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Springwatch,Autumnwatch until 2022 andWinterwatch, sometimes known collectively asThe Watches,^[1][2] are annualBBC television series which chart the fortunes of British wildlife during the changing of the seasons in theUnited Kingdom. The programmes are broadcast live from locations around the country in a primetime evening slot onBBC Two. They require a crew of 100 and over 50 cameras, making them the BBC's largest Britishoutside broadcast events. Many of the cameras are hidden and operated remotely to record natural behaviour, for example, of birds in their nests and badgers outside their sett.

Each year, the series begins on the late-MayBank Holiday (the last Monday in May) and is broadcast four nights each week for three weeks. After the success of the firstSpringwatch in 2005, the BBC commissioned a one-off special,Autumnwatch, which became a full series from 2006 to 2022.Winterwatch began in 2012, broadcast in January or February.

The BBC took the decision to axeAutumnwatch in 2023, saying that more money could then be put into its twin programmes Springwatch and Winterwatch, which generally received more viewers. PresenterMegan McCubbin expressed sadness that the show had been axed. Following the cancellation ofAutumnwatch as a standalone programme, the format and title were brought back into use in the form of short reports and features on autumnal nature withinThe One Show in October 2023^[3] and again in late October 2024.^[4]

TheSpringwatch brand has expanded to incorporate further TV spin-offs and specials, and also has a strong online presence. The BBCSpringwatch website offers further video content and allows viewers and programme makers to interact through amessage board,Flickr photography group,blogs and the @BBCSpringwatch and @BBCAutumnwatchTwitter accounts. The executive producer of the three programme strands is Rosemary Edwards (before 2018: Tim Scoones, series launch to 2008 and 2012: Fiona Pitcher) and the score was composed byDavid Poore. Programmes are made by theBBC Natural History Unit, but were originally commissioned byBBC Learning with the aim of getting viewers to actively participate in wildlife conservation.

Bill Oddie,Kate Humble andSimon King were the presenting team until 2008. Oddie departed as a regular host at the beginning of 2009 (though not by his own choice^[5]), to be replaced byChris Packham.Martin Hughes-Games, formerly aSpringwatch producer, also joined the team in 2009.^[6] In September 2010, King left the presenting team to pursue other projects.^[7]Michaela Strachan filled in for Humble duringAutumnwatch 2011, reuniting her with Packham, her former co-host onThe Really Wild Show. When Humble left afterSpringwatch 2012,^[8] Strachan became her permanent replacement. Strachan flies in from Cape Town, South Africa to present the show.Gillian Burke became a regular presenter in 2017, and forWinterwatch 2019 the presenters were joined byIolo Williams, who had previously been a field reporter.

Other regular contributors include cameraman and presenterGordon Buchanan and sound recordistChris Watson, who has occasionally appeared on-screen to describe his working methods.

Natural history programmes began as live outside broadcasts on BBC television in the early 1950s, when West Region's only television equipment was a mobile camera unit. The origins ofSpringwatch can be traced back to the 1970s, when the development of image-intensifying cameras enabled animals to be filmed in the dark. In May 1977, two remote-controlled cameras and a series ofinfrared lamps were installed outside abadger sett in theCotswolds. TheNatural History Unit broadcast the first live images of wild badgers during a week-long television event calledBadgerwatch. Although each programme was only 10 minutes long, it created the template on whichSpringwatch and all the intervening series have been based, a format which has developed and expanded as technology has improved.

Badgerwatch was followed byBirdwatch, broadcast annually throughout the 1980s and presented byTony Soper, initially from locations around Britain includingSlimbridge,Minsmere, theRiver Exe, theFarne Islands andMartin Mere. Later series were filmed inFlorida, the Netherlands and theCamargue.

In 1988 cameReefwatch, the first ever live underwater broadcast shown on British and American television. It was anchored by Soper, with diversMartha Holmes andMike deGruy presenting during theRed Sea dive using bubble helmets (another TV first). The BBC broadcast further live series fromAfrica withAfricawatch (1989) andFlamingowatch (1995).

Bill Oddie and Simon King joined forces for the first time to presentA Bird in the Nest in 1994, featuring 5 live instalments fromnestbox cameras. King also co-presentedBeachwatch, a day of live broadcasts from a stretch ofNorfolk coastline, which aimed to show how wildlife responded to the changing tide.

The live format was rested until 2003, when it was resurrected with Oddie, King and Kate Humble forWild In Your Garden. The following year, the show evolved intoBritain Goes Wild with Bill Oddie, and was identical to the laterSpringwatch andAutumnwatch series in all but name.

From 2005 until 2007, the BBC ran aSpringwatch survey in conjunction with theWoodland Trust. Viewers were encouraged to record key events indicating the passage of spring, including the first sign offrogspawn, blossom onhawthorn trees and the arrival ofswifts. By comparing the results with previous years, the surveys established that spring was arriving sooner than average. The BBC are no longer involved in the annual survey (now called Nature's Calendar) but the results are still reported on the programme. It remains the largest survey ofphenology in the world.

A similar survey existed forAutumnwatch, with the timing of the firstoak leaf tint, the ripening ofblackberries and the dropping ofconkers all being recorded.

The BBC-ledBreathing Places campaign was launched duringSpringwatch 2006. Awards are made to small projects across the country which aim to create small areas of wildlife-friendly habitat, particularly in cities. In the first three phases of the campaign, over£8.5 million ofNational Lottery funding has been awarded. Local councils andWildlife Trusts are also involved in the partnership.Breathing Places evolved from an earlier BBC campaign calledMake Space for Nature, launched in 2004 to coincide withBritain Goes Wild with Bill Oddie.

The first series ofSpringwatch debuted on BBC Two on 30 May 2005, and finished on 16 June.Bill Oddie andKate Humble were based at Fishleigh Estate, an organic farm in north-westDevon (the same location had been used for the previous year'sBritain Goes Wild with Bill Oddie). Animals filmed includedswallows nesting in the barn,blue tit families in nestboxes andgreat spotted woodpeckers visiting bird feeders. Simon King visited three locations across the country; firstly, theIsle of Mull to watchwhite-tailed eagles on a nest; secondly, theLondon Wetland Centre to observeperegrine falcons andred foxes; and finally, theFarne Islands to view the seabird colonies andgrey seals. Over 150,000 sightings were reported in theSpringwatch survey.

The second series ofSpringwatch was broadcast from 29 May to 15 June 2006.Bill Oddie andKate Humble again presented from the Fishleigh Estate farm, where more than 50 secret cameras were rigged up to film the day-to-day dramas of nesting birds includingpied flycatchers,barn owls anddabchicks. The badgers only made a single live appearance in the whole three weeks. Pre-recorded films featuredmoles,capercaillies andearwigs. In theShetland Islands, Simon King followed a family ofotters and a host of birds:puffins,great skuas,oystercatchers,merlins andred-throated divers.Springwatch also trackedbrent geese on their spring migration fromStrangford Lough inNorthern Ireland to their breeding grounds in Canada'sQueen Elizabeth Islands, via stopovers inIceland andGreenland.

Livewebcams around the country enabled viewers to follow animal stories on theSpringwatch website. These includedospreys atLoch Garten in Scotland,red kites atRockingham Forest in theEast Midlands andpipistrelle bats inCornwall. A spin-off programme titledCBeebies Springwatch aired on theCBeebies channel andSpringwatch editions ofThe Really Wild Show aired on theCBBC channel. The presenters wereJustin Fletcher,Nick Baker andMichaela Strachan.

For the third series ofSpringwatch, broadcast from 28 May to 14 June 2007 onBBC Two,Bill Oddie andKate Humble were again based at the Devon farm. Birds filmed live on their nests included swallows,buzzards,jays, barn owls andjackdaws. Oddie had close encounters with an otter and akingfisher on theRiver Torridge, which runs through the farm. Simon King travelled to theHebridean island ofIslay, where he filmed local specialities such asred-billed choughs,corncrakes,hen harriers,golden eagles andcommon shelducks. The series also featured barn owl chicks at Cornwall'sLost Gardens of Heligan, and cameras captured the moment when one chick killed and ate its younger sibling. Gordon Buchanan filmed urban red foxes inGlasgow for a pre-recorded nightly diary segment.

The 2007 series spawned more spin-offs on other BBC television channels, radio stations and the internet.Springwatch Nightshift broadcast two hours of live footage of badgers, owls and bats on BBC Two each night, and a half-hour weekly review programme aired on Friday evenings onBBC One.CBeebies Springwatch returned to CBeebies for 2007 alongsideSpringwatch Trackers, which aired on CBBC, presented live from the farm each morning bySteve Backshall andKirsten O'Brien.^[9]

A live outside broadcast from theSpringwatch farm featured onTerry Wogan'sBBC Radio 2 breakfast show on 13 June, and onBBC Radio 4, a special edition ofNature on 11 June answered listeners' questions about spring.^[10]

For the fourth series ofSpringwatch, the production team moved to a new location at thePensthorpe Natural Park inNorfolk due to a change of ownership at the Fishleigh Estate farm. It was broadcast on BBC Two from 26 May to 12 June.Bill Oddie andKate Humble watched local birds on the nest, includinglittle ringed plovers,goldcrests andreed buntings, all new species forSpringwatch. Swallows, blue tits,great tits,greenfinches,pied wagtails androbins were amongst the returning species. Simon King was based in theCairngorm National Park, where he brought viewers footage of ospreys with chicks,pine martens,Scottish wildcats,ptarmigan andcrested tits. The 2007 edition ofCBeebies Springwatch was repeated that year and would be the final year the series would air, being scrapped in favour ofGreen Balloon Club.

The week after the main series ended, fourSpringwatch Specials were screened. Humble presented a programme onmarine life, Oddie looked at garden wildlife, King focussed on spectacular British wildlife events and Gordon Buchanan met people who have interesting relationships with wildlife.

Springwatch returned for its fifth series, broadcast from 25 May to 11 June 2009.Bill Oddie, who had left the programme for personal health reasons, was replaced as the series' co-anchor byChris Packham. He joinedKate Humble for the show's second year based at Pensthorpe. Simon King toured locations across north and mid-Wales, viewingAnglesey's seabird colonies,goshawks andred kites. His main challenge was to find and film a wildpolecat. Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan was based at a badger sett inEssex. Former producerMartin Hughes-Games also joined the team to present a regular feature on conservation holidays, as well as co-hosting the spin-offSpringwatch Unsprung programmes. TheSpringwatch website continued to host regularly updated blogs, message boards and webcams, as well as wildlife information. Over the course of the series, Packham privately set himself the challenge of inserting the titles of songs byThe Smiths into the script for each episode.^[11][12]

Three newSpringwatch Specials aired after the main series had finished; King revealed some of the "tricks of the trade" of a wildlife cameraman in "Close Encounters"; Hughes-Games revealed Britain's best wildlife locations in "Holidays"; and Buchanan presented a compilation of viewers' videos in "Home Movies".

The BBC commissioned a specialSnow Watch programme to show how wildlife was affected by the coldest winter weather for 35 years. The programme was created in just five days, and was broadcast on 13 January 2010^[13] in place of a scheduled edition ofNatural World. ThePoints West studio was used for the indoor portion of the show and the normal theme music was replaced for the end credits with the song "Walk Out to Winter" byAztec Camera.

The sixth, three-week, 2010 edition ofSpringwatch began airing on BBC Two beginning on 31 May.^[14] It was preceded by three special editions, the first of which,Chris Packham'sSigns of Change, aboutclimate change, aired on 17 May. Others were shown on 19 and 20 May. The BBC supported the series with a Twitter account, @bbc_springwatch, using thehashtag #springwatch.^[15] Packham used a reference toThe Cure in each episode.^[16]Brett Westwood was among the participants in the series' bird race, and Bill Oddie made a guest appearance in the penultimate episode of the series.

The series was followed on 20 June by a two-hour, live charity appeal tie-in,Wild Night In. Broadcast fromLondon Zoo, it was fronted by Humble, Packham and Hughes-Games, with pre-recorded segments, some featuringDavid Attenborough.^[17] A 90-minute "Springwatch Christmas Special" was broadcast on 29 December. Based at Chris Packham's house in the New Forest, the show included highlights from the 2010 series and specials, plus a number of new reports on topics that had hit the headlines during the year.

ASpringwatch Easter Special was aired on 25 April 2011 and featured the return of Bill Oddie as a guest presenter.

The full series, presented byKate Humble,Chris Packham andMartin Hughes-Games, started on Monday 30 May 2011 at 8pm on BBC 2 from a new venue,RSPB Ynys-hir in mid-Wales. During the first weekCharlie Hamilton James presented daily updates on the reintroduction of beavers to the United Kingdom. At the end of week one Charlie was set the task of filming beavers live; he succeeded. During week two,Iolo Williams broadcast from Skomer Island. He was filming puffins and during the week introduced a new webcam. The presenter for week three was Liz Bonnin, at Pitsea Landfill site, filming foxes. She was set the task of filming live foxes, and succeeded. The series closed with a montage of clips of the cast "singing" theTom Jones songIt's Not Unusual, whose lyrics had been surreptitiously inserted into the script over the three-week run.

A Christmas Special was broadcast onBoxing Day, 26 December, recorded at Ynys-Hir and presented by Strachan, Packham, Hughes-Games and Humble, and featuring guest appearances by Chris Watson and others as well as a newly filmed sequence fromBill Oddie.^[18]

Springwatch returned toBBC Two andBBC HD on 28 May 2012, live and direct fromYnys-hir RSPB reserve in Wales for three weeks, Monday to Thursday.Chris Packham andMartin Hughes-Games will present the show, with Kate Humble being replaced by Autumnwatch Live presenterMichaela Strachan.^[19] A summer special was announced on the final episode of Springwatch 2012, andSpringwatch Guide to Sea Birds was broadcast on 23 August 2012.

Chris Packham secretly introduced the titles of 49 songs and albums byDavid Bowie into his presentations.^[20]

The 2013 series ofSpringwatch returned on 27 May, and once again was broadcast live for three weeks from RSPB Ynys-Hir.Chris Packham,Martin Hughes-Games andMichaela Strachan, returned to present, with Iolo Williams as a roving reporter. A new show calledSpringwatch in the Afternoon was broadcast across the first two weeks, hosted byNick Baker, which was broadcast live on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.^[21]

Chris Packham sneaked in references to song titles byThe Clash in his presentations.^[22]

In 2014Springwatch celebrated its tenth anniversary by moving to a new base atRSPB Minsmere in North Suffolk. The series was broadcast onBBC Two, online and the Red Button for three weeks from 26 May to 12 June 2014.Springwatch Unsprung, hosted by Baker, was shown after the main programme, online and on the BBC Red Button from Mondays to Wednesdays and on BBC Two on Thursdays.^[23]Iolo Williams returned as the regular roving reporter, broadcasting live from the west coast of Scotland. Special features included cameramanDoug Allan's underwater footage of grey seals on Lundy, a report on how the wildlife of the Somerset Levels was affected by the winter floods and updates on the latest research into urban foxes and cuckoo migration.^[24]

A special one-offSpringwatch at Easter aired on 3 April 2015.^[25] The series returned toRSPB Minsmere on 25 May 2015, with 12 episodes over the next three weeks.^[26]

Springwatch aired in 2016 between 30 May and 16 June live from RSPB Minsmere.

A special one-offSpringwatch in Japan: Cherry Blossom Time aired on 21 April 2017 and was presented by regular hosts Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan and guest presenter James Wong.

The farmland ofSherborne Park, Gloucestershire became the new host site for the mainSpringwatch series.^[27][28] The programme gained a new host,Gillian Burke.^[29]

Springwatch, again from Sherborne Park, ran for three weeks, starting on Monday 28 May with a 90-minute extended edition. Martin Hughes-Games was not involved, being replaced by a number of guest presenters, the first of whom wasSteve Backshall.^[30] Iolo Williams appeared in week two, withLucy Cooke and Patrick Aryee scheduled for the final week.^[31]

Springwatch was broadcast from a new site nearNethy Bridge on the edge of theAbernethy Forest in theCairngorms National Park.^[32] Packham, Strachan and Burke continued as presenters and were joined by Iolo Williams.^[33]

Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 series, starting on 25 May, did not come from a central base. Instead each presenter appeared from a location near their home, respecting government guidelines onsocial distancing. Packham – joined occasionally by his step-daughter Megan McCubbin, a zoologist – was in theNew Forest, Williams inMontgomeryshire, and Burke inCornwall. Although she sent a video message from her home in South Africa, Strachan was unable to return to the UK to participate.Steve Backshall was guest presenter during the first week, from his home onthe Thames, withGordon Buchanan, presenting fromLoch Lomond National Park in week two,^[34] andEllie Harrison in theGolden Valley, nearStroud, in week three.^[35][36]

Some films from previous years were re-screened. Additional material was made available on the BBC'siPlayer service.^[37][38]

The first Thursday episode started – at 8pm – with the presenters joining the national "Clap for Our Carers", except for Burke, due to her proximity to wildbeavers.^[39]

This Series won theBritish Academy Television Award for Best Live Event in 2021.

Packham and Strachan broadcast from theWild Ken Hillsustainable agriculture in Norfolk,^[40] while Iolo Williams was based atAlladale Wilderness Reserve, Scotland.^[41][42] Gillian Burke was atWWTCastle Espie, Northern Ireland.^[43]

Packham and Strachan again broadcast fromWild Ken Hill sustainable agriculture in Norfolk; McCubbin did a roadtrip through northern England, visitingKielder Forest,Hauxley Nature Reserve andNewcastle-upon-Tyne; Williams was again on theIsle of Mull; Gillian Burke did not appear, having also missedWinterwatch 2022.^[44][45][46]

In Series 19, Packham and Strachan presented fromRSPB Arne in Dorset, Gillian Burke fromNorth Wales and Megan McCubbin fromDevon and Arne;^[47] McCubbin was originally not scheduled to appear as a host but replaced Iolo Williams, who missed the series due to ill health.^[48] The show received complaints after airing a scene showing agamekeeper beating abuzzard to death with a stick.^[49]

Packham, Strachan and Williams returned for a three-week series, again filming atRSPB Arne in Dorset,^[50] with Megan McCubbin filming on theIsle of Bute on the west coast ofScotland.^[51]

The success of the first series ofSpringwatch led to the BBC and theWoodland Trust collaborating once again to launch an appeal for sightings of the approach of autumn. The results of the firstAutumnwatch survey were presented by Bill Oddie in a one-off programme in November 2005 entitledWild Autumn with Bill Oddie.

For 2006,Autumnwatch was extended to a two-week series, broadcast from 2–12 October. Oddie and Kate Humble were based atMartin Mere wetland reserve inLancashire, where they awaited the arrival of local wildswans and the return of the brent geese to Northern Island. King watched thered deer rut on the island ofRùm. In addition, cameramanGordon Buchanan filmed a nightly grey seal diary from theMonarch Islands. British viewers could submit their sightings of natural autumn events on theAutumnwatch website, and the findings were developed into an online map showing the progression of autumn events across the country. This showed a correlation with temperature. Much like withSpringwatch, a spin-off show forCBeebies aired, titledCBeebies Autumnwatch.

Autumnwatch was broadcast later in the year than the previous series, from 5 to 14 November. Oddie and Humble were based at Martin Mere as for the previous year, but this time King toured some of Britain's best places for viewing wildlife. There were daily pre-recorded sequences from the deer rut inRùm which had taken place earlier in the season. Instead of airing a new series, the 2006CBeebies Autumnwatch season was repeated, which caused some parents to complain to the BBC.^{[citation needed]}

ForAutumnwatch 2008, broadcast from 27 October – 6 November,^[52] Oddie and Humble were based atBrownsea Island, one of the few places in southern England wherered squirrels can still be seen. King visited a variety of locations around the country, beginning with three days watchingfallow deer atPetworth Park andmuntjac atBirmingham Airport. He then followed up sightings of otters in aWalsall canal, but although his team found traces of the animals, they didn't manage to film them. During the second week he watchedravens onAnglesey and made two live dives off the south coast of England, managing to find and film aconger eel. Gordon Buchanan travelled to the Farne Islands to film the grey seal colony during the pupping season. Attempts to communicate with Oddie and Humble via a live satellite link, were thwarted on several occasions by bad weather conditions.

Additional content was made available on theAutumnwatch website, including live webcams, extra videos and a blog.^[53]

In a change from the usual format, the 2009 series ofAutumnwatch was broadcast once a week every Friday for eight weeks. Executive producer Tim Scoones attributed the change to the popularity of the series' multiplatform formats, such as itsFlickr group.^[54] The series ran from 2 October to 20 November 2009. Packham and Humble were based at theBBC Natural History Unit headquarters inBristol, but owing to the late hour of broadcast, all wildlife footage was prerecorded.

The 2010Autumnwatch series was broadcast every Thursday from 7 October for 8 weeks. It was once again based at from theBBC Natural History Unit in Bristol. Simon King did not participate, and was replaced by a variety of reporters who took his slot each week.

Autumnwatch returned with a new name,Autumnwatch Live on 7 October 2011. For the first four weeks it was presented from theNational Arboretum at Westonbirt, and for the final four weeks, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's Slimbridge reserve, by Michaela Strachan, Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games. Each week there was a guest presenter who focused on one particular aspect of the British countryside. These included Bill Oddie. Kate Humble did not participate due to other projects.

The 2012 series ofAutumnwatch started on 30 October 2012 and ran for 4 consecutive days.^[55] It was being broadcast live from theAigas Field Centre in theScottish Highlands.^[55] Iolo Williams reported on golden eagles from theOuter Hebrides.^[56]John Lister-Kaye, owner of the field centre, also appeared.^[56] The final episode was followed by a half-hourUnsprung programme.

Autumnwatch returned on 29 October for four nights from a new location atRSPB Leighton Moss inLancashire, with Unsprung following the final episode. A new live showAutumnwatch Extra aired on the red button and online each day.^[57][58]

Autumnwatch 2014 returned to Leighton Moss, Lancashire, with companionExtra andUnsprung strands and webcams.

Autumnwatch aired between 2 and 5 November 2015.^[59]

Autumnwatch moved toRSPB Arne inDorset.

The farmland ofSherborne Park, Gloucestershire became the host site forAutumnwatch.^[27][28] The programme gained a new field reporter,Gillian Burke.^[29]

Autumnwatch moved outside the UK for the first time, being broadcast from a site on the shores ofSquam Lake inNew Hampshire, United States, on four consecutive evenings from Monday 15 October.^[60] Packham and Strachan were joined by Gillian Burke.^[60]

Autumnwatch was broadcast from a new site nearNethy Bridge on the edge of theAbernethy Forest in theCairngorms National Park.^[32] Packham, Strachan and Burke continued as presenters and were joined by Iolo Williams.^[33]

Autumnwatch was broadcast from four locations: Iolo Williams at theCentre for Alternative Technology nearMachynlleth; Michaela Strachan atTenstmuir,Fife; Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin in theNew Forest; and Gillian Burke atRSPB Dearne Valley Old Moor,South Yorkshire.^[61][62]

Packham and Strachan broadcast from theWild Ken Hillsustainable agriculture in Norfolk,^[63] Megan McCubbin was on theIsle of Mull,^[64] while Gillian Burke was atWWTCastle Espie, Northern Ireland.^[65] The series was four episodes, and Iolo Williams did not appear; the programme was moved to accommodateFA Cup broadcasts, and Williams was scheduled to lead walks of the Isle of Mull on the days it was broadcasting; he appeared in one prerecorded segment.^[66][67]

Packham and Strachan broadcast from theWild Ken Hill in Norfolk, while Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke were at theTeifi Marshes andCardigan Bay. Featured creatures includedNigma walckenaeri,edible dormouse andorca.^[68] This was the last ever series of Autumnwatch, before being axed.

A one-off, hour-longWinterwatch was broadcast by the BBC on 22 February 2012, presented from theBrecon Beacons byKate Humble,Chris Packham, andMartin Hughes-Games, with filmed segments byCharlie Hamilton James, Maya Plass,Gordon Buchanan,Michaela Strachan andChris Watson.^[69]

A four-dayWinterwatch aired between 14 and 17 January 2013, again from Aigas, with anUnsprung programme following the final episode.^[70] Following that, there was a Winterwatch special,Winterwatch 1963 – The Big Freeze, that was broadcast on 19 January.

Winterwatch returned toBBC Two between 20 and 23 January 2014, broadcast live from theMar Lodge Estate inAberdeenshire, with Unsprung following the final episode hosted byNick Baker. There was a specialWinterwatch Extra: Garden Birds Special on theBBC Red Button and online from 24 to 26 January 2014 hosted by Euan McIlwraith and Richard Taylor-Jones, from various locations aroundGreat Britain.^[71]

Winterwatch returned toBBC Two between 19 and 22 January 2015, again broadcast live from theMar Lodge Estate inAberdeenshire.^[72]

The programme was broadcast live from the Mar Lodge Estate between 26 and 29 January 2016.

Winterwatch moved toRSPB Arne inDorset and was broadcast for four evenings from 23 January.

Winterwatch was broadcast from Sherborne Park, over four evenings, starting on Monday 29 January, with contributions fromGillian Burke on the island ofIslay in the Inner Hebrides.^[73]

Winterwatch was broadcast over four evenings, starting on 29 January, from a new site nearNethy Bridge on the edge of theAbernethy Forest in theCairngorms National Park.^[32] Packham, Strachan and Burke continued as presenters and were joined by Iolo Williams.^[33]

Winterwatch was broadcast over four evenings, starting on Tuesday 28 January, from the same site as the previous series.

Winterwatch began again on 19 January and was broadcast from the presenters' home areas: Iolo Williams at theCentre for Alternative Technology; Chris Packham andMegan McCubbin in theNew Forest; and Gillian Burke at the Cornish beaver reintroduction project. It was shown Tuesday to Friday for two weeks. Michaela Strachan was still in lockdown inSouth Africa and was not presenting, but made a guest appearance on a pre-recorded video chat withChris Packham.^{[74][75][76][77]} Sea swimmer Katie Maggs also appeared.^[78]

The same three locations were used as inAutumnwatch 2021: Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan atWild Ken Hill;Megan McCubbin atWWT Castle Espie, County Down; and Iolo Williams on theIsle of Mull.^[79] Gillian Burke does not appear live due to personal commitments, but supplies some material recorded in theCotswolds andSouth West England.^[80] The poetRobert Macfarlane also features.^[81]

Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan were at Wild Ken Hill; Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke at various sites inEdinburgh.^[82][83]

For 2024,Winterwatch was reduced to a single week.^[84][85] It was filmed atRSPB Arne in Dorset, with Gillian Burke being based inOrkney.^[86][87]

Winterwatch 2025 will consist of four episodes starting on 21 January 2025 broadcast live fromRSPB Arne.^[88][89]

In 2024, a new 30 minute spinoff show was announced, comprising old segments from the main show. It followed presenterIolo Williams who took a look at the natural beauty ofWales. The show was not live and aired six episodes on consecutive Sundays at around 16:30, exclusively onBBC One Wales and the whole series was released onBBC iPlayer upon the airing of the first episode.^[90]

Following Simon King's departure in 2010, the role of field reporter was filled by various guest presenters; notablyGordon Buchanan,Charlie Hamilton James,Iolo Williams,Liz Bonnin andMichaela Strachan. He was eventually replaced by Gillian Burke seven years later.

Megan McCubbin has become a regular presenter on the programmes, after co-presenting alongside her stepfather in 2020. She has since covered for Gillian Burke, who could not appear in Springwatch or Winterwatch 2022 due to timing constraints. She also covered for Iolo Williams in Springwatch 2023, as he could not present due to health issues.

Other presenters involved in the programmes includeRoy Dennis,Johnny Kingdom, Leah Gooding, Richard Taylor-Jones, Chris Watson, Doug Allan,Andrew Agnew/PC Plum,Sidney Sloane,Nick Baker (presenter ofSpringwatch in the Afternoon in 2013 andSpringwatch Unsprung in 2014), Euan McIlwraith andBrett Westwood (co-presenters ofSpringwatch Extra in 2014).

In the 2018 edition of Springwatch, several guest presenters rotated the role alongside Packham and Strachan, including Steve Backshall, Iolo Williams, Lucy Cooke and Patrick Aryee.

ForWinterwatch andAutumnwatch 2019 all four presenters were in the same location, with no field reporter. ForSpringwatch 2019Gillian Burke was a field reporter for episodes 1 to 11, returning to the main studio for the last show (episode 12).

Martin Mere

Pensthorpe

Brownsea Island

Ynys-hir

Westonbirt

Slimbridge

Orkney

Mull

Brecon Beacons

Aigas

Leighton Moss

Mar Lodge

Minsmere

Caerlaverock

Arne

Sherborne

Abernethy

Fishleigh

Wild Ken Hill

Castle Espie

Teifi Marshes

Cardigan Bay

Alladale

Bute

class=notpageimage|

Map of Great Britain and Ireland indicating main locations of "Watch" series.

Beginning with the fifth series ofSpringwatch in 2009, theSpringwatch andAutumnwatch series have been accompanied by a liveUnsprung programme, a half-hour show that airs once a week and answers viewers' wildlife questions, along with audience surveys and "pub quizzes" filmed in the main studio.^[92]

Springwatch and Autumnwatch was published byCollins in April 2007, and features content from all the regular presenters to that date.^[93]

Britain Goes Wild

6 second sample ofBritain Goes Wild byDavid Poore.

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Problems playing this file? Seemedia help.

The theme music was commissioned by the BBC from independent composerDavid Poore, and was nominated for aRoyal Television Society award in 2007.

In January 2021, Winterwatch began usinghydrogen fuel cell technology to power their outside broadcast truck instead of diesel. They also incorporated batteries into the power supply for their three live presenter locations to reduce their fuel consumption.^[94]

• "Best Pre-school Live Action Series" awarded toCBeebies Springwatch at the 2006BAFTA Children's Awards.^[95] (Producers: Clare Bradley & Tony Reed; Director: Aliex Yuill)
• Springwatch nominated for Best Title Theme at theRoyal Television Society Awards in 2007 (Composer:David Poore)
• Cbeebies Autumn Watch nominated forBest Children's Live-Action Series at the 2007 BAFTA Children's Awards.^[96] (Producers: Clare Bradley & Helen Darrington; Directors: Lotte Elwell & Susannah Udall)
• 2021 British Academy Television Awards (television BAFTAs):British Academy Television Award for Best Live Event, awarded toSpringwatch 2020 (BBC Studios Natural History Unit andThe Open University)

• Lambing Live

• Springwatch atBBC Online
• Autumnwatch website
• Winterwatch website
• Feature article inThe Guardian, June 2005
• Springwatch atIMDb
• Springwatch Unsprung atIMDb
• Autumnwatch atIMDb
• Autumnwatch Unsprung atIMDb
• Winterwatch atIMDb
• Winterwatch Unsprung atIMDb

• 2000s British documentary television series
• 2010s British documentary television series
• 2020s British documentary television series
• 2005 British television series debuts
• Television series about animals
• BBC television documentaries about science
• British English-language television shows
• Television series by BBC Studios

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• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use British English from June 2015
• Use dmy dates from September 2019
• Articles needing additional references from November 2011
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• Articles with unsourced statements from May 2018
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• IMDb title ID different from Wikidata