:00:27. > :00:30.Between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth
:00:31. > :00:37.Try saying that after a couple of wee drams.
:00:38. > :00:41.Along the coastline, cliffs bluster and boats bob,
:00:42. > :00:46.but it's the fruitful farmland I'm here to explore.
:00:47. > :00:49.This is Scotland's berry-growing heartland
:00:50. > :00:52.and today I'll be finding out about an ambitious project
:00:53. > :00:57.that aims to revolutionise the future of our raspberries.
:00:58. > :01:01.Ellie's crossing the water for a seasonal seabird spectacle.
:01:02. > :01:04.I've got something here, Ellie, I think you'll like.
:01:05. > :01:12.Tom's looking at the problem of TB in goats,
:01:13. > :01:15.and asking why it seems to have gone under the radar.
:01:16. > :01:19.when possibly it's impossible to keep livestock at all
:01:20. > :01:27.unless somebody gets a grip on this terrible disease.
:01:28. > :01:30.And Adam's having his wild flower borders mapped
:01:31. > :01:54.It's not a bad job, is it? Not bad at all, is it, really?
:01:55. > :02:01.the rather majestic full title of this eastern edge of Scotland.
:02:02. > :02:04.Our journey today starts here in Anstruther,
:02:05. > :02:09.the largest fishing village along the Fife coast.
:02:10. > :02:13.The plan was to board that ferry with a load of other day-trippers
:02:14. > :02:18.to the Isle of May - it's a beautiful place,
:02:19. > :02:20.open six months of the year for visitors.
:02:21. > :02:24.But, as you can see, the weather and the subsequent high swell
:02:25. > :02:32.has well and truly stopped play, so we need another plan.
:02:33. > :02:35.Well, the day-trippers might have missed the boat,
:02:36. > :02:40.Roy Giles has offered me a lift in his trusty RIB.
:02:41. > :02:44.What's it going to be like? A bit bumpy?
:02:45. > :02:47.Put it this way - I'm going to get you wet, but it's perfectly safe.
:02:48. > :02:57.All right. Hi, Ellie, welcome aboard. Thanks very much.
:02:58. > :03:00.The Isle of May is five miles from the mainland,
:03:01. > :03:08.And if I wasn't awake before, I certainly am now.
:03:09. > :03:13.with a magical mix of seabirds and seals.
:03:14. > :03:17.It attracts more than 10,000 visitors a year,
:03:18. > :03:23.but today, it will have just the one.
:03:24. > :03:27.the island's Scottish Natural Heritage team.
:03:28. > :03:34.And in this weather, I'll be seeing a side of the island few get to see.
:03:35. > :03:37.Come up this middle bit. What an amazing journey!
:03:38. > :03:42.Hey-hey! So, welcome to the island, Ellie. Thanks very much!
:03:43. > :03:52.Each summer, the isle puts on one of its most impressive spectacles.
:03:53. > :03:55.It's just another day at the office for Bex Outram,
:03:56. > :03:58.one of the tiny team that look after this place.
:03:59. > :04:00.I've got something here, Ellie, I think you'll like.
:04:01. > :04:11.Everywhere you look, birds are crammed onto ledges
:04:12. > :04:16.The noise suddenly picks up as you get closer to the edge.
:04:17. > :04:20.The smells as well. And the smell! That's fishy.
:04:21. > :04:23.I don't think there's a single crevice
:04:24. > :04:31.How many do you get to the Isle of May?
:04:32. > :04:33.Well, this is breeding season, peak season,
:04:34. > :04:36.so there's about 100,000 birds that are here at the moment.
:04:37. > :04:40.That's amazing. Why is it that they come to the Isle of May?
:04:41. > :04:43.It's an island, so it's very safe for them.
:04:44. > :04:47.We're very lucky we don't have any rats, foxes, or any land mammals
:04:48. > :04:49.that will come and take their eggs and their chicks.
:04:50. > :04:52.Is there a particular order about which birds nest where?
:04:53. > :04:56.So at the top you tend to find fulmars,
:04:57. > :04:59.they'll find their own little crevice.
:05:00. > :05:04.they'll build, like, a little nest bowl on ledges.
:05:05. > :05:06.They're fairly high up on the cliffs.
:05:07. > :05:09.The guillemots, they like the larger ledges.
:05:10. > :05:13.They nest in groups. And are they... Are they site-faithful?
:05:14. > :05:16.Will you see the same breeding pairs come back to the same spots? Yeah.
:05:17. > :05:18.You do generally, yeah. And they'll come back,
:05:19. > :05:21.they'll come early spring, do a bit of a spring clean
:05:22. > :05:23.and then just find their ledge and find their mate.
:05:24. > :05:27.And you'll tend to find that the older ones will nest at the top.
:05:28. > :05:31.older ones at the top, younger ones at the bottom,
:05:32. > :05:35.because at the bottom they're a bit more exposed to the elements,
:05:36. > :05:39.and so yeah, last week we had strong westerly winds
:05:40. > :05:42.and high seas so there's a lot of swell,
:05:43. > :05:45.and there's about 400 guillemots that nest on that one ledge,
:05:46. > :05:49.and yeah, they all just got washed away. All those chicks went.
:05:50. > :05:55.To lose 400 chicks in one fell swoop is devastating.
:05:56. > :06:02.This is life at the mercy of the elements.
:06:03. > :06:08.The seabird spectacle draws visitors throughout the summer months.
:06:09. > :06:15.But there's one bird in particular that people flock here for.
:06:16. > :06:27.Now is a crucial time for baby puffling survival on the island,
:06:28. > :06:34.feeding time is a top priority for the puffin parents.
:06:35. > :06:37.Seabird researchers Mark Newell and his team
:06:38. > :06:40.not only monitor and ring puffin populations
:06:41. > :06:45.but also look at what they're feeding their young.
:06:46. > :06:47.Sand eels are what they really want to bring in.
:06:48. > :06:51.that are in the sea around these parts.
:06:52. > :06:54.The sand eels are such an important part of the puffins' life.
:06:55. > :06:58.We're certainly finding a change in the sand eel stocks.
:06:59. > :07:04.Perhaps 20 years ago they would be 80mm long, the individual fish.
:07:05. > :07:07.Where this is a more typical size that we're finding now,
:07:08. > :07:13.so it means that they've got to catch more of them
:07:14. > :07:17.to give the same amount of nutrition to the chick.
:07:18. > :07:19.So they've got to work that bit harder, go out that bit more often,
:07:20. > :07:22.use up more energy to get more energy. Yeah.
:07:23. > :07:23.It feels kind of unkind, taking his catch away.
:07:24. > :07:26.It is a little bit, but we have looked at
:07:27. > :07:29.how frequently we catch individuals during a season.
:07:30. > :07:32.We've never caught the same individual twice in one year.
:07:33. > :07:37.So it's just a one-time only. Yeah. Just one breakfast load gone.
:07:38. > :07:41.Whilst island life may look and sound idyllic,
:07:42. > :07:44.it's no holiday for the island's seabirds,
:07:45. > :07:50.working tirelessly fending for their young.
:07:51. > :07:53.Later, I'll see just how the island copes
:07:54. > :08:02.There are some issues which come up time and again on Countryfile,
:08:03. > :08:08.It's a disease that has ravaged cattle
:08:09. > :08:11.and led to controversial badger culls.
:08:12. > :08:15.bovine TB is claiming thousands of hidden victims
:08:16. > :08:26.and damaging livelihoods on some of our more unusual farms.
:08:27. > :08:31.Bovine TB is one of the most emotive issues in the British countryside.
:08:32. > :08:35.I've witnessed the stress of cattle being TB-tested.
:08:36. > :08:41.What just happened there? Er, Fifi is a reactor.
:08:42. > :08:45.So that's it. She'll be slaughtered here, or taken away...?
:08:46. > :08:51.But cattle aren't the only animals at risk.
:08:52. > :08:56.Alpacas, llamas, deer, sheep, pigs, and even cats and dogs
:08:57. > :09:04.Just like cattle, they're slaughtered if they test positive.
:09:05. > :09:08.And one animal is particularly susceptible -
:09:09. > :09:17.just like a human cold, and they often live in large herds.
:09:18. > :09:20.Put those two together and it can make it quite easy
:09:21. > :09:29.and it's led to the slaughter of thousands of goats.
:09:30. > :09:34.We're talking about entire commercial herds.
:09:35. > :09:37.Goats are increasingly common in the UK
:09:38. > :09:41.as demand for their meat and milk has soared in recent years.
:09:42. > :09:49.Production of goat's milk has increased to
:09:50. > :10:02.and that's why Gloucestershire farmer Tom Nichols
:10:03. > :10:10.switched from milking cows to milking goats over a decade ago.
:10:11. > :10:14.and the market was growing some 25% each year.
:10:15. > :10:16.So how many goats are you milking here?
:10:17. > :10:21.We've got about 640 in milk at the moment.
:10:22. > :10:26.Across the UK, just 60 large-scale farms like Tom's
:10:27. > :10:33.That's an average of 1,000 goats per farm.
:10:34. > :10:40.This is no cottage industry, but serious commercial farming.
:10:41. > :10:45.More goats means a higher risk of TB.
:10:46. > :10:51.And just four years ago, Tom lost his whole herd.
:10:52. > :10:57.with all the young stock we had on the ground at the time.
:10:58. > :11:05.And what was that like for you and your family? It was terrible.
:11:06. > :11:11.Pulled the rug out from under our feet, really.
:11:12. > :11:18.Well, we'd purchased some goats earlier in the year
:11:19. > :11:22.We hadn't thought about pre-movement testing them at that stage
:11:23. > :11:28.The government compensates cattle owners for infected animals,
:11:29. > :11:30.but there's no deal like that for goats.
:11:31. > :11:35.Tom was offered the slaughter value - about ?30 per animal -
:11:36. > :11:39.but their real value was ?300 to ?400 each.
:11:40. > :11:45.The disease is the same as in the bovine, the cow situation,
:11:46. > :11:47.so I don't see why there should be any discrepancy
:11:48. > :11:51.We've got a huge amount at stake, here,
:11:52. > :11:54.and it's not encouraging people to test
:11:55. > :11:57.if they haven't got that safety net of the compensation scheme.
:11:58. > :11:59.And if the worst happened and it did come again,
:12:00. > :12:07.could you survive another outbreak? Probably not at the moment, no.
:12:08. > :12:11.In Tom's case, the disease was only found when a few goats
:12:12. > :12:18.That's because there's no routine testing.
:12:19. > :12:23.It was local vet Briony Kendall who made the grim discovery.
:12:24. > :12:27.Emotionally it was very, very tough, yeah. It's very, very rare
:12:28. > :12:30.that you get such an enormous proportion of the herd
:12:31. > :12:34.that are reactors, and it was just... Yeah.
:12:35. > :12:45.but Briony's going to show me what it's like working with goats.
:12:46. > :12:47.It's very similar in goats than it is in cattle.
:12:48. > :12:50.Er, but because they've got a smaller neck,
:12:51. > :12:54.we've got to do one injection on one side and one on the other.
:12:55. > :12:56.The injection triggers an immune response -
:12:57. > :13:03.If they're over a certain size, the animal is deemed to have TB.
:13:04. > :13:07.And then we have to measure the skin using these - seen these before?
:13:08. > :13:11.check both sides of the neck to look for lumps.
:13:12. > :13:14.And like cattle, is it all about the size of the lump,
:13:15. > :13:16.one compared to the other? Yeah, that's right.
:13:17. > :13:20.Goats can catch TB from cattle on mixed farms
:13:21. > :13:27.they can be moved around the country without being tested,
:13:28. > :13:32.meaning the disease can spread from farm to farm.
:13:33. > :13:37.It's impossible to know how much TB is out there.
:13:38. > :13:40.Is the lack of routine testing currently a problem for you?
:13:41. > :13:43.Yeah. I think we need to do more testing.
:13:44. > :13:47.until you know how much of a problem it is.
:13:48. > :13:50.And how would increased testing work? Would it just be routine,
:13:51. > :13:52.as a matter of course, or a bit more focused?
:13:53. > :13:56.I think probably the best way to do it is on a risk basis.
:13:57. > :13:59.Goat herds are run differently to cattle herds
:14:00. > :14:02.so the majority of them are housed, particularly the dairy goats,
:14:03. > :14:06.er, so when they're housed you can make the buildings wildlife-proof,
:14:07. > :14:08.you can make the feed stores wildlife-proof.
:14:09. > :14:10.They don't come into contact with any other animals.
:14:11. > :14:14.Assess the biosecurity and then make decisions on that.
:14:15. > :14:18.TB has been found in goat's milk but it's killed
:14:19. > :14:22.through pasteurisation, so it's safe to drink.
:14:23. > :14:29.My worry is that the backyard producers that have two goats
:14:30. > :14:33.and milk those goats for their own consumption,
:14:34. > :14:36.I worry that they really should be testing,
:14:37. > :14:39.and we encourage all of our small producers to do so.
:14:40. > :14:41.And why do you think it's a particular issue for them?
:14:42. > :14:44.Because it's unpasteurised milk that they're drinking. Right.
:14:45. > :14:47.And the TB could be passed on through that, could it?
:14:48. > :14:50.If the goats have the TB, then yes, it could be.
:14:51. > :14:55.So for the sake of animal welfare and human health,
:14:56. > :14:57.vets and farmers are calling for a clear strategy
:14:58. > :15:05.So is there a solution, and what would it look like?
:15:06. > :15:12.That's what I'll be finding out later.
:15:13. > :15:15.With scenery as breathtaking as it is here in Fife,
:15:16. > :15:22.it's an understandable source of inspiration for many.
:15:23. > :15:25.Photography can be a solitary pursuit,
:15:26. > :15:34.Lost in the moment, focused entirely on what lies behind the lens.
:15:35. > :15:36.Feeling a yearning for the coastline,
:15:37. > :15:40.one woman's decision to immerse herself fully in the landscape
:15:41. > :15:47.led to an epic walk of one of Scotland's great trails.
:15:48. > :15:50.I'm Karen Thorburn, I'm a Scottish landscape photographer,
:15:51. > :15:57.and I recently walked the entire Fife Coastal Path.
:15:58. > :16:00.The Fife Coastal Path is one of Scotland's long-distance routes.
:16:01. > :16:05.It's 117 miles from Kincardine to Newburgh.
:16:06. > :16:10.When I was planning the walk, I realised it was
:16:11. > :16:13.an excellent opportunity to do some fundraising for charity.
:16:14. > :16:17.As a way of making the fundraising more engaging,
:16:18. > :16:36.I called the project "117 Miles, 117 Photos".
:16:37. > :16:39.Just before I started out on the Fife Coastal Path,
:16:40. > :16:41.my grandad was going downhill with cancer,
:16:42. > :16:46.so I thought it would be an excellent tribute to him.
:16:47. > :16:52.My grandad, Robert Thorburn, was a train driver.
:16:53. > :16:56.When he was driving steam trains, he drove a lot of iconic locomotives
:16:57. > :17:05.Whenever I'm on a train or near the railway, I think of my grandad.
:17:06. > :17:10.He drove trains over that bridge thousands of times.
:17:11. > :17:12.With the job I was doing at the time,
:17:13. > :17:15.I was travelling down to Edinburgh on the train
:17:16. > :17:17.every couple of weeks, crossing this bridge,
:17:18. > :17:22.and it was looking out over the Firth of Forth
:17:23. > :17:26.and the beautiful views over towards Edinburgh,
:17:27. > :17:35.to go ahead and walk the entire Fife Coastal Path.
:17:36. > :17:38.I feel like I've got a really strong connection with Fife.
:17:39. > :17:45.regularly spent weekends and day trips in this area.
:17:46. > :17:50.I got my first camera when I was six years old.
:17:51. > :17:52.When I'm out and about with my camera
:17:53. > :18:00.I try and create shots that I can navigate through and make sense of.
:18:01. > :18:03.Walking the path was a great reconnaissance exercise.
:18:04. > :18:07.It's led me to come back with my professional camera
:18:08. > :18:10.and capture these scenes in the best lighting conditions
:18:11. > :18:17.There's just so much variety in Scotland,
:18:18. > :18:23.and the weather and the light is always changing.
:18:24. > :18:27.There's always something new, every time I venture outdoors.
:18:28. > :18:33.Can't quite put my finger on why. There's just something about it.
:18:34. > :18:40.Post-industrial towns, quaint fishing villages -
:18:41. > :18:55.was probably the most physically demanding thing I've ever done
:18:56. > :18:59.because I did it over consecutive days.
:19:00. > :19:05.but I find that whenever I go for a walk...
:19:06. > :19:08...I don't only benefit physically from getting exercise,
:19:09. > :19:16.The walk taught me that it's not the camera that takes great photographs,
:19:17. > :19:19.The important thing is to have a vision
:19:20. > :19:22.and to go out and enjoy the countryside
:19:23. > :19:32.When I'm out walking, I find that's a great time to reflect.
:19:33. > :19:35.It's just absolutely spectacular to be on top of the Forth Bridge.
:19:36. > :19:39.Every time I cross this bridge I think about my grandad,
:19:40. > :19:42.so it really means an awful lot to actually be up here on top of it.
:19:43. > :19:45.To look out along the Fife coast as well
:19:46. > :19:48.and to know that I've walked round the whole peninsula,
:19:49. > :19:56.and this is a great way to celebrate it.
:19:57. > :20:00.I realise just how important his career was to him.
:20:01. > :20:05.I've only recently been clearing out his house
:20:06. > :20:08.and wrapping up his model locomotives,
:20:09. > :20:13.that that's how he defined himself, as an engine driver.
:20:14. > :20:18.That really serves as a reminder to me how important it is
:20:19. > :20:20.to have a passion in life and to follow that,
:20:21. > :20:32.and that's how I feel about my photography.
:20:33. > :20:41.and the weather has taken a turn for the worse during the night.
:20:42. > :20:49.I feel like I'm going to be swept off my feet.
:20:50. > :21:04.In the wind and rain, nature reveals its raw power.
:21:05. > :21:13.Off the east coast here, there is nothing but miles and miles
:21:14. > :21:16.of raging North Sea between us and Norway.
:21:17. > :21:19.That's why we're feeling the full force of it here today.
:21:20. > :21:23.And it's hard enough for these seabirds to find enough food
:21:24. > :21:27.to raise their chicks, but to do it against these huge winds
:21:28. > :21:35.shows what a challenging life they have.
:21:36. > :21:43.The island's seabirds have been battling the elements for hours.
:21:44. > :21:47.Thousands of puffin burrows cover the island,
:21:48. > :21:54.and in these storms, they're in danger of flooding.
:21:55. > :22:01.is anxious to check the burrows are safe.
:22:02. > :22:03.So many challenges for these puffins.
:22:04. > :22:06.They're much happier when they're out at sea,
:22:07. > :22:08.but the weather this last 24 hours has been awful.
:22:09. > :22:11.It's been tough. I mean, you know, puffins on this island
:22:12. > :22:16.That's what they're trying to do, just raise a single chick,
:22:17. > :22:20.and the weather's not helped in the last 24 hours.
:22:21. > :22:24.We've had a lot of rain, and when you're nesting underground,
:22:25. > :22:26.we've actually got a puffin chick in here,
:22:27. > :22:29.and as you can see from the water here which is starting to fill up,
:22:30. > :22:31.you know, it'll eventually just flood the burrow
:22:32. > :22:34.and the chick will be lost. And this couldn't have come
:22:35. > :22:36.at a worse time for them. If it was early on in the season
:22:37. > :22:38.they might have had another go, laying another egg.
:22:39. > :22:41.Honestly, no. I was distraught when I saw the weather pattern
:22:42. > :22:43.and what we were going to get on the island.
:22:44. > :22:46.It couldn't have picked a worse time - I just want,
:22:47. > :22:50.sort of mid-June into early July I just want nice, fine weather.
:22:51. > :22:53.I don't need this, you know. Even just 24 hours,
:22:54. > :22:57.So what can you do when these burrows fill up like this?
:22:58. > :23:00.Well, it's tough. We do try our hardest, you know -
:23:01. > :23:03.we'll put drainage in to try and get rid of the excess water,
:23:04. > :23:20.and one bird has been ruffling feathers on the island.
:23:21. > :23:24.Black-backed gulls have been eating the puffins.
:23:25. > :23:31.It's a conservation quandary for researcher Sophie Bennett.
:23:32. > :23:35.Why is it that just a few are doing this,
:23:36. > :23:37.are having puffins as the main part of their diet?
:23:38. > :23:39.Well, the majority of the gulls are generalist feeders,
:23:40. > :23:43.they'll be feeling on refuse, fish, and auks and rabbits as well.
:23:44. > :23:48.because puffins and razorbills and guillemots
:23:49. > :23:52.so the gulls that are feeding on them
:23:53. > :23:55.have a higher chance of successfully fledging their own young.
:23:56. > :23:58.And I suppose they don't have to go out to sea to get the food. Exactly.
:23:59. > :24:00.They can just sit right here and wait for the puffins to fly in
:24:01. > :24:04.and then they've got them. Efficient feeding! It's fascinating stuff.
:24:05. > :24:06.I suppose all of this lends itself to that perception
:24:07. > :24:11.Yeah, the media is often portraying great black-backs
:24:12. > :24:14.as these big baddies coming in and eating the cute puffins,
:24:15. > :24:16.but they've got their own chicks to feed as well,
:24:17. > :24:20.great black-backs are also amber-listed,
:24:21. > :24:22.and so you've got that conservation problem
:24:23. > :24:24.of whether to favour one or the other.
:24:25. > :24:27.I guess that's why having data is so important -
:24:28. > :24:33.decisions get made on the best factual evidence base there is.
:24:34. > :24:38.and the threat of the great black-backed gull,
:24:39. > :24:41.the puffin population on the Isle of May has remained stable,
:24:42. > :24:44.and although it's been a challenging day for them,
:24:45. > :24:49.they're still finding their way back home to their chicks.
:24:50. > :24:54.Ellie! Ellie, come on and look at this.
:24:55. > :24:58.I've managed to get an adult puffin, which is incredible.
:24:59. > :25:02.He's struggling a little bit, but fabulous birds. Amazing.
:25:03. > :25:06.He's just down the burrow there, and I'm just going to hold that in...
:25:07. > :25:09.Is the chick in there too, do you think? Possibly. Hang on.
:25:10. > :25:13.I've got the chick as well. SHE SQUEALS
:25:14. > :25:17.We're not allowed to say "cute" in the animal world, but that is cute.
:25:18. > :25:19.Indeed, yes! You can see it's just hatched,
:25:20. > :25:23.it's still got its egg tooth. Yeah, on top of the beak there.
:25:24. > :25:27.And it'll take about 40 days to fledge,
:25:28. > :25:30.so he will be fledging, hopefully, in sort of early August.
:25:31. > :25:32.He's late, this one. He is a late one.
:25:33. > :25:36.We expect a lot of the puffin chicks to go by mid-July,
:25:37. > :25:38.so yeah, he's going to be an early August one,
:25:39. > :25:40.just in time for the school holidays.
:25:41. > :25:43.And with the adult there, that sort of yellow bit on the bill,
:25:44. > :25:45.is that... That's the hinging that allows it
:25:46. > :25:47.to hold so many sand eels at the same time? Yeah.
:25:48. > :25:50.It allows the bill to not just open up and down
:25:51. > :25:55.so it actually can collect... plenty of sand eels.
:25:56. > :25:58.Record's about 61 sand eels in the bill. No way!
:25:59. > :26:01.It is a very efficient way of hunting. Indeed.
:26:02. > :26:03.Right. Right, I'm going to put these back,
:26:04. > :26:06.if that's all right, cos he's getting a bit cold.
:26:07. > :26:09.I'll let him get back on with his parenting, just hold over that one.
:26:10. > :26:19.Brilliant. Amazing! Fabulous. Good stuff!
:26:20. > :26:24.a side of the island that few get to see.
:26:25. > :26:29.And so far, my island adventure hasn't disappointed.
:26:30. > :26:31.Later, I'll be finding out what island life is like
:26:32. > :26:39.for the tiny team of 12 that live here.
:26:40. > :26:43.is not just a disease that affects cattle -
:26:44. > :26:49.So what's being done to tackle it in livestock other than cows?
:26:50. > :27:03.Bovine TB has claimed the lives of around 370,000 cattle
:27:04. > :27:07.in just a decade, and more than 14,000 badgers
:27:08. > :27:12.since the controversial culls began in 2013.
:27:13. > :27:19.But is all that pain in vain if TB is hiding in other animals?
:27:20. > :27:23.Goats are susceptible to TB, but unlike with cattle,
:27:24. > :27:31.so many goat herds have never had a TB test.
:27:32. > :27:34.It's only mandatory if there's reason to suspect
:27:35. > :27:39.Otherwise, they can be bought, sold and moved around the country
:27:40. > :27:46.without a test. In other words, the disease can slip under the radar.
:27:47. > :27:50.And with little or no compensation for infected animals,
:27:51. > :27:58.than face losing their livestock and livelihood.
:27:59. > :28:01.This farm in Devon is the only place in the country
:28:02. > :28:04.where you'll find this variety of cashmere goat,
:28:05. > :28:15.you'd get two or three small, but beautiful-quality jumpers out of it.
:28:16. > :28:25.had the herd TB-tested for the first time in December
:28:26. > :28:30.after an outbreak on a neighbouring cattle farm.
:28:31. > :28:32.So tell me, what was this TB test like?
:28:33. > :28:39.and although we tried very hard to keep calm,
:28:40. > :28:43.and goats pick up your mood very quickly.
:28:44. > :28:49.stressful for us and stressful for them.
:28:50. > :28:51.And what would it have meant for your business
:28:52. > :28:53.if you'd lost a large number of them?
:28:54. > :28:57.It would have been the end of it, because this is a unique flock.
:28:58. > :29:08.and Lesley's expecting another test any time.
:29:09. > :29:13.You're farming goats in a high-risk area for TB. Yeah.
:29:14. > :29:16.There are cattle just over there. Exactly.
:29:17. > :29:18.Is it sensible? I can see a time coming
:29:19. > :29:21.when possibly it's impossible to keep livestock at all
:29:22. > :29:28.unless somebody gets a grip on this terrible disease.
:29:29. > :29:32.Farmers and vets have made their feelings known to government
:29:33. > :29:36.by responding to a consultation on tackling TB
:29:37. > :29:43.in non-bovine species, including goats.
:29:44. > :29:48.Defra, the government department in charge of tackling bovine TB,
:29:49. > :29:55.published its response to the consultation.
:29:56. > :30:01.and bring in improved compensation rates
:30:02. > :30:09.But we've had a general election since then,
:30:10. > :30:15.and farmers are worried that it's got...a bit buried.
:30:16. > :30:19.Unfortunately, no-one from Defra was available to talk about it,
:30:20. > :30:23.so I'm meeting David Harwood from the Goat Veterinary Society,
:30:24. > :30:27.which was involved in this consultation.
:30:28. > :30:30.flow out of this government consultation?
:30:31. > :30:33.What we've lacked in the past is a consistent approach,
:30:34. > :30:36.It isn't actually laid down in legislation
:30:37. > :30:40.er, and there's been different interpretations
:30:41. > :30:44.What changes might you like to see around compensation?
:30:45. > :30:48.Well, there currently isn't any compensation at all payable
:30:49. > :30:51.in England under the legislative process.
:30:52. > :30:53.There isn't a compensation scheme in Northern Ireland either,
:30:54. > :31:02.I think we need to get some standard compensation scales in place
:31:03. > :31:08.and also we have to be mindful of the fact that this money's
:31:09. > :31:11.coming from the public purse, you know, it's not a bottomless pit.
:31:12. > :31:14.Is there a danger that without that, farmers might end up covering it up
:31:15. > :31:17.a bit, or now wanting to acknowledge their problem? Very much so.
:31:18. > :31:20.There's a disincentive to report a suspicion of disease.
:31:21. > :31:22.As you say, farmers may try and bury it.
:31:23. > :31:26.So I think we need to get something that is very clear, very concise
:31:27. > :31:29.and very consistent in place on compensation.
:31:30. > :31:31.How confident are you that the government
:31:32. > :31:33.will actually follow up this consultation?
:31:34. > :31:36.I'm hopeful that something will come of it,
:31:37. > :31:43.David may be reassured by the subsequent statement
:31:44. > :31:46.we received from Defra, saying, "Later this year,
:31:47. > :31:50."we will introduce a statutory compensation scheme
:31:51. > :31:55."along with improved disease controls."
:31:56. > :32:01.But right now, farmers like Tom and Lesley are farming on a knife-edge.
:32:02. > :32:06.spelling financial ruin for their businesses
:32:07. > :32:11.and sounding the death knell for their goats.
:32:12. > :32:17.to improve the TB control strategy in goats,
:32:18. > :32:23.The goat industry say they need this to happen
:32:24. > :32:34.Well, it doesn't get much wilder than out here on the Isle of May,
:32:35. > :32:38.but if you managed to capture the call of the wild on your camera
:32:39. > :32:50.for our photographic competition, here's John with the details.
:32:51. > :32:53."The call of the wild" can be found almost everywhere in our countryside
:32:54. > :32:56.and it's up to you to interpret that theme.
:32:57. > :33:03.no matter what the weather, no matter what the season.
:33:04. > :33:16.the many thousands of entries that you send in
:33:17. > :33:19.and picking the very best for our Countryfile calendar,
:33:20. > :33:23.which goes on sale later this year in aid of Children In Need.
:33:24. > :33:27.Buy one and you'll get some amazing photos to look at on your wall
:33:28. > :33:38.we'll have an overall winner voted for by you, our Countryfile viewers.
:33:39. > :33:41.Not only will that picture grace the cover of our calendar,
:33:42. > :33:45.the winner will receive a voucher for ?1,000
:33:46. > :33:50.The person who takes the judges' favourite photo
:33:51. > :34:01.If you fancy a shot, why not send us your photos?
:34:02. > :34:04.We need your name, address, and a contact number
:34:05. > :34:09.with a note of where the picture was taken.
:34:10. > :34:23.Or you can enter online, on our website.
:34:24. > :34:32.The full terms and conditions are on our website
:34:33. > :34:45.of the BBC's Code of Conduct for competitions.
:34:46. > :34:49.We're off to the Cotswolds now to Adam's farm,
:34:50. > :34:51.where he's been testing out some new mapping technology
:34:52. > :35:03.that aims to get the most out of farmers' field margins.
:35:04. > :35:06.Summer is in full swing here on the farm.
:35:07. > :35:18.The oilseed rape is coming along nicely...
:35:19. > :35:22.And the hedgerows are looking magnificent.
:35:23. > :35:24.Hedges are not only lovely to look at,
:35:25. > :35:28.and they're good for the farmer, too,
:35:29. > :35:32.because they can help our livestock and crops by providing
:35:33. > :35:34.shelter from the bracing winter winds
:35:35. > :35:42.And it's not just the hedgerows that are bursting with life.
:35:43. > :35:48.our field margins have become a riot of colour.
:35:49. > :35:51.We've been involved with environmental stewardship schemes
:35:52. > :35:58.and what that means is that we're managing certain areas of the farm
:35:59. > :36:04.So on this side, we've got plants that have been grown specifically
:36:05. > :36:06.to provide seed to feed the birds during the winter months.
:36:07. > :36:10.And over here is a pollen and nectar mix that provides flowers
:36:11. > :36:13.to help the bees and butterflies and other insects.
:36:14. > :36:17.We've also created raised mounds called beetle banks
:36:18. > :36:22.to provide a habitat for bugs and insects...
:36:23. > :36:30.Richard Spyvee from Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
:36:31. > :36:38.are doing their best for both the environment and the farm.
:36:39. > :36:40.Hi, Richard, good to see you. Hi there, Adam, how are you?
:36:41. > :36:43.Richard, we spend a lot of energy and effort
:36:44. > :36:47.and we're very keen on conservation on the farm,
:36:48. > :36:51.but I'm never quite sure whether they're working. What do you think?
:36:52. > :36:55.I think you only just need to look at the colour here at the moment.
:36:56. > :36:59.They're creating a great source for insect pollinators
:37:00. > :37:01.that are doing a great job on the farm.
:37:02. > :37:04.These oxeye daisies are a real splash of colour
:37:05. > :37:07.and this is providing a great nectar source
:37:08. > :37:12.that are going to help pollinate some of your cereal crops
:37:13. > :37:14.and some of your fruit crops as well.
:37:15. > :37:16.And we've got various different margins.
:37:17. > :37:24.it's not only providing a pollen and nectar source for them,
:37:25. > :37:29.you also need areas for them to nest in and for overwintering as well.
:37:30. > :37:32.So you need a variety of options that cater for those different needs
:37:33. > :37:36.rather than just this lovely colourful one in front of us here.
:37:37. > :37:39.And where are we with conservation nowadays?
:37:40. > :37:42.There's always plenty to be done, yeah.
:37:43. > :37:49.is obviously making a big difference.
:37:50. > :37:52.The government provides financial support
:37:53. > :37:56.to manage areas of their farm for conservation.
:37:57. > :38:00.But measuring these areas that have been put aside for wildlife
:38:01. > :38:06.It's an important one, though, because the amount of subsidy
:38:07. > :38:11.is determined by the amount of land that is set aside.
:38:12. > :38:14.Normally, farmers measure their margins by hand,
:38:15. > :38:39.has come up with a much quicker and more accurate method.
:38:40. > :38:42.a state-of-the-art camera mapping system
:38:43. > :38:50.is taking to the skies and heading this way.
:38:51. > :38:54.With me on the farm is Roger Nock from Ordnance Survey.
:38:55. > :38:57.Where we're planting our conservation margins,
:38:58. > :38:59.you can measure those very accurately.
:39:00. > :39:02.Yeah. The data we supply can be used to measure, yeah.
:39:03. > :39:06.It's within sort of a few centimetres of detail.
:39:07. > :39:09.A few centimetres! It's the most accurate you're ever going to get,
:39:10. > :39:12.using the kit that we've got. It's the latest technology.
:39:13. > :39:15.And you're working with Defra? Yes - the Rural Payments Agency
:39:16. > :39:18.asked us to survey and map all the hedgerows in England
:39:19. > :39:23.The technology allows us to, using near-infrared,
:39:24. > :39:26.pick up the hedgerows' sizes and positions and shapes
:39:27. > :39:31.so without any sort of human input to that,
:39:32. > :39:35.So as farmers, where we've got our hedges and walls and margins,
:39:36. > :39:38.some of which are supported by government,
:39:39. > :39:41.and we're measuring and sending those details in,
:39:42. > :39:43.you can work out whether they're correct or not?
:39:44. > :39:45.Well, it's up to them to decide that.
:39:46. > :39:47.We provide the information that they can look at.
:39:48. > :39:50.We provide where the position of the hedges are.
:39:51. > :39:53.We don't decide whether that's in the right or wrong place
:39:54. > :39:56.or it's too big or too small. Sure. We just purely take the imagery
:39:57. > :40:00.Our ability to put these things on the map very quickly
:40:01. > :40:02.in a short space of time, and very accurately,
:40:03. > :40:05.allows organisations to be able to pick and choose
:40:06. > :40:12.It's not long before our plane appears.
:40:13. > :40:16.That'll be around 5,500 feet at the moment.
:40:17. > :40:18.Normally we fly between 8,000 and 10,000 feet,
:40:19. > :40:20.so dropped down a little bit for this one.
:40:21. > :40:25.Well, the camera operator will be talking to his pilot,
:40:26. > :40:27.and liaising with the local air-traffic control
:40:28. > :40:29.just to make sure there's no other aircraft in the area,
:40:30. > :40:32.and he'll be checking his system and his camera's working fine.
:40:33. > :40:35.Eight lenses are all operating correctly.
:40:36. > :40:37.We've got a large-format digital camera on board,
:40:38. > :40:43.and it's continuously overlapping photographs of cities,
:40:44. > :40:50.and trying to keep on top of the update of the maps.
:40:51. > :41:01.Not a bad job, is it? It's not bad at all, is it, really?
:41:02. > :41:06.records thousands of tiny points in space,
:41:07. > :41:17.And when combined with thousands of detailed photos,
:41:18. > :41:23.it creates an incredible 3D map of the farm below.
:41:24. > :41:25.Buildings, hedgerows, crops and margins
:41:26. > :41:32.are all clearly visible across this virtual landscape.
:41:33. > :41:36.This technology has the power to transform agriculture,
:41:37. > :41:39.and that could bring huge benefits to farmers.
:41:40. > :41:43.Yields could be calculated much more accurately,
:41:44. > :41:48.or it could be used to guide whole fleets of autonomous tractors.
:41:49. > :41:55.But for now, it's helping record our all-important green spaces.
:41:56. > :41:58.There has to be a balance between food production
:41:59. > :42:04.And while this technology could pave the way for the farms of the future,
:42:05. > :42:08.it also ensures that government are rewarding farmers accurately
:42:09. > :42:20.for their work transforming field margins into wildlife habitats.
:42:21. > :42:29.in landscapes, and in edible treasure,
:42:30. > :42:35.so today, I'm celebrating the area's ruby-red jewels.
:42:36. > :42:38.Ripe and juicy raspberries and the humble redberry
:42:39. > :42:41.has coloured the agricultural history
:42:42. > :42:47.Berry-growing has long played an important part
:42:48. > :42:52.By the late 1950s, sought-after harvests
:42:53. > :42:55.were even transported by steam train down to London
:42:56. > :43:05.is a world leader when it comes to raspberry research.
:43:06. > :43:15.to produce new and improved strains of superberries.
:43:16. > :43:20.Dr Rachel McGorley is one of the scientists working on the project.
:43:21. > :43:25.I can see hundreds of raspberries here, ready to ripen.
:43:26. > :43:27.What are you trying to change? Do you need to change anything?
:43:28. > :43:30.They look great to me. Raspberries on the whole are fantastic.
:43:31. > :43:33.They're a really yummy, tasty fruit, they're full of antioxidants,
:43:34. > :43:36.which you can see in the nice vibrant red colour,
:43:37. > :43:41.But they're quite expensive for growers to produce,
:43:42. > :43:44.it takes quite a lot of time for pickers to pick them,
:43:45. > :43:47.because they're not displayed openly like strawberries,
:43:48. > :43:49.and also they're quite susceptible to diseases,
:43:50. > :43:51.in particular a disease called Phytophthora,
:43:52. > :43:53.otherwise known as raspberry root rot.
:43:54. > :43:55.I can see some plants here that don't look so healthy.
:43:56. > :43:58.Is that the root rot? Yeah, it is, unfortunately.
:43:59. > :44:00."Root Rot" sounds like some evil villain in the raspberry world!
:44:01. > :44:03.It's a very evil villain in the raspberry world.
:44:04. > :44:06.so you can see the canes are all dead here,
:44:07. > :44:09.and the leaves are dead. You're not going to get any fruit off this.
:44:10. > :44:12.And you don't know that your raspberry has got the disease
:44:13. > :44:15.until it starts to die above ground, and because there's no treatment
:44:16. > :44:17.for it, that's it. There's nothing that you can do.
:44:18. > :44:21.as soon as there's quite a lot of water in the soil
:44:22. > :44:24.it can flow between one plant and another. As you can see here,
:44:25. > :44:26.one of these plants have got it and then it's spread. Yeah.
:44:27. > :44:30.The findings of the research carried out here are vital to the industry
:44:31. > :44:33.and are shared with growers across the globe.
:44:34. > :44:36.In fact, around 50% of the world's blackcurrant crop
:44:37. > :44:39.was developed by scientists here, and their latest
:44:40. > :44:42.cross-breeding programme hopes to revolutionise raspberry-growing.
:44:43. > :44:44.So what we're doing here, we're breeding,
:44:45. > :44:48.so we're taking the characteristics of Latham,
:44:49. > :44:52.which is a really, really old variety from North America,
:44:53. > :44:54.which does have resistance to root rot,
:44:55. > :44:56.and then crossing them with the yummy berries that we already have
:44:57. > :44:59.to try and make a yummy berry that a grower's going to want to grow
:45:00. > :45:04.but also that can survive in the soil.
:45:05. > :45:08.Helping to translate Rachel's research from science to soil
:45:09. > :45:12.She grows up to 10,000 seedlings a year
:45:13. > :45:20.This is a glasshouse with more than 50 different varieties
:45:21. > :45:23.of raspberry, and some blackberry in here.
:45:24. > :45:26.And this is part of the disease testing scheme in the UK
:45:27. > :45:31.which provides the whole of the UK industry with healthy plants.
:45:32. > :45:34.A raspberry is a collection or an aggregate of fruit,
:45:35. > :45:37.er, and each one of these little drupelets
:45:38. > :45:40.is a fruit in its own right, and each produces a seed.
:45:41. > :45:43.Luckily for me, visitors are encouraged to
:45:44. > :45:48.aiming for a perfect balance of sugar and acid -
:45:49. > :45:52.the quintessential taste of a raspberry.
:45:53. > :46:02.If you go into any supermarket in the UK,
:46:03. > :46:05.if you see the word "glen", or the prefix "glen",
:46:06. > :46:09.it means that it was bred here at the Institute.
:46:10. > :46:12.All of our raspberries are named after glens,
:46:13. > :46:15.all of our blackcurrants are named after bens,
:46:16. > :46:17.and our blackberries are named after lochs.
:46:18. > :46:20.Having eaten my own body-weight in raspberries,
:46:21. > :46:22.it's time to see the science out in the field,
:46:23. > :46:31.where livelihoods depend on producing a good crop.
:46:32. > :46:34.Just over the River Tay, near Coupar,
:46:35. > :46:37.John Laird's family has been fruit farming for nearly 50 years.
:46:38. > :46:40.John, you've got a really successful set-up here,
:46:41. > :46:43.and at the heart of it are these raspberries. What type are they?
:46:44. > :46:47.These are born and bred in Scotland. These are our main crop.
:46:48. > :46:51.As you can see, the fruit's very well presented, easy to pick,
:46:52. > :46:53.er, it's a very firm berry so it travels well,
:46:54. > :46:56.but more importantly, the flavour's fantastic.
:46:57. > :46:59.Yeah. Like, these are on the verge of being ripe, aren't they?
:47:00. > :47:04.What makes this part of Scotland so successful in growing berries?
:47:05. > :47:07.We have very well drained soils. We've got plenty of moisture,
:47:08. > :47:11.and chilly winters, which is what the raspberry needs.
:47:12. > :47:14.But most of all, it's long, cool summers,
:47:15. > :47:16.which help the raspberries ripen slowly
:47:17. > :47:18.and that gives them their fuller flavour.
:47:19. > :47:21.As sales of raspberries have grown by nearly 14%
:47:22. > :47:23.in the last year, it's about keeping up with demand.
:47:24. > :47:27.We produce about 15 to 20 tonnes of raspberries a year,
:47:28. > :47:30.but we also have a pick-your-own element to the business.
:47:31. > :47:33.And just off the coast you've got oil, black gold.
:47:34. > :47:36.Is this Scotland's red gold? This is definitely our red gold.
:47:37. > :47:38.Green gold today, but red gold normally.
:47:39. > :47:41.In a few days, it'll be red gold. It'll be red.
:47:42. > :47:44.Having access to new, robust varieties
:47:45. > :47:47.will make growing the soft fruit more reliable and profitable
:47:48. > :47:53.I don't think there'd be a raspberry industry in Britain,
:47:54. > :47:56.not just Scotland, if it weren't for the breeding programmes.
:47:57. > :47:59.Er, they've produced dozens of wonderful varieties of raspberries
:48:00. > :48:02.over the years. Each one has improved on the last.
:48:03. > :48:07.They've also managed to get flavour back into them.
:48:08. > :48:08.For a long time we forgot about flavour,
:48:09. > :48:20.Nikki from the James Hutton Institute has spent
:48:21. > :48:24.the last few years trialling and testing this new breed.
:48:25. > :48:27.And these local berry farmers from the Angus Soft Fruit Collective
:48:28. > :48:33.OK! New breed taste-test time, are you ready?
:48:34. > :48:37.ALL: Yeah! Great. Let's go for it.
:48:38. > :48:51.So the big question is, you're all growers -
:48:52. > :48:54.I think I'll give it a go. Definitely.
:48:55. > :48:57.Seems this new Scottish Glen raspberry
:48:58. > :49:00.could soon be on our supermarket shelves.
:49:01. > :49:06.into a traditional Scottish dessert - cranachan.
:49:07. > :49:08.Well, this looks like my kind of recipe.
:49:09. > :49:11.Only five ingredients - raspberries, honey,
:49:12. > :49:15.toasted oats, cream, and whisky, all locally produced,
:49:16. > :49:18.and I'm going to enjoy mine with some shortbread.
:49:19. > :49:32.Today has been a good day for fruit-picking,
:49:33. > :49:36.Will it be weather for cranachan in the garden
:49:37. > :49:38.or crumble and custard in the kitchen?
:49:39. > :49:53.Here's the Countryfile five-day forecast for the week ahead.
:49:54. > :50:00.Good evening. If talk of deserts has made you hungry, well, the weather
:50:01. > :50:04.will serve up a whole three course meal this week. Three very different
:50:05. > :50:09.types of weather on the way. Initially we will see sunshine and
:50:10. > :50:12.warmth as well. For midweek the temperatures are likely decline a
:50:13. > :50:16.bit further and that will spawn some thunderstorms. They will then clear
:50:17. > :50:20.away and our weather deserts at the end of the week will bring a cooler,
:50:21. > :50:25.fresher feel but more unsettled as well. Back to the here and now, it
:50:26. > :50:29.was a nice looking day across Northern Ireland. Some blue skies to
:50:30. > :50:37.be had here. It was more of a struggle to break up the cloud
:50:38. > :50:39.further south. As you can see from the earlier satellite picture,
:50:40. > :50:44.southern areas did have this area of cloud to content with. Also some
:50:45. > :50:48.cloud bringing showery rain across northern Scotland. For the vast
:50:49. > :50:51.majority, high pressure starts to take control of our weather,
:50:52. > :50:56.building its way in from the West. That means a dry night, clear spells
:50:57. > :51:02.and in the south, it cooler, fresher feel than we had last night. If you
:51:03. > :51:06.like warmth and sunshine, you will like tomorrow. Blue skies will be in
:51:07. > :51:09.abundance across the country, perhaps showers across northern
:51:10. > :51:14.Scotland. These will become confined to the Northern Isles through the
:51:15. > :51:18.day. Some high cloud close to southern England and South Wales and
:51:19. > :51:24.turn the sunshine hazy. The temperatures starting to climb.
:51:25. > :51:27.Widely into the 20s, maybe 26 or 27 towards the south-east. High
:51:28. > :51:32.pressure will stay with us on Monday night into Tuesday. But it drifts a
:51:33. > :51:37.bit further east. What that will bring is an east or south-easterly
:51:38. > :51:40.airflow. That will import some warm and humid air indeed from the near
:51:41. > :51:44.continent. Those temperatures likely decline even further, and with that
:51:45. > :51:48.late in the day, the risk of one or two thunderstorms. For much of
:51:49. > :51:54.Tuesday did fine and dry with sunshine. Across England and Wales
:51:55. > :52:00.high cloud turning the sunshine hazy. In the south-west on Tuesday
:52:01. > :52:05.the first hint of thunderstorms. The heat will be widespread. With all
:52:06. > :52:11.that heat and humidity, things will break down during Tuesday night. A
:52:12. > :52:16.band of showers and storms moving northwards. Likely to become more
:52:17. > :52:19.widespread as they go. The heavy thundery rain drifting across
:52:20. > :52:26.Scotland where it will become blustery. As things brighten up
:52:27. > :52:30.further south, we could see some more thunderstorms. Still some heat
:52:31. > :52:34.towards East Anglia and the south-east. But something fresher
:52:35. > :52:39.just beginning to show its hand out west. That takes us into the latter
:52:40. > :52:43.part of the week. The cold front drifting its weight used was,
:52:44. > :52:45.introducing some fresh air returning from the Atlantic. Temperatures
:52:46. > :52:52.dropping back on Thursday. Having said that, not a bad day. Showers in
:52:53. > :52:57.the north-west and more persistent rain into Northern Ireland later on.
:52:58. > :53:01.The temperatures well down. As we move into Friday, it looks like low
:53:02. > :53:05.pressure will drift its way in from the West. Still the winds coming
:53:06. > :53:12.from the Atlantic. Still fairly cool and fresh feel. A band of rain
:53:13. > :53:13.staggering eastwards, blustery showers in the north-west. Still the
:53:14. > :53:27.fresher feel. I'm on the Isle of May,
:53:28. > :53:34.just off the mainland of Fife. Surrounded by nothing but ocean
:53:35. > :53:39.and open to nature's elements, living on the island
:53:40. > :53:47.is not for the faint-hearted, but what's it like
:53:48. > :53:52.for the 12 people that live here? There's a real sense
:53:53. > :53:55.of chaos and calm here and, over the years, the island has
:53:56. > :53:59.seen many different inhabitants - Vikings, monks and smugglers have
:54:00. > :54:07.all enjoyed life on the Isle of May. and only a handful of hardy souls
:54:08. > :54:13.inhabit this island. The houses
:54:14. > :54:16.on the island's only street are now temporary accommodation
:54:17. > :54:20.for the researchers and staff that live here
:54:21. > :54:23.from April to September - As jobs go, this is probably one of
:54:24. > :54:35.the best offices in the country. During breeding season,
:54:36. > :54:38.the team is kept busy, from monitoring
:54:39. > :54:40.and studying the birds to acting as
:54:41. > :54:42.the island's caretakers, ensuring all is shipshape for
:54:43. > :54:46.the visitors when they arrive. And it's all hands on deck,
:54:47. > :54:49.including mine. If you can just, yeah, get those
:54:50. > :54:52.leaflets there and just tidy up that table
:54:53. > :54:55.and just top everything up. And there's a bit of highway
:54:56. > :55:04.maintenance to do And then there are
:55:05. > :55:11.the less glamorous jobs. You can be in
:55:12. > :55:14.amongst the puffins one minute But what we're really here for
:55:15. > :55:23.are the birds. Oh, amazing!
:55:24. > :55:26.This chick is just hatched. We've actually got one
:55:27. > :55:28.hatching as well. Oh, yeah, you can see
:55:29. > :55:30.the egg tooth coming out! That is amazing!
:55:31. > :55:39.That is currently hatching, yeah. During my time on this living
:55:40. > :55:43.laboratory, it's become clear that there's a huge amount of
:55:44. > :55:46.dedication within the team it's time to down tools
:55:47. > :55:52.and chill out. Taking time away from the chicks
:55:53. > :55:55.to cook is Becky Lakin, who is volunteering on the island
:55:56. > :55:58.for three months. What was it that brought you
:55:59. > :56:01.over to the island? I've always been very interested
:56:02. > :56:06.in nature and wildlife and particularly seabirds,
:56:07. > :56:10.so when I saw the opportunity to come and be a long-term volunteer
:56:11. > :56:14.on the Isle of May, I just grabbed it
:56:15. > :56:16.and I just went for it. to live on an island
:56:17. > :56:21.for that length of time, that must have been
:56:22. > :56:23.quite an undertaking. I think if you're interested in
:56:24. > :56:27.nature and particularly seabirds, like I am,
:56:28. > :56:31.then to wake up every morning and not know
:56:32. > :56:32.what's going to turn up, what you're going to be
:56:33. > :56:35.involved with today, is... is more exciting than anything
:56:36. > :56:38.I can think of. That's incredible. And what about
:56:39. > :56:40.kind of practical things, cos you are very much cut off
:56:41. > :56:42.out here? You kind of get thrown in the deep
:56:43. > :56:45.end when you arrive and you just fit in
:56:46. > :56:48.with everything, so going down to one shower a week,
:56:49. > :56:52.at first I was like, "Wow, that's going to
:56:53. > :56:55.be different!" But everybody's in the same boat
:56:56. > :56:58.and you just all help each other. I feel bad because I've had two
:56:59. > :57:01.showers already and I've only been here 24 hours!
:57:02. > :57:03.Have you?! Very good. Right, this chilli
:57:04. > :57:08.is taking shape, isn't it? With more hungry mouths to feed
:57:09. > :57:13.on the island, Right, it's rice and chilli
:57:14. > :57:19.for everyone, I'm afraid. Have you enjoyed your experience
:57:20. > :57:27.out on the Isle of May? Island life is a really particular
:57:28. > :57:32.way of life, you guys all know that,
:57:33. > :57:33.it's very intense. I'm not sure I could handle it
:57:34. > :57:36.for a length of time, but I've got such respect for,
:57:37. > :57:39.not just living here, but the massive amount of work
:57:40. > :57:41.that you do. It's been amazing to see it all,
:57:42. > :57:43.it's been fantastic. Well, thank you as well,
:57:44. > :57:46.I hope you've had a good experience, Bring some better sunshine
:57:47. > :57:54.next time. I'll do that. There's a great team spirit
:57:55. > :57:57.amongst the volunteers and it's clear they're passionate
:57:58. > :58:00.about what they do And sitting here with them,
:58:01. > :58:12.I feel part of something special. Well, that is it from me
:58:13. > :58:15.from the Isle of May. Next week, John and Anita
:58:16. > :58:17.will be in Wiltshire, where some international beekeepers
:58:18. > :58:21.are creating quite a buzz. Join us live, and follow
:58:22. > :59:02.the world's wildest animals... ..across the most
:59:03. > :59:06.challenging of terrains...