Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Feathered Friends

Matt is up at the crack of dawn at the RSPB reserve at Snettisham on the north Norfolk coast to witness thousands of pink-footed geese taking flight.

In this programme the focus is on our feathered friends. Matt is up at the crack of dawn at the RSPB reserve at Snettisham on the north Norfolk coast. There he witnesses thousands of pink-footed geese taking flight and joins warden Jim Scott and scientist Dr Mark Eaton in a bird count. He also visits a school where the pupils are taking part in their own bird count.

Helen is at the other end of the country in Cumbria, where she catches sight of perhaps the most stunning sight in the bird world, as tens of thousands starlings perform dizzying aerial acrobatics. Helen also meets artist Clare Brownlow, who paints stunning lifelike pictures of birds using feather quills.

Tom Heap looks at the latest outbreak of bird flu to hit Britain, finds out what can be done to minimise the impact and asks how long this crisis might last. Adam is back on his farm taking stock of his animals and showing us what measures he is taking to combat the threat from avian flu.

1 hour

RSPB Snettisham

RSPB Snettisham

Matt Baker is up at the crack of dawn to witness a stunning spectacle along the north Norfolk coast. He meets RSPB head ranger Jim Scott to watch the morning flight of the pink footed geese and it turns out that the RSPB’s reserve at Snettisham is one of the best places in the world to witness it. There are currently 22,000 ‘Pinkies’ at Snettisham and Matt is going to try and help ranger Jim to count them all!

Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza

The biggest problem facing our feathered friends at the moment is Avian Influenza. Bird Flu, as it is more commonly known, has been found in wild birds and commercial flocks across the country, since the outbreak first started in the UK in December last year. Tom Heap is in Lincolnshire where it has been found in both wild birds and on farms to find out how serious this outbreak is. Tom also catches up with UK’s chief Vet, the man responsible for containing this virus and hears about the threat to the free range industry.

Feather art

Feather art

Helen Skelton is up in the beautiful Scottish borders to meet pheasant feather artist Clare Brownlow. This area is a diverse and wild landscape busting with nature and birds aplenty. So Clare is spoilt for choice when it comes to wildlife to paint. Clare walks Helen through the countryside on her doorstep and explains her inspiration. Back in the studio Helen is given a crash course in painting with feather quills. It’s tricky to master but the effects are impressive, but can Helen match Clare's skills?

RSPB Big School’s Birdwatch

RSPB Big School’s Birdwatch

Matt Baker visits a Norfolk village school just inland from the Wash and meets the ‘birders’ of the future; the 4 and 5 year olds taking part in their first RSPB Big Schools Birdwatch with RSPB volunteer and forest school teacher, Judy Simmonds. Matt watches the children learning to identify garden birds and then gets hands-on making a range of feeders to be hung up in the forest school at the end of the day, but will the feeders tempt in the birds?

David Essex

David Essex

This week actor and musician David Essex travels back to East Sussex, where he spent long childhood summers hop picking with his family. Like many of the women and children of East London in the fifties, David spent his holidays exploring the countryside creating life-long memories in both Kent and Sussex. We join him as he takes a trip down memory lane to where he first experienced the sights and smells of the great outdoors.

Hardy Breeds

Hardy Breeds

Adam farms many different breeds of livestock and is particularly keen on traditional and rare ones, especially the tough ones that can get by with little input. Most of his cattle, for example, can survive outside all winter. But he's always looking to improve his flock of Romney ewes and since his visit to New Zealand he’s implementing some farming methods that will hopefully improve the hardiness of his sheep.  

Watchtree Nature Reserve

Watchtree Nature Reserve

Helen is visiting one of the best places in the North of England to see arguably the greatest of all bird spectacles, starling murmurations. Back on home turf, Helen is in Cumbria at Watchtree Nature Reserve, meeting reserve chairman Frank Mawby to find out why this site attracts such a variety of bird life. Helen then catches up with ranger Ryan Dobson who tells her about accessibility at Watchtree. She has a go on one of the range of bikes that cater for both able and disabled people and quickly disappears off in search in search of those magical murmurations…

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Matt Baker
Presenter Helen Skelton
Presenter Tom Heap
Presenter Adam Henson
Executive Producer William Lyons
Series Producer Joanna Brame

Broadcasts