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Countryfile - Season 38 - Episode 01: Hamza's Highlands - Glen Affric - Life on the Loch
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00:08This, this is my idea of peace and tranquility. Look at it. It's just beautiful.
00:58This is my idea of peace and tranquility.
01:02Here in Glenafric, the air feels different. It's quiet, it's calm, but it's bursting
01:09with life if you know where to look.
01:17Glenafric Nature Reserve can be found in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. It's a mosaic
01:27of habitats, where ancient Caledonian pine forests sit alongside moorlands and monroes,
01:38rivers, lochs and bogs. This place is not just beautiful. It's a living, breathing ecosystem
01:46in motion.
01:50Tell me how good my cast is Peter, go on. That one was rubbish.
01:56I'm delving deep into the layers of this landscape to uncover how survival here is a team effort.
02:04Oh, I got something. Excellent.
02:06From the tiniest insects that start life in the depths of these waters. What is it?
02:12Then he's swimming.
02:13To the majestic visiting osprey above this awe-inspiring place. Hang on a minute. She's picking a
02:23little bit of food out of a fish and she's feeding it to something.
02:27We'll also take a trip through the Countryfile Archive on a journey through some of the UK's
02:33other rich wildlife ecosystems.
02:37Are you going to catch one?
02:39I might aid you.
02:42From the cliffs of Anglesea, where one species lends a helping hand to another.
02:49So you've sort of created a little service station for them?
02:51Yes. It's off our legs.
02:55To the wilds of Dorset, where efforts are underway to save one of our most threatened habitats.
03:01They need sand dunes to be able to survive. This is their only home. So if it's lost,
03:07then they have nowhere else they can go.
03:09We are a little bit of kind of last chance salonia.
03:14Every story is a reminder that in nature, nothing exists in isolation.
03:27I've spent many days on the sides of lochs, but here in Glenafric, there's something special.
03:33It's nice and calm on the surface, but beneath it, it's bustling with life.
03:40Fish, invertebrates, diving birds, each one depending on the others in this delicate web of life.
03:49Ailey!
03:51Peter Smith has been fishing the waters of the Highlands for 60 years.
03:56Good girl.
03:58He understands more than most how every ripple on this loch is part of a bigger story.
04:04Hello, Peter.
04:05Oh, hello. Nice to see you.
04:06Likewise. Who's this?
04:08This is Ailey.
04:09Ailey, hello.
04:10Half seal, half dog.
04:12Half seal, half dog. Love it.
04:14Tell me, we're looking at this awesome loch here.
04:17We've got ancient woodlands, we've got a beach.
04:20How does this all connect?
04:22The types of tree that we have here depend on the substrate,
04:26and the animals that are here depend on the trees and the climate.
04:29So it's all wrapped up into one, really.
04:32From the midges that are around to ospreys at the head of the food chain.
04:39In between, we've got the fish that live here.
04:43They're feeding on the invertebrate life.
04:45There may be a hundred or maybe two hundred different species in there.
04:48There'll be little midges, multiple types of midge.
04:51And then the biggest ones will be the dragonflies, the damselflies.
04:55There's some really good wildlife around here.
04:58It's a very, very pristine, natural place.
05:00And we're right down here at the shore where it all starts to happen.
05:05Now, you love to fish.
05:08What kind of fish are going to be here in the loch?
05:10So in this loch, we've got brown trout and we've got minnows.
05:14And the minnows were introduced probably by people using them as bait.
05:18And there might be eels.
05:20Traditionally, there were eels in all of these lochs.
05:23To understand more about the interwoven life under the surface,
05:27I want to get closer to its inhabitants.
05:30From the tiny yet vital insects to the fish that rely on them for a meal.
05:35Are we going to be able to check and see if there's any fish in there at the moment?
05:39Well, I think if you and I get our waders on and a rod,
05:42I think we might go and see if we can have a cast and find a trout.
05:45Oh, amazing. I've never done that before. Hard?
05:48No, I'll make it easy for you. Fantastic.
05:52Ailey's going to help us out as well, I presume. Absolutely.
05:57Whether it's a freshwater loch teeming with life or a windswept cliff by the sea,
06:02the UK is full of diverse habitats.
06:10Back in 2024, Anita was on Anglesey,
06:13where she discovered that farm life was giving wildlife a helping hand.
06:19On the west coast of Anglesey lies Southstack Cliffs,
06:23an RSPB nature reserve where rolling heathland meets the dramatic Irish Sea.
06:32These rugged cliffs are a vital habitat,
06:36and the heathland is a vital source of rare plants and invertebrates.
06:41So, with so much wildlife calling this place home, I'm hoping I'll be able to spot some.
06:51Looking after this precious environment is RSPB site manager Laura Koudelska.
07:01We have lots of different species that live here.
07:05We've got the Anglesey flower, the spotted rock rose, we've got a big seabird colony.
07:11My favourite bird at the reserve is a chuff.
07:13It's a member of the crow family, so it's black, but the difference is,
07:17it's got red legs and a red pointy long beak.
07:20They're very charismatic birds, they're very chatty,
07:24so you can hear them before you see them flying through the air.
07:30And they've got this amazing ability to swoop and glide in the wind,
07:34so even on the windiest of days we see them out doing acrobatics in the air.
07:39They can live up to 20 years, so you get to kind of know them quite well,
07:43and if you're really lucky you might see one on a feeder at the cafe when you come to visit.
07:52Chuff are mainly found on the west coast of Britain.
07:54They did used to be all over the UK until recent years and their numbers have dropped,
07:59mainly down to a loss of place for them to live.
08:02They need things like the heather to build a nest, they need grazed ground to get to the food.
08:07They're unusual because they nest in caves, and here at Southstack they nest in sea caves,
08:12which is why they're doing so well on the coastline.
08:15We have 14 breeding pairs of chuff, and last year we got the highest recorded number of chuff chicks
08:22we've ever had at the reserve.
08:25With a record 27 chuff fledglings recorded, the team at Southstack is keen to encourage this increase
08:32and have been taking an active role in managing the land.
08:37Shepherd Pete Godfrey oversees the heathlands unique gardeners.
08:43Oh Pete, what a spot!
08:45Yes, it's a beautiful year isn't it?
08:47It can get rid of it.
08:49Right, how are we getting in there?
08:50Is it Liv?
08:51Oh, who's it?
08:52Go on.
08:52Go on.
08:56Shh, don't tell anyone.
08:59So tell me about the flock then, what have you got?
09:01We've got some Hebrideans and some Manx, very native to the UK, and they're very good for conservation
09:07grazing apparently. Shorten the heather, shorten the grass, so you get more insects that eat the
09:12dun, and then you get the chuff that live on the insects, and then you get more flowers,
09:17then you get more butterflies, then you get more caterpillars, so you get the birds and the feed off that.
09:21So you've sort of created a little service station for them?
09:24Yes, but it's on four legs.
09:26Very good.
09:28To help monitor the sheep's movements, David uses a GPS tracker.
09:33It asks how far the sheep go, how long they stay in a certain area.
09:36Now it's just a matter of attaching it to one of the flock.
09:41Just come by.
09:42John, John, come by.
09:45Are you going to catch one?
09:46I might aid you catch one.
09:48Are you going to aid?
09:49I'm going to aid you.
09:53Well done.
09:59All right.
10:01There you go.
10:02Well done.
10:03And I've never seen a shepherd's crook being used in action, actually.
10:07It's an extension of your hand, of your arm.
10:09Very good.
10:10So what we'll do now, push the button.
10:12Yep.
10:14Put it on like that.
10:15Yep.
10:15And we just tape it all the way down.
10:18Yellow is your colour.
10:19It's easier to see.
10:21Cut it off.
10:22So that's it.
10:23We'll let her go on off.
10:24Yeah, let's let her go back to the flock.
10:26So the tracker is going to obviously track where the sheep have gone.
10:29How does that match up with what the chuff are doing?
10:32Well, because the sheep greys it, they've done gums it out the back end,
10:35which encourages the insects.
10:37And then the chuff will come to feed on the insects from underneath.
10:40So I suppose you can then monitor where the chuff are going to feed?
10:43Yeah, yeah, like a feeding place.
10:44Yeah, yeah.
10:44So you see whether the system works?
10:46Yes.
10:47And in the 14 years you've been here, is it working?
10:49Yeah, it seems to be an increasing chuff.
10:51Are you chuffed about that?
10:53Yeah.
10:53Oh, I'm so sorry.
10:54Ha, ha, ha, ha.
10:55Terrible.
10:56That's a good one.
10:56No, it's so not.
10:57It's really bad pee, but I just had to get it out of my system,
11:00because it's been in my head all day.
11:03Good, good, good.
11:05Come on then, girls.
11:07Good, good, good.
11:11Off they go, happy grazing.
11:13Yes.
11:13What a sight.
11:14Yeah, good job.
11:15Off to do their job, nature's heath mowers.
11:17Yes, lawn mowers and fall legs.
11:22To determine the result of their land management work,
11:25the RSPB run fortnightly chuff camps in the area.
11:30RSPB warden Denise Shaw is part of the team that have surveyed the birds for the past 40 years.
11:38How much change has there been in 40 years?
11:41The population has sort of increased and then become stable the last few years.
11:47We've got a very productive stronghold of chuff here now,
11:50that produce a lot of young each year, which they survive.
11:53This is a good news story, then.
11:54It is, yes, and sort of management of the land is key, but it's all linked.
11:58You know, if you've got good soil, good flowers, good insect population,
12:03the birds do well, reptiles do well.
12:05And if we wanted to spot them, which obviously I want to do, what am I looking for?
12:10So, with chuff, they're quite vocal, so generally you hear them before you see them.
12:15And before we knew it, we heard the call for real.
12:19Oh, there's one, there's two, just behind it, yep.
12:22Oh, this is magic.
12:23They're very acrobatic, deal with some quite big winds here.
12:26They are acrobatic, aren't they? And do they fly in pairs?
12:30Yeah, so they're generally always in pairs or in a group, yes.
12:33So the pairs will stay with each other throughout the year, even outside the breeding season.
12:38And then we have what we call the teenagers, so there's a gang of one.
12:42Oh, there's more. Hang on, I've got four.
12:43Oh yeah, there's four there now, yes.
12:45And I can see the red bills now.
12:47That's where we're headed.
12:47What a spectacular sight. And there's, oh, here they come.
12:52Oh, this is great. Oh, I'm getting a real display here.
12:57Yeah, watching them in high winds is really magical.
12:59It's like watching the red arrows.
13:00Yes.
13:02I have got the most spectacular dance happening.
13:07That was pure joy.
13:10Magic.
13:10Yeah, that was great, wasn't it?
13:11Oh.
13:17Since filming, chuff numbers have remained stable.
13:21And Pete's flock is continuing to graze to help keep it that way.
13:31Back in the highlands, I'm continuing my journey through Glenafric,
13:35exploring how this rich ecosystem works together.
13:45What a cast.
13:48It was a good cast.
13:48I don't know what I'm looking at, but it looked good.
13:51What have you got at the end of your line?
13:53It's a fly.
13:54A fly.
13:54A fly?
13:55Yeah.
13:55Hence the name fly fishing.
13:56Hence the name fly fishing.
13:57I should have known.
13:58I should have known.
13:59So the fly that I'm using today is called an emerger, and we're trying to match whatever
14:03we think is hatching on this particular day.
14:06Okay.
14:07So we're hoping that a trout is going to see the fly and think, that looks like what I've been
14:11eating.
14:11Yes.
14:11And I'm going to take it, and maybe we'll catch it.
14:14Would it be possible to have a look at the emerger?
14:17Absolutely.
14:18So there it is.
14:19So that's actually representing a type of midge.
14:23But it's very small.
14:24Some of them can be so tiny that you can barely see them.
14:28Really?
14:28Yeah.
14:28And that's enough to catch a fish, aren't you?
14:30Absolutely.
14:31Now, when it comes to trout, what's the best time of the year to be catching them?
14:38Well, the best time of year would be when they're hungry, which would be just after winter,
14:42April, something like that, May.
14:44As it gets into summertime, sometimes the water gets a bit warm and they're more difficult to catch.
14:49Yeah.
14:49And do they tend to then go a bit lower when the water's warmer?
14:53They do, because if you think about it, fish have no eyelids.
14:56Okay.
14:56When it's very bright, they can't see against that mirror of the sun against the water,
15:02so they go down.
15:03All right.
15:03Okay.
15:06Is this a therapeutic thing for you to do?
15:09It's such a zen thing to do.
15:11You know, we're not seeing any people or roads or trucks.
15:14Listen to what we're hearing.
15:15We're hearing the wind in the trees, sandpipers over there on the island.
15:30I can see you smiling when you're talking about fly fishing.
15:34I love it.
15:45Here, the fish are fed by Mother Nature, by all the nymphs, by all the dragonflies that they're feeding on,
15:51and then we are just reaping the rewards.
15:52I think it's morally justifiable to take a harvest and to treat it with respect.
15:58Yes.
15:58And to take it to eat it.
16:01It's organic meat, it's sustainable crop, and it's a great thing to do.
16:09Peter isn't the only fan of the fish here.
16:12He has some stiff competition.
16:16Here in Glenafric, there's ospreys.
16:18Do you ever feel hard done by when you see an osprey?
16:22I love to be beaten by an osprey.
16:25Really?
16:25Yeah.
16:26It's such a privilege to see them flying over and this amazing eyesight that they've got from 100 feet up.
16:32They're spotting a little trout like this that's three feet down in water that's peat stained.
16:37How do they do it?
16:39Yeah.
16:39And then feet first and they come out with it and away to the nest.
16:42It's fantastic.
16:43I love being beaten by them.
16:45Now, it's beautiful just to see how when you're pulling the line, you can sometimes see the top of the
16:51fly.
16:52And it really does look like a little insect that is just about to emerge.
16:56So the flies will be spending a lot of their life on the bottom of the loch.
17:01Yes.
17:01And then just at the right time, they're going to hatch out.
17:03And we're trying to mimic them trying to escape out of the surface.
17:07Because the trout are trying to catch them and eat them.
17:10Yeah.
17:10Just as they're struggling to get out.
17:12And that's what we're trying to do with our fly.
17:16Would you like to try it?
17:17Yes, please.
17:18Yes, please.
17:18Here you go.
17:19OK. Now, does it make a difference that I'm a lefty?
17:22It does, because I'm going to get out of your way.
17:25OK, all right. I'll give you my stick and I'll jump where you are.
17:30Now, I don't need to reel anything, do I?
17:32No.
17:32It's just a gentle...
17:34Up, up fast, good power back and forward.
17:39Pretty good.
17:40It's my first demo cast.
17:41First cast.
17:42First cast, OK.
17:46Not bad at all.
17:47I'm very surprised myself, I must admit.
17:49I must admit.
17:50Tell me more.
17:51Tell me how good my cast is, Peter.
17:53Go on.
17:53That one was rubbish.
17:57Typical, isn't it?
17:58As soon as I start showboating, it goes bad.
18:01OK, here we go.
18:02That's better.
18:04You can do it.
18:18You're a natural.
18:19I might have a job here.
18:21Filming might get sacked a little bit.
18:24And I might take up fly fishing.
18:39You can do it.
18:47Glenafric feels wild and untouched.
18:50But do you know something?
18:51Even nature like this needs a helping hand sometimes.
18:55A couple of years ago, we went to see the team at RSPB Leighton Moss in Lancashire.
19:01Each year, they give nature a helping hand just to keep things in balance.
19:10It's home to the largest reed bed in northwest England.
19:16Each summer, they cut the reeds back.
19:19Essential work to keep the site in great shape for the wildlife that calls it home.
19:27Some red deer out here.
19:29They're coming out to feed on the emergent vegetation, which is the benefit of doing the reed crops.
19:34John Carter is one of the managers that oversees the maintenance.
19:41John Carter is one of the most important things that we've done with.
19:41At the moment, the breeding season is over and done with now.
19:43So we can get out into the reed bed and start doing some really serious cutting.
19:48I'm about to show you some of the area that we've cut in the past couple of days.
19:52It's going to open up some of the reed edges around some of the pools here.
19:55So when the water levels drop sufficiently, we can get out here with the hand tools,
20:00with some of the other kind of power tools and get this stuff cut away.
20:05So much of that out there is really wet.
20:07So we've got some, you know, heavy duty machinery right out in the reed bed.
20:13So we've got a thing called the truck saw that looks like something out of Thunderbirds.
20:16It's a really amazing piece of equipment.
20:17And we get it in for a few days and that gets right out into the deeper water and it
20:21gets
20:21creating these big channels, which is great for connectivity for fish,
20:24which is really good for obviously providing food for lots of the wildlife that lives here.
20:29The truck saw it as an aquatic vehicle. I mean, if we tried to get a digger out there,
20:33it would just sink in the mud.
20:40We can pivot, but it also cuts under the water, places we can't get to.
20:45It gets through some really dense areas of reeds really effectively.
20:52Seems quite dramatic, you know, you're kind of cutting away and you're kind of chopping down,
20:55you're going out and making a bit of a racket and you know, it seems like quite destructive,
20:58but actually the benefits are just phenomenal.
21:04It does stimulate growth of other plants, which means there's more insects in there.
21:08So not only does that benefit things like the reed walbers, sedge walbers, they've got these kind of
21:11corridors on which to kind of like, you know, kind of feed and find the food they want.
21:15But things like bitterns, which are kind of quite secretive and spend the time in the reeds,
21:18but they do have somewhere to come out and easily fish because they're after small eels and aquatic animals.
21:26And things like moorhens, coots, you know, they like the open water,
21:28they like the edges of the water, but then they want to kind of recede off into the reed beds
21:32at times.
21:36I mean, as a bird watcher, I've been coming here since I was 11 years old,
21:39so this place really, really means something to me.
21:42It's an incredible thing, you know, the seasons just change and a site like this,
21:46it changes visually, changes, you know, audially, and the birds and the wildlife changes as well with it.
21:51And if we just left it alone, we'd lose the marsh arrows, we'd lose the bitterns,
21:55otters, all those things that kind of rely on this site. We'd lose late moss for what it is today.
22:05All that hard work has paid off, especially for the bitterns. Since 2023, the team has recorded 10
22:13booming males and around four nests each year. It just shows what dedication and a bit of reed cutting tech
22:22can do.
22:27Back at the watery heart of Glenafric, it's the little creatures that make the biggest impact.
22:3515 different species of dragonflies have been recorded here.
22:40And they're one of the reasons that this place has been designated a site of special scientific
22:45interest. So where better to learn more about them?
22:55Emma Stephens Veitch is from the British Dragonfly Society.
23:01And she's a very passionate spotter. Hello. Hi, Hamba. How are you?
23:07You're very good. You brought me to a very boggy place. I'm surprised they even found you.
23:12Yeah, you'll always find me on a bog. What a place. It's gorgeous, isn't it? Absolutely stunning.
23:19I see you've already got your pond dipping stuff out. Yeah, I've been doing a little bit already,
23:23just to see what I could find before you got here. Have you found anything? Yeah.
23:27Have you? Yeah, got some larvae. So dragonfly larvae. You legend. Who's he?
23:31He is a four spotted chaser and is actually getting to be quite a nice size, so could be emerging
23:38soon.
23:39So this is its larval stage. It lives in the water here and will live here for a couple of
23:45years,
23:45actually. So in terms of the dragonfly's life cycle, for most of their life they will be in the water.
23:51You might think living at the bottom of a bog is a miserable existence, but don't be fooled.
23:58Dragonflies have real clout. Is it true that dragonflies are one of the world's best
24:04predators when it comes to success rate in hunting? Absolutely.
24:08Both in the water and out the water as well. But we've got lions and polar bears and killer whales,
24:14but the dragonfly's the cream of the crop. Yeah, cream of the crop. Their wings are designed for
24:19like incredible speed and manoeuvrability. They can get up to like 30 miles an hour,
24:23some of the bigger ones. And then they've got these incredible jaws that just like zoom out and catch
24:28their prey. And also in terms of, you know, their eyesight is amazing.
24:33The compound eyes. The compound eyes, exactly. So lots of little tiny lenses inside,
24:38which means that they can be taken all in from all around them.
24:42A lot of people would overlook the mini beasts, but they are the foundation
24:47of an ecosystem like this. Yeah. So fundamental part of the food webs here, you know, so dragonflies are
24:54kind of in that middle ground, you know, they'll be eating midges. Yes.
24:57In Scotland, that's important. Which is good. We need them. We need somebody to be eating the midges.
25:01But yeah, lots of little creatures. They eat other larvae and lots of other invertebrates.
25:07They'll eat tadpoles. You know, they've got quite a varied diet, but also lots of other creatures
25:11eat dragonflies as well. Right. So birds of prey, for example. Hobbies. Hobbies, yes.
25:16Yes. And fish will eat them. And in turn, birds will then go on to eat those fish.
25:21So like osprey, for example. Yeah. So they're a fundamental part of the food web.
25:27Would it be possible to help you do about pond diving? Absolutely. Yeah. Let's do it. Right,
25:32come on then. Rot your net. Oh, legend. Our country is an incredible patchwork of different ecosystems,
25:41providing sanctuary to some of our rarest species. Matt explored just how important they are when he
25:49visited one of Britain's most at-risk landscapes in Dorset.
26:02At the eastern edge of the Isle of Purbeck lies Studland Bay. It's famous for its sandy shores and
26:08calm waters and is home to one of Britain's most popular beachfronts. But tucked away behind this
26:15stalwart of the British seaside holiday lies the land in constant flux. A mosaic of sand dunes, grasses and heathland.
26:26Well, these stunning dunes have been built up by wind-blown sand over the last four or five hundred
26:32years. And in parts, they're still growing at a rate of one metre per year. And it's this dynamic
26:40dunescape that houses hundreds of specialised species. But Studland's dunes and its inhabitants
26:49are in trouble. The National Trust is leading the charge here to protect this fragile landscape
26:56as part of the Dynamic Dunescape Initiative. And I'm meeting with Engagement Officer Julia Galbano to find out more.
27:05Julia, hello. Hello. How are you doing? All right? Very well. How are you? Good. Right, where are we headed?
27:12Right off over those dunes. Okay, lead the way. Let's go.
27:17Oh yeah, it's incredible around here. Goodness me. Gosh, when you get up here, I mean, you look out across
27:23there and you, if you look that way, you would never believe that you were on sand dunes, would you?
27:27I know, right? So how far down is the sand then under here? And how long has this taken to
27:32grow?
27:32It's not far at all. I mean, give it a little dig. This is the problem then, this soil that's...
27:37So this soil is full of nutrients now. Sand is obviously really nutrient poor. Yeah. But here,
27:42the heather and the gorse with these high nutrients is going to take over. You can see, can't you, that
27:48it,
27:49you know, if you left this for another 50 years or so... Yeah. It would just, well, it'd be woodland,
27:53wouldn't it? I mean, looking over there, you can see. It's incredible how quickly this ecosystem can
27:58change. So in the 1930s, the Southern Peninsula, it was 30% bare sand. And now it's only 2%. The
28:07reason
28:07that it's all happened is that ecological succession is accelerating. And that's because of climate change,
28:14air pollution, you know, increased amount of atmospheric nitrogen being deposited into the sand. Those
28:21nutrients are going to increase the plant growth, the way that we use the land and the way that we
28:25manage sand dunes as well. Actually, by trying to protect it, you've actually caused a bit of a
28:31problem in doing so. So for the past 100 years in sand dune conservation management, it was all about
28:37stabilizing the dunes and protecting them. So we essentially bubble wrapped our dunes. But what we've
28:44realized now is that sand dunes, they're dynamic ecosystems. They need these forms of disturbance.
28:50That's how you get that really high biodiversity.
28:55The National Trust has teamed up with other partners in a bid to rejuvenate some of England
29:00and Wales' most important sand dunes. Here, they've reintroduced 10 beautiful red Devon cattle to the
29:07dunes to help graze down the unwanted vegetation. They've also cleared away larger sections of dense
29:15vegetation and topsoil, exposing sandy patches so that dune-loving wildlife can thrive.
29:22Gosh, you've got like this sort of desert-stroke beach here then.
29:27Exactly. It might look a little bit odd right now. That's because it's only been created,
29:32you know, a couple of months ago. But as the time goes, we're going to start seeing all those species
29:37that are threatened and vulnerable and now making their home here. What are those key species then
29:43that you're trying to target? We've got hundreds and hundreds. But I'll tell you a few of my favourites.
29:48It's got to be the sand lizard. So beautiful, you know, like little dragons. They're amazing.
29:53We've also got the heave tiger beetle as well, one of the fastest beetles in the UK.
29:58Wow, yeah. These species here that really need our help. It's not just here at Studland Bay,
30:03you know, it's sand dunes across Europe. They are now designated as the habitat most at risk
30:08for biodiversity in the whole of Europe. Is that right? This is the most endangered habitat?
30:15Yeah. The other thing actually we've got here, which is very bad news, is heave star moss.
30:22It's really easy to identify. So if you look at it really close, can you see it's got little silver
30:27hairs growing out from the green leaf of the moss? Oh yeah. So that's the only moss here that actually
30:33does that. Right. And so why is it a problem then? What is it doing? When it grows, it basically
30:38clumps
30:39up all that sand together. And as you can see here, there's no bare sand left. And all of those
30:44species
30:45that rely on those bare sandy habitats, like our heave tiger beetles, like our sand lizards,
30:51they don't have a home anymore. This site here is perfect for the sand lizards because they like
30:56a south-facing slope to be able to burrow and lay their eggs inside. And that one on top is
31:03a lot
31:03flatter. That's going to be really, really good for our heave tiger beetles. So basically two great
31:10species that we can help by clearing this stuff out. So the heave tiger beetle then, is that burrowing down
31:16where I am? What they really like the the bare sand for is to be able to hunt down their
31:21prey.
31:22Ah. Oh, look at that coming up there. But the species here as well, I mean, you know, they need
31:27sand dunes to be able to survive. They can't live in other habitats. This is their only home. So if
31:34it's
31:34lost, then they have nowhere else they can go. We are a little bit of kind of last chance saloon
31:39here.
31:39Exactly. Job done. Good work. Now, tiger beetles, sand lizards, in you come. Make your home.
31:47Quite literally, leave you to it.
31:56A safe place to call home is the holy grail for species survival. And the bogs and lochs of
32:02Glenafric are a haven for dragonflies. We're doing a bit of dipping to hopefully find some nymphs.
32:11It's good to get a little bit at the bottom, but not too much. So you just sort of dip
32:15in.
32:15All right. Watch yourself. Don't fall in. And then just do a little little wiggle around.
32:19A little sugar. And then you bring it back out. And then you can have a little look.
32:26Oh, I got something. That's a lucky first step.
32:29What is it? Let's get them out. A little bit of water. A little bit of water.
32:36And I love that you're using a spoon to scoop them up. Is that the safest way to do it?
32:40Yeah, we don't want to overly handle them. What features should we be looking for?
32:44What we're looking at is things like their mask, their face. Also the eyes. Are they connected?
32:49Or are they on the side of their heads? How those sit basically tell us what different species they are.
32:57Emma's got a magnifying pot, so I can get a more detailed look at its features.
33:02So if we pop in the pot and we've got this little magnifying lid, we'll get a better view.
33:09So at the bottom of its abdomen, there's two little forky bits sticking out.
33:14His eyes are not connected. They're quite far apart.
33:18Uh-huh.
33:18He's all brown, but there's a beautiful lighter brown line all the way down the middle of his back.
33:25So we've got all these different groups of dragonflies.
33:29He looks like this one here.
33:32You think he looks like one of the chasers. I think you're right.
33:34And it's probably most likely a four-spotted chaser.
33:38That is wonderful to see.
33:50Everyone here, Emma, comes to Glenafric to look at the scenery,
33:54the ospreys. But you really love the small stuff, the mini-beasts.
33:59Yeah.
33:59Why is that?
34:00I think once you get into them, they're just a bit moorish. They're really addictive.
34:04And they're also really easy as a species to get into.
34:07How do you mean?
34:08Because there's not so many of them.
34:10Say here, for example, you've got like 15 to choose from.
34:12Yes.
34:13So you start to learn the different features of them.
34:15You can start to get your eye in for them.
34:17But then they're also just incredibly fascinating to watch.
34:20For anyone at home who has a pond...
34:23Yeah.
34:24..should they be looking out for things like this?
34:26Absolutely.
34:27And also you can record what's in your pond.
34:30One of the things that we do at the British Dragonfly Society is a bit of citizen science.
34:34We've got a massive monitoring programme.
34:35Yeah.
34:36And that helps to contribute to that bigger picture
34:38of how our dragonflies and damselflies are doing.
34:41Fantastic.
34:42Right, shall we do some more pondipin?
34:44Sure.
34:44Come on, then.
34:59That just took me straight back to being at school, taken out on a field trip for the
35:04first time to go pondipin.
35:05And to be able to see the little nymph, which will be eaten by a trout and the trout's being
35:11eaten by an osprey, it's just absolutely fantastic.
35:17Insects are vital to a healthy ecosystem.
35:21But they need the right habitat to thrive.
35:26Last year, Anita headed to Devon to help protect
35:29the precious landscape of one very special butterfly.
35:38Concealed in the ancient woodlands and heather-clad hills of West Exmoor lies
35:43Headon Valley, the steep slopes home to one of the rarest butterflies in the country,
35:49the High Brown Fritillary.
35:52Ellie Wyatt is the project manager for butterfly conservation here in Headon Valley.
35:59Right, Ellie, you're the butterfly expert, so tell me all about the High Brown Fritillary.
36:05So it's an iconic butterfly in the fritillary family, so orange and black.
36:11And since 1978, the distribution has decreased by 87%, which is quite a lot.
36:18So due to habitat loss, the numbers have been going down gradually just because they
36:23need such a specific habitat. Exmoor here is one of the last four places
36:28that have colonies in the UK.
36:32This is an ideal habitat for the High Brown. So they would be up on the slopes.
36:37They would need a mixture of bracken and the dog violets and they don't want any grass
36:43and they don't want any scrub. So it's kind of like they need like a very specific concoction.
36:48Quite fussy, aren't they? Quite fussy. It's like Goldilocks.
36:53At this time of year, Ellie is looking for seed pods from the dog violet flower,
36:57one of the High Brown's favourite foods.
37:00So along the bank here, you'll see all these love heart shaped leaves.
37:03Oh, how pretty.
37:04So these are the common dog violets, all these love heart shapes. So you just kind of have a scan
37:10over
37:11and then you'll see, oh, there's one here. So it's kind of like a little seed pod like this.
37:16Well spotted, Hawkeye.
37:18It's really hard.
37:19Straight in there.
37:20Straight in there.
37:20So this one's not quite ready to be collected.
37:24When the seeds are ready, Ellie takes them to a local nursery where they're propagated into small plug plants.
37:32Now the High Brown is a fussy butterfly. So to help fashion its preferred habitat,
37:38a surprising ally is recruited, the Mangalitsa pig, known as the Hungarian hog.
37:45Livestock ranger Finley Binns is in charge of these four-legged helpers.
37:50What are Mangalitsas?
37:52So these Mangalitsa pigs, they're, well, we call them fluffy pigs,
37:56but they're basically, they're the closest genetically to wild boar that we can get,
38:01because we're not quite a live wild boar because, you know, they're quite dangerous.
38:04But these guys have all the same habits and they're able to be outdoors and survive outdoors
38:10and do really well without a lot of human interaction.
38:13I like that you call them fluffy pigs because they're curly.
38:17Yeah, yeah, they're brilliant.
38:17So tell me, what's the purpose of having these Mangalitsas here? What are they up to?
38:22So the fluffy allows them to sort of stay out during winter,
38:24which means that we don't have to put as much into them to keep good body condition.
38:29They do that completely naturally.
38:31They'll go up into these massive patches of bracken and hope to find roots and grubs,
38:35and then I'll completely break up the root system of the bracken, which is what we want here,
38:40because these runnels is where the main points of where the highbrowns used to glide through and lay their eggs.
38:45Yeah.
38:46And also in these patches where there's loads of grass, they turn these turfs over and eventually it'll all become
38:52bare ground,
38:53which allows the dog violets, which is the main food source of the highbrown to thrive.
38:57So we want as many dog violets as we can in this place, so then we can get more highbrowns,
39:02and then it's just sort of a domino effect from there, really.
39:04So essentially they are doing all the gardening.
39:08Yep, everything.
39:09Everything.
39:10They're mowing, they're turning the soil, and they're prepping it for the dog violet.
39:21Hey, what's this?
39:23Ah, look at that. Go on, up you get.
39:26Once the pigs have cleared an area that the butterfly conservation team are happy with,
39:30they get moved on to start again.
39:33There we go.
39:34They're in.
39:35They're in.
39:36Well done, Finlay.
39:38Excellent.
39:41All right.
39:42All right, ready to go?
39:43Absolutely.
39:44Are you ready, pigs?
39:47Yes.
39:48Without the pigs, Finlay would have to use machinery
39:50to clear enough area to plant the dog violets.
39:55Pig, pig, pig, pig.
39:58Pig, pig, pig, pig, pig, pig, pig, pig, pig.
40:00Come on, pig, pig.
40:02What's this?
40:03Putters.
40:07Excellent. Well done.
40:09All right, let's get you right in here. Come on.
40:12All the way in.
40:13Yes, please.
40:14Shall we do some here?
40:16Yeah, that's ideal.
40:17If you just want to pour out in three piles around that area, that'd be perfect.
40:19Yeah, here we go, pig, pigs.
40:21Big, there you go.
40:21Wait.
40:22That's one.
40:22The pigs are fed once a day with compressed grass pellets, which keeps them happy and easier to handle.
40:28Here's a pile for you.
40:30Don't fight.
40:31There we go.
40:33And so how long will they stay here?
40:35So they will stay here until we're sort of happy they've done a sufficient enough job.
40:39They've been in a similar area and they've been here for like two weeks and they've done enough, which is
40:44great.
40:45And everyone's happy.
40:46And everyone's very happy.
40:51The mangalitza pigs are creating the perfect habitat for the dog violet flowers that Ellie has grown in her nursery.
40:59But the steep valley banks can be a challenge when it comes to planting.
41:02All right, we're in.
41:04They haven't chosen the easiest habitat to live in.
41:08It's all right.
41:08They are worth it, though.
41:09So we collected the seeds last year.
41:11And here's a really lovely example.
41:13You can see the seed pods here.
41:14Yeah.
41:15You can see a flower.
41:16Beautiful.
41:17A beautiful flower.
41:18And then you can see here a seed pod has already burst and the seeds come out.
41:21So we've got all different stages just in this little tray here.
41:27When the high brown fratilleries are back early next year,
41:31the caterpillars will feed on the leaves and young buds of the flowers.
41:35So what will happen is the butterflies will fly and they'll lay their eggs on some dead bracken.
41:41And the caterpillars will eat the violets that are next to it, but then they'll come out and bask.
41:46They need the sunlight and that warmth, the kinetic energy to be able to grow.
41:51So we want kind of four or five in a cluster so then the caterpillars can easily get to it.
41:57The violets can sustain the caterpillars diet and the plants will return the following year.
42:03Let's see.
42:04So here you go.
42:04You can see what we're doing all right.
42:07Yes.
42:07Just something like that.
42:09Perfect.
42:10Okay.
42:11Let's go.
42:11You can pop it in.
42:12Let's plug you in, pluggy.
42:13There we go.
42:14And then just pat the swill around it.
42:17The thoughts that that is now going to grow and provide food source for those caterpillars,
42:24which will then do their thing.
42:27The population will grow, bring us joy.
42:29It will be, yes.
42:30It's all connected to all the work together.
42:33So this path here that we're sitting on was made by volunteers.
42:37In the future, maybe the pigs can do it as they're doing great work elsewhere.
42:41The violets we're planting will all create work to create this connectivity through this valley,
42:47which would be amazing.
42:48And wonderful.
42:52All this effort for one butterfly.
42:55Yes.
42:55Why?
42:56I think it would be sad to lose the high brown from England.
42:59I think it's so beautiful, so iconic, especially for Exmoor.
43:04It's part of the greater food web, it's part of the food chains.
43:08And it would just be sad to lose such an iconic species, really.
43:13And I think they're very charismatic creatures, aren't they?
43:17You see them fly past and it does bring a smile to your face.
43:20And there's something quite magical about them and almost fairy tale-like,
43:23which is probably why we love them so much and they're beautiful to look at.
43:28Wonderful.
43:32Since filming, the high browns were hit hard by wet weather.
43:37But they're now showing signs of recovery, even appearing in new areas in the reserve.
43:43With the team's continued conservation work, there's real hope they'll continue to thrive.
44:04It actually turned out quite nice here in Glenafric.
44:07But if you want to know what's in store for the week ahead,
44:09here's the Countryfile weather forecast.
44:19Thanks, Hamza. You were really lucky because as we started the new year,
44:23we opened the door for this Arctic blast and it continues to hold its grip across the country.
44:29The change of wind direction today brought further snow showers across Northern Ireland,
44:33North West England and parts of North Wales.
44:35We still had blizzard-like conditions as well today, though.
44:38This was Highland Scotland earlier on.
44:40And here, an amber weather warning remains in force until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.
44:45We could see further snow accumulations, maybe as much as 30 centimetres.
44:49And yes, there will be further drifting.
44:52This has been the snow showers in recent hours.
44:54You can also see the snow showers through Northern Ireland,
44:57North West England and parts of North Wales.
44:59Now, as we go through the evening and overnight,
45:02some of those showers will drift their way south and east,
45:05down through the Midlands towards the capital.
45:07Not out of the question.
45:08We have a light dusting of snow in London first thing tomorrow morning.
45:11Icy stretches almost anywhere, as once again,
45:14those temperatures really fall away sharply.
45:17Across snow fields in Scotland, we could see lows of minus 10 degrees.
45:21And yes, this is where the amber weather warnings are.
45:24We'll have further snow showers tomorrow morning.
45:26We'll also see some snow showers across North East England, potentially,
45:30and one or two out along western fringes of Wales.
45:33But sandwiched in between the two, some sunny spells, but another bitterly cold day.
45:38Temperatures generally just a degree or so above freezing, despite the sunshine
45:43and feeling miserable in those snow showers.
45:45Now, as we move into Tuesday, this little fellow will enhance some snow showers across Scotland
45:50and through the north of England for a time.
45:53So we could see further accumulations, could cause some issues once again in Scotland,
45:57another five to ten centimetres quite possibly.
46:00It'll be rain along the coast and rain out to the west, albeit quite light and patchy,
46:05as mild air is starting to push in.
46:08But it will continue to be cold across central and eastern parts of England and Scotland.
46:12Again, just a few degrees above freezing.
46:16Those weather fronts sink their way south during the early hours of Wednesday morning.
46:20A band of rain, sleet and snow really.
46:22And then a transient ridge builds in for Wednesday.
46:25But look at this.
46:26This weather front pushing in from the Atlantic could cause some issues,
46:30trying to bring in milder air, bumping into that bitterly cold story.
46:35But on the whole, Wednesday will be a relatively quiet day with some sunny spells coming through,
46:40clouding over a little from the west.
46:41And we start to see that milder air and wetter weather pushing in here.
46:46So it stays cold in Scotland where we've got the lying snow.
46:49But temperatures out to the west between five and eight degrees.
46:53Now, as we move into Thursday, on the leading edge,
46:56we could see some snow for a time once again into Scotland and northern England.
46:59A lot of uncertainty from Thursday onwards.
47:03The position of this front could be that little bit further north or further south.
47:07And it looks likely at the moment that computer models want to suggest the milder air sitting
47:12down to the south. So we could see double digits and that means rain rather than snow.
47:17But it still stays cold but quieter further north.
47:21However, look what happens potentially when those temperatures fall away
47:25during the early hours of Friday morning.
47:27It turns windy and there is the potential some computer models want to suggest we see some snow
47:33through the Midlands, East Anglia and the London area.
47:36And if this happens, it could cause some disruption. A lot of uncertainty
47:41from Thursday into Friday. Keep watching the forecast.
47:44But there is the potential for some rain and snow with gales at times.
47:48To me, the scenery in the Highlands is always picture perfect.
47:58And if you fancy a bit of beauty on your wall all year round,
48:02then why not get yourself a Countryfile calendar?
48:05Here's John with the details of how you can get yours.
48:09It costs £11.99, which includes UK delivery.
48:15You can go to our website, bbc.co.uk forward slash Countryfile,
48:20where you'll find a link to the online order page.
48:24Or you can call 0330-333-4564 to place your order by phone.
48:32Standard geographic charges will apply to both landlines and mobiles.
48:38The phone line will be available from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm,
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49:17Over the years, your support has helped the Countryfile calendar raise more than £33 million
49:23for BBC Children in Need.
49:25The photographs taken by viewers not only brighten up our homes,
49:30but they help to change the lives of countless families right across the UK.
49:36So thank you.
49:39I'm exploring one of Scotland's most breathtaking landscapes, Glenafric.
49:46Both under the surface of its lochs.
49:48At the bottom of its abdomen, there's two little forky bits sticking out.
49:53His eyes are not connected. They're quite far apart.
49:57And from above.
49:59That was a lovely cast.
50:00I'm very surprised myself, I must admit. I must admit.
50:04Tell me more. Tell me how good my cast is, Peter. Go on.
50:07That one was rubbish.
50:10Typical, isn't it? As soon as I start showboating, it goes bad.
50:17Now I want to catch a glimpse of one of the top predators in this ecosystem, the migrating osprey.
50:24But while much of the wildlife in Glenafric is accessible to visitors,
50:29we must keep a safe and discreet distance from the osprey nests for their protection.
50:35I'm just looking at the ospreys now.
50:37We're well over a kilometre away, so we're not disturbing them.
50:42And it's really important for people to realise that to be able to film these birds,
50:48you need to A, have a special licence, but also respect the birds themselves.
50:53You have to read the bird and see if the bird's comfortable with you being in its territory.
51:01At the moment, she's calling, but she's not doing the agitating call.
51:05She's calling out to her partner so that he can go off, get a fish, bring it back to the
51:10nest.
51:20You can see the male and the female are on there at the moment.
51:24And it looks like he's given her a fish. He's just taken off. There you go.
51:31You can see the female, she's clearly enjoying something, munching away at it.
51:37Now, bear in mind, this is well over a kilometre away.
51:40It's difficult to be able to get really pristine images because there's heat haze along the way.
51:47Ideally, I'd want to be a lot closer, but if I'm a lot closer,
51:51I'm going to be disturbing these birds and that's the last thing I want to be doing.
51:57This is a good shot.
51:59Now, you see, there's a gentleman on a boat. He's fly fishing and in the foreground,
52:06you've got the absolute expert of fishing.
52:10These ospreys can see a fish from 20, 30, 40 metres up in the sky and they'll be able to
52:18see it.
52:18And they have to not only judge the angle of the entry into the water,
52:24they need to actually use the diffraction of the water where the light hits.
52:28It actually turns a little bit.
52:29They need to calculate that angle so that they'll be able to catch the fish.
52:37They've also evolved to have expert catching skills.
52:41Unlike most raptors, ospreys can reverse one of their toes, giving them a powerful two-way grip.
52:50They need to be able to grab that fish, and everyone knows how slippery a fish can be,
52:54be able to pierce it and fly up with it back to the nest.
52:58And they always, always, always switch the fish facing forward.
53:02And that's because of drag. They don't want to be dragging the fish backwards.
53:06If they drag it backwards, all the little scales will act like an air brake.
53:11You can't look at an osprey and not be in awe of it.
53:15You've got to imagine being able to submerge yourself,
53:21come back out with your food, and your food being nearly half your own body weight.
53:29Just imagine that.
53:31These guys are phenomenal.
53:44The fish.
53:46The fish.
53:47Hang on a minute.
53:50Hang on a minute.
53:54I can officially say that this pair of ospreys have got a very young chick.
54:01So young that you can't even see the chick poking its head up.
54:06But if you have a look at the mum at the moment, she's picking a little bit of food out
54:10of a fish,
54:11and she's feeding it to something. Have a look there. See? That is awesome.
54:17While mum is busy feeding the newborn, dad is nearby, playing an equally important role.
54:24You've got the nest all the way on the right-hand side, and the male's probably about 100 meters to
54:32the left.
54:33She's wanting her security to be on the lookout. So if she sees the odd osprey that she doesn't know,
54:40a golden eagle, a whitetail eagle, she's going to then start making an alarm call,
54:43and she expects her male to come over and fight off all these other animals.
54:48Where are you now?
54:56The male is scaring off a hooded crow, and that's perfect husband material.
55:05This is exactly why the male is protecting the female.
55:10There he is. He's back up again. See him?
55:17And he's gone back to the nest. See?
55:23So he's just going to go and get some brownie points. See that, love? Yeah, I scared it away. It
55:27was all me. Yeah.
55:29That's exactly why the male has to be within proximity of the nest, whether that's earshot or sight.
55:38Making sure I have pitched up at a suitable distance is Kirsty Knight, one of the environment
55:44rangers for Forestry and Land Scotland. Hello, Kirsty. How are you doing? I'm great. How are you?
55:50Keeping well? Great, yes. Come and have a look. Oh, let's see what you've got today.
55:56I love that you've got a great shot, even though you're a perfect distance away from the nest.
56:00That's brilliant. And then, believe it or not, they've got chicks.
56:05Oh, wow! That was going to be my next question, because the last I saw, she was on eggs.
56:09Yeah. And that's great news. Yeah, at least one. Brilliant, great.
56:12Yeah, it's fascinating. That's excellent news. How long have these guys been here?
56:16So I think this pair have been using this nest since about 2023.
56:20OK. So a couple of years. So I think they're a fairly young pair.
56:24Yeah. Good to see that they're getting their experience up with breeding and it's a success story so far.
56:28How many ospreys do you have here?
56:31So far this year, this is the only pair we've got nesting in the Glen.
56:35OK. We do have another nest on the other side of the Glen,
56:37but we've not seen that pair knocking about this year at all.
56:40Yeah. So hopefully they'll be back next year and following years.
56:43Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed.
56:45Fingers crossed. But I'll leave you to it. No worries.
56:47And yeah, best of luck. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
56:50Cheers. Bye now. See you soon.
56:53Right, come on. Go and catch a fish.
57:01This is a perfect way to end the day.
57:05I'm going to leave these guys to it, head away.
57:09And yeah, jobs are good and pretty nice.
57:12Just to be able to see them like this fills my heart with joy.
57:37I could spend days watching the wildlife here, seeing how it all connects together.
57:42The bugs, the fish, the birds. It's just pristine. It's peaceful, but quite busy.
57:50Nature is just quietly getting on with things. I absolutely love it.
58:00Next time, here in Northumberland, you're in with a chance of having one of the rarest
58:05wildlife encounters in England.
58:08Oh, look. That's happening now. Wow. That's happening now.
58:11Oh, look. Amazing.
58:14Margarita, trotting. You're trotting now.
58:17Well done.
58:21I bet your heart starts pumping as you're getting closer and closer,
58:24that expectation of what you're going to find.
58:26I have to say, sterling effort, everyone. Honestly, fantastic.
58:32See you next time. Bye-bye.
58:41From what happens when you go viral to what happens when you stop skinny jabs.
58:45Press red now for the what, how and why on iPlayer.
58:48Science is cutting through the misinformation,
58:50making sense of our psychology and state of mind in complex with Kimberly Wilson.
58:54And on BBC Four, The Fascinating Winter Watch 1963, The Big Freeze.
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