0:00:27 > 0:00:29This is the big country.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Big skies, big beaches, the biggest vistas.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38The coastline of Northumberland stretches for 70 glorious miles.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41It's wild and remote and it's often empty and it's somewhere
0:00:41 > 0:00:43that I keep coming back to.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47This part of the world might feel timeless
0:00:47 > 0:00:50but the coastline is constantly changing.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54The power of the sea is ripping out great chunks revealing ancient
0:00:54 > 0:00:56treasures.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58And there are treasures of a different kind waiting for me
0:00:58 > 0:01:01beneath the waves.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02One-two-three
0:01:02 > 0:01:04four-five-six-seven...
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Eight-nine...wow!
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Tom is finding out about some pioneering pigs.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13You've heard about genetically modified crops -
0:01:13 > 0:01:16what about genetically modified animals?
0:01:16 > 0:01:20These pigs are on a farm with the only GM livestock in Britain.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22It's all about tackling animal diseases
0:01:22 > 0:01:26but would you eat the meat? I'll be investigating.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And Adam's looking forward to reaping what he's sown.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34With the crops on the farm summer is a busy time of year with
0:01:34 > 0:01:36harvest just around the corner.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39But the crops and animals are very much dominated by the weather
0:01:39 > 0:01:41patterns we have throughout the year.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44So, I'm taking a look back to remind myself how difficult it's
0:01:44 > 0:01:46been over the last eight months.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Northumberland is England's most northerly county.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09As a young man my first reporting job for the BBC was in the nearest
0:02:09 > 0:02:10big city, Newcastle upon Tyne.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15At weekends I'd head north to these beaches.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19I loved the sense of space and scale.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21And the dramatic remains of castles,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25reminders of this coastline's bloodthirsty history.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Today, this land is once again under threat.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Not from Viking hordes or wild gangs of Border Reivers but from the sea.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Coastal erosion is hitting the east of the country hard.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Storms are getting rougher, the land is taking a battering.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Here, in this part of Northumberland,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56they're losing more than a metre of their coastline every year.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07But here at Druridge Bay coasted erosion is forcing the land to
0:03:07 > 0:03:10give up its secrets in a spectacular way.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And those secrets are quite surprising.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Archaeologist Clive Waddington
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and his mostly volunteer team are busy uncovering the past.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Well, just what is this place revealing?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29We've got this well-preserved Bronze Age cairn here.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33This is an old tomb, something like about 4,500 years ago.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36It's quite large - about 16 metres in diameter but,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39unfortunately, we've lost about half of it to the sea so the cliff
0:03:39 > 0:03:43edge here has been eaten away by the winter storms particularly.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44How was it discovered?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46It was discovered by a man walking his dog here
0:03:46 > 0:03:50and he saw the remains of one of these stone graves falling
0:03:50 > 0:03:53out of the cliff face and realised there was human bones in it.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56So, he called the police and the police came with an archaeologist
0:03:56 > 0:03:58and it was at that point we realised there was this large burial
0:03:58 > 0:04:02mound that was basically falling out of the cliff.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06So, you found lots of Bronze Age human remains - anything with them?
0:04:06 > 0:04:10We found quite a bit of prehistoric pottery as well, so...
0:04:10 > 0:04:12you can see this material.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15This one's rather nice, this is a piece of, what we call,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18food vessel, for the afterlife, for the journey into...
0:04:18 > 0:04:23- Nice pattern on there.- Yeah, you can see this is fingernail impressions.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25And it's in a kind of herring bone pattern.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30- Very elaborate, really.- Yeah, and that's about 4,000 years old.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32And this piece,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34this is either another kind of food vessel or a burial urn.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36And, typically, these are found upside down,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39sometimes with a cremation inside.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44The erosion is giving up more than just long-dead remains,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48beneath the burial mound there's a story in the rocks themselves.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50What we've got here is this incredible
0:04:50 > 0:04:52sequence below the Bronze Age archaeology.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54It's like a layer cake.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56You can see the different layers of strata in there.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59This is very different, this is all little bits of stuff.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01It is, you can see it's very beach-rounded,
0:05:01 > 0:05:05we've got kind of gravel in there but also larger,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09blocks as well and this would have resulted from a very powerful
0:05:09 > 0:05:14event, basically it's a storm surge so, today we'd call it a tsunami
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and it's brought these large blocks up and thrown them
0:05:16 > 0:05:18high onto the shoreline...
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Could that have been what created the North Sea and the English Channel?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Yes, we think this could date so far back,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29probably around 6,500BC and that's the time when, we think,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Britain finally got separated from the Continent
0:05:31 > 0:05:34and this could have been the event that finally broke that land bridge.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Today there's an early sea fret and the waves are benign.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Often they are tempestuous but no matter what the conditions each tide
0:05:45 > 0:05:47can reveal new secrets.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50A rich seam for the archaeologists and for, perhaps,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54an unexpected partner, the Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I'm joining Steve Low from the trust.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00So, how come you are involved in an archaeological project?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Well John, we know a lot about the area at the moment
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- its environment, its wildlife -
0:06:05 > 0:06:08but we don't know much about how it's changed over time
0:06:08 > 0:06:10and this dig is giving us
0:06:10 > 0:06:13a real window into the past to tell us
0:06:13 > 0:06:15more about what was here before, the animals
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and the people that lived here and how they exploited them.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22- Hello, Philippa, what are you up to? - At the moment, what I'm doing is
0:06:22 > 0:06:25removing this layer of sand from on top of the ancient peat bed
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- to expose these footprints. - What are you coming across?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- That could be an ancient cattle footprint.- Uh-huh.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34And this looks like a human footprint.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38You can see the heel there, the instep and the toes.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- Smaller footprint than mine! - Definitely.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44What kind of person would that footprint have belonged to?
0:06:44 > 0:06:46We think that would have belonged to someone perhaps who
0:06:46 > 0:06:48lived in the dig nearby.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51A hunter gatherer using the environment to gather
0:06:51 > 0:06:52all of their food.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Eating the wild boar,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57the deer and everything else we are finding in here.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00And it's really quite inspirational to think that that's been
0:07:00 > 0:07:03there for thousands of years and here we are seeing it today.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07So, what is all this telling us about the way that Druridge Bay has
0:07:07 > 0:07:10changed over the many thousands of years?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13This used to be part of the mainland
0:07:13 > 0:07:16and now that is much further back from us.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Coastal erosion is continuing to happen
0:07:18 > 0:07:22and we try to fight it all of the time but, of course, I think
0:07:22 > 0:07:25we need to recognise we can't always be successful with that.
0:07:30 > 0:07:36Erosion here is opening up for us an extraordinary window into our past.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40But sights like these are vulnerable, for many of the secrets
0:07:40 > 0:07:44they keep are being lost to the sea all up and down our east coast.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Here at Druridge Bay at least there's a chance to learn
0:07:48 > 0:07:50something before all trace is lost.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Now, the idea of growing GM crops in the UK is hugely controversial.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03But what about the genetic modification of animals?
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Tom has been investigating.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13The lowlands of Scotland.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16A wealth of natural beauty.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Untouched, you might think, by interference from the modern world.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27But appearances can be deceptive.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Just over there, nestling amongst the trees is Roslin.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Home to some of the most extraordinary scientific
0:08:33 > 0:08:34breakthroughs.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Dolly, the cloned sheep was created there and now another radical
0:08:39 > 0:08:43achievement - full of potential but stalked by controversy.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45SHOUTING
0:08:45 > 0:08:49We've been arguing about the rights and wrongs of GM crops for 30 years.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53And in Europe they are so tightly regulated one of the leading
0:08:53 > 0:08:54biotech companies, Monsanto,
0:08:54 > 0:08:59has just scrapped plans to develop new GM varieties in the EU.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04But here, at the Roslin Institute, south of Edinburgh,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08little noticed by the opponents of GM some remarkable things have
0:09:08 > 0:09:09been happening.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13This is the tail of a pig, but no ordinary pig.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18She's the first farm animal in the UK produced using new
0:09:18 > 0:09:20gene-editing technology.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24She goes by the grand name of Pig 26.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- So, which one is home to Pig 26? - The pen at the top here.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32'Chief swineherd - well, professor of biotechnology is Bruce Whitelaw.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- What do you think, ready for some feed?- I would imagine they are.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39- Pigs normally are. - Come on then, ladies.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Pig 26 has been genetically engineered to have a very
0:09:43 > 0:09:46precise mutation in one specific gene.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49The key thing of that mutation is exactly where we want it to
0:09:49 > 0:09:52be in one of the 20,000 genes this animal has.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55And why are you doing it? What problem are you seeking to solve?
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Pigs suffer from many diseases. One in particular is a swine fever
0:09:59 > 0:10:02and the disease we are looking at is African swine fever.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06The African pig can tolerate this virus - it does not die.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09If one of these animals was infected by African swine fever
0:10:09 > 0:10:11virus it would bleed to death within a couple of days.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- A pretty nasty way to go. - A pretty nasty way to go.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17No vaccine, no drugs to treat it.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21African swine fever is spreading, it's already rampant in Russia
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and, it's feared, could reach here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28How far down the line are you to making Pig 26 resistant?
0:10:28 > 0:10:31If the disease came here would she be immune?
0:10:31 > 0:10:33She would probably not be immune.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36There are two steps to this project, one is showing we can actually
0:10:36 > 0:10:40target a specific sequence in that specific gene
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and that's what Pig 26 demonstrates.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47The next challenge is to change one base in that to the base
0:10:47 > 0:10:51normally found in the African pig and we're working on that just now.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54The traditional genetical modifying or genetic engineering
0:10:54 > 0:10:58technology involves transferring a whole gene or even a hybrid gene.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Sometimes between species.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02This technology allows us
0:11:02 > 0:11:07to manipulate the endogenous gene very precisely and very subtly.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Some genes contain thousands of bases,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11we just want to change one single base.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It's taken the scientists at Roslin years to get this far
0:11:16 > 0:11:20but when you realise the complexity of what they are trying to do
0:11:20 > 0:11:22you start to see why.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26To make sense of it I'm going back to school, in fact, pre-school.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Imagine this represents the inside of a fertilised egg
0:11:32 > 0:11:34taken from a pregnant sow.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35Now, a bit of a stretch I know,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39in reality it would be smaller than a pinhead.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44And each one of those fertilised eggs would contain 20,000 genes,
0:11:44 > 0:11:45like the balls here,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and each one of those would control a characteristic like the
0:11:48 > 0:11:52length of the tail or maybe the risk of catching a certain disease.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57But finding the gene you want to modify is just the first step.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04Each gene contains a string of DNA and only by cutting that in exactly
0:12:04 > 0:12:08the right place do you achieve the affect that you want
0:12:08 > 0:12:11and that's exactly what the scientists did at Roslin.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Admittedly, using chemistry not scissors.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20Before putting the new strand of DNA back in with all the other genes.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28When that fertilised egg grows into an embryo and eventually a pig
0:12:28 > 0:12:31every cell in its body contains that altered gene.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36With a process as complicated as this it's hardly surprising
0:12:36 > 0:12:39that creating a pig that's resistant to swine fever is
0:12:39 > 0:12:43yet to become a reality but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47And these birds are the proof.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Here at Roslin they've not only genetically modified pigs they've
0:12:52 > 0:12:58created GM chickens and these guys have some very special qualities.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03They are part of a GM experiment to eradicate bird flu
0:13:03 > 0:13:07which can be passed to humans so the work of Dr Lucy Freem
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and her colleagues is of, potentially, global importance.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15Excitingly, we have already developed a chicken that is
0:13:15 > 0:13:18partially resistant to bird flu so these chickens,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21if they catch bird flu, do get sick and die
0:13:21 > 0:13:24but they don't pass the virus on to other chickens kept in the same
0:13:24 > 0:13:28pen or, potentially, on to humans so that's already a really big advance.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30So, we are trying to improve on that
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and make a chicken that's fully resistant to bird flu,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36that when exposed to it is resistant to catching it as well.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41The team at Roslin is even starting work on the highly complex
0:13:41 > 0:13:44task of tackling foot and mouth disease.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47So, could gene editing be a major part of animal
0:13:47 > 0:13:49health in years to come?
0:13:51 > 0:13:54It has the potential but it's only one of the potential solutions.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59We have huge research going into vaccine technology, drug
0:13:59 > 0:14:03development, husbandry, management of the animals in general.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05All that will come together and give us
0:14:05 > 0:14:09our solutions to these diseases in the future
0:14:09 > 0:14:12but genetic engineering has an opportunity to contribute to that.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23Genetically-modified livestock is confined to the experimental farm,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26unlike GM crops there aren't commercial varieties ready
0:14:26 > 0:14:31to go so broad public opinion is largely unformed.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34But, some objections are starting to emerge,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36as I'll be finding out later.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Back in May, Ellie was in Portsmouth,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51a town long associated with the Royal Navy but out beyond the warships
0:14:51 > 0:14:56are massive inter-tidal mudflats home to some of our rarest creatures.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01But crossing those mudflats to see them? Well, that's the challenge...
0:15:04 > 0:15:06This is Fareham Creek.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11At low tide the mudflats stretch as far as the eye can see.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20I'm on the hunt for one of our most threatened native shellfish.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23But, to find out if they are here, I need to head out there.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Not as easy as you might think.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29What I'm hoping to see are native oysters.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35In its heyday the Solent had one of the largest natural populations.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37They were harvested and shipped to London
0:15:37 > 0:15:41and Paris to meet the demands of high society.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43But since 2000 they have been in decline.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Jolyon Chesworth is running a project to try
0:15:51 > 0:15:52and gauge accurate numbers.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- Some extraordinary footwear here. - That's right.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59These are mud shoes and it's what we wear when we go out onto
0:15:59 > 0:16:02the mudflats and carry out surveys, to help stop us sinking.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04They are based on the design of herons' feet
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and they have these expandable wings
0:16:06 > 0:16:09so when you put your foot down the pressure lifts the wings up
0:16:09 > 0:16:11and helps evenly spread your weight
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and stops you going too far into the mud.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18That's the wrong way round, Ellie, you need to turn them round and slip them on like normal shoes.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20- Blimey. There's nothing normal about these shoes. - HE CHUCKLES
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Nearly there.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Really tight. There we go.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- Perfect.- I was born into them(!) Shall we give them a try?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- Yeah, let's go. - SHE LAUGHS
0:16:29 > 0:16:31I feel like a clown.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34MUSIC: "Walking On The Moon" by The Police
0:16:34 > 0:16:37It's tough going in the mud but it's the only way to find them.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39# Giant steps are what you take
0:16:40 > 0:16:41# Walking on the moon
0:16:43 > 0:16:46# I hope my leg don't break...
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Strewth, this is loads of work and why do you do it?
0:16:49 > 0:16:52This area's been recommended for protection through a marine
0:16:52 > 0:16:55conservation zone for native oysters
0:16:55 > 0:16:58but it hasn't progressed cos there's a lack of evidence to suggest
0:16:58 > 0:17:01they are here in enough numbers to actually designate this site
0:17:01 > 0:17:04so what we are going to be doing, over the coming months,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07is to be going out and looking for them, monitoring them and actually
0:17:07 > 0:17:11gathering the evidence to make sure this site does get designated.
0:17:11 > 0:17:12We're not going to do the whole patch today?
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- No, we're just going to have a little recce.- Cool, we're against the tide as well,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18so let's get on with it, shall we?
0:17:20 > 0:17:24For a full survey, Jolyon will be out here for up to six hours.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26And will cover around two miles.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29What you have found there is a Pacific oyster
0:17:29 > 0:17:31and a large one at that.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34The reason you can tell the difference between a Pacific and
0:17:34 > 0:17:38a native is the Pacific oysters have quite a sharp point
0:17:38 > 0:17:42and they fan out and they have a very corrugated rim.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44The native oysters, as we will hopefully find later,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47are a lot smoother and flatter.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Jolyon records all Pacific oyster sightings to keep
0:17:50 > 0:17:51track of their numbers too.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Because they are a known invasive species.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Are they a problem for our native oysters?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00In some areas, possibly, in this area we don't have them
0:18:00 > 0:18:02in such numbers that they are likely to compete.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Also, the native oysters prefer deeper water whereas these prefer
0:18:06 > 0:18:11shallow, inter-tidal areas so their ranges don't necessarily overlap.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13It doesn't take long before we find what we're looking for.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Here we've got a native oyster.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Sometimes called a flat oyster
0:18:20 > 0:18:22because it has a very flat shell to it.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- You can see it's quite a different shape...- Yes.- ..from the Pacific.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29It's much rounder, much smoother. Obviously, this one's a lot smaller
0:18:29 > 0:18:32but that's because it's quite a few years younger than this one.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34These can get, like you say, quite a bit bigger,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- though, so the size isn't the give away.- No, no.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39This is probably a year or two old
0:18:39 > 0:18:41whereas that one is more like seven years.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Hopefully, Jolyon can find enough native oysters to get these
0:18:45 > 0:18:49mudflats protected ensuring their survival for years to come.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55On the other side of Portsmouth harbour,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58a once-thriving oyster farm lies dormant.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Back in the 1900s this would have been a hive of fishing activity.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11But pollution brought business to a standstill after
0:19:11 > 0:19:12The First World War.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Today, this man-made farm now plays host to thousands of birds
0:19:17 > 0:19:21rather than oysters, including one of our rarest seabirds,
0:19:21 > 0:19:22the little tern.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28The RSPB are using some rather unusual methods to try
0:19:28 > 0:19:29and protect it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35And that's where this beast comes in.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41Thank you. These are cockleshells and it's on this surface that
0:19:41 > 0:19:44little terns like to nest but because they are fairly
0:19:44 > 0:19:48particular they prefer to nest on this - crushed-up cockleshells.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Hence the roller. Cheers, Wes.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59All bagged up, I head to the oyster beds with RSPB warden Wes Smith.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- They'd better appreciate it. - I'm sure they will.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05What's happening with this lot, then?
0:20:05 > 0:20:07We're going to get this lot across to the island
0:20:07 > 0:20:10here where we are going to put the shells out
0:20:10 > 0:20:14and create some perfect nesting material for the little terns.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Little terns only visit the UK in the summer to nest
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and rear their young.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21This is the perfect time to do it, right now.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- We had two circling overhead today. - Wow.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26So, they're just on their way back.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31The little tern has been in decline right across Europe.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34During the summer months 8% of the UK's entire
0:20:34 > 0:20:37population are found right here.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Why this island as opposed to anywhere else along this coast?
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Well, this one here is currently empty.
0:20:45 > 0:20:46We've got some black-headed gulls
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and Mediterranean gulls on some of the islands
0:20:49 > 0:20:51which are very suitable for them.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Little terns, being small birds, they tend to get bullied,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56pushed out of the main cluster so this one here if they can get
0:20:56 > 0:20:59it just at this timing it will be absolutely perfect for them.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Finally, it's time to help volunteer warden Chris Coburn cover
0:21:06 > 0:21:08the newly-weeded surface with shells.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Then, some hard landscaping is needed.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18- What's with the bricks, Chris? - Well, this looks very uniform.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20So, you area little tern, you are coming back to your nest -
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- where is it?- I would never know.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Right, so let's have a little marker.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Are we playing boules with the bricks?
0:21:28 > 0:21:29- Yeah.- Just anywhere?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32A bit of set dressing to try and really encourage them in?
0:21:32 > 0:21:35If you've got little terns nesting here they've now got
0:21:35 > 0:21:39identifiable locations - they go flying over, "Ah, that's my brick.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- "Now, where was my nest?" And this is where we are very cunning. - Oh!
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I'm going to put done some decoys to see if we can attract them.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48So, these handmade jobs are life-size...
0:21:48 > 0:21:50HE CHUCKLES
0:21:50 > 0:21:51- Shows how small they are.- Yeah.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53- That's why they are called little terns.- Yeah, yeah.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Does this work, putting a decoy in?
0:21:56 > 0:22:00In America they've moved colonies of 2,000 birds.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- It's taken a little while but... - By using these decoys?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06By using these decoys it just works a treat.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09With the decoys set the only thing left to do is wait.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Hopefully, these lifelike models will transform these derelict
0:22:14 > 0:22:17oyster beds into a little-tern haven.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19BIRDS CRY
0:22:26 > 0:22:30There's more to Northumberland than its long swathes of sandy
0:22:30 > 0:22:33beaches and wide open skies.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37There's all the drama of the national park, its brooding valleys
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and sweeping hillsides.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41And down there, hidden amongst the trees,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44is something unique in the British landscape.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53A graveyard of sorts, of once proud metal.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58Row upon row of rusting machines that used to dominate harvest time.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00So many, that you can see them from space.
0:23:12 > 0:23:18They all belong to farmer John Manners. 350 combine harvesters.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22John's taking farming diversification to a new level.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26John, this is an amazing sight.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30I've never seen anything like it, 350 dead combine harvesters.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Yes, well they are not going to go again.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- When they get here I'm called the undertaker. - JOHN CRAVEN CHUCKLES
0:23:35 > 0:23:39How did it all start? What made you begin this job?
0:23:39 > 0:23:44I needed some wheels and tyres for a tractor which were very
0:23:44 > 0:23:47expensive and I found this combine which was local...
0:23:49 > 0:23:51..and I got it for the same price as the wheels and tyres
0:23:51 > 0:23:53so I brought it home, took the wheels and tyres off
0:23:53 > 0:23:57put them onto my tractor and then somebody came wanting the engine,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59somebody came wanting something else and it just mushroomed.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03- It grewed and grewed!- Yes, it did. It just went on and on and on.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18That one looks as though it's been on fire.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Yes, that's a fire-damaged combine.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24- Is it a common thing for combines to burn out?- Oh, yes, it is.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27You've got to look after them.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Hose them out, blow them out,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32clean the engines out cos of the dust and the muck and everything.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Cos, a brand-new combine is incredibly expensive, isn't it?
0:24:48 > 0:24:52About 300,000 for the top of the range.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56So, it's understandable why people want a lot of spares.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Well, I don't cater for the new boy.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03I cater for the smaller market...the banger market, should we say,
0:25:03 > 0:25:04in the combine world.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16And how much - can you tell me - how much do you pay for a combine?
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- I can't tell you that! - BOTH LAUGH
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Trade secret.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24It's business, isn't it? Competitors might start!
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Earlier, we heard how, deep in the Scottish countryside scientists
0:25:38 > 0:25:42have produced Britain's first genetically-modified farm animals.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47But, as Tom's been finding out, not everyone's comfortable with the idea.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Genetically-modified pigs that can't catch swine fever?
0:25:56 > 0:25:58GM chickens that can't catch bird flu?
0:26:00 > 0:26:02This is the kind of future that
0:26:02 > 0:26:05scientists at the Roslin Institute are working towards.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10But if GM animals become part of the future of British farming it
0:26:10 > 0:26:12raises some questions.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14How would farmers feel about rearing them?
0:26:14 > 0:26:16How would the government regulate them?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19And, perhaps most importantly, how would you and I,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23the consumers, feel about eating lamb from a GM sheep or
0:26:23 > 0:26:26bacon from a genetically-engineered pig?
0:26:33 > 0:26:36At Stagehall farm in the Scottish Borders they rear cattle
0:26:36 > 0:26:38the conventional way.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Most of the calves are Angus.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43What we are looking for is short-horn cows
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and a lot of Angus to sell.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48- So, most of the calves are black, as you see.- Hello.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52- Has he got a name? - He's Elwood.- Elwood.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55He was bred here, he's got a brother as well.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Him and his brother are very similar.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Elwood's family is the result of generations of careful
0:27:01 > 0:27:04cross-breeding by beef farmer Nigel Miller,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07president of the National Farmers' Union in Scotland.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Come on!
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Come on, there's a bit of food here too. Come on.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14He thinks traditional methods have worked well
0:27:14 > 0:27:17but feels there is room for the precision of GM.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20With this sort of very precise technology you can start
0:27:20 > 0:27:24looking at health and welfare issues and building them into our breeds.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27One of the things they said they were just beginning to
0:27:27 > 0:27:29work on at Roslin was foot and mouth disease.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31What would you think if they did something with that?
0:27:31 > 0:27:36Well, that would be a miraculous change for me if you could break
0:27:36 > 0:27:40out of the whole problem of foot and mouth, it would be fantastic.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Nigel does have his reservations, though.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46He's worried about the possible influence of big business.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49We don't want this to be a commercial
0:27:49 > 0:27:51lock on breeding of livestock.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54So, you're worried, are you, if someone gets their patent on the super cow?
0:27:54 > 0:27:56And that then they could control everything?
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Yeah, I think that's a real fear and that's one of the reasons why
0:28:01 > 0:28:04genetic modification in plants has got a bad name
0:28:04 > 0:28:05and I don't think we want to go there.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08We don't want to have farmers or communities held to
0:28:08 > 0:28:11ransom by a commercial organisation.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17But for others, the objections go much deeper.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Environmental scientist Dr Helen Wallace is from GeneWatch -
0:28:24 > 0:28:29an organisation with concerns about GM crops and animals.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Here at Roslin, not far behind us,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35they are actually working on animals that are resistant to disease.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Surely that's good for the animals' welfare?
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Well, there's not very much understood about how that
0:28:41 > 0:28:45resistance might work in practice, so one concern is that
0:28:45 > 0:28:49disease-resistant animals could act as a reservoir for the virus,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53be infected and pass it on to other animals but without you knowing.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55And when it comes to eating this meat, which, of course,
0:28:55 > 0:28:59we aren't doing yet - what are your worries there?
0:28:59 > 0:29:01I think it will be up to consumers to decide
0:29:01 > 0:29:03whether they really want to eat this meat.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05They'll have concerns about food safety
0:29:05 > 0:29:09because it's difficult to provide definitive evidence that the
0:29:09 > 0:29:10changes in the meat,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13or the changes in the milk are safe for humans in the longer term.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21These small fry are the first GM animals anyone's likely to eat.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24American scientists are genetically modifying salmon
0:29:24 > 0:29:27so they grow bigger faster.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30And they could go on sale over there later this year.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35So, what will that mean here in Scotland where salmon has
0:29:35 > 0:29:38spawned a huge industry?
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Salmon and Trout Association chairman Hugh Campbell Adamson
0:29:42 > 0:29:46says GM fish pose many threats to wild salmon.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50The worst one is getting genetics muddled up with our wild fish.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53And these wonderful fish we have that swim thousands of miles
0:29:53 > 0:29:55yet still get back to their original river
0:29:55 > 0:29:58and still do that extraordinary life cycle -
0:29:58 > 0:30:02there's a real danger, I think, and a lot of people would think of these
0:30:02 > 0:30:06fish being polluted to a degree by genes coming in artificially.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08But if they are properly contained, as they say,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11in tanks away from the sea, surely that's not a problem?
0:30:12 > 0:30:14If you could swear to me,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Tom, that every single fish is going to stay inside that cage
0:30:17 > 0:30:18and never get into the wild,
0:30:18 > 0:30:22and that was to be proved I think a lot of the problems would go.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25But, I don't think, our record, as humans,
0:30:25 > 0:30:26on this is particularly good.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33Back at Roslin, Britain's only genetically-modified livestock
0:30:33 > 0:30:38are safely behind bars, including these latest additions, GM sheep.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44So, what's the view here of contaminating the gene pool?
0:30:44 > 0:30:50If, for example, Pig 26 escaped and bred with ordinary farm pigs?
0:30:51 > 0:30:54All it would do was transfer disease resistance to that animal.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57But, as far as people who don't like GM are concerned,
0:30:57 > 0:31:00you have then got a GM-contaminated stock of pigs.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04So, it's a natural mutation we have with Pig 26, it's a
0:31:04 > 0:31:07normal mutation which could be found in that population.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09We've engineered it into Pig 26.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13It is possible that some time in the future a natural mating would
0:31:13 > 0:31:14produce that mutation.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18There's no additional risk to a GM as in Pig 26 compared to that
0:31:18 > 0:31:19natural mutation.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28There's no doubt it's a challenging thought, the idea of GM livestock
0:31:28 > 0:31:33grazing these fields, sentient beings whose genes we've tweaked.
0:31:33 > 0:31:39But, cutting disease and boosting productivity is a huge prize.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Leaving us plenty to chew on.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48You never know what any season will bring
0:31:48 > 0:31:51until Mother Nature plays her hand.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54The hot summer finally arrived last month
0:31:54 > 0:31:57and for Adam it was time to make hay while the sun shone.
0:32:17 > 0:32:18Come on, lambs.
0:32:21 > 0:32:22HE WHISTLES
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Come on, lambs.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28The pastures have been flourishing in the much-needed sunshine
0:32:28 > 0:32:32which is great for the livestock and for my sanity.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34I thought the British summer was a thing of the past.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38And this field has got a lot of lovely natural shade and water.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42And, as the temperature's warming up, these lambs need it.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Go on, Millie, good girl.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50In the summer months the pasture in this valley is valuable grazing.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54The moist soil combined with lots of sunshine is ideal for grass growth.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58But, earlier in the year it was a different story.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01I hoped that when we turned the corner from winter to spring
0:33:01 > 0:33:03we'd have perfect growing conditions.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07But it wasn't to be. Spring was dreadful.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10When we were expecting the weather to warm up it stayed cold
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and rained a lot. There was no sunshine.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17And it had an immense effect across the UK and particularly in Ireland
0:33:17 > 0:33:20where they had a lack of fodder or feed for their sheep and cattle.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23And because the grass didn't grow,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26the ewes weren't producing milk and the lambs suffered.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28We weren't too badly affected here but in some
0:33:28 > 0:33:32parts of the country sheep were dying and dying in their hundreds.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39I visited Welsh sheep farmer Errol Morris.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43He lost nearly 200 sheep during the prolonged heavy snow in April.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- Is that a dead one up there?- Ah, there's another one up there, yes.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51When the storm came they ran for shelter
0:33:51 > 0:33:54and the walls were where they went.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57And have they died mainly of the cold?
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Yes, it's the cold and suffocation in the drifts.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06If they are under the snow at this...like concrete...they
0:34:06 > 0:34:07have no hope, have they?
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Eventually, the snow cleared, spring arrived and it was onwards
0:34:13 > 0:34:15and upwards.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19It's amazing how the tides can turn.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21July brought sunshine and plenty of it
0:34:21 > 0:34:24and I didn't meet a single farmer who wasn't pleased to see the
0:34:24 > 0:34:28warmer weather and for the grassland it was perfect to get it growing.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33For the sheep it couldn't have come a moment sooner.
0:34:33 > 0:34:38At last, the lush green pasture bloomed, the grass flourished
0:34:38 > 0:34:40and the fresh food supply for my animals was plentiful.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45And it wasn't just the grazing pastures like this one that improved.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Some of the other fields were in perfect condition too
0:34:47 > 0:34:51so it was all hands to the deck to make hay while the sun shone.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57There's usually only a small window
0:34:57 > 0:34:59when hay is at the right stage for harvesting.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01And that came in July.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09The grass was cut and left to dry in the fields.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12This hay turner helps accelerate this process by turning
0:35:12 > 0:35:14the grass to remove moisture.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20In this fine weather it's turned twice a day.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Hay can be made in around four days and that's exactly what we did.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31And as soon as it's ready it's baled for storage.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36This machine compresses the hay into bales making it easy to handle,
0:35:36 > 0:35:37transport and store.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Once it's done eight it releases them together.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48Then we bring in a tractor with a front loader to collect them.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51And that's when the real hard graft starts.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55The farm team have to lug and stack the bales in hot
0:35:55 > 0:35:57and dusty conditions.
0:35:57 > 0:35:58It's no easy task.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02But it's a job well done.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09We had more grass than we expected this year
0:36:09 > 0:36:12so the hay stores are brimful and we've got some surplus hay to
0:36:12 > 0:36:16sell which is absolutely brilliant, it's a bit of a bonus.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18This hay's going off to Wales.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24It's quite an art, loading these lorries, so they're safe?
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Yes, got to be safe to go down the road.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- And how many will you get on? - It will be 50.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31But, there's a lot of grass about this year
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- so the price has been falling, hasn't it? - Yeah, weather's been
0:36:34 > 0:36:37- so good everybody has made hay rather than silage. - Yeah.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39So it means there's a lot of hay about.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41- You're buying this at £60 a ton? - Yeah.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43And what will you sell it on for?
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Hopefully 80 or something around there, as much as I can get.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49And that will pay for you haulage and make a living as well?
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Hopefully, yes.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54It's really important that the load is totally secure for the motorway.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58So, the driver's just put a strap across and he'll hold that
0:36:58 > 0:37:01bale on so that Dave can back out and get his spikes out of the bale.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Well done, Dave. Good skills.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12Hay needs to be stored indoors but as we don't have enough barn
0:37:12 > 0:37:15space we make silage too that can be kept outside.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21This is a stack of silage bales.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25Silage is similar to hay in that they are both grass
0:37:25 > 0:37:31that are mown and then made into the product but hay is kept very dry.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34And silage is baled when the grass is still a bit green
0:37:34 > 0:37:38and a bit younger so it's higher in protein and sugars
0:37:38 > 0:37:40and it was only three weeks ago that the contractors were
0:37:40 > 0:37:42out in the field working hard
0:37:42 > 0:37:46and in those rows of grass the baler goes along and creates the bale and
0:37:46 > 0:37:48that's followed by the wrapper,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51a really clever machine that picks up the bale and spins it
0:37:51 > 0:37:54and while it's being spun the wrap is going round
0:37:54 > 0:37:59and round the bale and it has two or three wraps of plastic on it.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01And what's happening inside here -
0:38:01 > 0:38:05the plastic has created anaerobic conditions, so with no air.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08And the grass is starting to ferment and pickle
0:38:08 > 0:38:11and that means it can be stored for over a year
0:38:11 > 0:38:13and we feed it to the cattle and sheep in the winter.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15It's a really good feed.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19One of the downsides is that we end up with lots of plastic
0:38:19 > 0:38:20but now we recycle it
0:38:20 > 0:38:23and we send it to a company that make it into chicken houses.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- In fact, my dog kennels were made out of it. - HE WHISTLES
0:38:26 > 0:38:27Here, dogs.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35While this has been a success story the same can't be
0:38:35 > 0:38:37said for our arable crops.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42The oilseed rape suffered during the prolonged cold spring and it
0:38:42 > 0:38:44wasn't until the end of June that it finally flowered,
0:38:44 > 0:38:46a month later than normal.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52The crop has now started to set seed and in this pod - if you open it up
0:38:52 > 0:38:56you can see the little green seeds that will turn red
0:38:56 > 0:38:58and then black ready for harvest.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02And this spring oilseed rape replaced the failed winter crop
0:39:02 > 0:39:05so I'm relying on it to do quite well.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08It's grown reasonably well and we're probably a few weeks off harvest
0:39:08 > 0:39:11but the ground has started to crack and what
0:39:11 > 0:39:15we need now to help these seeds grow a bit more is some more rain.
0:39:20 > 0:39:21And it gets worse.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24In another field of oilseed rape it's not just the weather
0:39:24 > 0:39:26that was the problem, it's the common poppy.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30About a month ago this oilseed rape was in flower
0:39:30 > 0:39:34and the flowers are bright yellow but they were mixed with red,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36cos it was also full of poppies.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Lovely if you are a photographer, not so good if you're a farmer.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42And this oilseed rape struggled in the spring
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and usually the leaf makes a canopy
0:39:45 > 0:39:49and competes with all the weeds around it but because it was quite
0:39:49 > 0:39:52thin the weeds have come through so now it's got all sorts in it.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56There's thistles, these daisies, we've got rayless mayweed
0:39:56 > 0:39:58and then the poppies.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00And that's going to cause a bit of a problem at harvest.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02But, also, in next year's crop.
0:40:02 > 0:40:08So, if I grab a poppy seed...you can see there's the seed head...
0:40:08 > 0:40:12..and in there are thousands of little seeds that will shed
0:40:12 > 0:40:14onto the soil and grow next year.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17So, that's going to be a bit of a challenge when we are growing
0:40:17 > 0:40:21wheat in here that we are going to plant in September, October time.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30My barley also had a tough start in the spring
0:40:30 > 0:40:32but it made a great recovery.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Well, that was until the heatwave came.
0:40:34 > 0:40:39The intense heat and dry weather back in July really set this
0:40:39 > 0:40:40crop back.
0:40:40 > 0:40:41It's still doing OK,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45it's flowered and now it's got the seeds growing in the head
0:40:45 > 0:40:49and this will be ready in about three-weeks time.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52And this grain, once it's harvested will go for making beer.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56And the straw that's left behind is quite a good animal feed.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Farmers are always moaning about the weather -
0:41:06 > 0:41:09it's either too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry
0:41:09 > 0:41:12but when it comes to the weather we really are in the lap of the gods.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16And we have to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at us.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Next week, I'm shopping for a special animal
0:41:21 > 0:41:24that's from one of the oldest rare breeds in the world.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Today, I'm in Northumberland
0:41:35 > 0:41:38and soon I'll be heading out into the North Sea.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40It's rich in natural resources
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and home to an astonishing range of wildlife.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47It's here you'll find England's largest colony of grey seals
0:41:47 > 0:41:50thriving in the waters around the Farne Islands.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55And each year hundreds of thousands of seabirds arrive here to breed.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07But today I'm going in search of a creature out there whose life
0:42:07 > 0:42:09we know very little about.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16Underwater cameraman Ben Burville is at the start of a five-year
0:42:16 > 0:42:21project to learn more about the life of this elusive mammal.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24What are the chances of us seeing this creature?
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- With nature you never know, John. - Fingers crossed!- Fingers crossed.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Our high-speed rib will take us
0:42:34 > 0:42:37far out to sea to an area where they've been spotted in the past.
0:42:41 > 0:42:42So, what exactly is it that we're looking for?
0:42:42 > 0:42:46What we are looking for today, John, is this.
0:42:46 > 0:42:47This is a white-beaked dolphin.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50The most abundant of dolphins in the North Sea
0:42:50 > 0:42:52with about 8,000 to 10,000 of them in there
0:42:52 > 0:42:56- but one that very few people know much about.- Why's that?
0:42:56 > 0:42:58It's really the fact it tends to be in deeper waters
0:42:58 > 0:43:00and tends to be offshore.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Is it important now to find out more about these dolphins?
0:43:03 > 0:43:06It is important for their conservation. And also to find out
0:43:06 > 0:43:10whether activities that we do can affect them in an adverse way.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20We're passing close to the Farne Islands so I want to make
0:43:20 > 0:43:24a short stop to catch up on an important project there.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28For just a little while our quest for white-peaked dolphins is put on hold.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31Ciaran, good to see you. Graeme.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33You are now welcome to the Farne Islands.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Thank you very much, nice to be back.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Lovely weather at the moment, isn't it?
0:43:37 > 0:43:42I was here five years ago right at the start of a crucial puffin count.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Let's hope your egg is...oh! LAUGHTER
0:43:45 > 0:43:48- Let's hope your egg hatches OK, this year!- Indeed, good luck.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53What the count showed was that puffin numbers had collapsed.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Ornithologists were fearful for the future.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00Five years on and the latest survey has just ended.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Is the picture any better?
0:44:02 > 0:44:06In 2008 the population had declined by about a third from the last census.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10Also, this winter was a very, very tough winter. It was a cold winter.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12A lot of onshore winds and we had a big puffin wreck.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14What do you mean by a "wreck" there?
0:44:14 > 0:44:17A puffin wreck basically involves birds washing up on the coast.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20So, people were finding birds all along the north-east
0:44:20 > 0:44:23coast from northern Scotland down to Yorkshire.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25There was about 3,500 birds involved. That sounds a lot
0:44:25 > 0:44:28- and it was the biggest wreck for about 60 years...- All dead?
0:44:28 > 0:44:31- All dead. - So, what about this year's census?
0:44:31 > 0:44:35This year's census is good news - we've gone up around 8% on top of
0:44:35 > 0:44:39what we had to around about 40,000 pairs of puffins on these islands.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42The census may be over
0:44:42 > 0:44:46but work goes on to discover more about these colourful birds.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48You are a brave man, Graeme, I've done that once
0:44:48 > 0:44:50and I got a very nasty bite!
0:44:50 > 0:44:52They are pretty vicious, I hope it's just a chick.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56I've got a nibble. It feels like a chick, I'll just bring it out now.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58- And you've got to a few hundred of these to do.- Indeed.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01A few hundred bites and scratches.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05- There he is. Little fellow here. - How old will that chick be?
0:45:05 > 0:45:08He's probably around the 35-day mark, he's pretty much ready
0:45:08 > 0:45:11to fledge, he's got his head cleared of down, just a few tufts here.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15- So now you are going to put a ring on him.- We are.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18We'll get a ring and, hopefully, get some good data.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21And what information do you hope to get from the ringing?
0:45:21 > 0:45:23The basic thing is how long they are living for.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25So if this bird comes back in future years
0:45:25 > 0:45:28and we re-catch it we know when it was ringed,
0:45:28 > 0:45:30we know its exact ring number so it's got its own identity.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32And we know exactly how old it is.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36- Pop him back in again.- Back in the hole and he'll be happy as Larry
0:45:36 > 0:45:40and he will be out in a few days and head out into the Atlantic Ocean.
0:45:40 > 0:45:41And when would he come back again?
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Maybe in around about four-years time usually to get mature
0:45:44 > 0:45:47and start breeding for the first time.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49But until then he'll just be floating around.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59So, it's nice to know there's good news for the puffins here.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03Photogenic, approachable little birds whose numbers are on the up.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08Everyone loves puffins but there's one bird species
0:46:08 > 0:46:12here on the Farnes which is nowhere near as friendly.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Just ask Ellie....
0:46:14 > 0:46:15BIRDS SHRIEK
0:46:15 > 0:46:19She was here a few weeks ago filming for a brand-new BBC One
0:46:19 > 0:46:20wildlife series.
0:46:20 > 0:46:25And she had a rather nasty encounter with arctic terns, the bad-tempered
0:46:25 > 0:46:30cousins of the little terns she met earlier on this programme.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32Oh!
0:46:32 > 0:46:34BIRDS SHRIEK
0:46:34 > 0:46:36Oh, my goodness. They are really unhappy.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38Wah! Ahh!
0:46:38 > 0:46:39Got me.
0:46:40 > 0:46:45Ow! This is not fun. Not fun. I'm going to take refuge in here.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50It's actually drawn blood from my head!
0:46:51 > 0:46:55And Britain's Big Wildlife Revival starts next
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Sunday on BBC One at 5:35.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00For me, it's time to say goodbye to the Farnes
0:47:00 > 0:47:02and get back to my main mission.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Well, I'm off now to search for white-beaked dolphins way
0:47:05 > 0:47:07out in the North Sea,
0:47:07 > 0:47:11but first, here's the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11I'm off the coast of Northumberland with Ben Burville.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15Ben's a GP by day but away from the surgery he's an underwater cameraman.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24We're in search of one of the North Sea's best kept secrets,
0:49:24 > 0:49:26white-beaked dolphins.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31If Ben captures underwater footage of them it will be a first for British
0:49:31 > 0:49:35television, never before have these dolphins been shown in UK waters.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41- Dolphin.- Definitely, dolphin.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44- Yeah, got one, dorsal fin. - Where?- Five o'clock.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49- Quarter of a mile.- Give me a range. - Quarter of a mile.
0:49:49 > 0:49:50Five o'clock.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54- There it is, you see it there? - What is it?
0:49:54 > 0:49:58- It's a minke whale.- A minke whale. It's not a white-beaked dolphin.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00No, that's a minke whale.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04It's a great sighting but thrilling as it is to spot a minke
0:50:04 > 0:50:07whale it's not why we are out here today.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18We head further out into the North Sea to continue our search.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Why have we stopped, Ben? Nobody's seen a dolphin, have they?
0:50:35 > 0:50:37No, we've stopped cos there's quite a few puffins over
0:50:37 > 0:50:38there in the water.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41Is it a sign there are maybe dolphins around?
0:50:41 > 0:50:43It's a sign there may be food in the water, big sand eels...
0:50:43 > 0:50:47- There could be dolphins here as well. - There could well be dolphins there as well.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50To use an old landlubber saying -
0:50:50 > 0:50:53"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
0:50:54 > 0:50:57Now, we are rendezvousing with Newcastle University's marine
0:50:57 > 0:50:59research ship, the Princess Royal.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03Today, Ben is working alongside Simon Laing whose team is hoping to find
0:51:03 > 0:51:08out what effect the construction of wind farms at sea has on dolphins.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11And Simon is using sound, not pictures.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13What have we got here, Simon?
0:51:13 > 0:51:15This is a towed hydrophone, it's a
0:51:15 > 0:51:17special type of microphone that listens...
0:51:17 > 0:51:19- A microphone!- Yeah.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21I've seen lots of microphones in my time
0:51:21 > 0:51:23but never one that looked like this.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26It is a special microphone that listens for sounds underwater.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30But the really clever part is in here.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34Now the microphone's in the water we can come over to the computer
0:51:34 > 0:51:37and as soon as we press record what we will start to see are some
0:51:37 > 0:51:40of the sounds we are hearing right now, popping up on the screen.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42That's background noise you're seeing on screen.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46What sort of symbol would you see if it was a white-beaked dolphin?
0:51:46 > 0:51:48We would hopefully see a red triangle popping up on screen
0:51:48 > 0:51:51and that would mean we're recording something in real-time
0:51:51 > 0:51:54and it would be about 200 metres behind the vessel.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Can you actually hear the sound of the dolphins?
0:51:56 > 0:52:00Dolphins make two types of sounds. They make whistles and clicks.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03We can hear the whistles but we can't hear the clicks.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05I've got a recording here of some white-beaked dolphin
0:52:05 > 0:52:08whistles if you'd like to have a listen?
0:52:08 > 0:52:11DOLPHIN WHISTLES
0:52:11 > 0:52:14- That really is a whistle, isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16One of the things we're trying to determine with this project -
0:52:16 > 0:52:19do the dolphins in the north east of England have a different
0:52:19 > 0:52:21whistle to those in Scotland?
0:52:21 > 0:52:25Because that would indicate those two populations are very separate if that is the case.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27And what's the research telling you?
0:52:27 > 0:52:31The research is telling us they may well have different whistles, yeah.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34So, you could have, in this bit of the North Sea, Geordie dolphins?
0:52:34 > 0:52:35With a Geordie accent?!
0:52:35 > 0:52:39Potentially, yes, you could have Geordie dolphins in the north east.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41Whatever the accent there's not a whistle right
0:52:41 > 0:52:46now from the white-beaked dolphins so we're, obviously, in the wrong place.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48I'm going to try my luck again with Ben.
0:52:51 > 0:52:52HE CHUCKLES
0:52:52 > 0:52:53Done it. Whoops!
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Ben reckons our best chance of seeing the dolphins lies 18 miles
0:52:59 > 0:53:03out in the Farne Deeps where the sea floor will be around 100
0:53:03 > 0:53:08metres below us, that's equivalent to the height of Saint Paul's Cathedral.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24We've arrived at our destination.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27All we can do now is keep our eyes peeled and hope.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41There we are, look! Straight there!
0:53:41 > 0:53:43SHOUTING
0:53:43 > 0:53:45It's 15 metres from us.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50- OK, here at the front of the boat. - I see it.- Can you see it?
0:53:50 > 0:53:52- There you are.- Wow!
0:53:52 > 0:53:55So, this is a white-beaked dolphin and it's choosing to bow-ride.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59One-two-three-four-five
0:53:59 > 0:54:01six-seven...
0:54:01 > 0:54:03eight-nine. Wow!
0:54:07 > 0:54:09A beautiful sight, John.
0:54:09 > 0:54:14Isn't it an amazing sight and I can see the white beaks so clearly now.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21What's incredible to me is that these wild creatures want to come
0:54:21 > 0:54:24so close to our boat and just play around.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26It's illegal to disturb dolphins
0:54:26 > 0:54:30so Ben's been granted a special licence to dive close to them.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35- This is a massive pod.- This is a big pod. An aggregation here.
0:54:35 > 0:54:40- Several pods, you think?- Without a doubt, mixing.- See what you find.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12- John, I am surrounded by dolphins. - What an experience.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18When they are under the water they are using an echo location
0:55:18 > 0:55:20and they are using clicks and whistles.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24And the whistles really are to communicate with each other and...
0:55:25 > 0:55:28..the maximum we can hear is about 20 kHz.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33- Here we go, I'm just going to have a look at that one.- OK.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55- Quite amazing to see, isn't it? - What did you get?
0:55:55 > 0:55:59Without doubt, some identification of males and females.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01And what do you notice about their behaviour?
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Their behaviour is that they are inquisitive.
0:56:03 > 0:56:08There are amazing wildlife just off our shores here and...
0:56:08 > 0:56:10- That we know so little about. - So little about.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12The information you're gathering underwater could be
0:56:12 > 0:56:15vital for the future protection of these creatures.
0:56:15 > 0:56:20It certainly could for the future protection of these creatures. Yes, John, you're right.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27Well, it's been a real privilege spending some time here in one
0:56:27 > 0:56:32of the deepest parts of the North Sea with these wonderful creatures.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36And now, thanks to the underwater footage that Ben's been collecting we
0:56:36 > 0:56:41should know a little bit more about their, up till now, secret lives.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Next week, Countryfile is in Oxfordshire, where, amongst other things,
0:56:44 > 0:56:48we will be taking part in a tug-of-war with a difference.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50But, from the North Sea, goodbye.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd