Springwatch is back with plenty of breath-taking wildlife moments in the weeks ahead and the return of familiar faces, it promises to be well worth the wait.
From the moment Winterwatch ended on 27th January, nature enthusiasts have likely been excitedly looking forward to the return of the programme’s original spring edition, Springwatch. Taking viewers on an enlightening journey every year from May until mid-June, Springwatch highlights the UK’s extraordinary wildlife at one of the most productive times of year for the animal kingdom.
For anyone yet to enjoy the nightly instalments of Springwatch, if you love the cosiness of fellow BBC shows Let It Grow and were fascinated by the natural landscapes of Wild Isles or Prehistoric Planet 2, this could be just what you’ve been looking for.
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Here we reveal when Springwatch is on and who the Springwatch presenters 2023 are as the BAFTA-winning nature show returns to screens…
When is Springwatch starting?
The Spring Equinox might have arrived on March 20th 2023, but there’s nothing quite like the return of BBC’s Springwatch to show that spring has truly sprung. And there’s good news for fans of the ultimate seasonal nature show as Springwatch is starting again on Monday 29th May at 7.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer and continues from Tuesday 30th May at 8pm.
The new season of Springwatch will then entertain viewers every night Monday-Thursday for almost a month, ending on Friday, 16th June. This means there’s plenty of time for viewers to really get to know and appreciate the stories of the wildlife shown on the long-running series.
For the first time, Springwatch is back with a new location - RSPB Arne in Dorset, which has never been visited by the Springwatch team before - is the home of the show for this new season. The team will also be exploring Purbeck Heaths super National Nature Reserve and the Isle of Purbeck to discover the wildlife that has settled there. The team will also be taking a road trip to discover what hidden gems North Wales and Anglesey has to offer.
More than 30 live cameras will be capturing the awakening wildlife in real time, and there will be dozens of pre-recorded stories about some well and lesser-known species from across the UK. Fan-favourite ‘Mindfulness Moments’ is also back, giving audiences the opportunity to relax to the calming sounds and pictures of nature, for a whole 90 seconds.
Who are the Springwatch presenters 2022?
Back in action as Springwatch 2023 presenters are Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan, as well as Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke. Teasing the wildlife delights that lie in store for Springwatch fans this year, the new series will follow everything from Raptor Persecution to the Burnet Moth.
Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan will be live from RSPB Arne in Dorset getting closer to many of its residents including birds, reptiles and insects.
Set against the backdrop of Poole Harbour, RSPB Arne seems to have it all. Famous for its wide-open heathlands where the reptiles roam, Springwatch will be exploring ancient oak woodlands, farmland and reedbeds. If that wasn’t enough, mudflats, scrub, wet woodland and acid grassland are just some of the habitats where the huge variety of wildlife which call Arne home can be found.
The RSPB’s Arne reserve in Dorset is at the heart of the UK’s first ever ‘super National Nature Reserve’ – Purbeck Heaths. Here, the inspirational work of a range of partners has protected and restored nature on a massive scale.
In spring, the vast heathland that characterises this area is warming up a range of rare, unusual and charismatic characters for the breeding season.
When Springwatch 2023 starts, the presenters will be spread far and wide to bring viewers the most compelling animal stories around. Iolo Williams will be roaming Dorset, setting out in search of Poole Harbour’s new Ospreys and White-tailed Eagles to find out about the successful reintroduction projects that have brought these birds back to the south of England for the first time in hundreds of years.
At Durlston Country Park he’ll be immersing audiences in some of the UK’s most spectacular wildflower meadows, home to incredibly rare and beautiful orchids and butterflies.
And at Swanage Bay, he’ll be catching up with local people to uncover the hidden marine world beneath the waves, whilst a stop at the National Trust’s Winspit Quarry takes him to see one of the most unique bat roosts in the country
Meanwhile, Gillian Burke reports from North Wales. Gillian Burke takes an adventure into the habitat and species that call North Wales home. From the specialist species of Eryri also known as Snowdonia National Park, to the seabird colonies of the coast, she’ll explore much of the region across the three weeks.
Visiting places including, the National Park with Llanberi, Gwaith Powdwr Nature Reserve, the Menai Straits, the Llŷn Peninsula to find Wales’s rarest bee species, and visits one of the country’s largest seagrass meadows at Porthdinllaen.
Gillian will also marvel at the seabird spectacles to be found on Ynys Môn (Anglesey) and gets closer to red squirrels than she ever has before. She visits the National Trust’s Cemlyn reserve to see sandwich terns first hand, and the RSPB’s South Stack reserve for a full-on bird bonanza with razorbills, guillemots and puffins all nesting on the cliff faces.
With the start of Springwatch 2023 upon us, the latest series promises to be just as eye-opening and captivating as fans have come to expect. Will you be tuning in this year?
Other wildlife featured includes:
- Bass Rock Ranger/Bird Flu
- Early Spider Orchid
- Tree Dwelling Bats
- Water Vole
- Cemetery Spider
- Sandwich Terns
- Buzz and Scuttle
- Digger Alley
- Bee Fly
- Parasitic Wasp
- Jellyfish
- Otters
- Burnet Moth
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