Big Garden Birdwatch Results Day 2020

Its  Big Garden Birdwatch Results Day and the top ten have been announced...

And so in reverse order... drum roll please...

10^th: Magpie: Up 199% since 1979

9^th: Long-tailed Tit: Up 37% since 2010

8^th: Robin: Down 32% since 1979

7^th: Great Tit: Up 72% since 1979

6^th: Goldfinch: Up 50% since 2010

5^th: Blackbird: Down 40% since 1979

4^th: Woodpigeon: Up 1035% since 1979

3^rd: Blue Ti:t Up 20% since 1979

2^nd: Starling: Down 80% since 1979

1^st: House Sparrow: Down 53% since 1979

A full breakdown can be found by clicking the link...

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/results/

It’s great news to see the House Sparrow at Number One especially as this is one of the key species we have inadvertently helped to recover locally at the reserve and I am sure that 15 years of encouraging people to put up boxes and put out food by visiting our own shop or building their own has, coupled with our own daily feeding has resulted in a thriving Purfleet population of this still troubled species.

It is not too late to get a Sparrow box or terrace up as they do try and have two or three broods a season so if you have some wood laying around at home and follow this online plan then you too can make the perfect residence for the UK’s  numero uno!

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/createasparrowstreet/

If not you can always get one from our wonderful online shop at : https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/

I am lucky enough to have all these species visit my garden on a daily basis and I have been trying to get pictures of them all today!  I managed six of the ten in the end (see above) but I did get one of the Goldcrest (I have two pairs around!) and of the Buzzards that were displaying high above!  They and Sparrowhawk are my commonest raptors over my suburban Strood garden in North Kent!

Anyway, thank you all for taking part in the our huge 41 year old Citizen Science study and with plenty of garden time now on our hands why not see what different species visit your patch in the spring time?  Enjoy!