Since 1979 the RSPB has been asking you to count the birds in your garden and this year is no exception. Our Big Garden Bird Watch in 2014 is running over the 25- 26 January and all you have to do is spend an hour of your choice counting the birds in your garden. Over 590,000 people took part last year with 8.2 million birds counted.
So why take part? By bringing all the results together from across the country over the years, we’ve been able to monitor trends, understand how birds are doing and take steps to put things right. Bird populations are a great indicator of the health of the countryside and surveys like this one help us keep an eye on the ups and downs of wildlife.
Image by Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)
If you register online you’ll get sent a Big Garden Bird Watch Guide to help you take part and even a £5 voucher for the RSPB shop that can be used at a reserve or online by 31 January 2014. This year you can even record the birds as you see them with our new live bird counter. You can visit the Big Garden Bird Watch website at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch for more information and to register.
There are events running all across the country so as well as taking part at home, come and pay us a visit at a reserve or venue. On Saturday 18 January at Springfields Shopping Centre near Spalding, Chris our visitor services officer will be on hand to help you discover the birds that live in the Festival Gardens. You can learn to tell the difference between our feathered friends and ask questions about how you can help birds in your garden. The event is free and runs from 10am-4pm so pop along for a chat and to spot some birds.
We’ve also got a Big Reserve Bird Watch at Frampton Marsh on Sunday 26 January where we’re encouraging as many people as possible to come down to the reserve and see what birds they can spot. This is also a free event from 10am-4pm so come down and help us find what birds live on the reserve!