0:00:24 > 0:00:29This is the wild North Pennines, the very backbone of England.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31As rugged as it's beautiful.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38And though it might look like a wilderness,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41it's here in the upper reaches of Teesdale,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44that you'll find one of the richest grasslands in the country.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49When spring arrives, this place just bursts into life.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55You don't find many farms covered in marsh marigolds
0:00:55 > 0:00:58but Herdship Farm is being managed for wildlife
0:00:58 > 0:01:03and what's great is the whole experience is laid out on a plate for us all to enjoy.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06There are guided walks around the farm.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10There's even a leaflet to help you on your way -
0:01:10 > 0:01:15it's got a handy little map in it - and everywhere you turn there's something different to see.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23The high rainfall and altitude give this part of Upper Teesdale its own distinctive feeling
0:01:23 > 0:01:26but it's what's underground that makes this place rather special.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29This is sugar limestone.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33About 300 million years ago, molten rock rose to the surface here,
0:01:33 > 0:01:38forcing its way through the limestone, baking it and changing it for ever.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Now, today, it's pretty crumbly but it's rich in calcium
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and it supports some amazing plant life.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52The soil, together with the way the pastures are managed,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56has provided the ideal home for rare wildflowers
0:01:56 > 0:02:00and it's all happened under the careful eye of Kath Toward and her family.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03There's a plant in particular they're especially proud of.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11- Now, you've brought me here to show me one of the crown jewels of the flower world.- I have.
0:02:11 > 0:02:17- That's the spring gentian, isn't it? - Yes, that's the Teesdale gentian. - That is incredibly rare, isn't it?
0:02:17 > 0:02:21It is. There are two or three places in Teesdale where you find this
0:02:21 > 0:02:26and we cherish it - it's the Teesdale emblem.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29But they're much smaller than I expected. They're tiny!
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I can't actually believe that I'm seeing this.
0:02:32 > 0:02:38It really is an incredibly vivid blue. It almost looks fake or artificial.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- Yes, it does. Wax-like, really! - It really stands out.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45What's amazing to me is that such a tiny plant
0:02:45 > 0:02:49can be so huge in the plant world.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52But there's another reason to come here.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56This place is just teeming with wading birds.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17A good place to base yourself is by the side of a stream.
0:03:17 > 0:03:23You've got to keep still and this is all about sitting patiently and waiting.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31There's my first customer.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35It's a common sandpiper. You can see him bobbing around in the rocks.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39See him just bobbing around?
0:03:39 > 0:03:44And behind him is, I think, a grey wagtail.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47They love these fast-flowing streams.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Oh! And a redshank has just turned up.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Easy to see where he gets his name from - his lovely, long, red legs.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10And there's something splashing around in the water there.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13I think it's a lapwing. Yep!
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Having a bit of a bath.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22See? I told you it was worth the wait. There's so much to see here.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Looking after this landscape isn't something that can be done by the farmers on their own.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36The Towards work closely with other groups to make sure the delicate balance is maintained.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44But just what is it that makes this land such a good place to see so many birds?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47It's a question for Nick Mason from the RSPB.
0:04:49 > 0:04:56Nick, this is an unlikely environment for such rich wildlife, isn't it?
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I suppose it could be seen that way.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00When you start to understand why the birds are here
0:05:00 > 0:05:03it becomes clear that, although it looks unlikely,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06it is actually a fantastic place for birds.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09There's some very clear reasons why it's a good farm.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12We're standing in the midst of them right now.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17- I don't know whether you feel it under your feet, but the soil's quite springy.- Squelchy!
0:05:17 > 0:05:20It shows that the soil's still very damp here,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23even though we're getting into the summer now
0:05:23 > 0:05:28and for the waders that come here - lapwing, the snipe, redshank, curlew,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31when they come up here in spring, what they're looking to do
0:05:31 > 0:05:36is probe down into the soil and extract things like worms and leather jackets from it.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40And later on in the season, birds like the meadow pipit, here...
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- That one, there?- Up on the ridge side, if you have a look.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45What's it got in its beak?
0:05:45 > 0:05:50It's got its beak stuffed full of little insects like crane fly.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Jammed, isn't it? So what, is it taking those to its babies?
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Typically, they nest on a bank side, just like this one,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59and usually under a little grassy overhang.
0:05:59 > 0:06:05All the structure of vegetation that you see, the rushes, globe flowers, the marsh marigolds,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09all of that adds up to provide just a fantastic structure for small flying insects.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Let's have a quick look now and see what we can actually get hold of.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15I can see things flying over here,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19so if I have a few sweeps with my net...
0:06:21 > 0:06:27..not let anything get out and then I can... I've got something here.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- Shall we try and get it into this little jar? - It looks a bit big, actually!
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- There's one.- Ready?
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Yeah.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39That one went up. Where did it go?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42There's just loads, isn't there? Masses and masses.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Yes, just after five minutes of effort,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47we've captured seven or eight different species.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Birds like meadow pipits probably capture 300-400 small insects a day
0:06:51 > 0:06:54to feed their family at this time of year.
0:06:54 > 0:07:01Although we've captured a lot very quickly here, birds need to find that volume of insects every hour
0:07:01 > 0:07:04to raise a family successfully. They've got to work really hard.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08So, all in all, it ends up being a fantastic place for birds.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13Definitely one of the best farms, I think, in England for birds like lapwings.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14A wonderful place to see them.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20You can do the farm walk around Herdship in just a couple of hours.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It's the most brilliant place to spend a day
0:07:23 > 0:07:27and if you come in May and June, at the height of the season,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31this place is just guaranteed to blow your socks off.