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Countryfile - Bolton Abbey
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00:00I see something I like, then I say, oh, that's even nicer.
00:03This is going to be a tough job.
00:30Set within the Yorkshire Dales, the Bolton Abbey Estate includes the dramatic ruins of Bolton Priory, ancient woodlands, and the Winding River Wharf.
00:44It's a place where wildlife thrives, history lingers, and wild encounters await around every corner, making it the perfect place to judge this year's photographic competition.
01:00Well, I must say, Hamza, you're looking incredibly smart today.
01:03Wow, thank you very much, John. You look very dapper yourself.
01:06Well, it's going to be a big day, isn't it? We're going to be judging this year's Countryfire Photographic Competition.
01:11Absolutely, and I think, John, this year, some of the images are going to be absolutely magical.
01:16And what a magical place to judge them in.
01:19I don't know how you can not be inspired by looking at this.
01:23Yeah, the ruins of Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire.
01:26Beautiful.
01:26We'll be joined by a very special guest to help narrow down the entries.
01:33This is, I think, actually the Northern Lights.
01:35Right.
01:35The colours. I think someone knew I was going to be here.
01:38We'll also uncover the legacy of two trailblazing brothers who change wildlife photography forever.
01:45They're complete pioneers in the field, so it feels right that they're known and talked about and, you know, their works are admired far and wide.
01:54And discover how photography has evolved from pioneering snaps to using cutting-edge tech for conservation.
02:02Are we ready?
02:03Yes, we are.
02:07Because you've already programmed it in, it's hands-free.
02:10Exactly that.
02:11I do love technology.
02:13It's amazing, isn't it?
02:14It is so good.
02:15Well, since the calendar was first published in 1998, it's raised more than ÂŁ33 million for BBC Children and League.
02:31Not bad.
02:31Not bad at all.
02:32And this year's theme for the calendar is Wild Encounters, and we've received thousands of entries.
02:38And to help us judge this year, we're being joined by the presenter, author and space scientist, Dame Maggie Adairin-Pocock.
02:51I've worked on some huge space cameras, things like the James Webb Space Telescope, largest telescope ever built, looks into deep dark space and tells us about the universe.
03:01Astronomy, there's not much light, so we need big cameras and big optics to gather that light in.
03:06And then we interpret it and understand the universe.
03:10When I talk about astronomy and sort of big telescopes, people think, oh, you need to invest a lot of money to do this.
03:16And what I did is I actually have some astronomical binoculars.
03:19And so they're normal, everyday binoculars.
03:21They just have a big aperture at the end so you can take in more light.
03:24So I can use them in the day to look at wildlife and other things, but then also use them at night to look at the moon and planets and things like that.
03:33What I find is that life can be really busy.
03:35And when you get out into the British countryside, I find that it just recalibrates me.
03:41I get a long vista, I take it all in, I take a few deep breaths and it just calms me down and I'm ready to go again.
03:48And I think we all need that calibration, that time to ponder and take nature in.
03:53And when we do that, we just feel better and I think the world is a better place.
03:58With the team assembled, we can start the judging here in the magnificent hall of Bolton Priory.
04:05Countryfire viewers sent in more than 17,000 photographs.
04:09And from a short list of 240, we have to select the final 12 that will star in the Countryfire calendar for 2026.
04:17So let's get on with the judging and our theme, don't forget, is wild encounters.
04:24That's right.
04:25What does wild encounters mean to you?
04:27Well, to me, it would mean an encounter between two creatures, you know?
04:33Yes.
04:33Maybe a friendly encounter, maybe a hostile encounter, but some kind of interaction.
04:38Okay.
04:38That's what I think.
04:39I like your thinking.
04:40Yeah, how about you?
04:41What about you?
04:41Oh, for me, I always think of a wild encounter, for example, I'm walking my dog in the morning
04:48and then I come across an animal and I manage to get my phone out and get a quick snap.
04:53It's that encounter between me and the subject, so I'm probably looking for eye contact with the camera,
04:58something along those lines.
04:59To me, it's sort of an encounter with wilds, but unexpected.
05:03So sometimes I'm on a train or I'm in a car or even just walking and it's like,
05:08oh my goodness, it's a surprise and it's a wild encounter, so you're interacting with the scene
05:13and it's, but it comes as a surprise.
05:15I like that.
05:16And hopefully you've got a camera with you.
05:17It would, that's the problem.
05:20Well, some of these entries are amazing already, I think.
05:25They're beautiful.
05:32This is going to be a tough job.
05:34Yep.
05:35And do you know, each year they get better.
05:38That's what I think.
05:39They're right.
05:39Yeah.
05:44I've got a landscape here.
05:46And the way I judge landscapes is, do I want to go there?
05:49And I see this and I want to sort of step inside.
05:52And I can imagine sort of the quietness of the wood.
05:55And so it really appeals to me.
05:57There are a lot of images here.
05:59And I think you've done this many times before.
06:01I have indeed.
06:03Yes.
06:03Almost all of them are different, composed in a different way, the photographs.
06:08Yeah.
06:09And this is the beauty of photography.
06:10You never get tired.
06:11Exactly.
06:12You never get tired.
06:12We have the same subjects here in the UK, but it's how you, the photographer, sees it in a different way.
06:19Yeah.
06:19Maybe it's early morning.
06:21Maybe it's different techniques of camera.
06:23Maybe it's the subject itself behaving differently.
06:25Yes.
06:25That's the beauty of photography.
06:26Yes.
06:27And each one is an individual, but a snapshot in time.
06:30And that's what I love, capturing that moment.
06:32Well, we've seen some great pictures so far, but we've got an awful lot more to look through,
06:37so we'd better really press on.
06:38Okay, okay.
06:39It's hard, though.
06:41Yeah.
06:43Every photograph has to be carefully examined.
06:46But before judging began, Hamza explored the wider Bolton Abbey estate,
06:52following in the footsteps of two brothers who broke new ground in wildlife photography,
06:57using bold and unconventional methods to help capture their own wild encounters.
07:03A camera is a wildlife lover's best friend.
07:07And modern-day cameras are full of technology,
07:10from interchangeable lenses to fast shutter speeds to even taking multiple images per second.
07:17But it never used to be like that.
07:20People have been taking images of wildlife for well over 100 years,
07:23and the equipment that they used was bulky, they had wooden tripods, glass plates,
07:29and I, for one, wouldn't want to be carrying all of that around.
07:32But believe it or not, for two brothers who come from right here in North Yorkshire,
07:37that's exactly what they did.
07:42Heralding from a farming family, Richard and Cherry Keaton
07:45were two of the world's first professional wildlife photographers.
07:50Inspired by the North Yorkshire landscape,
07:54their pioneering photography began in the late 1800s,
07:58as they hunted down wildlife with their cameras instead of rifles.
08:03Cherry's great-great-granddaughter, Evie Bulma,
08:06has been keeping their legacy alive.
08:10So, this is a selection of some books,
08:13and obviously photographs behind her,
08:15that were taken by my great-great-grandfather.
08:18Did he love wildlife? Was that his main hobby?
08:20Absolutely.
08:21His life mission was basically to document and photograph wildlife
08:26from here in Yorkshire and all the way to Africa,
08:29and some were also in St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides.
08:33Now, this one here...
08:34Yes.
08:35..this looks photoshopped.
08:36It does, and it's not.
08:39So, obviously, they were working in the late, sort of, 1800s.
08:43The Zoom didn't exist and they were struggling getting really close to birds.
08:49So, they realised that they could, sort of, fashion these unique hides
08:52that meant that they could be completely undetectable.
08:55So, this one, for example, is an ox.
08:58So, they went to the local butchers and then they fashioned this disguise
09:02and in the front of the chest of the ox is a little hole
09:07where the camera lens could poke through.
09:09And in their books, they recount hours and hours spent on the dales,
09:14folks sitting inside these oxes.
09:16Yeah, that's ingenuity.
09:18Yeah.
09:18That's very, very clever.
09:19And this wasn't the only hide, either.
09:21Right.
09:21They had a sheep, they had an artificial rubbish heap
09:25and it essentially meant that Cherry got on the floor
09:28and Richard piled everything he could on top of him
09:30but could find a space for the lens.
09:33But they also, obviously, had other ways of taking photos,
09:36as you can see here.
09:37This is Cherry on the top and his brother, Richard.
09:40So, they were a, sort of, collaborative team.
09:42Yes.
09:42And Richard, obviously, the, sort of, sturdy, supportive one
09:46and Cherry trying to get to, sort of,
09:48every impossible position he could possibly get to.
09:51It's lovely to be able to see how clever they were.
09:55They've got what looks like a homemade tripod
09:57but they've extended it with a few twigs just to get even taller.
10:01And also, you're working with equipment that, you know,
10:03you can't see the photo straight away.
10:05No.
10:05You can't see the picture that you're capturing.
10:07Really quite amazing and ahead of their time
10:10to think that they're doing this in, you know, the 1890s.
10:14And actually, in 1892, Cherry sort of completely by chance
10:18took a photo of a bird's nest
10:21and it had some eggs in it.
10:22Okay.
10:22And it sort of later found out to be
10:25one of the first photos of a bird's nest
10:27with eggs in, ever taken.
10:29Oh, wow.
10:29And so, these chance moments,
10:32but then also these, you know,
10:33days and hours and weeks spent hiding out in an ox.
10:37Yes.
10:37And amazing, sort of, product of their ingenuity
10:41and complete, sort of, tenacity to want to capture it.
10:44Now, looking at some of these images,
10:47I can see that they use the rule of thirds.
10:51And for those who don't know what the rule of thirds is,
10:53Evie, if you grab that one for me,
10:55I'll just show a quick demonstration.
10:58If I put this perspex here
11:00and I draw a line through this image,
11:05just like you're playing Noughts and Crosses,
11:10wherever the lines meet,
11:13one, two, three, four,
11:15these are really interesting spots to put your subject.
11:18But also, watch where they've put the horizon.
11:22They've actually put the horizon in the lower third,
11:25rather than just in the middle.
11:28And the other interesting bit,
11:29which is the ox, is on this line.
11:31And this goes throughout all the images.
11:34And for me, that's the beauty of photography.
11:37Rules are rules.
11:38Yes, you can break them.
11:39But these are my rules that I still follow to this day.
11:44And they haven't changed for a reason.
11:46Exactly, exactly.
11:47One of my absolute idols in this world is Sir David Attenborough.
11:50But I hear someone who inspired Sir David Attenborough
11:53was your great-great-grandfather.
11:56Yeah, so I was really lucky enough
11:58to receive a letter from Sir David Attenborough,
12:01who acknowledged, you know,
12:02that they were absolute pioneers in the field
12:05and, you know, has a huge amount of respect for their work.
12:08He tells this story about when he went to go and see Cherry
12:12give a lecture, retelling all his stories
12:14about his adventures in wildlife.
12:16And David Attenborough specifically remembers
12:20that if he was lucky enough in this lifetime
12:22to, you know, explore the world as Cherry's done,
12:25then, you know, he'd be a very happy person.
12:27That's amazing.
12:28Yeah.
12:29Being the two brothers who inspired Sir David Attenborough,
12:32that is something that's cool.
12:34Yeah, very, very cool.
12:35So you can understand why when I started my research
12:38I couldn't really stop.
12:39Yeah, I bet.
12:40My dad discovered this box of slides
12:42that we actually have here,
12:44which has 36 of what I see as his, like, hero shots.
12:47I see you've got them all numbered here.
12:50Yeah, exactly.
12:51So they've been very well organised.
12:53So this is an example of a bird in a nest
12:56that we see in their sort of early wildlife books.
12:59Oh, lovely.
13:00It looks like a thrush.
13:01Yeah, I believe so.
13:03Wow.
13:04That is beautiful.
13:06I love seeing them like this.
13:08It's this sort of journey through his life,
13:10illustrated by this collection of 36 images.
13:13Do you think your great-great-grandfather
13:16inspired you in any way?
13:19100% I think for me as a sort of young person,
13:22that sort of rang really deep
13:24in terms of how forward-thinking they were
13:27as sort of naturalists and conservationists,
13:29you know, in the 1890s,
13:31before, you know, anyone was really thinking about it.
13:35They're sort of complete pioneers in the field,
13:37so it feels right that they're, you know,
13:40known and talked about
13:41and, you know, their works are admired far and wide.
13:47Just like her great-great-grandfather,
13:49Evie enjoys taking photos
13:51and is keen to learn some top tips
13:53when it comes to wildlife photography.
13:55And it's the least that I can do.
13:58Look at this view.
14:00Amazing.
14:02May I have your phone?
14:04I'm going to teach you a few top tips.
14:08Okay.
14:09So, when we are taking photos,
14:13modern-day phones are fantastic
14:15and everyone seems to have them
14:17and it saves you lugging around a big camera like this.
14:20The thing that I love,
14:21most phones now have a bunch of lenses on the back,
14:24so you get a wide-angle, a telephoto,
14:26but one of the functions in there is portrait.
14:30So if we put it onto portrait,
14:31and I'll use you as my subject, if that's okay,
14:33I'd like you to smile.
14:35Lovely.
14:37Fantastic.
14:38And what that does is
14:39it blurs out the background perfectly,
14:42which allows you to have
14:43separation between your subject.
14:45You see these awesome images
14:47that you get in the wildlife competitions
14:50where the subject pinch-up,
14:53everything's out of focus.
14:55One of the tips that I really love
14:56is if you are taking a photo of something,
14:59but it happens really quickly.
15:01My camera can take 12 pictures a second.
15:04Your mobile phone can do exactly the same.
15:06And the trick is,
15:07when you're taking a photo,
15:09is to hold down like this
15:10and you can see the number going up.
15:11Oh, wow.
15:12So we've just taken 24 images.
15:14Wow.
15:14So that way you can actually get an image
15:16potentially of a dolphin jumping out of water
15:18or a puffin coming off the cliff.
15:21Really, really handy.
15:21Proper action shot.
15:22So hold and drag...
15:24There you go.
15:25There you go.
15:26You nailed it.
15:26Now you're just filling up
15:27your memory card with it.
15:28This is also a feature
15:29on some Android smartphones too.
15:32I think your great-great-grandfather, Cherry,
15:36would have absolutely loved
15:38to have this technology.
15:40Imagine all the images
15:41that he would have got.
15:42Yeah, we would have definitely
15:43had more than the 36 slides
15:45that we had in the box.
15:46So, yeah,
15:48would be quite an amazing thing
15:49to think about.
16:01From the thousands of entries,
16:04we're slowly choosing some favourites
16:06for the final selection.
16:10Beautiful.
16:11Makes me jealous.
16:12I wish I took something like that.
16:16The problem is I see something I like
16:18then I say,
16:19ooh, that's even nicer.
16:23How about this?
16:26Ah.
16:27So what are they?
16:28It's quite unusual.
16:29See triplets like that
16:30all at the same time, isn't it?
16:32Kestrels.
16:33They are very beautiful.
16:35I love the blue on the beak.
16:36Yeah.
16:37And I love that it's
16:38in a natural nest hole as well.
16:40Yeah.
16:41It's not in a nest box.
16:42It's a wonderful composition, isn't it?
16:44Yeah.
16:45Yeah.
16:45Do you know the one thing
16:47that this does,
16:48and this is what I love
16:49about photography,
16:50there's all sorts of rules
16:51that we talk about
16:52and one of them is
16:53a rule of thirds,
16:54which if you draw a tic-tac-toe,
16:56you kind of put it
16:57where the lines are,
16:58you put your horizon
16:58where the lines are.
16:59This breaks it completely.
17:02They put the subject
17:02slap bang in the middle,
17:04but it works.
17:05Perfect.
17:05It really works.
17:06We haven't had a lot of kestrels
17:07over the years.
17:10But I like things
17:11that break the rules,
17:12that sort of just do it
17:12their way,
17:13and it works.
17:14Yeah.
17:14Right.
17:16Onwards, everyone.
17:17Cool.
17:18Yes.
17:19Are you looking for technique, John?
17:21Are you looking for emotion?
17:23I think I go more for emotion.
17:26Okay.
17:26Yeah, because I'm not
17:28a technical person like you.
17:30Right.
17:31I know you're looking
17:32for probably both.
17:33Yeah.
17:33Yeah.
17:34And to me,
17:35it's the emotional impact first,
17:37followed by the technical ability
17:39of the photograph.
17:41What about you, Maggie?
17:42Yeah, I think I'm exactly the same.
17:43The scientist in me
17:45wants sort of exacting
17:46and precision,
17:47but the first impact,
17:49that's what draws me in,
17:51and then I want to know more.
17:53I like this one,
17:55but I find it slightly frustrating,
17:57because I'd like to see
17:58more of the animal.
17:59I agree.
18:00I feel like I want to do this.
18:03Like, just keep looking
18:04around the corner
18:05to see if I can see the animal.
18:08Oh, how about that?
18:09Well, yes.
18:10Skylight picture?
18:11No, no, yes.
18:13I think someone knew
18:14I was going to be here.
18:15But I think, yeah,
18:16this is, I think,
18:17actually the Northern Lights.
18:18Right.
18:18And the colours.
18:20But I think many people
18:21are disappointed
18:21when they see the Northern Lights,
18:23because they accept
18:24to see glorious colours like this.
18:25That's right.
18:26But this requires a long exposure.
18:28What I like about this one
18:29is that you're also attracted
18:30to the lighthouse.
18:31Yes, and I think
18:32you need something to ground it.
18:33Yeah.
18:34That you're seeing it from Earth.
18:35This is the viewpoint.
18:35Yeah.
18:36But the colours are so vivid
18:37and so amazing.
18:39But is this a wild encounter?
18:42Because, um...
18:42Well...
18:43Yeah, because I'd say
18:44you can't get wilder
18:45than the cosmos, but...
18:47No.
18:47Yes.
18:48OK.
18:48Yeah.
18:49So I think I'm going to like it.
18:51Yeah.
18:51But I'm up for discussion.
18:52Fine.
18:53I once got given
18:54a really good tip
18:55when we're judging
18:57these competitions.
18:58Uh-huh.
18:58Do you want to sit
19:00and watch that image
19:01for 30 days
19:02for a full month?
19:03And do you know
19:04who gave me that tip?
19:05Who gave you that tip?
19:06Hey, my name's her.
19:07And I think it's
19:08such a beautiful tip
19:10to kind of take forward
19:11as we make these numbers
19:13smaller and smaller.
19:14Do I want to sit
19:15and look at that image
19:16for 30 days?
19:16Yes.
19:17I suppose if you want
19:17an image that's going
19:18to give you more and more
19:19each time you look at it,
19:20you get something else.
19:21Yeah.
19:21Yeah.
19:22Yes, and so, yeah,
19:22it can last that 30 days.
19:24Yeah.
19:28I like this one.
19:29I just like the iridescence
19:30on the black feathers
19:32catching the light.
19:33This is a really sweet one.
19:37It's a spoonbill.
19:38Yes.
19:39With its chick.
19:41I love the little name
19:42for the chick.
19:42They call them teaspoons.
19:45Spoonbill and teaspoon.
19:46Yeah.
19:47That's lovely.
19:48It's key, isn't it?
19:50OK, I've got a moon picture
19:52and I am a self-certified lunatic.
19:55I can't help it.
19:55Fair enough.
19:56But that is,
19:57I like the graduating colours
19:59as well in the sky.
20:00Yeah.
20:01Well, we're all doing very well.
20:03We've made quite a few
20:04good selections so far,
20:05I think,
20:06but we've got to keep
20:07on going against the clock now.
20:08OK.
20:09Right.
20:10It's a long day,
20:11that's for sure,
20:12but a pleasurable one.
20:13It is.
20:13Each one is so beautiful.
20:16There really is so much
20:17to talk about
20:18with each and every photograph
20:20and the standard
20:21is so incredibly high.
20:24Really beautiful images.
20:37There are many wild encounters
20:39to be found around Bolton Priory,
20:42and it was the riches
20:43of the surrounding landscape
20:45that led a group of priests
20:47to settle here
20:48870 years ago.
20:50They have the pasture land
20:52for the sheep.
20:53They have the river.
20:54They have all this
20:55beautiful woodland
20:56and the most gorgeous setting.
20:59I mean,
20:59they were no fools.
21:02Alison Duncan
21:03has been a volunteer guide
21:05at Bolton Priory
21:06for 14 years.
21:08We have had people
21:11coming here for centuries,
21:13artists, clergymen, royalty.
21:15So many different people
21:17from walks of life
21:18enjoy this beautiful place,
21:20and why wouldn't they?
21:23The romance of the ruins
21:25even inspired
21:26one of the world's
21:27earliest photographers.
21:28John Dilwin Llewellyn's
21:32photos from the 1850s
21:34used a groundbreaking technique
21:36known as the wet plate process.
21:39Negatives were created
21:40on location,
21:42which could then
21:42make multiple prints.
21:45Much of the building
21:46was destroyed
21:47in the Reformation
21:48in 1539,
21:50but there is still
21:51a lot of stories
21:52and a lot of history
21:53to be found in the Priory
21:55if you know where to look.
21:56And you can even find
21:59some wild encounters
22:00in here.
22:01We've got
22:02two doves,
22:04an ass,
22:04one fish,
22:05two eagles,
22:06a mouse,
22:07four lions,
22:09four lambs,
22:10three sheep,
22:11four dogs,
22:12two ox,
22:13and two donkeys.
22:15I call it
22:16my wildlife safari.
22:20Some you need to look up,
22:21some you need to look down.
22:24The lion is up in the roof,
22:25he's our first facial boss
22:28and he's doing something
22:30very, very rude.
22:31He's sticking his tongue out.
22:33We call him
22:34our medieval security system
22:36because if you are
22:37an evil person,
22:39you will not be able
22:40to set foot
22:41inside the Priory
22:42because the lion,
22:44they believed,
22:44would scare you away.
22:46On the painted wall,
22:50we have the pascal lamb
22:52and the ox
22:53and our eagle.
22:56The mouse was done
23:03by Robert Thompson
23:04who was known
23:05as Mousy Thompson
23:06and he used to carve
23:08a lot of furniture
23:09for churches originally
23:10and he said
23:12he used the mouse
23:13because when he started out
23:15he was as poor
23:17as a church mouse.
23:18So in the top window
23:26on the right-hand side
23:27there are three sheep
23:28and one little dog.
23:30Underneath that
23:31we have a little grey donkey,
23:34an oxen
23:35and an ass.
23:36And in window two
23:38we can see a dove
23:39so we have a bird.
23:42Back in the 16th century,
23:43Thomas Cromwell
23:44led a ruthless campaign
23:46to reshape England's
23:47Christian faith,
23:49stripping churches
23:49and monasteries
23:50of anything
23:51that defied his vision
23:53of Christianity.
23:54When Cromwell's men
23:55came to destroy
23:57the abbey
23:58and the priory here,
23:59they were instructed
24:00to smash out
24:01all the religious symbols
24:03that refer to
24:04the Catholic church
24:05but they missed
24:07our little lamb
24:08and so we still have
24:09our little pascal lamb
24:11in the medieval glass
24:12here in the centre
24:14of the window.
24:14I never ever tire
24:18of coming back here.
24:20It is one of the most
24:21beautiful sights
24:22in Yorkshire
24:23and in my opinion
24:25the world.
24:27It's true,
24:28I do think that.
24:36Now we've come
24:37to our very last animal,
24:38the little dog
24:40who as you can see
24:41is laughing
24:42and the story goes
24:44that Farmer Hay,
24:46local farmer,
24:47was in dispute
24:48with Cannon Moon
24:49over the purchase
24:51of a cow
24:51and he fiddled
24:53or diddled him.
24:55So Hay,
24:56diddle, diddle,
24:57the cat,
24:58the Catholic church
24:59and the fiddle,
25:00the cow jumped
25:02over the moon,
25:03prior moon,
25:04the little dog
25:05laughed
25:06to see such fun
25:08and the dish,
25:09well that
25:10is Farmer Hay's
25:11daughter
25:11who wanted to get
25:13married in her local
25:14parish church.
25:15Prime Moon said
25:16no,
25:16he would not do it
25:18because he was still
25:19sore at having
25:20been diddled
25:21by Farmer Hay
25:22and so the dish,
25:23the girl,
25:24had to run away
25:25with the spoon,
25:26the boy.
25:28But that is
25:29our nursery rhyme
25:30and it's
25:30Hay, diddle, diddle.
25:34There's so much history
25:36in such a beautiful
25:37place as this
25:38that everyone
25:38still comes
25:39to take pictures today.
25:41Why wouldn't you?
25:42This year's photography
25:57competition
25:57attracted thousands
25:59of entries,
26:00all vying for a place
26:01in the Countryfile
26:02calendar for 2026
26:04for BBC children
26:05in need.
26:07Having narrowed
26:08down the images,
26:09we're now using
26:10the big screen
26:11to make some
26:12group decisions.
26:13How about this one?
26:14I like it,
26:16but I think
26:17I've seen
26:18a few that are
26:18slightly better.
26:20We're looking
26:21for just 12
26:22standout shots
26:23that capture
26:24the spirit
26:24of Wild Encounters.
26:27That's a yes
26:28from me.
26:28OK, yeah.
26:30Oh, that's a nice
26:32winter shot,
26:33isn't it?
26:33But we don't seem
26:34to get many
26:34winter shots.
26:35No, we don't.
26:36Just over a handful,
26:37really.
26:38Well, it could be
26:39that people think
26:40the winter
26:41is not a perfect
26:41time to get out
26:43and take photographs
26:44because there's
26:44not much daylight.
26:45But in fact,
26:46you get the early
26:47morning sunrise
26:48a lot later on
26:49so you can sleep in.
26:50For me,
26:50it's actually
26:50a great time of the year.
26:52Actually, also,
26:52and the nights
26:53are longer.
26:53Say, for astronomical
26:54shots,
26:55you can have more
26:56time to take them.
26:57Yeah.
26:58Good point.
26:59And the light
26:59is often beautiful,
27:01isn't it?
27:01True.
27:02Especially against
27:02the snow.
27:04Yeah.
27:05I like it.
27:05So what about
27:06that one?
27:08I say yes.
27:09Actually, I quite
27:10like it.
27:10Okay.
27:11There we go.
27:12This, for me,
27:14is a wild encounter.
27:15This is exactly
27:16what I was talking
27:17about earlier.
27:18I'm walking
27:18with my dog.
27:19All of a sudden,
27:20something popped up.
27:21This is a sort
27:21of image I can imagine.
27:23What are you doing
27:24here?
27:24Yeah, it looks like it.
27:25It just turned around.
27:26Oh, yes.
27:28Yeah.
27:28Okay.
27:29Do you want that
27:29kept?
27:30Yes, please.
27:30I'd like it.
27:32I really like this one.
27:34And I think people
27:35don't often give
27:36the mini beasts
27:38enough credit.
27:39Yes.
27:39You talk about
27:40the big flora
27:40and the fauna
27:41and, you know,
27:42the Scottish five,
27:44like Red Deer
27:45and the otter
27:45and the eagle.
27:46But having something
27:48like that.
27:48And the contrast
27:49between the blue.
27:50And what would
27:51the world be
27:51without those bees?
27:53Yes.
27:53Very well, John.
27:55Yes.
27:56Okay.
27:56I think that's a yes
27:57from me.
27:59I like this.
28:00No, yes, no.
28:00Actually, I like this.
28:02I like it.
28:03Okay.
28:03I like the combination.
28:05Yeah.
28:05Ah, yes.
28:07Ooh.
28:09This one's
28:09really interesting,
28:10John.
28:11Yeah?
28:12If you pass me
28:12the pad,
28:13I'll just show you
28:14something.
28:14I'll see if you
28:15two pick it up.
28:16If I zoom in here,
28:18can you see
28:19there's a few dots
28:21around?
28:22Oh, yeah.
28:22There's one
28:23underneath his chin.
28:24Are there marks
28:24in the snow?
28:25I thought it dapples.
28:27These are dust spots
28:28on the sensor.
28:31So the person
28:32has clearly
28:32taken their lens
28:33off and on
28:34a number of times
28:35and a little bit
28:36of dust has got
28:36into the sensor
28:37but they haven't
28:38taken them out
28:39which only means
28:40one thing.
28:41This image
28:42has not been
28:43photoshopped.
28:44It has some dirty
28:46marks on it.
28:50It has some dirty
28:50marks.
28:51So maybe
28:52the photography
28:53needs to just
28:53do a bit of
28:54kit cleaning.
28:56But...
28:56I like it
28:58because it's not
28:58the usual stance.
29:00Yeah, that's right.
29:00And you're
29:01quite close up.
29:01It seems quite
29:02intimate.
29:02It's on a
29:02different angle.
29:03OK.
29:06For me,
29:07technically,
29:08as a cameraman,
29:09I think it's
29:10a very dramatic
29:12storytelling image.
29:15Whether it's
29:16a love romance,
29:17whether it's
29:17a wild encounter,
29:19there's a lot
29:19behind it,
29:20technically.
29:21Whether it's
29:22an appealing image
29:22to you guys
29:23is a different
29:24matter.
29:25Well, actually,
29:25yes.
29:25Too much black
29:26for me.
29:26You're trying to figure it out.
29:27In terms of a month,
29:28again, it's like 30 days.
29:30Agreed.
29:30Agreed.
29:4018, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 23, 24.
29:47Ooh.
29:48We've narrowed it
29:49down to 24.
29:50The closer we get
29:51to the final 12,
29:53the harder
29:53the judging becomes.
29:55One more round?
29:56Yes.
29:57All right.
29:58And there's
29:59some amazing pictures
29:59in there, see?
30:00There are, aren't they?
30:13Away from judging
30:14your wonderful photos,
30:16Hamza has been
30:17looking for his own
30:18wild encounters
30:19around the Bolton
30:21Abbey estate.
30:23Ah, beautiful bird.
30:26One of my favourite
30:28birds in the UK
30:29is the dipper.
30:32Oh, I love it.
30:35Stridwood is an
30:36ancient woodland
30:37that forms part
30:38of the Bolton Abbey
30:39triple SI site.
30:42It's bursting
30:43with wildlife
30:43and is home
30:44to one of the
30:45largest remaining
30:46patches of
30:46sessile oak trees
30:48in the Yorkshire
30:49Dales.
30:50The sessile oak
30:52is one of two
30:53native oaks.
30:54It's found
30:55in the uplands
30:55and its acorns
30:57attached directly
30:58to its twigs.
30:59Whereas the English oak
31:01is more common
31:02in the lowlands
31:02with its acorns
31:04growing on long stalks.
31:07Assistant forester
31:08George Milne
31:09helps to preserve
31:11nearly 650 hectares
31:13of woodland.
31:14Hello, George.
31:15How are we doing?
31:16Yeah, good, thanks.
31:17This isn't just
31:25any river.
31:26This stretch,
31:27known as the
31:28strid,
31:28is one of the
31:29most dangerous
31:30stretches of river
31:31in the UK.
31:35This particular
31:36stretch of river
31:37is famous, isn't it?
31:39It's quite a
31:39phenomenon
31:40where the river's
31:41been crafted
31:42through the stone.
31:43It's like the river's
31:44gone from landscape
31:45to portrait
31:46and it's down
31:47to about a metre
31:48wide and very deep.
31:49It's beautiful, George.
31:51It is stunning,
31:52isn't it?
31:52Yeah.
31:56I'm seeing a few
31:57pebbles
31:58that are beautifully
31:59worn in that
32:00little eddy.
32:01What's happened
32:02is over thousands
32:03of years
32:03is tiny, small
32:04stones have gone
32:05in and worn
32:06their way
32:06into the millstone
32:07grit to create
32:08these caverns.
32:09So underneath here
32:10there'll be
32:10very deep,
32:12wide ledges
32:13that create
32:14different currents
32:14that go in and down.
32:15Interesting.
32:16So the little
32:16pebbles are acting
32:17like sandpaper
32:18on the rocks
32:19and just wearing
32:19it down.
32:20That's cool.
32:21It does look
32:22beautiful, I must admit.
32:23Very beautiful
32:23but very dangerous.
32:25When you're doing
32:26your work as a forester
32:27you must be thinking
32:29about the bigger picture.
32:30You must be thinking
32:31about the whole
32:32entire environment.
32:34The SSSI
32:35is a lot to do
32:35with the lichens,
32:36the mosses
32:37and the fungi.
32:38This area
32:38has been managed
32:39for forestry
32:39for a long time.
32:41The type of
32:41continuous cover
32:42that's been here
32:43has helped support
32:44this moist climate
32:45from the river.
32:46Basically
32:47the trees
32:48are acting
32:48as a filter.
32:50So they're filtering
32:51the water
32:51and they're firming
32:52up the banks
32:52and they're stopping
32:53the sediment
32:53coming down
32:54off the hill
32:54and into the water
32:55which is brilliant
32:56for the lichens
32:57and the mosses
32:58and the fungi.
32:58This rich woodland
33:08has been carefully
33:09managed for decades
33:10and for the last
33:12five years
33:12George and the team
33:14have utilised
33:15specialist photography
33:16to help preserve
33:17this important landscape.
33:20So there's about
33:206.5 miles of foot
33:22past through
33:22strid wood
33:22and what we have to do
33:24is we have to just
33:24keep them clear
33:25and try and create
33:26a picturesque view
33:27without causing
33:29too much damage
33:29to the environment.
33:31This view here
33:32was painted by Turner
33:33back in 1810
33:35sometime around then.
33:36You talk about
33:37maintaining the view
33:38how does that happen?
33:40How do you know
33:40if it's changed or not?
33:41We have monitor points
33:42on our phones
33:43so we come out
33:44once a year
33:44take a photo from it
33:46and see how much
33:47it's encroached.
33:48Would you like to take
33:49our photo for this year?
33:50I would love to
33:51yes.
33:51Here we go
33:52here's a masterpiece
33:53for you.
33:53Just like that.
33:56And if you just click
33:56submit at the top
33:57yep
33:58that's our yearly
33:59record done.
34:00This photo
34:00where does it get
34:01submitted?
34:02So this gets used
34:03on our ArcGIS program
34:04in which we map
34:05all of our woodlands
34:06and for that
34:07we then use these
34:08photos to help
34:09monitor the SSSI
34:10status.
34:11Fantastic
34:11amazing.
34:13George's work
34:14isn't just about
34:15what goes on
34:16beneath the canopy
34:17it's just as vital
34:18to keep an eye
34:19on what's happening
34:20above the treetops too
34:21and up there
34:23is a whole other
34:24world.
34:25We're just coming
34:26into one of our
34:26woodland creations.
34:28Yeah.
34:29So this is a riparian
34:31woodland so what we
34:32were looking before
34:32at the strid
34:33this is what we're
34:34trying to recreate
34:35here.
34:35This is its first
34:36year of growth
34:36we planted it
34:37last winter.
34:38What we're going to
34:38do is we're going
34:39to put the drone
34:39up into the air
34:40and map out the
34:41area and the drone
34:42will take a
34:43continual line of
34:44photography over
34:46the whole site
34:47from that we'll
34:48compile all the
34:49images and we can
34:50look over the top
34:51of the site
34:51with a view
34:52from the top
34:53and mark out
34:54the areas where
34:55are more dense
34:56planted or tighter
34:57planted.
34:58Would it be
34:58possible to see it
34:59in action?
34:59Of course it is
35:00yes.
35:01Historically you'd
35:01say you have to
35:02walk to the top
35:02of that hill or
35:03walk around using a
35:04GPS and marking
35:05each point.
35:06Yeah.
35:06Whereas doing it
35:06like this it means
35:07that we can fly the
35:08drone stand here
35:09keep eye of sight
35:10once the image is
35:12compiled and then
35:12sit at our nice
35:13computer and do it
35:14like that.
35:14Are we ready?
35:15Yes we are.
35:19I do love
35:20technology.
35:21It's amazing isn't
35:21it?
35:22It's so good.
35:24And I love that
35:24because you've
35:25already programmed
35:26it in it's
35:28hands free.
35:29You still have to
35:30keep a check on
35:30it but you can
35:32sit there and
35:33enjoy it just
35:34doing its thing
35:34collecting data.
35:35Exactly that.
35:37Fantastic.
35:38There she goes.
35:40You can see that
35:41it's just following
35:42the lines.
35:42That's right.
35:43As it's following
35:43the lines it's
35:44just taking a
35:44number of images
35:45along the way.
35:46Oh wonderful.
35:47It's like farming
35:48but in the sky.
35:49Exactly that.
35:51Here it comes.
35:58Now that the
35:59drone's down
35:59does that show
36:01you a compiled
36:02image straight away?
36:03Not straight away
36:04so it has to go
36:05back onto the
36:05computer and be
36:06uploaded.
36:06Okay.
36:07But here's one
36:07I have created
36:08earlier.
36:09Aha.
36:09So if you can
36:10see here.
36:11Oh wow.
36:12You can zoom
36:12right in.
36:13And see all of
36:14those individual
36:15tubes.
36:16Fantastic.
36:17It's really
36:17important to have
36:18that transition
36:19between like a
36:20scrubland into a
36:21woodland.
36:21Yes.
36:21With that sort
36:22of gradual
36:23ascent into the
36:24higher canopy.
36:25Amazing.
36:26It's incredible
36:26to see the detail
36:28because you just
36:28kept zooming in
36:29and zooming in
36:30and zooming in
36:31and I presume
36:31that's just from
36:32the sheer number
36:32of photos that
36:33the drone's taken.
36:34Exactly.
36:35You have a cool
36:35job I must admit.
36:37Yeah you're
36:37looking after the
36:38environment in a way
36:39that most people
36:39wouldn't even think
36:40about.
36:42It's a far cry
36:43from the Kirtan
36:43brothers using wooden
36:45ladders wedged into
36:46treetops or standing
36:48on top of each
36:49other's shoulders for
36:50the perfect shot.
36:51It just shows how far
36:53this technology has
36:54come.
36:55The weather here has
37:05been absolutely magical.
37:08It's been perfect for
37:09photography but if you'd
37:10like to know what's
37:11in store for the week
37:11ahead here's the
37:12Countryfile weather
37:13forecast.
37:22Hello there.
37:23Over the past week the
37:24weather has changed.
37:25It's been cooler.
37:26There's been some
37:27much needed rain.
37:28Today was the last
37:29day of meteorological
37:30summer.
37:31Whilst there's still
37:32some data to come in
37:33according to the
37:33Met Office it's almost
37:34certainly going to be
37:35the warmest summer
37:37on record.
37:38This summer we had
37:39four heat waves.
37:41There were nine days
37:42where temperatures
37:43exceeded 32 degrees.
37:44Compare that with
37:451976 though.
37:47There were 16 days
37:48then but 76 has been
37:50pushed out of the top
37:51five hottest summers
37:52by the consistency
37:53of the heat that we
37:55had this year.
37:56Now climate change
37:57projections show that
37:59summers are going to be
38:00hotter and drier in the
38:02future but that's
38:03something that we're
38:04seeing already.
38:05But as we head into the
38:06start of September
38:08it's low pressure that's
38:09going to be dominating
38:10this one in the
38:11northwest feeding in
38:12wetter weather for the
38:13western side of the UK
38:14overnight.
38:15Wet start tomorrow in
38:16Scotland.
38:17Showers further south
38:18and these will develop and
38:20push their way eastwards
38:21through the day.
38:22More rain coming into
38:23western Scotland and
38:24northern Ireland.
38:24Some sunshine in between
38:25but there will be more
38:27showers than today and
38:28more of them will be
38:28heavy and possibly even
38:30thundery as well.
38:31But like today the
38:32highest temperatures will
38:33be across the eastern
38:34side of England up to
38:3521 or 22 Celsius.
38:38The winds won't be as
38:38strong tomorrow and this
38:40low pressure will continue
38:41to move away but we've
38:42got a secondary low to
38:43come in from the
38:44Atlantic to bring some
38:45rain by Tuesday into
38:47Wales and the southwest
38:48of England.
38:48That'll push into the
38:49Midlands towards the
38:50southeast of England in
38:51the morning.
38:52They will break up into
38:53sharp showers in the
38:54afternoon and further
38:55north there'll be some
38:56sunny spells and a
38:57scattering of showers.
38:58Most of those in the
38:59northwest of Scotland.
39:01The winds continue to
39:02fall much lighter on
39:03Tuesday.
39:04Again those temperatures
39:05up to 20 or 21
39:07Celsius.
39:08We're on the cooler
39:09side of the jet stream.
39:11There's the position of
39:12the jet stream on
39:13Tuesday and that's going
39:14to pick up another area
39:16of low pressure.
39:17Could develop this one a
39:18little bit more and that
39:21means we've got a bit
39:21more rain to come across
39:23England and Wales on
39:24Wednesday.
39:25Some uncertainty as to
39:26how far north the rain's
39:27going to get.
39:27At the moment the far
39:28north of England, Scotland
39:29and Northern Ireland
39:30more likely to have some
39:31showers and as the rain
39:33clears the south and
39:33particularly the southwest
39:34of England on Wednesday
39:35afternoon some sharp
39:37showers will follow.
39:38Again temperatures 20 or
39:4021 Celsius.
39:41Those numbers not
39:42changing very much at
39:43all.
39:43That wetter weather that
39:44does develop should clear
39:46away overnight and on
39:47Thursday we look to the
39:48northwest to see a
39:49weakening weather front
39:50arriving.
39:51That's going to bring
39:52most of its rain early
39:53in the day across
39:54Scotland.
39:55It'll tend to die out
39:56as it pushes into
39:57England and Wales.
39:57Many places here will
39:58be dry and there'll be
40:00some sunshine as well.
40:01Probably going to become
40:02quite breezy through the
40:03day.
40:03It's more of a westerly
40:04breeze and again that
40:05pushes the higher
40:06temperatures more across
40:07the eastern side of the
40:09UK.
40:10And that breeze still around
40:11as we head towards the
40:11end of the week.
40:12Another weather front
40:13coming in around the
40:14base of that low
40:15pressure to the north
40:16that will bring some
40:17rain to Scotland and
40:18Northern Ireland.
40:18Most of it in the
40:19morning.
40:20That should probably
40:20tend to die out a bit
40:21during the afternoon.
40:22And for England and
40:23Wales it's more of a
40:24bright and breezy sort
40:26of day.
40:27Any rain over some
40:28western hills.
40:29But temperatures more
40:30widely getting up to
40:3120 or 21 Celsius for
40:33England and Wales on
40:34Friday.
40:35Those temperatures are
40:36near average for this
40:37time of the year.
40:38We start the week ahead
40:39then with some showers
40:41or some longer spells of
40:42rain likely to become
40:44drier later on in the
40:45week.
40:46And in time for next
40:47weekend it could get a
40:48bit warmer.
40:58We're nearly there in
40:59deciding the final 12
41:01photographs that will
41:02grace the pages of the
41:032026 Countryfile
41:05calendar.
41:06And there's another way
41:07that we raise money for
41:08BBC Children in Need and
41:10it's coming up soon.
41:12The annual Countryfile
41:13Ramble.
41:16The UK is blessed with so
41:18many wonderful and wild
41:20creatures.
41:23Waterboats, squirrels,
41:25eagles, red deer, bears.
41:29I'm not only joking about
41:35wild bears but here comes a
41:37big yellow bear that we
41:38all know and love, don't
41:40we?
41:40Hello, Pudsey.
41:41Are you ready to get the
41:43nation out walking?
41:44Let's go.
41:46On the weekend of the 13th
41:48and 14th of September, it's
41:50time for the Countryfile
41:51Ramble for BBC Children in
41:53Need 2025.
41:55It's taking place slightly
41:58earlier this year which
41:59hopefully will mean a better
42:01chance of some good weather
42:02but no matter what, come
42:03rain or shine, it's always
42:05good to go out for a walk.
42:08We're asking you to step up
42:10by taking on a challenge and
42:12organising your own sponsored
42:14ramble wherever you are.
42:18Come along, Pudsey, try and
42:19keep up.
42:21We've still got an awful long
42:22way to go.
42:22Now, setting up your
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42:27simpler.
42:29Head to bbc.co.uk
42:32forward slash countryfile and
42:34follow the link to set up
42:35your ramble.
42:37So, dig out those walking
42:39boots and get ready to ramble
42:41because together we have the
42:43power to help young people
42:44live a brighter future.
42:48Well, while you're on your
42:49ramble, why not take some
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42:55ramble on countryfile.
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43:57Well, our ramble takes place on Saturday
44:00the 13th and Sunday the 14th of
44:03September.
44:04And don't worry, though, if yours takes
44:05place later.
44:06Your donations will help make a
44:08difference to young lives when they
44:10need us the most, supporting
44:12incredible projects in communities
44:15right across the UK.
44:18Whether you're going on your own or
44:20with family and friends, remember to
44:22get sponsored, to get out there into
44:24our beautiful countryside and help
44:27bring hope to thousands.
44:28We've spent the whole day pouring over
44:42your incredible contributions to the
44:45competition.
44:46It's been a joy to look at all the
44:47photos, hasn't it?
44:48But it's not been easy.
44:50We've had some debates and
44:51discussions.
44:52Not quite come to fisticuffs yet.
44:53Not yet.
44:54Not yet.
44:54But it's been fascinating.
44:57And now we are here with our
45:00short shortlist.
45:01Yes.
45:02Out of all the thousands of
45:03entries.
45:04So what do we think?
45:05I must admit it's been tough.
45:07Yes.
45:07It's been really, really tough.
45:09But we've got to think about the
45:11competition.
45:12Wild encounters.
45:13We've got to keep that in mind.
45:19It shows you season, doesn't it?
45:22Shows you seasonality, mid-summer.
45:24Yeah.
45:24It's quite pretty.
45:25Bit of an encounter, but...
45:27They're screaming young.
45:28Feeding, isn't it?
45:29Yeah.
45:30And mid-flight, yeah.
45:31Parent feeding.
45:35I think I've seen a few that are
45:37slightly better.
45:38No.
45:39That's a no?
45:39No from me.
45:40Three no's, right.
45:42Ooh.
45:43We're narrowing it down.
45:44Ruthless.
45:45I find it hard to be ruthless.
45:47I love this one.
45:47Oh, yeah.
45:48Two hands for me.
45:48Two hands for me.
45:49OK, that's six hands.
45:51No.
45:52We're soon.
45:54Yeah.
45:56For me, it's a yes.
45:58Yeah.
45:58OK, yeah.
45:59I'll be happy with that.
45:59Yes.
46:00OK.
46:03Well, I'm pleased to announce
46:05the job is done.
46:07Is it?
46:08Yes.
46:08Fantastic.
46:09Thank you very much,
46:10because we now have
46:11our final 12.
46:13And here they are.
46:16Peck and Mix by Jackie Gordon.
46:19Aurora Arborealis by John Ray.
46:24Our Humbug by Caroline Everlyn.
46:28A Slug's Life by Alan Smith.
46:32Blaze of Glory by Robin Morrison.
46:36Hide and Seaweed by Ellie Kane.
46:38Breathtaking by Malcolm Heaven.
46:44Waddle Squad by Hossein Turkin.
46:48Mouse on a Mission by Paul Bowler.
46:52A Fawn's Dawn by Sue Lindenberg.
46:55This Rocks by Mark Hetherington.
46:58And Sealed In by Craig Denford.
47:02Now all that's left
47:05is for you, our viewers,
47:07to decide the overall winner.
47:10A photo that'll feature
47:11on the calendar's cover.
47:14There's no voting by phone this year,
47:16but you can find everything
47:18you need online.
47:19To vote for your favourite,
47:21go online to bbc.co.uk
47:24forward slash countryfile.
47:26The terms and conditions
47:27and privacy notice
47:28can also be found on our website.
47:30The vote will close
47:32on Monday the 8th of September,
47:342025, at 10am.
47:36If you're watching on demand,
47:38then the vote may be already closed.
47:40And the best bit is that
47:41voting online is completely free.
47:45For another way to access
47:46the voting system,
47:47simply open your phone
47:49or tablet's camera
47:50and point it at the screen now
47:52to scan the QR code.
47:54A link will appear on your device
47:56for you to click.
47:58You'll be taken straight
47:58to where you need to go.
48:01Well, now that you've got
48:02all the details,
48:03get voting for your favourite.
48:05All 12 photos
48:06and information
48:07about how to vote for them
48:09will be showing again
48:10at the end of the programme.
48:12We'll be revealing the winner
48:14and the judge's favourite
48:15and, of course,
48:16launching the countryfile calendar itself
48:18on Sunday the 12th of October.
48:21Although we're here
48:35for the photo competition,
48:36Hamza couldn't resist
48:37heading out of the priory
48:39for another chance
48:40to get close to wildlife.
48:42hearing about the Kirtan brothers
48:46has inspired me
48:47to get into my hide.
48:49I want to be able
48:50to capture something
48:51on this majestic river
48:53and hopefully
48:54I get an awesome
48:55wild encounter.
49:00This is worlds away
49:02from the hides
49:03used by the Kirtan brothers,
49:04but the concept
49:05is still the same today.
49:07Being tucked away
49:09and camouflaged
49:10minimises human disruption
49:12so birds and other wildlife
49:13just carry on as usual.
49:16I've got to be super quiet
49:19because if I make any noise,
49:23the wildlife's going to hear me
49:24and it's not going to come in.
49:27The light is just perfect
49:29and I'm looking
49:32over the water here.
49:35All I can hear
49:36is the stream going on
49:37in the background
49:37and a few ducks calling.
49:43As well as capturing
49:44beautiful wildlife,
49:46advanced cameras
49:47allow conservationists
49:48to study our natural world
49:50in even more detail.
49:52But when it comes
49:53to scientific research
49:54of species around us,
49:56sometimes images alone
49:58don't provide
49:59all the vital data needed.
50:02Ed Austin
50:02is an ecologist
50:03on the Bolton Abbey estate
50:05and he's turned to sound
50:07to get a deeper insight
50:08of the species
50:09that call this place home.
50:12One of the key roles
50:13or projects that we've had,
50:14particularly this year,
50:15is a bioacoustic audit
50:16for across the estate.
50:17So this is the small devices
50:20that we've got positioned
50:21all around the estate.
50:23These are predominantly aimed
50:24at birds
50:25but they'll pretty much
50:27pick up anything
50:27that's sort of human
50:28audible hearing.
50:30So you'll pick up
50:31invertebrates,
50:32mammals,
50:33low-frequency bat cores.
50:35They're fantastic little devices
50:36and they can give you
50:37some really good insights
50:38as to what you've got
50:39across the estate
50:40and in different habitats.
50:41We've got about 20 monitors
50:45and about 15 of these
50:47are on a permanent deployment.
50:48It allows us to monitor
50:49and survey habitats
50:51on kind of a long-term basis
50:52so we can monitor
50:53pretty much on a 24-7 basis
50:55across all seasons,
50:57all weather conditions.
50:58It's very black and white
50:59in terms of the results
51:00so if a bird's sat on top of it
51:02calling 24-7
51:03you will get
51:03X thousand calls
51:05of that species.
51:07So for some species
51:08that are a lot quieter,
51:09so red kites,
51:10particularly around here,
51:11dipper,
51:13spotted flycatchers
51:14that we get in these woods,
51:15they call a lot less frequently
51:17and they may not be
51:18picked up as much
51:19so it's not kind of
51:20representative of their population
51:21within these habitats.
51:23So that's why we tend to combine
51:25these with traditional
51:27bird surveying methods
51:28so walking a transect,
51:29doing point count surveys,
51:31we can get a better understanding
51:32of kind of what's on the estate,
51:34what passes through
51:35but what's actually using
51:36the different habitats.
51:39When we set up
51:41the bioacoustic detectors
51:43they link up to an app
51:45and the app allows us
51:46to configure our own schedule
51:48onto how we want to record.
51:50We will record them
51:51for one minute on
51:52and about nine minutes off
51:54so it will pick up
51:55that brief sort of snapshot
51:56of what we have
51:57there and then on the estate.
51:58So we've been using these
52:02since early spring of 2024
52:05so we now have about
52:08a year's worth of data
52:09from across this estate
52:11which is really exciting.
52:12I've actually got a few recordings
52:16from earlier this year
52:18so I'll probably one for you.
52:26So this one was put up
52:27on kind of the edge
52:29of a woodland
52:29so we're hoping to get
52:32that mix of woodland species
52:33and then also maybe
52:35some more open land species
52:37so things like your cuckoo
52:38that you've got all in there
52:39but then you've got
52:41more kind of woodland species
52:44so there's wren
52:45you've got blackbirds in there
52:48there's some songfrush
52:50goldcress
52:51just a nice mix
52:53of kind of woodland species there.
52:55At Bolton Abbey
53:00we've had 90 species
53:02recorded so far.
53:03It's clearly showing
53:04that the sort of management methods
53:06that we employ here
53:07it's working
53:08and it's actually beneficial
53:09for the species assemblage
53:11that we've got here.
53:12You know it's good to have
53:13that kind of mosaic
53:14of different habitats
53:15surrounding one kind of
53:16core habitat
53:17will improve that species
53:18diversity and richness.
53:22What we'll do next
53:23is start to think about
53:25those traditional surveys
53:26so given the time of the year
53:27we're in
53:28it's sort of more of a passage season
53:30so you're going to be picking up
53:32those spring summer migrants
53:34that might be leaving
53:34and the autumn migrants
53:35that might be arriving
53:36so I will do a transit route
53:39around the area
53:40picking up what I see
53:42what I hear
53:42and writing that down on a map
53:44and I like to add in
53:46a small handheld parabolic microphone
53:48to record sound
53:50so I tend to do that
53:51alongside pen and paper
53:53and writing everything down.
53:55with plenty of bird calls logged
53:58from Ed's recordings
54:00I am hoping that some of them
54:02will show up for me.
54:05Oh it's getting hot in here
54:07I can see a duck right there
54:11let's see if I can get in it
54:13oh it's actually a goose under
54:14it's a goose under
54:15nice
54:19look look look look look look
54:20here we go
54:21right let's see
54:22believe it or not
54:24that's Pudsey right there
54:26he's behind the tree
54:27now this is what you call
54:28a wild encounter
54:29the greatest spotted Pudsey
54:31that was a wild encounter
54:36I wasn't expecting
54:38I think the Keaton brothers and I
54:42would be pretty good friends
54:44if I was living in that era
54:46or they were living in my era
54:47we'd be out looking for wildlife
54:49all the time
54:50from the thousands of photos sent in
55:10these are the final 12
55:12now it's up to you
55:14our viewers
55:14to decide on the overall winner
55:16and here they are
55:19Peck and Mix
55:22Aurora Arborealis
55:26Our Humbug
55:29A Slug's Life
55:34Blaze of Glory
55:38Hide and Seaweed
55:42Breathtaking
55:45Waddle Squad
55:49Mouse on a Mission
55:53A Fawn's Dorm
55:57This Rocks
56:01And Sealed In
56:05You can find the full list of photographs
56:09that we've chosen
56:09and how to vote for them
56:11on the Countryfell website
56:12and here's a reminder
56:14of how to pick your favourite
56:15There's no voting by phone this year
56:19but you can find everything you need online
56:21To vote for your favourite
56:24go to bbc.co.uk
56:27forward slash Countryfell
56:29to cast your vote
56:30The terms and conditions
56:33and privacy notice
56:34can also be found on our website
56:36The vote will close on Monday
56:39the 8th of September
56:402025
56:41at 10am
56:43If you're watching on demand
56:45then the vote may already be closed
56:47And the best bit is that voting online
56:50is completely free
56:52And for an even quicker way
56:55to vote this year
56:55simply point your phone
56:57or tablet's camera
56:58at the screen
56:59to scan the QR code
57:01and you'll be taken
57:02straight to where you need to go
57:04We can't wait to see
57:06the photograph
57:07you choose
57:08as the winner
57:10But for now
57:17a huge thank you
57:18from me and all the team
57:20for sending in your photographs
57:21We've been really inspired by them
57:23and as we always say
57:25we simply couldn't have done
57:26this competition
57:27without you
57:28Thank you
57:29And that's it
57:31Hope you all approve
57:32of our selection
57:33And Maggie
57:34thank you very much
57:35for joining us
57:36and helping us choose
57:37Oh thank you
57:38It's been a real joy
57:39Each one a gem
57:40And I've learned so much
57:41from both of you
57:41so thank you
57:42You're most welcome
57:43I'm glad
57:44Next week
57:45Matt and Sammy
57:46are exploring the waterways
57:47of North Devon
57:48in the wake
57:49of Tarka the Otter
57:51Wow
57:56David
58:01How are you doing?
58:02I'm not too bad
58:03Look at his little face
58:07He likes to spray
58:08It's amazing
58:09It's amazing to see them
58:09play in the water
58:10He's a proper show off
58:11He loves you
58:11He is isn't he?
58:14Well of course
58:15Caught a rock
58:16That's next week
58:23at ten past six
58:24So
58:25hope you can join them then
58:27Bye for now
58:27Bye bye
58:28Life lessons
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