0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to Hands On Nature.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07I'm Chris Packham and this is your guide to Britain's nature hot-spots.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Today, we're going to be experiencing flower power.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13We're going to be exploring some grasslands,
0:00:13 > 0:00:18where your chances of spotting some stunning wildlife are pretty much guaranteed.
0:00:18 > 0:00:24I'll be hunting for the elusive Scottish bird known as the nutty noise maker.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Mike Dilger explores the rich downlands of southern England.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Got it.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37And Janet Sumner discovers a farm with a difference, high up in the Pennines.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39That is incredibly rare, isn't it?
0:00:39 > 0:00:42I can't actually believe that I'm seeing it.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Welcome to North Uist, in the Western Isles of Scotland.
0:00:59 > 0:01:05A place that you can visit to get one of THE most stunning grassland experiences anywhere in the UK.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Just look at it - stretching as far as the eye can see,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12whole pillows of purple, rafts of yellow and white.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15It really is absolutely stunning.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18This coastal grassland is known as machair -
0:01:18 > 0:01:21a Gaelic word that means low-lying, fertile plain.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24In the height of summer, just look at it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27It's a wild flower extravaganza.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30But if you come here in the spring, oh!
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Oh, yes! Then, it's bird land.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47It might look like the holiday programme,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51but this is a unique wildlife paradise on our own shores.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55These are the Isles of Uist, on the western fringes of Britain,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and it's about as good as it gets for birding.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10The Western Isles is an absolute mecca for birds
0:02:10 > 0:02:14and one of the best groups to see here are the waders.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17It's got some of the highest breeding concentrations in Europe -
0:02:17 > 0:02:19things like red shanks and lapwings.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24But also, it's a fabulous spot to sit down and watch some of the migrants coming through.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29A lot of these birds down here are dunlin, turnstone and are on their way further north.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32At this time of year, they're in their tip-top summer plumage.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Just look at the black bellies on these dunlins.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45There are ringed plover as well.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49They're a breeding species and will stay here to breed.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51What a scene. It's packed with birds.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56If I was Robinson Crusoe, this would be my island.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11It's the very remoteness of these islands
0:03:11 > 0:03:14that makes them such a great place to see wildlife.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17There's a way of doing things, a pace of life,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19that's a reminder of time long gone.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Because the machair grassland is managed in a non-intensive way by the crofters,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27it means wildlife can flourish.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31And for some birds in particular, this is a lifeline.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Because back on the mainland, their habitats have all but been destroyed.
0:03:35 > 0:03:41And there's one bird that arrives here in Spring that really depends on this way of life.
0:03:44 > 0:03:51Locals call them "treun-ri-treun", which apparently relates to the type of sound that they make.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56But other people also call them the fat running rasper or the nutty noise maker.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Until you've seen one, you haven't really earned your ornithological stripes.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04So this place, is the sort of place that people come to on a pilgrimage.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Corncrakes are secretive, skulking little things.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16So to see them, come in the late spring before the grass grows too high.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21And the RSPB reserve at Balranald on North Uist is a great place to track them down.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23There it is.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25I saw its head then, sticking up.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Yes, look at that.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42It's just come out of the side and it's doing typical crake behaviour.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Look at the way it's creeping.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47It's so low in the grass.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48What a rascal!
0:04:48 > 0:04:50That's what it is, it's a rascal.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Tantalising - that's the word.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59This male here is going berserk. And there he is, look at that.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06That's fantastic.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11When he's calling, he's actually flicking his head back like this.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16There are probably, sort of, corn crake bars that you can go to in parts of eastern Europe
0:05:16 > 0:05:20where you go in and sit down and corncrakes call from under the furniture.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22People get off on it. I'd go to them.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26I'd spend loads of money in a corn crake bar.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30There's something enigmatic about these birds.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33They're really characterful. They're kind of...ancient.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37They remind us of an old Britain.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41A time when life was perhaps a little harder,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44but birding was a lot better.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Look at that!
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Other threatened birds, like corn buntings, flourish here too.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59In fact, it's bird-tastic.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I spotted lapwings...
0:06:05 > 0:06:07..black-throated divers...
0:06:09 > 0:06:13..and short-eared owls, all within 20 minutes.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22But in July and August, these islands change again
0:06:22 > 0:06:24and the machair explodes into life.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Now, let's not mince words, when it comes to grasslands,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42this is pretty much unparalleled anywhere in the British Isles.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46In effect, it really is the land of flowers.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05In simple terms, this riot of colour is here for one reason -
0:07:05 > 0:07:08to advertise the fact that all of these flowers are full of nectar
0:07:08 > 0:07:11so that something comes to drink and, in return,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13takes away the pollen to affect fertilisation.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16So just listen.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18It's particularly good for bumblebees.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23In fact, Scottish Natural Heritage even publish a guide to bumblebees so you can identify them.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26And there are a few real machair specialists here.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Like... Never when you want one!
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Like that one there,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34which is called the moss carder bee.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Just look at it.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41Cuddly little things. The cuddly toys of the insect world - bumblebees.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48The secret of this landscape lies in the sand.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51It's made up of billions of pieces of broken shells,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55and its high lime content neutralises the acidic soils
0:07:55 > 0:07:59and this, together with the crofters farming in strips
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and leaving land fallow for several years
0:08:01 > 0:08:05means wildflowers can really take hold.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09And islander and naturalist Johanne Ferguson has the joyous pleasure
0:08:09 > 0:08:12of seeing this spectacle year after year.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18The thing is, Johanne, when I come here, I don't mean this unkindly,
0:08:18 > 0:08:19it's like a time warp
0:08:19 > 0:08:24because this is how I imagine the British Isles were 50, 60 years ago
0:08:24 > 0:08:26before the mechanisation of farming
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and things like herbicides and pesticides.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It is fantastic. I hope you don't take it for granted.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Definitely not. It's difficult to take something this colourful for granted anyway,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40but the other reason is it changes so much over the course of the season.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Early spring, there's all the birds breeding. It's quite noisy.
0:08:44 > 0:08:50Later, the machair looks yellow with buttercups and species like that.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55Now, if you look around, it's more pinks and purples and blues.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Let's have a little survey and see how many species we find.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02- Don't challenge me on the plants! Red clover.- That's right.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- This is a hawkbit of some kind. - It's a cat's ear.- A cat's ear? Similar to hawkbit, then.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09The flower you call harebell we call Scottish Bluebell.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- And this one?- That's wild carrot. - Wild carrot.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17They're partial parasites, so they actually tap their roots
0:09:17 > 0:09:21into other plants' roots and steal the nutrients.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25It's not only the diversity of plants, it's the tremendous density.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27In this semi-natural landscape,
0:09:27 > 0:09:32you can see carpets of pink or purple or yellow or white.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35There really is nowhere else like it in the UK.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42What a little slice of paradise.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45You can get there by ferry from Skye and Oban
0:09:45 > 0:09:47and by air from Glasgow.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Best time of year?
0:09:49 > 0:09:54Don't forget, there's more information on our website.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58You're watching Hands On Nature -
0:09:58 > 0:10:03your very own guide to the best wildlife sites across the UK.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Coming up, Janet Sumner walks through farmland in the north of England,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10where some beautiful and rare wild flowers are thriving.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Now, one of the things about grasslands
0:10:20 > 0:10:24is that they can be great examples of man and nature working together.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25Take here for example.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27The low-impact farming and grazing,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30after all these flowers have set their seeds,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34means that they've created a habitat where wildlife can thrive.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37If it weren't for these sorts of relationships,
0:10:37 > 0:10:42then pretty much all of our grasslands would soon revert to scrub and woodland.
0:10:42 > 0:10:49Take the superb Downs in the south of England and, in particular, Heyshott Down in West Sussex,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53a place that might Mike Dilger decided would be great to explore.
0:11:00 > 0:11:06The South Downs stretch for more than 90 miles across Sussex and Hampshire.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12And contain some of the best-loved hill country in southern England.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19This is my idea of a quintessential English landscape -
0:11:19 > 0:11:23mile after mile of green, rolling hills, not a jagged edge in sight.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28But most people don't realise it's a completely man-made habitat.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Thousands of years ago, huge areas have been cleared of forest
0:11:32 > 0:11:36to make way for grazing animals and where animals flourished,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38so have the plants and the insects.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Got it.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Of course, the Downs are fantastic for moths
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and they're really good for this little critter.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Oh, yes.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59That is the orange-tailed clearwing.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01You'd never believe that that was a moth
0:12:01 > 0:12:05because the wings are completely transparent
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and the whole idea of this is it's meant to mimic a wasp
0:12:08 > 0:12:10because it gives it some protection.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16Moth enthusiast Sarah Patten is always out on the Downs looking for new species.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17How are you doing?
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Hi, Mike. I've got something here I think might be of interest.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26Fantastic. I know it's a Burnett moth but I think there are unusual species round here, aren't there?
0:12:26 > 0:12:30That's right. You need to count the number of red dots on its back wing.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32I know the six-spot is common.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34And that's the five-spot Burnett,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38which is one of the brightly coloured day-flying moths that we find here.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41The question people always ask -
0:12:41 > 0:12:44what is the difference between moths and butterflies,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47of which there are also an abundance on the Downs?
0:12:47 > 0:12:51There aren't as many as people think. In fact, there's only one.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55A lot of people think if it's flying during the day it's a butterfly, at night it's a moth.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59That's not true because we've got a very nice day-flying moth.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04There's only one difference and it's a hook that attaches the hind wing to the fore wing,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08which moths have and butterflies don't but it's difficult to see.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Now I'll be joining Sarah later for a night vigil.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15But first...
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Think of a group of plants that these words apply to -
0:13:18 > 0:13:21exquisite, glamorous,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25seductive, fragrant.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29What are we talking about? It's obvious, isn't it?
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Orchids.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36And the South Downs has got a wonderful array of grassland species
0:13:36 > 0:13:38and the best time of year to see them is June.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43This one you can find all over the Downs -
0:13:43 > 0:13:45it's the common spotted orchid.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Although this isn't the rarest orchid,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55it's one of the most charismatic.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's called the bee orchid for an obvious reason.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03Look at the little, tiny flowers. They perfectly mimic a bee.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05That's basically how it gets pollinated.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09A male bee comes along, sees what it thinks is a female bee,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11lands on board, hoping to mate,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14doesn't get any joy but...
0:14:14 > 0:14:19it carries away these little, tiny yellow pollen sacs
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and then goes to another bee orchid and transfers the pollen there.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29The irony is that in this country, you simply never encounter this species of bee,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33so the orchid has to pollinate itself.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39This has to be find of the day.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42It's a real speciality of the South Downs.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43It's called the musk orchid
0:14:43 > 0:14:47but I think that's a rubbish name really because if you smell it...
0:14:47 > 0:14:52there's a really overpowering scent of honey, which is just gorgeous.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57These chalk grasslands are one of the richest habitats
0:14:57 > 0:14:59for a whole variety of plants
0:14:59 > 0:15:05but you have to look close-up, as local botanist Paul Harmes is going to show me.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07How long have you been coming to the South Downs
0:15:07 > 0:15:09and this beautiful chalk downland?
0:15:09 > 0:15:15I started when I was eight, coming with my mother to, shall we say, "pick" wild flowers, in those days.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19- It is like egg collecting. Long since forbidden.- Absolutely.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20Quite right, too.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25- We've got a little competition. - We're going to do some quadrats. - OK, I'll try over there.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27May the best man win?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- Or should I say, the best botanist? - We shall see.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35By quadrats, we simply mean a marked out square metre
0:15:35 > 0:15:39in which we'll search for as many plants as we can find.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42So, my quadrat, my notebook -
0:15:42 > 0:15:46which any self-respecting naturalist should always carry with him.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I'll scribble down a few names and see how I get on.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51This is one of my favourite plants.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53This is yellow wort,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57a real specialist of base rich or chalky grasslands.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01There, we've got nice common spotted orchids,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03bird's foot trefoil,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Ox-eye daisies, aren't they beautiful?
0:16:07 > 0:16:10But this is my favourite grass.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14It's called quaking grass. You can see the little spikelets.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Aren't they fantastic as they delicately wave in the breeze?
0:16:23 > 0:16:25That's it, Paul. Time!
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Speaking of time...
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- Ah, wild thyme!- Wild thyme.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Own up, how many did you get? I got 25.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- 35.- 35?- 35
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Unbelievable! In one tiny area.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44I do recognise one plant that I haven't got in mine, this little stunner here.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- Yep, common twayblade. - Fantastic orchid, isn't it?
0:16:48 > 0:16:51That's a beauty.
0:16:51 > 0:16:57Purging flax, or fairy flax, because it was used in the 1600s, 1700s, as a purge for constipation
0:16:57 > 0:17:00and whilst we're on medicinal plants, there's also eyebright,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04sold as a flower remedy for eye disorders.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- You can buy it in the shops today. - This site is open-access.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10You don't have to find 35 plants to enjoy yourself.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Just come here and identify the orchids, the really showy ones.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- People should get out there.- Public footpaths and it's open access.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- Healthy, commune with nature. - All these lovely things to see.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23It's official - botanising is good for you.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Time to rejoin Sarah Patten,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35who is all set up with her night-time moth trap.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40How does the trap work? Effectively, it's like a lobster pot, isn't it?
0:17:40 > 0:17:45It is. They are attracted to light, it's difficult for them to come out, so they're trapped.
0:17:45 > 0:17:51And it never does them any harm because they like to spend the night in these little egg boxes.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56That's right. They go in the little gaps and they're quite happy in there.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00And what is it that turns you on, to get you up in the evening,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03when you're tired, you want to watch television,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05what drives you on night after night?
0:18:05 > 0:18:07It's the suspense, the excitement.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10What was that that went in? See that?
0:18:11 > 0:18:13It's an elephant hawk moth.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18Most people think moths are dull, boring and brown. How wrong they are.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Look at that. Pink and green, and the antennae are white.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27It's stunning. It's unreal, really, isn't it?
0:18:27 > 0:18:28I recognise this bruiser.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32He looks very dull but it's not until they fly
0:18:32 > 0:18:34- you see the distinguishing feature. - Right.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39It's a large yellow underwing. The under wings, as you say, are bright yellow.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Look at this beauty just landed here, Sarah.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46That a blood vein, which presumably refers
0:18:46 > 0:18:50to the red line across it, although it does actually look like a pair of lips.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Indeed. I think Marilyn Monroe's lips would be a better name!
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I think we should change it.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59How many species of moth are there in Britain, would you say?
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I couldn't put a figure on it
0:19:01 > 0:19:04but there are far more moths than butterflies -
0:19:04 > 0:19:06even just the macro moths, the big ones.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10When you start looking at micros, there are thousands more.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12So it's a lifetime's hobby. You'll never get bored.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The fab thing about moth trapping as well,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18you don't really need an expensive trap like this.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Get yourself a white sheet with a fluorescent light strip
0:19:22 > 0:19:25or a really strong light bulb, go into your garden,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28into any garden at night, and you will catch moths.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33- And you get completely addicted like we are now.- Absolutely right.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37You can walk from one end of the South Downs to the other,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41from Beachy Head in East Sussex to Winchester in Hampshire.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Butterfly Conservation hold a moth night every year
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and local branches hold events all summer, most of them free.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51More details are on our website.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Now, our grasslands are very much a result of farming practices,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02very different from our lawns and parklands.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05When you go in to the countryside,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09those grasslands can be full of native plants and animals.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12And where the farming is particularly sensitive to nature,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16the results can be astonishing, as Janet Sumner found out
0:20:16 > 0:20:20when she went for a walk on the wild side through Teesdale in the North of England.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37This is the wild North Pennines, the very backbone of England.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40As rugged as it's beautiful.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46And though it might look like a wilderness,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48it's here in the upper reaches of Teesdale,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52that you'll find one of the richest grasslands in the country.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56When spring arrives, this place just bursts into life.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01You don't find many farms covered in marsh marigolds
0:21:01 > 0:21:05but Herdship Farm is being managed for wildlife
0:21:05 > 0:21:10and what's great is the whole experience is laid out on a plate for us all to enjoy.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13There are guided walks around the farm.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18There's even a leaflet to help you on your way -
0:21:18 > 0:21:22it's got a handy little map in it - and everywhere you turn there's something different to see.
0:21:24 > 0:21:30The high rainfall and altitude give this part of Upper Teesdale its own distinctive feeling
0:21:30 > 0:21:34but it's what's underground that makes this place rather special.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37This is sugar limestone.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41About 300 million years ago, molten rock rose to the surface here,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45forcing its way through the limestone, baking it and changing it for ever.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Now, today, it's pretty crumbly but it's rich in calcium
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and it supports some amazing plant life.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59The soil, together with the way the pastures are managed,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03has provided the ideal home for rare wildflowers
0:22:03 > 0:22:07and it's all happened under the careful eye of Kath Toward and her family.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10There's a plant in particular they're especially proud of.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18- Now, you've brought me here to show me one of the crown jewels of the flower world.- I have.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24- That's the spring gentian, isn't it? - Yes, that's the Teesdale gentian. - That is incredibly rare, isn't it?
0:22:24 > 0:22:28It is. There are two or three places in Teesdale where you find this
0:22:28 > 0:22:33and we cherish it - it's the Teesdale emblem.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37But they're much smaller than I expected. They're tiny!
0:22:37 > 0:22:39I can't actually believe that I'm seeing this.
0:22:39 > 0:22:45It really is an incredibly vivid blue. It almost looks fake or artificial.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49- Yes, it does. Wax-like, really! - It really stands out.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52What's amazing to me is that such an tiny plant
0:22:52 > 0:22:56can be so huge in the plant world.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00But there's another reason to come here.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04This place is just teeming with wading birds.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24A good place to base yourself is by the side of a stream.
0:23:24 > 0:23:30You've got to keep still and this is all about sitting patiently and waiting.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38There's my first customer.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42It's a common sandpiper. You can see him bobbing around in the rocks.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46See him just bobbing around?
0:23:46 > 0:23:51And behind him is, I think, a grey wagtail.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54They love these fast-flowing streams.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Oh! And a redshank has just turned up.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Easy to see where he gets his name from - his lovely, long, red legs.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17And there's something splashing around in the water there.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21I think it's a lapwing. Yep!
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Having a bit of a bath.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29See? I told you it was worth the wait. There's so much to see here.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38Looking after this landscape isn't something that can be done by the farmers on their own.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43The Towards work closely with other groups to make sure the delicate balance is maintained.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51But just what is it that makes this land such a good place to see so many birds?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54It's a question for Nick Mason from the RSPB.
0:24:56 > 0:25:03Nick, this is an unlikely environment for such rich wildlife, isn't it?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I suppose it could be seen that way.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07When you start to understand why the birds are here
0:25:07 > 0:25:10it becomes clear that, although it looks unlikely,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13it is actually a fantastic place for birds.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16There's some very clear reasons why it's a good farm.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19We're standing in the midst of them right now.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24- I don't know whether you feel it under your feet, but the soil's quite springy.- Squelchy!
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It show's that the soil's still very damp here,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30even though we're getting into the summer now
0:25:30 > 0:25:35and for the waders that come here - lapwing, the snipe, redshank, curlew,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39when they come up here in spring, what they're looking to do
0:25:39 > 0:25:43is probe down into the soil and extract things like worms and leather jackets from it.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47And later on in the season, birds like the meadow pipit, here...
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- That one, there?- Up on the ridge side, if you have a look.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53What's it got in its beak?
0:25:53 > 0:25:57It's got its beak stuffed full of little insects like crane fly.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Jammed, isn't it? So what, is it taking those to its babies?
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Typically, they nest on a bank side, just like this one,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and usually under a little grassy overhang.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12All the structure of vegetation that you see, the rushes, globe flowers, the marsh marigolds,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16all of that adds up to provide just a fantastic structure for small flying insects.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Let's have a quick look now and see what we can actually get hold of.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23I can see things flying over here,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26so if I have a few sweeps with my net...
0:26:28 > 0:26:34..not let anything get out and then I can... I've got something here.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- Shall we try and get it into this little jar? - It looks a bit big, actually!
0:26:38 > 0:26:40- There's one.- Ready?
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Yeah.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46That one went up. Where did it go?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49There's just loads, isn't there? Masses and masses.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Yes, just after five minutes of effort,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54we've captured seven or eight different species.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59Birds like meadow pipits probably capture 300-400 small insects a day
0:26:59 > 0:27:02to feed their family at this time of year.
0:27:02 > 0:27:08Although we've captured a lot very quickly here, birds need to find that volume of insects every hour
0:27:08 > 0:27:12to raise a family successfully. They've got to work really hard.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15So, all in all, it ends up being a fantastic place for birds.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20Definitely one of the best farms, I think, in England for birds like lapwings.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21A wonderful place to see them.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27You can do the farm walk around Herdship in just a couple of hours.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30It's the most brilliant place to spend a day
0:27:30 > 0:27:34and if you come in May and June, at the height of the season,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38this place is just guaranteed to blow your socks off.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Who says it always rains up north?
0:27:51 > 0:27:54The nearest town to Herdship Farm is Middleton-in-Teesdale.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04There's more on our website.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09Now, be honest, when this programme started and you saw that it was about grasslands,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I bet more than a few of you thought, how boring!
0:28:12 > 0:28:16But as you've seen, these habitats are among the most exciting
0:28:16 > 0:28:21and the most colourful that you can explore anywhere in the UK.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24So when it comes to Sunday, don't worry about cutting your lawn.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Get out there and see where the real action is.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29See you next time.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34When Mike Dilger will be witnessing one of the great bird spectacles.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38All I can hear is the sound of thousands of knots
0:28:38 > 0:28:41flying over my head.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45This is just the most amazing view.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49And Janet Sumner visits the beautiful Humber Estuary.