Did you know that the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s BIGGEST garden wildlife survey?
Each year the birdwatch attracts almost half a million participants who spend just an hour counting birds that visit their garden.
Once collected and submitted, the data helps provide a vital snapshot of the UK’s birds each winter. This allows the RSPB to monitor trends and get a snapshot of how our garden birds are doing.
I remember first taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch back in 1992-3. Me and my late Father sat in our white Polenez car in the back garden just counting which birds turned up.
Nice, easy and quality time together. The fact I still remember this almost 30 years later just goes to show.
How you can take part
It’s easy! Even just an hour with the birds is a wonderful opportunity to sit back, relax and spend time with nature. So, pop the kettle on, put your feet up and start counting!
- Watch the birds for one hour
Choose an hour between the 25th and the 27th of January to watch the birds in your garden or local park. - Count the most birds that land at once
Only count the birds that land in your garden or park, not those flying over. The same birds may land more than once, so you can avoid double counting by recording the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not the total number you count over the hour. - Tell RSPB what you saw
Every count is important, so don’t worry if you don’t see anything. Observing which birds aren’t around is as important as seeing the ones that are.
You can submit your results online at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch from the 25th of January until the 16th of February.
If you’d prefer to you can send your results by post, you can download a submission form from rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. Please make sure you post your findings back to the RSPB by 11th of February.
Grab your pack by signing up here.
Follow these links for more information:
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