Today, I bought my very first bird feeder in preparation for Big Garden Birdwatch 2014!
Don’t get me wrong, having been brought up in Fermanagh I’m no stranger to the great outdoors. My parents lovingly tended our large garden and kept a supply of nuts and seeds all year round to feed the many little birds which flitted over from the National Trust’s nearby Castle Coole estate.
An ID book and a pair of binoculars were even on hand beside the patio doors for those moments when some of the flashier visitors arrived – goldfinches and greenfinches being the favourite spots.
But, like many of my generation, once I left home for the city my connection with nature fell by the wayside – well until I started working for the RSPB that is!
I came into post just as the new Giving Nature a Home campaign began in summer 2013 and I’ve spent the last six months on a steep learning curve.
Through my role as media and events officer, I’ve had to get to grips with the stories behind all the varied work we’re doing here in Northern Ireland and the bigger picture across the UK.
Birds and wildlife I didn’t even know existed, like the threatened lapwing with its iconic crest, have slipped into my everyday vocabulary. I’ve been both shocked by the declines of some of our most special species and heartened by the passion and determination of my colleagues and the RSPB’s partners to save them.
Unsurprisingly, rarer species capture people’s imaginations the most and the media has been keen to publicise our work in these areas – from the yellowhammer project in East County Down to the success of our red kite re-introduction programme.
However, unfortunately, garden birds don’t often get the same column inches, perhaps because their plight isn’t so obvious.
However, there’s no question that some of our most-loved visitors are facing unprecedented challenges as their natural habitats are lost and changing weather patterns affects everything from migration to food supplies.
By charting Big Garden Birdwatch figures since 1979, garden bird population trends are obvious. Some of the hardest hit species include song thrush and chaffinch, with sightings falling by 60 and 36 per cent respectively.
That’s why it’s so important that we get as many people as possible to take part in this year’s survey on 25/26 January – especially newbies like me!
Once we know how different species are faring in different areas, we can work together to help give them a home. If everyone pledges to do one small thing – like putting up a single nest box or planting some wild flowers - collectively, we can make a big difference.
Visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch to register for your free Big Garden Birdwatch pack and check back on the blog at the end of the month to find out how I got on!