While flocks last - Charlie Elder

A worrying number of Britain's birds are in population freefall. We have lost well over half of our familiar house sparrows and starlings over the last 25 years, and many birds of woodland, wetland and upland are now living on a wing and a prayer. Armed with a field guide and a half-decent pair of binoculars, Charlie Elder travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to spot 40 bird species in serious decline. He looks at why their numbers have fallen and what efforts are being made to encourage their recoveries. He also examines just why birds matter in the first place and considers the role of the birdwatcher - one species that is certainly not in decline.