The RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch is a wonderful way to get involved in the big yearly count of birds to aid in monitoring, conservation and preservation of our precious UK birds.
By seeing which birds are on the rise or decline, important action can be taken to aid in increasing numbers again. It also helps to make links between human activity and the decline of bird populations.
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How to Take Part
Taking part is super simple.
This year the Big Garden Bird Watch is happening between 29th and 31st January.
You only need to dedicate 1 hour of your time at any point during the day between those dates.
The Bird Watch takes place at home and is a wonderful activity to do with the whole family.
What will I need?
You only really need a pen and pencil and to use your eyes!
But it would help if you had any of the following extra tools to help:
Binoculars or a Monocular to help look into the far depths of your garden
Bird feeders or feeding stations
Bird food!
By owning bird feeders and putting food out you will encourage more birds to your garden.
There is also a helpful printable identification chart available from the RSPB website here.
How to count them
It is important not to make a running total of birds, this way you may double count them by mistake.
For example, if you see 2 Blackbirds then you would record 2 Blackbirds, but later on if 3 Blackbirds appear, you record 3 Blackbirds (not 5 Blackbirds as they may be the same 2 from earlier!)
You then submit your results online at the RSPB website.
I love your website, Walter. Looking forward to doing the big garden bird watch from London! I only have a patio but I get plenty of sparrows and tits.