Seabirds
Marine wildlife programme. Hugh looks at seabirds. From gannets to guillemots, puffins to storm petrels - eight million seabirds descend on the UK coast every summer.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall celebrates the amazing marine life found in the UK's seas. In this episode, Hugh's focus is on our seabirds. From gannets to guillemots, puffins to storm petrels - eight million seabirds descend on the UK coast every summer. Hugh meets the cutest of all - puffin chicks, known as pufflings. He also catches up with the Big Blue Live team in America.
The UK is a bird magnet, and millions of seabirds arrive here to breed in the summer months. Lindsey Chapman is meeting scientists tagging our largest seabird, the northern gannet. Using 3G technology, they are able to track gannets in real time. So where do they go to feed? Lindsey discovers a potential new threat being built in their flight path.
Richard Taylor-Jones corrects a commonly held misconception - there is no such thing as a seagull. Instead, the UK is home to eight distinct species of gull. But why have these birds become our feathered foes? Richard tries to change their reputation as the scourge of the seaside.
Meanwhile, Hugh is heading offshore to bid farewell to baby puffins. Known as pufflings, these chicks look like balls of fluff and are as cute as their name suggests. Hugh finds out they are tough too. After just a few months on dry land, they leave our shores and spend three long years out at sea. Hugh is given the special task of helping them on their way.
Last on
Clips
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The gull: friend or foe?
Duration: 05:06
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The arrival of seabirds
Duration: 02:19
Music Played
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London Grammar
Wasting My Young Years
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Take That
Greatest Day
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall |
Presenter | Lindsey Chapman |
Presenter | Richard Taylor-Jones |
Series Producer | Jessica Colman |
Executive Producer | Tim Scoones |
Executive Producer | Vyv Simson |
Broadcasts
- Wed 26 Aug 2015 09:15
- Wed 11 May 2016 18:30
- Wed 26 Feb 2020 16:45
- Thu 3 Jun 2021 16:15Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Scotland
Get involved
Discover how you can help the UK's coastal wildlife.
Meet the team
More about our fantastic cast of presenters.
Meet the animals
Facts on marine wildlife in and around the UK
Top spots UK
From rock pooling to seeing basking sharks, a selection of places to see marine wildlife.