2021 is the 42nd annual Big Garden Birdwatch.
It started in 1979 as an idea for activity for children to do in winter. The RSPB expected a few hundred participants but when the idea featured on Blue Peter, more than 34,000 children submitted results! Now of course, it’s not just for children, it’s for everyone including the most experienced ornithologists.
In recent years, over half a million people have been taking part and not only is it an interesting and relaxing way to spend a leisurely hour in the morning, it’s a case of proving valuable data for what has become the world's largest wildlife survey. Describing his love for the Birdwatch, Chris Packham explains: “There’s no doubt in my mind that the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is one of the greatest pieces of citizen science that’s done anywhere on earth – so to play a tiny role in that is always a privilege.”
It’s free to sign up for a guide to the weekend and you’ll receive 20% off at the RSPB shop.
With three weeks to go, there’s still time to get some new RSPB assured feeders and bird food delivered for Friday 29thJan. For more ideas and helpful information, find out more with the RSPB bird food buying guide and ways to attract birds to your garden.
You can discover the top ten garden birds and other results from 2020 here and print off a colour bird chart ready for checking off what you might see.
We may be regular feeders and garden bird lovers, but how often do we actually sit and spend some time with them? To watch their comings and goings, witness their behaviour and feed them at their toughest time of year is a joy for us, a benefit to them and provides essential data for their conservation. It’s a win, win, win!
Happy Bird Watching all!