Countryfile - The East Riding of Yorkshire
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Between March and August, hundreds of thousands of seabirds come to these cliffs to breed.
00:13It honestly is spectacular.
00:16I'm in Yorkshire's Seabird City to join the RSPB's annual seabird count.
00:23Not entirely sure where to start but...
00:251, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19...
00:52Jutting into the North Sea from the east riding of Yorkshire, these cliffs rise to a whopping
01:11100 metres high in some places and the rock they're made of has a story to tell.
01:19It's a story that begins inland at the Humber estuary near Hull and arcs north-eastwards
01:25in a crescent of chalk towards the North Sea, erupting at RSPB Bempton Cliffs in a towering
01:32expanse of white.
01:36It's difficult to take your eyes off all the birds but actually it's the chalk formed over
01:42millions of years by the microscopic remains of plankton being compressed which is the
01:48root and reason for the special habitat.
01:51And a key contributor to the wildlife here. I meet the farming custodians of Chalk Stream
01:57Headwaters.
01:59The number of wild fish spawning here and producing their young has gone up tremendously.
02:04When you get that right your kingfishers come, your herons come.
02:08And visit a former fish farm transformed into a wetland reserve.
02:13The site started to regenerate and we now have the biggest block of reed bed in the
02:19whole of the headwaters.
02:21On the cliffs, photography's proving a unique tool to help monitor our most charismatic
02:27of seabirds.
02:28We were able to identify over 11,500 prey items. We've been able to do the biggest piece
02:34of diet data science that we've ever been able to do.
02:38And Adam's finding out about an initiative looking to slash cattle farming emissions.
02:44Some farmers have a carbon footprint about a fifth of other farmers. So as low as pork
02:50or chicken for example, which is incredibly low.
02:52The area where the turbulent North Sea greets the chalk cliffs of the East Yorkshire coastline
03:11might seem an inhospitable place to call home.
03:18But here at RSPB Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve, this wild windswept environment is visited
03:25by around half a million seabirds every year.
03:30And there's one particular species I'm hoping to see today, the gannet.
03:40Famous for their high diving feeding routine, the gannet, one of the UK's largest seabirds,
03:46was one of the hardest hit species by the ongoing avian influenza epidemic, with almost
03:52a quarter of its total population lost.
03:57Now two years after the epidemic began, the team at Bempton Cliffs are about to begin
04:02a particularly important gannet population count to see how the birds have fared since
04:08then.
04:09Hi Saskia.
04:10Hi, how are you?
04:11I think I've got everything I need.
04:12I think so too.
04:15So I'm joining RSPB conservation scientist Saskia Wisniewski to see how it's done.
04:22I mean is it literally just one, two, three, four?
04:26It is very much like this, but obviously as you can see they're all on a cliff so it makes
04:31it a bit difficult because there's a lot of topography, some of them are hiding.
04:34And most of them move around.
04:36They do.
04:37So when we usually count, we count them from the boat, which gives us a little bit more
04:40flexibility.
04:41But obviously, as you can see, the weather is not cooperating with us today.
04:45I guess when you're going like this, it's really difficult to count.
04:47It is.
04:48It is.
04:49Yeah.
04:50So how much can you see them from land?
04:52So you can't see the whole colony, unfortunately, from land, which is why if we do a full colony
04:56count, we need to be on the boat.
04:59But we do have like smaller segments of the cliffs that we count every single year and
05:03they give us an indication of population increase or decline.
05:08These smaller land-based counts are compared with the full colony counts done by boat to
05:13ensure the data is as accurate as possible.
05:16Oh my goodness, Saskia, are we counting the whole cliff?
05:21So it's basically the site of the stack or the bit that's facing us directly.
05:26We are not counting every single individual bird.
05:28What we're counting are apparently occupied nests.
05:31Sometimes you have two on them.
05:33Sometimes you have one on them, but it's only one nest site.
05:36So I'm not counting birds, I'm counting nests.
05:37Nests, exactly.
05:38And if there happen to be two there, they still count as one.
05:40Exactly.
05:41That's right.
05:43So if I told you right now, count all of those birds, you're unlikely to lose track at some
05:48point in the middle of it.
05:50So what we do is we divide them in subsections.
05:52This is a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be, Saskia.
05:56We can do this.
05:57We can do this.
05:58Also, this is a counter.
05:59So you actually don't lose track.
06:02Because you're new to it.
06:03I'm going to count it again and then we see if we actually match up, because we want to
06:09get it right, don't we?
06:12Right, I'm going in.
06:14Go for it.
06:15One, two.
06:24Breeding age gannets, like the ones we're counting today, are distinctive for the clean
06:28black tips of their wings, while juvenile gannets can be recognised by a mottled black
06:33and white wing pattern.
06:35Can I have a quick look at the map again?
06:37Absolutely.
06:38I have a horrible feeling I've gone a bit far down.
06:42But this is also why we divide it into segments, because if you have to redo it, it's only
06:45a small part that you have to redo, rather than redoing the whole thing.
06:48I'm not the first to have mucked this up, am I?
06:50No.
06:51OK.
07:01I thought I'd got 6,000, but actually I meant nine.
07:04Really?
07:05How many did you get?
07:0722.
07:08OK, I missed a bit, clearly.
07:12Oh, I got 24.
07:14See, there you go, but that's close enough.
07:16Yeah, was it?
07:17Yes.
07:18So what we usually do is we try to stay within 10% of each other's counts.
07:22So if you get particular, if you're learning at the beginning, and you kind of get two
07:26counts, and they're within 10% of each other, then that's fine.
07:29OK.
07:30Yeah, it's hard, isn't it?
07:34I'm leaving Saskia to it, as I don't want to hinder the clean black tips.
07:39I'm leaving Saskia to it, as I don't want to hinder the counting.
07:44Due to bird flu, monitoring gannet numbers is critical,
07:48but it's just one part of a bigger picture.
07:51Along the clifftops, reserve manager Dave O'Hara and visitor
07:55experience officer Poppy Rummery are monitoring the colony's fertility.
08:01Oh, goodness me, guys.
08:03The closer you get, the smell does intensify, doesn't it?
08:08Definitely.
08:09What is that?
08:10Guano.
08:11Oh, OK.
08:12The rich smell of guano.
08:13Yeah.
08:14So what are you actually looking at?
08:15Because you're much closer than I was over there with Saskia counting.
08:18So there's about 55 nests on here.
08:21So I'm keeping an eye on whether the gannets have chicks, whether they have eggs.
08:26It's really good to kind of get an indication of how well the population's doing overall
08:31with breeding success, because that, in theory, is what is going to help them to increase
08:36the population.
08:38Can I have a quick look?
08:39Absolutely, yeah.
08:40What you can see?
08:41So I've got a chick in my scope already.
08:42Hopefully you'll be able to see it.
08:43It is just fluff underneath the adult at the moment.
08:46Sometimes the adults will just be completely covering the chicks, and you have to kind
08:49of just stand and watch, basically, for a bit of movement to see what's underneath them.
08:54Gannets mate for life and produce one egg a year, which they incubate in nests in very
09:01close proximity to their neighbours for safety in numbers.
09:06Dave, the gannets were really badly hit, weren't they, by avian flu.
09:11Does the spacing of the nests have anything to do with the way that spread?
09:16Yeah, unfortunately for colonial species, nesting together for protection actually does
09:20make them vulnerable to viral diseases.
09:23We saw quite an impact here in 2022.
09:2580% of the chicks died through the summer from bird flu.
09:28Which is incredible, isn't it?
09:30Yeah, and it was really horrible to see.
09:32But also a big loss of adult gannets as well.
09:35So where are we now, then, in terms of this colony?
09:38Well, we saw productivity improve last year, thankfully.
09:41It was less than it normally is, but we'll be doing a full colony count this summer
09:45to see what the population's like.
09:48And we're also seeing evidence of birds that survived bird flu.
09:52If you wanted to look at some birds through the telescope here...
09:55And what am I looking for?
09:57Well, hopefully you can see three gannets there.
10:00I can.
10:02This gannet there has a very black, cloudy eye.
10:05And that is a bird which...
10:08So that bird on the left has survived bird flu.
10:11So the ones that had bird flu, then, and survived, developed a different eye?
10:15Certainly some of them have done that.
10:18We know from the blood tests that they survive as a bird flu.
10:21Then the hope, I suppose, is that you've got at least some birds in the colony
10:24who won't get bird flu or are immune to it.
10:27Yeah, and there had been a worry that this black eye, this is one symptom,
10:31so there might have been other effects as well.
10:33It might have affected fertility was a worry.
10:35You can see just about now and again that little chick underneath it,
10:38a real kind of beacon of hope.
10:43The fact that the bird with the black eye has successfully reared a chick
10:46indicates gannets who've survived avian flu have a hope of reproducing,
10:51providing cautious optimism for Dave and his team.
10:56And I suppose that's why it's so important to keep counting them all the time.
10:59That's why monitoring is so vital.
11:01We have a great team here who are involved in the monitoring
11:04and all around the UK.
11:06Knowing what's happening with our populations is really important
11:09and getting better protection for them at sea especially.
11:13They are amazing birds.
11:20Since filming, the 2024 gannet count has been completed at RSPB Bempton
11:26with a total of 15,794 pairs recorded,
11:30a welcome increase of 4% since last year.
11:43This place isn't just a home for gannets.
11:46The rich feeding grounds off the coast here and the craggy cliffs
11:50harbour a host of other species.
11:56Razorbills breed on precarious cliff faces
12:00with their smart black and white plumage and thick black razor-sharp beak.
12:06These birds are monogamous, pairing up with the same partner for life.
12:14Members of the orc family,
12:16razorbills are close cousins to the puffins and guillemots
12:19they nest alongside at Bempton.
12:26Life isn't easy on this coast
12:28and the almost comical flights of these seabirds
12:31from the towering cliffs are met with a swirling sea.
12:41Their beautiful acrobatics cross-stitch the sea and sky,
12:46a true spectacle of nature.
12:49In Staffordshire, Adam's looking at how cattle farmers can lower their emissions.
12:58Red meat, and beef especially,
13:00has been highlighted in recent years as one of the worst foods
13:03for anyone hoping to reduce their carbon footprint.
13:06And it's not just red meat,
13:08it's also beef, which is one of the most expensive meat in the world.
13:12Beef can result in almost ten times as many emissions as chicken or pork,
13:16with lamb being somewhere in the middle.
13:18The question is, can we farmers, particularly beef farmers,
13:22reduce our emissions?
13:24Because it could make a big difference.
13:28Bromstead Farm in Staffordshire
13:30is part of a project looking at how to reduce our emissions
13:33and how to reduce our carbon footprint.
13:37Bromstead Farm in Staffordshire
13:39is part of a project looking to slash emissions in cattle farming.
13:43Andrew McLeod is the farm manager.
13:45There's a few. Lovely big sheds. So tell me the system.
13:48Right, so we're a dairy beef integrated system.
13:51We take in calves here that are about three and a half months old,
13:55and we take them through till they're finished at about 16, 17 months.
13:59And how many cattle on the farm?
14:01Just about 700 at any one time.
14:03Wow. A lot of cattle.
14:05Yeah, plenty to keep us out of mischief.
14:07So what sort of age are these then, Andrew?
14:09So these cattle are 17 months,
14:11and they'll be going into abattoir next week, actually.
14:14You've got a lot of cattle here that you're taking through
14:17from a young age to finishing,
14:19but you're more than just a beef unit, aren't you?
14:21Well, we are. We're doing a bit of research,
14:23and we're a bit of a demonstration farm
14:25for basically seeing how efficient we can be.
14:28So it's about profitability,
14:30but here as well you're looking at emissions and carbon footprint.
14:35We're starting to measure the emissions from the cattle
14:37in our other shed there.
14:39We've got a couple of devices we're using for that.
14:41Great. Well, it'll be interesting to find out more.
14:43I'll have a look around. Good on you.
14:45I'll leave you to your cattle. Go on, thank you.
14:48This demonstration and research farm is at the centre of PRISM 2030,
14:52an initiative involving over 350 farms
14:56that's exploring ways to drastically reduce
14:58the emissions of cattle and sheep farming.
15:01To achieve this, one of the areas they're focusing on is diet,
15:04looking for both the animal and feed combinations
15:07that perform the best, using a two-part system,
15:10measuring what's going in and what's coming out.
15:13Leading the research here at Bromstead Farm
15:15is farmer and scientist Liz Ford.
15:18So how does this work then?
15:20So what we're doing here is the animal will put her head in,
15:23she's got an electronic ear tag in her ear,
15:26and within the bin there's an electronic reader,
15:28so it will pick up each animal when it comes in.
15:30There's a weigh scale, so we know how much feed's in there to start with,
15:34and then each time the animal puts her head in,
15:36we know how much they're consuming each time.
15:39And we can work out how much that animal will eat
15:42in terms of then how much kilos they're putting on as well.
15:45So what you want then is an animal that's eating less and growing more?
15:48Absolutely. It's a win all round.
15:51And our diet here is 75% forage-based,
15:54so it's primarily grass silage.
15:56We also have a bit of home-grown barley within it,
15:59and then the only additional protein that we have that we buy in is wheat distillers,
16:04and the benefit for that for our carbon footprint
16:06is it's a by-product of the distillation industry as well.
16:10So we're trying to minimise our carbon footprint through our diet,
16:13so for that it's very beneficial for us.
16:17Fascinating to find out about their growth rates,
16:20but what's going into the cattle as they're digesting it,
16:25we all know they then burp out methane,
16:28and that's part of the problem?
16:29Yeah, so enteric methane or enteric fermentation leading to methane
16:33is one of our biggest challenges,
16:35and we're always up against it as an industry.
16:38So we need to find out more about it first and foremost,
16:41and then we can start to look to do things about it.
16:45Methane is around 28 times more potent than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere,
16:51and it's responsible for a large proportion of the emissions of beef production.
16:57But the amount a cow releases can vary massively from animal to animal,
17:02so they're monitoring the cow's methane output individually
17:05to better understand ways to lower this.
17:08Thankfully, more than 90% of the gas is burped out the front end rather than the back,
17:14so it's not as difficult to measure as you might think.
17:18There's a feed hopper here.
17:20In the background you can hear some fans whirring away.
17:22What that's doing is sucking up all the breath, all that's coming out of the front end,
17:26and it goes through various sensors and filters,
17:28and then we trap that methane that's been produced,
17:31and over a period of time we can get that readout per animal.
17:34And then we can look to see whether different feed types, different genetics,
17:38feed additives, we can use out of grass.
17:41So we can start to see what will make a difference in reducing the overall methane emissions.
17:45And have you seen any differences with the trials you've made?
17:48We've seen on one trial just 17 different cattle.
17:51Between the highest average emitter and the lowest average emitter was about 110 grams per head per day.
17:56It doesn't sound a lot, but if we start to scale that up over the animal's lifetime,
18:00it can be quite considerable.
18:02There's a lot of science going on here, but you're working across quite a lot of farms, aren't you?
18:07Yeah, we're working closely with 350 farms as part of our PRISM, our Farm Sustainability Programme.
18:13We've done carbon footprinting on all of those farms.
18:16We've started to collate that data, break it down into system type, farm type,
18:21and then what we'll do is we'll bring all that data together
18:24and really start to try and pull out what those differences are
18:27and what's making that big difference for those farms that have a lower carbon footprint
18:32and how we can share that and learn from it.
18:36Professor Jude Capper from Harper Adams University
18:39specialises in assessing the environmental impacts of livestock production.
18:43She chairs the initiative and is one of the people responsible for diving into the data
18:47and putting it into practical use.
18:49So tell me about the PRISM project. What does it actually stand for?
18:52So we started it about two years ago now.
18:54PRISM stands for the Programme for Improving the Sustainability of Red Meat
18:59and we're looking at everything that has an impact on that animal's efficiency.
19:03So whether it's breeding, whether it's housing, pasture species, types of management, health, productivity,
19:10everything that goes into those animals' performance.
19:13So how can you roll this out then? What's the blueprint to go across the country or isn't there a blueprint?
19:18That's a really interesting question and it depends on the system
19:21because in an intensive system, for example, if we have house cattle, let's say,
19:26they can have a lower carbon footprint but they contribute less to carbon sequestration,
19:32i.e. taking carbon out of the air, putting it into ground.
19:35So there's a balance for every system. Extensive can be brilliant, intensive can be brilliant.
19:40We need all systems really. It's doing everything better on every single farm.
19:45And as a scientist, you're gathering that evidence here
19:48and can you make a significant difference with some of the developments?
19:52We can do great things to improve.
19:54We have some farmers, for example, who have a carbon footprint about a fifth of other farmers,
20:01so a 20%, let's say. I mean, massively though, doing some really, really good things.
20:06And we have actually found some farms whose emissions are as low as other products,
20:11say pork or chicken, for example, which is incredibly low.
20:14We want to understand what those farmers are doing on farm so that every farmer can improve.
20:20One of the big areas they've identified for improvement is the cattle themselves.
20:25Here at Bromstead, they're researching how traits within breeds and variation within lineages
20:30could help to lower emissions. Liz Ford is studying that variation in the Angus herd here.
20:38We've got a heifer and a steer from one sire at the back there
20:41and then we've got a heifer and a steer from the sire at the front.
20:44These are about 13 months of age.
20:46So two lots with two different dads?
20:48Two different dads. These ones here are growing at around 0.9 kilos a day.
20:52The other two are growing at about 1.3 kilos a day.
20:55If they stay on that same trajectory, we're 200 days difference in terms of ready for market.
21:00Goodness me.
21:01So that's a huge time that they're going to be eating for longer, they're on farm for longer,
21:05so cost and sustainability.
21:08There's lots for us farmers to take on board, but the positive news is that we're already world leading.
21:14The carbon footprint of British beef is less than half the global average.
21:18But to stay ahead and keep driving change in the industry,
21:21we need research like this to reach farmers and consumers.
21:25Phil Hambling is from the ABP Food Group,
21:28who deliver British produce to around 4 million consumers a week
21:32and they run and fund both the research farm here and the PRISM 2030 project.
21:38A lot of people feel that red meat is a problem,
21:41but do you feel that with all the work you're doing,
21:44you're heading in the right direction to alleviate those concerns?
21:49I'd like to think so.
21:50What PRISM and our sustainability programme is going to do is provide that fact-based evidence
21:55to show that continuous improvement.
21:57And likewise, also starting from a good place in terms of the global average,
22:01but within our first year results show actually everyone's got scope for improvement.
22:05And even within that, a good third of those farmers are already producing half of that footprint again
22:11within the UK context.
22:12So a huge opportunity for us to celebrate just how good British livestock is
22:17and hopefully give consumers extra reason to enjoy that steak or that mid-week treat.
22:21How excited are you about the future and the way you've taken things so far?
22:26I think we start from a really, really good place,
22:28but I don't think we can rest on our laurels.
22:30We've got to make sure that we're always doing better.
22:33There's always new innovation, new ideas that can help farmers become more sustainable,
22:37more profitable and hopefully more greener in the process.
22:41And looking after the natural resources from the soil to our watercourses and our biodiversity
22:45is all part of that broader sustainability picture that we can do better.
22:49As a farmer, I've certainly learnt a lot.
22:51And hopefully in the work you're doing, you'll be able to build confidence in the consumer.
23:11Now, time for you to pick up your cameras
23:14as we launch this year's Countryphile Photographic Competition.
23:18Here's John.
23:23Every part of this country is blessed with miracles of nature
23:29and breathtaking beauty.
23:33So here in this beautiful setting provided for us by nature,
23:37it's my great pleasure to launch our photographic competition
23:41with this year's winning photos starring in the 2025 Countryphile calendar.
23:51This annual tradition has been going on since 1998
23:55and since then you've helped raise more than £30 million
23:59for BBC children in need.
24:02The photographic competition culminates with 12 of the best images
24:06being turned into the Countryphile calendar
24:09so we can enjoy those pictures throughout the year.
24:13This year's theme is natural wonders
24:16and we want you to capture the wild side of our countryside in all its glory.
24:21Whether it's a magical moment of wildlife or a captivating landscape,
24:26whatever it is, we want to see your interpretation
24:29of what a natural wonder really is.
24:33Once all the entries are in, we'll be joined by a celebrity judge
24:37to choose the winning photos that will appear in the Countryphile calendar
24:41for 2025, which is sold in aid of BBC children in need.
24:46And there'll also be an overall winning photo
24:49chosen by you, our Countryphile viewers.
24:53Not only will that picture feature on the cover of the calendar
24:56but the winner will also get a £1,000 gift card
24:59to spend on photographic equipment of their choice.
25:03And the person who takes the judge's favourite photo
25:06will receive a gift card for £500
25:09to be spent on their choice of photographic equipment.
25:13You can enter up to three photographs.
25:17To submit your photographic photo,
25:19you can enter up to three photographs.
25:22To submit your photos, go to bbc.co.uk forward slash Countryphile
25:27where you'll find a link to the entry form.
25:34We're looking for original images that represent our theme of natural wonders.
25:40Photographs that have won national or international competitions
25:44or have been taken by professionals can't be submitted.
25:48Pictures must have been taken within the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
25:53And I'm sorry, but we can only accept online entries.
25:57All the details on how to enter the competition can be found on our website
26:02plus the terms and conditions and privacy notice.
26:06The submission period closes at 10am on Monday 22nd July 2024.
26:14So now it's over to you.
26:17Grab your camera, your smartphone, your tablets
26:20and capture your images of natural wonders.
26:24We can't wait to see them.
26:27We're in East Yorkshire.
26:30From the dramatic cliffs at Bempton to green and grassy farmland,
26:35the bedrock of Chalk underpins some of the county's most defining landscapes.
26:40And flowing through this countryside is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
26:46It's the largest lake in the world.
26:49It's the largest lake in the world.
26:53Chalk streams are home to some of the UK's most threatened species.
26:58And here, on the banks of the Driffield Westbeck,
27:01one of the UK's most northerly chalk streams,
27:04the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have worked to expand this refuge
27:07by creating Scurn Wetlands, one of the UK's largest wetlands.
27:12Scurn Wetlands is one of the world's largest wetlands.
27:16The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have worked to expand this refuge
27:19by creating Scurn Wetlands, one of the newest nature reserves.
27:26Living Landscapes Manager John Trail was instrumental in acquiring the site.
27:32Back to about 2007, we bought two grass fields.
27:37Ecologically, not particularly exciting,
27:39but what was really interesting to us was the chalk stream adjacent to the grass fields.
27:44And then we were very fortunate to be made aware
27:47that a former commercial fish farm came on the market.
27:50I saw it and sort of had that little light bulb moment, what if?
27:54So I actually literally walked into the Chief Executive's office
27:59at the Wildlife Trust and pitched the idea.
28:02It was right next to the river.
28:04This was a critical piece of the jigsaw in terms of landscape connectivity.
28:10And that then led to us in 2012 actually taking ownership of a commercial fish farm.
28:19When we took the fish farm over, it did look completely different.
28:22The site had a whole network of concrete posts
28:25with wires on to stop aerial predators getting in and catching the fish.
28:29And all the ponds themselves were obviously kept clear of vegetation
28:33so they could harvest all the fish regularly.
28:36The vegetation regrowth has happened since we took the site on.
28:43The site effectively started to regenerate the vegetation
28:47and the reeds started to come back.
28:50And by us helping it with water level management,
28:53we managed to get the reed bed to really recover.
28:57And we now have the biggest block of reed bed in the whole of the headwaters.
29:07The site is surveyed at different levels by different people.
29:14My specialism is mammals.
29:17Small mammals are hard to see, so recording them by sightings is almost impossible.
29:23I've got a small mammal trap here.
29:25You can set a series of these out on a site
29:28and then you can actually start to get a reasonable picture of population.
29:34We do have a real broad range of mammals on site.
29:39Checked these traps this morning and found
29:42possibly one of Britain's rarest small mammals.
29:45It's actually a water shrew.
29:48Absolutely amazing that we've managed to pick this little fella up.
29:52We'll put it back out on the pond and let it go about its day.
29:56The knock-on for having the small mammals and the range of small mammals
29:59is that link to the next set of species that rely on them.
30:04Come on you, that way.
30:09There we go.
30:11So I grew up in a small village just outside York
30:14and I lived a very rural life.
30:18I would regularly see this little brown furry creature swimming around.
30:23It was actually a water boat.
30:25I just watched these waterfalls swimming about
30:28and they sort of just fascinated me.
30:31The fact they almost allowed you to be part of their world.
30:36Habitat loss and predation has caused a serious threat
30:40to the future of waterfalls, who are now listed as endangered.
30:46Having loads of waterfalls is a really good thing
30:49because it feeds things like marsh harriers and barn owls.
30:59When I first started surveying for waterfalls,
31:02it very much was rummage through the vegetation,
31:05searching for droppings, food remains, burrows.
31:11And I thought, I wonder if we change this slightly.
31:21In a bid to keep an eye on the waterfalls at Scurn,
31:24John has adapted a new way of monitoring these elusive creatures.
31:30So this is a waterfowl recording raft.
31:33Waterfowls will come along patrolling their territory
31:36and go to the toilet on it and leave their droppings.
31:40And when we come back to do our survey,
31:42we can confirm that waterfalls are here.
31:54This is a good place for us.
31:56It's got good coverage of vegetation.
31:59It's got a bank that they're going to burrow into.
32:07If we get some dry weather, some sunny days,
32:10we can come and check it and hopefully find droppings and field signs.
32:15And just eight days later, we strike it lucky.
32:18A waterfowl has begun to use John's new latrine raft.
32:28There are said to be around 200 chalk streams flowing around the world.
32:33And 85% of them can be found in England.
32:37But these clear waters are in danger.
32:39Many are a shadow of their former selves,
32:42with 80% not achieving good ecological status.
32:47Over-abstraction has drastically reduced depths and flows,
32:51and excessive rainwater has brought a cocktail of silt and pollutants into our streams.
32:57The consequences of over-abstraction are devastating.
33:01Excessive rainwater has brought a cocktail of silt and pollutants into our streams,
33:06the combination of which can cause damage to these precious habitats.
33:13In Drifield, Westbeck, Wildlife Trust volunteers Emma Dorber and Claire Vint
33:17are conducting a kick sample to monitor the stream's health.
33:24So this is kick sampling, I'm guessing?
33:26This is kick sampling.
33:29So the bottom's flat, so that goes on the bottom.
33:32Oh, I see, flat bottom on bottom.
33:34And then you stand just slightly upstream with your feet flat on the floor.
33:39And then you basically gently shuffle your feet
33:42and you'll see all the sediments sort of coming up and it'll flow.
33:46So your feet need to be just a little bit upstream of the kick sampling.
33:51It's gin clear, isn't it?
33:52It's absolutely gorgeous, isn't it?
33:54It does honestly just look like stones.
33:56It does, yeah.
33:57Well you'll be amazed that it's not just stones, it's full of all sorts of stuff.
34:01How did you get involved with this?
34:03Partly madness, but I was very fortunate to retire early
34:07and I decided that I wanted to get involved in Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and volunteer
34:11and that was seven years ago and it's sort of taken over.
34:16It's incredible seeing the trout.
34:18I once saw an otter.
34:20I was very privileged because they're so elusive.
34:23Beautiful mammals, yeah.
34:26You can see it's well worth getting wet for and getting dressed in this very glamorous garb.
34:38So let's have a look and see what's in here.
34:43Let's have a look.
34:44Oh yes, look!
34:45There's loads of stuff.
34:47Oh my goodness.
34:48It's teeming, isn't it?
34:49Look how much there is.
34:50Yeah, it's teeming with stuff.
34:51Just even on the net.
34:52Caddis flies, mayflies.
34:53We've had lots of mayflies here.
34:55That's the dragonfly larvae there, I think.
35:00Is that enough, do you think, to take out?
35:01Yeah, absolutely.
35:02There's plenty in there to be going at.
35:05Ecologist Dave Southall is checking today's kick samples.
35:10Dave, I've got a net full of life here.
35:14So how important is the chalk stream?
35:17What's the nature of it that encourages all this life?
35:20Well, we've got very high calcium levels, so we've got a high pH, pH of about 8,
35:26which is optimum for the aquatic life.
35:30The calcium provides material for building cases,
35:35for the exoskeleton of the shrimps,
35:39and calcium is needed for nerve function, muscle function, plant cell walls,
35:45so that's why we have very good plant growth in the chalk streams.
35:49Here's a caseless caddis.
35:52There you go.
35:53Put him in the tray there.
35:54That's one of the eight groups that the Riverfly Partnership study
36:00to monitor the health of the rivers.
36:02They're fairly sensitive to pollution.
36:05And then we've got the gammarus, the freshwater shrimps.
36:08They're sensitive to heavy metals, and they're sensitive also to high ammonia.
36:14So if we suddenly lost all the gammarus,
36:17then we would seriously think that something was wrong.
36:21And if there is reason to believe that there's been a pollution incident,
36:25then we'll sample again.
36:27And if the number of invertebrates overall drops below a certain level,
36:32that triggers off a warning,
36:34and the Environment Agency are notified, and they can then come and check.
36:39So what do you make of what I found then?
36:41Well, this is a fairly healthy sample.
36:43We've got a good range of invertebrates and good numbers,
36:47but it could be better.
36:49And I think we can say that of most of the UK's rivers,
36:52you know, could be better.
36:54But compared to a lot of rivers, this is pretty healthy.
37:00To discover why our kick sample may be bucking the trend
37:03of many ill-fated rivers across the country,
37:06we need to head upstream.
37:09This is Elmswell, a 1,250-acre mixed farm,
37:14which is home to one of the sources of the Chalk Stream.
37:20John Fenton and his family have been farming here
37:23since they took over the land in the 1960s.
37:26And this year, like many farmers, they've been battling the elements.
37:32So, John, this looks easy enough.
37:35So, John, this looks, even still, quite wet.
37:38Yeah, we've had our fair share of rain.
37:40I mean, look at this. This is all just the result...
37:43Yes. ..of too much water.
37:45You had two feet of water.
37:47So, actually, you have, in effect, a little river coming down here.
37:50That's... And it also comes down the other side of the field
37:53down here as well. It has a huge impact.
37:55You look at the crop, it hasn't tilled well,
37:57so we're not going to get a good yield off here.
37:59Now, you have another consideration here,
38:01because, obviously, as the water moves,
38:03it's taking the soil with it,
38:05and just over there is the beginning of the Chalk Stream.
38:08Absolutely right, because if silt gets in there,
38:10it'll settle on the gravel, and that'll mean that any eggs
38:13that the brown trout have laid in there
38:15will be deprived of oxygen and they'll die.
38:17And the same for all the invertebrates and everything else.
38:20Exactly, exactly.
38:22So, it's essential that we try and keep as much silt
38:25or as much dirty water out of the river system in place.
38:29In terms of biodiversity,
38:31they're equally as important as the Great Barrier Reef,
38:34and that's why we must do all that we can to protect them.
38:38And I think the silt traps have certainly been the biggest impact
38:42on the quality of the water that we've had.
38:45A silt trap is an area like a shallow trench or pond
38:49that collects run-off from fields
38:51and allows for sediment particles to settle out.
38:54It also helps prevent pollutants and pesticides
38:57from entering watercourses.
39:00There's also an issue, isn't there,
39:02with the agricultural chemicals that you use on the crop,
39:05which is quite close to the river there.
39:08Have you thought about using fewer or using them differently?
39:11We do. We don't use any insecticides at all.
39:14Since we stopped growing oilseed rapier,
39:16we haven't used any slug pellets for seven years now.
39:20Around every one of our fields, we have a six-metre grass margin,
39:23so that acts as a barrier in trying to reduce drift.
39:26And what about your use of chemicals?
39:28You've had to change that to protect the river at a cost or not?
39:32Not really.
39:33We seem to be ahead of the curve
39:35in getting rid of those products that we know,
39:38you know, the moment there's a sniff about something not being too great,
39:42then it's out the window and we look for an alternative.
39:46OK, Charlotte, so this is one of our sources.
39:48One of?
39:49Yeah, we've got seven in total.
39:51This is the furthest up the river stream itself.
39:54The rest come in in different places all the way down the river.
39:58What a spot!
40:00It certainly is very special.
40:02And if you look in there, you can see all the chalk that's there,
40:05the lovely, gravelly bottom, which is where the trout live.
40:08And then you've got the other side of the river,
40:11You can see all the chalk that's there, the lovely, gravelly bottom,
40:14which is where the trout love to come and lay their eggs.
40:17And it's so clear, isn't it?
40:19It is. It's crystal clear.
40:21The number of wild fish spawning here
40:24and producing their young has gone up tremendously.
40:27And when you get that right, your kingfishers come,
40:29your herons come, your egrets come,
40:31all of those sort of things start to come in here too.
40:34And those numbers have been increasing almost year on year.
40:38So something that we do must be right, I think.
40:42It must give you such a lot of satisfaction.
40:45It is, and it might be too late for some,
40:49but if we can go on looking after this
40:52and being the custodians for our lifetime,
40:55then hopefully we can pass it on to the next generation
40:58in better nick than it was when we took it over.
41:09MUSIC
41:16As you come down from the chalk hills of the Yorkshire wolds,
41:20the land turns to a thick layer of clay,
41:23making the eastern part of the county rich farmland.
41:29But even on productive land,
41:31it can be hard for smaller farms to survive
41:34on conventional farming alone.
41:38Four members of the Sellers family have joined forces
41:41to broaden their farm's business horizons.
41:45Tim and Caroline have been working the land here
41:48for more than 40 years,
41:50and they're now joined by daughters Jessica and Hester.
41:53It's looking good. Good job.
41:55Can't see any docks. No, no.
41:57I think it's a good crop.
41:59Today, Tim and Hester are doing a routine crop walk
42:03to check the health of one of their cover crops.
42:08When do you think it'll be ready?
42:10It just depends how hot it gets and how quickly things change,
42:13but I thought about a month's time.
42:18Carhouse Farm is a 480-acre farm
42:22situated in the upper end of the River Hole Valley.
42:26It is today an organic farm, and it has been since 1999.
42:33One of the advantages of farming in this area
42:37is that the soil is moisture-retentive and nutrient-retentive.
42:41At a time when the woes, because there was no water up there,
42:45farms just weren't developed until relatively recently.
42:50That's the two big challenges for an organic arable farm,
42:53fertility management and weed management,
42:56and this crop does both very well.
42:59I'll just lift it up.
43:01You can sort of see, hopefully, how long.
43:04It'll be a metre, metre and a half in places.
43:07If it keeps moist like this, it'll just keep growing.
43:11The main reason we're growing something like vetch
43:14is that it's a leguminous plant, which means it's nitrogen-fixing,
43:17and obviously, if you're a conventional farmer,
43:20you can just put nitrogen on in chemical forms.
43:23So it does the job very well. There's very little weed here.
43:27I've been back eight years now, after university.
43:30I mean, probably the classic thing, grow up somewhere like here,
43:34desperate after university to live in a big city and do that.
43:38And then, I think, growing up somewhere like here,
43:41the pull home's quite strong.
43:43So obviously, the vetch will have done a great job
43:46putting that nitrogen into the soil and helping with weed suppression,
43:50which means that in an ideal world, if the weather is pleasant,
43:53we'll be able to, in autumn, sow a crop of winter wheat in here.
44:01All being well, this winter wheat will be sold on for milling,
44:05but it'll also have a part to play
44:07in one of the family's more creative ventures.
44:10In order to be able to have a good income off the farm,
44:14or just quite simply to survive at the moment,
44:18diversification is key.
44:20Alongside the organic farming led by Tim and Hester,
44:23Caroline Sellers and daughter Jessica run an on-site organic bakery
44:28using flour from grains grown and milled on the farm.
44:32There's the croissant. I think they'll need turning.
44:35Yep. Yep.
44:37Mum is a very, very good breadmaker.
44:40And general baker. And general baker, yeah.
44:42Don't edit that out. Definitely, yeah. General baker.
44:45A friend who had a B&B near York
44:47asked me to make six croissants for their guests,
44:50and that's how the bakery started.
44:52And the rest, as they say, it's all a history, so...
44:55It's 21 years ago this year.
44:57Is it? 21 years old.
44:5921 years since we were... Yes.
45:01We started in 2003.
45:03That's when we had our first organic certification.
45:06It wasn't really part of the master plan for me at all,
45:09but I thought, OK, I'm going to make six croissants,
45:12but it wasn't really part of the master plan for me at all.
45:15Mum was getting busier and busier in the bakery,
45:18and she just appreciated a bit more help.
45:20I was going to come back part-time and do a little bit
45:23and then ended up coming back full-time and moving back here.
45:26Mum's passion has become my passion.
45:29It's been great.
45:31We've worked together for ten years now, haven't we?
45:33I came back having worked in marketing
45:35and didn't really know, you know,
45:37certainly not how to run a small business or anything like that.
45:41What's been lovely is that we've kept evolving,
45:43we've kept changing, we've kept moving.
45:45So the granola has our own milled spelt flour in it,
45:48and that's really important to us.
45:50It ensures we're a sustainable business, isn't it?
45:53And it's very firmly rooted with the farm,
45:55which is what it's all about.
45:59It has grown, and now it's very much part of the farm.
46:03Jessica has come in with new ideas,
46:05as Hester has come in with new ideas for the farm,
46:08and we kind of marry together, which works well.
46:13It's brilliant, and it also can be really challenging
46:16because for us, our boss is our mum and dad,
46:19and there's no kind of getting away from that.
46:22Certainly since Jessica and I both have got children,
46:25having them seeing the farm through their eyes
46:29and bringing them down here a lot, I appreciate it even more.
46:32Do you think you might like to live on the farm?
46:35Yeah, and help on the farm?
46:37What do you think?
46:39And I can clean out the poo.
46:41You can clean out the poo? You can?
46:44Mum and dad have been really forward-thinking
46:46in what they've created here.
46:48They've created the whole package of the diversification,
46:51the organic, bakery, everything.
46:54We're very proud that they want to be part of the business,
46:58and the challenge will be to make a farm this size
47:02a viable business,
47:04but within the context of the fact that the farm
47:07has been organic for 25 years
47:09and we have a healthy environmental backdrop
47:13to the way we farm,
47:15and I would love it if they could continue to do that.
47:29Many young people up and down the UK
47:31are trying to improve the environment they live in.
47:34But do you know anyone deserving recognition?
47:37Here's Adam.
47:43Countryfile is in search of a young countryside champion
47:46for the BBC Food and Farming Awards 2024.
47:50You could be a young farmer innovating to increase yields
47:55or embracing environmentally friendly farming practices.
48:00A young naturalist protecting our wildlife
48:03or a volunteer raising awareness of the opportunities in the countryside.
48:09However a young person is making a difference,
48:11we want to hear about it.
48:13So if you or someone you know is aged between 16 and 24
48:17and passionate about improving the British countryside,
48:20then please get in touch.
48:23To nominate for the Countryfile Young Countryside Champion
48:26or in any other categories in the BBC Food and Farming Awards,
48:30visit the website bbc.co.uk forward slash food awards
48:35where you'll also find the terms and a privacy notice.
48:39Nominations close on the 30th of June 2024,
48:42just before midnight.
48:43Good luck.
48:53It's summertime.
48:55I'm just not sure that the weather's realised that yet.
48:57Today, honestly, it is cold, it's been wet and it's windy.
49:01Hopefully things are going to improve.
49:04Here's the Countryfile forecast.
49:14Hello.
49:15Well, it certainly has been pretty cool and cloudy over the weekend.
49:19July, just around the corner,
49:22statistically the hottest month of the summer.
49:25And how's it looking?
49:26Well, early July is looking rather cool for many of us.
49:30The sun's still pretty strong, of course.
49:32Windy at times even with low pressures heading our way
49:36and a little bit of rain.
49:37I want to show you a rapid animation of the rainfall patterns
49:40in the cloud over our neck of the woods over the next few days.
49:43And you get that impression that most of the weather's coming in
49:46out of the west.
49:47Let's do it again.
49:48You can see where the rain's heading.
49:49Most of it's actually pointing at Northern Ireland and Scotland.
49:53And that means that the summer heat is going to be deflected
49:56way to the south of the continent.
49:59Now, rainfall.
50:00Now, we're all going to get at least a little bit of rainfall,
50:02but most of the rain over the next five days will fall
50:05across parts of Northern Ireland, Western Scotland
50:08and also the northwest of England.
50:10In the south, not very much at all,
50:11which, of course, is good news for Wimbledon,
50:13which gets underway tomorrow.
50:15Now, let's have a look at the forecast then for tomorrow.
50:17A weak weather front crosses the UK.
50:18There's actually a couple of them.
50:20So I think a brief spell of rain in the north for a time.
50:23In the south, I think generally speaking,
50:25we're going to have bright skies,
50:28but overall it is going to be looking at the country as a whole,
50:32a pretty cloudy day.
50:34So on Wimbledon then, it's looking dry on Monday and Tuesday just,
50:38but we can't guarantee the dry weather through the whole of the week.
50:42In fact, there are spells of rain, at least potentially, on the way.
50:46Here's the forecast then for Monday night into Tuesday.
50:48A ridge of high pressure tries to build in.
50:51A ridge of high pressure means that we're just literally on the edge of it.
50:54So that high is not fully in control of our weather.
50:58In fact, far from it, often cloudy on the edge here
51:00and also some outbreaks of rain.
51:03So temperatures, nothing spectacular, 21 in London
51:06and more typically we're talking around a range of, say, 16 to 18 degrees.
51:12Now Wednesday, we're expecting a weather front to move across the UK
51:17and that does mean outbreaks of rain.
51:19So often cloudy.
51:21I think the chances of catching a shower are pretty high
51:24across many western parts of the UK.
51:26So the brightest skies will be the further east you are.
51:29And we may not even make 20 degrees Celsius.
51:32It's unlikely, but we may not.
51:34And remember, we are into July.
51:36Now here's a look at Thursday.
51:38Another low, quite a few isobars there.
51:41This deep pressure gradient means that the winds will get a bit of a boost.
51:44In fact, even the possibility of gale force winds
51:48across parts of western Scotland, maybe the northwest as well.
51:52So perhaps if you're having a very long weekend in the Lake District
51:55starting Thursday into Friday in the weekend,
51:57it could be quite blustery here.
51:59I don't think it's going to be quite as windy in the south.
52:01In fact, some sunshine here, but still those temperatures
52:03typically in the high teens or 20 degrees.
52:06And then Thursday into Friday, one low pressure moves away.
52:09Another one heads our way.
52:11Again, this time a little bit further south.
52:13So perhaps the rain will be somewhat further south on Friday.
52:16But this is uncertain, I have to stress.
52:19In fact, that rainfall could be way towards the north,
52:21could be way to the south.
52:23In fact, it could have a completely different shape.
52:25That's just the honest truth here.
52:28But it does look as though these weather fronts will keep heading our way.
52:31If you're wondering about the weekend,
52:33well, these weather symbols, particularly on our apps,
52:35are likely to change quite a bit.
52:37But in summary, I think summer, at least hot summer, is on pause for now.
52:56I've been seeing how the chalk bedrock that underlies East Yorkshire
53:00has shaped its landscape, people and wildlife.
53:04Earlier, I had the privilege of counting the birds of Bempton Cliffs
53:08by helping out with the Gannet Colony count,
53:11made all the more important by the recent avian flu epidemic.
53:15Many species of seabird call the chalk cliffs here home
53:19during the spring and summer months.
53:22But one bird captures the imagination of visitors here like no other,
53:27the puffin, and a first-of-its-kind study
53:30hopes to capitalise on the puffin's popularity
53:33for the benefit of all seabirds.
53:37Overseeing the results of the study
53:39is RSPB Senior Science Communication Manager Lydia Tague.
53:44Hi. Can I interrupt you?
53:46Hi.
53:47Now, be honest, how many people are just here to try and see a puffin?
53:52I would like to say maybe 50-50,
53:55but I'd say probably 99% of the visitors that come here want to see a puffin.
54:00What is it about these little birds that gets us so excited?
54:04They're so charismatic, aren't they?
54:06Little clowns of the sea. They are fabulous.
54:10They may be a crowd-pleaser today,
54:12but it's been projected that threats to their food supply and habitat loss
54:16could lead to the UK losing up to 90% of its population
54:21of this characterful bird over the next 30 years.
54:25In response, in 2017, the RSPB turned to the general public to help.
54:31So we reached out to the general public, the Pufferazzi, we've nicknamed,
54:36and asked them to provide us with the photos that they take
54:39of puffins when they visit sites like this.
54:41How can that help in any kind of scientific way?
54:45So a puffin is a really easy-to-recognise species, right?
54:48Everybody knows what a puffin looks like,
54:50but their prey is less easy to identify.
54:54So by asking the general public to provide us with photos of their puffins
54:58that they've taken when they've visited seabird colonies,
55:01it means that we can analyse those images,
55:04we can look at the prey that the puffins are bringing in
55:07across the different colonies across the UK,
55:10which means that essentially we've been able to do the biggest piece
55:13of diet data science that we've ever been able to do.
55:17How many photos did you get?
55:19We got over 1,400 photos,
55:22and we were able to identify over 11,500 prey items from those photos.
55:29Whoa. So actually that's a lot of information, isn't it?
55:32It's a lot of data, yeah,
55:34and we just simply would not have been able to do it otherwise.
55:37And by looking and analysing this data,
55:39we're able to get an idea of the health of these prey populations
55:44and, by extrapolation, the health of our seas.
55:48Around 3,000 puffins live on these cliffs from mid-April to mid-July
55:53when they head back out to sea,
55:55so we're off to see if we can spot one, just one.
55:59What is it about these chalk cliffs that puffins like?
56:03Well, it provides safety for the burrows,
56:06but one of the biggest things, of course, is the sea.
56:09You know, it's their food source. It's right there.
56:12And the main thing they like eating is sand eels.
56:15Yes, and we found that in the study as well.
56:18There's a big row, though, at the moment about sand eels, isn't there?
56:21Yes. The UK has banned sand eel fishing,
56:25but the EU are contesting that ban currently.
56:28But fishermen in the EU, particularly Norway, say,
56:31well, hang on, we want access to that
56:33because we make fish meal and all sorts of other things out of it.
56:37Why do puffins and seabirds need them more than we do?
56:42Well, here in the UK, we have got globally important seabird colonies.
56:47If we lose them, there's really no going back.
56:52Can you tell yet if that ban on sand eel fishing has had an effect?
56:57Unfortunately, not from this study, not yet.
57:00We would hope to be able to start to see the effects of the ban
57:04over the next few years, but it is still very, very early days yet.
57:12OK, first one to see a puffin.
57:17Hang on, let me come the other side of you.
57:20Oh, I've got one.
57:22Of course you have.
57:24I've got one. To the right.
57:26Oh, yes, there he is.
57:28Oh, I've seen a puffin.
57:30How do you get your puffin?
57:32I should have believed you. Look, there's a puffin.
57:35I never doubted you.
57:42And that's it from me here at the beautiful Bempton Cliffs.
57:46Do join Matt and Margarita next week.
57:48They'll be in Somerset.
57:52Montacute House is one of the jewels in the crown
57:55of the Somerset countryside.
57:57They sometimes climb the wall, but then they will come back down.
58:00So they've found their snail haven here.
58:02Absolutely. They're loving it.
58:04Having a good life.
58:06How far through will he cut?
58:08About a third.
58:10He's going. There it is.
58:12Wow!
58:14This is the 14-million-year-old dinosaur,
58:16about to put in your tree.
58:18Oh, my goodness. That's incredible.
58:21Hope you can join us then. Bye-bye.
58:30The hit US television series,
58:33The hit US legal drama,
58:35with a very famous cast member.
58:37All nine seasons of Suits, available on BBC iPlayer.
58:40Just press red now.
58:42Next tonight on BBC One, Antiques Roadshow.