0:00:30 > 0:00:32Golden and endless...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37..rolling on to the blue horizon,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40shining strips between land and sea.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Our beaches are special places.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48The sea air and sand,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51they have a way of working their magic on all of us.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54But they're not always this peaceful.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01This winter, our beaches and shorelines have taken a beating.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Howling winds and frenzied seas
0:01:05 > 0:01:08have torn chunks out of our beloved coastline.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10And nowhere more so than here...
0:01:13 > 0:01:17..Norfolk, hit by the biggest storm surge in 60 years.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21There was carnage all the way up and down this coast.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26Houses flooded, buildings destroyed, and the wildlife suffered, too.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Important wetlands were wrecked and, worse,
0:01:33 > 0:01:38hundreds of baby grey seals were washed away from their mothers.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44But this isn't a tale of doom and gloom.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48I'm here to find out how the beaches, their characters
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and the wildlife are bouncing back.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56While I'm here,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I'll be looking back at some of the best bits of Countryfile
0:01:59 > 0:02:03to have featured our beaches and coastline.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Like Matt, almost lost for words on Wales's stunning Gower Peninsula.
0:02:09 > 0:02:10This is one of the finest views
0:02:10 > 0:02:13that I've ever seen whilst travelling around for Countryfile.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Adam, enjoying a day off from the farm, in Dorset.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21All this and I'm not even getting wet. It's great!
0:02:24 > 0:02:28And early bird Julia, glimpsing a treat over Norfolk's beaches.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Lovely shapes in the sky.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32It's a perfect sky for them, actually, isn't it?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34It was almost worth getting up early for, David.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Well, I'm pleased for that.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56It seemed these days would never come -
0:02:56 > 0:02:59calm days with just the sea, sky
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and an hour or two on a lonely beach.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07And the beaches of the Norfolk coast are about as good as they get.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I'm covering the stretch from King's Lynn up to Hunstanton,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17a piece of Norfolk that took the full force
0:03:17 > 0:03:19of a once in 60 year event.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24December 5th, 2013,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28the biggest storm surge since the great floods of 1953 -
0:03:28 > 0:03:33a perfect storm, where high tides, high winds and low pressure
0:03:33 > 0:03:35combined to devastating effect.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42Not least for the wildlife. In particular, these grey seal pups.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Stranded on the region's beaches,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46they were rescued and brought in here...
0:03:48 > 0:03:52..to the RSPCA's wildlife centre near King's Lynn.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54When the storm broke,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57centre manager Alison Charles was left holding the babies.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02So, December 5th was a bad night. What happened to these pups, then?
0:04:02 > 0:04:06We ended up with 58 coming in in three days, so it was incredible.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09We've never had that many in the building in one go. Very busy.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12It was quite a sizeable building, but how did you cope with that many?
0:04:12 > 0:04:13I really don't know how we coped!
0:04:13 > 0:04:16When you look back you think, "What on earth were we doing?"
0:04:16 > 0:04:18We emptied out all the rooms that had drains in,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21and with tiled floors, so we could keep them nice and clean,
0:04:21 > 0:04:22and we just put seals in there.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25And feeding through the night like newborn babies almost?
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Almost like newborn babies, yes, we fed them until 12 o'clock.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31As you can imagine, it takes so long to feed that number
0:04:31 > 0:04:34that it is about 2:30 by the time the staff were getting out,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36then we started again at eight in the morning.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39But we got through it, and as you can see, the seals look really good now.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40They do, they look absolutely amazing.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So, if it wasn't for the fact that they were brought in here,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45would this lot have survived?
0:04:45 > 0:04:47They came in under at under three weeks old,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50really tiny, emaciated little pups
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- that really needed their mum and they'd gone.- Wow.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Because these pups have been fed by hand for so long,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59they need to learn how to feed themselves
0:04:59 > 0:05:02before they can be released back into the wild.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05That's where this comes in.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08But before I find out how it's used,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11let's look back on one of the UK's beautiful beaches,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14where, as Matt found out, there's a bit of a messy problem.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I'm at the western edge of Gower, where the rolling heathland
0:05:23 > 0:05:28gives way to limestone cliffs carving out Rhossili Bay.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32And this is the highest point on Gower,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34with the North Devon coast over to my right
0:05:34 > 0:05:36and Pembrokeshire to my left.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39I'm sure you'll agree, as far as sea views go,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41they do not come much better than this.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I mean, I'd go as far as saying that this is one of the finest views
0:05:44 > 0:05:48that I've ever seen whilst travelling around for Countryfile.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52But it's Rhossili's crowning glory that I'm here to see today -
0:05:52 > 0:05:57a three mile stretch of white sand voted the best beach in Britain.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00And you can forget the sun-kissed bays of the Mediterranean,
0:06:00 > 0:06:06as this place outranked Greece and Sardinia in a recent survey.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10But the beauty of the beach is being marred by an ugly problem,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and that is why we're here.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15You never find a pair of them. It's always one!
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Claire Hannington is the National Trust ranger whose
0:06:18 > 0:06:22job it is to keep Britain's best beach in tiptop condition
0:06:22 > 0:06:25with a band of merry volunteers, a roll of bin bags,
0:06:25 > 0:06:26and a lot of hard graft.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30It is quite a random mix of stuff. I mean, what's that?
0:06:30 > 0:06:32It seems to be from the top of a tool box.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It does look like a tool box, doesn't it? A shelf from a tool box.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Is it people just leaving stuff here or is it washed in as well?
0:06:38 > 0:06:39It's washed in as well.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42We've got the second highest tidal range in the world down here,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44because of the Severn Estuary,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47so a lot of it is seaborne in the winter months,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50a lot washed in on heavy storm tides.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53But during the summer, people come down with a barbecue,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55they want to beach it, and they just leave it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59It's disposable barbecues and wrappings and things like that.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02To be fair, Claire, there's no bins here.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03There are no bins.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05We actually want to encourage people
0:07:05 > 0:07:09to take their litter home with them, so we don't provide a bin.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11If we did provide a bin we'd have to empty it regularly.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14And, of course, keeping this beach so pristine
0:07:14 > 0:07:16is an army of volunteers.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17It's amazing, isn't it, just to see them
0:07:17 > 0:07:20all spread across the beach, helping us out litter picking?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23We rely heavily on volunteers.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26There's only two of us on the ground employed,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28so volunteers do a lot of work for us.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32And this isn't just a local problem, it's a national one.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Thousands of volunteers like this lot
0:07:34 > 0:07:38work tirelessly all around the UK to keep our beaches clean.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Those people that are watching this
0:07:40 > 0:07:42that may have been here and dropped a bit of litter here,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45you have now got children who are picking up your litter,
0:07:45 > 0:07:46so, come on, make an effort!
0:07:46 > 0:07:51- Don't you think? Don't you think? - Yeah.- It's disgraceful, isn't it?
0:07:51 > 0:07:54You tell them! Go on, Tristan, say it's disgraceful.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- Take your litter home. - There you go, you heard it here.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Right, come on, let's crack on, cos we're nearly there now.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Once the volunteers have done their bit,
0:08:01 > 0:08:06the Marine Conservation Society monitor every piece of litter.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10And a bit of paper.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14'Lauren Eyles is a beach watch officer.'
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Right, Lauren, I have another load for you to have a little look at.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- So...- Ugh.- Any surprises in here?
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And let's have a look at what the main culprits would be.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26So...
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Oh! Tool box, yeah.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- Oh, a few bags. - Lots and lots of plastic.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37I guess that plastic is your main problem, isn't it?
0:08:37 > 0:08:38Yeah, definitely.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41'Plastics account for 60% of the rubbish monitored.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45'Bad news for turtles - they mistake bags for jellyfish.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49'They eat them, their stomachs get clogged, and they die.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51'There are little signs of the situation improving.'
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Where do we go from here?
0:08:53 > 0:08:57The data that's collected, I can't stress enough how important it is.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Things like plastic bags, which again pose a massive threat
0:09:00 > 0:09:02in the marine environment -
0:09:02 > 0:09:04animals like turtles will eat them -
0:09:04 > 0:09:07that will inform things like the plastic bag levies
0:09:07 > 0:09:08that have been introduced
0:09:08 > 0:09:12and that data has really helped to push those through
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and to inform those, so we need the information to show us
0:09:15 > 0:09:17what the problems are so we can change it.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Matt there, doing his bit to keep our beaches tidy.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Back here at the RSPCA's field centre at East Winch,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38it's feeding time.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44For these seals, that means only one thing - lovely oily mackerel...
0:09:44 > 0:09:49..and milk crates. Why milk crates, Alison? What are these for?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52This is to make life a bit more exciting while they're in here.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54They've got quite a long rehab
0:09:54 > 0:09:56and we just want to liven it up a little bit,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59so they have to forage for their fish once we've put them in here.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- The fish go in here, then?- They do. We're going to slot them into there.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- Some mackerel weaving? - Yes. We like to be ingenious.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09This is environmental enrichment on the cheap.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12But it does the job. And can you guarantee that they all get one,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- or is that not really a problem? - That's part of the deal.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18We only do this every now and again so they compete,
0:10:18 > 0:10:19they have to forage for it,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and, yes, then they'll have their normal feed later.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25This one here's trying to steal one early.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- There is nothing wrong with a bit of opportunism!- Absolutely!
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Good, inquisitive nature.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32And it's all about competition when we drop this in,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36so that's exactly what we want. We want them to compete.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41- Lovely.- Now, we've got to try and slot it into the pool.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44So, we'll take it to the edge and we take our trusty swan hook
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and go back into the middle.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53That's it. Don't fall in. And there we go.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- Have some of that. - The launch of the fish crate!
0:10:59 > 0:11:03And now it rolls over and over and they get to go and chase the fish.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05I can't wait to watch the frenzy.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11So we really need to back off now and let them get on with foraging,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- and we just quietly leave. - All right.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17While these guys have fun with the fish crates,
0:11:17 > 0:11:18let's remind ourselves what happened
0:11:18 > 0:11:23when John went in search of sunken bounty off the Welsh coast.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30The sea is a constant presence on the Llyn Peninsula.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33It helps create the climate and dominates the way of life here.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Although they may not look it today,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39these waters can be some of the most treacherous on our coastline.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42To discover more,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I've arranged a date with a bit of a stunner, by the name of Vilma.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49And there she is. She looks beautiful.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52I can't wait to get on board.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02Conditions don't get more perfect than on a day like this.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I'm joining Scott Metcalfe and his crew
0:12:04 > 0:12:08to get a real sense of what it's like to sail this coast.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Well, you don't see boats like this everyday, Scott, do you?
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- You don't. - You must be very proud of her.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19'Navigating this hazardous peninsula is no mean feat,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22'especially if you've got a boat like this.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25'Scott's showing me a chart of the worst currents.'
0:12:25 > 0:12:29You can see here that the tides run up to 3.5 knots.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Is that a very strong tide?
0:12:31 > 0:12:34It is a particularly strong tide there and in Bardsey Sound,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36there's even more, there's up to six knots.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38There's not many lights on this coast.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41There's the Bardsey Lighthouse and then the next major light
0:12:41 > 0:12:44is on the North of Anglesey, so that's a long way away.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's virtually an unlit coast.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Well, to show you just how perilous it can be,
0:12:49 > 0:12:50in the past 180 years
0:12:50 > 0:12:55no less the 142 ships have been wrecked around the peninsula
0:12:55 > 0:12:58and one in particular has become something of a legend.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00It came to grief just over there.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07To learn more, I'm heading for dry land
0:13:07 > 0:13:11and I've got my own personal escorts to take me back to shore.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's 110 years since the Stuart,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17a cargo ship a lot larger than this vessel,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20set sail from Liverpool heading for New Zealand.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22But it didn't get very far.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Local historian Tony Jones has studied the story.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Well, Tony, tell me exactly what happened.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36Well, it was Easter Sunday and the early hours of the morning,
0:13:36 > 0:13:41and there was thick fog and pretty calm, like today actually.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43And she got lost, did she?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46She got completely lost because of the dense fog.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47So, where did she come ashore?
0:13:47 > 0:13:50She came ashore just the other side of that big rock there.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52She sailed right up the rocks
0:13:52 > 0:13:56and came crashing onto the rocks with a thundering roar, I'd imagine.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59And what happened to the crew? Were they injured or what?
0:13:59 > 0:14:00They were very fortunate.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03They got into the lifeboat and came ashore to the little bay over there.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06The plan of action was to come back at dawn
0:14:06 > 0:14:08and get back on board and sail it away.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11But when they did actually come back in the morning,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13they could see straightaway she'd broken her keel.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17She'd more or less broken in half by then, so it was a lost cause.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- No way they were going to New Zealand!- No way!
0:14:20 > 0:14:21So, what about the cargo?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24There was a large consignment of whisky in there
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and, being a Sunday,
0:14:26 > 0:14:31no-one was in a hurry to let the customs know about the wreck.
0:14:31 > 0:14:37And by the time Mr Mason Cumberland, the chief customs officer,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41arrived from Caernarfon, there was literally hundreds of people here.
0:14:41 > 0:14:47Some said they were like a swarm of locusts all over the wreck.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49A lot of the stuff had gone.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51All the good stuff anyway!
0:14:51 > 0:14:53And did they have to hide it or anything?
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Yes, they used to hide them in rabbit holes.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57The thing is, they used to get so drunk
0:14:57 > 0:14:59they couldn't remember where they were.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03And they were still finding the odd bottle here only 30 years ago.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- Down a rabbit hole? - Down rabbit holes, yes.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09They carried on even underneath the customs' eyes.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11One way of getting the whisky up the path
0:15:11 > 0:15:14was women used to have bottles of whisky in their bloomers.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18And there's one account of a customs man stopping one woman
0:15:18 > 0:15:20and she had her hands in her pockets.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22And he said, "Put your hands up," to frisk her,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24and as soon as she went like that
0:15:24 > 0:15:27her bloomers fell down with two bottles of whisky in them.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31And was anybody ever arrested for all of this?
0:15:31 > 0:15:34There's no account of anybody at all being arrested,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37which I find quite strange, but I think they didn't.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Who could they arrest? They'd have to arrest the whole peninsula.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43And interrupt a great party.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46The party went on for months, apparently.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49They said it was the best Easter egg that this village ever had.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Now all that's left, apart from folklore,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57are a few battered remains of the wreck -
0:15:57 > 0:16:01a warning to modern day sailors to respect this stretch of coast.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18This is Snettisham, a major wild bird reserve
0:16:18 > 0:16:22just a few miles up the coast from the seals I was feeding earlier.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23Its mudflats and shoreline
0:16:23 > 0:16:27make it internationally important for migrating birds
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and just back from the beach
0:16:29 > 0:16:32are some of the UK's most valuable wetlands.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Just look at it.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44This debris was left after the storm surge in December.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47The site was inundated by the sea.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51RSPB warden Jim Scott was left mopping up.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53There's a lot of tidying up to do, isn't there?
0:16:53 > 0:16:57- There certainly is, isn't there? It's quite a mess.- Yeah, what a mess.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00So, how high did the water come during the storm?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02About head height, where we are now,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05which is a good 12 feet above normal levels.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07- Wow. - Quite an amazing scene, really.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- That's quite hard to picture, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- Are we just plonking this down here? - Yeah, that's great.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14- Is this actually reusable? - Some of it is.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Someone it will be recycled, some of it will have to go out.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19There you go.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The force of the storm broke concrete paths,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24breached high shingle banks
0:17:24 > 0:17:29and splintered walkways and bird hides like matchsticks.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Where many would see only destruction,
0:17:32 > 0:17:38Jim saw a unique opportunity, so he drafted in the diggers.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40What the guys are doing is repairing the various banks
0:17:40 > 0:17:44and we're taking the opportunity to re-form and build up the islands
0:17:44 > 0:17:45and make some new islands
0:17:45 > 0:17:47to compensate for those that have been lost.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50And did you place them differently to where they were before then?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Yes, I've put brand-new islands in different places.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55So, in fact although on the face of it it seems like a disaster,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58in actual fact, it's brought quite a lot of benefit?
0:17:58 > 0:18:01When you first look, you see all this smashed infrastructure,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03you think, "Oh, my gosh, it's a disaster."
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Erm, and certainly from that point of view it is a bit...
0:18:06 > 0:18:07But from an ecological point of view
0:18:07 > 0:18:10it's not been quite as damaging here as you might first suppose.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13There's no fresh water on the site, this is all brackish water.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15The tide, breaking through,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18has almost certainly refreshed the water in the lagoons
0:18:18 > 0:18:20and has created all these bare areas of shingle
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and they're very useful for all the wading birds.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26They don't like sitting in tall vegetation
0:18:26 > 0:18:28and also the breeding birds, as well, avocets and gulls
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and terns that we have nesting here, which will be coming in next month.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34They love these bare shingle islands to nest on as well.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36- Perfect for them.- Great.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44In a moment, I'll be doing my bit.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47First, here's glimpse back to Snettisham in its full glory,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51when Julia came one winter to witness one of the greatest
0:18:51 > 0:18:53spectacles in the bird world.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00This area attracts an array of migrants all year round
0:19:00 > 0:19:03but I'm on the trail of one particular winter spectacle
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and I'm told, "An early bird catches the worm."
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Hence the dark start.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14I'm on a hunt for pink-footed geese.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18We'll be following them throughout the day, as they come off the
0:19:18 > 0:19:22estuary to feed on the fields and then return to their roosts at dusk.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Helping us in our quest is Autumnwatch cameraman
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Richard Taylor-Jones.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Long before dawn, he set out to film the huge flocks,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36as they left their night-time roosts on the estuary.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Wow! That's lovely.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43They're all beginning to get up and go now in small squadrons of,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46maybe, three or four hundred.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48These geese would have spent a good, sort of,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51ten hours probably out on the estuary,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53getting cold and hungry.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55So, it's not surprising that the moment there's
0:19:55 > 0:20:00a glimpse of light, they want to be up in the air
0:20:00 > 0:20:02and off to feed.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05And I'm hot on their trail too.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08My job is to find out which fields they'll be feeding on today.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12The key to my mission is local farmer
0:20:12 > 0:20:14and wildlife enthusiast David Lyles.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Morning, David.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21- Good morning, Julia. Alarm went off on time, did it?- Dear me.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- Why are we here so early?- Well, there are no mountains in Norfolk...
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- I know that.- We have got the odd molehill.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28This is one of the best places
0:20:28 > 0:20:30to watch the geese coming off the marsh.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Hopefully, they'll fly through this valley
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and the wind is strong enough to keep them fairly low this morning.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37- How confident are you? - Fingers crossed.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39And why are they heading in this direction?
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Well, they are looking for food.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Their primary food at this time of year is sugar beet.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46And there are plenty of sugar beet fields in the area.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48There are plenty of sugar beet.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52About 70% of the sugar beet in the UK is grown in this
0:20:52 > 0:20:56- fertile region.- So geese have a sweet tooth?- They certainly do.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Back in September, they arrive and they have this uncanny
0:20:59 > 0:21:03knack of working out when the sugar beet factory is going to open.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07- They've set their clocks. - Yes, they set their clocks.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10The goose clock is for sugar. Look in the distance there.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- You can just see them coming over the top of the trees.- Oh, yes.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Thousands of them.
0:21:20 > 0:21:21Oh, what a lovely sight.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- These are big gaggles coming through now.- They certainly are.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33They have built up to probably the maximum point now.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Lovely shapes in the sky.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40It's a perfect sky for them, actually, isn't it?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Almost worth getting up early for, David.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43Well, I'm pleased for that.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52With the sun up and the last few geese flying by,
0:21:52 > 0:21:57it's time to think about where they are heading.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Right, where are we?
0:21:59 > 0:22:01This is where we are.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- It's called Beacon Hill.- Mm-hm. - This is my farm.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08And these are some of the fields that I looked at in the last
0:22:08 > 0:22:13couple of days where sugar beet harvesting has taken place
0:22:13 > 0:22:15and there's a chance we might catch up with
0:22:15 > 0:22:17some of the geese we saw this morning.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26The first field on our list had thousands of geese
0:22:26 > 0:22:28grazing on it last week.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I have a feeling that they have finished working there.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The farmer could have even cleared the field or started to plough it.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- But it's worth just having a look. - Just double-checking.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Just worth a look to see whether there was any little bit...
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- Just hopeful.- Yes, just hopeful. - Not a sausage.- No good.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I think we had better press on to the next estate.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It's not long before we have a bit more luck.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- This is about as close as I think we're going to get.- Right.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10They are skittish, aren't they?
0:23:10 > 0:23:14- If you look over there, you will see them just getting up.- Yes.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16The flock have lookouts,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20which warn the feeding geese of any dangers.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23It doesn't look as if this lot are quite settled yet.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26But at least I am edging little bit nearer.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31But I still haven't managed to get a close-up view.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36Wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones has been helping out.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Hi, Richard.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41I've been talking all day about wanting to see a pink-foot.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Well, do you know what? They have been this close.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- It has just been incredible. - They're a nice busy bird.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- They are very industrious, aren't they?- Yes.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54Working their way over the field. Looking for their breakfast.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57We have got maybe four or five similar-looking geese in Britain
0:23:57 > 0:24:00but the pink-foots, they are so easy to tell
0:24:00 > 0:24:03because they have got just these wonderful big pink feet.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- You can't go wrong. - The identifying mark.- Absolutely.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16It has certainly taken a bit of running around but I am happy
0:24:16 > 0:24:18because I have finally seen a goose with pink feet.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Well, that was Snettisham a year before the storm.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Work is now well under way to get it back to its best.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43These drivers are apprentices, here as part of their training course.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47On-the-job experience like this is invaluable.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48I am here to do my bit, too,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51under the watchful eye of instructor Peter Guymer.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- I match your fancy dress here. - Yes, very good. Very nice.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56- It suits you.- Thank you.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59So this is the classroom, then, for some of your boys?
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Yes, most of the lads are on a 12-week course
0:25:01 > 0:25:04so this is the final end of the course, really.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10No 12-week course for me, though. Straight into action.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Lovely.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16- There is an awful lot of levers and buttons and God knows what.- OK.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21- Where do I begin?- So, in to your leg. We will fold the bucket up.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- How do I do that? - Just to your leg.- The scoop.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27And this one, just bring them what we call the dipper in.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Push it away. Dipper out.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- That is already eight to try and master at the same time.- Yes.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35That's coordination. You'll be OK.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I was never good at computer games, you know.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40What could possibly go wrong?
0:25:47 > 0:25:48Here we go.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Pull the right lever back.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Right lever back, right lever back.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58I will update my CV. This is a result.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04Yeah!
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Brilliant.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Not sure any bird is going to want to nest on this now. Sorry.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20LAUGHTER
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Love it.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Whilst I carry on reshaping the habitat here,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32let's look back at the time James took himself to Cumbria
0:26:32 > 0:26:34to visit one of its most secret beaches.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Sitting in the shadow of the more popular Lake District,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45not many venture as far as this westerly edge of Britain's coast.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51But to do so is to be rewarded with some truly breathtaking scenery.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01It might not have the great lakes and the mammoth mountains
0:27:01 > 0:27:04of its neighbour, but the twisting coastal curves
0:27:04 > 0:27:09around the peninsula mean that there are plenty of these golden beaches.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11And it is the sands here at Sandscale Haws
0:27:11 > 0:27:15that are arguably the most stunning and special of them all.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20This nature reserve is watched over by the Lake District's
0:27:20 > 0:27:24imposing presence across a narrow spit of sea.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Desert-like dunes rise out of the dramatic landscape.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31It's these dunes and what grows in them that I'm here to see.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36The currents in this bay mean that new sand is constantly being
0:27:36 > 0:27:38deposited on the shoreline.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41This is creating new land and gives us
0:27:41 > 0:27:45the rare opportunity to see geology moving in fast forward and to chart
0:27:45 > 0:27:49the rise of a dune system through the plants that live there.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- What are we looking at here, Neil?- Right.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Well, this area that we are crouching on now,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59this is just four years old and it is the very start
0:27:59 > 0:28:01of a sand dune system.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05So this tiny little plant down here, this is prickly saltwort.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08So this is one of the first plants that you will get out on bare sand.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10It doesn't really mind the tide coming over it.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12What they call a pioneer species?
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- The first thing to colonise bare areas of land?- Absolutely.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16OK, so that is the very first stage.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19And then we're getting to these dune-building grasses.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21This is the sand couch grass
0:28:21 > 0:28:23and if there are any gardeners out there,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25they would be very familiar with couch.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27It is a notorious weed.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30And in the background here, we have got sea lyme grass.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- You could really see that. - Which is a much bigger plant
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and this is when you really start to see how sand dunes can grow.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38- Yes, that is a real hummock. - Yes. So this is a barrier now.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41So when the wind is blowing from the West,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43the sand is going to build up over here
0:28:43 > 0:28:44and these grasses are so specialised
0:28:44 > 0:28:46that that is actually going
0:28:46 > 0:28:48to stimulate the grass to grow even more.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Now, the sand couch and the sea lyme grass,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54they can both grow through about 20 to 25cm of sand per year.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57But the real star species is the marram grass,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00which can go through up to a metre of sand per year.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03So dunes can grow very, very quickly.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Playing detective in these dunes
0:29:05 > 0:29:07is a dream day out for a botanist like me.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12What I'm even more excited to see are some rare species that are
0:29:12 > 0:29:16thriving deep in the established dune systems.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18OK, so down here we have got grass of Parnassus,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22which is one of the more showy plants of the dune system.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Very, very nice white flower.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- Beautiful and, ironically, not a grass.- And not a grass at all, no.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32And down here we have got something that's even more special.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36This is round-leaved wintergreen, which is quite a rare plant.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39It is nationally scarce in the UK.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41And this particular subspecies
0:29:41 > 0:29:44of round-leaved wintergreen is only found in coastal areas like this.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Where we're standing now, back in the 1980s,
0:29:47 > 0:29:49the high tide would have been getting up to here.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52That's over 100 feet of new land in just 30 years.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Back here in Norfolk too, the beaches are changing.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10But often violently.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16Last December saw the biggest storm surge in more than half a century.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Hunstanton's famous red and white cliffs were hit hard.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24When the storm abated, this is what was left.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28These huge chalk boulders, just strewn about the beach.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31A bit like children's toys.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34And for one man, 20 years' work went up the spout.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38Because under all of that is something of a Hunstanton landmark.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40This.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45These bands of red and white are pebbles and rocks.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48They were placed here quite deliberately
0:30:48 > 0:30:50by one dedicated man but now...
0:30:50 > 0:30:52all gone.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55But guess what? He has started again.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01I will be finding out what is driving him on in a few minutes.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Before then, here is a reminder of the time I spent an afternoon
0:31:04 > 0:31:08with some equally driven fishermen of the small island of Lihou,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10near Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Cut off at high tide, it is where locals come
0:31:20 > 0:31:23for absolute peace and quiet.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28But not today. It is going to get pretty busy.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Just wait till that tide goes out.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37When it does, the folk of Guernsey cross this causeway in droves.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41They will be hunting for a rare island delicacy, hard to find
0:31:41 > 0:31:47and very highly prized. And I'm not missing out. I'm joining Mark.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49He has been coming down here for years.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55- How you doing there, Mark?- Not too bad. I have got six at the moment.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57What is it that we are looking for, then?
0:31:57 > 0:32:00What is it that gets everybody out in the freezing cold seas?
0:32:00 > 0:32:05- A lovely ormer. I will show you. - An ormer?- There you go. - Look at that!
0:32:05 > 0:32:07I've never seen one of those before.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- Gosh, it's whopping, isn't it?- It is. It's not a bad size, that one.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13You do get bigger.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16The ormer is a member of the abalone family,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19big shellfish prized for their flesh.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Fishing for them here in Guernsey is traditional.
0:32:22 > 0:32:2650 years ago, nearly half a million ormers were fished annually
0:32:26 > 0:32:29but overfishing and disease saw numbers collapse,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32leading to an outright ban in the mid-'70s.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Today, there are strict rules.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38You can only fish for ormers between January and April and then
0:32:38 > 0:32:42only around the times of the full and new moons - just 24 days a year.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49These rocks are sharp so gloves are an absolute must.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Ormers like to hide away and there is a real knack to finding them.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55Lucky for me, I have got Mark to show me how.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01There we are, look. We have got one but that is too small.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Yes, you can even see without measuring it, can't you?
0:33:04 > 0:33:06- Do you ever get tempted to just take them anyway?- No.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09- Is everyone quite good about the rules?- Most people are, yes.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Occasionally, you get people that will take undersize
0:33:11 > 0:33:14but there is a hefty fine if you get caught...
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- And it is in everyone's interest, isn't it?- Well, exactly, yes.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19In a few years' time, that will be nice and big and juicy.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Remember that one. It's a bit like turning the cards over,
0:33:22 > 0:33:25- remembering where they all were. - I will put it back carefully.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29We are running out of time because the tide is on its way back
0:33:29 > 0:33:32so one last-ditch attempt to catch my tea.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39What about great big whopping rocks like that one there?
0:33:39 > 0:33:42- That is not too bad a rock. - You need two hands there.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45- No, I can do it.- You can do it. - Just.- Oh.
0:33:45 > 0:33:51Unbelievable. There we go! Look at that! You can use your hook.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55That will be stuck firmly to the rock so you can use your hook now.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- OK, yes.- Put that in just underneath it.- You try not to damage it?
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Try not to damage it. Just get it in.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04- That's it. Off it comes. There we are.- Easy!
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- Wow, look at that! A juicy one! - A very juicy one, yes.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- That is going to be tasty. - We shall eat tonight.- Yes.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17With the tide racing back in and the sun sinking down in the West,
0:34:17 > 0:34:21it is time to head inland to the home of top island chef
0:34:21 > 0:34:26Tony Leck, a man who knows exactly what to do with ormers.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Smack them with a hammer.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32- But not too harsh, because we don't want to break the whole...- I see. OK.
0:34:32 > 0:34:33Trying to keep the shape.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36They have already been cleaned and scooped out of their shells.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39This bit is just about softening up the flesh before cooking.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- Is that good or more?- Perfect.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50Next, it is into some melted butter, from Guernsey cows, of course.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Flour either side and then into a sizzling hot pan.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59These must be something incredibly special
0:34:59 > 0:35:03because there is so much effort that goes into harvesting them.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- People spend the whole day getting maybe only six...- Yes.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09It's quite a community effort, as well.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13I know lots of guys that do it and gather them
0:35:13 > 0:35:15for their own family for the older generation,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18the ones that can't, perhaps go out and gather them themselves.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20So it is not necessarily that they taste amazing,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22but also about the culture and tradition of doing it?
0:35:22 > 0:35:24- Culture and tradition, yeah.- Yeah.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27And of course using what is available around you.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34A couple of minutes in the pan but three hours in the casserole dish.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Luckily for us, Tony has already got one on the go.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42A portion like this at Tony's restaurant will set you back £17.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Not exactly cheap. Let's find out if it's worth it.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52Here we go. Goodness, look at that texture.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Mm!
0:36:04 > 0:36:06- The texture is not freaky at all. It's meaty.- Mm-hm.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Not shellfish-like.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13- Shellfish and I don't have a good relationship.- OK.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17But the meatiness of that is very palatable, isn't it? Lovely.
0:36:27 > 0:36:32This is Michael Kennedy. An ordinary man with an extraordinary passion.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36He shifts rocks and pebbles
0:36:36 > 0:36:40from down here to up there every day.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45He's been at it 20 years.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49What started as a way of keeping fit has become an obsession.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52What about these, Michael? Can I join in? Are these any good?
0:36:52 > 0:36:54- Yes, yes, that's it. - One of each colour, is that it?
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- Well, it doesn't matter. There are so many, you see.- Well, that is true.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00- There are so many. - It doesn't matter.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Michael has only been working on this bit since December.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07He started all over again after the big North Sea storm surge
0:37:07 > 0:37:12obliterated his previous effort. And this is what was lost.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17Bands of red and white pebbles that Michael had piled up ten feet high.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Kind of beautiful, but it was never meant to be art.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24I'm doing it to protect the base of the cliff.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Are you fighting a losing battle, though,
0:37:26 > 0:37:28because look over there with your last thing?
0:37:28 > 0:37:31- Don't be a pessimist.- No, well, fair enough.- I am an optimist.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33- You would be no good in the Army. - That is true.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- You would frighten all the soldiers to death, you would.- Right.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Let's keep going. We've got a lot of protection to do.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40LAUGHTER
0:37:40 > 0:37:43And there is definitely military discipline to
0:37:43 > 0:37:49- Michael's work.- I do it six days a week. I come down here at 10:15...
0:37:49 > 0:37:53- to half past 12. And then I go home. - So it is good for fitness, then.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57- This is my gym.- It is probably a lot cheaper than the gym, too. Isn't it?
0:37:57 > 0:37:59- This is my gym, love. Yes. - Let's get more colours, then.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03- So, white or red, either or?- Get as many as you can carry, yeah.- Wow.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07What do people think of what you do here? Does anyone say anything?
0:38:07 > 0:38:11- They say, "Michael, you are doing a fantastic job."- Do they? - Yeah, they do. Yeah.
0:38:11 > 0:38:17Got to say, the old ladies, they love me, because they can walk now without bumping into stones.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Well, that's true. You have cleared a smooth path for everybody.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23- And I get great satisfaction of doing it.- Will your work ever be done?
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- Will you ever be finished? - Well, I'll tell you what.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30I'm 77 on the 4th June coming.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33So when I'm 100, instead of doing six days,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37I'll probably do four days.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40- There's a ready supply of stones to keep you going.- Oh, yeah. Yeah.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44- Good man. Good man.- Right.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47A man happy in his work if ever I saw one.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51The sea inspires people in all sorts of ways.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56Is it the wildness, the grandeur, or the danger?
0:38:57 > 0:38:59That's a question Julia asked
0:38:59 > 0:39:03when she undertook one of the most dangerous beach walks in the UK.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Essex is a sprawling rural county, a farmland giving way to
0:39:11 > 0:39:15coastal marshes, river estuaries and tiny islands.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Peter Caton is Essex born and bred.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23He's walked almost every mile of the coastline. Almost.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27He knows the area's true character.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I think people think of Essex as being Southend and Clacton
0:39:30 > 0:39:34and Walton-on-the-Naze. But that's only a very small part of Essex.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36It's the longest coastline of any county.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39It's about 350 miles and it's just a very beautiful place
0:39:39 > 0:39:41and people don't realise.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45And you've covered almost every inch of this territory,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47but there is a walk you haven't done.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Indeed. I walked along here five or six years ago
0:39:51 > 0:39:52and I looked out across the mud
0:39:52 > 0:39:56and I walked about 200 yards along and decided that it's a walk
0:39:56 > 0:39:59that just can't be done safely without a guide,
0:39:59 > 0:40:03knowing the tide, knowing the weather and where the quicksands are.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05And today, Peter, we're going to get to do it,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07so you've won the lottery!
0:40:07 > 0:40:09- Thank you very much.- Let's go.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11Extreme rambling?
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Well, the route we're taking is said to be the most dangerous
0:40:14 > 0:40:16public footpath in England.
0:40:18 > 0:40:19For centuries, small creeks
0:40:19 > 0:40:23and mudflats separated coastal Foulness Island from the mainland.
0:40:23 > 0:40:28Locals could only cross safely at low tide and with no landmarks,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32the route was marked by besom brooms buried in the sand.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Hence it was called the Broomway.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37And if all that wasn't dangerous enough,
0:40:37 > 0:40:41it's now part of a military firing range.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Hi there, Brian. Hello.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- I've got another victim for you. I mean, a walker.- A walker!
0:40:45 > 0:40:47- That's good.- How are you?
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Experienced walking guide Brian Dawson doesn't use brooms.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51He's learnt the safe route...
0:40:53 > 0:40:57..which we can only take when they're not firing live shells.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00Explain the dangers of the Broomway to me, then, Brian.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05Well, soft sand, especially when the Ministry have been letting ammunition
0:41:05 > 0:41:10off out here, displaces the sands and makes pockets of soft mud.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12- So it becomes like quicksand?- Yeah.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15We can look out here now and it looks flat.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19You can see over to Kent and you can see way up there to Margate.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21It looks flat.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24But it's not flat and that's what makes it dangerous, the fact that
0:41:24 > 0:41:27if you're out here, you think, oh, the sea's over there,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30no problem. But of course, it creeps in behind.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- So you can very easily become disorientated.- Oh, yes.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Think you're heading in one direction
0:41:35 > 0:41:38and before you know it, the tide's caught up with you.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41It'll come in faster than we can walk, or even run.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48In days gone by, unwary travellers have perished on the Broomway,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51earning it the nickname the Doomway.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Let's hope it won't be living up to that today.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00It certainly is beautiful out here and it looks innocuous enough
0:42:00 > 0:42:06but if you do look out in that direction, there are no landmarks.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09You could lose your bearings so very easily
0:42:09 > 0:42:12and once the tide starts coming in, you're in serious trouble.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16I'd better keep up with him.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Peter, do you feel that sense of excitement?
0:42:19 > 0:42:23Certainly, yes, yes. It's a big openness.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29There's very few places that are anywhere like it, really,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33that you can get to safely, provided you've got someone who knows the way.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Yes, so long as you got a Brian with you.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38The full Broomway walk takes two hours
0:42:38 > 0:42:40but I need to get there quicker.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Well, guys, I hate to leave you in the lurch as it were,
0:42:44 > 0:42:48but you're in very safe hands with Brian and Peter.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Enjoy the rest of the walk. I've got a lift. Bye!
0:42:51 > 0:42:55The volunteers of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
0:42:55 > 0:43:00charity have the answer to all this sand. They just rise above it.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04Afternoon! Permission to come aboard? Thank you.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Not quite what you expect to see, a hovercraft coming hurtling
0:43:07 > 0:43:10towards you. All joking aside, I'm not the first or last person
0:43:10 > 0:43:12that you're going to save out here, am I?
0:43:12 > 0:43:16No. We've got a vast amount of mud, about two and a half miles wide,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18about 15 miles long, so it's a vast area.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21We also do a lot of work with kite surfers,
0:43:21 > 0:43:25windsurfers who have accidents, break legs and...
0:43:25 > 0:43:28which this is a perfect tool for going and picking them up
0:43:28 > 0:43:31- and transporting them back ashore. - Transport them back to shore.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35Those are the words I was waiting to hear. Transport them back to shore.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38- Excellent. Can I have a lift?- Yes, certainly.- Excellent. Good stuff.
0:43:38 > 0:43:39Let's go.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Julia there, taking the quick way home.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01I'm back now at the RSPCA wildlife centre near King's Lynn.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04I was feeding these rescue seal pups earlier.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08Now three of them are about to be returned to the wild.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11They are trying to single out a male called Crumpet
0:44:11 > 0:44:16and two females, one called Special K and one called Pancake.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18First, they've just got to catch them.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27It's been three months of round-the-clock care
0:44:27 > 0:44:30and attention but in just a few short minutes,
0:44:30 > 0:44:34these guys will be back in the wild, where they belong.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42- Ready?- Bend the knees.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Oh, that feels light!
0:44:49 > 0:44:52Very heavy but such precious cargo.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56I'm trying to keep a nice smooth line.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03It's just a short ride to the release site
0:45:03 > 0:45:07in the back of a specially fitted-out van.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19I've been in Norfolk on its beautiful beaches
0:45:19 > 0:45:22but, last December,
0:45:22 > 0:45:27they took a battering from the worst storm surge in 60 years.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31The RSPB reserve at Snettisham was hit hard and the RSPCA centre
0:45:31 > 0:45:35at King's Lynn was inundated with rescued seal pups.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43I've seen for myself how well this coastline has recovered
0:45:43 > 0:45:48and today it's a rather exciting time for these seal pups.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53We've brought three of them here to this release site on the river bank
0:45:53 > 0:45:55not far from where they washed up.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58The river leads out to sea and freedom.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02- Right, so if you take the front-end. Yeah. Got it.- That would be great. - OK, no bother.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06It's a big day for head warden Alison Charles and her team.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10Give me one second to readjust. Perfect.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14- What are the perfect conditions for release, then?- Well, this is ideal.
0:46:14 > 0:46:15It's not too windy.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19The seas are quite calm out there and the tide's going out,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22which will take them out into the Wash.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24There's a few minutes to go before the release.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28Just time to look back at a very enjoyable day Adam had
0:46:28 > 0:46:31away from the farm, rock-pooling in Dorset.
0:46:37 > 0:46:43Kimmeridge Bay in Purbeck. As secluded a spot as you can find.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47It's all very peaceful but this area is simply teeming with life.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50You just need to know where to look. To find out more,
0:46:50 > 0:46:54I've come to join a volunteer group for something called a welly survey.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58And I've no idea what a welly survey is but I've come prepared.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Julie Hatcher from the Dorset Wildlife Trust is going to
0:47:04 > 0:47:07tell me what the Welly Zone project is all about.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Well, the Welly Zone project is a project to get local people
0:47:12 > 0:47:15out onto their beach, getting them in touch with the wildlife
0:47:15 > 0:47:18that lives there and starting to record it.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21What we're finding is that there are things that can tell us about
0:47:21 > 0:47:24climate change, invasive species, some rare
0:47:24 > 0:47:27and unusual things that are only found on beaches
0:47:27 > 0:47:31and what we can start to do then is to try to get
0:47:31 > 0:47:36protection for these areas where these special creatures live.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38So there's a serious reason for the project.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41But there's no denying it's also a lot of fun,
0:47:41 > 0:47:43and takes me right back to rock-pooling as a kid.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49Cor, this is a ferocious looking fellow. What's this one?
0:47:49 > 0:47:51- This is a spiny spider crab. - Amazing.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54You can see all the camouflaged seaweed on its back.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57It's very, very difficult to see. We're lucky to find that one.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00It's certainly very spiny. You can see where they get their name.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03- Let's pop him back, shall I? - Yes. Good idea.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06We always like people to put them back where they find them.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08You don't have to be a marine biologist to take part
0:48:08 > 0:48:12because volunteers are all given a handy guide.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14- Hi.- Hey.- Any joy?
0:48:14 > 0:48:17Yeah, well, I'm quite a beginner at this, really.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20So these guides are pretty useful to me.
0:48:20 > 0:48:25Down here, I've already spotted the peacock's tail seaweed.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29I've also got the Japanese seaweed, which is this one just here,
0:48:29 > 0:48:34the kind of pretty, flowy kind of one. It's quite an invasive species.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37That's great. Well, I'm completely landlocked where I live
0:48:37 > 0:48:41- so it's all new to me too. - It's a bit different for you, yeah.- Yeah, lovely.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44Right, then. That's enough yomping about in wellies.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48I'm off to the other side of the bay now for a kayak safari.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51But these aren't any ordinary kayaks.
0:48:51 > 0:48:52These are glass-bottomed kayaks
0:48:52 > 0:48:55so as you're floating through the water,
0:48:55 > 0:48:57you can see what's going on beneath and then
0:48:57 > 0:49:01if you want a really detailed view, these are goggle viewers.
0:49:01 > 0:49:02You shove them in the water,
0:49:02 > 0:49:06put your head in and you can see what's going on.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09The kayak safaris are available to anyone who fancies this unique
0:49:09 > 0:49:11way of glimpsing beneath the surface.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14Today, I'm lucky enough to be getting a tour of the highlights
0:49:14 > 0:49:16from guide Mark Smith.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20So the snakelocks anemones, they are the...
0:49:20 > 0:49:23They almost look like plants but they've just got thousands
0:49:23 > 0:49:26of stinging tentacles and what happens
0:49:26 > 0:49:28if a small fish goes into those tentacles,
0:49:28 > 0:49:32it fires loads of harpoons into the animal and injects venom
0:49:32 > 0:49:37- which then paralyses the fish, and then it can eat it.- Goodness me!
0:49:37 > 0:49:38Sounds fairly ferocious.
0:49:38 > 0:49:44There's just dozens and dozens of types of urchins and seaweeds
0:49:44 > 0:49:46and goodness knows what's down there.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50Yes, so there's hundreds of different species of seaweed
0:49:50 > 0:49:52that have been recorded here in Kimmeridge Bay.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56Now, why that is is because there's a rocky reef under the water here.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01They provide lots of nooks and crannies for animals to hide in and they provide a really
0:50:01 > 0:50:04hard surface in which seaweeds can anchor themselves to.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08And the seaweed itself provides a bounty of food for all
0:50:08 > 0:50:09different kinds of animals.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12So Kimmeridge is a real hot spot for marine wildlife.
0:50:18 > 0:50:23All of this and we're not even getting wet! It's great.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26I've had a rare glimpse into this fascinating world.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28You could stay out there all day and still not see everything
0:50:28 > 0:50:30but I'm heading back to dry land.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33And I've been told there's one more very rare species that I've
0:50:33 > 0:50:39got to find while I'm in Kimmeridge Bay and it's the tiny elusive lagoon snail.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44At just 2mm fully grown, the lagoon snail takes some finding.
0:50:44 > 0:50:49Coastal photographer Steve Trewhella is one of the few people ever to have seen them.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50Hi, Steve.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53- Hi, Adam.- Have you found some? - I have, I have.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56- They're very, very tiny. - Goodness me.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59- You can just about see them with your naked eye. There's one there. - No!
0:50:59 > 0:51:02Yeah. And they're fully grown as well.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05- They don't get any bigger than that. - They're minuscule.- They are tiny.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08- Can I take a closer look?- You can. Would you like to borrow these?
0:51:08 > 0:51:09Let's try these babies.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13All golden, tiny golden snails.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19You know, I never thought I'd get so excited about such a small animal!
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Goodness me! Are we getting this on telly? This is special, you know.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24It's never been filmed before as far as I know.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27People don't like creepy crawlies, they don't like flies
0:51:27 > 0:51:30but without flies we'd have no birds, we'd have no swallows
0:51:30 > 0:51:33coming over from Africa, so it's the biodiversity.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35Everything has a role to play in nature,
0:51:35 > 0:51:37even tiny two-millimetre-long snails.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40They're all part of this habitat which makes it unique.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43It's a long way removed from the cows and sheep back on my farm,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45- that's for sure.- It is. It is.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48It's microscopic world and this is their world.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50They're not aware of any of this, that they
0:51:50 > 0:51:53live under this boulder, this little thing, every little crack,
0:51:53 > 0:51:56every little fissure in the rock - that's their universe.
0:51:58 > 0:52:03Look at that, a tiny lagoon snail, like a pinprick on the end
0:52:03 > 0:52:07of my finger but still an important part of this valuable ecosystem.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14It's been a real joy discovering what lies beneath the waves here at Kimmeridge Bay.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18I've only been here for a day but I've certainly gained a real
0:52:18 > 0:52:21sense of what a rich marine habitat this is.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32It's now time for the release.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34These grey seal pups have not been in the wild
0:52:34 > 0:52:37since they were just days old.
0:52:37 > 0:52:38The storm surge that washed them
0:52:38 > 0:52:42away from their mothers is now a fading memory and with spring just
0:52:42 > 0:52:46around the corner, there couldn't be a better time to be going home.
0:52:50 > 0:52:55He can smell freedom. But it's been a while. No surprise he's cautious.
0:52:58 > 0:53:03- There we go.- The fun way in.- It's just a little slide down there now.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06How do you make sure they are wild rather than coming back to you?
0:53:06 > 0:53:09All the way along, we try to have as little to do with them as possible.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12We try and get them in with other seals, we don't talk to them,
0:53:12 > 0:53:14you know, we don't cuddle them, we don't stroke them,
0:53:14 > 0:53:17we don't do anything with them apart from go in and feed them,
0:53:17 > 0:53:19medicate them and look after them.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22So it's all hands off and just trying to have as little interaction with them as possible.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27That's one safely away. Two to go.
0:53:34 > 0:53:40Yeah! I notice this one's got a tag on it. What's all that for?
0:53:40 > 0:53:43The tag is a way of recognising them if they are found again.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45It's identifying them as having been in with us.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49There is a specific number for this one and it's a very cheap and cheery
0:53:49 > 0:53:52way of keeping an eye on them and seeing how they're doing.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55So how does this stage feel when they are released?
0:53:55 > 0:53:59This is the best bit. Everyone thinks we're really sad but it's not sad.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01It's really good to see them go back out to sea
0:54:01 > 0:54:03and then it's up to them to make a go of it.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07You hope that we've done a good job of getting them fit and healthy
0:54:07 > 0:54:08and then it's down to them.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18And now for the last of our three releases.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Now isn't that a sight to warm the heart?
0:54:23 > 0:54:27Given up for dead by the storm, nursed back to life
0:54:27 > 0:54:29and health by Alison and her team.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Here we go. That's good. Yeah!
0:54:34 > 0:54:35Fantastic!
0:54:36 > 0:54:38Well, there you go.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41Proof that there is life - and lots of it - after the storm.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Well, that's it for this week.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47Next week we'll be in County Durham where Matt travels home to
0:54:47 > 0:54:48help out his mum on Mother's Day
0:54:48 > 0:54:53and I'll be in search of the story behind the lost farms of Weardale.
0:54:53 > 0:54:54See you then. Bye-bye.