How to join in with the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2019
One of the many benefits of moving house last year is that we now have a much bigger garden. Not only that, but our garden is absolutely teeming with birds!
We only moved to the next street, yet our old garden never saw a single bird in the three years we lived there. Every year I longed to get involved with initiatives like the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch or #30dayswild, but our efforts were stifled by our tiny garden and distinct lack of wildlife.
This summer however, it was great to spend some time outside and enjoy our garden. We live near the centre of town, yet our garden really is a sanctuary, it’s so quiet and home to many species of birds. Already we’ve seen sparrows, blue tits, great tits, blackbirds, magpies, doves, pigeons, starlings and, on one memorable occasion, even a jay!
I didn’t manage to get a pic of the jay in our garden as they’re very timid, so here’s a stock photo so you know what I mean!What is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch?
The Big Garden Birdwatch is an annual survey which has been running since 1979, giving a useful insight into the health of the most popular species of birds in the UK. Over half a million people now join in and spend an hour every January counting birds in their garden. This information is fed back to the RSPB and helps to understand how numbers of birds using our gardens are changing, and get a good idea of how different bird species are doing, when you compare their abundance and distribution over several years.
When is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch?
The Birdwatch runs from 26th-28th January. You join in for one hour on any one of those dates.
How can I join in with the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch?
If you’re quick, there’s still time to send off for a pack from the RSPB, otherwise you can download all the information from the RSPB website.
We’ve got our pack and are all ready for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
All that’s left to do is to clean and refill our feeders and wait for the birds to flock to us! I will be documenting our birdwatch on social media using the hashtag #BigGardenBirdWatch, it would be great to see what everyone else is up to as well.
Will you be taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this year?
I take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch every year but this will be my first year taking part from my new house, so I’m excited to see what visitors I get over the weekend!