Another year and another Springwatch. It has become a regular fixture on BBC2 now and the location tends to vary. Wherever they place the cabins, cameras and personnel, however, you will be guaranteed a veritable feast of British wildlife. In an age of increasingly graphic and unpleasant TV this show is a golden ray of sunshine.
My eldest son is very into the show, but it starts late and that makes it difficult for kids to view. Our passion for the natural world allows relaxing the rules a little for a treat like Springwatch. And so it is - with his little sibling snoozing away in the bottom bunk - that big brother plugs in the headphones and switches attention to the iPod. He has never needed more than 9 - 10 hours sleep and I can't deny him the opportunity to bask in such educational loveliness.
I remember Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan, two of the current presenters, from my childhood. They were both hosts on The Really Wild Show, which also included the crazy-haired Terry Nutkins (may he rest in peace).
Chris has always been incredibly knowledgeable and is clearly passionate about animals. Michaela seems a lovely lady, but I always get the feeling she doesn't actually know that much about nature! That is probably unfair, but the same goes for Martin Hugh Games (the latest addition to the crew). Basically Chris is your man if you are after raw, unchained knowledge about wildlife.
Having granted my son license to watch the show quietly, while drifting off to sleep, I will doubtless have to accept he will be glued for the full three week stint (depending on good behaviour). The blue moonlight from the gecko tanks will have to mingle with the flickering tones of the little iPod screen for a while yet.
