Big Garden Birdwatch is an opportunity to connect with nature, take part in the world’s largest wildlife survey, and also to spend time with your family. The Birdwatch isn’t just about sitting still and quietly for an hour, there are loads of ways to make it fun and get children excited about nature! RSPB Scotland's Molly Martin some ideas for if you’re doing your Big Garden Birdwatch with children.
Get your children involved with Big Garden Birdwatch!
1. Listen to sounds
It’s great to get all your senses involved during the Birdwatch, this includes listening to the different calls and songs the birds in your garden are making. See if you can spot where the bird is hiding by using your ears first! Can you tell the difference between what wood pigeons and magpies sound like? After the Birdwatch, can you do an impression of your favourite bird sound you heard?
2. Draw what you see
Noticing colours and sizes and shapes are a really good way of identifying which birds are in your garden. Which colour pencils would you need if you were drawing a blue tit? What about a starling? Use the pictures in your Big Garden Birdwatch pack to see which bird has the most colours. What was the biggest bird you saw, and what was the smallest?
3. Make something tasty
Have you found our recipes for Big Garden Birdwatch treats? There are things for humans and birds to be made! It’s great fun to get ready for Birdwatch by making something for the birds, and then to watch which species come and eat it, it’s also great fun to make something for you to eat while you watch the birds!
4. Get creative
After you finish your Birdwatch, think about which bird was your favourite. Can you make a mask to look like it? Think of one of the birds you saw and describe it to someone. Can they guess what it is without you saying the name? Think about what colour feathers it had, where did you see it, what was it eating? Which bird would you like to be most? Do you like to hang out in a flock, or prefer to be on your own? You can try our ‘Which bird are you’ quiz here!
Registration is now open, and you can request a free pack online or by post. Big Garden Birdwatch is Saturday 25 – Monday 27 January 2020. How will you #BigGardenBirdWatch?
You’ve still got time to sign up your school for Big Schools Birdwatch too! If you work in a school or you think your children’s class would like to get involved, schools can register up until 2 February, and results can be collected and submitted any time between 6 January – 21 February 2020.
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