0:00:27 > 0:00:31In this programme, we're taking a look at our feathered friends,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33starting here on the north Norfolk coast,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36where the skies are filled with life.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41As thousands upon thousands of geese,
0:00:41 > 0:00:46ducks and sea birds put on a show, and we have got a ringside seat.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51The bird theme continues with Helen up in Cumbria.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of something pretty special, too,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59one of the best sights in the whole birding world,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03and it's all down to one of our most unassuming species.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08With outbreaks of bird flu continuing across the country,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Tom is finding out how poultry keepers are coping.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Frankly, if we have to stop selling our eggs as free-range,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17it will cripple the industry.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And Adam is back on the farm, taking stock at the start of another year.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28This is the one I'm after.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29Oh, fella!
0:01:29 > 0:01:32He's a really strong, powerful animal.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55It's magical, seeing dawn break over wetlands in winter.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Especially when the sky is filled with so many geese and wildfowl.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The north Norfolk coast is one of the best places in the
0:02:02 > 0:02:04country to catch this sight.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Here at the RSPB reserve at Snettisham,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10there are thousands of overwintering birds to be seen.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13But there's one in particular that I'm here for.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20Well, it's just after seven o'clock on this crystal clear morning,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22the perfect conditions to hopefully see one of the greatest
0:02:22 > 0:02:25natural spectacles of the British winter -
0:02:25 > 0:02:28the morning flight of the pink-footed geese.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36These high-flying birds are extreme migrants,
0:02:36 > 0:02:41navigating thousands of miles from Iceland and Greenland to the UK,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44with huge flocks heading for Norfolk every winter.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'Snettisham's pinkies, as they are affectionately known,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53'are watched over by site manager Jim Scott.'
0:02:53 > 0:02:57- Morning, Jim, how are things looking out there?- Yeah, pretty good.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59- Actually, there are thousands. - Are they quite spread out?
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Yeah, they reasonably are, actually, yeah.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Of all the places that they could go, Jim,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07why are they here at Snettisham?
0:03:07 > 0:03:12Well, it provides a perfect, safe roosting area for them at night.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14You can see the vast expanse of mudflats
0:03:14 > 0:03:15we have in front of us here.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18So, the geese will roost way out there on the mud,
0:03:18 > 0:03:19and they feel safe out there.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25As well as a bed, there's a hearty breakfast here for these geese, too.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30The main reason pink-footed geese come to Norfolk is because of
0:03:30 > 0:03:33the sugar beet that's grown, and it's the aftermath of
0:03:33 > 0:03:37the harvest, all the bits and pieces that are left over in the fields,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39they find it a very energy-rich source of food.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47They're obviously quite sensitive as well, because you can see
0:03:47 > 0:03:51them notice us and instantly change direction.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Yeah, they're not too keen flying directly over people.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Here we go, that's lovely, isn't it? Look at the layers there.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05- Artistic in the sky, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Would they normally stay in these kind of natural smaller groups,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12or do they wait for sort of a couple of birds to go and then they
0:04:12 > 0:04:14- all go en masse?- It varies, really.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16You always get a few little groups going,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and actually it can be quite good to see which way they're going
0:04:19 > 0:04:22to take, in terms of the flight lines, to get yourself in the right
0:04:22 > 0:04:24position, to get them all flying very close to you.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29And being in the right place at the right time is vital.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34Because once a week, Jim carries out a mind-boggling stocktake.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37We are going to try and count all these geese.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39It just sounds like a ridiculous thing to say,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43try and count all of these geese. OK, what is the technique?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Well, it's an estimate.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49So, it depends, these smaller flocks that are coming out here,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I count them ten at a time. So, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 or so.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- OK.- When the bigger flocks come out, I'll up that to 50s.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58So, these flocks that are much closer,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00you can just do with your eye.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03But the flocks that are further away, you need to use binoculars
0:05:03 > 0:05:07because there's more geese in those flocks than you think.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Counts like these help Jim build up a picture
0:05:13 > 0:05:17of the health of the pinkies' population year-on-year.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- Have a go at this flock here, then. - OK, so I'd go...
0:05:23 > 0:05:29- I'm going for 105 in that line. - What, in that one flock?- Yeah.- No.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30- No? What did you get?- About 75.- OK.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34We've got a... This is happening quite rapidly now.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Right.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40340.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Oh!
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- What did you get?- I got 320. - Oh! Did you?- That's good enough.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- That's good enough. - That's good enough!
0:05:52 > 0:05:57In a single morning this winter, Jim counted 47,000 geese.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01But not all birds at Snettisham are doing so well.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06RSPB scientists, like Dr Mark Eaton,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10use a novel method to break population numbers down.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15It's a simple system, traffic light codings, so red, amber, green.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Green are the species for which we've got least concern,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19doing quite well.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Happy with how their populations are.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Some common, familiar birds like blue tits and robins,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26some of the wetland birds we find here.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Amber list, those that we are slightly concerned about.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31And then the red list, 67 species,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and those are the ones that we really are concerned about.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39One that we can find and hear on the mudflats here is the curlew.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42So curlew numbers are declining rapidly.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Not just here, but across the world.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47They are regarded as near threatened with extinction on a global scale.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50And, actually, the UK has a lot of the world's curlews.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54So, there's a real obligation on us to help the species.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56And do you know what it is that's going badly wrong?
0:06:56 > 0:07:00We know that they're not breeding well, so we are looking at what the
0:07:00 > 0:07:03problems are there, and working with landowners to help numbers recover.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Well, it was the pink-footed geese that brought me here first
0:07:06 > 0:07:09thing this morning. I had a good go at counting them. I'm not sure how
0:07:09 > 0:07:11successful I was, but as far as you're concerned,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13what are numbers looking like? And which list are they on?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Pink-footed geese, they're a good news story.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I don't know how many you counted,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20but we know that numbers are going up.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24We maybe have around 400,000 pink-footed geese in the UK every winter,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27which is nearly all of the world's pink-footed geese.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Numbers have doubled in the last 25 years.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33They remain on our amber list, just a signal that we have to keep
0:07:33 > 0:07:36an eye on these, because we have a responsibility to look after them.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Now, one of the biggest problems facing both birds and those
0:07:45 > 0:07:47of us that keep them is avian flu.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51In the last few weeks, cases have been reported all over the
0:07:51 > 0:07:55country, and at the moment, tight restrictions are in place.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Here is Tom with more.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15This is one of the UK's great wildlife spectacles -
0:08:15 > 0:08:17the assembly of migrating birds
0:08:17 > 0:08:20as they flock here for the winter from colder climes.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26On the grass over the back, there, you can see those dark,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28reddish heads, a little cream stripe down them.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- Yeah.- So those are widgeon. There's thousands of them on site.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34There's some birds that take off in big groups,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36got all the white under their wings, white and black. What are they?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39So, they are mostly golden plovers.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- There's 2,000 or 3,000 of them. - Love the way they suddenly shift.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Many of the birds here at the Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve in
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Lincolnshire have travelled from as far away as Siberia to
0:08:52 > 0:08:54escape the winter chill.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57But this year, some of them have brought with them something
0:08:57 > 0:08:59no-one wants to see -
0:08:59 > 0:09:01avian flu.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Since December, flu has been confirmed in wild birds at
0:09:04 > 0:09:07a number of our nature reserves.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Here, it was found in five widgeon and one teal,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12both of which are migratory species.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Why is it we appear to be seeing quite a few cases of bird flu
0:09:17 > 0:09:19on reserves?
0:09:19 > 0:09:22It's really just a function of where people are looking for it.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Somewhere like this, obviously, we have our reserve staff, our wardens
0:09:25 > 0:09:29that are out and about on the ground every day, monitoring the birds.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32So, we are more likely to find those sick and dead birds
0:09:32 > 0:09:34when they turn up.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Obviously, birds die of all sorts of things, but they don't stay
0:09:37 > 0:09:40around for long, they'd be picked up by a scavenger of some description.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43So, what first tipped us off that we had an issue here and we
0:09:43 > 0:09:45thought we might have bird flu on site is because there were
0:09:45 > 0:09:48small numbers of groups of birds, half a dozen,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50being found in close proximity.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Bird flu viruses are constantly evolving,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57meaning that we are always having to play catch-up.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01This strain is called H5N8,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05and at the moment, does not appear to be able to infect people,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09unlike the one we had here ten years ago, H5N1,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13which has killed 450 people worldwide.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21But H5N8 brings with it one new and very specific danger.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25In the past, avian flu has mostly been found in waterfowl.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29This new variant is infecting everything from magpies and
0:10:29 > 0:10:32pheasants to buzzards and peregrine falcons.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36With more species being added to the list every month.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38And there's no way we can realistically control
0:10:38 > 0:10:42the behaviour and movement of these birds.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45The virus is transferred by contact between birds,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48or through their faeces and bodily fluids,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52so it's really important that we don't help to spread it.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Because it's not just wild birds that can catch it, domesticated
0:10:55 > 0:10:59poultry like chickens and turkeys are particularly susceptible.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04In another sinister development, bird flu
0:11:04 > 0:11:08has been found for the first time in Britain in backyard flocks.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14But this is not a problem limited to specific parts of the UK.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17There have been cases throughout the country.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23There will be many more infected birds that haven't been
0:11:23 > 0:11:26identified, given the difficulty of spotting them
0:11:26 > 0:11:29in the wide open spaces of our countryside.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Bird flu this winter is much more complicated than the cases
0:11:33 > 0:11:36we've seen so far would suggest.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- How big is this outbreak? - This is a very large outbreak.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The avian influenza viruses constantly circulate worldwide
0:11:44 > 0:11:45but they vary in
0:11:45 > 0:11:48how severe they are. This one is particularly severe,
0:11:48 > 0:11:49affecting countries across Europe,
0:11:49 > 0:11:5221 countries in total now, including the UK.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Over 530 individual affected cases, showing that we've got
0:11:56 > 0:12:00a real challenge with how infectious and how severe this virus is.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Well, give me the bullet points of what you are doing to try and
0:12:03 > 0:12:06halt the spread of this disease.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Where there is disease, we put geographic restrictions round so
0:12:10 > 0:12:14we can take time to understand how the disease is spread, especially to
0:12:14 > 0:12:18make sure we can spot and deal with spread between commercial flocks.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22And across Great Britain, there's a thing called a prevention zone,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and within that we've asked people to house or otherwise keep birds
0:12:25 > 0:12:27separate from wild birds.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30We've also banned gatherings of poultry,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33poultry are the most susceptible to this disease, and bringing them
0:12:33 > 0:12:36all together and then sending them all away again is a very good way of
0:12:36 > 0:12:37spreading disease, so we've banned that
0:12:37 > 0:12:39and will keep that under review.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45These measures are taking their toll.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47This is the busiest time of year for poultry shows, as rare
0:12:47 > 0:12:51breed owners look to build their flocks before the breeding season.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54The ban could have a lasting impact.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Chickens are also being prevented from being re-homed after their
0:12:59 > 0:13:01commercial egg-laying days are over.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Already, thousands that could have been living happily in people's
0:13:04 > 0:13:06gardens have had to be slaughtered.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Everybody who owns poultry, no matter how few birds you have,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16needs to keep them separate from wild birds.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Flouting these rules can mean a £5,000 fine
0:13:19 > 0:13:21and three months in prison.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26So, where is the current outbreak likely to lead,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30and how big a threat will it be in the weeks and months ahead?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33That's what I'll be finding out later.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48The Scottish Borders make up a diverse and wild landscape,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52bursting with nature and birds in abundance.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58If you're an artist looking for inspiration,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01there's plenty here to let your imagination take flight.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08But I'm here to meet an artist who doesn't just paint nature,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10she paints with it.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Clare Brownlow uses pheasant feathers instead of
0:14:16 > 0:14:21paintbrushes to produce her vibrant paintings of the local wildlife.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27I'm dying to find out how, why and just where this idea came from.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31Clare, I like your office.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Nice, isn't it?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35So, why feathers?
0:14:35 > 0:14:40I was at home in Norfolk with my parents and I'm one of those
0:14:40 > 0:14:42people who can't sit still, I have to be doing something.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45And my father had a bunch of these in the kitchen,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48so picked one out, there was a pot of ink for his fountain pen on
0:14:48 > 0:14:51the table, and I just started playing and fiddling around
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and kind of came across this really fun way of painting,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and lots of energy and movement in it and lots of splatters,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and quite messy, which is quite nice.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01So, is it the technique you like or is there more to it?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Do you like the fact that you're making art with wildlife?
0:15:04 > 0:15:07The whole concept of kind of painting with wildlife
0:15:07 > 0:15:08is really special.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11It's quite a nice kind of full circle.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- And it must be cheaper. - A lot cheaper, yep.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16People send me feathers in the post, it's really fun.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18I get, like, packages, and as a thank-you,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21I pop a pack of cards in the mail for them.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23So you've got plenty of tools, what about the subjects?
0:15:23 > 0:15:25How do you work out what to paint?
0:15:25 > 0:15:28We are literally surrounded by all sorts of wildlife here.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32We've got roe deer in the garden, we've got hares, pheasants...
0:15:33 > 0:15:36You've got swans flying down the river, it's amazing,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38it's just bursting with wildlife.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Clare's attic studio is where fine feathers become fine art.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Oh, Clare, what an Aladdin's cave!
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- Thank you.- I don't know where to look first, there's so much to see.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53But this is where it all happens?
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Yep, this is where we are going to see how good you are
0:15:56 > 0:15:57with a pheasant feather.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59I think I could probably tell you now, but let's have a go.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02OK, so pick yourself a nice long feather.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04These are like pieces of art in themselves.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08What I want you to do is I want you to kind of strip down here,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11just so that it's kind of cleaner and easier for you to paint with.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13And then you cut it...
0:16:14 > 0:16:18..like a quill and just make sure there's no rags.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23- Do you want a hand? - Yeah, I'm making myself nervous.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25There we go.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26And what about the paint?
0:16:26 > 0:16:28The paint I use is Indian inks and acrylic inks,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31just because they are really bright and vivid colours.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Me and art are a bit like a bull in a china shop, so...
0:16:34 > 0:16:35- Good.- Oh, OK.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Messy is good in this room, messy is good.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41OK. So what we're going to do is I've kind of drawn you
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- your own little pheasant...- Yeah.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45And I want you to go crazy.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55The paper that I use is watercolour paper
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and it's got slight bumps in it and when it catches,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00it produces this brilliant splash.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Look, I'm getting a good few splashes there.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05That's amazing, that's amazing.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12That's not that bad, is it?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14You're a natural. You're going to put me out of a job!
0:17:14 > 0:17:16I'm basically colouring in your work, though,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18so it's kind of cheating, but shh...
0:17:18 > 0:17:19Yeah, we won't say anything.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Come on, let's see how the master does it.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31How long does it take to finish a pheasant, for instance?
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Anything from a few days to a couple of months.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39Now, you're very kind, Clare,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42but I think this looks a bit like a patchwork parrot.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I think it's brilliant for a first attempt.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46What's it meant to look like?
0:17:46 > 0:17:47A pheasant...
0:17:47 > 0:17:48THEY LAUGH
0:17:48 > 0:17:51We'll just slide that one over there,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and I've been working on this one.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59- Oh, my goodness!- It's not quite finished, a bit of work to go,
0:17:59 > 0:18:00but that's the general idea.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Yeah, and having tried to do it,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06I can appreciate that that is not an easy look to achieve.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Thank you.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12And Clare's got one more bird-based surprise up her sleeve.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15So I heard that you were going to have a look at some starlings later,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17so I just did that one for you.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21- Wow.- Again, not quite finished.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23I'll be surprised if I get to see a starling in this much detail but
0:18:23 > 0:18:26that gives me an excellent reference point, thank you so much.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27No problem.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Later on, I'll be looking for the real thing
0:18:30 > 0:18:33but thanks to Clare's unusual artwork,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36at least I've spotted one starling today as well as a whole
0:18:36 > 0:18:41menagerie of birds brought to life from a single feather.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50'Now it's time for our winter warmer.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55'Late last summer, we asked some well-known faces from DJs
0:18:55 > 0:18:56'to comedians...'
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It's a seal! False alarm, everyone, it was a seal.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01'..chefs to singers...'
0:19:01 > 0:19:05# My old man said follow the van... #
0:19:05 > 0:19:09'..which part of our magnificent countryside was special to them.'
0:19:16 > 0:19:18This week, actor and musician David Essex
0:19:18 > 0:19:20takes a trip down memory lane
0:19:20 > 0:19:22as he travels to the East Sussex-Kent border
0:19:22 > 0:19:25to relive his childhood summers hop picking.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39First time I came down, I think I was probably about four.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Growing up in east London, there wasn't much countryside,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47so the big adventure was to come down hop picking
0:19:47 > 0:19:49around September time.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57What would happen is that this open-back truck would turn up
0:19:57 > 0:20:00in Canning Town where I was living
0:20:00 > 0:20:05and the women and children would pile onboard with suitcases.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Lo and behold, we're into the countryside.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16For me, I remember the first time I saw cows in fields, just being
0:20:16 > 0:20:18completely overwhelmed by it.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27I remember going to Robertsbridge, Tenterden.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30My dad, before I turned up,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I know went to Robertsbridge and that's where he used to go.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44Hello, mate.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46DOG BARKS
0:20:46 > 0:20:49This feels very familiar, especially the dog barking.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Also the smells, as well.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54Buildings...
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Yeah. This takes me back.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04First of all, you would turn up,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08the farmer would come out and would give you these...
0:21:10 > 0:21:12..sort of, well, I suppose it's like a duvet affair
0:21:12 > 0:21:16and then you go off to a haystack and you fill it all with hay
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and then you carry it to your bunk in the cow shed.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27I remember distinctly that the cowsheds we slept in
0:21:27 > 0:21:29had tin roofs because
0:21:29 > 0:21:31you could hear the rain coming down
0:21:31 > 0:21:33and I always thought that was wonderful.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36I still like that - the sound of the rain on a tin roof.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Generally in the week, it was women and children
0:21:46 > 0:21:50that came down initially on the lorry and then the menfolk.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51Basically, they were dockers,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53they would all come at the weekend
0:21:53 > 0:21:58and they'd be singing round a fire, like a brazier, I remember.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I remember the smell of that.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02And, of course, all the kids had to go to bed
0:22:02 > 0:22:03but I could hear it in the distance.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06# My old man said follow the van... #
0:22:06 > 0:22:08and stuff like that.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10So, yeah, it's very emotive.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I didn't do much hop picking, no.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35For me, there was too many different things I wanted to experience,
0:22:35 > 0:22:36like climbing trees,
0:22:36 > 0:22:41or nicking the farmer's apples and going off and...
0:22:41 > 0:22:45just seeing things that I'd never really seen before.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57JJ. How are you?
0:22:57 > 0:22:59David. Are you going to show me how this works?
0:22:59 > 0:23:01- Yeah, sure. - Right, let's have a look.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Oh, I see. Right.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12So that gadget there's actually cutting the vines, isn't it?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- It cuts it so it's...- Cuts through and then they drop into here.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25It looks different because, from memory,
0:23:25 > 0:23:32there used to be these kind of bins that were made of sacking and
0:23:32 > 0:23:36the pickers would sit there and the pole man would come down,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40pull down some hops over the bin and then they would pick into it.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42I mean, my nan was incredible.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46She was a demon and she knew specifically, you know,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49exactly what was a bushel in the basket.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Because sometimes I would sort of pick a little bit
0:23:52 > 0:23:56before I'd go off on adventures and she would say, "No, Dave,
0:23:56 > 0:23:57"that's too much,"
0:23:57 > 0:23:59so she would knock a few off and it was exactly right.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06He's got the easy job, hasn't he?
0:24:13 > 0:24:17I think the locals thought these little stinkers from east London
0:24:17 > 0:24:20were really quite something and they were fascinated by us, you know,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23the way we talked. "Cor, what's that?"
0:24:23 > 0:24:26And they'd tell you what it was. "What's that?" "That's poisonous."
0:24:26 > 0:24:28"Nah, it ain't." "Yes, it is."
0:24:28 > 0:24:30So, you know, there was a lot to learn from both sides.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34- Thanks a lot.- All right?- Yeah.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- Did you enjoy that?- I did enjoy it, I did enjoy it, yeah.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42There it goes.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45A load of hops up to the automated picking machine
0:24:45 > 0:24:47as opposed to my nan.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55Generally at weekends,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58we'd follow the grown-ups through the fields to the pub and get
0:24:58 > 0:25:00our lemonade and packet of crisps.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05For a little boy coming from the East End,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07it was magical.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Summer seemed to last for ever.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Adventures were ongoing and filled every day.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21And the feeling of community and family was extraordinary.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26My relatives were travellers and there was an Uncle Levi.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I remember him saying to me, you know, as a little boy,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33you're looking at cars and you're thinking about fortune and money and
0:25:33 > 0:25:34all the rest of it and he said,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37"Watch the sun rise in the morning
0:25:37 > 0:25:41"and set in the evening and live a natural life."
0:25:41 > 0:25:43It had a sort of profound effect on me.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50All this did. You know, love of the countryside was, I suppose,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52instilled in me at that time.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05I remember one time walking back and I'd never seen so many stars
0:26:05 > 0:26:08in my life because you never saw them in London.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Stars everywhere and I just stood in the middle of this field,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15it must've been about ten o'clock, looking up in wonderment.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17It was, yeah...
0:26:17 > 0:26:18Great times.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I've still got a tradition where I take a string of hops and I drape it
0:26:24 > 0:26:28around my mum's grave because I know she would have liked that and,
0:26:28 > 0:26:29of course, my nan.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32So, I've still got that.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36So, I'm going to nick a string of hops, if I can,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39if the farmer will let me, and that's where they'll end up.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Earlier, we heard how bird flu is spreading across much of the country
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and now it's been reported on more and more commercial farms.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Tom's report does contain some distressing images.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's early on a cold winter morning.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Across the country, people are on their way to work.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24For some, that means dealing with the aftermath of avian flu.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32The current outbreak started with a case on a farm in Lincolnshire back in December.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35But despite the precautions,
0:27:35 > 0:27:41the second confirmed case of the virus H5N8 in one of our commercial
0:27:41 > 0:27:46flocks was found in the middle of January right here in Lincolnshire.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53All the birds were either killed by the virus or culled.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59The latest cases have shown that the outbreak is far from over and while
0:27:59 > 0:28:03the impact of bird flu on the infected business is devastating,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06the consequences for the country are more far-reaching.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12The UK is a big exporter of poultry products but from the moment
0:28:12 > 0:28:16the virus is known to be here, that demand plummets.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21The final cost to the industry is unknown but losses from the last
0:28:21 > 0:28:24outbreak were valued at around £100 million.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29And the free-range sector of the industry is at risk, too.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34Almost half of all the eggs bought in the UK are free-range but all
0:28:34 > 0:28:38those produced here could disappear completely from our supermarket shelves.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Their main selling point is that the hens spend a significant amount of
0:28:42 > 0:28:45their time free to roam outside.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47But not at the moment.
0:28:47 > 0:28:53They're having to be kept inside, away from any possible contact with wild birds.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58And Defra guidelines say we shouldn't go into the barns
0:28:58 > 0:28:59at this free-range farm near
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Wantage in Oxfordshire.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04So we gave a camera to the farmer here, Doug,
0:29:04 > 0:29:08because he can go in his barns and we wanted to see how his hens were
0:29:08 > 0:29:11getting on. So, Doug, how is it?
0:29:11 > 0:29:14There you go, Tom. Not sure I deserve any credits at the end of the programme.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16No Oscars for cinematography coming your way?
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- Maybe not yet.- Just before we get to what's on here,
0:29:19 > 0:29:23describe what this scene would look like normally, in a normal year.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27Well, yes, absolutely. So normally this whole area of grass would be
0:29:27 > 0:29:29covered in brown specks, the birds would be everywhere.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31So how does it feel for you to see it bare?
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Well, a little bit disheartening, really,
0:29:34 > 0:29:35but the reality is we have to keep them in
0:29:35 > 0:29:37and I think it's for the best.
0:29:37 > 0:29:38So, how are your hens doing?
0:29:38 > 0:29:42It's fair to say that every flock's different but on this farm they're
0:29:42 > 0:29:45doing OK. We're spending an awful lot of time putting what we call
0:29:45 > 0:29:46enrichments into the building,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49so more straw for littering and footballs
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and plastic bottles and all
0:29:51 > 0:29:53sorts of things just to keep the birds stimulated.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Hens get stressed very easily
0:29:55 > 0:29:57and if they get stressed they can become ill
0:29:57 > 0:29:59and catch other diseases,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02so, it is highly important that we keep them entertained.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04There is real urgency here.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06The current restrictions
0:30:06 > 0:30:09run until the 28th of February but under EU rules,
0:30:09 > 0:30:14a free-range hen can only be kept inside for 12 weeks of the year.
0:30:14 > 0:30:15If the deadline is extended,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17the hens will have to be kept inside
0:30:17 > 0:30:21for longer than the regulations allow.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Frankly, if we have to, at the end of that 12-week period,
0:30:23 > 0:30:27stop selling our eggs as free-range, it will cripple the industry.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- Why?- If the law states they are no longer free-range,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32the supermarkets won't sell them as free-range,
0:30:32 > 0:30:34they will sell them as barn eggs,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37we will lose our premium and we will still have all the extra cost.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Free-range egg producers have planted over a million trees in the last ten
0:30:40 > 0:30:43years to provide a fabulous environment for the birds.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46They are still there, we still have the costs.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48We are hoping that this is just a short-term blip,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51the birds will be outside, I hope, on the 28th of February.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53If not, soon after.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56We all go back to free-ranging, everyone's happy.
0:31:00 > 0:31:05So, what are the chances of the crisis going beyond the end of February?
0:31:05 > 0:31:07We all hope that in a month's time,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10all this fuss will have disappeared and influenza will be gone again.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Dr Colin Butter from the University of Lincoln
0:31:13 > 0:31:16is an expert in the avian flu virus.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20We know it's a migratory species and they will pass.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22But if we find it in more non-migratory species,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25and we have found it in a couple so far,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29then it's here and, of course, it may be here to stay and that means
0:31:29 > 0:31:33it would be here for a long time and a threat to poultry.
0:31:33 > 0:31:34So we wait to see.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37I think the next month will be really crucial.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40And how does that all feed into our calculation of the long-term threat for
0:31:40 > 0:31:42- this country?- It's really important.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47So presently the way of controlling influenza in poultry is culling,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51is stamp out. Now, that's sustainable when the threat is low,
0:31:51 > 0:31:56so when they get infected once in a while, maybe by wild birds,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59that's a very sustainable control strategy.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01But if the threat is continuous,
0:32:01 > 0:32:05if the threat is all year because it's in wild birds all year,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08then that strategy probably is no longer sustainable and we have to think
0:32:08 > 0:32:11about other ways of controlling influenza in poultry.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16And that's a real worry, especially for the commercial free-range keepers.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17That's absolutely true.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21Then we would have to think about other means of controlling influenza in poultry.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24So one thinks about vaccination,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28which is presently not allowed without special permission,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30or breeding resistant birds.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32This again we think may be possible.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Just to be clear,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37is this any kind of a threat to humans?
0:32:37 > 0:32:39It's not a high-level threat to humans,
0:32:39 > 0:32:43there is no suggestion at the moment that this virus easily infects people
0:32:43 > 0:32:48but bird flu viruses do occasionally infect people and with these H5
0:32:48 > 0:32:51viruses, when they do, the consequences can be severe.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57That's just one of the dangers in the back of the minds of those trying to
0:32:57 > 0:32:59control this outbreak.
0:32:59 > 0:33:04But now, as always, there's only so much we can do to control nature.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08The next few weeks are going to be absolutely crucial.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12We might be lucky and there are no new outbreaks and restrictions may be
0:33:12 > 0:33:17lifted. But if there are new cases and the disease is considered to be
0:33:17 > 0:33:19endemic in this country,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22it's going to prove a very tough time for the poultry industry
0:33:22 > 0:33:25and, of course, the birds themselves.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Our native farm animals have been bred to thrive here.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45And Adam knows this only too well.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48His farm is perched high on a Cotswold hill and his animals need to be
0:33:48 > 0:33:50tough to endure the long winters.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10I've recently been visiting farms in New Zealand
0:34:10 > 0:34:12and, out there, it seems to
0:34:12 > 0:34:15be warm all year round and the grass never stops growing.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Here we are in the middle of our winter and although it's been a mild
0:34:18 > 0:34:21winter, it's still quite chilly in comparison.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25This time of year, most modern breeds of cattle are in the shed because
0:34:25 > 0:34:30they mess up the ground but also they need lots of nurturing and food and
0:34:30 > 0:34:32silage. Whereas these more traditional,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35hardy breeds can cope with being outdoors.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38They don't need quite so much grub and they can cope with the cold.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40The Belted Galloway here has got a nice,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42thick coat and then, of course, the Highland,
0:34:42 > 0:34:44the hardiest British breed of all,
0:34:44 > 0:34:45can cope with whatever the weather throws at it.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47And then we've got Dougie the bull.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50They are all in calf, so he can't do any damage.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53And they get on reasonably well but they have a pecking order.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57You'll notice they'll push each other out of the way and the ones with
0:34:57 > 0:34:59horns know exactly where the tip of their horns are.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Look at that one scratching its back where it's got an itch.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05We've only just started feeding them this silage,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07which is grass that was cut in the summer.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Up until now, all winter they've been grazing on the grass in this field
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and there's still a fair bit there.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17On this part of the farm, we are trying to encourage wild flowers,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20so this pasture isn't allowed to be grazed during the spring and summer.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25If I pull it up, you can see the old dead grasses which provide good
0:35:25 > 0:35:28roughage for the cattle but in amongst them are the bright green leaves
0:35:28 > 0:35:31that provide plenty of protein, too.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33It also encourages ground-nesting birds.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37You get little invertebrates and small mammals that the owls hunt on and
0:35:37 > 0:35:40just here is an owl pellet.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44This has been regurgitated by an owl and if you open it up, you can see
0:35:44 > 0:35:48there is a skull of a mouse.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50I remember as kids, my dad used to collect them,
0:35:50 > 0:35:52we'd take them home and
0:35:52 > 0:35:54dissolve them in water and then try
0:35:54 > 0:35:56and guess what animal the owl had eaten.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04At this time of year, with lambing season almost upon us,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08my flock of 800 breeding ewes are more of a challenge.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11I'm trying to toughen them up so they need less looking after.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16In here are our pregnant ewes and there is a mixture of breeds but the main breed in
0:36:16 > 0:36:18here are Romneys.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21And when I was in New Zealand recently, there were a lot of Romneys out
0:36:21 > 0:36:25there but the way they manage them is quite different to us.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26They're very hard on their sheep.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Come by.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31So they'll put the sheep up onto the hills and they have to look after
0:36:31 > 0:36:35themselves. So if a ewe becomes lame, they will get rid of it.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38If it needs treating because it's ill, they'll generally get rid of it.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Or it will just die naturally.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Here if a sheep is lame, we treat it.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45If a ewe is trying to give birth and the lambs are stuck,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47we'll assist her and then help the lambs suckle.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51So we really look after them but that means that they take a lot more
0:36:51 > 0:36:54shepherding and therefore a lot more labour.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58And so what we are trying to do with our flock is build a more robust
0:36:58 > 0:36:59animal that looks after itself.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01We do that by monitoring them.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03So each of these ewes has got an ear tag.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05In it is an electronic chip,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08I can scan this over the ewe's ear and if she has any problems with her
0:37:08 > 0:37:11feet or lambing or whatever it may be,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15I can put it into the computer and then when I'm selecting the females to
0:37:15 > 0:37:17keep from my ewes to breed in the future...
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Away. ..I can then choose the right ones.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24But it's all very well going through this selection process but what we
0:37:24 > 0:37:27really need to do is think very carefully about the genetics, too.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43This is the one I'm after.
0:37:43 > 0:37:49Whoa, fella! He's a really strong, powerful animal.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51And this is my Romney ram.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56He comes from a guy called Chris Hodgkins and what Chris has done is he's
0:37:56 > 0:38:01imported New Zealand Romneys from a flock called the Wairere flock and
0:38:01 > 0:38:04they're all New Zealand genetics and they're really robust,
0:38:04 > 0:38:06animals that can survive.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09And it's not what you see on the surface,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11it's the genetics underneath that I'm after.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14So they are quite resistant to foot rot, they're really tough,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17they're really hardy, they're brilliant mothers.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19And that's what I want to breed into my flock.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24In New Zealand, because they've got lots of sheep per person,
0:38:24 > 0:38:26they grow grass all year round,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28their cost of production is quite low,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31which is why they can get New Zealand lamb all the way from the other side
0:38:31 > 0:38:35of the world onto our supermarket shelves competing with our lamb.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40So, what we need to do here is try and reduce the cost by having animals
0:38:40 > 0:38:41that look after themselves,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45and therefore our lamb will be more competitive.
0:38:45 > 0:38:46You are a good boy, aren't you?
0:38:50 > 0:38:51Heel!
0:38:51 > 0:38:53In farming, you never know what's round the corner.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56I've had to find somewhere to house our geese.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Something I wouldn't normally do but as we've already heard,
0:38:59 > 0:39:00there's been a bird flu outbreak.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07Our poultry and ducks and geese are usually free-range but we've changed
0:39:07 > 0:39:10the way we manage them this winter because of avian influenza,
0:39:10 > 0:39:11or bird flu.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15The Defra guidelines are to keep your birds indoors so that
0:39:15 > 0:39:18they're kept away from wild birds so they don't catch and spread the
0:39:18 > 0:39:23disease. So these geese would usually be roaming around in the paddock,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26grazing on the grass and having a lovely time, but I've kept them shut in
0:39:26 > 0:39:27just to be on the safe side.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32I've got a foot dip here for precautions and then I'll just bed them down
0:39:32 > 0:39:36and give them some food. They are happy enough in here.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38They're living on barley and pellets.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43And then just top up their water.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53There we go, geese. Hopefully, it won't be long before we can let you out again.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00I've also brought some of my breeding sows indoors.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Pigs to feed next.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Pigs don't have a breeding season.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09They give birth all year round and we've recently had some new arrivals.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14In here, I've got two sows.
0:40:14 > 0:40:19This lovely big Tamworth, the ginger one, and then the Iron Age next door.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23They farrowed, they gave birth at the same time and they've given birth to
0:40:23 > 0:40:2513 piglets between them.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29We've kept them separate in these pens so they don't fight but the piglets
0:40:29 > 0:40:33can run under the hay rack and go in between the two sows and feed off
0:40:33 > 0:40:36whichever sow they fancy going to.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Pigs are unlike most creatures,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42so a sheep will only feed its own lambs and a cow will only feed her own
0:40:42 > 0:40:44calf, they don't feed anybody else's.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47But pigs in this sort of system will often multi-suckle.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50They're happy to feed others' piglets.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53You can tell the difference, the Tamworths are very gingery and the Iron Age
0:40:53 > 0:40:55have got that wild-boar look about them.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58They've got those stripy piglets, quite camouflaged.
0:40:58 > 0:40:59Here you are, missus.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04As well as drinking milk from their mothers,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07the piglets are starting to nibble on the pig nuts.
0:41:07 > 0:41:08It won't be long now
0:41:08 > 0:41:11before they can live off the pig nuts as their total diet.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23We've got the Iron Age sow next door and, look, she's lying down,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26she's got a handful of piglets with her and now this Tamworth's finished
0:41:26 > 0:41:31her feed, she's got a whole bundle of piglets, most of them are with her.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Some are facing the wrong way,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37there's a little Iron Age now and he's gone sort of piling into the group.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Oh, dear.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Look, she's sitting up now.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43Too many, just too many.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44She's had enough of that.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50The piglets may be a handful, but in a month's time,
0:41:50 > 0:41:51lambing will be in full swing
0:41:51 > 0:41:54and there will also be plenty of calves to tend to.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Life might be about to get frantic,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00but I love farming and wouldn't change it for the world.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Come on, boys.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17This is the Wash, off the north coast of Norfolk.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21It's the most important haven for waders and wildfowl in Western Europe,
0:42:21 > 0:42:27which makes it the perfect place to spot and learn all about birds.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32And just a few miles inland at this village primary school,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35the bird spotters of the future are learning their stuff.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Can you make me a pair of binoculars with your hands?
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Are you ready? Are you going to look up?
0:42:44 > 0:42:47'All over Britain, classes like this
0:42:47 > 0:42:50'are taking part in the RSPB's Big Schools' Birdwatch,
0:42:50 > 0:42:54'a scheme to get children interested in the birds around them.'
0:42:54 > 0:42:56- Keep looking. - 'Reception year head Jane Kendall
0:42:56 > 0:42:59'is showing these four- and five-year-olds what to look out for.'
0:43:01 > 0:43:02A blue tit.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Oh, Josh has got another one ready, put your binoculars on.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08Are you ready? Let's have a look at this one.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10What can you see?
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Which one was it, Robin?
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Um... Black-headed gull.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17What's special about a black-headed gull?
0:43:17 > 0:43:19'What the children learn in the classroom,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22'they'll soon be putting to the test outdoors.'
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Before we go outside and make some bird feeders,
0:43:26 > 0:43:29the children are just honing their identification technique.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32And you're not holding back with it. It's quite advanced, isn't it?
0:43:32 > 0:43:34When you look at kind of the level of bird-watching.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37Yeah, the children have really engaged with this topic.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40Particularly some of the children who are really challenging me,
0:43:40 > 0:43:42particularly with my knowledge of birds.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44They love it, they absolutely love it.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46You can just see how enthusiastic they are.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48They thrive on it. And we hope that the children will
0:43:48 > 0:43:51take this on as a hobby or it will be a lifelong skill that actually
0:43:51 > 0:43:54caring for our environment and being able to spot the nature around them
0:43:54 > 0:43:56and support that is really key for us.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01'Time now to put those lessons to the test
0:44:01 > 0:44:03'but first the children need some birds to spot.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07'So, they've got some tasty treats lined up that they hope
0:44:07 > 0:44:10'will tempt the birds to stop by.'
0:44:10 > 0:44:11Oh, what's happening over here?
0:44:11 > 0:44:14We're mixing birdseed and peanut butter.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16'This paste is irresistible.'
0:44:16 > 0:44:17Oh.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20And then we're going to pop it into the holes in these logs.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24'And stuffing it into small logs encourages birds to forage.'
0:44:24 > 0:44:26I tell you what, Amber, if I hold that for a second,
0:44:26 > 0:44:29you use the lollipop stick and stick it right in the hole.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31That's it.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35So, is it snowing over here?
0:44:35 > 0:44:37And you put some lard in, do you, and roll it up?
0:44:37 > 0:44:42'Robins and blackbirds love maggots made out of lard and flour.'
0:44:43 > 0:44:44Lift it out. One, two, three.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46Ta-da!
0:44:46 > 0:44:49'Threading fruit and cheese onto wire loops
0:44:49 > 0:44:52'makes a chewy snack for chaffinches.'
0:44:52 > 0:44:54I made mine already.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Oh, that is impressive. You'll have to show me how you made that.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59You've got to start with the wire.
0:45:01 > 0:45:02Oh, that's a good bit.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04The birds are really lucky.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06They are.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10'Pine cones are perfect for packing with a fattened seed mix.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13'The birds will have to work hard for their reward.'
0:45:13 > 0:45:15If you were a bird, wouldn't you want to eat that?
0:45:15 > 0:45:17Yeah.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21'Apples stuffed with sunflower seeds are ideal for blue and great tits.'
0:45:23 > 0:45:27So you've got an apple that you've cored,
0:45:27 > 0:45:29you've put that through to make a little perch, have you?
0:45:29 > 0:45:31So the little birds can come and land on it.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33What a good idea.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37'Overseeing the children's efforts is RSPB volunteer Judy Simmons.'
0:45:39 > 0:45:43They just love being outside, learning about their environment,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46the creatures that share this world with us.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51We've been talking about how birds survive during the winter and to make
0:45:51 > 0:45:55the children understand that they need to help them.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Right, let's go. Where do you want to hang yours?
0:46:00 > 0:46:04'Here goes, fingers crossed these feeders tempt some hungry birds in for a
0:46:04 > 0:46:07'feast and give these children an early taste of twitching.'
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Good work, look at that!
0:46:14 > 0:46:17- Is that one yours? - Yes.- High-five! Loving your work.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19I'm just going to go around here and have a little...
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Oh! I think it's brilliant.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24I think we are there, I think we are done.
0:46:24 > 0:46:25Mine is still there!
0:46:25 > 0:46:29'There's still time to get involved in the RSPB's Big Schools' Birdwatch.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32'Head to our website for details.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34'Right, class photo.'
0:46:34 > 0:46:36One, two, three...
0:46:36 > 0:46:39ALL: Yeah!
0:46:40 > 0:46:42We could do this for hours.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55This week, Countryfile is all about birds.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59While Matt is way out east in Norfolk, I've come north to Cumbria,
0:46:59 > 0:47:02my neck of the woods, to a site they call Watchtree.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08It's a 205-acre nature reserve on a former airfield.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Keen-eyed visitors come here hoping to spot a rare species
0:47:12 > 0:47:15but I've got something bigger in mind.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20I'm on the trail of something very special and if I find it, it won't be
0:47:20 > 0:47:22a fleeting glimpse at the end of a pair of binoculars.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25No, we're talking a sky full.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Thousands of birds filling the air, fingers crossed.
0:47:30 > 0:47:35Watchtree is one of the best places in the north to spot murmurations of
0:47:35 > 0:47:38starlings, those incredible aerobatic displays put on
0:47:38 > 0:47:41by this humble bird in the winter.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50But it wasn't always such a paradise.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52In 2001, the site was used as a mass burial ground
0:47:52 > 0:47:56for animals during the foot-and-mouth crisis.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04But nature heals,
0:48:04 > 0:48:08and 16 years later, it's been transformed into this.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18'The starlings don't come out till dusk,
0:48:18 > 0:48:22'so in the meantime, I'm meeting reserve director Frank Mawby
0:48:22 > 0:48:25'to find out what else to watch out for at Watchtree.'
0:48:25 > 0:48:29What is it about this place that makes it such a good environment for
0:48:29 > 0:48:32- different birds?- Well, we've got lots of different habitats.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34We've got this old woodland we're in now,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36next to it we've got new plantation woodland,
0:48:36 > 0:48:40we've got grassland, wetland, and that gives us
0:48:40 > 0:48:44about 35-40 species of breeding birds every year.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47You've got numbers and you've got rare birds, haven't you?
0:48:47 > 0:48:50The curlew certainly is one of our sort of rarer species.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53You will find yellowhammers on our bird feeders,
0:48:53 > 0:48:55tree sparrows in abundance which,
0:48:55 > 0:48:58when I first came to Cumbria, were very scarce.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01Are you surprised that there are so many birds, given the wind turbines?
0:49:01 > 0:49:04Well, there is certainly evidence that the initial works
0:49:04 > 0:49:07will scare them away from a site but they're quite happy.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11You see them breeding on the ground and quite close to the turbines and
0:49:11 > 0:49:13they manage them very well.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21There is still an hour or two till dusk,
0:49:21 > 0:49:25the time when the starlings will put on their sensational display.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27Fingers crossed.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31Murmurations of starlings really are incredible and the best thing about
0:49:31 > 0:49:33them is you really don't need to be an expert
0:49:33 > 0:49:36to appreciate how hypnotic they are.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39A few weeks ago, we asked you to send in your sightings and you
0:49:39 > 0:49:40have not disappointed us.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43Frank, you're going to love these, have a look at this.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Your clips made up for the disappointment Matt and I felt
0:50:10 > 0:50:13at not seeing them for ourselves a few weeks back.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16But I'm hoping for better luck today.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24'Making sure that everybody who wants to see the starlings
0:50:24 > 0:50:27'can do so is the job of access manager Ryan Dobson.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30'He reckons the best way to get around the site is by bike.'
0:50:32 > 0:50:35It is quite a collection of bikes you've got here, Ryan, isn't it?
0:50:35 > 0:50:39We have bikes that are suitable for any ability or disability,
0:50:39 > 0:50:43whether they need to have a care worker with them at the same time,
0:50:43 > 0:50:46so we have stuff like the side-by-side and you pedal that by hand.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49I guess the most advanced version is this one.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52Any wheelchair can sit on the front of that.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Are you seeing people you wouldn't expect to see here and are they coming back?
0:50:55 > 0:50:58Absolutely, we're busier than we've ever been and the range of
0:50:58 > 0:51:02different people accessing nature at Watchtree is huge.
0:51:02 > 0:51:03I like this bike here.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06Oh. But I imagine as well you get kids just coming and wanting to try
0:51:06 > 0:51:09- these out.- Oh, yeah, yeah, that's part of it as well.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14If you've got a family come along with six kids,
0:51:14 > 0:51:18one of which has a disability, this is one of the only places everybody does the same thing.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21The ability becomes irrelevant, doesn't it? Because everyone's on a level playing field.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24I mean, look at me, I'm practically an Olympian!
0:51:24 > 0:51:28This is excellent. Right, I'll see you in an hour.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32'One of the people who has benefited
0:51:32 > 0:51:36'from Watchtree's range of accessible bikes is Deborah Dearden.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39'She liked one of them so much she got her own.'
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Now, Deborah, that is a steed and quite a set of wheels.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47I don't know which to comment on first. That's the biggest dog I've ever seen!
0:51:47 > 0:51:50Talk to me about this bike, though.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55It's the most amazing, fabulous thing that I can go anywhere in.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Normally I'm on a mobility scooter.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02And I can't go up kerbs and I can't go over rough grass.
0:52:02 > 0:52:08Whereas this has individual wheels sprung, so it's amazing.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Would you say you have an appetite for the outdoors?
0:52:11 > 0:52:12Do you want to go up hills?
0:52:12 > 0:52:17I've been wanting to go outside and up mountains since I was 16.
0:52:17 > 0:52:23And then I had a bad car crash and unfortunately it left me with injuries
0:52:23 > 0:52:24which meant I couldn't.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26- Can you now?- Yes.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29- Finally.- So, where have you been? - We've been up Wynlass,
0:52:29 > 0:52:31which I've never been able to do.
0:52:31 > 0:52:32Ramsbottom is the next one.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34I believe I can do that now.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38This must seem relatively tame. What brings you to Watchtree?
0:52:38 > 0:52:39Birds.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43About 12 months ago, I started coming to watch the birds and to
0:52:43 > 0:52:46bring what was a baby puppy.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49I don't think he was ever a baby!
0:52:49 > 0:52:50SHE LAUGHS
0:52:52 > 0:52:54'Dusk descends.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58'A small crowd gathers.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02'All here to witness one of nature's greatest sights.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06'Large numbers of starlings can never be guaranteed
0:53:06 > 0:53:07'and it's a tense wait.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11'But our patience pays off.
0:53:14 > 0:53:15'In a big way!
0:53:15 > 0:53:17'Just look at that.'
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Wow! It's incredible, isn't it?
0:53:34 > 0:53:35It's just wonderful.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56'And their numbers just build and build.'
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Look at all those birds!
0:53:59 > 0:54:01Blimey! Where have they come from?
0:54:01 > 0:54:02We're getting up to 40,000 maybe.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Oh, my word.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17It's almost supernatural,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20the way these starlings dance around each other
0:54:20 > 0:54:24and peel off and come together in the sky, it really is spectacular,
0:54:24 > 0:54:27what a showing! But the light is starting to fall,
0:54:27 > 0:54:30which means it's time for these birds to settle down and roost
0:54:30 > 0:54:34for the night here in Cumbria and probably down in Norfolk as well.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36I think it's time for us to do the same.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Yes, it's all very calm and peaceful here.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Now, next week, it's our winter special
0:54:42 > 0:54:45and I'll be up in Helen's neck of the woods, in Cumbria,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47looking at hardy Herdwick sheep,
0:54:47 > 0:54:49and Ellie will be in the snowy Cairngorms.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51I hope you can join us then.