This week I’ve been keenly taking part in an activity that Bird Watching Magazine has been advertising. It’s something they’ve been pushing on Twitter all week that they’re calling #birdinglunch.
All they’re asking people to do is tweet which birds they see during their lunch break, whether it be on a walk or just what they see from their office window.
My feeling is that many people really do need a push just to notice the little pieces of wildlife that are around them and I think this could contribute to that. For those of us who are used to working in the outdoors and take an interest in wildlife and nature, this may very well be nothing new and is only a case of sharing what we see each day, but even for such people having that aspect of competition of trying to see the most different species or the most rare species within the constraints of your lunch break does give a new slant on things.
Also it might encourage us to explore new walking routes close to where we work and lets face it, it would make sure that we do actually take a full lunch break, which is sometimes a challenge in its self!
So far this week I’ve seen pied wagtails, robins, chaffinch, blue tits, great tits, black birds, herring gulls, carrion crows, greylag geese, goldcrests, a buzzard, a raven and a red kite. I missed out on the Osprey that had been seen about half an hour before my lunch break on Tuesday, but I might get the timing right today!
I don’t see why this kind of thing couldn’t be done in schools, hospitals, care homes and all sorts of other centres, and if it was done on a long-term basis it could educate people about the changes in the seasons and possibly even the effects of climate change.
It’s such a simple idea, much like the Big Garden Bird Watch in January, but instead of it being a one off it could become a routine thing that you do each day or once a week and why keep to only birds? You could have a day each for birds, mammals, insects... the list is endless really.
It’s a lovely way to take a breather in the middle of your hectic day and especially with children during their Easter break. What could be better than dragging them away from the TV or games consol for a picnic in your garden or local park for an hour and see what you spot?
Why not give it a go today? You never know what you might see! Go to the wesbite for more info http://www.birdwatching.co.uk/birdinglunch