0:00:02 > 0:00:06It's the season that brings with it a kaleidoscope of colour,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10when nature puts on some of its greatest displays.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Autumn.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18When our countryside is bursting with bounty.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24While some of us are preparing for the colder months ahead.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29It's the perfect time to get your boots on, get out for a walk,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and enjoy the changing colours of the countryside.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And blow away the cobwebs in the great outdoors!
0:00:38 > 0:00:42All week we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47We're not doing it in half measures, we're going the whole hog!
0:00:47 > 0:00:51..bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53If autumn continues to become later,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55could that potentially wipe out the dormice?
0:00:55 > 0:00:57They could easily disappear completely
0:00:57 > 0:01:00from the English countryside, which would be devastating.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Welcome to Countryfile Autumn Diaries.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Coming up on today's programme...
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Keeley is finding out whether hill walking could be bad for your health.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24We talk about the Ambulance Service wanting to get to casualties within
0:01:24 > 0:01:268-12 minutes, we just can't do that.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Steve's investigating if one corner of Kent could be harbouring dangerous creatures.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Look at that, five seconds!
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Five seconds and we've got our first one.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45And I'll see how my home-grown giant veg measures up
0:01:45 > 0:01:47to some monster competition!
0:01:55 > 0:01:58All this week we're celebrating the season in England's
0:01:58 > 0:02:00largest national park,
0:02:00 > 0:02:01the Lake District.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04And today I'm in the stunning surroundings
0:02:04 > 0:02:06of one of its hidden jewels.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08This is Crummock Water.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17Across the water is Scale Force. At 170ft, it's the tallest
0:02:17 > 0:02:20single drop waterfall in the Lake District.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27Hiking to reach spectacular views like Scale Force is a totally
0:02:27 > 0:02:29understandable pursuit.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34But are we pushing ourselves too far in our quest for great views and
0:02:34 > 0:02:38fresh air? Keeley is just down the road in Ambleside to investigate.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48The latest NHS guidance advises that we all get at least a ten-minute
0:02:48 > 0:02:51brisk walk every day to stay healthy.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54But here in the Lake District in recent years there have been some
0:02:54 > 0:02:59dramatic spikes in the number of deaths amongst walkers.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03And with a record number of visitors expected following its designation
0:03:03 > 0:03:07as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the search and mountain rescue team
0:03:07 > 0:03:09here believe that medical emergencies
0:03:09 > 0:03:11are only going to increase.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17So is walking really good, or bad for our health?
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Luke Armitage from the Penrith Mountain Rescue Team
0:03:22 > 0:03:26knows all about the dangers associated with hill walking.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32So, I guess one of the things we have to carry all the time now is what's
0:03:32 > 0:03:36called an AutoPulse. This is an automatic CPR machine that we take
0:03:36 > 0:03:38to every single call-out we go to.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40And why now? What's the change?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I guess it's the technology to have it with us,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46in a relatively lightweight form.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49And also I guess there's more people in the mountains now.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54We've got a board that the casualty lies on with a band that straps
0:03:54 > 0:03:57round them and does the chest compressions.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It would basically mean that we can do CPR on the move.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03What are the implications of having either chest pains or a heart attack
0:04:03 > 0:04:06or even a cardiac arrest somewhere like this,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08opposed to in an urban setting?
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Part of it is the time to get to your aid.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14We talk about the Ambulance Service wanting to get to casualties within
0:04:14 > 0:04:178-12 minutes, we just can't do that.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20We're talking half an hour, 40 minutes,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22as the quickest we can do in the hills.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26And we've all been out and about, be it in the mountains or just going to the supermarket,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and our phone has run out of battery, as well.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Absolutely, yes. So one of the top tips I always tell people now is to
0:04:31 > 0:04:35take some form of, A, ability to charge your phone or,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38have your phone on a lower battery setting, so things like flight mode.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Is that what people are to do, are they to ring you?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44So yeah, the way to contact us is to contact the police.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45They then contact us.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49There is a text service that you can use, 999 text, it's a free service
0:04:49 > 0:04:51that's good in patchy signal.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56So part of the problem if you get into trouble out walking in remote areas
0:04:56 > 0:04:58is that help can take a long time to reach you.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03And when we head for the hills it certainly feels like that few degrees incline
0:05:03 > 0:05:05can make us work that bit harder.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10So just how much strain does walking up a hill put on your body?
0:05:14 > 0:05:18To find out I've offered myself as a guinea pig, alongside Eleanor,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22aged 48, who is a fell runner, and Frances, aged 72,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24who is a regular walker.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25I hope I don't show myself up!
0:05:25 > 0:05:30And putting us through our paces is medical and sports sciences expert
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Tim Barry from the University of Cumbria.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34I'm going to put this on your arm.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37After a quick medical check, we're ready to go.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39So when you're ready...
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Start!
0:05:40 > 0:05:43We're starting with a test walk on flat.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Tim's measuring our heart rates,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47and if you're wondering about my strange mask,
0:05:47 > 0:05:53it's to measure the changes in my uptake of oxygen while I exercise.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Now, this might not look like hard work,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57but how will it affect our heart rate?
0:05:57 > 0:06:02Five, four, three, two, one, and end.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Tim cranks up the gradient to something a bit steeper.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09And now for the uphill challenge.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Pump those arms.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19A recent study found that over 6 million adults in England alone
0:06:19 > 0:06:22don't achieve one brisk ten-minute walk per month.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30So how did we get on with our relatively gentle ramble?
0:06:32 > 0:06:36We saw your heart rate almost treble from resting.
0:06:36 > 0:06:43For Frances, we saw your heart rate go from 94 at the start, up to 149.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49Eleanor, again as a fell runner, your heart rate was 55.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50So a low resting heart rate,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53but went up to a maximum 143.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58And Keeley, you went from 78 at rest but at the end you were puffing
0:06:58 > 0:07:00a bit and it was 154.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02I was wearing the mask, though!
0:07:02 > 0:07:06I know! We'll let you off. Yes, you were carrying the extra 1.5 kilos of weight!
0:07:06 > 0:07:08What about the oxygen levels, what about this?
0:07:08 > 0:07:15OK, the gas analysis showed that your resting gas has quadrupled
0:07:15 > 0:07:20- on that walk.- So going uphill, I'm using four times as much oxygen
0:07:20 > 0:07:21as when I'm resting.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24What you're doing, you're trying to get oxygen to your muscles,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26because they're being asked to work hard.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29So the heart is working harder to get that oxygen round.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34And we're seeing now that you're actually taking on board around about just
0:07:34 > 0:07:37over a litre of oxygen a minute.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38So is walking good for you?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Walking is great for everybody.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42It's a great exercise,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46it increases the strength of your heart and makes you healthy
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and helps prevent heart disease.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53But we must be really careful that we don't go straightaway up a steep
0:07:53 > 0:07:58slope, ie, come to the Lake District and think, "I'll climb Scafell Pike."
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Start slow, build it up gradually.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And if you want to work out how hard you should be exercising,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Tim has a useful equation for working out your maximum heart rate.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Simply minus your age from 220.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15And it's not just your physical health that walking is good for.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17It can also boost your brain.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Sion Jeyer was told by doctors four years ago that he has dementia.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28But he believes that walking has helped him manage his illness.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32I was forgetting things and having problems with money and adding up
0:08:32 > 0:08:36and going out of one room into another and totally forgetting what I'd done
0:08:36 > 0:08:41before that. And finding it difficult to learn and remember new things.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Despite this, Sion walks on his own every day in the Lakes
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and never uses a map.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Now that sounds like I shouldn't be on the fells, doesn't it, really,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54at all. But anything that I'd been doing for a long time...
0:08:55 > 0:08:59..including ascending 10,000 mountains in my lifetime, you know,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01I found that it was part of me.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03What about navigating?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Because if you're forgetting things increasingly,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08are you worried that you're going to forget your way around mountains
0:09:08 > 0:09:10- like this?- No, I'm not worried.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15I just know all the areas so well and I've been doing it for so long
0:09:15 > 0:09:19that I don't... I don't think I'll ever forget it.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25In fact, a study done on London cabbies who had The Knowledge showed that
0:09:25 > 0:09:30one part of their hippocampus had become larger than average.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Right at the roundabout at Aldersgate Street and London Wall.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37One passenger gets out for Liverpool Street station.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42This part of the brain is the memory centre and has also been found to be
0:09:42 > 0:09:46bigger in birds and mammals which hide their food and come back to it later.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51So, walking and being in the outdoors and doing what you've
0:09:51 > 0:09:53always done helps your mind, then?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Absolutely. It keeps it very active.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56People say sometimes, well,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58you go up and down the same mountain very often.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02And I say, yes, but the conditions are nearly always different.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04You meet a load of different people every day.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07You talk to them and they talk to you
0:10:07 > 0:10:08and that keeps your mind active.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10You're interacting with the environment,
0:10:10 > 0:10:15you're interacting with other people and that in itself keeps everything
0:10:15 > 0:10:17ticking over. You know,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20and life doesn't end just because Alzheimer's begins.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Not all of us have the chance to hike in the hills every day,
0:10:25 > 0:10:26but if you are planning a trip,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29make sure you're fully prepared before you go.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33For Sion, walking is obviously hugely important for his health.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37And it's safe to say for the rest of us a quick stroll is good for this,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39and for this.
0:10:46 > 0:10:52It's not just we humans who enjoy the Lake District with its breathtaking beauty.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55This place is also a real haven for wildlife.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01With their chilly waters and incredible clarity,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05the Lakes are the only place in England to find Arctic Char.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12And on the shores of Crummock you might catch a glimpse of some otters
0:11:12 > 0:11:15which have made a comeback here over the past decade.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22But there are some creatures who are in this country completely by chance.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27And Steve now sheds some light on how one particular species came to be on
0:11:27 > 0:11:30our shores and on just how dangerous it really is.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The Isle of Sheppey lies just off the North Kent coast,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and it's a place I know very well.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46I grew up just a mile inland from here and I used to spend hours
0:11:46 > 0:11:48along this coastline, in and out of the rock pools
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and along there amongst the
0:11:50 > 0:11:53stones, looking for these - fossilised sharks' teeth.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56And if you think that's a funny thing to find on a beach in Sheppey,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59you wait and see what I found out's lurking along there!
0:12:01 > 0:12:06At the busy port of Sheerness, the centuries-old dockyard has hosted ships
0:12:06 > 0:12:10from around the world. But a few stowaways liked it here so much they
0:12:10 > 0:12:12decided to make it home.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Dr Sarah Henshall from Buglife is going to introduce me to them.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- Sarah!- Hi, there.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26So, this wall in Sheerness Docks houses scorpions?
0:12:26 > 0:12:30It does, yes. They've been here over 250 years.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The history books say that they came over on Italian masonry boats,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37so they were found in fruit boxes in the mid-1800s.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And tell me a little bit about the type of scorpion we've got here and
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- what we're looking for. - So, we're looking for the yellow-tailed scorpion.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48And it's a beautiful dark chocolate colour with a yellow tail.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51There's around about 10,000 scorpions living in the walls all around the
0:12:51 > 0:12:53docks and around the town.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57And what makes a wall like this a prime location?
0:12:57 > 0:13:00If you look around us, we're surrounded by the perfect habitat for them.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03They love these walls, particularly where the mortar is crumbling away
0:13:03 > 0:13:05and they're living in the cracks and crevices.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09And this is a nice south-facing wall and the yellow-tailed scorpion is
0:13:09 > 0:13:13native to northern Africa and southern Europe, so it likes the warmth.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Often in sort of desert and sand dune habitats.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20So here it's really, really key that it's dry, warm and stable for them.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Is there anywhere else in the country that they're...?
0:13:22 > 0:13:25There's a couple of other locations in the South East,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27particularly around docks. And there's also a very small population
0:13:27 > 0:13:29in the London Underground.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30- The Underground?!- Yeah, the Underground.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And again it's that warm, dry environment for them
0:13:33 > 0:13:35which is absolutely perfect.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41There are around 2,000 species of scorpions across the globe,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43found in almost every habitat.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Preferring warm conditions,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48this invasive colony of the yellow-tail variety is the
0:13:48 > 0:13:51northernmost limit where scorpions live in the wild.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And you can see where there is going to be a little bit of competition for them.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I've seen spiders running around, you've got the webs here.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03How is it going to work in terms of hierarchy on the wall?
0:14:03 > 0:14:07The scorpions aren't the only stowaway that you find here.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10There's a beautiful spider again called Segestria Florentina which is
0:14:10 > 0:14:12a beautiful Latin name.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16But the English name is a green-fanged tube web spider.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Again, it came over on the boats.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24This invasive tube web spider is the biggest of its species and a bite
0:14:24 > 0:14:28from its striking but venomous green jaws can induce a painful reaction
0:14:28 > 0:14:30that lasts for several hours.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34There is a nifty little way of trying to kind of entice one of these
0:14:34 > 0:14:36spiders out. It's a tuning fork.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40We ding the tuning fork on the brick here.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Put it on one of these little drag lines.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46- Wow, look at that.- So we can keep trying to entice her out.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50But the tuning fork will mimic a flying insect that's got stuck...
0:14:50 > 0:14:54- I see.- ..in the web. - Slowing the footage down,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58you can just catch a glimpse of the spider's striking green markings
0:14:58 > 0:15:02and sometimes the victims of their attacks are the scorpions.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04When's the best time to see them?
0:15:04 > 0:15:08All scorpions have a hard exoskeleton which glows in the dark.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11So if we get a UV light and scan it over the wall,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13we should be able to detect the scorpions.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- We need to come back later. - We do indeed.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23It's not just scorpions and spiders who have made their way to the UK.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26There are a whole host of other bizarre species living here.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Like this population of rednecked wallabies,
0:15:30 > 0:15:35deliberately introduced to this small island in the middle of Loch Lomond in the 1940s.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40Or the rose-ringed parakeets in south-west London,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43presumed to have grown from a pair of escaped captive birds,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45they now number in their thousands.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49But unlike scorpions in the Sheppey wall,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54some invasive species have been devastating to the British countryside.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Thought to have arrived in ships' ballast tanks,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Chinese mitten crabs are invading the British waterways,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03causing damage to river banks and competing with native species.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Night's falling in Sheppey and Sarah and I have returned to the wall to
0:16:11 > 0:16:13hopefully catch sight of a scorpion or two.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17I'm excited. Come on, don't keep me waiting.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- I want to see what's happening. - Right, let's go. OK.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22So we need to just kind of like sweep it over really, really quickly.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Oh, there we go. Look, look, look.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27You can see his little pincers.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32- Yeah!- And he or she is exactly where we thought we would find them.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34They hang out in these tiny cracks and crevices.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38They ambush predators, so they'll sit there with a claw sticking out,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42waiting for woodlice and unsuspecting insects to pass on by.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43Look at that, five seconds!
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Five seconds and we've got our first one!
0:16:45 > 0:16:48So if there's one, there will be many, I'm sure.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Well, it's the first of 10,000 we've got to find!
0:16:51 > 0:16:52It is.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56There's a very teeny, teeny one just in that crack there.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- Oh, another one. - That's a big one, isn't it?
0:16:58 > 0:17:03- Yeah, we have got a whopper. - That's a big one, that one.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Why do they glow in the dark?
0:17:04 > 0:17:08This is a trait that all scorpions have, that hard exoskeleton.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11When you shine UV light on, it glows amazingly, like this.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Some of the theories are that it's something to do with attracting a mate.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16So maybe they see in UV.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17We don't really know,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19but it's something that all scorpions do.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24OK, so if I was to be having my nice summer picnic,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28I lean against this wall, that scorpion crawls down my collar -
0:17:28 > 0:17:30how dangerous is that to me?
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Well, that's not going to happen, because these things are incredibly shy.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35They're not aggressive at all.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39As you can see, we're approaching this one and it's retreated back in its
0:17:39 > 0:17:42burrow. They have got a sting in their tail
0:17:42 > 0:17:43and there is a venom in there.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47But a sting from this little chap would be like a pin prick, really.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Obviously if you are allergic to bee or wasp stings,
0:17:50 > 0:17:51it might be more problematic.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54But the likelihood of this chap hurting you is really,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56really slim to none.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Well, I'm not allergic to stings.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Will we get him out of that crevice, do you think?
0:18:00 > 0:18:01Yeah. Do you want to hold the torch?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I've got a little brush so we don't sort of damage him.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05Look at that!
0:18:05 > 0:18:06He's a big boy, isn't he?
0:18:09 > 0:18:12And he's fast. Look at the body on him.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- It's chunky, isn't it? - It's a big one.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16And you see, they are really flattened
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and when they come out of their crevice,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21they are actually quite large when they spread their legs out, and their pincers.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23It's a spectacular thing.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25- Look at it.- Isn't it just?
0:18:25 > 0:18:28It's crawling over your hand and it's not causing you any bother at all.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32No. By all rights, these shouldn't be here, should they?
0:18:32 > 0:18:33No. They are a stowaway.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35But they're a stowaway success story.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43It seems this invasive species doesn't have such a nasty sting in its tail after all.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Well, this evening has been an absolute schoolboy's dream for me.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Who'd have thought it? Scorpions on the Isle of Sheppey?
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I'm certainly going to be keeping my eyes open for more unusual creatures
0:18:54 > 0:18:55around the UK.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10This is a great time of year to look high above the trees into skies,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13where you could well be rewarded with the sight of some of the many,
0:19:13 > 0:19:18many thousands of birds that overwinter in this country.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21And here are some of our favourite places for spotting them.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Autumn skies bring with them migrating birds.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37The Exe Estuary in South Devon is a real haven for visiting water birds.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41You can watch them from a number of reserves,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45but take a guided boat trip for an even closer look.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55Wake up early to catch the huge flocks of pink-footed geese
0:19:55 > 0:19:58making their dawn flight at Snettisham on the Norfolk coast.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Further north, you can have a gander at even more geese with the arrival
0:20:06 > 0:20:12of around 35,000 barnacle geese to the salt marshes of the Solway Firth.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14These remarkable birds have travelled
0:20:14 > 0:20:18a whopping 2,000 miles from Arctic Svalbard.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26From the military precision of geese in flight,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28to some incredible aerobatics.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Right across the UK you might spot huge numbers of starlings soaring in
0:20:35 > 0:20:38what's known as a murmuration.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Watch them at dusk near reedbeds and woodlands,
0:20:43 > 0:20:48as they fly in perfect formation, before settling down to roost.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57From a sky filled with birds to clouds filled with rain.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Here in Cumbria they see some of the nation's highest rainfall.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06But at a smallholding in Wiltshire, Paul has been doing a lot of extra
0:21:06 > 0:21:09watering as he attempts to grow his own
0:21:09 > 0:21:11record-breaking giant vegetables.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Now it's harvest season, but is he ready for the final weigh-in?
0:21:19 > 0:21:21The sweetcorn is doing well, Dylan.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24- Yeah.- Yeah, what's your favourite?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26- The strawberries.- The strawberries, I thought so.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28You know, our veg patch did really, really well last year.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30But this year I wanted to go one stage further,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34so I invited a couple of top growers down to take on the gardening
0:21:34 > 0:21:37heavyweights, quite literally.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Margherita first met rivals Kevin and Ian
0:21:39 > 0:21:41at last year's giant veg show.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Am I leaving you on friendly terms?
0:21:45 > 0:21:46Oh, yes, of course you are!
0:21:48 > 0:21:51When I heard about their exploits, I simply had to get their advice
0:21:51 > 0:21:54on the best ways to get the biggest veg...
0:21:57 > 0:21:59We want to go between eight and ten foot.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02That is all of my veg patch!
0:22:02 > 0:22:04What have I let myself in for?
0:22:04 > 0:22:08..and both agreed the best start I could give my giant veg
0:22:08 > 0:22:10was to grow them in a polytunnel.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15Right, let's measure them up and see which one is the biggest.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16I reckon that one.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18You reckon this one.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20That's a whopping 52 inches.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22It is 1.3.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- But do you know what? I think this one.- This is the biggest.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25This is the one, isn't it?
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- This one is about the same, actually.- Is it?
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Yeah, 1.3.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31But I think this one is the best one.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Let's get it in the wheelbarrow and get it to the car.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Giant cabbages might be big,
0:22:36 > 0:22:41but they are just as flavourful as the mini-me versions.
0:22:41 > 0:22:47That is so heavy. Brilliant. But perhaps not the easiest to transport.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Steady it.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52It's so heavy.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58- There.- It's not quite in.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05But the cabbage isn't the only veg I've been super-sizing.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Well, it's the first time chilli-growers are competing at the Malvern Show
0:23:11 > 0:23:15this year, so I wonder what the judges will think of these.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19And here is my giant marrow.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Look at that. Actually, it's quite heavy.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23But it isn't that big.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24It's not super size.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27But I'm going to take it to the show and talk to the experts,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31because they will give me advice and top tips on how to get this bigger
0:23:31 > 0:23:32next year.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41Right, let's get changed and let's hit the road to Malvern.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44And fingers crossed there's a trolley at the other end.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55The giant-veg competition we have entered
0:23:55 > 0:23:59takes place at the Malvern Show in Worcestershire.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Come on, then, guys. Let's get inside for the weigh-in.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05For giant-vegetable growers,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08this is their heavyweight championship of the world.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Well, that's weighing in at 8kg.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13It's not bad.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16But check out the competition.
0:24:16 > 0:24:22The world record for the heaviest green cabbage is a massive 62kg.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I wonder if we will see any world records today.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Gosh, look at the size of these marrows!
0:24:29 > 0:24:30I've already spotted mine.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32You can't miss it.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34- That one's mine.- You've not won.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36I didn't win, did I?
0:24:36 > 0:24:37No, I didn't!
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Maybe next year.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45And my cabbage hasn't even made the table.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47There it is!
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It is one of the smallest.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53In fact, that one's a bit smaller, so ours is second to last.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57But do you know what? He's quite a handsome cabbage, isn't he?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- Yeah.- It could be a girl.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02It could be a girl. She's a very pretty cabbage.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Well, I haven't hit the big-time in giant veg.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Perhaps champion grower Ian can give me some more advice.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14What went wrong, Ian?
0:25:14 > 0:25:15We didn't start early enough.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19You've got to start, this time of the year, preparing your soil.
0:25:19 > 0:25:20It's as simple as that, is it?
0:25:20 > 0:25:24- Simple as that.- So, really, late September, get the soil right?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Even though you don't plant up until March?
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Get farmyard manure, 46 inches deep, and leave it til the end of March.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32So it rots right in.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36It rots right in. That is the secret about giant-veg growing.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38- Preparation.- I think it came last.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42It sort of weighed in at 6.7kg.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45The prizewinner, well, it was just under 90kg.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47At least you got one on the table!
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- What happened to yours?- Went rotten.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50Did it? What, at the last minute?
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- Yes.- Were you disappointed?
0:25:52 > 0:25:53- Yes.- Were you a winner?
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- Did you win anything?- I won a big Swede and a long chilli pepper.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- A world record?- That's a world record.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01You've got a... Look at the length of that!
0:26:01 > 0:26:02That is fantastic!
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Ian might have the longest chilli pepper,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08but archrival Kevin isn't about to be outdone.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10- Are you a winner?- Yeah, we had three firsts.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14We got the world's heaviest chilli, which is 348g.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16I had a 15lb carrot and heaviest melon.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- Congratulations to both of you. - Thank you very much.- Thank you for the help, as well.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21See you both next year.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Unlike Kevin and Ian,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26my chillies didn't win a prize, but as a nation,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29we've gone mad for the hot stuff.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34Growers like Ash are determined to turn up the heat in the chilli world.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- All of these are yours?- Yep.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Wow, you really are a chilli expert.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- Yeah.- I wasn't expecting such a wide variety.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46- And colours!- Oh, there's thousands of varieties.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Some of the more wrinkly ones are obviously the super hots.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51This one's called a wok killer.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53A wok killer?
0:26:53 > 0:26:54I've had naga chilli.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- Yeah?- And that's quite hot, but that's even hotter, is it?
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Yeah, that'll be hotter than a naga.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01A chilli's heat is defined by the Scoville Scale.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05A lively supermarket jalapeno pepper can measure as little as three and
0:27:05 > 0:27:12half thousand, while a naga viper measures 1.3 million.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14This is called a cascabel.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19This is originally from Spain, and when they dry it out,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21traditionally they are given to the children as rattles.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Yeah. That's lovely, isn't it?
0:27:24 > 0:27:25They're all very tactile.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Can we try some?
0:27:27 > 0:27:32- Of course.- Maybe start with a fruity-ish one and then end on the hottest.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33Yeah. Let's keep our powder dry...
0:27:34 > 0:27:36..while we're still standing.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37Right, OK, let's try some of those.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Try that sugar rush peach.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41These are quite fruity.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- Average heat.- OK, and just bite that one in half?
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- Are you going to have a go? - I might do.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49At least halfway to get some idea of the flavour and the heat.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54The fruity peach-coloured sugar rush was developed in Wales and, heat-wise,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57shouldn't hit more than 300,000.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00It's very crunchy. It's starting to burn!
0:28:01 > 0:28:03And that's not the hottest?
0:28:03 > 0:28:04Do you want the rest of that one?
0:28:04 > 0:28:07No, thank you. This is a clockwork orange.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Try that, a clockwork orange.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16OK. The clockwork orange is the devil child of the Carolina Reaper and the
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Trinidad scorpion chillies.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21This could be a mouth burner.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Ian, are you going to try some of this?
0:28:22 > 0:28:25I'll try some, yes.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28You're not going to eat all of that at once, are you?
0:28:28 > 0:28:29No.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30Yes.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36In fact, that's fruitier.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Cor blimey, that's hot.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43That's enough, isn't it?
0:28:43 > 0:28:45I've had enough.
0:28:48 > 0:28:49Can I have some of that?
0:28:54 > 0:28:59Well, we tried some water but it's not taking the fire away, so Ian,
0:28:59 > 0:29:01thank goodness, has come up with the idea of getting some ice cream.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03So, Ash, thank you so much.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- Cheers, all the best.- Red-hot.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Oh, that's better!
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Well, it's certainly not ice-cream weather today.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20It's more a day for a brisk Autumn walk, and after that,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23we'll head back to our nice, dry, warm homes,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26and it seems that we're not alone there.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Uninvited guests like spiders,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33woodlice and even mice will do their best to creep their way in from the
0:29:33 > 0:29:37cold as well. But they are now being joined by a new invader that is
0:29:37 > 0:29:39arriving in swarms.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44Margherita is finding out how a childhood favourite could turn out
0:29:44 > 0:29:45to be the stuff of nightmares.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52"Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home."
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Well, that's how the famous nursery rhyme started, but these days,
0:29:55 > 0:29:59our homes seem to be a little more inviting than their own.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Because now there's a new beetle on the block.
0:30:02 > 0:30:08First seen in the UK in 2004, these tiny terrors are harlequin ladybirds.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12Originally from Asia, it's the UK's fastest-invading
0:30:12 > 0:30:16species and they're heading for our homes in their thousands.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22At the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Oxfordshire,
0:30:24 > 0:30:29Ecologist Professor Helen Roy is putting the harlequin
0:30:29 > 0:30:30under the microscope.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36This is a ladybird larva and you can see it's a harlequin ladybird larva
0:30:36 > 0:30:40because it has this bright kind of orange stripe going down the side.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42It's also incredibly spiky.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46I'm always impressed when I see it up close, quite how spiky it looks.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49That gives it a really good physical defence from other things attacking
0:30:49 > 0:30:51it and also in terms of their chemicals.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55The harlequin does have particularly nasty chemicals in comparison to our
0:30:55 > 0:30:57other native species of ladybird.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Why are the harlequin ladybirds so deadly?
0:31:00 > 0:31:03So, harlequin ladybirds are voracious predators.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06They will eat other ladybirds, they'll eat lacewings, hover flies,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08a whole range of different things.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10So the harlequin seems to have the upper hand.
0:31:11 > 0:31:17They are clearly formidable predators, not averse to a bit of cannibalism,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20so could it be curtains for our British bugs?
0:31:20 > 0:31:22When we go out looking for ladybirds now,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26about 80-90% of the ladybirds we find are harlequin ladybirds.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31They're a dominant species in some of the habitats.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34So they are here to stay. What's going to be really interesting
0:31:34 > 0:31:35to see going forward is how do the
0:31:35 > 0:31:39other species manage alongside the harlequin ladybird?
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Are they dangerous to us?
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Not really. They are a little bit of a nuisance.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46When they come in large numbers into buildings,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49people may get a little fed up with having several hundred in their
0:31:49 > 0:31:53bedrooms and sometimes they are reported to bite and some people have
0:31:53 > 0:31:56allergic reactions, just as they do to many different things.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59But no more than that, really. It really is a threat to biodiversity
0:31:59 > 0:32:01that's the greatest concern to us.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06Studies also show that harlequins have a powerful immune system which
0:32:06 > 0:32:08gives them the edge over other species,
0:32:08 > 0:32:10so rather than being a threat to us,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14they may hold the key to our future antibiotics.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18But as the weather gets colder, harlequin ladybirds start to move
0:32:18 > 0:32:20into our homes in droves in search of a
0:32:20 > 0:32:22warmer place to spend the winter.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Apparently it's not just our homes these spotty little visitors like to
0:32:25 > 0:32:29congregate in, they've also developed a spiritual side.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36At Saint Mary Magdalene in the village of Crowmarsh in Oxfordshire,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40church warden Margaret Foster is preparing herself for the winter
0:32:40 > 0:32:42onslaught.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45So, Margaret, you've been a church warden here for over a decade?
0:32:45 > 0:32:49- Yes.- Have you seen quite a few of the harlequin ladybirds in recent years?
0:32:49 > 0:32:52I've seen lots of them. I didn't really know what they were.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54They are thick on the ledges sometimes,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56you have to dust them off.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58I don't know what it is, they tend to land on the pews.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Do you know why they are coming in or why they feel so at home here?
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Well, they must like it nice and warm, I don't know,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08because they come in over winter.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- I don't know. - All creatures great and small?
0:33:10 > 0:33:13All creatures great and small, all things bright and beautiful!
0:33:14 > 0:33:18They may be welcome in church but they are clearly a threat to our
0:33:18 > 0:33:20native species of ladybird.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25Biologist Dr Peter Brown from Anglia Ruskin University
0:33:25 > 0:33:28is monitoring harlequin numbers out in the fields.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Peter, morning.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32- Good morning.- Good to see you.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34- Pleased to meet you.- How's it going today?
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Well, we've got one harlequin ladybird so far.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40It's quite a big species for a ladybird.
0:33:41 > 0:33:42- Ooh.- Ooh, it's about to fly off.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46How do you know this is a harlequin, what are you looking out for?
0:33:46 > 0:33:49They're a little bit bigger than most other ladybirds.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51A bit like the seven spot ladybird, though,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53which is the one people will be used to seeing.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55That's the standard garden ladybird.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57That's red with seven black spots,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00and these ones tend to be orange with lots more spots,
0:34:00 > 0:34:01sometimes about 19 spots.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Autumn is when harlequin numbers start to build, so I'm keen to see
0:34:09 > 0:34:11if we can find any more.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Where looks good? Good hunting ground?
0:34:14 > 0:34:18So the ladybirds will be found where you've got aphids.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20Which is mainly what they're feeding on.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22How many would you expect to find,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25having spent a morning or afternoon searching?
0:34:25 > 0:34:26You can get...
0:34:27 > 0:34:30..20, 30 ladybirds very quickly in some places.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32- 20 or 30?- Yeah, easily.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36Other times you might get nothing, so it's very difficult to predict.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Ladybird spotting is something you can get involved in at home.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47Peter helps run the UK Ladybird Survey which has a website and
0:34:47 > 0:34:52mobile phone app. So you can upload photos of your own sightings of both native
0:34:52 > 0:34:54and harlequin ladybirds.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Find out more by logging onto our website.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Any luck?
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Yes, so what we've got here, a harlequin ladybird larva.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10So, Peter, if we find the ladybird in this stage of its life as well,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12that's useful to you, too, in the survey?
0:35:12 > 0:35:13That's very useful.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17In a way, even more useful because where the larvae are found tells us
0:35:17 > 0:35:21more about the ecology than where the adults can fly.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23So if we're out hunting for these ladybirds,
0:35:23 > 0:35:28- all the information we find can make a difference to the work you're doing?- Absolutely.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32So the message is clear, when you're cleaning the house or out and about,
0:35:32 > 0:35:36keep your eyes peeled for the orange-and-black beetle.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40So, next time you see a ladybird - especially a harlequin ladybird -
0:35:40 > 0:35:44rather than considering it a nuisance, make a note of it,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46get involved in the survey.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49You'll be contributing to a greater understanding of the insect world.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Farming, especially for sheep and cattle,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06has been at the heart of the community here in the Lake District
0:36:06 > 0:36:10for many centuries now, but as Matt discovered further south,
0:36:10 > 0:36:15there's one traditional autumn crop which is getting a big boost from
0:36:15 > 0:36:16cutting-edge technology.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25I'm in Kent, looking at the changing face of England's orchards.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33Modern science has breathed life into the roots of these bursting orchards
0:36:33 > 0:36:34and here on this farm,
0:36:34 > 0:36:38the latest technology is ensuring that the perfect apple makes its way
0:36:38 > 0:36:39into your fruit bowl.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43MUSIC: Das Modell by Triology
0:36:45 > 0:36:50The fruit harvested here is still hand-picked the old-fashioned way.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52These apples were picked this morning?
0:36:52 > 0:36:56These were in the orchard two or three hours ago and now they're in our cold store.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00But the machinery used to store the apples is far from traditional.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03This is the very latest state-of-the-art technology.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08- Right.- So, what we're doing here is we're storing apples at five and one,
0:37:08 > 0:37:14so 5% CO2, 1% oxygen, and we bring the gas regime down.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16The apple will become stressed at some point,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18the colour of the skin will change.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21You and I won't see it, Matt, we just won't physically be able to see
0:37:21 > 0:37:23it, but that sensor will see it.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24When the fruit is stressed,
0:37:24 > 0:37:28we just back the regime off a little bit so the apple is comfortable.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30- I see.- Fast asleep.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32So, when you're talking about this stressed state, then,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34is that what prolongs how long you can store it for?
0:37:34 > 0:37:36It prolongs how long we can store it for.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Now, obviously, apples only grow at a certain time so this really is the
0:37:40 > 0:37:43key to the business, isn't it, how long you can store them for?
0:37:43 > 0:37:45This is absolutely the key.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Consumers want to eat apples 12 months of the year.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52We can grow them and harvest them and if we can extend the storage
0:37:52 > 0:37:53life with these processes,
0:37:53 > 0:37:55then we can deliver them 12 months of the year to consumers.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05This equipment ensures the apples are kept in perfect condition for a long
0:38:05 > 0:38:10winter nap. Once they reach the pack house, yet more gadgetry sifts,
0:38:10 > 0:38:12sorts and scrutinises the fruits.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25These are the most advanced fruit-grading machines in the country.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29The level of detail this technology is capable of is just extraordinary.
0:38:41 > 0:38:46Well, this is mightily impressive for starters, but just talk us through
0:38:46 > 0:38:47what is happening here, James.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51What we've got here is a robot that scans the bin when it arrives so it
0:38:51 > 0:38:56knows the size of the bin and then it's filling this floatation tank to
0:38:56 > 0:38:59move the apples forward and on to the sorting process.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05It's the ultimate kind of apple-bobbing tray, this?
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Yeah.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Then on this first sorting table,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11this is the only part of the process that has a human element.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14I was going to say, there's a human, for goodness' sake!
0:39:14 > 0:39:18She's just making sure that every leaf is removed and then we're flowing
0:39:18 > 0:39:21in to what we call our first clean tank.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30What we're trying to do with this section of the machine is to separate
0:39:30 > 0:39:35the fruit out so that we can look at each individual apple before we move
0:39:35 > 0:39:39under these brushes and then through it and under the cameras.
0:39:39 > 0:39:40- Under the cameras? - Under the cameras.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41Right, lead the way.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45So, is this the camera?
0:39:45 > 0:39:46- Absolutely.- Wow.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50Under this piece of equipment, we're shining infrared lights.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54- Right.- We monitor the wavelength in and we measure the wavelength out of
0:39:54 > 0:39:55- the apple.- Yeah.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57And the difference,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01we can then tell you whether that apple is good inside or whether it's
0:40:01 > 0:40:03rotten inside or discoloured,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06so we can take those apples out of the system altogether.
0:40:06 > 0:40:11- Goodness me.- And we have to look at the external quality of the apple - the size and the shape
0:40:11 > 0:40:12and the colour,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15as well as any marks or any blemishes that are on the fruit.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17And that's being done in this machine here.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Under here we have cameras
0:40:21 > 0:40:27- taking between 16 and 20 pictures of every apple.- At that speed?
0:40:27 > 0:40:32Per second. 20 pictures per second of each individual apple.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35We can then decide whether that's a class one or a class two apple,
0:40:35 > 0:40:39- and we can see that on the screen. - I was going to say, I've just caught a glimpse of the screen in here.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41So, is this a line of apples or is it one apple?
0:40:41 > 0:40:45This is one apple and you can see the marks on those apples have been
0:40:45 > 0:40:50identified by the software and so it goes into a certain pack or grade.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52I see. Just a reminder, then,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56how many apples are actually coming from the orchards out there?
0:40:56 > 0:41:01We'll bring in 120 to 130 million apples into this facility and run
0:41:01 > 0:41:03- them over this machine. - It's mind-blowing, isn't it?
0:41:03 > 0:41:04Yeah, it
0:41:04 > 0:41:07takes a little while to get your head around it.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18I mean, when you look down, you just see how uniform they are, don't you?
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Yeah, very much.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24Here we've got one that we've taken out.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28There's not enough colour on that fruit for any of our customer packs.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30But are you making a rod for your own back here?
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Because from a consumer's perspective - I mean, I like a characterful apple,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36I don't mind that my apples aren't uniform.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40- Absolutely.- But if consumers get used to getting a pack of six apples
0:41:40 > 0:41:42and every single one looks the same,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46are you creating an issue there when things aren't quite right?
0:41:46 > 0:41:47From our perspective,
0:41:47 > 0:41:52we can grow a really good quality apple, and a good quality apple
0:41:52 > 0:41:57graded uniformly like we're doing here makes our whole process quicker and more
0:41:57 > 0:42:03efficient so we can deliver to the consumer at a much more economic price, let's say.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09I think this is the most impressive robotics and technology that I've ever
0:42:09 > 0:42:13- seen in agriculture.- It's right at the forefront, this is cutting-edge.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24Well, sadly, that's all we've got time for today
0:42:24 > 0:42:25but please do join us again tomorrow
0:42:25 > 0:42:29for more entries in our Countryfile autumn diaries.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30Including...
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Margherita is finding out if you can eat yourselves cheerful.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37It can be quite noisy, I'm noticing!
0:42:37 > 0:42:40They can be, they're pretty chatty, always keen for a chat.
0:42:40 > 0:42:41HE GOBBLES
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Steve witnesses a rare and beautiful event that attracts people in their
0:42:49 > 0:42:52- droves.- Look at that!
0:42:52 > 0:42:54- Amazing, isn't it?- It is.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Thousands of them. Wow!
0:42:59 > 0:43:03And Paul is on a mission to remove some pesky garden pests.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06DRUMS CRASH
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Well, if that doesn't get rid of them, nothing will.
0:43:12 > 0:43:13Until then, goodbye.