Episode 3 Countryfile Summer Diaries

Long, sunny days when our countryside

is bursting with colour and life.

It's the season that brings out the child in us all.

Summer is here.

It's the perfect time to enjoy the beauty

of our great British landscape.

And our amazing wildlife.

Some of us are still hard at work.

But whatever you're doing, and whatever the weather,

our island is at its very best.

All week we're travelling the length and breadth of the UK...

..bringing the very best seasonal stories that matter to you.

Now, these are very worrying statistics, aren't they?

Absolutely. The toll being taken on our birds of prey by these criminals

is phenomenal.

The very warmest of welcomes to Countryfile Summer Diaries.

Here's what's coming up on today's programme.

So we're going to be weighing, measuring and ringing?

-That's right, yeah.

-Paul finds out how we can help our elusive

nocturnal neighbours.

They don't have a very strong grip, so you can just rest it

in your palm. He'll be fine.

Oh, wow. He's so warm!

There we are, gents, here's another one.

Jules investigates an unusual project

that's revolutionising rural life.

This is the only way we can get together.

If it hadn't been thought of, we'd just have faded away.

And I'll be finding out how some furry friends could help reduce

flood risk here in the UK.

Where better to enjoy the best of the British summer than here on

England's largest island, the Isle of Wight?

I'll be here all this week and this island really does have it all.

With up to 2,000 hours of sunshine a year,

it's arguably the sunniest spot in the whole of the UK.

And over half the island is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Small wonder several million visitors flock here every year.

This stunning secluded bay is Steephill Cove.

It's one of many family-friendly beaches that holiday-makers

and islanders can take their pick from.

And though sun and sea sounds like a perfect summer's day,

on average, 190 people lose their lives along our coast every year.

Now some pioneering research is underway which could save your life.

Keeley is about to put it to the test.

The RNLI's thousands of volunteers at their 238 lifeboat stations along

our coastline are on hand 24/7, 365 days a year,

to rescue us if we get into trouble out there on the water.

Earlier this summer, the lifeboat crew here in Exmouth received an

emergency call from a kitesurfer who'd spotted a couple

of jet skiers in trouble.

We'd been told it was at Orcombe Point, which is just at the end

of there, end of the slipway down here, so we went over there to have a look

and see if we could find them, basically start searching.

What kind of conditions, was it a day like today?

Well, it was a lovely day like this, nice and sunny,

but there was a stiff south-easterly breeze.

Yeah, it put up a bit of chop.

We're in a small boat and it did make it difficult.

And you had a bit of a job trying to find them?

As we were going out through the Channel,

we were flagged down by another kitesurfer.

Who said, "I think they're over to the right."

Nothing found there.

We decided to go back to the original tasking the Coast Guard

has given us and eventually we actually spotted them.

The information we'd been given is that the jet ski was sinking.

We didn't appreciate that actually when we got there,

that the actual jet ski had pretty much sunk.

There was about probably a foot of the jet ski, the nose of

the jet ski, out of the water and at this point the two guys

were in the water. From the time of the call coming in,

they'd obviously been in the water for some time.

We got the two guys, one of them was actually a lot worse for wear than

-the other.

-He was a bit confused, he was shivering as well,

and that was the earlier stages of hypothermia.

We decided that actually we needed to get him ashore very quickly.

The better swimmer was saying, "Take him first, take him first."

So he just wanted him out of the water.

I think he had actually done a very good job,

-cos he'd kept his mate calm.

-Yeah.

You know, he kept saying, "Don't worry, they'll come and get us,

"they'll come and get us." So yeah, he did a really good job.

So do you think his friend helped save his life?

Definitely. I think if he'd tried to swim ashore and then his mate had

followed, it might've been a different story.

So he did exactly what we're trying to, you know, tell people to do,

is to stay together.

Thanks to the crew's quick actions,

the jet skier was taken to safety and made a good recovery.

The temperature of our coastal waters in summer ranges between

around 12 and 18 degrees.

And even though that doesn't seem especially cold,

on a nice, sunny day, our skin temperature will be over 30.

So when we fall in the cold water that sudden shock of drop

in temperature can have big and negative effects on our bodies.

Exactly how our bodies react when we're plunged into cold water is the

subject of a study currently underway at Portsmouth University.

It's run by senior lecturer Heather Massey and, in a moment of madness,

I've agreed to be her guinea pig.

Do you want to come over here and take a seat on our chair?

Oh, this all feels a bit real now!

So the plan is I get dunked in 12 degrees water for five minutes,

while Heather measures my heart rate with these electrodes

and tests my dexterity before and after the immersion.

So grip it as hard as you can.

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. And relax.

About 25.

Well done. Fantastic.

I make that 33 seconds.

So that's good.

OK, are you ready to go?

-Yeah, I guess so!

-Yeah?

The water is 12 degrees to match the temperature of our sea

in early summer. I am not looking forward to this at all.

Right, so we have a resting heart rate of around 70 beats a minute.

That's not bad.

Why did I agree to this?

In five, four, three, two, one

and down.

SHE SHRIEKS

How are you doing there, you all right?

That is cold!

-How are you feeling?

-All right, yeah.

-Cold!

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

How's the breathing?

Er...

-all right.

-OK.

It is really, really cold in here.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-That's the first 30 seconds.

You've done really well.

The first minute, they say, is always the worst.

Just as your skin receptors, cold receptors in the skin...

-Yep.

-..start to adjust to being in that cold water.

OK, so that's the first minute.

-OK.

-That's the worst bit of the cold-shock response done.

-OK.

-Yeah?

It feels colder than 12 degrees in here!

So how do you feel now compared to when you first got in?

Breathing's a little bit easier, yeah.

So we're going to pull you out in ten seconds.

-Thank goodness!

-Yeah, well done.

Good effort.

Ooh!

Before I'm allowed to warm up, a quick repeat of the tests.

Squeeze as hard as you can.

-Excellent.

-Come on!

This is frustrating, not feeling like you've got control

of your own fingertips.

I have never been so grateful for a warm shower.

That was a lot colder than I thought it was going to be.

So now you know the difference between 12-degree water

and 12-degree air, and there is a big difference.

Massive difference. So what did the results show, then?

Well, it's quite interesting,

you had quite a large increase in breathing rate.

You had a maximum heart rate of about 120 beats a minute.

So you've already had virtually doubling of heart rate

just by being in the cold water.

So what about the tests, how did I do on those?

The grip-strength test that you took,

you had about 20% decrease from before you went in the cold water to

afterwards. The next test that we did was a nut and bolt test.

It took you 40% longer to do that test compared to the first time.

That just goes to show what effect in such a short time the cold water

-can have on you.

-It's quite interesting to know that you have

this cold-shock response to start with

and then once that minute of cold-shock response has passed,

you're then able to take action to help yourself.

So what action should we take if we find ourselves

in trouble in the sea?

The RNLI's coastal safety manager, Ross MacLeod,

has some life-saving advice.

Unfortunately, around half the people that lose their lives

at the coast every year fall in the water accidentally,

so slips, trips and falls. These people aren't wearing wet suits,

they're not wearing life jackets, so your chance of survival is very

-dependent on what you do in that situation.

-What should they do?

The best advice is to fight your instincts.

So first thing to do,

fight your instinct to swim around and to panic.

The second one is to lean back in the water and that way it starts

to keep your airway clear and it helps you to breathe.

The third one is to open up your body.

If you extend your arms a bit like a starfish,

that way you've got more surface area of your body out on the water

and it'll help you float. The fourth one is just some gentle sculling,

so the actions for your hands and legs.

If that helps you stay afloat, absolutely that's fine.

And the final one is just to keep that position for around 60 to 90

seconds and by that point the initial shock of the cold water

should've passed and then you can make your next move,

whether that's swimming to safety or calling for help.

Lots of people will find themselves in trouble in the water during the

summer months, so if you're going to the seaside or even for a run near

water, practice your floating techniques so that you're prepared,

should you find yourself up to your neck in it.

And the best advice if you spot anyone in trouble is call 999

and ask for the coastguard. And please, be safe this summer.

Some very good advice there.

Now, more than 10 million of us live in rural areas and social isolation

is becoming an increasing problem.

Jules is in the Cotswolds finding out how sheds, of all things,

are being used to help tackle rural loneliness.

Now, like me, and for many other men, my shed is my castle.

It's a place to retreat, to relax, to create, to make do and to mend

and, on occasion, to even invent stuff.

But for one group, well, the humble shed

is far more than just a man cave.

SPANNER CREAKS AND SAW HUMS

The brilliantly named Men in Sheds is an association that brings

retired men together to pursue their interests,

develop new skills and, more importantly, find companionship.

Today I'm visiting Bourton-on-the-Water's shedquarters

to find out more.

-Hello.

-Jules!

-Good to see you.

-How are you?

-Well, there we are, does what it says on the board,

-doesn't it?

-Absolutely.

-"Men in Sheds."

Come and join us in our mini shed.

-Do you mind if I do?

-Oh, it's a hot day and it's nice to have a little

-sit down, isn't it?

-Very hot, very hot. Absolutely.

Now, tell me a bit more about this initiative,

cos I am fascinated by it,

cos I love my shed at home.

And so many people do.

What we're about, we're primarily set up to combat rural loneliness.

Men, you know, in general, we're not very good

at just putting our hands up and saying,

-"You know what, I'm in trouble."

-Yeah.

You know, "Can I have some help?"

And it's lovely to see that you're able to somehow

break down that barrier.

Yeah. Absolutely. And it's the fact that the shed and the activities and

doing blokey stuff, that's really the front.

So ladies are, I know this now after 32 years of marriage,

intrinsically different to blokes.

-They're a lot more able to socialise.

-Yeah.

So they have great success with things like lunch clubs and quizzes

-and knit and natters.

-WI - classic.

-Exactly.

-Yeah.

-The guys, not so much.

So we took that knit and natter concept and we've created

chop and chatter. JULES LAUGHS

-I love it! Making firewood out of the odds and ends.

-Absolutely.

So we've got these lads, shedders, they're all called shedders.

Shedders, yeah, good!

They all come for various reasons.

The shedders meet every Friday.

And in just 18 months this rural group has gathered 32 members.

It's not just about the guys coming between ten and one

on a Friday morning.

-Yeah.

-All of a sudden,

they've opened up a whole network of 31 mates that they can interact with

during the week. So one of our shedders didn't see a human being

for a week at a time.

A year being a shedder,

I now have to ring him up to book an appointment to see him

because there's someone with him every day of the week.

And it has completely changed his life.

Well, I think it's a brilliant idea. I can't wait to get amongst the lads

and just see what they're up to cos it looks like great fun.

Yeah, get stuck in, Jules!

So you're going to be my helpmate for a minute.

There we are, gents, here's another one.

He's rushing us!

-Wow, look at that.

-Pryce, I'm not going to rush you, take your time!

You're doing a fantastic job.

Pryce, an 89-year-old retired farmer,

cared for his wife for 12 years until he lost her three years ago.

It was a strange feeling, I just didn't want to go anywhere,

I didn't want to anything.

When you've been married for 62 years,

you know you've lost something.

-Yeah.

-And...

..it is a great loss.

After her death, he became very isolated,

until Men's Sheds offered him a new lease of life.

I imagine as a farmer, Pryce,

you were very skilled at maintaining things throughout your career.

You must bring those skills to the group?

Well, I hope I do.

-THEY LAUGH

-I wouldn't like to say.

No, there are some very clever men here, believe you me.

And do you think it's managed to fill that gap in your life?

Oh, sure, yes.

Yes, you're right there.

I can show off a bit, perhaps.

-THEY LAUGH

-That's one of these...

-Well, look, come on, keep on showing off.

-Okey doke.

-Go on, then.

-Here goes.

But you don't have to be handy with a drill to come here.

Alex has no desire to chop and saw,

he has the important job of dishing up the tea and the cakes.

I love all your little name badges.

Pryce made that, as you probably know.

-Did Pryce make those?

-Yes.

-Did he?

Every new member has one.

So, for you two, how long have you been involved, then, Alex?

-A year for me.

-A year.

And have you learnt many new skills yourself?

-I don't need to.

-THEY LAUGH

Oh! That's fighting talk, isn't it?

Former social worker Howard

knows that men's mental health often goes unnoticed,

particularly in isolated rural areas.

I think it's under the radar because men don't talk about their feelings,

-even to each other...

-Yeah.

-..let alone in public and they are

reluctant to go to the medical services.

And do you find, then, that people are able to unload their problems

in a very different environment?

There are testimonies on the national website of men who,

if they hadn't found a shed,

would've descended into serious depression and possibly suicide,

so at the top end of crisis it's very important.

This is the only way we can get together.

If it hadn't been thought of, we'd just have faded away.

One member, TJ, was left devastated after losing his father,

his brother's wife and his own wife to cancer all in the same year.

I just decided after the third time of being kicked,

I wasn't going to come up, I wasn't going to get out,

didn't know where I was going.

What actually helped you begin to think,

"I can see that there could be some light at the end of my tunnel?"

It was just the fact that I could come and I could mix with people

and I could listen to their stories and realise that I wasn't alone.

It's been a real big help,

it brought me back from where I thought I was going.

It was a dark room and I couldn't get out of it

and it just helped me.

It gave me the chance to meet different people, learn new skills,

teach people skills which I already had,

and I suddenly felt part of the community,

where we started to make things for people and felt a team-worth effort,

to be able to help everybody else as well as myself.

From 32 sheds in 2013, there are now over 400 across the UK,

benefiting not only the 8,000 shedders,

but also local residents who need a helping hand, like Julie Reid.

I have an injury from the army,

so I need somewhere that I can come home and I can relax.

So having the lads in has enabled you to kind of improve your home, to

-help you cope with your condition?

-Oh, definitely. Definitely.

It's going to be lovely out here when they've finished

doing their work.

Well, as you can see, we've all had a fascinating day here,

learning a little bit more about something that perhaps most of us

take for granted - what does your better half do in the shed

at the end of the garden? Well, now, perhaps you know.

And if you are not yet a shedder, well, at least you know how you can

become one, helping not just yourself,

but also your community.

Well, this lovely little beach is at Steephill Cove,

it's one of the Isle of Wight's hidden gems.

And if you are thinking of heading to the seaside this summer,

but aren't quite sure which beach to choose, well,

here are some of Countryfile's favourites.

As islanders, we're drawn to our coast.

Our beaches are special places.

Sea air and sand, they have a way of working their magic on all of us.

And this one really does cast a spell.

Hunstanton lies on the east of England, in Norfolk.

Big skies, spectacular cliffs and golden sands.

Over on the western edge, Wales's Gower peninsula.

Rolling heathland gives way to limestone cliffs,

carving out Rhossili Bay,

a place where Matt was almost lost for words.

I mean, I'd go as far as saying that this is one of THE finest views

that I've ever seen while travelling around for Countryfile.

At three miles long,

Rhossili was voted one of the top-ten beaches in the world,

and the UK's number-one dog-friendly beach - a real must-see.

From a world-beating beach,

to one that gets the royal seal of approval.

When the Queen passed by here, back in 1953,

on her first official tour of Northern Ireland,

the royal train stopped at Downhill,

so that Her Majesty could have a picnic.

Downhill beach in Northern Ireland is one of the longest in Europe,

stretching for nearly ten miles.

Now to Cumbria's best-kept secret.

Sitting in the shadow of the more popular Lake District

is Sandscale Haws.

It might not have the great lakes and the mammoth mountains

of its neighbour, but the twisting coastal curves

around the peninsula mean there are plenty of these golden beaches,

and it is the sands here at Sandscale Haws that are arguably

the most stunning and special of them all.

Not many venture as far as this westerly edge of Britain,

but do, and you will be rewarded with some truly spectacular scenery.

RUMBLING

Sometimes the consequences of a long, hot summer

are short but dramatic storms.

Abrupt monsoon-like rainfall races down our rivers,

dumping all that extra water into flash floods downstream.

Margherita is in Cornwall,

uncovering a novel idea to combat flooding,

and it involves one busy little animal who likes to build.

Well, no sign of rain here today,

but the picturesque village of Ladock has suffered

from terrible floods,

leaving both residents and their homes devastated.

Five years ago, flash floods wreaked havoc on this Cornish village,

creating a living nightmare for residents like David Warr.

How high was the water coming up into the garden?

We are talking about 2.5 foot.

It held for a while and then eventually it came in

through the skin of the house, into the kitchen floor, and then

gradually got deeper and deeper,

before it started to come into the living room.

And what kind of damage did it do to your house, to your home?

Basically, destroyed everything that was in there, really.

All our cupboards were MDF, like most kitchens are these days.

They were all completely ruined.

And then, obviously, as the water progressed,

it damaged the walls because they became very wet,

buckled all the oak flooring,

you know, which had to all be ripped out, thrown away.

All the furniture was damaged by the damp as well, so,

it was pretty devastating, really.

There was nothing downstairs left intact, really.

As if once wasn't enough,

David and his neighbours suffered seven more floods that year.

With some help from South West Water,

David now has pump stations and valves in place which will hopefully

prevent his house from flooding again.

What has this cost you?

Um, I suppose in total,

it would be coming toward £60,000,

and probably the most stressful thing, other than somebody dying.

Yeah, it is pretty near the top.

And it took a lot to get over it.

Luckily my wife and I are very strong, so we managed to get by.

In terms of time, money and emotion, the cost of flood damage is immense.

But now a pioneering scheme to tackle the problem

is being tried out, and it doesn't cost a penny.

It's one that involves some rather ingenious engineers.

I'm talking about nature's greatest architects - beavers.

For the past six years,

Richard Brazier of Exeter University has been looking into the potential

of using beavers in flood management.

And he is about to put it to the test, here in Ladock.

Now, this project, it sounds a little bit crazy.

Can it really work?

It does sound crazy, but I think the answer is yes.

We know what beavers have done elsewhere and we're going to see

if they can do the same good things here.

So what is the plan for Ladock?

What we are going to do is introduce two adult beavers.

They've been paired and they are going to come into the site

-and start to live here.

-And what are you actually hoping they will do?

How is this going to help Ladock?

Well, this catchment drains about a third of the water that flows

through the village of Ladock. And so what we are expecting to see

is that when the beavers start to build dams,

they slow the flow of that one third of water that comes through the

village, and so that we see the village not flooding any more

because of what the beavers have done up in this catchment.

Richard's team released a pair of beavers into an enclosed area

in Devon six years ago.

The busy pair built 13 dams,

creating 13 ponds that hold over a million litres of water,

proving their huge potential in flood management.

Now he will be releasing beavers into a much larger area to tackle

flooding head-on.

And what is it about the dams that they build that is so special?

Well, they are incredible structures.

They have many hundreds if not thousands of sticks

all intertwined that the beavers coppice.

Once those sticks have been put in place,

they push sediment up behind them, so they become not quite watertight,

a little bit porous, but they hold a lot of water,

and they are doing this because they want to create deep water,

which they feel safe within.

And then the really interesting thing is

that the dams starts to grow.

Because they are made of willow, which really thrives in wet areas,

the dams start to grow and become even stronger

than when they're first built by the beavers.

So the plan is to release the beavers upstream from Ladock,

in a pond that the river runs in and out of.

This trial project has been 3.5 years in the making.

It's a joint venture between the university,

the Wildlife Trust and farmer Chris Jones, who owns the land.

What an exciting moment.

I can't believe today is the day!

-It's incredible.

-And this project is really unique.

It is. It's unique because of the scale of catchment we have got.

But it's also unique, I think,

because, so far, this is the only beaver study anywhere in the world,

we think, where there has been baseline data collected

for a period of years before the beavers themselves

have actually been let out.

And ideally, what results would you love to see?

What I want to see come out of this

is some firm numbers on, for example,

how much water we hold here.

How much we slow the passage of water down,

-because we can never stop it, we can only slow it down.

-So, Chris,

we are just moments away from the new arrivals on your land.

How are you feeling?

I'm feeling like it's been a long 3.5 years!

But a good investment?

A very good investment in time.

The crowds have gathered. It's the moment of truth.

This pair are the first beavers to enter Cornish waters

since they were hunted to extinction in the UK 400 years ago.

Oh, my goodness!

Oh, wow!

It's incredible to see them this close.

They've been swimming around,

coming up between all the camera crews here

that are filming them, all the photographers.

It's almost like they're doing a little thank-you wave to everyone!

Look, here they come back.

All being well, these beavers and their awesome engineering skills

will be a life-saver for rural communities at risk of flooding,

making a new home and protecting a few along the way.

Just maybe these beavers could be our best bet

against those summer storms.

On a nice summer's day, nothing beats a dip in the sea to cool down.

And that's easy if you've got swimming kit,

but not so easy if you are wearing a woolly winter coat.

So how do some of our farm animals manage to survive

in the heat of summer? Here's Adam to explain.

As the temperatures start to warm up,

the sheep on the farm no longer need their winter woolly coats.

They can get undressed for the summer.

We've got 650 sheep that all need shearing over the next few weeks.

Keeping their woolly coats on for too long can cause health problems,

so in the lead-up to shearing, we keep a close eye on them.

We check around all our livestock every day, and at this time of year,

we have to be particularly vigilant with the sheep.

You can see on this ewe here, where the wool is starting

to come away from her neck.

The old fleece is breaking away from the new one and she'll start to get

really itchy.

Let me show you how serious this can be.

So, what happens when they have got a full fleece like this,

they start scratching and they lie down.

And they scratch and scratch and scratch

and then they roll onto their backs.

And because the wool is such a weight, it holds them down

and they get stuck, like that.

And then their stomachs swell up,

put pressure on their lungs and they die.

So she is now cast, she can't get back up.

The heavier the fleece, the bigger the problem.

If you are driving around the countryside or walking on the hills

and you see a sheep stuck on its back, do the farmer a favour

and just roll it back onto its feet,

hold it steady for a little while, while it sort of steadies itself,

and then it will run away. It will save the animal's life.

Come on, then, missus.

This flock won't need shearing for another week or so.

But I'm ready to get started on some of my other sheep.

Time to don the nonslip shearing shoes.

Now, missus...

The skill of shearing

is really about handling the sheep.

So, they don't like being handled.

So you twist the heads and sit them down.

And then you get them into the correct position,

get them comfortable, you can then use your hands to move the shears.

This doesn't hurt the sheep at all,

it's just like having a haircut with clippers at the barber's.

So it's got a comb and a cutter, and it's basically just sliding over the

surface of the sheep's skin, combing in all the fibres of the wool,

and then clipping it off.

It's a bit like having a massage, really, I think.

It takes quite a long time and a lot of practice to become a professional

shearer. And the skill is not only just holding the sheep still,

but trying to get the fleece off all in one piece.

That's really important, because if it comes off as one,

then it can be graded as an individual fleece

and you get more money for it.

There we are. That's her done.

Shorn for this year. Now, it wasn't very long ago

that wool was valueless.

It cost more to pay a shearer to get the wool off the sheep's back

than the fleece was actually worth.

And you pay a shearer about £1.50 and then you've got to pay

the diesel to get it to the Wool Marketing Board.

It was such a shame. Back then, some people were just burning their wool.

Now the price has lifted a bit, which is a good thing.

But there's still the huge variance in the quality

of the different breeds. So if you take a Herdwick here,

they've got very coarse wool that's not worth very much -

about 25p a kilo. And it is quite light.

This is probably only a couple of kilos.

So this fleece is worth about 50p.

So hardly worth shearing.

Whereas this Dartmoor fleece is much better quality.

This is worth about 80p a kilo, and there is a lot more wool here.

Dartmoor wool is quite heavy. This is about...six kilos?

So that's worth about £4.50 to a fiver.

So, really, I can make money out of this, but not out of this.

Our Herdwick wool is where we make the least money,

so I'm keen to see if there is any other way to use it that might turn

a profit. Justin and Hannah Floyd are from the Solidwool company.

What they do is in the name.

They've invented a unique and top-secret way

to solidify wool to make furniture.

-Hi, guys.

-Nice to meet you.

-Thanks very much for bringing this

-out here. This is made from wool?

-Yes.

This is made from 50% Herdwick wool from the Lake District

and the rest is a bioresin, so it's a composite material

made from rough, coarse Lakeland wool.

I didn't imagine it to look like this at all!

It's incredible!

I thought it was going to be all prickly and felt-y.

It's extraordinary to think you've gone from this, to this.

Well, Herdwick wool is very coarse and rough and wiry.

And we found that it makes a great reinforcement.

-I am really impressed. Is it popular?

-Yeah.

It's been incredible. We have had interest from across the world,

from the automotive industry, to the surf industry.

We have sent chairs to San Francisco, to New York,

um, and then Europe and even up to the Lake District.

So it's come full circle.

Well, it's a great story, it's lovely for British wool.

Yeah. It is. If this really takes off,

it has the potential to change the value

of what is the lowest-value wool in the UK at the moment.

-That's just fantastic. Can I have a sit down?

-Yeah, please do.

Sitting on a chair like this and knowing it has come from

-Herdwick wool off the Lakeland Fells is great.

-Yeah, we've taken

the unwanted and turned it into something beautiful.

I can see why she's in marketing.

Exactly!

You are selling it to me.

In fact, we can get a cup of tea and sandwiches and we can have

-a bit of a picnic!

-Yeah.

It's great to see such exciting innovation.

Let's hope it can help play a part

in bringing a new lease of life to the British wool industry.

One of the highlights of summer is the long hours of daylight.

But if you are a bit of a night owl, the short nights aren't so good.

So, to keep track of his nocturnal wildlife,

Paul has had to become a bit of a detective.

Last year, Paul set-up an owl box

in a little area of woodland on his smallholding.

He didn't expect a resident for at least two years,

but during our Spring Diaries,

he couldn't resist taking a sneaky peek.

There is a nest! I can't believe it.

We have an owl in residence.

How exciting!

My kids were thrilled to know they had an owl living here,

but I want to tell them what kind.

Is it a little owl, a barn owl, or a tawny?

So, about a week ago, we set up a camera trap in this tree,

opposite the owl box.

Hopefully the information in there

will give us a clue to who is in THERE.

Owls hunt at night and are notoriously elusive to spot

in the daytime. But wouldn't it be great if we had not just one owl,

but an owl family?

Yes! Time to check out who's living in our box.

Well, sadly, no joy with the video evidence.

We did see a jackdaw and another large bird, but it wasn't an owl.

I'm convinced I saw a tawny owl, and I think it's a tawny owl,

judging by the size of it - it had a large head and a large frame -

fly out of there one early evening, about a month ago.

I need to become a bird sleuth

and forensically search the scene for clues

to prove an owl has been here.

If you search carefully,

there are often signs on the ground beneath the nest.

Oh, I don't know what that is, but we'll save that.

Bits of twigs, pellets or feathers.

And that looks like an owl feather.

That could be quite good news.

And a quick picture for further proof.

Armed with my box of clues, I'm off to our local owl sanctuary,

for an expert opinion.

Matt Stevens is a conservation biologist

who works for the Hawk and Owl Conservancy Trust,

and monitors over 600 owl nest boxes in the area.

If anyone can give us a positive ID, he can.

-Hi, Matt.

-Hi, Paul.

-Thanks for meeting up with me today.

I KNOW I saw an owl, and I'm pretty sure it was a tawny owl in the nest.

I mean, tawny owls nest quite early, so most of the tawny owls

in southern England will have probably just about fledged

-their young by now.

-So it could have been.

-So it could have been, yeah.

-And something else has been

using it since. Have a look in there, because hopefully there might

be a clue as to what was in there.

OK. Yeah, all of these twigs... and this sheep's wool.

-Yeah, is that owl?

-No, no. That's very commonly deposited by jackdaws.

That, that is a stock dove feather.

Ah, that could have been the other bird.

-Yeah.

-So they've all shared this owl box.

Yeah, they will have done it at different times.

But, yeah, they all may well have used it for nesting.

Ah, actually... You HAVE got... There you go.

-There's your tawny owl feather.

-Yes, I knew it!

Do you know, I am so SURE we saw a tawny owl!

And that is the evidence. That's brilliant. That'll please the kids.

-Lots of down.

-Oh, fantastic.

So we DID have the tawny owl.

Did those tawny owls have chicks?

Given the timings of what you said,

it is unlikely that the tawny owl would have been in there just

for roosting. It's more than likely that they had chicks, so, yeah.

Oh, wow, that is good news.

And will they come back,

given that is completely filled with big twig?

Yes. They are very territorial,

so males do like to return to the same nest site.

I have had the same bird return for at least five years in one nest box.

So there is a reasonable chance.

Should I clear some of those twigs out?

There is enough space in there still.

It may be worth having a look at it probably around about late August,

September time. Because by that time, the owls will have long gone.

There shouldn't be much else using the box and you are not interfering

with them returning to try and have a look,

see if the nest box is still suitable later in the year.

I'll clear it out in September and that will give them the best chance

of coming back. That's great, you've made my day.

Our owl box worked.

It did. Great stuff.

While it's great to hear my owl probably had chicks,

sadly I never got a chance to see them.

But Matt, who is specially trained and licensed to handle these birds,

sees dozens in early summer,

when he gives all the chicks in his area a health check.

I'm lending a hand. I'm about to meet my very first little owl.

-So here is the first one.

-Oh, wow!

Look at that.

So we are going to be weighing, measuring and ringing?

It is harmless and doesn't distress the chicks.

He's a bit wriggly, but he is fine.

The ring is designed so that it fits on the leg and moves up and down and

rotates freely, and doesn't have any effect on the foot.

There's a little bit of a swelling in its belly,

so it has eaten reasonably recently.

The measurements we take of its wing are the relaxed length of the wing.

So, there, you can see it's 70.

As well as monitoring the chick's health,

these chicks are helping to gauge the success rate of nest boxes.

I reckon, what, 120?

Not bad. 128.

-Can I hold it?

-Of course, yeah.

They don't have a very strong grip, so you can just rest it

-in your palm, he'll be fine.

-Oh, wow. He is so warm!

So cute!

He's 3.5 weeks old, isn't that just fantastic?

It's not every day you get to hold

a little baby owl, is it?

Aren't you great?

And this summer, the trust are encouraging everyone

to help improve the wellbeing of owls in their neighbourhood.

By leaving areas of rough vegetation at the edges of your garden,

you can encourage insects,

which in turn attract small birds and mammals.

And all of these are important sources of food for owls.

I've got one last mission while I'm here at the sanctuary -

to meet a tawny owl face-to-face.

-Gary, hello.

-Paul, nice to meet you.

It's great to get up close and personal with a tawny.

These feathers are exactly what I saw from my owl box,

and I know I saw a tawny owl fly out, and I know I saw that bird.

I was underneath it, so I didn't see all of the brown shades of the top

of the bird. I just saw the under half as the bird was flying up.

-I was ever so excited.

-Amazing.

-So this would be the bird?

It is. And you are really lucky to see it.

I mean, they are a very successful species in the UK.

The most successful of all the owls,

but seeing one is so difficult cos they are out at night,

they are nocturnal. Classically, you'll hear the twit-twoo,

but actually spotting one, even if it is in the tree you know it's in,

it's so difficult.

I've come all this way to meet a tawny owl and, you know, get up

-close and personal. Can I hold him?

-Yeah. I just need to come around

the other side of you.

He'll treat your glove, your arm, like the branch of a tree.

That's perfect. What he'll do is he'll see that...

Oh, look at that!

Fantastic!

Oh, do you know what, it's been well worth the visit.

I found out about the tawny owl -

the resident I DID have, that got away.

It escaped me. But, wow.

I'm pleased to know I had one and hopefully it will be back.

If you've got a box, there is a good chance, isn't there?

-So, yeah.

-Yeah. Twit-twoo!

OWL SHRIEKS

-There you go.

-He did it!

And that's all we've got time for today,

but here is what's coming up tomorrow.

Paul learns all you need to know

about adopting your own brood of hens.

Yeah!

Take a bow!

-Look at that!

-Roy Taylor discovers how a landscape,

formerly laid waste by coal mining,

has become a wonderful wildlife sanctuary.

So you could imagine this,

this is what 364 football pitches looked like.

And with one of the warmest years on record...

I'll be taking the plunge to see what wonders you could discover

in our seas this summer.

So, make a date with us in your summer diary.

Until then, goodbye.