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The sands here are vast. | 0:00:27 | 0:00:30 | |
The sea makes a mirror of the sky, shimmering gold and silver. | 0:00:32 | 0:00:37 | |
It's quite something, isn't it? Morecambe Bay. | 0:00:40 | 0:00:42 | |
Stretching out like one endless canvas. | 0:00:42 | 0:00:44 | |
A place of stunning views and fabled sunsets, if I'm lucky. | 0:00:44 | 0:00:48 | |
The bay here near Silverdale is notorious for other reasons too. | 0:00:50 | 0:00:54 | |
Any moment now, a wall of water is going to come | 0:00:55 | 0:00:58 | |
tearing down that channel faster than a horse can gallop. | 0:00:58 | 0:01:01 | |
And when that happens, it'll be my cue to get in and go after it. | 0:01:01 | 0:01:05 | |
Also, Matt's hitting the heights in North Wales. | 0:01:06 | 0:01:10 | |
And the countdown is on. | 0:01:10 | 0:01:12 | |
There's just one week to go till the first ever Countryfile | 0:01:12 | 0:01:15 | |
ramble for Children In Need. | 0:01:15 | 0:01:17 | |
We're ready to ramble, are you? | 0:01:17 | 0:01:20 | |
Adam's showing the farming ropes to a familiar face. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:25 | |
I've just hitched the trailer on because I'm off to pick up | 0:01:25 | 0:01:27 | |
some very special little cattle for a friend of mine, and hopefully | 0:01:27 | 0:01:30 | |
the new owner has got everything in place for when I drop them off. | 0:01:30 | 0:01:34 | |
And John is here for some important news. | 0:01:34 | 0:01:38 | |
It's one of my favourite jobs on Countryfile - | 0:01:38 | 0:01:40 | |
revealing the overall winner of our annual photographic competition. | 0:01:40 | 0:01:44 | |
And today is the day. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:46 | |
It's one of these. | 0:01:46 | 0:01:48 | |
The winning photograph will be on the cover of the Countryfile | 0:01:48 | 0:01:51 | |
calendar for 2016, | 0:01:51 | 0:01:52 | |
and I'll be letting you know how you can get hold of one. | 0:01:52 | 0:01:55 | |
Morecambe Bay. | 0:02:07 | 0:02:09 | |
A stunning horseshoe-shaped expanse of more than 120 square miles, | 0:02:09 | 0:02:15 | |
where the vast panorama turns from landscape to seascape | 0:02:15 | 0:02:20 | |
and back again with the rhythm of the tides... | 0:02:20 | 0:02:22 | |
..an ever-changing kaleidoscope of light and colour. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:28 | |
I'm on the bay's eastern shore between Morecombe | 0:02:29 | 0:02:32 | |
and Arnside & Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. | 0:02:32 | 0:02:37 | |
This area is a little-known treasure, often missed by the masses, | 0:02:40 | 0:02:44 | |
who zoom past on the M6 heading north to the Lake District. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
But there's a new way to see it. | 0:02:48 | 0:02:51 | |
The Bay Cycle Way - | 0:02:51 | 0:02:53 | |
81 miles of brand-new cycle route that forms part of | 0:02:53 | 0:02:56 | |
the 14,000 mile national cycle network. | 0:02:56 | 0:03:00 | |
Route number 700 follows the coast and hugs it where it can. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:05 | |
I'm in Morecombe right now, | 0:03:05 | 0:03:06 | |
but it starts a few miles behind me in Glasson Dock and then | 0:03:06 | 0:03:09 | |
follows the bay all the way round and ends in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. | 0:03:09 | 0:03:15 | |
I'm doing just a short stretch, but that's the beauty. | 0:03:19 | 0:03:23 | |
You can do as much or as little of the route as you like. | 0:03:23 | 0:03:27 | |
Susannah Bleakley is from the Morecambe Bay Partnership. | 0:03:27 | 0:03:30 | |
They're a charitable outfit who raised the cash | 0:03:30 | 0:03:33 | |
and got behind the route. | 0:03:33 | 0:03:35 | |
-Hello, Susannah. How are you? -Hi, Anita. | 0:03:35 | 0:03:37 | |
This is quite something, isn't it? | 0:03:37 | 0:03:38 | |
What a brilliant view. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:40 | |
It is stunning, and we're so proud of it, | 0:03:40 | 0:03:42 | |
and that's part of what the cycle route is about. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:44 | |
Tell me more about it. Why open it? | 0:03:44 | 0:03:46 | |
We want people to come to Morecombe Bay and dawdle and enjoy | 0:03:46 | 0:03:50 | |
and explore. Not really to race through, | 0:03:50 | 0:03:52 | |
we want to people to explore what Morecombe Bay has to offer. | 0:03:52 | 0:03:55 | |
It's all about food and drink, heritage sites | 0:03:55 | 0:03:57 | |
and a stunning landscape. | 0:03:57 | 0:03:59 | |
Lots of places where I can stop and have a pint and a pee. | 0:03:59 | 0:04:03 | |
We've said that. There is a loo, a view and a brew every ten miles. | 0:04:03 | 0:04:07 | |
Perfect. My kind of cycle path. | 0:04:07 | 0:04:09 | |
The Bay Cycle Way takes you on a mixture of traffic-free paths | 0:04:14 | 0:04:18 | |
and quiet lanes. | 0:04:18 | 0:04:20 | |
The entire route has only ten hills, | 0:04:20 | 0:04:22 | |
so it's great for all ages and abilities | 0:04:22 | 0:04:25 | |
from families to the elderly to those hardy cyclists | 0:04:25 | 0:04:28 | |
aiming to do the whole route in one go. | 0:04:28 | 0:04:31 | |
It's not just to bring people in. | 0:04:31 | 0:04:32 | |
I mean, I will bring people in | 0:04:32 | 0:04:34 | |
and that's fantastic, but I think there's a lot | 0:04:34 | 0:04:36 | |
of local people who don't really understand everything | 0:04:36 | 0:04:38 | |
that the bay's got to offer. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:40 | |
Certainly when we cycled the whole route the first time we found a few | 0:04:40 | 0:04:43 | |
little nooks and crannies that we hadn't seen before. | 0:04:43 | 0:04:45 | |
-And are you a hardcore cyclist? -Oh, good lord, no. | 0:04:45 | 0:04:48 | |
I've been cycling for years, but push it up the hills, | 0:04:48 | 0:04:51 | |
enjoy the flat bits, particularly like the downhill bits. | 0:04:51 | 0:04:54 | |
It's a route than anybody can do. It's mostly flat. | 0:04:54 | 0:04:56 | |
The couple of hills that there are, you can just push them up | 0:04:56 | 0:04:59 | |
and there's nice eateries along the way anyway. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:02 | |
'So if you want a gentle trip soaking up the delights of one | 0:05:03 | 0:05:07 | |
'of the least known, but beautiful stretches of Britain's coastline...' | 0:05:07 | 0:05:11 | |
Get on your bike. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:12 | |
Sometimes it's one vast expanse of sea, | 0:05:21 | 0:05:24 | |
other times an endless stretch of sand. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:27 | |
But at all times Morecombe Bay | 0:05:28 | 0:05:31 | |
spreads out as far as the eye can see. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:33 | |
Just look at those colours. | 0:05:36 | 0:05:38 | |
You know, even on a bad day that is a sight worth seeing. | 0:05:38 | 0:05:41 | |
You can walk for miles and miles along this sand and mud, | 0:05:41 | 0:05:44 | |
and fishermen actually do. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:46 | |
More often than not you can see them peppered along the horizon. | 0:05:46 | 0:05:50 | |
They work the sands with tractors and carts, | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
fishing for the famous Morecombe Bay shrimps. | 0:05:54 | 0:05:56 | |
It all looks very benign, just the place for a peaceful stroll. | 0:05:56 | 0:06:01 | |
But don't be fooled, the area between Silverdale, | 0:06:01 | 0:06:04 | |
Grange-over-Sands and Arnside is known as the danger triangle. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:08 | |
It's one of the most treacherous stretches of coastline | 0:06:08 | 0:06:11 | |
in the country. | 0:06:11 | 0:06:12 | |
The sands are constantly moving. | 0:06:13 | 0:06:16 | |
One of its main channels has shifted its course by more than | 0:06:16 | 0:06:19 | |
a mile in just three years. | 0:06:19 | 0:06:21 | |
And there's lethal quicksand to trap the unwary. | 0:06:21 | 0:06:24 | |
And then of course there's the tide itself. | 0:06:24 | 0:06:28 | |
KLAXON BLARES | 0:06:28 | 0:06:31 | |
In the summer, a klaxon at Arnside sounds twice a day warning | 0:06:31 | 0:06:35 | |
people that the tide is coming in. | 0:06:35 | 0:06:38 | |
Even so, the local coastguard is called out on average | 0:06:39 | 0:06:43 | |
50 times a year. | 0:06:43 | 0:06:45 | |
Nigel Capstick is the coastguard officer here. | 0:06:48 | 0:06:51 | |
It's his job to try to keep people safe around this coastline. | 0:06:51 | 0:06:55 | |
What kind of rescues are you involved with? | 0:06:55 | 0:06:57 | |
Who are you rescuing? | 0:06:57 | 0:06:59 | |
Most of the stuff that we get involved in is people getting | 0:06:59 | 0:07:02 | |
cut off by the tide, because the tide does come in so quick. | 0:07:02 | 0:07:05 | |
We've had incidents where people have actually walked across | 0:07:05 | 0:07:07 | |
a six inch deep, ten foot wide channel and they've gone out there, | 0:07:07 | 0:07:10 | |
15 minutes later they look back and the channel's 100 metres wide | 0:07:10 | 0:07:14 | |
and six foot deep. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:15 | |
Not only that, the quicksand here is a particular type that | 0:07:15 | 0:07:18 | |
once you sink into it, it solidifies around your feet and that makes it | 0:07:18 | 0:07:23 | |
impossible to get away from unless we actually get you out of it. | 0:07:23 | 0:07:26 | |
You have a klaxon to warn people that the tide's coming in, | 0:07:26 | 0:07:29 | |
-does that work? -Yeah, it's brilliant. | 0:07:29 | 0:07:31 | |
However, we do have people that don't know what the siren is for. | 0:07:31 | 0:07:34 | |
-Right. -Only a few years ago we had a lady pushing a buggy | 0:07:34 | 0:07:37 | |
with a small child in, | 0:07:37 | 0:07:39 | |
was halfway across the estuary, in front of the viaduct. | 0:07:39 | 0:07:41 | |
-The second siren had gone. -But I can imagine... | 0:07:41 | 0:07:44 | |
That sounds stupid now talking to yourself, you think, | 0:07:44 | 0:07:47 | |
"Oh, what was she thinking?" | 0:07:47 | 0:07:48 | |
But that's the kind of thing I would do. | 0:07:48 | 0:07:50 | |
-It's a gorgeous day, I would take the pram out there. -Yeah. | 0:07:50 | 0:07:52 | |
-Is there anyway to do that safely? -No. | 0:07:52 | 0:07:55 | |
There's nowhere around here that's safe to go out | 0:07:55 | 0:07:57 | |
unless you're on a guided walk. | 0:07:57 | 0:07:59 | |
There's an added twist at Arnside. | 0:08:01 | 0:08:03 | |
As the tide comes in across the bay, | 0:08:03 | 0:08:05 | |
it's funnelled into the estuary here. | 0:08:05 | 0:08:07 | |
This often results in a fast-moving wave or bore. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:11 | |
Yes, it can be dangerous, but do you know what? | 0:08:14 | 0:08:16 | |
If you come prepared and you respect nature, | 0:08:16 | 0:08:18 | |
there is a way to enjoy this natural phenomenon up close. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:21 | |
Yep, I'm going to ride the bore in a sea kayak. | 0:08:22 | 0:08:25 | |
But I'm in safe hands. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:27 | |
Andy Hill is an expert instructor who knows these waters well. | 0:08:27 | 0:08:31 | |
This kind of activity is you taking on the elements, | 0:08:32 | 0:08:36 | |
but as long as we do everything correctly | 0:08:36 | 0:08:38 | |
and the safety's good, then we'll come back and play another day. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
Andy, I'm excited. | 0:08:41 | 0:08:42 | |
I'm slightly nervous because, as you say, there is element of danger. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:46 | |
How likely is it that I will go in? | 0:08:46 | 0:08:47 | |
I would have thought quite likely. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:50 | |
Oh, right. Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. | 0:08:50 | 0:08:53 | |
And it's a good job I can swim. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:54 | |
No, it's on a low tide today and I know you've got kayaking experience, | 0:08:54 | 0:08:58 | |
but we've got to be prepared for getting wet. | 0:08:58 | 0:09:00 | |
This is why we have such technical equipment on. | 0:09:00 | 0:09:02 | |
I have the kit. I'm in yours and Mother Nature's hands. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:05 | |
-Let's get ready for this. -I'll look after you. | 0:09:05 | 0:09:08 | |
So it's straight onto the water for a quick practice | 0:09:08 | 0:09:11 | |
before the bore comes rushing in. | 0:09:11 | 0:09:14 | |
Just practise turning it. Just have a play now. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:17 | |
See what you can do with it. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:18 | |
If you go upside down, I'll come and rescue you. | 0:09:18 | 0:09:21 | |
You just tell me what to do and I will attempt to do it. | 0:09:21 | 0:09:23 | |
KLAXON BLARES | 0:09:23 | 0:09:25 | |
Whoo-hoo! | 0:09:25 | 0:09:27 | |
That sound tells us the tide is on its way. | 0:09:27 | 0:09:30 | |
And whilst it's not creating a big wave, it sure is moving. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:34 | |
It's underwhelming this one, | 0:09:34 | 0:09:35 | |
but you can see the front edge of it here, look. | 0:09:35 | 0:09:38 | |
You'll be amazed how fast that's going. | 0:09:38 | 0:09:39 | |
It doesn't look it... | 0:09:39 | 0:09:41 | |
You can see that, yeah. | 0:09:41 | 0:09:43 | |
-Just show you how power... -Whoa! | 0:09:43 | 0:09:45 | |
I did say it will turn you around. | 0:09:45 | 0:09:47 | |
Excellent. | 0:09:48 | 0:09:49 | |
-Good effort. Well done. -Whoop! -It's all right. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:52 | |
The speed of the water picks up as we approach the viaduct. | 0:09:53 | 0:09:57 | |
It can reach 18 knots as it surges through. | 0:09:57 | 0:10:01 | |
Good. Perfect line. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:03 | |
So what we're going to do is get high enough up | 0:10:03 | 0:10:05 | |
to go right between that gap. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:07 | |
-You can see the water's picking up a little bit there. -Yeah. | 0:10:07 | 0:10:10 | |
Right down the middle. Make it look good. | 0:10:15 | 0:10:17 | |
Don't you capsize here, now. | 0:10:17 | 0:10:20 | |
Whoo! | 0:10:21 | 0:10:23 | |
Over into that clean water, Helen. Over into the clean water. | 0:10:26 | 0:10:29 | |
Oh, my word. This is brilliant. It's so unpredictable. | 0:10:29 | 0:10:32 | |
-It's like being on top of a jacuzzi. -Well done. | 0:10:32 | 0:10:35 | |
What an absolutely glorious day. | 0:10:35 | 0:10:39 | |
-Thanks, Andy. -You're welcome. | 0:10:39 | 0:10:41 | |
Shall we do the next one in Thailand? | 0:10:41 | 0:10:45 | |
Even though that was a fairly gentle tide, | 0:10:45 | 0:10:47 | |
it was still moving at a fair lick. | 0:10:47 | 0:10:50 | |
I'm just glad to have stayed dry. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:52 | |
Do you know what? | 0:10:52 | 0:10:54 | |
That bore was a mildly underwhelming one, but that is the joy of nature. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:57 | |
You really never know what you're going to get. | 0:10:57 | 0:11:00 | |
Next time around I could come back here and get a wave this big, | 0:11:00 | 0:11:02 | |
which churns up some pretty serious speed. | 0:11:02 | 0:11:05 | |
The only thing you can be certain of out here is, on the water, | 0:11:05 | 0:11:08 | |
you get a unique perspective of something that is already stunning. | 0:11:08 | 0:11:12 | |
In no time at all the bay has filled, | 0:11:13 | 0:11:16 | |
narrow channels giving way to fast tides - | 0:11:16 | 0:11:19 | |
a reminder that nature here is powerful as well as beautiful. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:24 | |
Now the problem of TB and cattle is back in the news at the moment | 0:11:29 | 0:11:32 | |
thanks to the trial badger culls taking place again in England. | 0:11:32 | 0:11:35 | |
But as Tom's been finding out, some believe increasing farm bio-security | 0:11:35 | 0:11:40 | |
would be a more effective method of tackling the disease. | 0:11:40 | 0:11:43 | |
-TOM: -Bovine tuberculosis is one of the most controversial | 0:11:49 | 0:11:52 | |
issues in the countryside today. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:55 | |
Last year, 26,000 animals were slaughtered in England alone | 0:11:57 | 0:12:02 | |
and fighting its spread costs an estimated £101 million. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:07 | |
But despite this we still don't agree on the best ways | 0:12:07 | 0:12:10 | |
to eradicate the disease, | 0:12:10 | 0:12:12 | |
especially when it comes to the trial badger culls. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:16 | |
Out of all the methods for tackling it, | 0:12:16 | 0:12:19 | |
the cull is by far the most contentious. | 0:12:19 | 0:12:21 | |
The idea is simple. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:23 | |
If you can reduce the number of infected badgers, | 0:12:23 | 0:12:27 | |
fewer cattle should get the disease. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:30 | |
And those who support the cull say it plays an essential role in | 0:12:30 | 0:12:34 | |
tackling bovine TB and that includes the government in Westminster. | 0:12:34 | 0:12:39 | |
The scientific basis for this comes from | 0:12:39 | 0:12:42 | |
the randomised badger culling trial. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:45 | |
It showed that a 70% reduction | 0:12:45 | 0:12:47 | |
of badgers should lead to | 0:12:47 | 0:12:49 | |
a 16% fall in cases of | 0:12:49 | 0:12:51 | |
bovine TB in the same area. | 0:12:51 | 0:12:54 | |
It's still the best evidence we have, | 0:12:54 | 0:12:57 | |
although those figures are often disputed, | 0:12:57 | 0:13:00 | |
as is the value of the cull. | 0:13:00 | 0:13:02 | |
But opponents say it's impractical, inhumane and challenge | 0:13:02 | 0:13:06 | |
the extent to which badgers are the cause of the problem. | 0:13:06 | 0:13:09 | |
To add to the controversy, the trial culls of the last two years | 0:13:09 | 0:13:14 | |
in Gloucestershire and Somerset have cost nearly £17 million. | 0:13:14 | 0:13:19 | |
But culling is not the only option. | 0:13:21 | 0:13:23 | |
In fact, in Wales it's not even an option at all, | 0:13:23 | 0:13:26 | |
nor in Scotland where the incidence of bovine TB is far lower. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:31 | |
In Northern Ireland, it is being tried on infected badgers | 0:13:31 | 0:13:36 | |
in a small pilot area. | 0:13:36 | 0:13:37 | |
Even here in England where culling is going on | 0:13:37 | 0:13:41 | |
in three affected counties, | 0:13:41 | 0:13:43 | |
it's only one part of the TB control strategy. | 0:13:43 | 0:13:46 | |
That strategy includes vaccination, regular testing, | 0:13:46 | 0:13:50 | |
movement controls and bio-security. | 0:13:50 | 0:13:52 | |
But could more be achieved by making our farms more bio-secure? | 0:13:53 | 0:13:58 | |
Bio-security is basically the protection of farm animals | 0:14:04 | 0:14:08 | |
from any type of infectious agent from parasites | 0:14:08 | 0:14:12 | |
to bacterial infections like TB. | 0:14:12 | 0:14:15 | |
Here in Wales, just like in England, | 0:14:15 | 0:14:18 | |
bio-security is an important weapon in the fight to eradicate bovine TB. | 0:14:18 | 0:14:24 | |
I'm on my way to join a vet visit with a difference. | 0:14:24 | 0:14:27 | |
He's here to inspect the health of the farm rather than the livestock. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:32 | |
I've had a look at some of these double fencing arrangements. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:37 | |
Those are great. | 0:14:37 | 0:14:38 | |
Local vet Evan Lloyd is visiting Allen Lloyd's farm | 0:14:38 | 0:14:43 | |
as part of the Gower Project which offers farmers bio-security advice. | 0:14:43 | 0:14:48 | |
Today, he's checking up after his initial visit. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
And I have to say that you've improved dramatically. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:54 | |
Sorry to interrupt you, gentlemen. How is he doing? How is he scoring? | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
He's doing all right. | 0:14:57 | 0:14:58 | |
He's getting quite high scores from me today. | 0:14:58 | 0:15:00 | |
You were talking about this gate here. What were the issues here? | 0:15:00 | 0:15:03 | |
We're looking at this gate in terms of making the yard bio-secure, | 0:15:03 | 0:15:07 | |
preventing badgers from coming in. Allen has put some mesh gates here. | 0:15:07 | 0:15:11 | |
He's hung it as low as possible, | 0:15:11 | 0:15:12 | |
but there's still a little bit of a gap here. | 0:15:12 | 0:15:16 | |
So they could squeeze under here. | 0:15:16 | 0:15:18 | |
One of the simpler solutions would be to place a concrete strip | 0:15:18 | 0:15:21 | |
along the bottom of the gate, | 0:15:21 | 0:15:23 | |
so it's actually flush with the gate when the gate is closed. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:25 | |
Allen, what do you think about taking these measures? | 0:15:25 | 0:15:27 | |
They cost money after all. | 0:15:27 | 0:15:29 | |
We feel it is important because we just don't want any disease, | 0:15:29 | 0:15:34 | |
including TB, coming onto our farm. | 0:15:34 | 0:15:36 | |
When he comes here again, he won't be able to get | 0:15:36 | 0:15:39 | |
his little finger under the gate, let alone his foot. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:42 | |
Farm checks like this are part of a Wales-wide TB support programme, | 0:15:43 | 0:15:48 | |
which also includes best practice workshops | 0:15:48 | 0:15:50 | |
and cattle purchasing advice. | 0:15:50 | 0:15:52 | |
How effective do you think bio-security can be overall? | 0:15:52 | 0:15:56 | |
The principles of bio-security are well-established. | 0:15:56 | 0:15:59 | |
A lot of it is common sense. | 0:15:59 | 0:16:00 | |
It's about drilling down to farm level | 0:16:00 | 0:16:03 | |
and seeing what farmers can do to help themselves and to reduce risks, | 0:16:03 | 0:16:07 | |
and of course to protect their stock and to protect their livelihood. | 0:16:07 | 0:16:11 | |
So that's a flavour of what is happening in Wales. | 0:16:13 | 0:16:16 | |
But what about over the border in England, | 0:16:16 | 0:16:18 | |
where there is the highest incidence of bovine TB in Europe? | 0:16:18 | 0:16:22 | |
Well, some believe a lot more needs to be done to protect English farms | 0:16:22 | 0:16:27 | |
against the disease. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:29 | |
From using silage, to dealing with the issue of fences and gates | 0:16:29 | 0:16:32 | |
to keep wildlife away from cattle, | 0:16:32 | 0:16:34 | |
to looking at just good disinfectant bio-security measures | 0:16:34 | 0:16:37 | |
for boots and clothing, going in and out of farmyards. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:39 | |
But if you do all of those things, I think we can make a big difference. | 0:16:39 | 0:16:42 | |
Dominic Dyer is from the Badger Trust, | 0:16:42 | 0:16:44 | |
which campaigns against the cull. | 0:16:44 | 0:16:47 | |
Would you like to see the government put more effort into bio-security? | 0:16:47 | 0:16:50 | |
Not just the government, I'd like to see the farming industry taking | 0:16:50 | 0:16:53 | |
it seriously, particularly the National Farmers Union. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:56 | |
I'd also like to see the food retailers do more. | 0:16:56 | 0:16:58 | |
It is a food chain initiative, everyone has to join forces to help | 0:16:58 | 0:17:00 | |
farmers to really deal with this problem. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:03 | |
Dominic says the main problem is the spread of TB by transmission | 0:17:04 | 0:17:08 | |
from cattle to cattle, and points to figures from scientists | 0:17:08 | 0:17:11 | |
at Imperial College London which indicate only 6% | 0:17:11 | 0:17:16 | |
of bovine TB infections come directly from badgers. | 0:17:16 | 0:17:20 | |
Defra says stopping cattle from infecting other cattle is | 0:17:20 | 0:17:23 | |
already a key part of its TB eradication policy. | 0:17:23 | 0:17:27 | |
Its measures include tight controls on movement, regular testing, | 0:17:27 | 0:17:31 | |
and better information at livestock auctions. | 0:17:31 | 0:17:35 | |
And later in the year, this goes live - | 0:17:35 | 0:17:38 | |
essentially it is an online hub, bringing together all | 0:17:38 | 0:17:41 | |
the useful on-farm bio-security information in one place. | 0:17:41 | 0:17:45 | |
But Defra argues the spread of TB from badgers to cattle is | 0:17:45 | 0:17:50 | |
a far bigger problem than the Badger Trust believes. | 0:17:50 | 0:17:53 | |
To support that view, it also uses figures from Imperial College. | 0:17:53 | 0:17:58 | |
These statistics show when you take into account herds | 0:17:58 | 0:18:01 | |
which are indirectly infected, then, in high risk areas, | 0:18:01 | 0:18:05 | |
badgers are responsible for around 50% of TB cases in cattle. | 0:18:05 | 0:18:11 | |
It's worked with the industry to | 0:18:11 | 0:18:12 | |
create a bio-security action plan, | 0:18:12 | 0:18:14 | |
which includes a range | 0:18:14 | 0:18:16 | |
of proposed measures to reduce | 0:18:16 | 0:18:17 | |
contact between badgers and cattle. | 0:18:17 | 0:18:20 | |
But how effective will those measures be? | 0:18:22 | 0:18:25 | |
Here at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, | 0:18:26 | 0:18:30 | |
there's an ongoing research project looking at how bio-security | 0:18:30 | 0:18:34 | |
can reduce the risk of transmitting the disease. | 0:18:34 | 0:18:37 | |
Feeding troughs are thought to be hot spots for | 0:18:38 | 0:18:41 | |
badger to cattle contact. | 0:18:41 | 0:18:43 | |
Dr Rhiannon Naylor is trying to design a new simple way | 0:18:43 | 0:18:47 | |
to keep them apart. | 0:18:47 | 0:18:48 | |
The idea is that a farmer could take this attachment | 0:18:49 | 0:18:53 | |
and attach to a conventional trough. | 0:18:53 | 0:18:55 | |
-I am told badgers are pretty good and cunning climbers. -Exactly. | 0:18:55 | 0:18:59 | |
You will see that there's four different heights and widths, | 0:18:59 | 0:19:02 | |
and what we are trying to establish is, which ones will prevent | 0:19:02 | 0:19:05 | |
badger access but also allow access to livestock? | 0:19:05 | 0:19:08 | |
Of course cattle come in all different shapes | 0:19:08 | 0:19:10 | |
and sizes as well, so I guess what might be right on one farm | 0:19:10 | 0:19:12 | |
-wouldn't be right on another. -Yes. | 0:19:12 | 0:19:14 | |
It is about trying to work out | 0:19:14 | 0:19:15 | |
what would fit an individual farm situation. | 0:19:15 | 0:19:17 | |
And the whole idea is that it is practical, farmers could | 0:19:17 | 0:19:20 | |
potentially build it themselves, and it is cost-effective, which is | 0:19:20 | 0:19:23 | |
one of the key things that farmers are looking for. | 0:19:23 | 0:19:25 | |
You've got some cameras dotted around. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:27 | |
Have you got any images of what has happened here? | 0:19:27 | 0:19:29 | |
Yes, so we film every night. | 0:19:29 | 0:19:31 | |
Oh, there you go, I can see the badger there, eyes shining. | 0:19:31 | 0:19:34 | |
-Just going between a couple of these troughs. -Exactly. | 0:19:34 | 0:19:36 | |
-Has this film yet given you conclusive evidence? -No. | 0:19:36 | 0:19:39 | |
At the moment, this is still very early days for this trial. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:42 | |
We're getting them used to the site, and we're hoping they | 0:19:42 | 0:19:45 | |
might start to try at least to get in when there is less food about. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:49 | |
This research not only tests | 0:19:49 | 0:19:51 | |
the effectiveness of the redesigned food troughs, it also clearly | 0:19:51 | 0:19:55 | |
shows where cattle and badgers can come into contact with each other. | 0:19:55 | 0:20:00 | |
That is something highlighted by recent Defra studies, | 0:20:00 | 0:20:03 | |
which used infrared cameras to monitor farmyards, to estimate | 0:20:03 | 0:20:08 | |
the number and level of badger visits. | 0:20:08 | 0:20:12 | |
In that study, most of the farms had badgers turning up regularly, | 0:20:12 | 0:20:16 | |
but once simple measures, such as sheep metal gates and fences | 0:20:16 | 0:20:21 | |
and closed feed stores were fitted, the visits stopped. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:25 | |
That all sounds very promising and sensible. | 0:20:25 | 0:20:29 | |
If you follow these measures, you can sharply reduce the amount | 0:20:29 | 0:20:33 | |
of badger to livestock contact, | 0:20:33 | 0:20:36 | |
but some farmers still aren't convinced. | 0:20:36 | 0:20:39 | |
James Small runs a beef herd in Somerset, close to the cull area. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:45 | |
His farm has been hit by TB twice in ten years. | 0:20:45 | 0:20:48 | |
HE CALLS TO HIS HERD | 0:20:50 | 0:20:52 | |
He follows much of the bio-security advice, | 0:20:53 | 0:20:57 | |
but says when his 250 strong herd is scattered across 600 acres | 0:20:57 | 0:21:02 | |
of hilly terrain, there is an obvious problem. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:06 | |
All the measures I may do at the building... | 0:21:06 | 0:21:08 | |
My cattle are housed for about four to five months of the year, | 0:21:08 | 0:21:11 | |
and they are outside grazing for the rest of the year. | 0:21:11 | 0:21:13 | |
So what I may do there may be completely offset by what is | 0:21:13 | 0:21:16 | |
happening out across the field, and I can't simply fence off the fields. | 0:21:16 | 0:21:19 | |
Do you think it is possible, in an open grazing farm, to keep | 0:21:19 | 0:21:23 | |
cattle and badgers apart? | 0:21:23 | 0:21:25 | |
It would be pretty much impossible to actually completely | 0:21:25 | 0:21:29 | |
separate wildlife from cattle. Short of keeping one of those species | 0:21:29 | 0:21:33 | |
actually in a concrete box, you can't do it. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:36 | |
What might persuade you to do more in terms of bio-security? | 0:21:36 | 0:21:40 | |
At the moment, there is a slight lack of evidence of exactly what the | 0:21:40 | 0:21:43 | |
best thing to do is and which would provide the best results. | 0:21:43 | 0:21:47 | |
There's lots of anecdotal things about best practice. | 0:21:47 | 0:21:49 | |
There are certain things that we do. If there was more research on it | 0:21:49 | 0:21:52 | |
which would actually give me greater detail about what would have | 0:21:52 | 0:21:55 | |
the best impact for exactly where my farm is, that would be fantastic. | 0:21:55 | 0:21:59 | |
James isn't the only farmer who wants to know more | 0:21:59 | 0:22:02 | |
before he increases protective measures on his farm. | 0:22:02 | 0:22:06 | |
In fact, only last December, a Defra industry working group | 0:22:06 | 0:22:10 | |
admitted research on bio-security had been limited. | 0:22:10 | 0:22:14 | |
And that... | 0:22:14 | 0:22:15 | |
..was discouraging some farmers from | 0:22:18 | 0:22:20 | |
investing in better bio-security. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
Yet a Defra spokesman told us that it has funded... | 0:22:23 | 0:22:26 | |
Much bio-security seems like common sense, good farming. | 0:22:32 | 0:22:36 | |
But it can be expensive. | 0:22:36 | 0:22:38 | |
It's almost impossible to exclude all chance of infection, | 0:22:38 | 0:22:42 | |
and it lacks figures for effectiveness. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:46 | |
That leaves the question hanging. | 0:22:46 | 0:22:48 | |
Why hasn't bio-security research yielded better results by now? | 0:22:48 | 0:22:54 | |
'Now, the question on everyone's mind. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:03 | |
'Who has won this year's photographic competition? | 0:23:03 | 0:23:07 | |
'The theme was colours of the countryside, and what better place | 0:23:07 | 0:23:11 | |
'to reveal the winning picture than amongst | 0:23:11 | 0:23:13 | |
'swathes of flowering heather?' | 0:23:13 | 0:23:16 | |
Now, everyone has their own personal favourite. | 0:23:19 | 0:23:22 | |
This sheep looks very much at home here, doesn't it? | 0:23:22 | 0:23:25 | |
But amongst these 12 fabulous photographs, there is | 0:23:25 | 0:23:28 | |
one which you, our viewers, have voted for more than any other. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:32 | |
As the overall winner, it will take pride of place on the front cover | 0:23:34 | 0:23:38 | |
of the Countryfile calendar for 2016, | 0:23:38 | 0:23:41 | |
sold in aid of BBC Children In Need. | 0:23:41 | 0:23:43 | |
This year we had more than 33,000 entries - | 0:23:46 | 0:23:49 | |
every hue and shade of the countryside captured on camera. | 0:23:49 | 0:23:53 | |
How hard it was to choose these final 12. | 0:23:53 | 0:23:58 | |
It was a huge team effort. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:00 | |
Past winners and finalists narrowed it down to 3,000 pictures, | 0:24:00 | 0:24:05 | |
and the final selection fell to me and two fellow judges - | 0:24:05 | 0:24:09 | |
comedian and bird lover Bill Bailey, | 0:24:09 | 0:24:12 | |
and wildlife presenter Naomi Wilkinson. | 0:24:12 | 0:24:15 | |
It was a tough job. But we finally got there. | 0:24:15 | 0:24:19 | |
2016 is certainly going to be colourful. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:22 | |
And on that same day | 0:24:22 | 0:24:23 | |
we also got to choose the judges' favourite picture, and... | 0:24:23 | 0:24:28 | |
this was it - | 0:24:28 | 0:24:30 | |
Coastline Canter, taken by Graham Mealand from Worcestershire, | 0:24:30 | 0:24:34 | |
so congratulations to you, Graham, you win | 0:24:34 | 0:24:36 | |
£500 worth of photographic equipment. | 0:24:36 | 0:24:40 | |
But it wasn't the judges' task to choose the overall winner. | 0:24:41 | 0:24:44 | |
That decision was down to you. And you didn't hold back. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:48 | |
Tens of thousands of votes were counted. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:51 | |
And we have a winner. | 0:24:51 | 0:24:53 | |
To be honest, it stood out right from the start. | 0:24:53 | 0:24:56 | |
-Ta-da! -You don't often see hedgehogs in that frame of mind, do you? | 0:24:56 | 0:25:00 | |
-That is great. -Sort of exultant. -That is brilliant. | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
And many of you agreed, | 0:25:03 | 0:25:04 | |
because you've made a Happy Hedgehog | 0:25:04 | 0:25:07 | |
even happier. This is our winner. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:10 | |
It was taken by Ben Andrew from Luton, | 0:25:10 | 0:25:13 | |
and now comes my favourite job of all, telling Ben that he has won. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:17 | |
Ben works for the RSPB at its headquarters in Bedfordshire, | 0:25:22 | 0:25:26 | |
and thinks I've come along | 0:25:26 | 0:25:27 | |
to see why he takes many of his photographs. | 0:25:27 | 0:25:30 | |
He already knows he's been shortlisted in the competition, | 0:25:30 | 0:25:33 | |
so he's not surprised to see me with his hedgehog. | 0:25:33 | 0:25:37 | |
-Hello, Ben. -Hi, John. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:38 | |
-How about this, then? -Looks impressive. | 0:25:38 | 0:25:42 | |
'But he's got no idea he's the winner. | 0:25:42 | 0:25:44 | |
'And I'm going to keep him in the dark | 0:25:44 | 0:25:46 | |
'for just a little while longer.' | 0:25:46 | 0:25:47 | |
What are you taking pictures of right now? | 0:25:47 | 0:25:50 | |
This is a wasp spider. | 0:25:50 | 0:25:51 | |
There's not many of them in the UK, they are pretty much restricted | 0:25:51 | 0:25:54 | |
to this sort of southern part of the UK, and this kind of habitat often. | 0:25:54 | 0:25:58 | |
-They're quite beautiful looking, aren't they? -I would say so. | 0:25:58 | 0:26:01 | |
Not everyone's cup of tea, but I would say so. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:04 | |
Everybody loves hedgehogs, of course. | 0:26:04 | 0:26:05 | |
And they are, well, they are not as rare as a wasp spider, | 0:26:05 | 0:26:09 | |
but their numbers are diminishing, aren't they? | 0:26:09 | 0:26:12 | |
So how did you get this picture? | 0:26:12 | 0:26:13 | |
Basically, because they are a tricky species | 0:26:13 | 0:26:15 | |
to photograph at the best of times, being nocturnal, | 0:26:15 | 0:26:18 | |
I worked alongside an animal rescue centre, who have been | 0:26:18 | 0:26:21 | |
rehabilitating this hedgehog after bringing it in underweight. | 0:26:21 | 0:26:25 | |
So I took it off their hands once it had been rehabilitated | 0:26:25 | 0:26:28 | |
and released it in my own garden, | 0:26:28 | 0:26:30 | |
but before that, I managed to get a few photos of him | 0:26:30 | 0:26:32 | |
in some autumnal leaves. | 0:26:32 | 0:26:35 | |
There was a certain amount of, you know, | 0:26:35 | 0:26:37 | |
getting it in the right place and just getting | 0:26:37 | 0:26:39 | |
the shot in mind that I wanted. | 0:26:39 | 0:26:41 | |
Ben discovered a passion for photography eight years ago | 0:26:41 | 0:26:44 | |
during a holiday in South Africa with his fiancee, Erin. | 0:26:44 | 0:26:48 | |
The problem was, he didn't have a camera, but Erin did. | 0:26:48 | 0:26:51 | |
So, Erin, is it true that Ben more or less pinched your camera? | 0:26:53 | 0:26:57 | |
He did, on holiday in South Africa, | 0:26:57 | 0:26:59 | |
he stole my camera on Table Mountain. | 0:26:59 | 0:27:02 | |
I was taking lovely scenery photos, and he stole it to take | 0:27:02 | 0:27:04 | |
a photo of a lizard, and I never really got it back. | 0:27:04 | 0:27:07 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:27:07 | 0:27:08 | |
Had you been at all interested in photography before that? | 0:27:08 | 0:27:10 | |
Not at all, no. I'd never picked a DSLR camera, | 0:27:10 | 0:27:14 | |
or anything like that. | 0:27:14 | 0:27:15 | |
I was interested in wildlife but not in photography. | 0:27:15 | 0:27:18 | |
So, the moment to reveal the winner | 0:27:18 | 0:27:20 | |
and the new Countryfile calendar for 2016. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:24 | |
And Erin is in on our surprise. | 0:27:24 | 0:27:27 | |
It was Erin's camera that got you really interested in photography. | 0:27:28 | 0:27:31 | |
-It certainly was. -And look where it has led you. -Definitely, yes. | 0:27:31 | 0:27:35 | |
-I'd say it's led me to, you know... -How about that? | 0:27:35 | 0:27:38 | |
HE LAUGHS | 0:27:38 | 0:27:40 | |
-Wow! -You are the winner. -Amazing, thank you. | 0:27:40 | 0:27:42 | |
-You are on the cover. -It has made the cover as well. | 0:27:42 | 0:27:45 | |
-Countryfile Calendar for 2016. -Well, I am made up. -So, congratulations. | 0:27:45 | 0:27:49 | |
-I am really chuffed. -Congratulations. | 0:27:49 | 0:27:52 | |
-It looks fantastic, doesn't it? -I can't believe it. | 0:27:52 | 0:27:54 | |
-What do you think, Erin? -It is brilliant. Well done, Ben. | 0:27:54 | 0:27:57 | |
Thank you. Happy as a hedgehog. | 0:27:57 | 0:27:59 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:27:59 | 0:28:01 | |
Not only is his picture on the cover, | 0:28:01 | 0:28:03 | |
Ben also gets £1,000 worth of photographic equipment. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:07 | |
And a very big thank you to everyone | 0:28:09 | 0:28:11 | |
who contributed to this year's photographic competition, | 0:28:11 | 0:28:14 | |
whether you sent in photos or encouraged someone else to... | 0:28:14 | 0:28:17 | |
or voted. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:19 | |
But it doesn't end there. | 0:28:19 | 0:28:21 | |
Last year we sold 350,000 copies of the calendar, | 0:28:21 | 0:28:26 | |
raising more than £1.5 million for BBC Children In Need. | 0:28:26 | 0:28:31 | |
This year, we would like it to be even more. | 0:28:31 | 0:28:34 | |
It's now on sale, and here is how to get yours. | 0:28:35 | 0:28:38 | |
The calendar costs £9.50, including free UK delivery, | 0:28:38 | 0:28:42 | |
and a minimum of £4 of the sale of each one will be | 0:28:42 | 0:28:46 | |
donated to BBC Children In Need. | 0:28:46 | 0:28:49 | |
To get one, you can go to our website. That's... | 0:28:49 | 0:28:51 | |
..where you will find a link to the order page. | 0:28:55 | 0:28:58 | |
Or you can phone the order line on... | 0:28:58 | 0:29:00 | |
Or, if you prefer, order by post. | 0:29:09 | 0:29:12 | |
Send your name, address and a cheque to... | 0:29:12 | 0:29:14 | |
The 2015 calendar raised a record amount of money, | 0:29:31 | 0:29:34 | |
but with the help of the hedgehog | 0:29:34 | 0:29:36 | |
and all these other wonderful, colourful photographs, | 0:29:36 | 0:29:39 | |
I'm sure we can do even better with next year's calendar, | 0:29:39 | 0:29:43 | |
and make lots of children as happy as he is. | 0:29:43 | 0:29:47 | |
The Bay Cycle Way skirts around | 0:29:52 | 0:29:54 | |
the spectacular seascapes of Morecambe Bay, | 0:29:54 | 0:29:57 | |
linking up everything the coast here has to offer. | 0:29:57 | 0:30:00 | |
So there are plenty of places to break your journey. | 0:30:00 | 0:30:03 | |
Like here, Leighton Moss nature reserve. | 0:30:05 | 0:30:08 | |
Headquartered in these converted farm buildings, | 0:30:08 | 0:30:11 | |
the reserve is one of the jewels in the RSPB's crown. | 0:30:11 | 0:30:14 | |
A century ago, Leighton Moss was agricultural land, but after | 0:30:20 | 0:30:24 | |
the First World War, it was allowed to revert to natural wetland. | 0:30:24 | 0:30:28 | |
The regenerating reed beds became home to all sorts of wildlife, | 0:30:28 | 0:30:32 | |
especially bitterns. Once common, | 0:30:32 | 0:30:34 | |
they are now one of our rarest birds. | 0:30:34 | 0:30:37 | |
Now, whilst those numbers are improving | 0:30:39 | 0:30:41 | |
elsewhere around the country, here they are not doing so great. | 0:30:41 | 0:30:45 | |
But the team are not taking it lying down. | 0:30:45 | 0:30:47 | |
Jarrod Sneyd is the site manager here. | 0:30:49 | 0:30:52 | |
-Hello! -How are you doing? | 0:30:52 | 0:30:54 | |
I'm very well, Jarrod. Is there a safe way to get to you? | 0:30:54 | 0:30:56 | |
Well, I think you just need to walk along this vegetative edge here, | 0:30:56 | 0:30:59 | |
rather than through the gloop there. | 0:30:59 | 0:31:01 | |
This is quite fantastic, isn't it? | 0:31:01 | 0:31:03 | |
-It is incredible, isn't it? -It is amazing. | 0:31:03 | 0:31:06 | |
And the smell, | 0:31:06 | 0:31:07 | |
-there's a real beautiful, earthy, citrus smell in the air. -Absolutely. | 0:31:07 | 0:31:11 | |
-Nice to meet you. -Gosh. | 0:31:11 | 0:31:13 | |
What do you need to do here to encourage the bitterns to come back? | 0:31:13 | 0:31:16 | |
When I came here as a boy, there were maybe three, | 0:31:16 | 0:31:18 | |
four bitterns booming that foghorn sound | 0:31:18 | 0:31:21 | |
that you could hear for three or four kilometres. | 0:31:21 | 0:31:23 | |
It's like blowing over the top of a milk bottle. | 0:31:23 | 0:31:25 | |
That's the kind of sound you would hear | 0:31:25 | 0:31:27 | |
if you came early morning, here to Leighton Moss. | 0:31:27 | 0:31:29 | |
What bitterns like is nice, young, wet reed bed. | 0:31:29 | 0:31:33 | |
Because the reed bed's got old, | 0:31:33 | 0:31:34 | |
it's not as good for bitterns, so we're taking it back in time, | 0:31:34 | 0:31:38 | |
digging away at the old reed litter and lowering. | 0:31:38 | 0:31:41 | |
It is called bed lowering. | 0:31:41 | 0:31:43 | |
What we've had to do is draw down the water level, | 0:31:43 | 0:31:46 | |
so that all this gloop starts to solid up, and it gets some air. | 0:31:46 | 0:31:51 | |
And what that's doing is, already you're seeing the success story. | 0:31:51 | 0:31:54 | |
All those little reeds are starting to pop up. | 0:31:54 | 0:31:57 | |
Once these grow up, we'll raise the water level again so that you | 0:31:57 | 0:32:00 | |
get that 20 centimetres of water, in young reed bed, which is great for | 0:32:00 | 0:32:04 | |
the fish to swim through, and then great for the bitterns | 0:32:04 | 0:32:07 | |
to feed on them. | 0:32:07 | 0:32:08 | |
It'll be a little while before the reed beds are in the kind | 0:32:11 | 0:32:14 | |
of condition needed to support bitterns. | 0:32:14 | 0:32:17 | |
But there's plenty more wildlife here already. | 0:32:17 | 0:32:21 | |
And they've built this to take in the view - the sky tower. | 0:32:21 | 0:32:25 | |
This special hide is unusual in that it's not covered up. | 0:32:27 | 0:32:32 | |
It's open at the top, and look at the view. | 0:32:33 | 0:32:38 | |
Wow! That is beautiful. | 0:32:38 | 0:32:41 | |
-Hi, Annabelle. -Hi, Anita, welcome. -Thank you. | 0:32:41 | 0:32:43 | |
Why is it open, why isn't it a normal hide? | 0:32:43 | 0:32:46 | |
Well, we're in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, | 0:32:46 | 0:32:49 | |
here at Leighton Moss, and we just wanted it to be really open, | 0:32:49 | 0:32:52 | |
feel part of the landscape, not seen from the roads, | 0:32:52 | 0:32:54 | |
quite hidden in the canopy, but still giving these wonderful | 0:32:54 | 0:32:57 | |
bird's-eye views out across the reserve. | 0:32:57 | 0:32:59 | |
It also allows RSPB staff and volunteers, | 0:32:59 | 0:33:01 | |
when we're monitoring some of the special wildlife that lives here, | 0:33:01 | 0:33:04 | |
birds like bitterns and marsh harriers, to see | 0:33:04 | 0:33:06 | |
where they're nesting, to see if nesting's taking place, which is | 0:33:06 | 0:33:09 | |
really important to make Leighton Moss the perfect home for them. | 0:33:09 | 0:33:12 | |
Have you got any bitterns? | 0:33:12 | 0:33:13 | |
Yes, so we have quite a small population that are resident | 0:33:13 | 0:33:15 | |
here at Leighton Moss, which is why we're doing | 0:33:15 | 0:33:17 | |
all the work in the reed bed to try and improve that for them. | 0:33:17 | 0:33:20 | |
Where do the birds come from? | 0:33:20 | 0:33:22 | |
So we've had a real influx of duck in the last week or so. | 0:33:22 | 0:33:25 | |
They're coming down from places like Scandinavia | 0:33:25 | 0:33:27 | |
-and Russia to spend the winter here. -Russia?! -Yes. -Let me have a look. | 0:33:27 | 0:33:31 | |
Oh, yes. I think I can spot a rare Russian breed... | 0:33:31 | 0:33:35 | |
just there, actually. | 0:33:35 | 0:33:37 | |
A lesser spotted Gleb, my Strictly Come Dancing partner. | 0:33:37 | 0:33:41 | |
This is no time for practice. Back to the bird spotting. | 0:33:43 | 0:33:47 | |
What have we got out there now? | 0:33:47 | 0:33:49 | |
So you can see there's lots and lots of duck out on the water. | 0:33:49 | 0:33:52 | |
A lot of them are teal, Britain's smallest duck. | 0:33:52 | 0:33:56 | |
Oh, look, there they go. These are all the teal. | 0:33:56 | 0:33:58 | |
-They spend the colder months down here. -I'm not surprised. | 0:33:58 | 0:34:01 | |
It looks like a very comfortable place to spend the winter. | 0:34:01 | 0:34:05 | |
There's a heron out on the island at the back there. | 0:34:05 | 0:34:08 | |
-Is there? -He's sort of just skulking in the middle. | 0:34:08 | 0:34:11 | |
-Oh, yes, I see him. -Look, look, there's a marsh harrier. -Where? | 0:34:11 | 0:34:15 | |
-It's just landed in the bush at the back of the pool there. -Oh, yes. | 0:34:15 | 0:34:19 | |
Wow. | 0:34:20 | 0:34:21 | |
Well, I suppose I'd better get myself back on the bike | 0:34:22 | 0:34:25 | |
if I can tear myself away from this view. | 0:34:25 | 0:34:28 | |
COW MOOS | 0:34:36 | 0:34:38 | |
They say the best things come in small packages. | 0:34:38 | 0:34:41 | |
When it comes to cattle, that can only mean one thing - Dexters. | 0:34:41 | 0:34:46 | |
As a favour for a special friend, Adam is delivering | 0:34:50 | 0:34:53 | |
four of these plucky little animals to a new home. | 0:34:53 | 0:34:57 | |
Because of their small size and versatility, Dexters | 0:34:59 | 0:35:02 | |
as a breed have become very popular with smallholders and hobby farmers. | 0:35:02 | 0:35:07 | |
Many don't have their own kit to transport the animals around, | 0:35:07 | 0:35:11 | |
so I've agreed to help out. | 0:35:11 | 0:35:12 | |
I've hitched on the livestock trailer | 0:35:12 | 0:35:14 | |
and I'm off down the road to pick some up. | 0:35:14 | 0:35:16 | |
Dexters were first imported from Ireland in 1882. | 0:35:18 | 0:35:22 | |
They're a dual-purpose meat and milk breed | 0:35:22 | 0:35:24 | |
so they were initially very popular. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:26 | |
But modern farming's preference for larger animals saw numbers | 0:35:29 | 0:35:32 | |
decline and in the 1980s, they were classed as a rare breed. | 0:35:32 | 0:35:36 | |
However, since then, they've made a remarkable comeback. | 0:35:37 | 0:35:41 | |
-Just going into the herd... -On her farm in Gloucestershire, Liz Stephen | 0:35:41 | 0:35:45 | |
has been breeding the UK's smallest breed of cattle for years. | 0:35:45 | 0:35:49 | |
Why is it that they've come back into popularity so much? | 0:35:52 | 0:35:55 | |
They were nearly extinct at one time, weren't they? | 0:35:55 | 0:35:58 | |
They were indeed. | 0:35:58 | 0:35:59 | |
They were almost on the verge of dying out completely | 0:35:59 | 0:36:01 | |
in the early '70s. | 0:36:01 | 0:36:03 | |
But I think their small size makes them absolutely ideal | 0:36:03 | 0:36:05 | |
for somebody who's just got a few acres and wants to play with cattle. | 0:36:05 | 0:36:09 | |
You can either go into the breeding of them or fatten them up for beef. | 0:36:09 | 0:36:12 | |
And they make good eating? | 0:36:12 | 0:36:14 | |
And the beef, of course, is very popular, yes. | 0:36:14 | 0:36:17 | |
So what sort of numbers have they increased to now? | 0:36:19 | 0:36:21 | |
In 1970, there were only 36 cows registered to the breed | 0:36:21 | 0:36:24 | |
which is nothing, absolutely nothing. | 0:36:24 | 0:36:26 | |
In comparison, this is the herd book that's just come out for 2014. | 0:36:26 | 0:36:30 | |
How many's in there, then? | 0:36:30 | 0:36:32 | |
There's got to be at least a couple of thousand, hasn't there? | 0:36:32 | 0:36:35 | |
-What a success story! -Exactly. | 0:36:35 | 0:36:36 | |
They really are a success story which is fantastic for the breed. | 0:36:36 | 0:36:39 | |
Now, I've come to pick a few up. Whereabouts are they? | 0:36:39 | 0:36:42 | |
They're back at the house, in the dry. Shall we go and look at them? | 0:36:42 | 0:36:45 | |
Yeah, let's get them. | 0:36:45 | 0:36:46 | |
Because Liz has kept the cattle separate from the rest of the herd, | 0:36:48 | 0:36:51 | |
they should be much tamer and, fingers crossed, easier to load. | 0:36:51 | 0:36:55 | |
Go on, then. Go on, then. | 0:36:56 | 0:36:58 | |
-They're so friendly... -They're so friendly, they don't want to go. | 0:36:59 | 0:37:02 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:37:02 | 0:37:03 | |
Go on. That's it. That's it. | 0:37:03 | 0:37:06 | |
Go on, in you go. In you go. | 0:37:06 | 0:37:08 | |
Go on, up the front. | 0:37:10 | 0:37:12 | |
That's great. And, before you go, Adam, | 0:37:17 | 0:37:18 | |
this is the paperwork that has to go to the new owner. | 0:37:18 | 0:37:21 | |
It's their passports, breed society details | 0:37:21 | 0:37:24 | |
-and confirmation that they are free of TB. -Wonderful. | 0:37:24 | 0:37:26 | |
Thank you very much, Liz. I'm sure they'll have a lovely home. | 0:37:26 | 0:37:29 | |
-Thank you very much. -See you. Bye-bye. -Bye. | 0:37:29 | 0:37:31 | |
The Dexters' new owner is somebody | 0:37:34 | 0:37:36 | |
Countryfile viewers will be very familiar with. | 0:37:36 | 0:37:40 | |
She certainly knows her stuff as far as wildlife's concerned, | 0:37:40 | 0:37:43 | |
so I'm sure she'll be just as good at looking after cattle. | 0:37:43 | 0:37:49 | |
-Hi, Ellie. I've got a delivery for you. -Yes! | 0:37:49 | 0:37:51 | |
I'm looking forward to this! | 0:37:51 | 0:37:53 | |
-Thank you very much. -Have you got me a cup of tea and everything? | 0:37:53 | 0:37:55 | |
No, this was just for me. | 0:37:55 | 0:37:57 | |
How grateful! | 0:37:57 | 0:37:58 | |
Where do you want them, then? | 0:37:58 | 0:38:00 | |
There's a track down there that they can go into | 0:38:00 | 0:38:02 | |
and this is the orchard they're going to be grazing for me. | 0:38:02 | 0:38:05 | |
Wonderful. Well, I'll spin it round and back up. | 0:38:05 | 0:38:07 | |
See you in a second. | 0:38:07 | 0:38:09 | |
I'm so excited about this. | 0:38:09 | 0:38:11 | |
This has been a very long time coming, let me tell you. | 0:38:11 | 0:38:13 | |
SHE LAUGHS | 0:38:13 | 0:38:15 | |
Before we let them out, I just want to quickly check their new home. | 0:38:18 | 0:38:22 | |
It's been a wet summer, you know. | 0:38:24 | 0:38:26 | |
It's just grown like the clappers. | 0:38:26 | 0:38:28 | |
When was the last time it was grazed? | 0:38:28 | 0:38:29 | |
Well, I reckon at least three years ago. It's been topped a few times. | 0:38:29 | 0:38:32 | |
-They've plenty to eat. -They'll rip into it. -I hope so. | 0:38:32 | 0:38:36 | |
What else have you done? Have you got water in here? | 0:38:36 | 0:38:39 | |
We've got a few other things. If you come this way, I'll show you. | 0:38:39 | 0:38:42 | |
So, luckily, there's a natural spring that seeps down here all year and | 0:38:43 | 0:38:48 | |
then fills up in this trough so that should be a pretty steady supply. | 0:38:48 | 0:38:51 | |
Perfect, and in the winter, when it's freezing, | 0:38:51 | 0:38:53 | |
-it will keep running, won't it? -It will keep running, yes. | 0:38:53 | 0:38:55 | |
And I see you've got some gates at the top. | 0:38:55 | 0:38:57 | |
Yes, I was advised to get those because if they get fed in there | 0:38:57 | 0:39:00 | |
and they get used to being in that little enclosure, | 0:39:00 | 0:39:02 | |
when the vet comes, they won't be too shocked by the idea of it. | 0:39:02 | 0:39:05 | |
-We won't have to chase them round. -It's great. | 0:39:05 | 0:39:07 | |
I have strimmed the edges so they can see the boundary, | 0:39:07 | 0:39:10 | |
although the rest is ridiculously high. | 0:39:10 | 0:39:11 | |
They'll be able to find the edges and then this path | 0:39:11 | 0:39:14 | |
to find their way to the water. | 0:39:14 | 0:39:15 | |
The boundary fence looks really solid | 0:39:15 | 0:39:17 | |
-so I think they'll be very happy. -You don't think they'll jump out? | 0:39:17 | 0:39:20 | |
-No, they'll be fine. -Good. | 0:39:20 | 0:39:21 | |
-Let's go and get them. -Right. | 0:39:21 | 0:39:24 | |
-I'm so excited. -There, that's nice. -Oh, hello. There we go. | 0:39:28 | 0:39:33 | |
Go on, then, off you go. Off you go. | 0:39:33 | 0:39:35 | |
Off you go. That's it. That's it. | 0:39:35 | 0:39:37 | |
Go on. Down the track. | 0:39:37 | 0:39:40 | |
-They're going along quite nicely, aren't they? -They're quite quiet. | 0:39:40 | 0:39:43 | |
I'm pleased. | 0:39:43 | 0:39:44 | |
They should just go straight through the gate and into the field. | 0:39:44 | 0:39:47 | |
That's the plan, anyway. | 0:39:47 | 0:39:49 | |
So why did you decide to get them in the first place? | 0:39:52 | 0:39:54 | |
Well, you can see here, the grass here is incredibly thick and rank. | 0:39:54 | 0:39:57 | |
It's been improved in places and it's pretty devoid of wildlife, really. | 0:39:57 | 0:40:00 | |
And the first step in getting wildlife back here is to bring | 0:40:00 | 0:40:03 | |
wild flowers in - and great for invertebrate life | 0:40:03 | 0:40:05 | |
and really nothing can grow through this, it's so thick | 0:40:05 | 0:40:08 | |
so their job is really expensive lawn mowing. | 0:40:08 | 0:40:10 | |
-That's what they are to me. -Well, the Dexters are very good at that. | 0:40:10 | 0:40:13 | |
They'll live out here all year round. | 0:40:13 | 0:40:15 | |
They're quite light-footed so they won't poach it up | 0:40:15 | 0:40:17 | |
and damage the sward or damage the soil. | 0:40:17 | 0:40:19 | |
But they will rip this off | 0:40:19 | 0:40:20 | |
and they'll also get into this bramble and browse. | 0:40:20 | 0:40:23 | |
-They're very happy getting into these bushes now. -Perfect. | 0:40:23 | 0:40:26 | |
-That's just what I need them for. That's ideal. -You just need probably | 0:40:26 | 0:40:30 | |
-another 20. -Slow and steady. | 0:40:30 | 0:40:32 | |
I'll start with my four. | 0:40:32 | 0:40:33 | |
My starter cows, and see how I go. | 0:40:33 | 0:40:36 | |
-Well, I've got all the paperwork here for you. -Oh, crumbs. Yes. | 0:40:36 | 0:40:39 | |
And this is what slowed me down. | 0:40:39 | 0:40:40 | |
It took me about a year to get everything sorted. | 0:40:40 | 0:40:42 | |
I've got five pieces of paperwork just to get to having them here. | 0:40:42 | 0:40:45 | |
It's not easy, becoming a smallholder | 0:40:45 | 0:40:47 | |
and keeping livestock. There's lots and lots of legislation. | 0:40:47 | 0:40:50 | |
-It's all yours. -Back to the computer for me, then. | 0:40:50 | 0:40:52 | |
Make sure that's kept in a safe place. It's very important. | 0:40:52 | 0:40:54 | |
I've got it. Thank you so much, Adam. | 0:40:54 | 0:40:56 | |
-Not at all. And good luck with them. -Thank you. | 0:40:56 | 0:40:58 | |
-Any problems, don't call me. -THEY LAUGH | 0:40:58 | 0:41:01 | |
See you later. Right, don't you jump the fences, you lot. | 0:41:01 | 0:41:05 | |
Come on, then! | 0:41:05 | 0:41:08 | |
With my good deed done, the sun has come out just in time for me | 0:41:10 | 0:41:14 | |
to get one last job sorted back at the farm. | 0:41:14 | 0:41:16 | |
You might remember last year I introduced a new Highland bull | 0:41:19 | 0:41:22 | |
called Archie to my herd of Highland cattle. | 0:41:22 | 0:41:25 | |
I'm quite worried about him | 0:41:25 | 0:41:27 | |
because he's much younger than they are and quite small in stature. | 0:41:27 | 0:41:32 | |
MOOING | 0:41:32 | 0:41:33 | |
Well, since then, Archie has been very busy. | 0:41:35 | 0:41:37 | |
Archie is just behind this cow and he has turned into a lovely bull | 0:41:39 | 0:41:43 | |
and he's doing a great job. | 0:41:43 | 0:41:44 | |
In fact, very excitingly, this is his first calf. | 0:41:44 | 0:41:47 | |
It's a little heifer, a little female, so his daughter. | 0:41:47 | 0:41:50 | |
And the Highlands give birth to such beautiful calves. | 0:41:50 | 0:41:53 | |
They're like little teddy bears, really sweet. | 0:41:53 | 0:41:56 | |
But what I've got to do now is put some tags in its ears | 0:41:56 | 0:41:59 | |
and I don't think Mum's going to like that much. | 0:41:59 | 0:42:01 | |
'To be on the safe side, my stock hand, Ellen, | 0:42:03 | 0:42:05 | |
'has come along to give me a hand.' | 0:42:05 | 0:42:07 | |
Right, you come with me, quick. | 0:42:07 | 0:42:09 | |
That's it. | 0:42:10 | 0:42:11 | |
These Highlands live up in the Scottish mountains | 0:42:12 | 0:42:16 | |
and they're wonderful mothers. | 0:42:16 | 0:42:17 | |
They'll give birth up there and look after their calves | 0:42:17 | 0:42:20 | |
and so you just have to be a bit careful | 0:42:20 | 0:42:22 | |
when you're handling the calves, | 0:42:22 | 0:42:24 | |
otherwise they'll attack you. | 0:42:24 | 0:42:26 | |
Well done. There we go. Thanks, Ellen. | 0:42:29 | 0:42:34 | |
All of our Highland calves this year have to begin with | 0:42:34 | 0:42:37 | |
the letter P for their names | 0:42:37 | 0:42:39 | |
and because Archie is from the Balmoral estate, from the Queen's | 0:42:39 | 0:42:42 | |
estate, we thought his little heifer calf could aptly be named Princess. | 0:42:42 | 0:42:46 | |
So this is little Princess, | 0:42:46 | 0:42:48 | |
a really lovely little calf to have on the farm and hopefully, | 0:42:48 | 0:42:51 | |
there will be many more of Archie's calves to follow. | 0:42:51 | 0:42:54 | |
It might be a lot of hard work, but for me, | 0:42:54 | 0:42:58 | |
keeping cattle is one of the best things about running a farm. | 0:42:58 | 0:43:02 | |
Hopefully, Ellie, with her Dexters, will get as much out of it as I do. | 0:43:02 | 0:43:06 | |
MOOING | 0:43:09 | 0:43:11 | |
The glorious great British countryside - | 0:43:15 | 0:43:17 | |
a place of rich history, rural majesty and next weekend, | 0:43:17 | 0:43:22 | |
host to a truly magnificent spectacle. | 0:43:22 | 0:43:25 | |
On Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th October, | 0:43:28 | 0:43:31 | |
the very first Countryfile ramble for Children In Need | 0:43:31 | 0:43:34 | |
will be taking place all across Britain and the aim is simple. | 0:43:34 | 0:43:38 | |
We want all of you, the whole country, out there walking and | 0:43:38 | 0:43:42 | |
putting on your own sponsored rambles to raise | 0:43:42 | 0:43:45 | |
money for Children In Need. | 0:43:45 | 0:43:46 | |
To find out how to take part, | 0:43:46 | 0:43:48 | |
go to our website... | 0:43:48 | 0:43:52 | |
And if you're wondering why it matters, | 0:43:55 | 0:43:57 | |
here's someone far better qualified than me to tell you. | 0:43:57 | 0:44:01 | |
This is Ella. | 0:44:04 | 0:44:06 | |
She's 17 and has been severely visually impaired since birth. | 0:44:06 | 0:44:10 | |
-Good girl! -On a good day, Ella can see two metres in front of her. | 0:44:10 | 0:44:15 | |
On a bad day, white-outs cause temporary blindness. | 0:44:15 | 0:44:18 | |
Good girl! Straight on. Straight on. | 0:44:18 | 0:44:20 | |
I have a condition called nystagmus, | 0:44:20 | 0:44:23 | |
which means that the nerve isn't connected to the eye properly. | 0:44:23 | 0:44:27 | |
My eye wobbles uncontrollably from side to side. | 0:44:27 | 0:44:32 | |
I also have a condition called hemianopia. | 0:44:32 | 0:44:34 | |
It makes me have blind spots like this. | 0:44:34 | 0:44:36 | |
Diagnosis came at seven months old. | 0:44:40 | 0:44:43 | |
She wore her first pair of glasses at nine months old. | 0:44:43 | 0:44:47 | |
We were told that she wouldn't go into mainstream school, | 0:44:47 | 0:44:51 | |
she wouldn't have a job, and she wouldn't be an independent person. | 0:44:51 | 0:44:55 | |
I went home, broke my heart, and then came up fighting. | 0:44:55 | 0:44:59 | |
A normal life for me is sometimes difficult. | 0:45:00 | 0:45:03 | |
But generally, I'm just determined to get through it | 0:45:03 | 0:45:05 | |
and just be as happy as I can because | 0:45:05 | 0:45:07 | |
that's what it's all about really. | 0:45:07 | 0:45:09 | |
'There are over 25,000 youngsters in the UK who are blind or | 0:45:12 | 0:45:16 | |
'partially sighted.' | 0:45:16 | 0:45:17 | |
I've come to meet Ella at Sight Advice, | 0:45:17 | 0:45:20 | |
a charity which is able to support youngsters like her, thanks to | 0:45:20 | 0:45:23 | |
essential funding from Children In Need. | 0:45:23 | 0:45:26 | |
What Sight Advice helps to do is make children go | 0:45:26 | 0:45:29 | |
and explore in a safe environment for themselves in places | 0:45:29 | 0:45:32 | |
that are full of grass and fields and trees, | 0:45:32 | 0:45:35 | |
where they can get their knees dirty and have a few grazes but safe, | 0:45:35 | 0:45:39 | |
if you see what I mean. | 0:45:39 | 0:45:41 | |
We've been to an activity centre, we've been horse riding, | 0:45:41 | 0:45:44 | |
we've been cycling. | 0:45:44 | 0:45:46 | |
Looking fantastic. Well done! | 0:45:46 | 0:45:48 | |
Is it possible for you to put into words | 0:45:50 | 0:45:52 | |
what those life experiences have meant to you? | 0:45:52 | 0:45:56 | |
It's just encouraging, really to say, "You're not alone. | 0:45:56 | 0:46:00 | |
"Get together, build each other's confidence and go out there | 0:46:00 | 0:46:03 | |
"and do it. You may be considered different by other children | 0:46:03 | 0:46:05 | |
"but we know that you're not." | 0:46:05 | 0:46:07 | |
Off you go. | 0:46:07 | 0:46:10 | |
But Ella's about to take on a challenge far greater than | 0:46:10 | 0:46:12 | |
anything she has ever attempted before. | 0:46:12 | 0:46:15 | |
Joining me on my ramble come scramble | 0:46:15 | 0:46:18 | |
over 3,000 feet up a Welsh mountain. | 0:46:18 | 0:46:20 | |
She'll be taking a leap of faith by trusting me to be her guide. | 0:46:23 | 0:46:27 | |
So, before I put her safety in my hands, I'm going | 0:46:27 | 0:46:29 | |
to get the chance to experience what life is like from Ella's perspective. | 0:46:29 | 0:46:34 | |
Jan has kindly put together these glasses that | 0:46:38 | 0:46:42 | |
sort of simulate my vision. | 0:46:42 | 0:46:44 | |
-OK. -OK? | 0:46:44 | 0:46:45 | |
'Jan is going to guide us both. | 0:46:47 | 0:46:49 | |
'We've put an effect on our camera | 0:46:52 | 0:46:54 | |
'to give you an idea of what I'm seeing.' | 0:46:54 | 0:46:56 | |
I've just seen it now, this car. | 0:46:56 | 0:46:59 | |
We've got a slight different change in the kerb | 0:46:59 | 0:47:02 | |
-but if you keep walking forward. -There's a car there somewhere. | 0:47:02 | 0:47:06 | |
Straight over. It's not a step | 0:47:06 | 0:47:08 | |
but you'll know you've made it cos you have the cobbles there. | 0:47:08 | 0:47:11 | |
There is a real fear in going forward. | 0:47:11 | 0:47:14 | |
We can try the steps of the library, if you'd like. | 0:47:14 | 0:47:17 | |
Your balance OK? | 0:47:19 | 0:47:20 | |
It's the depth, isn't it, that's difficult to work out? | 0:47:20 | 0:47:22 | |
Yeah. | 0:47:22 | 0:47:24 | |
Just thinking about that, going up a mountainside... | 0:47:24 | 0:47:30 | |
ELLA LAUGHS | 0:47:30 | 0:47:31 | |
'Having had a small glimpse into Ella's world, I'm conscious | 0:47:32 | 0:47:36 | |
'I've got a huge responsibility helping her safely up a mountain. | 0:47:36 | 0:47:40 | |
'So we're heading into the hills of the Lake District to test | 0:47:40 | 0:47:43 | |
'the ground with me as Ella's guide on what could be a steep learning | 0:47:43 | 0:47:47 | |
'curve for us both.' | 0:47:47 | 0:47:49 | |
-Ella, has that come into focus now? -Yep, just about. | 0:47:51 | 0:47:55 | |
I can tell it's a rock by the colour. | 0:47:55 | 0:47:57 | |
Shall I go ahead of you or behind you? What's best? | 0:47:57 | 0:48:00 | |
Go ahead and I can copy your movements. | 0:48:00 | 0:48:02 | |
So at this stage, I'd say right, | 0:48:02 | 0:48:04 | |
-so we've got just below a knee high there for me. -OK. | 0:48:04 | 0:48:07 | |
And I'll stand here and help you up if you need to. | 0:48:07 | 0:48:10 | |
-OK. -Yep, great. | 0:48:10 | 0:48:12 | |
There's loose footing here. What can you see up ahead? | 0:48:13 | 0:48:18 | |
I'm not quite sure whether they're roots or rocks. | 0:48:18 | 0:48:22 | |
It's a mixture of both, to be fair. | 0:48:22 | 0:48:24 | |
-We've got roots off to the right-hand side. -OK. -Bobbly roots. | 0:48:24 | 0:48:28 | |
-Cheeky stone. -Bobbly roots and cheeky stones, OK. | 0:48:31 | 0:48:34 | |
-I love the technical geography. -OK, keep coming to me. | 0:48:35 | 0:48:38 | |
Just figuring if that rock was in the way. | 0:48:38 | 0:48:40 | |
And then I think we should go left here. | 0:48:40 | 0:48:42 | |
-Just going to move that out of the way cos that shouldn't be there. -OK. | 0:48:42 | 0:48:46 | |
-Nearly there. -OK. | 0:48:46 | 0:48:48 | |
That's it. Stop there and step. | 0:48:48 | 0:48:50 | |
And again, step. | 0:48:51 | 0:48:53 | |
-There we are. My hand's there, I'll help you up. -Thanks. | 0:48:54 | 0:48:58 | |
And there we are. | 0:48:58 | 0:48:59 | |
-Brilliant, thank you. -Come on. | 0:49:00 | 0:49:02 | |
Hand's in the right position, high five. Nailed it. | 0:49:02 | 0:49:05 | |
Our first tentative steps have gone well. | 0:49:10 | 0:49:13 | |
But this hill is no mountain. | 0:49:13 | 0:49:16 | |
And a much larger obstacle lies ahead on our ramble. | 0:49:16 | 0:49:19 | |
It's one Ella's determined to conquer. | 0:49:19 | 0:49:21 | |
When you're about to set out on a challenge, you always have | 0:49:24 | 0:49:26 | |
stuff going on in your mind, reasons for doing it. | 0:49:26 | 0:49:29 | |
What are your reasons? | 0:49:29 | 0:49:30 | |
Trying to inspire young people | 0:49:30 | 0:49:33 | |
who are also visually impaired or with any other disability | 0:49:33 | 0:49:37 | |
that whatever challenge you set out to do, | 0:49:37 | 0:49:39 | |
don't think about your disability. Go out and get it. | 0:49:39 | 0:49:42 | |
Don't let anybody stand in your way. | 0:49:42 | 0:49:44 | |
For Ella, her ramble is not only to inspire others, | 0:49:44 | 0:49:47 | |
but also to honour the memory of a man who inspired and loved her - | 0:49:47 | 0:49:52 | |
her dad who passed away two years ago. | 0:49:52 | 0:49:55 | |
He used to work for the National Trust | 0:49:56 | 0:49:58 | |
and do all the maps for the area and the mountains | 0:49:58 | 0:50:01 | |
so he used to know this area like the back of his hand. | 0:50:01 | 0:50:03 | |
At least I can say, "I might not have got to do it with you, | 0:50:03 | 0:50:06 | |
"but I'm doing it in your memory to show you that I can do it." | 0:50:06 | 0:50:10 | |
-You're doing it for him. -Yeah. | 0:50:10 | 0:50:12 | |
Yeah. | 0:50:13 | 0:50:15 | |
-Well, it's wonderful to be doing it alongside you. -Thanks, Matt. | 0:50:17 | 0:50:21 | |
From what I've seen of Ella today, you know, she is pushing herself to | 0:50:23 | 0:50:27 | |
her absolute limits | 0:50:27 | 0:50:28 | |
and she's doing it to say thank you to all the people that have | 0:50:28 | 0:50:32 | |
helped her and also because she wants to be an inspiration to others and | 0:50:32 | 0:50:37 | |
she wants to show all of those other children, | 0:50:37 | 0:50:40 | |
a lot younger than her that, actually, although | 0:50:40 | 0:50:42 | |
you have difficulties with sight, it doesn't have to stop you in life. | 0:50:42 | 0:50:47 | |
And I know it's difficult for lots of you to get out there | 0:50:47 | 0:50:51 | |
and go on a walk but if you text right now, | 0:50:51 | 0:50:56 | |
then you will give other children, just like Ella, the support | 0:50:56 | 0:51:01 | |
when they need it most. | 0:51:01 | 0:51:03 | |
Yes! Very good. | 0:51:32 | 0:51:33 | |
Please support us in any way that you can. | 0:51:33 | 0:51:36 | |
The Countryfile Ramble is next weekend so to take part | 0:51:36 | 0:51:40 | |
and raise money just go to the Countryfile website where | 0:51:40 | 0:51:43 | |
you'll find not only inspiration and ideas of where you can walk | 0:51:43 | 0:51:46 | |
but you'll find that all-important sponsorship form. | 0:51:46 | 0:51:50 | |
So let us use the countryside that we love to show together that we | 0:51:50 | 0:51:54 | |
can make a lasting difference. | 0:51:54 | 0:51:56 | |
Today we're on the eastern edge of Morecambe Bay. | 0:52:13 | 0:52:16 | |
Helen's been riding the tide | 0:52:16 | 0:52:18 | |
'and I've travelled up the coast on the brand-new Bay Cycle Way, | 0:52:18 | 0:52:23 | |
'stopping off to catch sight of some of the wild birds the area is | 0:52:23 | 0:52:26 | |
'famous for. | 0:52:26 | 0:52:28 | |
'Now it's time for another stop. | 0:52:29 | 0:52:31 | |
'Jack Scout is one of only two limestone cliffs in the area | 0:52:33 | 0:52:37 | |
'and is the perfect spot for some of the best views of the bay.' | 0:52:37 | 0:52:40 | |
Wow, it's so dramatic and incredibly atmospheric. | 0:52:42 | 0:52:46 | |
And from here you get a real sense of the scale | 0:52:46 | 0:52:49 | |
and the grandeur of Morecambe Bay | 0:52:49 | 0:52:51 | |
and the way the sea shapes the entire environment. It's beautiful. | 0:52:51 | 0:52:55 | |
There's magic and mystery in its flat expanses. | 0:53:01 | 0:53:05 | |
And even up here you don't know what you're going to come across. | 0:53:06 | 0:53:10 | |
-Hello, Craig. -Hello, Anita. | 0:53:10 | 0:53:11 | |
Crouching down, peering at something. What are you looking at? | 0:53:11 | 0:53:14 | |
Come and have a look at these. | 0:53:14 | 0:53:16 | |
These are very delicate little orchids called | 0:53:16 | 0:53:19 | |
autumn lady's-tresses. | 0:53:19 | 0:53:21 | |
They're a good indicator of the limestone grassland. | 0:53:21 | 0:53:24 | |
I'm just taking it in. That's an orchid? | 0:53:24 | 0:53:27 | |
It's absolutely dinky. | 0:53:27 | 0:53:29 | |
These are one of the last British orchids to bloom in the year. | 0:53:29 | 0:53:32 | |
Hence their name - autumn lady's-tresses. | 0:53:32 | 0:53:34 | |
-But people often miss them. -I'm not surprised, look at it. | 0:53:34 | 0:53:37 | |
It's absolutely tiny. Why are they called lady's-tresses? | 0:53:37 | 0:53:41 | |
That's because of this arrangement of the flowers. | 0:53:41 | 0:53:43 | |
-It spirals up the stem like a braid of hair. -It really does. | 0:53:43 | 0:53:48 | |
So delicate. | 0:53:48 | 0:53:49 | |
When you get down to this level you start to see them | 0:53:49 | 0:53:52 | |
dotted all over the grassland. | 0:53:52 | 0:53:54 | |
And you realise just how many there are we're just sitting amongst. | 0:53:54 | 0:53:57 | |
I have to say, it's really made me smile. | 0:53:57 | 0:54:00 | |
Thank you so much for pointing them out for me. | 0:54:00 | 0:54:02 | |
I will always look out for them now. And now you're right, now that | 0:54:02 | 0:54:05 | |
you're mentioned it I can see quite a few. | 0:54:05 | 0:54:07 | |
They're everywhere. The dinkiest orchids in the world. | 0:54:07 | 0:54:11 | |
'But I've come here for the sunset and there's a perfect place | 0:54:16 | 0:54:20 | |
'to watch it, a Victorian folly called the Giant's Seat.' | 0:54:20 | 0:54:24 | |
There's something humbling about the bay. | 0:54:28 | 0:54:31 | |
Its vast, elemental, ever-changing but always stunning. | 0:54:31 | 0:54:36 | |
That's it for this week. | 0:54:47 | 0:54:48 | |
Just time to remind you if you want more scenes like this, | 0:54:48 | 0:54:51 | |
then get your hands on the Countryfile calendar. | 0:54:51 | 0:54:54 | |
Details on our website. | 0:54:54 | 0:54:56 | |
Right, next week we're in Cheshire where Matt will be hoping | 0:54:58 | 0:55:01 | |
to catch a glimpse of one of nature's greatest spectacles. | 0:55:01 | 0:55:04 | |
Hope you can join us then. Bye for now. | 0:55:04 | 0:55:06 |