BBC Springwatch returns with three weeks of live programmes from two new locations as it marks its 20th anniversary

Iolo Williams will broadcast live from Northern Ireland as, for the first time on Springwatch, he embarks upon a three-week nature trek through some of the region’s most diverse wildlife hotspots.

The National Trust’s Longshaw Estate
Set on the eastern edge of the Peak District, Britain’s first National Park, Longshaw comes alive at this time of year with its upland habitats showcasing a range of species never before featured on the Springwatch live cameras.

New species could include Red Listed ring ouzels and whinchats, which nest on the moorland slopes. In addition, the moorland curlew, one of Britain’s most threatened birds, inhabits these landscapes and the wildlife team will be listening for their distinctive calls hoping to capture rare footage on camera.

Dippers, the world’s only aquatic songbirds, also frequent the estate whilst the woodcock incubate their eggs in the secluded wooded areas. The team also hopes to record the eerie drumming of snipe which circle across the peatland bogs.

To mark the 20th anniversary, the Springwatch team plan to celebrate some audience favourites from the estate’s resident songbirds to the kestrel and barn owls that nest at Longshaw.

There’ll be mammals too: an active badger sett is home to an upland badger clan whilst foxes now use old, disused setts to raise their own families. Eight species of bat have been recorded roosting within the buildings and trees of the estate so there’ll be plenty of nocturnal activity as the sun sets.

Craig Best, General Manager at the National Trust in the Peak District said: “We are delighted to welcome the Springwatch team to Longshaw for the 20th anniversary of the series. I’m really looking forward to seeing the incredible wildlife you can find in the Peak District become the stars of the show this year.

"The woodlands, grasslands, rivers and moorlands here support a huge variety of life and we work hard to care for these habitats to make sure birds, mammals and insects feel at home. The BBC will be able to bring us fascinating footage of the well-known wildlife characters as well as those we know less about, or that are harder to spot.

"Hopefully that will give us a greater understanding and insight into why we need to protect this special landscape.”

Northern Ireland
Iolo Williams will be celebrating Springwatch’s 20th year, with a three-week nature trek through some of the most diverse wildlife hotspots in Northern Ireland, exploring the bountiful wildlife it has to offer as he embarks upon a travelogue. He’ll broadcast live daily from three different locations:

Week 1 - Belfast
Iolo will start his journey in Northern Ireland’s capital. Despite being a large city, Belfast is home to a surprising amount of wildlife. Iolo will seek out its rich and varied urban characters and meet the people keen to keep Belfast wonderfully wild.

Week 2 - Rathlin Island
Iolo will be hopping on the ferry to Rathlin Island, a biodiversity hotspot and Northern Ireland’s most northerly point. It is a vital breeding ground for a variety of seabirds and home to endemic species such as the mysterious golden hare. Iolo will also hope to hear the call of the rare corncrake.

Week 3 - Mount Stewart
At Mount Stewart, Iolo will introduce viewers to a plethora of diverse wildlife. With 10,000 recorded species, Mount Stewart boasts diverse woodlands, ghost ponds, rough farmland fields, twisting hedgerows, and a tidal lough scattered with green islands.

The cast of characters living in the woodland includes native red squirrels and one of our rarest mammals, the pine marten. Meanwhile charismatic badgers snuffle and play outside their forest setts.

Long-eared owls can be seen drifting over that woodland at twilight, whilst the barn owl, one of Northern Ireland’s rarest birds, is visible along the edges of rough farmland fields, preying on mice and pygmy shrews.

Additional quotes:

Chris Packham
What can viewers look forward to on Springwatch this year?
This year we’re going to the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate in the Peak District, an upland area. The species mix there will be very different from what we've been exploring for the last few seasons in the south of England, in the lowland area. In Longshaw, there are some key species that we’ll be hoping to meet like curlew, merlin, and red start, all of which are very exciting. We've not had them on the program before.

Nests that we haven't seen before give us a chance to sort of profile those animals and see a completely different life history that we haven't experienced, and also to talk about any conservation needs that they might have.
And then I think that the very aura of the place will be different, the feel of it. If you imagine it as an oil painting, it’s going to look very different to the one that we might have made in the south of England. It also comes with a local flavour. The community will be different, which is important because we're there to represent all of the UK's wildlife and habitats, which is why we move in the first place.

And it's going to be the things that will surprise us that are even more exciting. It's the unpredictable stuff that brings real joy. So yeah, very excited about being in Longshaw. I've never been there, so from a personal point of view, that adds to the excitement, because it's a new area for me.

Michaela Strachan
What can viewers look forward to on Springwatch this year?

This year, we're at a new site, and that's very exciting because we'll be able to focus on bird nests that we haven't been able to before, like the ring ouzel, the redstart, and the pied flycatcher. But it doesn't necessarily mean we'll get those nests, because Springwatch is unpredictable, and that's what I really enjoy about the programme. It’s the unpredictable stories that nature tells, and then we tell those stories to the viewers.