Springwatch makes Northern Ireland history with live Crom series

Springwatch will broadcast its main live hub from Northern Ireland for the first time when the BBC’s flagship wildlife series returns from the National Trust’s Crom Estate in County Fermanagh this week.

The much-loved BBC Two programme will go live from one of Northern Ireland’s most important nature conservation areas, placing Crom’s ancient woodland, wetlands, islands and freshwater habitats at the centre of three weeks of national wildlife storytelling.

Crom takes centre stage for UK viewers

Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan will host live from Crom, while Iolo Williams will travel across the UK bringing viewers wildlife stories from other major habitats.

Springwatch 2026 will air live Monday to Thursday from Monday 25 May to Thursday 11 June at 8pm on BBC Two.

The series is a co-commission by BBC Specialist Factual and BBC Northern Ireland, produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

Why Crom was chosen

Set on the shores of Upper Lough Erne, Crom Estate brings together ancient woodland, wetlands, open parkland, hidden islands and freshwater habitats in one richly biodiverse landscape.

The estate is home to veteran oak trees, some more than 400 years old, alongside reed-fringed lake edges and quieter habitats that remain relatively unexplored on screen.

Wildlife cameras will be trained on Crom’s habitats around the clock, giving viewers live access to the rhythms of spring as they unfold across day and night.

Red squirrels, pine martens and otters expected

Among the species expected to feature are red squirrels, pine martens, otters, badgers, bats, breeding water birds, warblers, treecreepers, great crested grebes and birds of prey.

The live format also raises the possibility of unexpected sightings and unscripted wildlife behaviour, with nest cameras already being rigged for the three-week run.

Mary McKeagney, Commissioning Editor for BBC Northern Ireland, described Crom as “one of the jewels in our natural landscape on the shores of Lough Erne”.

She said:

“It’s a stunning landscape and a wonderful biodiverse place of ancient woodlands, wetlands and freshwater habitats – a fantastic place to host Springwatch for so many reasons.”

Viewers invited to become a field team

Northern Ireland audiences are being encouraged to take part by sending photos, videos, clips and wildlife observations from gardens, streets, coastlines and countryside.

Mary McKeagney said the Springwatch audience is “more than just that”, describing viewers as the programme’s community “field team”.

She said audience observations can feed directly into segments, shape discussion and appear on the live programme.

Viewers can share material through Springwatch social media channels, interact with the live broadcasts, ask questions and respond to what they see on screen.

Iolo Williams to roam across the UK

Away from Crom, Iolo Williams will broadcast from a different live location each week, covering three very different habitats.

Week one will feature Knepp Estate in Sussex, one of the UK’s best-known rewilding projects and a stronghold for threatened species including nightingales, turtle doves and white storks.

Week two will focus on London’s wildlife surprises, from Hampstead Heath and the Natural History Museum to Ealing and the Royal Parks.

Week three will move to Bempton Cliffs, where vast seabird colonies, including gannets, kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills, gather during the breeding season.

Films will follow wildlife across the UK

The series will also include pre-filmed stories celebrating spring wildlife and the people working to protect threatened species.

Films will cover overwintering butterflies, slow worms, water voles, black grouse, whirligig beetles, reed warblers and cuckoos, great northern divers, migratory moths, frogspawn, ashy mining bees, swans, brimstone butterflies, treecreepers and jackdaws.

Other stories will feature conservationist Stephanie Tyler, young Dartmoor camera operator Ben Silverwood, naturalist and artist Vanna Bartlett, and the parasitic wasp Dinocampus coccinellae.

Digital cameras and mindfulness moments

Springwatch Digital will share extra content from Crom throughout the series, including live wildlife camera streams across multiple platforms, including TikTok.

Viewers will also be able to watch on iPlayer and follow updates at www.bbc.co.uk/Springwatch.

Each episode will continue the programme’s “mindfulness moments”, offering 90 seconds of natural sound and wildlife footage with no music or presenter commentary.

For Northern Ireland, the Crom series marks a major moment: a national spotlight on one of its most quietly spectacular landscapes, broadcast live as spring reveals itself in real time.