Springwatch 2021: Episode Guide & Ratings

Springwatch is back, broadcasting live from brand new locations across the UK. Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan are at Wild Ken Hill in Norfolk as cameras capture the daily dramas of such birds as avocets and barn owls, lapwings and yellow hammers. Iolo Williams sees eye to eye with some red deer at Alladale Wilderness Reserve in Scotland, and Gillian Burke dips into the vast waters of Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland to see why it’s a great place for the bird nicknamed the sea swallow.

Gillian follows the fortunes of a harbour seal who’s in hospital in Northern Ireland. Iolo’s on the look out for golden eagles in the Glen, and Michaela and Chris assess the effects of this year’s late spring on our wildlife. Also, we drop into an oak tree to see why thousands choose to live there, as well as revealing the secret history of a London wood.

Chris and Michaela bring the latest dramas from the live nest cameras in Norfolk. Iolo heads to Loch Fleet on Scotland’s east coast, hoping to catch ospreys and otters out fishing. Gillian checks out the batty nightlife at WWT Castle Espie, and Megan McCubbin joins conservationists shaping the UK of tomorrow.

Iolo’s on a mission to see one of the most photogenic birds in the UK: the black-throated diver. There are live updates from Chris and Michaela in Norfolk – is there any sign of the elusive and rare turtle dove? Gillian enters the twilight zone to check out a British shark that can glow in the dark. And find out why water voles are choosing city life over country living.

Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan report live from Norfolk, where Springwatch’s remote cameras are capturing the wildlife dramas at Wild Ken Hill. Gillian Burke looks at some clever cuttlefish in Northern Ireland, and Iolo Williams heads up into the Scottish Highlands to spot some flamboyant avian show-offs.

Gillian looks at spring from a swift’s point of view at WWT Castle Espie. Insect fan Penny Metal introduces us to the tiny residents in a London park. Iolo checks out some alien species on the forest floor at Alladale Wilderness Reserve, and there’s a Mindfulness Moment in an ancient Oxfordshire woodland.

Featuring an island paradise for puffins in Scotland and golden hares in Northern Ireland. Chris checks in on the live nests to see who’s ready to fledge, whilst Michaela reports on the plight of the Norfolk plovers. Meanwhile, in Wales, it’s time to see if all the chough chicks survived to adulthood.

There’s theft in the Scottish seas – but do great skuas deserve their reputation as pirates of the skies? Megan McCubbin goes to the Welsh border to investigate why restoring peatland bog is so important for wildlife. There’s also a live round-up of the wild soap operas playing out in Norfolk and a peek at a secretive owl in Northern Ireland.

At the start of the final week, which birds are ready to leave their nests? Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan bring live updates from Norfolk, Gillian Burke investigates some clever cuttlefish in Northern Ireland and Iolo Williams tracks down mountain hares in the Scottish Highlands. Also, there are sea slugs making a colourful appearance and a report on the spring sounds of Sherwood Forest.

Will rare turtle doves make an appearance alongside Chris and Michaela at Wild Ken Hill in Norfolk? Find out how the UK’s tallest bird has made a successful comeback. Tiger wars break out amongst beetles in a woodland clearing, Gillian gets close to young Manx shearwaters in Northern Ireland and Iolo ducks into the river at Alladale to look for lampreys.

Michaela and Chris investigate how British hedgehogs are coping this spring, and Megan McCubbin joins them live in Norfolk to discuss efforts to save the corncrake. Iolo is in the Scottish Highlands, checking on some very special wildcats, and Gillian has a fishy tale about flapper skates in Northern Ireland.

It’s time to round up this year’s Springwatch nest cameras with Chris and Michaela in Norfolk – did all the kestrel and avocet chicks survive? Iolo heads to the Moray Firth to check on dolphins, and Gillian’s marine mission focuses on basking sharks in Northern Ireland. Also, how has London’s high rise living created a watery paradise for birds?