We haven't quite worked it all out yet but it's shaping up. We had a meeting with Amanda from Red Button on Friday and apparently it's going to be possible for most of you with a digital TV* to play along with us at home. You will get an instant correct answer after each question and your final total calculated at the end of the quiz. The wonders of modern technology...

(*Update from the techies: at the moment it looks like the quiz will only work on Freeview and Sky boxes.)

Other exciting news: The Springwatch Photo Club!

Update 8th June: You can watch the first Pub Quiz again here, the second here and the first Photo Club here.

Update 17th June: And the last one of the series here.

I will update the blog as we crystallise our ideas (and do let us know what you would like to see) but in the meantime please keep uploading your pictures to our group. We now have the opportunity to do them a little bit more justice!!

And on Tuesdays it's The Springwatch Pub Quiz.

Update 8th June: You can watch the first Pub Quiz again here, the first Photo Club here and the second here.

We had a big planning meeting for Springwatch 2010 this week. We would really like to try to use more of the images from the Springwatch Flickr group this year. It would be fantastic to try to get you uploading images even now, way ahead of the actual programmes, so we can start to think about how we might use them a bit more creatively.

So if you are out there with your cameras, braving the elements and recording our amazing wildlife, please start up loading pictures to the Springwatch group, we are standing by!...

Thank you once again.

PS I'm about to invest in a serious lens for my camera so, with a bit of luck, I hope to join you on the group.

But what about you? Which bit has been your favourite? Let me know, I'd love to hear.

(If you need a few reminders try the Video archive.)

So below, in no particular order, are our favourites (there were dozens of superb ones and we found it really hard to whittle them down into just five. Mouse over the photos to see who took them):

The painted lady is one of the most widespread migrant butterflies found worldwide except in South America. It has a wide range of habitats and food sources including thistles and nettles.

This year we've been experiencing spectacular arrivals of painted ladies in the UK in huge numbers and Butterfly Conservation think they know why...

In January this year heavy winter rains left the Atlas mountains of Morocco covered with lush green caterpillar food, resulting in a huge hatch and hundreds upon thousands of these gorgeous orange-brown butterflies joining the migration out of Africa.

Around March and April these flocks alighted in the Mediterranean and started breeding. With another generation of caterpillars happily fattening on the foliage in France, Spain and Portugal, only a few of the first generation overshot to arrive here in the UK in April.

The second generation hatched out and headed north and our lucky southerners first experienced them pouring in tens of thousands - and these guys aren't just here for or summer weather, they're breeding again!

The painted lady has a one month metamorphosis period, that's from being an egg to a caterpillar to a butterfly. So in a month's time we could be expecting unbelievable figures across Britain! You literally ain't seen nothing yet!

There's been all kinds of figures reported in the news with 3,000 painted ladies seen in 45min and 18,000 spotted off the Norfolk coast. These extraordinary numbers are the result of exceptional weather conditions in Africa and a migration of this magnitude hasn't been seen since the 1960s.

But that's not the last of it...What's next?
Their closest cousin, the red admiral butterfly, migrates south after its initial northward travels but there has been no record of painted ladies doing the same. Usually they wouldn't survive a British winter (although climate change may affect this in the future) so will they head south for another mass migration? We don't know yet but round about the time of Autumnwatch we could be in for an absolute treat!

The causes behind the cuckoo's decline are not really understood but it's to do with its complex life cycle.

The cuckoo doesn't build its own nest. They lay their eggs in other's nests, with over 90% of them being laid in reed warbler, meadow pipit and dunnock nests. When the cuckoo chick hatches it pushes the hosts' chicks out of the nest and is fed by its trusting foster parents until it fledges. As soon as the chick fledges it begins an amazing journey to Africa which can be over 4000 miles long and take weeks to accomplish. They will stay in Africa for two thirds of their year before flying to us.

At every stage of its complex life cycle there are hurdles. Here in the UK some of the host species are in decline, some important food sources such as caterpillar moths are also in steep decline and there is the constant threat of habitat loss. Outside of the UK weather pattern changes may be affecting their migration and food shortages in their wintering grounds.

We have had huge fun with our strange birds nest challenge, thanks so much, but this request is much more serious. We and the British Trust for Ornithology really need your help to get an up to date snapshot of how the cuckoos are doing this year.

So please tell us where AND when you have seen or heard one.

This is an important Springwatch survey - thank you very much for your help.

Update Sunday 31st May
Well we're overwhelmed by your response. It's Sunday afternoon and we're ploughing our way through your 8000+ replies. Hoping to have something to show you on the show on Monday.

Update Wednesday 3rd June
We're on track processing all your cuckoo sightings, to have something to show you before the show finishes and to pass the data to the BTO for a fuller analysis.

Update Monday 15th June
If you didn't see Thursday's show, the BTO have created a fantastic map using your sightings. You can zoom into your local area to have a better look.

Tracking animal footprints can turn a walk into an investigation and turn the kids into sleuths. Bark rubbings are great for bedroom art and tree identification back home, or print off Tree Bingo and see who finds everything first.

Here's a clip from Springwatch with lots more ideas:

Springwatch is made under the cover of canvas (and a few other materials) and judging by the walking boots, technical jackets and fleeces we've got more than our fair share of avid campers.

A tent also makes a cosy place to hover with your binoculars, dig out a book or just listen to the dawn chorus.

Update 4 June 2009
I think we've now found the strangest. Below is a collection of my favourite three. Watch with wonder...

If you're pushed for time and can't read all the 482 replies (at time of posting), here's a few of my other favourites.

- A pigeon nest in a large green monster's mouth at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
- Blue tits nesting in a raising railway barrier
- On the track of the Jacobite steam train line in Mallaig Station; and unbelievably
- in a carwash in Margate

A few of my Flickr favourites