It’s 20 years since Springwatch first brought the wonders of British wildlife into our living rooms and now Springwatch 2025 is here.
In the latest run of the BBC2 series, Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan are at the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District, where they will follow the fortunes of local animals and birds, while Iolo Williams is showcasing nature in Northern Ireland where he embarks upon a three-week nature trek through some of the country’s most diverse wildlife hotspots.
An array of live nest-cameras rigged across the springtime locations will tell the story of the season alongside a range of pre-recorded films, which have been capturing the magical moments of spring 2025.
Here is everything we know about Springwatch 2025...
The new series of Springwatch will air live from the Peak District over three weeks on BBC2 and BBC iPlayer, starting on Monday, May 26 and airing every evening at 8 pm until Thursday, May 29.
It will continue on Monday, June 2 – Thursday, June 5 at 8 pm and Monday, June 9 – Thursday, June 12, also at 8 pm.
All episodes will be available to catch up on BBC iPlayer.
In a Springwatch first, the programme will lift the lid on the secret lives of our natural neighbours as we have bugged the gardens of a street in Sheffield to reveal what’s going on in the world just outside our windows. With foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, a nest of swifts and so much more, there are far more residents to Springwatch Street than the ones you might expect.
Once again we will see Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan back in their presenting duties, with Iolo Williams who 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.
Also part of the team are:
London-based influencer and naturalist Lira will be taking time out to visit the Springwatch team, and she’s on a mission to find a population of parakeets. In her mini film, Lira discusses how the species might have first appeared in her neck of the woods in the South East but has since spread much further north. She’ll be chatting live to Chris and Michaela about how and why that might be.
Resident Springwatch researcher and expert ornithologist Jack has been despatched this year to the urban surroundings of nearby Sheffield, where a nature-loving city street has been bugged with cameras to show the local homeowners how their gardens are an oasis for the local urban wildlife. Jack reveals some of the surprising comings and goings on Springwatch Street.
As well as sharing all the behind-the-scenes extra wildlife moments on our social platforms, Hannah will be dropping into the BBC Two show to share her own wildlife moments at Longshaw with Chris and Michaela.
Megan is back to celebrate the anniversary with the team. Her passion for wildlife welfare has led her to look at some of the UK’s topical conservation stories. This series, she uncovers the unsavoury world of egg stealing/collecting by joining the team fighting to protect our precious birds of prey. Megan will also be broadcasting live from Haddon Hall, a historic haven for wildlife just 20 minutes from our main Longshaw site. Over two consecutive nights, Megan will reveal how ‘leaving nature to it’ can reap some remarkable results.
Ornithologist Sean Ronayne is on a mission to record the sound of every bird species in Ireland. He has already collected over 10,000 recordings, and his passion has led him to become an ardent advocate for biodiversity. We head out with him to immerse ourselves in his passion for all things ornithological as he reveals some of the incredible avian attributes he’s witnessed out in the field.
Michaela: "It’s incredible! Presenting a programme we love is joyous. We’re continually learning."
Chris: "Yes, it’s exciting. The energy of everyone who makes it has never waned. There’s an entertaining edge to the show and it’s warm.
Chris: "The stars of our show are everyday species – foxes, badgers, blue tits. And the biggest reward is when audiences connect with a character. We turned Spineless Si the stickleback [in Suffolk in 2015] into a national hero! And it was romantic watching an elusive water rail [in Wales in 2013] dreaming in a reed bed."
Michaela: "My favourite was the common sandpiper living by a train track [in Wales in 2012]. We thought it’d get hit, but by the end of the series, it had chicks. And following golden eagle Freya [in Scotland in 2016] from when she hatched to when she fledged was amazing.
Chris: "We’ll see how the programme has matured and how the technology we use has changed. We’ll also look at the changes in species. Many have diminished, but 20 years ago, some species like white storks weren't breeding in the UK and now they’ve been reintroduced. And we’re making a film about sea eagles, who were in earlier ‘Watches’."
Chris: "There could be redstarts, curlews, short-eared owls, and a falcon called a merlin, which would be amazing, as it’s in decline. But one of the joys is the unpredictability."
Michaela: "Yes, with ‘Springwatch Street’, we're putting cameras in gardens in Sheffield. People will be surprised by what’s in a garden, particularly things that come out at night."
Michaela: "We know each other's strengths and allow each other to shine. Chris’ll know the measurements of a common sandpiper and I'll know its emotions!"
Chris: "Yes, and Michaela’s consummately professional. She turns up on time, she's read all the notes, while I’m more cavalier. But we approach things with the same determination and support one another."
Michaela: "I hope if Springwatch isn't around, there's something similar that will inspire people to get out and enjoy British wildlife."
Chris: "There will still be an audience for this type of programme, because people love the wildlife they share their communities with."
Not yet, but if one is released by the BBC we will add it to this page.
Springwatch 2025 is produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and in partnership with The Open University.
Filming location, 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. 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.
