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Northumberland

Anita Rani is in Rothbury, being put through her paces with the mountain rescue team and hearing how new technologies are helping search-and-rescue operations.

Anita Rani is in Rothbury, being put through her paces with the mountain rescue team and hearing how new technologies are helping search-and-rescue operations. Anita then goes to Amble. She visits the lobster hatchery that is giving the area's shellfish stocks a helping hand. She sees how the baby lobsters are reared before being released back into the waters.

Matt is on Coquet Island, the only place in the UK with a breeding population of roseate terns. As peak breeding season approaches they need to make sure everything is in place. Matt gets busy constructing nest boxes for the terns, preparing the shingle (which they like to bed into) and rigging up the nest cams.

Steve Brown takes in the wildlife at Hauxley Nature Reserve. He meets James Common, whose wildlife blogging has earned him a place in the finals of this year's UK Blog Awards.

Tom Heap looks into the export of live animals for slaughter from the UK and the calls for it to be banned after Brexit.

55 minutes

Last on

Tue 15 May 2018 02:10

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:11

    Joy Division

    Atmosphere

Coquet Island

Coquet Island

Matt Baker visits Coquet Island, an RSPB reserve one mile off the coast of Northumberland and the home to the UK's only breeding colony of Roseate Terns.

MattÌý joins Paul Morrison, who’s been the island’s head warden for years, to prepare theÌýterns' nest boxes ready for their return.

The birds come back to the same numbered nest box every year so they have to make sure they’re constructed in the same order.

Live Exports

Live Exports
Tom travels to Scotland to find out more about the export of live animals for slaughter - and the calls to have it banned.For some farmers, the export trade opens up EU markets that may not be profitable in the UK - like the use of male calves for dairy beef.But campaigners have concerns about the length of time livestock can be in transit for.Meanwhile, researchers are now monitoring conditions on journeys from Scotland to Spain to provide data that will better inform the debate on a potential ban.

Lobster Release

Lobster Release

Anita meets retired fisherman Chris Armstrong to discover more about how the town of Amble has evolved over the years and to talk about the future of the fishing industry.

To give the industry a boost, the doors opened on theÌýNorthumberland Seafood Centre and its lobster hatchery, set up in order to re-stock the local waters.

So Anita heads out to sea with a local fisherman to release the juvenile lobsters into their new home.

Wildlife for All

Wildlife for All

Steve Brown is at Hauxley Nature Reserve in Northumberland on the search for wildlife.

Steve then meets ‘Wild Blogger’ James Common, who's passionate about making wildlife accessible to all.

James’ aim is to try and get young people interested in wildlife through his online blog and Steve joins him ‘field-blogging’ as they squirrel spot in the most unlikely of places...



Ìý

Island Surveillance

Island Surveillance
The protection of the breeding terns on Coquet is paramount as there has been evidence of egg-thieves stealing from the island.So every year the team of volunteers protecting the island assemble a hide for round-the-clock surveillance.Never one to avoid some hard work, Matt helps them put the final touches to the hide by carefully lifting on its roof.

Countryfile Farming Hero 2018

Countryfile Farming Hero 2018
Adam and Charlotte continue their hunt for the UK's rural superstars and meet the second of our Farming Hero finalists.In South Wales, they meet busy sheep and beef farmer, mum and wife Chloe Williams.Chloe was nominated for her work setting up and running an online support group for women living often-isolated lives on farms - a group which now has 3,000 members.Many of those members have come to rely on Chloe's online advice and support - but have never met her in person...until now!Ìý

Search and Rescue

Search and Rescue
Anita joins members of the Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team on exercise as they test the effectiveness of drones in rescue operations.Ìý
The team put everything to the test with a series of exercises using both fixed-wing and rotary drones - alongside search and rescue dogs - to find a 'lost' person in a simulation of a real-life emergency.

Back at base, Anita helps to analyse the results and team leader Iain Nixon explains the strengths and weaknesses of each method. But which one will come out on top…?

Island Defence

Island Defence
Back on Coquet Island, Matt discovers it's not just egg-thieves the terns have to be on their guard against - gulls are also proving to be a problem.Matt joins PHD student Ibrahim Alfarwi to look through some gull pellets to uncover evidence the gulls are eating the terns' chicks.Ibrahim also demonstrates three lines of defence to ward the gulls off - a laser, a loudspeaker and a good-old-fashioned waving of arms, whistling and shouting...all with mixed results!

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Anita Rani
Presenter Matt Baker
Presenter Steve Brown
Presenter Tom Heap
Executive Producer William Lyons
Series Producer Joanna Brame

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