0:00:34 > 0:00:38Our landscape is undergoing an extraordinary transformation...
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Awakening from its winter slumber.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46As the days get longer and warmer,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48we're all trying to spring back to life.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54A day in spring is a lifetime for some,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and the beginning of life for others,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01and survival is down to one simple thing...
0:01:01 > 0:01:02timing.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Listen to this. This is the sound of spring.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10BIRDSONG
0:01:10 > 0:01:14We've got resident and migrating birds that are returning
0:01:14 > 0:01:18to our shores with the promise of warmer weather.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21But now all they're after is a mate.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25And they're not alone.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Millions of wild creatures are settling down to breed.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Now, we're out here on the Somerset Levels
0:01:34 > 0:01:37in pursuit of one of our largest breeds of birds
0:01:37 > 0:01:40which have disappeared from these wetlands for centuries.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43They're out here somewhere, hopefully breeding.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Now all we have to do is find them.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52As the spring day unfolds,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54we'll witness some of the miracles that emerge,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56from the beauty of blossom
0:01:56 > 0:01:59that will become fruitful later in the year...
0:01:59 > 0:02:04They've got, on this one site, the largest display of fruit trees
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and plants anywhere in the world, which means that in springtime,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10this place is blossom heaven.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13..To midday mayflies taking flight.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18And whole communities coming together to celebrate the season.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23But none of this would be possible without our springtime weather.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Weather depends on where the UK is in relation to the jet stream.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30I'll show you where the jet stream is this spring.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34On a spring day, from dawn to dusk,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36we'll see how the season evolves
0:02:36 > 0:02:39as our countryside is brought back to life.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42BIRDS CHIRP
0:02:48 > 0:02:51It's just getting light, and already,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53I'm being treated to the sound
0:02:53 > 0:02:56that represents the beginning of each spring day.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I'm going to get a front-row seat in what I'm told
0:03:00 > 0:03:03is the Royal Albert Hall of birdsong venues.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I'm at Nagshead, in the Forest of Dean.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08It's just about to get a whole lot louder.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16As the sun rises, first light falls on the spring earth below.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Life begins to stir, and the dawn chorus rises in volume.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Both the ever present and the newly returned,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33like the pied flycatcher, add their voices to this avian orchestra.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40And a man able to pick out them all is the RSPB's Mark Eaton.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So can you tell me what we can hear this morning?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48One of the things I can hear reeling away is wrens.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50That ch-ch-ch noise.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54That's a bluetit.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And you can hear something new just starting up,
0:03:57 > 0:03:58quip-quip quip over there.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- That's a nuthatch.- This sound is unique to this time of year.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04It's a kind of either "Come and get me" or "Leave me alone"?
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Yes, it's the male bird singing "This is my territory, stay out."
0:04:08 > 0:04:12But at the same time, it's saying "Hey, girls, come and get me,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15"I've got a good place to breed. Come here."
0:04:17 > 0:04:21This ever-evolving soundscape can amaze and inspire.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27That's exactly what it did to a musician I'll be meeting later.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30But before I do, he's asked me to record some raw materials
0:04:30 > 0:04:31for him to work with,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34so we've enlisted the help of our sound recordist, Mary.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36- Are you all right, Mary? - I'm all right.- Good.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38So how do we record birdsong?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Well, one of the ways we can do it is with one of these things,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44which is a parabolic reflector.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47The reflector focuses the sound into the centre of the dish,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and then this microphone is pointed at the centre of the dish,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53so that's picking up that sound, so it's actually pointing backwards.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54So if I give you that...
0:04:54 > 0:04:56So hold this, your satellite dish.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00- ..and there's a set of headphones there.- I haven't got enough hands.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- Do you mind holding that? - I have that problem, too.- Oh, wow.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Don't we all hate the sound of our own voices?
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Now I can really hear it.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09OK, we're recording now.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12BIRDSONG
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I can hear my own stomach rumbling.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25I reckon that's got to be enough.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- OK, I'll download that and then you can pass it on.- Wonderful.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36With my recording in the bag, I head off to meet Jason Singh,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38a beatboxer turned vocal sculptor,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42who I'm told can recreate the sound of the dawn chorus
0:05:42 > 0:05:43using his own voice.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- How are you doing, Jason?- Hey, Ellie.- Good to meet you.- You too.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50So I've been listening to the dawn chorus this morning,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and you're into that too. What got you into it?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I've always been interested in birdsong and nature.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I've been inspired by birdsong in terms of their rhythms,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and I've looked at ways of translating that.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03It's a lot different from what I do as a beatboxer,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06which is straightforward... HE BEATBOXES
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- ..sort of beats.- Awesome! - Into more experimental realms.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13HE IMITATES DARTH VADER BREATHING
0:06:15 > 0:06:18HE IMITATES MOUSE SQUEAKING
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Those sort of shapes and patterns, but then also using technology
0:06:21 > 0:06:25to move and pitch shift and manipulate and warp.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26That's incredible.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30- Well, I've got you some dawn chorus there on a memory stick.- Thank you!
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Is there anything I can contribute to this?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- This might be a really embarrassing moment for me.- Can you whistle?
0:06:35 > 0:06:40- Whistle? Yeah.- Perfect! Great. - Let's have a go.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44So, when you're ready?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47ELLIE WHISTLES
0:06:48 > 0:06:53- That's great.- So now I need to leave you to it in the studio?- Yeah.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Cheers. See you in a bit.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Armed with a rather dodgy Harrison bird whistle
0:06:59 > 0:07:03and my dawn chorus recording, Jason gets to work.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06After listening to the real thing...
0:07:08 > 0:07:12..his mission is to make his own version using just his voice.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16HE IMITATES BIRDS CHIRPING
0:07:18 > 0:07:20HE IMITATES BIRD CALL
0:07:22 > 0:07:2720 minutes later, he's ready to unveil his ornithological opus.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28I'm looking forward to this.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33- How did you find your studio? - Yeah, great, really comfy.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38All right, do you want me to play you back what you did?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Yeah, let's hear my bit.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42ELLIE'S BIRD WHISTLE
0:07:42 > 0:07:43- Remember that?- Yeah!
0:07:43 > 0:07:47That's how it was, and then basically what I've done is EQ'ed,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51and cut out certain frequencies. Here we go, here's the sound now.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52HIGHER-PITCHED TWEETING
0:07:52 > 0:07:56- You've birdified me! - Birdified you!- That's amazing.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00And now here's the whole piece, with everything.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03VARIED TYPES OF BIRDSONG
0:08:05 > 0:08:08That's amazing, because it sounds like a piece of music
0:08:08 > 0:08:11rather than just the dawn chorus, there's a lot of rhythm in there.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13How much of that is Mary's recording?
0:08:13 > 0:08:15None of that is Mary's recording.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17- It's all vocal. - None of that is Mary's?- No.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19So you've got your whistle
0:08:19 > 0:08:22and then loads of layers of sounds of listening to Mary's recording
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and mimicking as much as I can of those birds.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29That is incredible. That sounds like the dawn chorus from this morning.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34You are the man of many birdsongs.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38- I don't even need to get up at four now.- Amazing.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- This is it, no more dawn starts. - Great.- I'll just take this with me.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45'But I'm still not sure you can beat the real thing.'
0:09:00 > 0:09:01Here on the farm,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04the sights and sounds of the new season are all around.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It's mid-morning here on the farm,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and Ellie's not the only one being treated to birdsong.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14One bird that we've got a lot of here are the skylarks,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and although they're difficult to see,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19they're very distinctive in their song,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and they're dancing around up there,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23calling to one another.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25So spring is quite literally in the air.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32For me, spring is a time of new beginnings.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34The fields are filled with new life.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36LAMBS BLEAT
0:09:36 > 0:09:40And earth sown with crops is revealing green shoots
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and the promise of a good harvest to come.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47All I need now is perfect weather, a rare thing in this country.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50But knowing what's heading my way
0:09:50 > 0:09:53can help me cope with whatever's in store.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58So I've called in Countryfile weather favourite John Hammond,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01to explain the science behind our spring weather.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Well, it's a bit different to last year, John.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13You can say that again, but that's the beauty of our weather.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16No two years are the same. A bit warmer this time around, isn't it?
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Now, you asked me to get these things together for you. What's the plan?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Today, Adam, we're going to build
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- a stylised version of the UK, all right?- Right.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30We're not getting all the details right,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32admittedly, of the British Isles,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36but we're drawing a broad picture of the shape of the UK.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We haven't put on things like the Shetland Isles,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42the Isles of Scilly, etc. It doesn't matter,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45because what I'm trying to describe to you
0:10:45 > 0:10:47is a general outline of the UK
0:10:47 > 0:10:51and where it sits in relation to the Atlantic Ocean, etc.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Where am I going with this one?
0:10:53 > 0:10:57You're in southern England now, whether you like it or not.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59I'll chuck you another one.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Then I want Cornwall sort of here.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05And last but not least,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07if you put Northern Ireland over here...
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Could you shove the Midlands this way a bit,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12because we haven't got Wales at the moment.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14My mother's Welsh, we can't forget Wales.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16We don't want to upset her, no.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19With our straw bale United Kingdom built,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21it's time to add the finishing touches.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25If I just dribble Scandinavia over here,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28and if you could put Holland and Denmark roughly there.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30That's Holland.
0:11:30 > 0:11:31Denmark.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34If I might say so, it's probably the best weather map
0:11:34 > 0:11:35I've ever stood in front of.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37So what we've got is admittedly
0:11:37 > 0:11:40a rather agricultural version of the British Isles
0:11:40 > 0:11:43in relation to Denmark and Holland and Scandinavia
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and the surrounding seas.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50But our weather depends on where the UK is in relation to the jet stream.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53I'll show you where the jet stream is this spring, OK?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The jet stream is like a conveyor belt of weather.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Along the jet stream, weather systems go,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and it's also a dividing line, if you like.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07It divides cold air to the north from much warmer air to the south.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10So you may have noticed that it's a lot warmer than it was last year,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14and that's because the jet stream is so far north. And basically,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18it's allowed a lot of warm air to come up from the south,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and the cold Arctic air has been kept way to the north,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and that's why it's so lovely. Last winter - very different.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- Let's move the jet stream.- OK.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32The jet stream just stayed way, way far south. It was way down here.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36And that made all the difference.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39That's why we had the coldest spring in living memory.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- You asked me to do some snow. - The snow, yes.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Not only were we on the cold side of the jet stream,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48but what made matters worse is that it kept on snowing.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50It snowed well on into the spring
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and white stuff is reflective,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56so all the sun's radiation - the sun gets stronger in the spring -
0:12:56 > 0:12:59most of it was reflected straight back into space
0:12:59 > 0:13:02for month after month after month.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06So last spring - completely different compared to this spring.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08A transformation in the countryside.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11So this jet stream has a huge impact on our weather,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- but how easy is it to predict? - Well, in the short term,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17we've come on leaps and bounds with our forecasting skills.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19But when you look beyond that, it gets a lot more tricky.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22But what we can say is that, long term,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24there is a definite warming going on.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26So the growing season, of course,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28which has so much an impact on the farming community,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31when you and I were little in the early '70s,
0:13:31 > 0:13:36the growing season was 20 or 30 days shorter than it is now.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39So the growing season is significantly longer
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- than it used to be. - It's fascinating,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and I think I understand all that.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Well done. Hard work, and I'm certainly getting quite warm.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- I need to cool off.- Have you got a duck pond anywhere?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Where's this going? Yes, due west.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Well, Adam, welcome to the Atlantic duck pond.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06We're going to do a little experiment,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08and you, my friend, have drawn the short straw
0:14:08 > 0:14:10because while I'm sitting on the coast here
0:14:10 > 0:14:13with my feet dangling in the sea with Wellington boots on,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16you, I notice, have taken your shoes and socks off
0:14:16 > 0:14:18because I want you to feel
0:14:18 > 0:14:21just how cold that sea is at this time of year. Take a dip.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- So this is supposed to be the UK, and this is the sea?- That's right.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27This is the UK. We're surrounded by the oceans.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29- Let's just see how...- Ahh!
0:14:29 > 0:14:31..cold it is.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34That is really chilly!
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Good, I'm glad you said that, because it demonstrates really well
0:14:37 > 0:14:39just how cold the sea is at this time of year.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Water takes a long time to warm up and a long time to cool down.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48So late winter and spring, the sea around the UK is at its coldest,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50around seven or eight degrees.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52So for holidaymakers wanting to take a dip
0:14:52 > 0:14:54going to the coast in the spring,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56they have a bit of a shock to the system, just as you have.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59When you get a sea breeze developing on a spring afternoon,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01the temperature can drop by seven
0:15:01 > 0:15:03or eight degrees in a matter of minutes.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07So it has a fundamental effect on the weather in the UK in springtime.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Well, it's fascinating and I'm learning a lot here,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- but my feet are freezing. Let's go and get a cup of tea.- OK.- Go.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Perhaps because of winter's extreme weather,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31spring seems especially welcome this year.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35No more so than here, on the low-lying Somerset Levels.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39This landscape is still in recovery,
0:15:39 > 0:15:44but the changing season brings hope to everything in the natural world.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46This spring, it's hoped
0:15:46 > 0:15:49that new life will help boost the slow recovery
0:15:49 > 0:15:53of a mighty bird that has been lost from these wetlands for centuries,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55the common crane.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00The common, or now not so common crane
0:16:00 > 0:16:04was wiped out as a breeding bird in the south-west corner of Britain
0:16:04 > 0:16:06around 400 years ago as a result of hunting
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and then widespread drainage of the wetlands.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11But now, to secure the future of the species,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13for the past five years,
0:16:13 > 0:16:1895 baby cranes have been hand-reared from eggs sourced from the wild.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21The work is undertaken here, at a purpose-built crane school
0:16:21 > 0:16:25at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Now, we've put in quite a bit of preparation for meeting the cranes.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31I haven't been near my chickens for a whole week,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34and all of the camera equipment has been scrubbed and cleaned.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36So I think we're ready.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39Well, not quite.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Next, we have to put on these disinfected shoes.
0:16:44 > 0:16:45Then, there's the outfits.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50All of this may look a bit odd and extreme,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53but I'm told it's vital to protect the cranes,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and it's not just me that's dressed like this.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58There we are, lads.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00There we go.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Nigel Jarrett is the lead
0:17:04 > 0:17:06feathery-fingered expert on the project.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09With a history of saving species from the brink of extinction,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12he is one of the surrogate parents to the crane chicks.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19- (I think this might be Nigel, but I can't tell. Is it Nigel?)- Yes.
0:17:19 > 0:17:20- (How are you?)- I'm good.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23We don't need to be wearing hoods, by the way.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25(OK, hoods down, lads.)
0:17:25 > 0:17:28(And the reason we are keeping our voices down as well?)
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Yes, it's because we've got baby cranes behind us.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33That's the reason we're disguising our bodies
0:17:33 > 0:17:37with this sort of sackcloth costume, it's not to look like cranes,
0:17:37 > 0:17:38but to disguise our body shape
0:17:38 > 0:17:43so that the babies that we have grow up thinking they're cranes and...
0:17:43 > 0:17:45well, not people, anyway. That's the important thing.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47In the crane school behind us,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50where we'll feed the birds in a second,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54we teach cranes from day-old chicks until they're ten weeks old,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57how to avoid predators like foxes, what to eat, what not to eat,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00basically how to become cranes that can survive
0:18:00 > 0:18:01in the British countryside.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- And right now, we've got some eggs that are about to hatch.- Really?
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- How close are they? - Just around the corner.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11- Do we need hoods up for this? - Not at this point.
0:18:11 > 0:18:17Upon graduation, these cranes will be free to explore the wild.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21But even before they hatch, they've been on quite a journey.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It started 800 miles away in Brandenburg, Germany,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27as the thriving population of cranes there
0:18:27 > 0:18:29started to nest in early spring.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Eggs were carefully selected under a special licence,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35without depleting their numbers.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37After sign-off by a local vet,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40the eggs were transported back to the UK
0:18:40 > 0:18:41on an 18-hour, non-stop road trip,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45and into the crane school incubator at Slimbridge.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Just days later, here they are.
0:18:48 > 0:18:5215 and 17 and 20 are moving.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- Did you see that?- Massive, that was.- Fantastic.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58That's like a baby kicking inside its mummy's tummy.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00That egg is about a week from hatching.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02What is fantastic for me to see is that it's the first time
0:19:02 > 0:19:05we've seen that there's still life in that egg
0:19:05 > 0:19:06after having just been driven
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- 800 miles from Germany two nights ago.- Wow, look at it!
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Amazing. That makes the hairs on my neck stand on end every time.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17There's a while to go in this incubator,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19but two have actually started to hatch,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and we've got those in this incubator just over here.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- Even from this lot here?- Yeah.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26What I'm about to do is play a brood call,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30the sound that Mum and Dad make to babies that are hatching,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and that encourages the chick to come out of the shell.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37If I just press it, you'll hear the growing sound.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39- You can hear the baby calling.- Yeah.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41BROOD CALL RECORDING PLAYS
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- Is that the little beak there? - That's the beak just coming through.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50And on the end of that beak is something called an egg tooth,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53a little calcified sort of thing
0:19:53 > 0:19:57that is used to break through the shell.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- Wow.- That then drops off as soon as the baby's hatched.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04But the feeling you must get from doing this, and, you know,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- giving them a chance... - Like any expectant parent,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10that exhilaration, that sort of pride you feel
0:20:10 > 0:20:13isn't really there, you're just worried all the time.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16These are the most precious things that we've got.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18We literally have all our eggs in one basket, so to speak.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21The important thing is that these babies
0:20:21 > 0:20:23come out fit, well and healthy,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26ready to receive food and plenty of exercise,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30which is what we're about to do for those that have already been hatched.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Once the birds are a few days old,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34it's time to introduce them to their lessons -
0:20:34 > 0:20:37learning to walk, run, feed and forage.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42It's all part of the process leading up to their graduation and release.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Finally, I get to pop my hood up.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- WHISPERS:- Oh, my goodness me!
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Now that is just adorable!
0:20:51 > 0:20:55The ones that we're about to walk are between three and ten days old.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- I think we're going to walk some five-day-olds.- I see.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01These babies grow by almost a centimetre a day.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05They need the exercise for those legs to grow long and straight.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08'Time for me to be Daddy Crane.'
0:21:08 > 0:21:12- WHISPERS:- Oh, gosh, look! He's grabbed the whole stone!
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Let's have a little wander. Come on.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20'The chicks are encouraged to exercise by being rewarded with food
0:21:20 > 0:21:23'fed to them by dummy crane heads.'
0:21:24 > 0:21:28- WHISPERS:- Well, I've taken some animals for a walk in my time,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30never a baby crane.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32This is wonderful.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42dark waters begin to stir.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51The Tweed is one of Britain's great rivers.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54For centuries, man has fished these waters
0:21:54 > 0:21:56for salmon and trout.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01It's a place where fly fishing takes on almost artistic form.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03See the fish jump out that time?
0:22:07 > 0:22:10The spring awakening attracts fishermen like Kenny Galt,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13keen to take advantage of a spring miracle,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16where tiny creatures emerge from the depths.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22So I'm out fishing today to take advantage of the March Brown Hatch.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25The March Brown is a mayfly that we have in many Scottish rivers.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26And it's the time of year
0:22:26 > 0:22:28when it changes from the juvenile form to the adult,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and when it does that, it comes to the surface of the water,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33changes into the adult and flies off. When that happens,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36quite often trout will come up and feed on them.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39And as such, you can imitate the adult March Brown
0:22:39 > 0:22:40and catch lots of trout.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Timing is everything for the mayfly hatch.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47The temperature has to be just right.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49The light has to be perfect.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54Only then will the March Browns rise and take flight.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It's just approaching one o'clock, and the March Brown hatches
0:22:58 > 0:23:02generally occur around lunchtime, generally starting about one o'clock.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Just how long the hatch will last varies from day to day,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09but for the most part you can set your watch by the timing.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Mayflies are one of the most primitive life forms on the planet.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Underwater, the March Browns live amongst the rocks
0:23:18 > 0:23:22for up to a year, avoiding predators with stealth and camouflage.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Their feather-light gills extract oxygen from the fast-flowing water.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36The mayfly, as adults, only live for a few days,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38maybe a week or so at most.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Their sole purpose as the adult is to reproduce,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42so they don't even have mouths for feeding.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45They just emerge out the water, reproduce,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47go back to lay their eggs, then die.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51The art of the angler is to wait for the perfect moment.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Until at last, the hatch begins.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06The river becomes a frenzy of activity
0:24:06 > 0:24:08above and below the water.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12You can see the gulls are flocking down,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15swooping down and taking the March Browns off the surface of the water.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19The hatch is carefully choreographed.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Millions of March Browns will emerge during early spring,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27ensuring that enough insects survive the waiting predators.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30On the river banks, the newly emerged adults
0:24:30 > 0:24:32dry off in the spring sunshine.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Mottled wings feel the air for the first time,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39the three nymph tails now down to just two.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42The trout also start to feed on the plentiful supplies
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and finally, Kenny is rewarded for his patience.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Got it.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56What we do now is, we just wet our hands
0:24:56 > 0:24:58and quickly get the hook out the fish's mouth.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01We wet our hands so as not to burn the flesh of the fish.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05The hook's barbless, so it just slips out.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And I'll just... Before putting him back, just for our records,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10we'll record the length of the fish.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16This trout is, to the fork of the tail, 31.5cm.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Not bad, yeah. It's still quite slim, this one,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20it's not started feeding after the winter.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Most anglers release their trout nowadays
0:25:23 > 0:25:25so they can go on and reproduce. It's good to see a trout like that
0:25:25 > 0:25:29cos it really is an indicator of a clean, healthy river full of food.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31The Tweed has lots of trout like that in it.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Just cradle the fish at first, to make sure it's OK.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37And then once it's ready, once it's breathing strong,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39off it goes.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Just as quickly as it started, the hatching stops.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46The remaining nymphs will have to wait until another day.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49A mini miracle, missed by most,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53but for the lucky few, one of spring's defining moments.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02The first golden rays of morning begin to unfurl
0:26:02 > 0:26:05the pink and white petals of apple blossom.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10Soon, they'll be creating boughs of nature's glorious confetti.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14It's a magical moment that signals spring is here -
0:26:14 > 0:26:17the season of rejuvenation, renewal and regrowth.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20And here at the National Fruit Collection
0:26:20 > 0:26:24at Brogdale in Kent, they've got on this one site
0:26:24 > 0:26:27the largest display of fruit trees and plants
0:26:27 > 0:26:31anywhere in the world, which means that in springtime,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33this place is blossom heaven.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Known as the Queen of Apples for her encyclopaedic knowledge,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Dr Joan Morgan is Britain's leading fruit historian.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48People wanting to know more about their fruit trees
0:26:48 > 0:26:51bring her apples and pears to identify,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and today she's taking me on a blossom walk
0:26:53 > 0:26:58through some of the nearly 4,000 fruit varieties here at Brogdale.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01The Queen of Apples, Joan, that's quite a title, isn't it?
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I'm not sure about that! But I'm very fond of apples.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06You must be! And this year has been
0:27:06 > 0:27:09a fantastic year for blossom, hasn't it?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Yes, yes, it's wonderful. It's looking beautiful now.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Yes. These are all ornamental,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16not the ones that produce edible apples
0:27:16 > 0:27:19but the ones that produce apples you can make crab-apple jelly from.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- They certainly produce wonderful flowers!- Yes, yeah.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Joan has already chronicled in precise detail
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Britain's great range of apples,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and produced the definitive reference book.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Now she's almost completed a definitive work on pears.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47So far, it's taken more than 15 years.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Why has it taken so long to compile this book on pears?
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Ah, well, there's so many hurdles in the way, you know.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01With pears, not every variety fruits well every year.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Sometimes you might just miss the moment
0:28:04 > 0:28:07when you should have collected the fruit.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09- So a long-time labour of love, then?- Yes, yes.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I noticed that in your apple book,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14you chose to have botanical illustrations
0:28:14 > 0:28:17rather than photographs. Why's that?
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Well, first of all, they're very beautiful.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22I mean, this produces a really lovely plate.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26And it's also possible to show
0:28:26 > 0:28:29different stages in the apple's development,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33you can have it here as it is on the tree when it's picked,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35and then as it is when it's perfectly ripe.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I know you're going to be doing the same thing with the pear book,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41- cos I'm about to go and meet the illustrator!- Yes, yes.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44And perhaps you would be kind enough to take with you
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- a sprig of blossom so that she can paint.- What have we got here?
0:28:47 > 0:28:52This is Onward, and if I cut this just there, a little spring...
0:28:52 > 0:28:54- Thank you.- There we are. - I'll take this carefully
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- and give it to Elisabeth. - Thank you very much.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02This sprig will join many other specimens
0:29:02 > 0:29:05that have already been received by Elisabeth Dowle,
0:29:05 > 0:29:07a leading botanical illustrator.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14- Hello, Elisabeth.- Hello.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16- Busy sketching there?- Yes.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18- What is it?- This is a Williams pear.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20I thought it looked familiar!
0:29:20 > 0:29:24And here's another one. This is an Onward from Joan for you to sketch.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26- Yes. It does look a bit limp. - It does, doesn't it?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29But I've got a solution in the house if you'd like to come with me.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Right. Onward, then!
0:29:35 > 0:29:38At her studio in East Sussex,
0:29:38 > 0:29:40blossom samples are stored in the fridge
0:29:40 > 0:29:43to prolong the fleeting moment
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Elisabeth has to record their ephemeral beauty.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- So this is your studio.- It is, yes.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54And obviously a degree of urgency when the raw material first arrives.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Yes, it does put you under a bit of pressure.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58But as soon as Joan gives me the material,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02I make careful colour notes of all parts of the plant,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05and measurements, and any other characteristics
0:30:05 > 0:30:07that need to be noted.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10The painstaking work of painting the process
0:30:10 > 0:30:12as blossom matures into fruit
0:30:12 > 0:30:16means a single plate can take more than two years to complete.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19- Is this a finished plate? - This is a finished plate, yes.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23This would show the fruit as you pick it,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26and that's the eating stage, when it's ripe.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29You've been painting pears now for 15 years or more.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- Do you get sick of them?- Not at all.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Like a lot of people, I just thought all pears were yellow,
0:30:34 > 0:30:38when I started, but the diversity in colour and shape
0:30:38 > 0:30:40is quite amazing.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Which goes for the blossom as well, to some extent.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46But, er, no, it's been quite an education.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50And also I get to eat them at the end, which is nice.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54The passing seasons in a humble pear orchard
0:30:54 > 0:30:56so vividly depicted by Elisabeth
0:30:56 > 0:30:59have now been captured forever in these beautiful pages.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05Every year, blossom reminds us that winter is over, spring is here,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08and summer is just around the corner.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Blossom time brings colour back into our natural world,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15and it's just a fleeting moment in the great scale of things -
0:31:15 > 0:31:18all too quickly, it's gone.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31The majestic beauty of spring
0:31:31 > 0:31:34has inspired some of our best-loved classical music composers.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39And now the countryside at this time of year is having
0:31:39 > 0:31:43deep impact on an altogether different type of musician.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45The rock star/gentleman farmer.
0:31:45 > 0:31:46MUSIC: "Song 2" by Blur
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Good afternoon.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52As the bass player of Britpop band Blur,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Alex James pursued a fast, urban lifestyle.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57But then in 2003,
0:31:57 > 0:32:00he called time on all of that.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01# Oh, yeah. #
0:32:01 > 0:32:04He gave up his bachelor pad in Covent Garden
0:32:04 > 0:32:08for this idyllic 200-acre farm in rural Oxfordshire.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11I remember the day that I got the keys to the farm.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14It was utterly silent except for the trill of birdsong.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18I'm sitting just above the Evenlode, which is a tributary of the Thames.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22So this flows down through Oxford and eventually gets to London,
0:32:22 > 0:32:26and I love the idea of sort of sitting upstream of my past.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30Faced with all this open space and silence,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32my musical taste sort of went upstream.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36I remember putting the William Tell Overture on one Monday morning
0:32:36 > 0:32:38and I was in tears by the end.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41It completely blew me away what an accomplished,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44enormous piece of music it is.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46There's something about the countryside
0:32:46 > 0:32:50which just invites expansive, lyrical melodies.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54You can put on a piece of classical music and it looks...
0:32:54 > 0:32:56and look out the window and it looks like
0:32:56 > 0:32:59a massive-budget music video.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08The kids have called this wood the Star Wars wood.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12Never found an Ewok in there, but I wouldn't be surprised, actually.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16Today, it's a creature closer to home that's on Alex's mind.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Over recent years, the call of the common cuckoo has been heard here -
0:33:20 > 0:33:22the first harbinger of spring.
0:33:22 > 0:33:23CUCKOO CALLS
0:33:25 > 0:33:28I suppose the cuckoo is the most famous bird call of all.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31I remember the first time I heard one, it was a complete surprise.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33It was a wonderful thing.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38The cuckoo's call is actually, it's a descending minor third,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41it's a really important interval in music.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50The oldest surviving piece of music
0:33:50 > 0:33:53which demonstrates sophisticated harmony
0:33:53 > 0:33:56is a song about spring - Summer Is Icumen In.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02This time of year, I do find myself
0:34:02 > 0:34:04wandering around whistling it.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06And the constant refrain throughout it is,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08# Sing cuckoo nu
0:34:08 > 0:34:10# Sing cuckoo
0:34:10 > 0:34:12# Sing cuckoo nu
0:34:12 > 0:34:14# Sing cuckoo. #
0:34:14 > 0:34:16It's... It's brilliant.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29With spring, comes the impetus to start new work,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32and with a new-found love of classical music,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Alex is beginning the process of creating his own classical work
0:34:35 > 0:34:38with neighbour and composer William Lovelady.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46THEY PLAY GUITAR
0:34:55 > 0:34:58If there's a difference between pop music and classical music,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02pop music is a lot bolder lines, you know.
0:35:02 > 0:35:07It's very simple, it's like big crayons. Everything is essential.
0:35:07 > 0:35:13I think...classical music has more sort of layering
0:35:13 > 0:35:15in terms of, er, orchestration.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Pop music is very much about keeping things as simple as you can.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Maybe if you've got a 90-piece symphony orchestra
0:35:33 > 0:35:36at your fingertips, there's room for a bit more sophistication.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56There's a really fantastic sense of celebration and jubilation
0:35:56 > 0:36:00about the music of spring. Never fails to knock me over.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07I don't know what that is that we just played...
0:36:07 > 0:36:11- Just play an instrument! - ..or why we need it,
0:36:11 > 0:36:13- but it sure felt good.- Mmm.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Springtime.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23CHEEPING
0:36:23 > 0:36:25And the miracle of birth.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32For the past five years, the Great Crane Project
0:36:32 > 0:36:35has hand-reared 95 baby cranes
0:36:35 > 0:36:37to help restore the future of the species
0:36:37 > 0:36:39in the south-west of Britain.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45Earlier, I met Nigel Jarrett, one of the surrogate fathers to the chicks,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48who, at Crane School, introduces them to their lessons -
0:36:48 > 0:36:53learning to walk, run, feed and forage.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56Well done, Matt. You're a natural Crane Daddy.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- WHISPERS:- I'm not sure if I've ever looked so silly
0:36:58 > 0:37:01and felt so good at the same time before!
0:37:04 > 0:37:07After graduating at between 10 and 14 weeks old,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10the cranes are released onto the Somerset Levels.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Damon Bridge from the RSPB closely monitors them
0:37:14 > 0:37:17as they learn to adapt to the rigours of life in the wild.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- Now then, Damon.- Hello.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Are we getting some positive beeps on that radio tracker?
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Yeah, we're picking up all last year's released birds,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28programmed into here and they've got radio tags.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30What age are those that are down there?
0:37:30 > 0:37:32The big group are all last year's young,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36and then mixed in with them are some of the previous year's cohort,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- and the year before.- Well, as I've been experiencing,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42a lot of effort goes into making sure they're not too used to humans.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44How close would we be able to get?
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Well, about 300 metres, probably.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49But we can go down one of the tracks and see if we can get nearer
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- to record some more information. - Great. I'll get your bits.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Thanks! Great.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00But of course, as wild birds, they're prone to flying off...
0:38:00 > 0:38:02just as you're getting close.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05They've got to be out here somewhere.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Hang on a minute, what's over there?
0:38:07 > 0:38:09Oh, that's a heron.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12You're just looking at necks!
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Oh, hang on.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15- There we go.- There they are.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Got them, got them.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19- They're up and flying as well. - How did they get over there?
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Now, that is a beautiful sight.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24It's amazing, isn't it?
0:38:24 > 0:38:27They've got such a wingspan - it's about eight feet across.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30The spring's obviously a very exciting time for the cranes,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32that's when they form their pairs.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35By the ring combinations you can pick up which bird's which,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38you can tell that certain birds are always together.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39Is that where this comes in?
0:38:39 > 0:38:44- Yeah, it is. So we've got...- It's a bit like a dating agency form.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48It is, yeah. These are all the birds released in the different years.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51These are two that have often been together -
0:38:51 > 0:38:54- Swampy here and a bird over here, Mennis.- Right.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58When you see the group land, the pairs will always take themselves off
0:38:58 > 0:39:00and they'll be just kind of walking around...
0:39:00 > 0:39:04- Is that them calling? - See, there are some still down here.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08And that was a classic duet call, it's called,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11with one bird doing the lower note and the other the higher.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13How many pairs have you definitely got, then,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15and what is the goal?
0:39:15 > 0:39:18There's about seven pairs that we know of
0:39:18 > 0:39:20spread around the South-West.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25The goal is to get 20 breeding pairs by 2025.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Hopefully, this spring the first wild cranes
0:39:27 > 0:39:30will hatch and flourish in the South-West,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33something not seen for around 400 years.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37However, it's not set to happen here on the Somerset Levels.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43'I'm heading 80 miles north, back to the bird sanctuary at Slimbridge.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45'Two cranes, Chris and Monty,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48'were raised and released from here last year onto the Somerset Levels,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51'but have somehow found their way back to breed.'
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Nigel, you couldn't write this story, could you?
0:39:54 > 0:39:55You really can't, no.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00It's four years ago that we actually hatched this pair
0:40:00 > 0:40:03about 300 metres away from here where we have our "crane school"
0:40:03 > 0:40:05where we hatch cranes every year and release them
0:40:05 > 0:40:07and this pair, Chris and Monty, have come back
0:40:07 > 0:40:10and make a nest of their own and are incubating eggs at the moment.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11That's after driving them,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14what, an hour and a half away from here and how are they here?
0:40:14 > 0:40:16What's your theory for them coming back?
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Well, I think what's happened is, they've gone up in the air
0:40:19 > 0:40:21in Somerset and they've seen the Severn Estuary
0:40:21 > 0:40:23and just followed the river north.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25When they fly over "crane school", you can
0:40:25 > 0:40:28actually see them clock you clocking them.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Their head will tilt and they'll go down.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Cranes are one of those birds that actually make eye contact
0:40:33 > 0:40:36and look at you, so I think they do know where they came from,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39but they definitely are unafraid and register
0:40:39 > 0:40:42that that was where they were raised too.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45What's happening at the moment and what kind of stage are they at?
0:40:45 > 0:40:49One of the birds is just sitting on the eggs now, keeping them warm,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53keeping them safe from predators. The male also helps her.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55They do take it in turns to sit on the eggs.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58It was really interesting hearing your anticipation earlier on
0:40:58 > 0:41:00when you said you paced the corridors
0:41:00 > 0:41:01when the eggs are about to hatch
0:41:01 > 0:41:04- cos you're that kind of surrogate father.- Yeah.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Here you are with two of your surrogate offspring.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Life marches on, doesn't it?
0:41:09 > 0:41:12And, yeah, we're going to become surrogate grandparents, I suppose.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Of course, it's not just me, there's a lot of us working on this
0:41:15 > 0:41:18and so we're quite a big, happy family at the moment, just with
0:41:18 > 0:41:22everything crossed that those babies and those eggs are going to hatch.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28It's hoped, this spring, these chicks will hatch in the wild,
0:41:28 > 0:41:32not reared by humans in costumes or fed by artificial heads.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Cranes Chris and Monty will be doing it all on their own.
0:41:42 > 0:41:43Whilst the joy of new life
0:41:43 > 0:41:46is one of spring's most welcome spectacles,
0:41:46 > 0:41:50there's another staple of the season that's seen and felt by us all...
0:41:52 > 0:41:53THUNDER RUMBLES
0:41:53 > 0:41:55..April showers.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Despite their name, they happen all through the spring
0:42:00 > 0:42:02and weatherman John Hammond
0:42:02 > 0:42:04is taking me on a trip to Tiverton in search of some.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08I've brought you somewhere where we use state-of-the-art,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11high technology, literally, to forecast the weather.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Grab hold of that. Let me show you where we're off to.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18'John's brought me to one of the Met Office's radar stations,
0:42:18 > 0:42:21'part of a network that tracks cloud
0:42:21 > 0:42:24'and rainfall as it passes across the country.'
0:42:24 > 0:42:25This is just one, Adam.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28There are several of these around the UK,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31so there's a whole network of them, they're all joined up,
0:42:31 > 0:42:35so that, at any one time, we forecasters can instantaneously see
0:42:35 > 0:42:37where the rainfall is across the UK.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40So, when I go to a market and I see an amazing looking bull,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43you know, I love that, and this thing rocks your boat, doesn't it?
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Sorry, not interested - this is what gets me excited. Let's go upstairs.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- I've got something else to show you, got some experiments to do.- OK.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Here we are, Adam. Have a look at this little beauty, have a gander.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59- What do you think?- Amazing. I can see why you get so excited about it.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02- I really do.- Now, is this one of your little experiments here?
0:43:02 > 0:43:04Yeah, we've gone from bales of straw to plastic bottles.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07A bit like Blue Peter, isn't it? ADAM LAUGHS
0:43:07 > 0:43:11I want to demonstrate, and hopefully generate, a cloud, OK?
0:43:11 > 0:43:16So, let's, first of all, fill the bottle a little bit with some water,
0:43:16 > 0:43:21some smoke, because in the atmosphere naturally you get dust.
0:43:21 > 0:43:27Now we need to pressurise that bottle. Right, that's...
0:43:27 > 0:43:31How are we doing? That'll do, that'll do. OK, fine.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34What we're going to do now is suddenly decompress
0:43:34 > 0:43:35that chamber and hopefully...
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Wow! Look at that! How about that?
0:43:40 > 0:43:43- Incredible!- We've produced... It is quite impressive, isn't it?
0:43:43 > 0:43:46We have produced our own cloud.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51'We get more of these showery clouds at this time of year
0:43:51 > 0:43:54'as the spring sun begins to heat up the ground,
0:43:54 > 0:43:55causing warm air to rise.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58'As this warm air meets the cool atmosphere above,
0:43:58 > 0:44:02'it turns from gas into liquid with rain droplets forming
0:44:02 > 0:44:06'around microscopic dust particles that fall on us as showers.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08'But, of course, what we all want to know
0:44:08 > 0:44:12'is when and where they're going to happen, so it's time
0:44:12 > 0:44:15'to put the technology to the test with one final experiment -
0:44:15 > 0:44:17'April shower chasing.'
0:44:17 > 0:44:19It's April showers we're after.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22And it's April showers we've got on the screen there, Adam.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24In fact, there's a whole lot of them.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27The blue echoes indicate relatively light showers,
0:44:27 > 0:44:30but the yellow and the oranges are a pretty intense echo,
0:44:30 > 0:44:32ie, some very heavy showers, some storms.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34In fact if we look down in the Devon area,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37I can see some showers moving their way in from the south-west
0:44:37 > 0:44:40and then not a million miles away, so I reckon if you jump
0:44:40 > 0:44:41in your car, there's a good chance
0:44:41 > 0:44:43we might encounter some of those showers.
0:44:43 > 0:44:48- I think it's about time we see you getting wet.- Lovely. See you later.
0:44:48 > 0:44:49Good luck.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57Let's go and find some rain.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06OK, well, I hope this does come off, because it's the last chance saloon.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09I've sent Adam to into South Molton to coincide with this shower
0:45:09 > 0:45:11which is moving up from the south-west,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14but, as you can see, it is the last shower for a long time
0:45:14 > 0:45:16because the wind is coming up from the south-west
0:45:16 > 0:45:20and there are no showers at all - after this shower has gone through,
0:45:20 > 0:45:22it's going to be completely dry.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25So, fingers crossed, Adam gets to South Molton in time,
0:45:25 > 0:45:28he gets thoroughly wet and the experiment would have worked.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31As I race towards the rainbow,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34it looks like I might be cutting it fine.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38There's cars coming the other way with their headlights on,
0:45:38 > 0:45:41so it may be that there's a heavy shower head of us.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44We may have just missed it.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47'The only thing to do is to follow that cloud.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50'Back at base, I can see that South Molton is soon going to be
0:45:50 > 0:45:52'shower central.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55'Time to check in on Adam's progress.'
0:45:55 > 0:45:57PHONE RINGS
0:45:57 > 0:45:58- Hello.- 'How are you doing?'
0:45:58 > 0:46:01All right, yeah, we've got black clouds all around us
0:46:01 > 0:46:04but we haven't hit a shower ourselves yet.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06I think we may be just behind it.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09OK, how far away are you from South Molton now?
0:46:09 > 0:46:13- We've passed South Molton.- Oh.
0:46:13 > 0:46:18Were going to turn off, I think, and go towards the north more.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20- OK, good luck.- Bye.- Cheers.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24He's gone through South Molton, surprise surprise,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27he says the shower was behind him. I told him to go to South Molton,
0:46:27 > 0:46:29but he's sailing off towards Barnstable.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32It's hardly surprising the shower is behind him.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36I don't know, some people just don't take instruction.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39'I reckon I'm getting pretty close to that shower.'
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Well, the road's a bit wet here
0:46:41 > 0:46:45and these Exmoor ponies are stood in puddles.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Have you seen any rain lately?
0:46:48 > 0:46:51'Before I can work out my next move,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54'weather-hound Hammond is back on my case.'
0:46:54 > 0:46:55I've looked at the radar
0:46:55 > 0:46:58and the showers are literally disintegrating before my eyes.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00'You need to get a move on.
0:47:00 > 0:47:01'OK. We'll jump back in the car.'
0:47:05 > 0:47:07I've had to put my windscreen wipers on.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09We're getting a little bit of drizzle.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13I think we've got behind the shower and I can see dark clouds ahead,
0:47:13 > 0:47:14so I'm now chasing it.
0:47:16 > 0:47:21'20 minutes later and the question is, was this just a dry run?'
0:47:23 > 0:47:25So, Adam, talk me through it.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29- Your car looks remarkably dry, I have to say.- I got so close.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32I could see the showers and dark clouds all around us,
0:47:32 > 0:47:35we had a little bit of drizzle, but it wasn't a downpour.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36It just gives you an idea,
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Adam, of how difficult it is to predict showers and where they're
0:47:39 > 0:47:42going to go, because they're not just moving along like that in time.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45They're forming and they're disappearing and forming again
0:47:45 > 0:47:48all the while - it's a real nebulous thing, forecasting showers.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51I mean, really tricky, then, just to track one down at all.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Yes, although, if you'd actually stayed where I told you to be,
0:47:54 > 0:47:56you'd probably have had better luck.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58You weathermen, you're just full of excuses.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00You farmers are always complaining.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03- Come on. I'll give you a lift home. - OK.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Spring - traditionally a time for communities to come together
0:48:26 > 0:48:28and celebrate the changing season,
0:48:28 > 0:48:33with many a city, town or village having its own custom or ritual.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38The oldest one of all is said to be here in Padstow,
0:48:38 > 0:48:40down on the Cornish coast.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45On May Day, the narrow streets are ablaze with colour,
0:48:45 > 0:48:49decorated with boughs of fresh spring greenery through which
0:48:49 > 0:48:54dancing black stallions, known as "obby oss", will parade.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57And right now, I'm waiting for the old oss to frolic
0:48:57 > 0:49:01out of its stable, otherwise known as the pub.
0:49:01 > 0:49:02CHEERING
0:49:06 > 0:49:09Now, at large, the two prancing obby oss
0:49:09 > 0:49:11will be carried by passionate locals,
0:49:11 > 0:49:15who dance, sing and drink their way through these old streets.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18It is bizarrely emotional.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21There's something about the collective singing
0:49:21 > 0:49:25and the collective dancing that actually makes you a bit choked.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27'So what's it all about?
0:49:27 > 0:49:30'If anyone knows the origins of this festival, it's Doc Rowe,
0:49:30 > 0:49:33'who has spent a lifetime collecting material
0:49:33 > 0:49:35'relating to British folklore.'
0:49:35 > 0:49:39So, Doc, is this about fertility or the bringing in of summer or
0:49:39 > 0:49:42warding off French sailors from the 14th century, what's it all about?
0:49:42 > 0:49:45Everyone wants these things to go back to pagan times,
0:49:45 > 0:49:47you know, that's what we desperately want,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50but it's Padstow celebrating themselves.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54It's like a pacemaker, you know, so it's the heart of the community
0:49:54 > 0:49:58and on May Day they charge it up again for the rest of the year.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01So where did the two different osses come from, the old oss,
0:50:01 > 0:50:04the red one and then the blue ribbon one, that was later?
0:50:04 > 0:50:06It's said that the turn of the last century,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09some of the people in Padstow thought they were getting
0:50:09 > 0:50:13rather inebriated on the day, so they brought in the blue ribbon
0:50:13 > 0:50:17which was the sign of temperance, so it was actually a temperance oss.
0:50:17 > 0:50:18They were sober.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20And, again, the story goes, that within a year or so,
0:50:20 > 0:50:23they were as intemperate as the others.
0:50:23 > 0:50:24MAN SHOUTS
0:50:24 > 0:50:26CROWD RESPONDS
0:50:26 > 0:50:28'The origins of this festival may have been
0:50:28 > 0:50:29'lost in the mists of time,
0:50:29 > 0:50:33'but its customs live on, woven into the fabric of the community
0:50:33 > 0:50:36'by principal families reprising the same roles
0:50:36 > 0:50:38'they've had for generations.'
0:50:38 > 0:50:41'Old Mack, he's 84 now and his dancing days are over
0:50:41 > 0:50:44'and he's handing the club over to his little grandson Willie.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47'Now, believe you me, little Willie is a grand dancer.'
0:50:49 > 0:50:53'More than 60 years ago, the talk of the town was Willie McOwen,
0:50:53 > 0:50:56'the artful teaser and terror of the oss.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59'A generation later, Willie's all grown up
0:50:59 > 0:51:02'and no longer teases the swirling beast,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05'but his son Jamie has taken on the family mantle.'
0:51:05 > 0:51:08What was that first experience like doing it?
0:51:08 > 0:51:09Well, it's tremendous, isn't it?
0:51:09 > 0:51:12When you come out with the club, you're in charge of that horse.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15We've been brought up with it since we was little kiddies
0:51:15 > 0:51:17cos your mam's brought you down here and you heard the drums
0:51:17 > 0:51:21and once you hear them drums, it's in your head the rest of your life.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23And that's when you've either got it then or you ain't.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25And, Jamie, why tease the oss, what's that all about?
0:51:25 > 0:51:28It's for the horse to follow, otherwise, if you just comes out,
0:51:28 > 0:51:31he's just dancing blind. Like my dad said, you're brought up with it
0:51:31 > 0:51:34from such a young age, you think of all your families going back
0:51:34 > 0:51:37and you always hope you can do 'em proud and do it well.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40And this is purely for people from Padstow, isn't it? You can't join
0:51:40 > 0:51:43what you guys are doing if you're a girl from Gloucestershire, can you?
0:51:43 > 0:51:45- Unless you married into a family. - Oh, really?- Yeah.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47So the only way I could get in on this is
0:51:47 > 0:51:50- if I was to marry someone from Padstow, is that right?- Yeah.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53- Pretty much.- Pretty much.- Well, that can be arranged.- Can it?- Yeah.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55- I may get lucky today. - You might be, I think.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58'On their winding route through Padstow,
0:51:58 > 0:52:02'both osses visit the nearby stately home of Prideaux Place -
0:52:02 > 0:52:05'traditionally, the old oss stays outside,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08'but the blue ribbon oss is welcomed inside.'
0:52:08 > 0:52:10Well, I haven't managed to track down the groom,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13but I have been given a special invitation
0:52:13 > 0:52:16from the lord of the manor, Peter Prideaux-Brune, who has allowed me
0:52:16 > 0:52:21special access to see what goes on in Padstow behind closed doors.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26So, Peter, I understand it's a bit of a coup, then,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29I'm allowed in here today when I'm not from Cornwall.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32Well, it is, but I love Countryfile, so you're very welcome.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34Well, that's very kind of you.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38So when the blue ribbon oss come in, they will all be local people,
0:52:38 > 0:52:40- will they?- Oh, yes, absolutely.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43You have to be a sixth generation Padstow.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46There are occasionally the odd fistfights about who gets in
0:52:46 > 0:52:48- and who doesn't. - Do you have any allegiances?
0:52:48 > 0:52:51The blue ribbon oss team get to come in here
0:52:51 > 0:52:53whereas the old oss are outside.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57I've no allegiance at all. I'm not allowed to.
0:52:57 > 0:53:02- In fact, we had the red oss up here this morning.- Yes.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05- And I wore my red tie. - So the ties are appropriate.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08And then, when they go, I have to change quickly
0:53:08 > 0:53:09and put my blue tie on.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12So it's just tradition, then, that the blue ribbon oss come inside?
0:53:12 > 0:53:14Yes, I don't know why, I've always said to the red oss
0:53:14 > 0:53:16that they can come in, they're very welcome,
0:53:16 > 0:53:18but they say, "No, we like to dance outside
0:53:18 > 0:53:21"and the blue oss dances inside, traditionally."
0:53:21 > 0:53:26And do you know? It still sends a prickle down the back of my neck.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28TRADITIONAL SINGING
0:53:32 > 0:53:36It's amazing, it's gone from an empty space to an instant party
0:53:36 > 0:53:38and they love to party.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41'I'm being caught up in the party atmosphere -
0:53:41 > 0:53:44'it looks like the unexpected has happened.'
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- Do you want a go with the club?- Me? Really? Can I?
0:53:46 > 0:53:48'I'd been invited to tease the oss.'
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Come on then.
0:53:50 > 0:53:51I'm allowed to have a go!
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Am I allowed a go?
0:54:02 > 0:54:03Sorry.
0:54:07 > 0:54:08This is amazing.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Thank you so much.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19I can't believe I got to have a go. What a privilege. What a privilege.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22I thought I wasn't allowed. I'm certainly not from Padstow.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Oh-h!
0:54:28 > 0:54:30With this crisp night drawing in,
0:54:30 > 0:54:33it's time to bid farewell to the osses
0:54:33 > 0:54:36and our glorious spring until next year.