Winterwatch at Mount Stewart

Winterwatch broadcasts for the first time in Northern Ireland from Mount Stewart

Mount Stewart was delighted to welcome the BBC Winterwatch team for their first ever broadcast from Northern Ireland. In June 2025 Iolo Williams from the Springwatch team got to know the historic Mount Stewart estate over four very rainy days and this January the whole team including hosts Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams will be broadcasting live for 4 nature packed nights. 

Mount Stewart which is cared for by the National Trust is home 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. This January we can look forward to seeing more of the Pine Martens, Red Squirrels, Badgers and birdlife that live there. 

Toby Edwards, National Trust Ranger at Mount Stewart said: “Our woodlands include native red squirrels, and one of our rarest mammals, the pine marten. We also have badgers, long-eared owls and even one of Northern Irelands rarest birds, the barn owl, is visible along the edges of rough farmland fields, preying on mice and pygmy shrews. I’m looking forward to telling some of the amazing wildlife stories of recovery and restoration that we’ve been working on over the past 10 years on this biodiverse working landscape.”

Mount Stewart General Manager Jenny Ferguson said: “We are looking forward to welcoming the Winterwatch team to Mount Stewart, a place where a wide range of wildlife thrives right within our estate walls. It’s so exciting to have the opportunity to spotlight it and nearby Strangford Lough, where the National Trust cares for some of the most special and nature-rich coastal habitats in Northern Ireland.  We hope that everyone watching gets as much pleasure from observing our local wildlife as we do every day – it is fantastic to be able to share it with such a wide audience!”

How do i watch?

You can catch up on the all the episodes broadcast live from Mount Stewart on the iPlayer.

 

Spring on the estate at Mount Stewart

The estate begins to shake off its winter coat at the end of March and as you walk the trails you will start to see Celandine, Primrose and Daffodils starting to appear and decorate the woodland floor and banks. In later Spring, the carpets of Bluebells spread through the woodland, follow the red trail to the Folly and take a moment to lie on the forest bathing logs to soak up the atmosphere.

Discover the many Pond habitat ‘scrapes’ which have been restored and have become a great places to spot frogs, newts and freshwater invertebrates (broad bodied chaser and common darter dragonflies, common blue and blue tailed damselfly and beautiful and banded demoiselle).

Spot some Mediterranean visitors who begin to arrive in Spring. See a “gulp” (the collective noun) of Swallows flying around near buildings where they will be busy building their nests. Chiff Chaff can be spotted in the woodlands and Willow Warblers prefer scrub land and listen out for the Black Caps who will be singing their songs in gardens everywhere.

From March keep an eye out for emerging pollinators (bumble and solitary bees) and butterflies (Orange tip butterfly, small tortoiseshell, meadow brown). Young red squirrels become active around the estate having left their dreys to explore.