0:00:26 > 0:00:27Spring.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32A time of renewal, regrowth,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34as the landscape bursts back to life.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40On today's programme, we travel the length and breadth
0:00:40 > 0:00:43of the British Isles to bring you a snapshot of spring.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48From farmland and fell to shingle and shore,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52we discover signs of new life as the season unfurls.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I'm ringing in the new season on the Channel Islands.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00My dear, you are number 395.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02We'll keep an eye out for you on the future.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Ellie goes dolphin spotting, as they return to safe waters to breed.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09Oh, yes, they're right ahead of us.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10Really big!
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Nothing captures the spirit of spring more then a meadow
0:01:16 > 0:01:20full of flowers, and these are some of the rarest in Britain.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24For the next hour, we'll bring you the best in season.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26- Yes!- They are.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27New beginnings.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30It's absolutely gorgeous.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Spring is such a lovely time of year.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And there's new life everywhere on the farm.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50A bird's-eye view of spring.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04As the days begin to lengthen, the sun gathers its strength.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11The warmer weather brings with it the arrival of many migrant
0:02:11 > 0:02:13birds returning to our shores,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17flying thousands of miles from warmer climates back
0:02:17 > 0:02:20to their breeding grounds for the promise of new life.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26On their flight path to mainland Britain, many of the birds
0:02:26 > 0:02:30will pass through Alderney, the northernmost Channel Island.
0:02:36 > 0:02:37Now, for the first time,
0:02:37 > 0:02:42a bird observatory is being set up on Alderney by the Wildlife Trust.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46It will be the most southerly of its kind in the British Isles.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52As an experienced and licensed bird ringer,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56John Horton is volunteering as the observatory's warden.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58France is just eight miles away.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02We can virtually see the migrant birds coming over from France
0:03:02 > 0:03:04and watch migration visibly pass overhead.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09But John's also a spring migrant.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Just eight weeks ago, he flew in with his partner, Cathy.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15They packed up their lives in the big city to start anew
0:03:15 > 0:03:17here on the island.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20I was working as a police officer in the Metropolitan Police,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23which I've been for the last 15 years, and one of my roles
0:03:23 > 0:03:26for the police has been wildlife crimes investigator.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30I was working as a receptionist and, yeah, I thought
0:03:30 > 0:03:32everything was how it was going to be.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38The difference between sitting here listening to the sounds
0:03:38 > 0:03:40of the birds and the sea,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44it couldn't be further away from the hubbub of being in London.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I can see how island life for John and Cathy
0:03:49 > 0:03:51couldn't be more of a contrast.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54From nicking criminals, John's now netting birds.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58And don't worry, these little fellas aren't distressed.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01It's just a harmless way of monitoring survival rates
0:04:01 > 0:04:02and bird migration.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04What time were you up first thing this morning?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Well, I'm up at five every morning to check the weather to see
0:04:07 > 0:04:10if it's suitable to go out and open the nets.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- Looks like quite a nice spot for a work station, John.- It is.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15This is ringing HQ.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20First, John fits the birds with an identification band.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24OK, you've got a male redstart.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27The ring number is AK9504.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32The bird's measurements are taken and then recorded.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33A wing of 76.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36HE BLOWS
0:04:36 > 0:04:3802 on the fat muscle.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40This bird's in reasonably good condition.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43It might hang around, build up a bit more fat and then turn
0:04:43 > 0:04:46that into muscle before it goes on the next part of its journey.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48And then the birds are released...
0:04:49 > 0:04:52..with the hope that they'll be recorded again within
0:04:52 > 0:04:54the existing network of bird observatories,
0:04:54 > 0:04:5819 of which are strung across the British Isles.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00It's a male subalpine warbler.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03He's now got an Alderney Observatory ring.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06We can see where he goes and how long he takes to get there.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07He can go.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Splendid.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16John has had a very busy couple of months
0:05:16 > 0:05:20but not even he could have expected the staggering number of birds
0:05:20 > 0:05:23that pass through this tiny three-mile-long island.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Is it fair to say, John, that you've been catching
0:05:26 > 0:05:30and ringing a lot more birds than you ever, ever expected?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Yeah, the numbers of migrant birds passing through
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Alderney has been absolutely phenomenal.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39We've ringed over 3,000 birds in just over seven weeks,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42which is extraordinarily high figures.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The variety and volume has been amazing.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Oh, that's just majestic, isn't it?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Why are we seeing big numbers here?
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Although we don't understand migration entirely yet,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59it's certainly the case that birds follow the continental
0:05:59 > 0:06:01coastlines in order to migrate.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Alderney's just that little bit further north than the French
0:06:05 > 0:06:08coastline, so it's a very short hop for the birds,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10so have a quick visit here and refuel.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13And there's an abundance of wild flowers here as well.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14There is. There is.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17It's just a magnificent island for wildlife.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21There's over 1,000 species of flowering wild flower,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25so the insect life that must accompany that will be phenomenal
0:06:25 > 0:06:29and probably is another reason why so many birds enjoy coming
0:06:29 > 0:06:32through Alderney for a fatten-up to help them on their way.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35When do you expect the numbers to start dying down?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38We're not at the peak yet, and that's the extraordinary thing.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Species like white throat,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42they're only just beginning to start to come through
0:06:42 > 0:06:45and they'll be coming through in their hundreds, if not thousands.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53The peak will be probably the next week, so we should be seeing
0:06:53 > 0:06:57even more birds, but there's only so many I can cope with.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- It's a fine female blackcap.- Yeah.
0:06:59 > 0:07:00JOHN BLOWS
0:07:00 > 0:07:0273 on the wing.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05OK.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09My dear, you are number 395.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12We'll keep an eye out for you in the future. Off you go.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33We're heading to the Suffolk coast now to Orford Ness,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35a vast and haunting nature reserve...
0:07:37 > 0:07:40..hunted over by barn owls.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Brown hares box in the marshland.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52And wildlife cameraman Richard Taylor-Jones is up at first light
0:07:52 > 0:07:54to watch the best of the spring show.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I've been here many times before,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05and it's got to be one of my favourite places on earth
0:08:05 > 0:08:08because of this wonderful mix of post-apocalyptic landscape
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and beautiful British wildlife.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24The military history of the site started in about 1913
0:08:24 > 0:08:27when the marshes here were drained to form airfields.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30And it then went on to become one of our most top-secret atomic
0:08:30 > 0:08:34weapons testing stations and a Cold War listening point.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37However, the military upped sticks
0:08:37 > 0:08:39and, a few decades ago,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42these buildings were just left to rot.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46These days, the National Trust looks after Orford Ness
0:08:46 > 0:08:48and bombs have given way to birds,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and ballistic missiles to boxing hares.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59OK, just over here in front of me...
0:08:59 > 0:09:01is one of Orford Ness'...
0:09:02 > 0:09:03..most famous residents.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06The brown hare.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09It's a really unusual sight,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13seeing these animals out on the shingle here.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16You're used to seeing them in grassy fields,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19but they do really, really well in this environment.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23It's an absolutely ideal habitat, really, for them.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25It's big and flat, wide-open space.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31This is lovely because he's just getting closer and closer.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36I say he because...he's sniffing the ground quite a lot...
0:09:37 > 0:09:40..and at this time of year, being in the spring,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44the females will be in season and he'll be picking up her trace
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and trying to follow where she is
0:09:47 > 0:09:52because a female in season is a female that he can mate with.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58But, of course, she doesn't give in easily if he does find her.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03So, we get that that lovely mad March hare boxing that goes on,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07the female pushing away the male's advances.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Testing how fit he is, essentially.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17Just noticed, actually, that the male's looking quite alert.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21I wonder if he has spotted another male
0:10:21 > 0:10:24or I guess it could be another female.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32There we go, three all in one shot.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Now, one of these is going to be a female,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36and if she's going to be harassed by the males, she'll tell...
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Here we go. Up on her back feet, they're boxing away.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43This is the female telling the males to stay away.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46A real, proper fisticuffs here.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Oh, this is just lovely.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52And there we go, she's done her job and she's seen him off.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00That is some of the best boxing I have ever seen.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08BIRDS CRY
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Well, I've just come down to the more marshy area
0:11:13 > 0:11:16here at Orford Ness and a lapwing's popped up in the air
0:11:16 > 0:11:19so she's on a nest right next to the path. Can you see in there?
0:11:19 > 0:11:25Just four lovely brown, chocolaty eggs, speckled to be camouflaged.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29So, I'm just going to get away, set up the camera
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and hopefully she'll come back and cover them up.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40Got a bird of prey. It looks to me like a marsh harrier.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43This is a bird that would quite happily
0:11:43 > 0:11:46take lapwing chicks as a nice snack.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50And there are a pair of lapwing dive-bombing it.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Look at this. This is a real aerial battle here.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57This is what spring's all about for the birds out here
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and this is life or death. They get one chance, most of them,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and so a predator like this comes along,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and all the lapwing will just team up...
0:12:08 > 0:12:10..and try and drive the predator away.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22The lapwing is now coming back to her nest.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40The sun's coming down here at Orford Ness and that means one thing -
0:12:40 > 0:12:43it's deer o'clock, and I don't know if you can hear these lovely
0:12:43 > 0:12:49rasping calls that are just drifting across the pools here.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52PIERCING CRIES
0:12:54 > 0:13:01But that sound is the sound of Chinese water deer.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Collectors brought them here in the early 20th century,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and some accidentally escaped and others were deliberately released
0:13:10 > 0:13:12to our countryside for sport.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16People used to hunt them. They've done very well since then.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19They've spread across a lot of the east of England and, actually,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23we now have 10% of the world's population.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27In their native habitat of Korea and China,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29they're actually an endangered species.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33PIERCING CRIES
0:13:38 > 0:13:41What a wonderful way to end the day,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45watching this deer species here making a new life for itself
0:13:45 > 0:13:50in a landscape where mankind once plotted to take life away.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And now from the east of England to the west of Wales.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11This is Cardigan Bay.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22And something is stirring below the surface. Something magical.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30These protected waters off the west coast of Wales have
0:14:30 > 0:14:34the biggest population of bottlenose dolphins in Europe.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37In fact, this is one of the best places in the world
0:14:37 > 0:14:39to see them in the wild.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Having said that, although it looks quite calm in the harbour here,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45out there, it is really choppy,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48so I just hope they're not going to be camera shy today.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58Every spring, the dolphins return to the sheltered waters of the bay
0:14:58 > 0:15:01to calve their young, so it's an ideal time
0:15:01 > 0:15:03to take stock of the population.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09I'm joining a team who are doing just that.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11For 25 years,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15the Sea Watch Foundation has been working to conserve
0:15:15 > 0:15:18and protect whales, dolphins and porpoises in our seas.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25Just getting that bit down.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27'Our skipper, Dafydd Lewis,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31'has been sailing these waters for more than ten years.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35'Apparently, if he can't find dolphins, no-one can.'
0:15:36 > 0:15:39The area that we're in now is quite a bit of a hot spot,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41where we're at the end of a headland,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44it churns the seabeds up, basically,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46where it stirs the food up for the smaller fish,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48the larger fish eat them
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and then the dolphins eat the larger fish, so going up the food chain.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53But this time of year now,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57the waters are still relatively cold, so the fish are obviously
0:15:57 > 0:16:02in deeper waters, so the dolphins are in deeper waters chasing them.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04So we just need a little bit of luck on our side today?
0:16:04 > 0:16:08We need a lot of it today, with the weather as it is.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Katrin Lohrengel came from Germany to study the bottlenose dolphins
0:16:15 > 0:16:19of Cardigan Bay and has seen plenty already this spring.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23These dolphins are some of the largest out there,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27with extra layers of blubber to cope with the chilly waters of Wales.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Katrin, you run the monitoring programme here.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32What's involved in the work?
0:16:32 > 0:16:35So, during the summer season, we do most of our fieldwork,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39which is when we go out on the boats and photograph the animals,
0:16:39 > 0:16:40so we do a line transect service,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44where we follow a set route and we try and record all the animals
0:16:44 > 0:16:46that we see during that time.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Sometimes, when we don't have a full day to go out on the sea,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51if the conditions aren't good enough,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54we'll go to hot spots where we think we'll find the dolphins.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57So, our main aim is to get photographic images
0:16:57 > 0:17:00of the dorsal fins, which we use to identify individuals.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04The vast majority that are in our catalogue are quite heavily marked.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07They'll have nicks and notches along the edge of their dorsal fin,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10and we can use that to tell different individuals apart.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14The scarring on the dorsal fins is caused by the dolphins
0:17:14 > 0:17:16biting one another,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20and it's the more aggressive males who tend to be the most marked.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27So, this is from our first survey of the season.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29This is about two weeks ago.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32We had a very large group of animals,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36about 16 animals overall, including four calves.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37Ah! Amazing.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45If I'm lucky enough to spot one myself,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48biologist Kathy James will want to hear all about it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51She coordinates sightings from around the UK.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57So, you're using sightings to build up a map of where the population is?
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Yeah. It's not just us that are taking these sightings,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02it's people all around the UK, so members of the public
0:18:02 > 0:18:04that contribute their sightings to the scheme
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and that's fantastic because we don't have the people power
0:18:07 > 0:18:09to do that within the organisation.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So, even though the public aren't necessarily trained,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- they can still give you good data? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17So, we've got some people out there who are fantastic cetacean experts -
0:18:17 > 0:18:19cetaceans are your whales, dolphins and porpoises -
0:18:19 > 0:18:22and then we've got people who are just out walking their dog
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and they see something in the water and they let us know.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28They say, "Oh, my word, I've seen something. What was it?"
0:18:28 > 0:18:30And we try and talk them through the species,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33so you don't have to know anything at all about it, really,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37- you just have to have the enthusiasm and want to report it.- Yeah.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42The Sea Watch project is one of the largest and longest-running
0:18:42 > 0:18:46sighting schemes in the world, with more than 60,000 entries.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Whether submitted by experts or holiday-makers,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54all sightings help to identify species hot spots
0:18:54 > 0:18:59and to establish special areas of conservation, like Cardigan Bay.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04The team have been using images of the dolphins in their studies
0:19:04 > 0:19:08for years, but just this spring, they're deploying something new.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11What is that new thing, Katrin?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13We've recently acquired a drone.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16How is this going to change things for you?
0:19:16 > 0:19:19It'll allow us to approach the animals without necessarily
0:19:19 > 0:19:22affecting their behaviour. So, dolphins might respond
0:19:22 > 0:19:26positively or negatively to a boat, depending on what they're doing.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29To get a really good idea of how they're interacting with each other,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32it might be quite helpful to be able to see them from above.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37With an unseasonably cold wind gusting at a high rate of knots,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Katrin's small drone remains grounded.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Just our luck.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52But after four hours at sea with the elements conspiring against us,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54my luck suddenly changes for the better.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Oh, yes, right ahead of us! Right ahead of us.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00Really big.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03But I'm afraid that was it.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Just a glimpse of disappearing fins and tails,
0:20:06 > 0:20:10and gone so quickly we couldn't even get a decent shot from the boat.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18In spite of the wind and waves,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20I've had a fantastic day with a dedicated
0:20:20 > 0:20:24crew of conservationists, whose work will continue to
0:20:24 > 0:20:28protect our marine mammals this spring and beyond.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Well, that was slightly choppier than I expected it. Thank you.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41So, while I shake off these sea legs, John's on terra firma
0:20:41 > 0:20:46in one of our precious hay meadows, where spring truly has sprung.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01Morning light over an ancient lowland meadow in Wiltshire,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05one of the finest in the whole of Europe.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09And now that spring is here, this place has burst into bloom.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Not only is it one of our largest remaining
0:21:11 > 0:21:13traditional hay meadows,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18it's also home to the largest population of this rare flower,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21the snake's head fritillary.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25In fact, this meadow is a living link to our rural past.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29It's one of those precious corners of our countryside
0:21:29 > 0:21:32where the very rare is commonplace.
0:21:32 > 0:21:3797% of our classic hay meadows have been lost in the past century.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41But this one is thriving,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45alongside part of the upper reaches of the River Thames.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Lying just outside the Saxon village of Cricklade,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53the 110 acres of North Meadow Nature Reserve are carpeted with
0:21:53 > 0:21:58an astounding 80% of Britain's snake's head fritillaries.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02According to folklore, these striking flowers followed the
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Roman legions across the country,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07springing forth from their footprints.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11And that's not as fanciful as it might sound because the old
0:22:11 > 0:22:16Roman way, Ermin Street, used to run just alongside this meadow.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23To discover more about these flowers,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26I'm meeting ecologist Emma Rothero.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Along with a team of volunteers,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33she's making a detailed study of them here in North Meadow.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35I suppose the best place to get a good look at them
0:22:35 > 0:22:39is down at ground level. And how did it get its name, then?
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Well, it's a really extraordinary plant, isn't it?
0:22:41 > 0:22:43It is called snake's head
0:22:43 > 0:22:45because of the way it comes up out of the ground
0:22:45 > 0:22:48with its flower like that, so it looks like a snake's head,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and then fritillary we think comes from the Latin "fritillus",
0:22:51 > 0:22:54which roughly translates as dye spots,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and I think that refers to its very chequered pattern there.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01There are some really fun local names - dead man's bell,
0:23:01 > 0:23:02chequered warrior,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05a folfalar in Staffordshire is another example,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08so people have given them exciting names
0:23:08 > 0:23:10because they're such an exciting plant.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Now, most of them are purply colour, aren't they?
0:23:13 > 0:23:15But I have seen some white ones as well here.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Yes, there's about 10% of the site has white plants as opposed to pink.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- We think they're the same species.- You call these pink?
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- I call them pink.- Pink or purple.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Fritillary coloured!
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Well, this is a water meadow.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33In fact, there's still quite a lot of flooding around, isn't there?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I would have thought that would have been a threat rather than
0:23:36 > 0:23:38a help to the snake's head?
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Well, it's a really interesting point.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43The snake's head fritillary seems to like growing in flood plains
0:23:43 > 0:23:46that are well drained, and so this habitat suits it
0:23:46 > 0:23:49really, really nicely, and the snake's head fritillary
0:23:49 > 0:23:52and all the other species that are found here are really
0:23:52 > 0:23:55a product of a very sustainable agricultural system.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57We've got very few flood meadows left.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01It's a terrible shame. I mean, this is an incredibly rare habitat.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04There's less than 1,200 hectares left in the whole of the country,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and because we think that about 40% of our rivers
0:24:07 > 0:24:09are no longer in connection with their flood plain,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12if we were to try and recreate some more of this,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16we could manage flood plains WITH nature rather than against it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19So, what you're saying is, if we had more places like this,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21we might have less flooding in urban areas?
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Yes, potentially, because it helps to spread the floodwater out
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and takes the flood peak off areas downstream.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33North Meadow has remained largely unchanged for centuries.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Every year, when hay-making is finished,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39the land has been turned over to grazing,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41and that's always protected the meadow
0:24:41 > 0:24:43from drainage work and ploughing.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56These days, volunteers help to monitor
0:24:56 > 0:24:58the rare and diverse range of plants.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02North Meadow became a national nature reserve 45 years ago
0:25:02 > 0:25:07and among the things you can spot here are the delicate cuckoo flower
0:25:07 > 0:25:09and the vibrant marsh marigold.
0:25:10 > 0:25:1227cm.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17But today, Emma and her team are carrying out their annual survey
0:25:17 > 0:25:20into the general wellbeing of the star of the show,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22the snake's head fritillary.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25So, we're going to place this very carefully
0:25:25 > 0:25:27over this highly technical bamboo cane.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Oh, right. Like that? - Yeah, perfect.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Yeah, that's it.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35With our one-metre-square grid in place,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39we painstakingly log every fritillary we can see,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42including the tiny single-leaf newcomers,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and then we record their height.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47And that's up to about 19cm there.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Across the meadow, there are 200 such squares,
0:25:53 > 0:25:57accurately placed in the same spot year after year,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01thanks to the canes and the precision guidance of GPS.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03How long have you been doing this for?
0:26:03 > 0:26:05This is our 19th year.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10- Wow.- So, it's quite a long-term study.- And what has it told you?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Well, what we can see is that the numbers of fritillaries
0:26:13 > 0:26:16on this site are generally increasing, particularly
0:26:16 > 0:26:19the numbers of flowering plants are generally increasing.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22So, all in all, things are looking pretty good?
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- They are, here, yeah.- Good.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31The work now being done by both Natural England and Emma
0:26:31 > 0:26:35and her friends from the Flood Plain Meadows Partnership
0:26:35 > 0:26:38should ensure that this beguiling landscape continues to be
0:26:38 > 0:26:42safeguarded as living, flowering history.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Now, a quick thank you, because many of you have been inspired by spring
0:26:52 > 0:26:57and have sent us your photos of signs of new life via social media.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Beautiful seasonal scenes that paint a picture of the landscape
0:27:01 > 0:27:03coming back to life.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I would say I'm more productive during spring.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30If it was just winter, I wouldn't be able to paint.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33In Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, there's an artist who loves
0:27:33 > 0:27:37nothing more than to commit the unfurling season to paper.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41My name's Michelle Campbell. I'm an artist and an illustrator.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50I love the colours coming out, the blossoms.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55I love the woodland. Everything is inspiring to me and my work.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I'm working on a piece at the moment called the Arrival of Spring.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11I like to work in minute detail.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15I can just sit on a painting for hours and I listen to the
0:28:15 > 0:28:19birds outside. It just takes me into another world, really.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24So, we have bullfinches,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26robins,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28chaffinches.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34Nuthatch. Wrens. Starlings.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Blackbirds, which are my favourite birds.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40They're just a happy bird. Their song's so colourful.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43BIRDSONG
0:28:43 > 0:28:46I like to use a lot of colours.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Because I'm normally quite serious, really,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51because it's always work, work, work.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54So my humour has to come out somewhere.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59So it comes out in my paintings. I like them to be fun anyway.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01I like people to be...
0:29:01 > 0:29:05to look at them and think, "That's really nice!"
0:29:23 > 0:29:27On Adam's farm, the signs of spring are blossoming everywhere.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34The crops are growing,
0:29:34 > 0:29:36wildlife is flourishing
0:29:36 > 0:29:39and the season is starting to show its true colours.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44And this year, more than any other, Adam seems to be overrun
0:29:44 > 0:29:45with new additions.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Spring is such a lovely time of year,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54when the weather's warming up, the blossom's on the trees,
0:29:54 > 0:29:59the little buds are starting to come out on the deciduous trees
0:29:59 > 0:30:01and there's new life everywhere on the farm.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04All the sheep have given birth now and the lambs are growing well.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Just about every animal on the farm is getting in on the spring action.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17We've got some piglets...
0:30:17 > 0:30:19chicks...
0:30:19 > 0:30:20ducklings...
0:30:20 > 0:30:23calves...
0:30:23 > 0:30:26and some very special newcomers that you might remember.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31I've got a Hungarian wire-haired vizsla housedog called Boo
0:30:31 > 0:30:33and these are three of her puppies.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35They were born six weeks ago
0:30:35 > 0:30:37but they're old enough now to enjoy the garden.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47The pups are still suckling from Boo.
0:30:47 > 0:30:48They're still drinking some of her milk.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52But I'm also supplementary feeding them here with milk and meat
0:30:52 > 0:30:54and they're doing really well on it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56But they're so active, they've hardly got time to eat.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58They're rushing off into the bushes,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00trashing the flowerbed,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02they're all fighting with each other and playing -
0:31:02 > 0:31:04really discovering the great outdoors.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10My hens might be having fun with the puppies today
0:31:10 > 0:31:13but normally their duties are much more serious.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17They have delicious eggs to lay for us and we also breed from them.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23We hatched them out in this incubator, really,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25to make it more efficient
0:31:25 > 0:31:28so that chickens don't have to sit on all their own eggs,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31and in the wild, a bird would roll its eggs
0:31:31 > 0:31:34so that the embryo doesn't stick to the side of the shell,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37otherwise that causes abnormalities in the chick.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42So, in here, this rocks the eggs in the incubator every few hours
0:31:42 > 0:31:46and then, after 21 days, the chicks will hatch out.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49It's remarkable how quickly that happens.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51And with a duckling, it's 28 days.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55And there's some little ducklings in the bottom here.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57This one has hatched out of its egg.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03It's now ready to go under the lamp.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05It's absolutely gorgeous.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Really sweet little fluffy duckling.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11So, I'll now put that under the lamp with its mates.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18But this lot are small fry compared to where I'm heading.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23Eggs are a firm favourite for us Brits.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28We eat a staggering amount, around 30 million every day.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33But we'd be hard pushed to eat as many of these.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Spring is the start of the ostrich laying season.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Just one ostrich egg is the equivalent to 24 chicken eggs.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Coming from the world's largest bird,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46it's hardly surprising they're the world's largest eggs.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Nick Dean holds a dangerous wild animal licence
0:32:48 > 0:32:50to farm these flightless birds in Cambridgeshire.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- Hi, Nick.- Hi, Adam.- Ostriches.- Yeah.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55- My word. Are we safe?- We are, yeah. We'll be fine today.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57- They're big birds.- They are. Yeah.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00They're 7-8 foot tall. 25st.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Goodness me. And how fast can they run?
0:33:02 > 0:33:04They can run at about 40-45 miles an hour, faster than we can.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06How on earth do you manage to farm them, then,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08if you want to do something to one of them?
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Well, we have to catch them first, obviously.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13We tend to use a crook just to get it by the neck and then we hold
0:33:13 > 0:33:15the beak and then we can pull a hood over the head.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Once the hood's over the head and they can't see,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19they just stand there and we can walk either side of them
0:33:19 > 0:33:21and walk them to where we need to take them.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24They're extraordinary-looking animals. They've got huge eyes.
0:33:24 > 0:33:25- Yeah.- Ow!
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Hurts a little bit!
0:33:29 > 0:33:33- How dangerous are they? - Well, they could be very dangerous.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36I mean, if you look at the size of their feet, if they do kick,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38they'll jump up forwards and kick, so you've not only got
0:33:38 > 0:33:41the weight of the bird, but the strength of the muscles.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- It wouldn't be very pleasant. - Huge legs.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46And those great big feet with two toes.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- And a big claw in the middle. - Horrible.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51- A little bit like a dinosaur. - They are, yeah. Very prehistoric.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53That's what I like about them, I think.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56They are probably one of the closest things to dinosaurs left.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57And why do you keep them?
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Do you farm them for their meat or their feathers? Ow!
0:33:59 > 0:34:01We farm them mainly for breeding.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03We breed them to sell to other people that keep ostriches.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05We sell the eggs for people to eat.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07We blow the eggs for people who want blown eggs.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10How many eggs are they laying, then, in a year?
0:34:10 > 0:34:13They lay in between 30 and 40 each, the females.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16So, not very many. I mean, a chicken will lay 300 eggs a year.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19They lay... Probably every three days we get an egg.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21And they start to lay in the spring like a lot of British wildlife?
0:34:21 > 0:34:24They started earlier this year. They started...
0:34:24 > 0:34:25Oh! Right in the ear!
0:34:25 > 0:34:28THEY LAUGH
0:34:28 > 0:34:30They started laying this year, early April.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33And I suppose, when you come to collecting the eggs, what do you do?
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Do you just walk in and pick them up off the ground?
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Where do they lay them?
0:34:37 > 0:34:39- We walk or we run very fast! - Don't they like you taking them?
0:34:39 > 0:34:41They don't, no. The boys don't.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43I'd normally come in in the quad or in the car
0:34:43 > 0:34:47- and we'd collect the eggs and drive out quickly.- Goodness me.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51And so is it the males that sit on the eggs or the females?
0:34:51 > 0:34:53The males sit on them at night
0:34:53 > 0:34:55and the females sit on them during the day time.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57- So they share the duties? - They do, yeah.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59So, can we see if we can collect some eggs somewhere?
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Yeah, let's go and see if we can find some.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Where will they be? Just dotted around the field?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- They should be in a pile over there where they lay them.- OK.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08So, she's got some eggs there.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Yeah, she gets up every hour or two
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and she'll just turn them around and sit back down again.
0:35:13 > 0:35:14Incredible.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16So, is it safe to collect these?
0:35:16 > 0:35:17It is, but we have to watch the boys.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20The girls are fine, but the boys sometimes take offence.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22What do we do? Just walk in and pick them up?
0:35:22 > 0:35:24- We'll just walk in and pick them up, we should be fine.- OK.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27We're just going to take your eggs away, Mrs. Is that all right?
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Come on, then. Good girl. Good girl.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31I've never collected ostrich eggs before.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33They're heavy, aren't they? That's quite a weight.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34Yeah, about 1.5 kilos.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37There's a boy there. How's it going to get around him?
0:35:37 > 0:35:38I'll hide them behind my back!
0:35:38 > 0:35:41We'll walk off. We'll be fine.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44All right, all right, fella. Don't worry about it.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Just pinching your eggs.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51How do you protect yourself against an ostrich who's angry?
0:35:51 > 0:35:52I just hold the stick up.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55As long as the stick's higher than their head, they're normally OK.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56I know we can't outrun them,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58so let's rely on the stick.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- You've got quite a menagerie here, Nick.- Oh, we have, yeah.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12- What are these?- These are emus.
0:36:12 > 0:36:20We breed emus, we breed rheas, alpacas, llamas and reindeer.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Goodness me, you've got all sorts!
0:36:22 > 0:36:24DEEP BOOMING NOISE
0:36:24 > 0:36:25- Strange noise they make.- They do.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28That's a girl. That's their drumming. That's their mating call.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30EMU MAKES DRUMMING SOUND
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Let's move on.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40These are the incubators.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Goodness me, they're a bit bigger than the ones I've got.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46- They take 72 ostrich eggs. - We just plonk these in, do we?
0:36:46 > 0:36:51- Plonk these in to the holes up there, yeah.- Specially designed.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54- How long will they take before they hatch?- 42 days.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56The incubator will turn the egg once an hour.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59And then we take them out three days before they're due to hatch
0:36:59 > 0:37:00and they go in to the hatcher.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02And what have you got over here?
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Emu chicks. They hatched last week.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07They're lovely. Really stripy.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09- Is that just their camouflage, I suppose?- It is, yeah.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13They stay like that until they're probably eight weeks old.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- Is that an emu egg? - Yeah, that's an emu egg.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- Amazing colour. - Unusual colour, aren't they?
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- And do they manage to chip their way out?- Not like a chicken, no.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23- They actually use brute force and kick themselves out.- Do they?
0:37:23 > 0:37:26So a chick would peck away, wouldn't it, all the way around?
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- These just boot their way out. - Boot their way out.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31- That's the same with an ostrich? - Yeah.- Incredible.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- And do you ever eat the ostrich eggs?- We do.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35Would you like to try one?
0:37:35 > 0:37:37- Well, I would, yeah.- Shall we fry one up?- Shall we do that?
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- Yeah, let's go. - All right, I'll leave this here.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49Nick heats up an extra large paella pan and adds plenty of cooking oil.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Normally, I like two, fried, sunny-side up...
0:37:56 > 0:37:59but on this occasion, I think I'll just have the one.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Oh, look at that! Beautiful!
0:38:08 > 0:38:10- It really is huge, isn't it? - Massive, isn't it?
0:38:10 > 0:38:12It's the equivalent of 24 standard chicken eggs.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15I tell you what, shall we try one next to a chicken egg?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Yeah, let's do a comparison. - OK, let's go.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21- Look at that. And that's a normal sized chicken egg?- That is.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Look at the difference.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Have you ever tried boiling one?
0:38:25 > 0:38:27No, but I understand it takes about 90 minutes.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29By the time the yolk's cooked in the middle,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32you've got a rubbery compound on the outside, so, no.
0:38:32 > 0:38:33- Not very nice.- Not recommended.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Well, that looks pretty well-cooked now. Shall we give it a go?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Yeah, let's give it a go. Let's try it with some toast, shall we?
0:38:50 > 0:38:51- Not bad.- I'd eat that.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54- It's like a chicken egg, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56Exactly the same.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59It's really quite delicious. I'm going to have some more.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Thanks very much, Nick. It's been fascinating to meet you
0:39:04 > 0:39:06and delicious to eat my first ostrich egg.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07- Nice to see you.- Fabulous.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22I'm also in search of seasonal food but on a rather more modest scale.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29I'm in Cornwall and that is Newlyn, where the warmer waters of spring
0:39:29 > 0:39:31herald the start of shellfish season.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Fishing has always been vital to the survival of the Cornish
0:39:40 > 0:39:43and, for the last 600 years,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Newlyn has played an integral part in that.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Today, it's regarded as one of the top ports in the country,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54home to one of our largest fishing fleets
0:39:54 > 0:39:56landing some of our best-quality fish.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02This place is steeped in history and the heritage here means
0:40:02 > 0:40:05the fishermen are some of the most experienced there are.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07But I'm about to meet a couple of chaps who are doing things
0:40:07 > 0:40:10a little bit differently and breathing new life
0:40:10 > 0:40:13and a bit of digital wizardry into this age-old tradition.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Meet Andrew Stevens and Lewis Mitchell.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Hello, chaps.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29They call themselves Dreckly Fish.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32In these parts, dreckly means it'll happen soonish,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35but for these boys, speed is of the essence.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38They sell their catch directly to customers,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42even whilst they're pulling it out of the sea, via Twitter.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45This is so beautiful, Andrew. This is absolutely stunning.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46How long have you been fishing?
0:40:46 > 0:40:48- You want to know?- I do, yeah.
0:40:50 > 0:40:5140-odd years.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55But we were getting the same money 20 years ago.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57Nothing's changed.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59So, you basically got rid of the middleman,
0:40:59 > 0:41:01is that what's happened?
0:41:01 > 0:41:02We haven't fell out with anybody.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06It's just that we fancied having a go at our own enterprise.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08In bypassing the fish market,
0:41:08 > 0:41:13the boys can get their catch from coast to customer within hours.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16And today, lobster is on the menu.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18But not for you, mate.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20If we have a lobster in the first pot,
0:41:20 > 0:41:22that's what we call a Jack Henry start.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Why Jack Henry start?
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Well, there used to be a grumpy old fisherman
0:41:26 > 0:41:30and that's... Everybody used to say, that's a Jack Henry start, right.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35How many lobster do you get on a normal day?
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Oh, that would be telling, that would.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39But a good day can be 80.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41That's a very good day, that.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44On a bad day, it could be two or nothing.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46So, we just really don't know what we're going to get today.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Here we go.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50Is there one in there?
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- Yep.- Yes!- There you are.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Look at that.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57So that's what we call a Jack Henry start, that is.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59That is a beast.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Let's get the product onto the market.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04First, we need a photo
0:42:04 > 0:42:06to show buyers on social media what's available.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Do you just take it in the pot?
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Yeah, I just take a photograph like that.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Let's take a picture of it straightaway.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16I think that's worth putting online straightaway, don't you?
0:42:20 > 0:42:22The pictures are uploaded straight from the boat
0:42:22 > 0:42:25and by selling high quality to select buyers,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27the fewer they have to catch to make a living.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Good for all-round sustainability.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34So you offer them up to your special customers first?
0:42:34 > 0:42:36- We do.- OK.- Yeah.- I see, I see.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38- So you need to get on the in-list. - PHONE RINGS
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Oh. There you go.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- That fast?- It's that fast.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- That's how quickly it works. Wow! - Yeah, that's it. So...
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Is today a good day? It seems like we've got a good catch.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Oh, you're a lucky charm!
0:42:55 > 0:42:56Then it's back to the harbour
0:42:56 > 0:42:59to get these beauties packed up and shipped out.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Today, their third musketeer, Francis Harris, is on packing duty.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09- There were go.- Lovely, thank you. - See you later, Lewis.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12- OK, on the scales and weigh them up.- OK.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- 8.1.- Right, let's get packing. - Right.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22- A bit of seaweed in the bottom. - Seaweed, that's unusual.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Why would you pack it with seaweed?
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Keeps them moist, damp in transit, which is important.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Look at that. Wouldn't you like to eat that?
0:43:29 > 0:43:32- I would love to eat that, yes. In they go.- Pack them in.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37A nice bit of seaweed on top again. Snuggle them down.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Snuggle them down.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42What kind of feedback have you had from your customers?
0:43:42 > 0:43:46We've been accused of selling
0:43:46 > 0:43:50crabs on steroids and selling lobsters with attitude.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52That will do. A couple of gel packs.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55Guaranteed to be in London for lunch tomorrow.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05But now I'm off to meet one of the fishermen's loyal customers,
0:44:05 > 0:44:06just a mile away.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Bruce Rennie is king of the fish dish
0:44:10 > 0:44:12and today, he's making our fishermen lunch.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17A spring salad with lobster as the star of the show.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23The temperature's the critical part of cooking this dish
0:44:23 > 0:44:25because that's what makes it nice and soft.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27- And for you, this is an absolute gift, isn't it?- I love it.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30It's why I do purely seafood because of the location we're in,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33where we're at and it's just... It's the best.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40Lobster, sliced heritage tomatoes...
0:44:43 > 0:44:45- The secret water.- Yeah.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48'A drizzle of chilled tomato and basil presse...'
0:44:48 > 0:44:50This kind of makes it between a soup and a salad
0:44:50 > 0:44:53but it really adds a nice zing to everything.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56'..and a few edible flowers for a true taste of spring.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58'Bet the boys will love that!'
0:44:58 > 0:45:00We'll see how that goes.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04'The full recipe is on our website:'
0:45:09 > 0:45:11Hello, gentlemen.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Have you ever had your lobster look like that, for starters?
0:45:15 > 0:45:16Not with primroses, no!
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Right! Well, I don't know about you,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21but I'm desperate to try this. Shall we give it a go?
0:45:24 > 0:45:26- Mmm.- Mmm!
0:45:26 > 0:45:29- Very nice.- What do you think? - Beautiful.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Absolutely beautiful. Superb.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34So sweet, just melts in the mouth.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39It's incredible, Bruce, it really is.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41That is absolutely divine.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43I've never ate a primrose before!
0:45:53 > 0:45:56We're heading to Cumbria now to meet a man
0:45:56 > 0:45:59who's at the end of a 12-month love affair.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07I have to admit, I fell hook, line and sinker for her.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16The object of film-maker Terry Abraham's affections
0:46:16 > 0:46:17is a mountain.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20But she's not his first.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24After spending a year documenting the life of England's highest peak,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27Scafell Pike, Terry has spent the last year
0:46:27 > 0:46:29capturing the ever-changing moods
0:46:29 > 0:46:33of one of Britain's most-loved mountains, Blencathra.
0:46:36 > 0:46:37It might sound romanticised
0:46:37 > 0:46:40but spring is a very special time of year here for me.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42The snows are disappearing,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45you've got the green and the warmth coming down the valleys,
0:46:45 > 0:46:50but it's that contrast with those last throes of winter up on the tops
0:46:50 > 0:46:53to the life coming back I really like.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58There's nothing I like more than exploring and wandering places
0:46:58 > 0:47:02out on the fells where most people don't venture.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07I often joke I'm sure I was born a shepherd in a previous life
0:47:07 > 0:47:10but I liken that now to being a Herdwick,
0:47:10 > 0:47:12those guardians of the fells,
0:47:12 > 0:47:15out here in all weathers and all seasons.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17They always bring a smile, don't they, little lambs?
0:47:17 > 0:47:19CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
0:47:26 > 0:47:29This time of year, in the spring,
0:47:29 > 0:47:32the best time to be out to appreciate Blencathra is dawn.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40Air clarity in spring tends to be very dry.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42Gin-clear, as I like to call it.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54But night-time, wow.
0:47:57 > 0:47:58The night sky is unbelievable.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01You'll see the Milky Way gliding over Blencathra,
0:48:01 > 0:48:04see constellations that you've probably never seen before.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08And it just goes to prove that here, Blencathra,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11is just as beautiful at night as it is in the day.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22I'm at my happiest out watching that dancing light
0:48:22 > 0:48:24as the clouds roll in from the Irish Sea.
0:48:24 > 0:48:29I can see why poets, writers and painters keep flocking here.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36There's just something about this mountain
0:48:36 > 0:48:39that just stirs the heart and soul.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49Before I became a film-maker I was just a regular Joe Schmo, really.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52But there's nowhere else I'd rather be than out here on the fell.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55I don't know how many times I've ascended and descended Blencathra.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59The number of hours, the number of miles I've covered,
0:48:59 > 0:49:01I couldn't possibly tell you.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04But every single one of them has been an absolute joy.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Good evening, Keith, how are you?
0:49:13 > 0:49:15I needed that.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00This week, we've been celebrating spring.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08I'm on Alderney, the most northerly of the Channel Islands.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13Here, spring blossoms early,
0:50:13 > 0:50:16with rare gems like the spotted rock rose,
0:50:16 > 0:50:20that sheds its delicate petals in the warmth of the midday sun.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24The island is rich in natural history.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28It's a bird-watchers' paradise
0:50:28 > 0:50:30and a brand-new bird observatory is being set up
0:50:30 > 0:50:33to monitor numbers and migration.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37But there are also smaller wings that do very well here.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42The island is home to the unusual Glanville Fritillary caterpillar,
0:50:42 > 0:50:44which in spring can be found
0:50:44 > 0:50:48greedily preparing for its transformation into a butterfly.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54But it's moths that Alderney is really famous for.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58And there's one man on the island who knows them better than most.
0:50:58 > 0:51:03Now in his 80th year, David Wedd has devoted his life to them.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06So, talk us through what you've caught, David.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09These are called Hebrew Characters and you can see why -
0:51:09 > 0:51:12- because of the markings on them. - Yep.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16What about this one? Cos this looks beautiful on here.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19That's called an Early Grey.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Oh, my word, look at that!
0:51:23 > 0:51:25That's an Emperor moth. That's female.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27Female Emperor moth.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31She is beautiful.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35It's amazing that she's not just flying away.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38She won't fly until she's paired
0:51:38 > 0:51:40and she's laid at least half of the eggs.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- You can see the very fat body. - Right.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46So what's the process, then, of her pairing
0:51:46 > 0:51:50and how does she decide who she wants her mate to be?
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Well, she is supposed to be able to attract males from two miles away
0:51:53 > 0:51:55- by pheromones.- Right.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Normally, it's the first one that gets to her will mate.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02She'll lay a lot of the eggs where she hatches
0:52:02 > 0:52:05and then, when she's light enough, she'll fly for a night or two.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08- So she won't live more than a few days.- Right.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12Just as we're talking, David, what's this?
0:52:12 > 0:52:14That's a moth called an Angle Shade.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17Do you know all of the species that are on this island?
0:52:17 > 0:52:19I think I know the ones on the island, yes.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21How many are we talking about?
0:52:21 > 0:52:25We've got about, um, 800 or 900 kinds here,
0:52:25 > 0:52:27but I mean, that's not all that many, is it?
0:52:27 > 0:52:31Well, it is to know, 800 or 900! I think that's pretty impressive.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33And when did you first get into moths?
0:52:33 > 0:52:35- When I was four.- Right!
0:52:35 > 0:52:41- Well, nearly 75 years ago! - There you go!
0:52:41 > 0:52:44'I've seen some impressive winged creatures here today
0:52:44 > 0:52:47'but there's one more surprise still to come.'
0:52:48 > 0:52:52Matt? I think we might have something a bit special here,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54- if you'd like to come and help with the ringing.- Yes, OK!
0:52:54 > 0:52:59David, I'll leave you to it. Nice to see you. All right. Got to go!
0:53:01 > 0:53:04'John, the bird observatory's warden that I met earlier,
0:53:04 > 0:53:06'has netted some more rare treasure.'
0:53:08 > 0:53:11- This is, with the lime green on the rump there...- Yeah?
0:53:11 > 0:53:13..Bonelli's warbler.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18Bonelli's warbler. Great name.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23Er, and that'll be quite a rare vagrant to the British Isles.
0:53:23 > 0:53:24How rare are we talking?
0:53:24 > 0:53:28- Probably only two or three records a year, if that...- Whoa!
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- ..of this species in the UK. - We've got to get this right, then.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Particularly spring records will be very unusual
0:53:34 > 0:53:37because most of the records are in the autumn.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39You're a special little visitor, then!
0:53:39 > 0:53:41It is very unusual.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44- And you think North Africa, that's where this will have come from?- Yep!
0:53:44 > 0:53:46He's overshot a little bit to come this far north.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48- Congratulations!- Fantastic!
0:53:48 > 0:53:52Another really nice record for the observatory
0:53:52 > 0:53:56and this little chap can go back in the direction he's supposed to be.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Well, I think he just wanted to appear on Countryfile.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- Perhaps! - THEY LAUGH
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Off you go, my friend.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11Well, on that wonderful and rather unexpected note,
0:54:11 > 0:54:14that's all we've got time for from our celebration of spring.