A Monthly Publication

By Dave Hawkins

Visitor officer, Titchwell Marsh RSPB

 If, like us, you love birds and want to help them, then the Big Garden Birdwatch is your chance to do something that really counts.

For the past 30 years, we have been asking our supporters to count the birds in their gardens. During this time, more than 3 million hours have been clocked up by people watching and enjoying the birds that visit our gardens. That’s more than three hundred years’ worth of watching and every year, some 6 million birds are spotted by people taking part!

The Big Garden Birdwatch has never been more important than it is today. Results from more than a quarter of a million gardens help us create a 'snapshot' picture of bird numbers and have shown us that some of our birds are disappearing from gardens at an alarming rate.

For example, we have lost more than half our house sparrows, and three-quarters of our starlings. Information like this flags up species that may be in trouble and helps us to prevent further declines in the future.

Taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch is free, fun, easy and only takes an hour.  You can find out how to take part by visiting http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/ or by calling in at the reserve and picking up a leaflet.