Please can anyone tell me - do the birds actually have to land in the garden to be counted or can I include any which I can see from the garden? Our garden borders a small stream so can I include the swans etc which often swim past? Also, what about those which fly over?
flying no
landed yes!
what goes around comes around!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guyfrankland/sets/72157623175917620/show/
What area can I declare to be mine? I see public parks are eligible. I was thinking of my back garden plus the house roof, and the path beyond the back fence - quite a lot of birds land on roof, fence, and lights while considering whether or not to come down to the feeders.
Yeah I've been wondering just the same thing. Magpies often fly over and sometimes land on neighbouring houses.
I'd have thought that any bird you get a positive ID for would count as it's not a competition but a survey to find out what birds are about. But I really have no idea whether that's right.