have come from northern Siberia to feed on the grassy fields alongside the estuary.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20What they do to stop overgrazing that area, they will feed in a spot,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23fly away and go back precisely four days later.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Precisely four days later, because in most situations it takes that long for the grass
0:04:28 > 0:04:34to regenerate and produce the maximum amount of nitrogen, and that is what the geese are after.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37The geese have got it sorted down here.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46The reason that all of those birds are here, the reason I am here,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and the reason I hope you are going to come here
0:04:49 > 0:04:56is this great expanse of mud, which looks so bleak and barren but is in fact far from it,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00as James Chubb, East Devon's Education Officer is going to tell us.
0:05:00 > 0:05:06It's certainly not. The whole place is teeming with life, but you've got to get right down to appreciated it.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09There are cockleshells everywhere.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14There are so many tiny animals because the place is full of microscopic algae and bacteria.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17That is what the smallest of the animals feed on.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22In the mud is another creature, a large delicacy loved by the birds.
0:05:22 > 0:05:28Here, we've got a lugworm cast, and that's where the lugworm has pushed out clean sand
0:05:28 > 0:05:30that it's filtered all the algae from,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and this entrance hole is where the lugworm has been sucking water in.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39If you imagine underneath the sand here there's a big U-shaped curve
0:05:39 > 0:05:42going in about seven inches below the surface.
0:05:42 > 0:05:48So, it's in with the spade, and hopefully a lugworm will be lurking in the rich mud and algae.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- There we go.- Look at that!
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Perfectly encapsulated.
0:05:55 > 0:06:02- It's almost as if we put it there, but we couldn't have done. - No, that's come out of the Exe mud.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07You've got the head end here, that sucks in water full of dirty sand.
0:06:07 > 0:06:13The sand gets filtered through the stomach, and all the algae gets absorbed and digested from the sand.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Then clean sand gets pushed out of the rear end.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Right, after a hard day on the mud flats hunting for worms, this is where a lot of the birds
0:06:25 > 0:06:27come to roost at high tide.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32You've got to check the tide timetables if you're coming to a place like this.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39Bowling Green Marsh is in a narrow part of the estuary further upstream.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43There are waders, plus a whole host of wild fowl.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Widgeon grazing on the grass. There's a couple of shovelers.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53See the drake - very distinctly marked with that shovel-shaped bill,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55which it uses for sifting through the water.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58That's a pintail up-ending there.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Look at that. Lovely pointed tail.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04There's a couple of teal there.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09Under-rated the wildfowl, I think - quite a few of our species are really exotic birds.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16Now, if you want exotic, this is the lapwing with its distinctive call.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21And striking good looks, topped off with a wacky head crest.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24It also has a great technique for finding food.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27It twitches its leg!
0:07:27 > 0:07:32It's using the vibration to disturb the invertebrates in the soil.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41When you're this close to birds, it is often tempting to try to get a good photograph of them.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46If you've got a 35mm kit like this, with a big telephoto lens, this is an ideal opportunity.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Try and keep that lens as steady as possible
0:07:49 > 0:07:53by resting on your coat, especially when you're in a hide.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58And choose a high-speed film as well - the higher the shutter speed the better,
0:07:58 > 0:08:03because many of these species are always moving rapidly, and you'll need that to stop it from blurring.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04And talking of speed...
0:08:06 > 0:08:11..the arrival of a peregrine falcon panics a group of widgeon.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17It powers into them,
0:08:17 > 0:08:22but there's no meal this time and the ducks regroup and return to land.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31I can't think of any other hides in the country that I have visited recently
0:08:31 > 0:08:36and got views as close as this of these sorts of birds.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38The hide is at Bowling Green Marsh
0:08:38 > 0:08:40outside Topsham near Exeter.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42It's open all year and it's free.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44For more details
0:08:44 > 0:08:46check out our website...
0:08:50 > 0:08:53You're watching Hands On Nature, your very own personal guide
0:08:53 > 0:08:56on how to get very close to the best of British wildlife.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02In a moment, Janet Sumner sees what's flying in on the Humber Estuary.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04What have we got?
0:09:04 > 0:09:06It's a linnet, Janet, an adult male.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Fantastic colours.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Do remember to take my advice of checking the tide times,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18especially if you want to get the best views of the birds.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21If the tide is out, they will all be out feeding.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23If it's coming in, all the birds will be moving.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26And if the tide is in, they will all be roosting.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31One of the best ways you can check those tide times is to go to the BBC weather site -
0:09:31 > 0:09:34something that Mike Dilger made sure he did
0:09:34 > 0:09:38before he headed off to one of the best estuaries on the east coast.
0:09:44 > 0:09:51The Wash - a vast estuary that stretches for over 100 square-miles.
0:09:53 > 0:09:59And to fully appreciate it you need to take to the water, so I've come to Hunstanton
0:09:59 > 0:10:03on the Norfolk side, where finding a boat is a bit of a challenge.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09If you want to get on a boat, you need a jetty, but one slight problem,
0:10:09 > 0:10:16it's too shallow at Hunstanton. So if you want to see wildlife on the Wash, the boatmen have to be inventive.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22The skipper of this bizarre-looking vessel is William Searls.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26It's a boat that goes to sea, called an amphibian.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29I've never been in anything like it, where did you get it from?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32We acquired it after a long search,
0:10:32 > 0:10:37and we believe it was used in Vietnam to carry troops and tanks.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44From the Mekong Delta to the Wash, and a sandbank known simply as Seal Island.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51This is what we came for.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55The common seals coming out to bask in the sun on the sandbanks.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58And "common" is not a very good name for them
0:10:58 > 0:11:02because there's two species of seal in Britain, the grey and the common.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05The rarest is the common!
0:11:05 > 0:11:08So really, maybe it should be called the uncommon seal!
0:11:09 > 0:11:14The colony is here all year round, but the best time to visit is June or July
0:11:14 > 0:11:16when the common seals have just had their pups.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22I keep hearing calls, what are those?
0:11:22 > 0:11:26That's the pup calling to the mother cos the mother's just come off the bank to start feeding,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30and he's got separated, but they will catch up again.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35It looks sometimes as if they're having a surf ride with the mother - is that right?
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Yes, they ride on the mother's necks, that's the newborn ones.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Then they separate a little bit. - Become more independent as time goes on.- Yes.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00I've been given a fantastic opportunity to nip onto the sand bank.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05The water's rising - we're almost going to get cut off if we are not careful!
0:12:05 > 0:12:10But the seals are all around us.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12It's just the best time of year.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17We've got adult bull males, mothers, really young pups.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19It's just terrific.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Minutes later, and it's all gone.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26The tide has reclaimed Seal Island.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Two months on, in late summer, I headed to the other side of the estuary
0:12:37 > 0:12:43in Lincolnshire to see what tasty morsels are hidden in its depths.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48But to fully appreciate what's under the water, we're going to need one of these and an army of these.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Come on kids, let's go sea dipping!
0:12:51 > 0:12:54- YEAH!- Are you ready to go kids?
0:12:54 > 0:12:59Excellent! Most important thing, you've all got your shoes on? Because we've got weaver fish here
0:12:59 > 0:13:03so we have to be careful of our feet. And you've got your nets?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06'Some of the nets that Education Officer Kim Hudson has given us
0:13:06 > 0:13:10'are made out of ladies' tights and plastic bottles!'
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Are you ready to go? Let's go!
0:13:13 > 0:13:17'Apparently, they are the ideal tool for sea dipping.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21'And Gibraltar Point near Skegness is the perfect place to have a go.'
0:13:24 > 0:13:29To the uninitiated, Kim, it looks mucky, dirty and polluted, but it's not, is it?
0:13:29 > 0:13:34No, everyone always presumes that, but it's got a lot of mud in it because we've got muddy shores,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38sandy shores, the rivers opening up into the Wash.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Let's have a look at what you've got.
0:13:45 > 0:13:51'Surely everyone knows the starfish, but few are familiar with its bizarre table manners.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54'The way it engulfs and swallows its food.'
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Do you know how these eat? It's amazing.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01Their stomach is right in the middle, and they can eject the whole of their stomach outside
0:14:01 > 0:14:05and completely swallow it back down again.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Kim, it's worth bearing in mind you've got to be really safe around the shore edge, it can be dangerous.
0:14:11 > 0:14:17I would say little ones need to be up to their knees - they shouldn't go any deeper.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Always have an adult around. Make sure there is someone onshore watching them.
0:14:21 > 0:14:28Stuart, the lad with the big net, has found these two cracking little crabs.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32And this one particularly, is a female.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36If you look under her abdomen, there's a massive egg case.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42And of course, when you're holding crabs, make sure you hold them either side of the shell -
0:14:42 > 0:14:45that way, you don't get nipped by the pincers!
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Kim, we've done rather well.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54- Yes, brilliant catching. - What's your highlight, do you think?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I always love the pipefish.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00'This is a relative of the seahorse.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03'You can see the resemblance from its pointed snout.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07'And just like the seahorse, when the pipefish has young, the female takes a back seat.'
0:15:07 > 0:15:12The man does all the work. The female will lay the eggs,
0:15:12 > 0:15:17the male will have them in his pouch and brood those, and then they'll hatch out.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Thank you very much, kids, for finding such brilliant creatures.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27But there's much more than sea dipping and seals, and to find one of the great Norfolk spectacles,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31I'm going to have to get up tomorrow morning at dawn.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39It's a beautiful morning at the RSPB reserves in Snettisham.
0:15:39 > 0:15:45It's not the early start that's critical. We've come here for one of the highest tides of the year
0:15:45 > 0:15:48because the high tide brings the spectacle we're after.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05It's a gathering of the feathered clans.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Wave after wave of birds are constantly on the move,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13as the tide rises, covering their feeding areas.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19The reason why the Wash is so wonderful for waders is down to this -
0:16:19 > 0:16:21mile after mile of mud.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27But when the high tide comes in, their breakfast, dinner and tea are completely covered,
0:16:27 > 0:16:34so they have to go to roost in the pits behind, and with luck, they should fly straight over my head.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42Some of the birds have already settled in the old gravel pits, which are a perfect refuge.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Out on the mud, there's a whole variety of waders,
0:16:48 > 0:16:53but the final guests at this party are about to make a spectacular entrance.
0:16:56 > 0:16:5815,000 knots.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04One of the first migrants to return from their breeding grounds in the High Arctic.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07It's still effectively high summer, and the birds have just arrived,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11so a lot of them are still in full summer plumage,
0:17:11 > 0:17:16which is this lovely terracotta, brick-red colour, right over their bellies.
0:17:16 > 0:17:23These birds have just flown a huge distance from Greenland and north-east Canada.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35The sea is just lapping against the edge of the flock.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40On the edge, they're getting their feet wet and are flying over to the other side.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43They're just not ready to go yet,
0:17:43 > 0:17:48but I think it's going to be a question of any second now.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52The oystercatcher and the knot are in one enormous flock.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01The oystercatchers are the first to make a dash for the gravel pits.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07And as the last bits of exposed mud disappear, it's the turn of the knot.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13The tide's just about in...
0:18:15 > 0:18:16And look around me...
0:18:16 > 0:18:19There are knot everywhere in a massive flock!
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Look, right over my head.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31All I can hear is the sound of the lapping waves covering the mud
0:18:31 > 0:18:37and the sound of thousands of knot flying over my head to the pits behind.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42WHOOSHING
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Fantastic!
0:18:46 > 0:18:48To see that bird spectacle,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51visit the RSPB Snettisham reserve
0:18:51 > 0:18:52in Norfolk.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Late summer and autumn are best.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56You can find more information
0:18:56 > 0:18:57on our website...
0:19:04 > 0:19:09Another one of our largest estuaries is in the North of England, at the mouth of the River Humber.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Just 25 miles downstream from Hull is a naturalist paradise.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Janet Sumner has been to Spurn Point.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Spurn is a fragile and unique environment.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30It's connected to the mainland by a three and a half mile thin strip of sand and shingle.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34What makes it so different is it's a landscape on the move.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Spurn Point is really a bit of an oddity.
0:19:42 > 0:19:48This side gets pounded by the North Sea every day and it's got a real coastal feel.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53But on the other side, you've got the River Humber and one of the largest estuaries in Britain.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57It's like two different worlds existing side-by-side.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02This stretch of coastline is eroding away,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06and you'll find a lot of the debris has been washed down the coast to Spurn.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Forage on the beach and you'll find all sorts of rocks from further north
0:20:09 > 0:20:12that have been pushed south by time and tide.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20One of the best ways of understanding what's happening on the ground is to get a bit of height.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33This is just the most amazing view!
0:20:33 > 0:20:38From up here, you can see the big curved shape of Spurn Point.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40There have been at least five Spurns.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45The others have all been washed away, but every time, a new one grows in its place.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Spurn's real claim to fame is its bird life.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Thousands of migrants pass through here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58Bird watcher Mike Coverdale is qualified to monitor their movements by trapping.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Mike, so these are the mist nets, aren't they?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- Just incredibly fine.- Yes.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09They are made of very fine material, so the birds can't see them.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13So when they are flying along, they fly into the net.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Then the people that are ringing birds look at the nets regularly,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20take the bird out, ring it, let the bird go and it is totally unharmed.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- What have you got? - It's a linnet, an adult male.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26Fantastic colours.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Beautiful red on it.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Is it here on Spurn to breed, or just passing through?
0:21:32 > 0:21:36This bird is here to breed. It will have arrived here in April
0:21:36 > 0:21:41from southern Europe, spend summer here, raising at least two broods of young.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It will change these feathers, the bright feathers will wear during the year.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Once it's done that, it will migrate south
0:21:47 > 0:21:51to southern Europe with the rest of the linnets and lots of other birds.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57The birds aren't the only reason to come here. I've enlisted Pete Bowler to show me why.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Peter, we are on the hunt for Spurn's most beautiful reptile.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I've got an unusual piece of kit here that you made me bring along.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10- What am I going to do with it? - We are going to see if we can attract common lizards
0:22:10 > 0:22:17to come out and sunbathe, warm up their bodies on this piece of wood with kitchen foil wrapped around it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21It helps the lizards to warm up.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25We'll leave that for a couple of hours and come back and see if we've got any luck.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Maybe we'll be lucky.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32'While the lizard trap was warming up, it was time to do a bit of newt hunting on the salt marsh.'
0:22:34 > 0:22:37You just have to be patient and persistent.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41- Hang on!- Have you got one?- I have.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42We nearly didn't see that.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Down in the corner, curled up, playing dead.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48So that's the female smooth newt, isn't it?
0:22:48 > 0:22:49- It is.- Oh, she's off!
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Spectacular, lovely golden-brown colour.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Nice dark stripes on the edges of the back.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56A cute little face.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59They've got really endearing faces.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Let's put it back down where we found it, tucked in that corner.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- Where we found it. - That would be great.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'We return the smooth newt to her home, and it's back to our sun trap
0:23:09 > 0:23:15'which has been hotting up, but sadly has not enticed a lizard.'
0:23:15 > 0:23:19We've had no luck with the suntrap, but there's definitely lizards on that wall.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24It's a great site for lizards to occupy because it's a south-facing wall - catches all the sun.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28The stones reflect the heat to help them warm up, lots of insects.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Look! There's one there at the bottom of the wall.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- Yes.- Just coming out of the grass. - Yep, I see him.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38He's got lovely little spots along his back. Is that a male or female?
0:23:38 > 0:23:42It's difficult to tell from here. If you're not sure whether it's male or female,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46if you've got a camera, take a photo of it and check on the internet or in a book.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Whatever you do, don't try and catch it
0:23:49 > 0:23:53because lizards can shed their tails as part of their escape mechanism.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57If the tail breaks off, they waste energy re-growing it and they become more vulnerable.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Oh! It's gone! Just dropped down into the grass. That was brilliant!
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- I'm glad we've seen one.- Excellent.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22Spurn is one of those places that has wildlife oddities.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Sometimes you can get almost biblical plagues of creatures here.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Recently, there have been massive numbers of garden tiger moth caterpillars.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32But this year, there's lots and lots of lackey moths.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39The striped colours of these lackey moths resemble the livery worn by servants or lackies,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42hence their name. And you can often find them in these communal nests.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46It's like a caterpillar nursery.
0:24:48 > 0:24:55Crucial to the survival of this landscape are its plants, and Denise Coverdale is going to show me why.
0:24:56 > 0:25:03This stuff - I recognise that, that's really common plants for sand dunes, isn't it, these grasses?
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Yes, they are. It's all marram grass and lime grass.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Lime grass in particular is a stunning grass.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14These plants, these are actually holding Spurn Point together.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19- They bind the sand dunes together. - Yes, they are. They come in quickly.
0:25:19 > 0:25:25One example being that this winter we lost a lot of sand dune area
0:25:25 > 0:25:28at the top of Spurn here. A lot more sand was brought in,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and within months all these have come back through again.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Real pioneers!
0:25:33 > 0:25:34Very much so.
0:25:36 > 0:25:42- This has got really pretty flowers, and the bees are going mad for it! - Yes, they are.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47It has a lovely smell. When you get close to it, a lovely scent.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- What is it?- Sea rocket.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Very fleshy leaves.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56It does look a bit like rocket, the rocket you get in your salad.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00And it has got incredibly waxy leaves.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Is that typical for plants on the sand or on the dunes?
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It is the plant's way of retaining as much water as it can.
0:26:07 > 0:26:14That's quite good advice, not just to look things up in your flower book or take photographs,
0:26:14 > 0:26:20but to get down and start feeling the plants and smelling them, because these do feel quite different.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26As you leave the beachy side of Spurn Point, the plant life changes again.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31This is one of the best salt marsh habitats in the whole of the British Isles.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39What is this strange little plant that you've brought me here to see?
0:26:39 > 0:26:44It is rather strange. It has two names. One is glasswort, the other one is marsh sunfire.
0:26:44 > 0:26:51Marsh sunfire - people recognise it as being something... People cut it and pickle it and then eat it.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53It's edible! What does it taste like?
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Rather salty.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Oh, it is! It's incredibly salty.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04And it's got this waxy, sort of fleshy feel to it again.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Yes, it's like a lot of the other plants, it's trying to keep as much water in as it can
0:27:08 > 0:27:11and protect itself from saltwater.
0:27:11 > 0:27:17It's amazing that these plants adapt themselves to live in quite horrible,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20hostile, environments. It's remarkable.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Spurn is just 25 miles east of Hull.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Stop when you get to the sea.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32It's managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Check out our website for more information...
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Well, that's all we've got time for, but before we go, look at this.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55It's not just the birds that come down here to the Exe Estuary to gather shellfish.
0:27:55 > 0:28:01These ladies are here trying to fill their bucket with cockles, like this one, ready for their supper.
0:28:01 > 0:28:06I'm told they boil them and then pickle them in vinegar, or they fry them in egg with breadcrumbs.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11When we were kids, we used to crack them open alive and knock it back with a swig of whisky!
0:28:11 > 0:28:14These days, I'll leave my share for the birds.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Well, that's it for this series of Hands on Nature.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Time to stop watching the telly
0:28:22 > 0:28:27and get out there amongst all of this wonderful wildlife.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd