Are you taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend? Here’s how to make the most of it

Are you taking part in this weekend’s Big Garden Birdwatch? It’s the world’s largest survey of its kind.
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The RSPB have shared an easy three-point plan to help you make the most of this weekend’s survey.

These top tips come on the back of a new YouGov poll commissioned by the RSPB that shows that about half (52 per cent) of the UK population feed wild birds during the year, including one in five (20 per cent) who feed them daily during the winter months.

The advice is provided in order to help garden birdwatchers create the most attractive places possible for feathered visitors.

Blue tit, Parus caeruleus, perched on branch in garden. Co. Durham. October.Blue tit, Parus caeruleus, perched on branch in garden. Co. Durham. October.
Blue tit, Parus caeruleus, perched on branch in garden. Co. Durham. October.

Top tips for Big Garden Birdwatch

1. Put out some clean, fresh water. Birds need this for drinking and bathing. Water is particularly important during the winter when natural supplies may be frozen.

2. Clean your bird table and feeders. Just like us, birds need a clean place to eat to help keep them healthy. Wash feeders (ideally using a 5% disinfectant solution but warm soapy water is fine if you don’t have any). The RSPB recommends doing this weekly or every time the feeder is replenished

3. Put a variety of food out to increase the number of species visiting your garden or balcony. Small seeds, such as millet, attract mostly House Sparrows, Dunnocks and finches. Blue Tits, Great Tits and Greenfinches favour peanuts and sunflower seeds.

Filling in survey form, Big Garden Birdwatch event, Cambridgeshire, October 2013Filling in survey form, Big Garden Birdwatch event, Cambridgeshire, October 2013
Filling in survey form, Big Garden Birdwatch event, Cambridgeshire, October 2013

Claire Barnett, RSPB NI east area manager, commented: “We know that for many people, garden birds provide an important connection to the wider natural world and bring enormous joy.

“Over the last year, there has been a much-needed realisation that nature is an important and necessary part of our lives especially for our mental health and wellbeing.

“But nature needs us too.

“By taking part in the Birdwatch, you are helping to build an annual snapshot of how our birdlife is doing across the UK.

Robin Erithacus rubecula, on seed feeder with family watching in the background, back garden, Cheshire, October 2013Robin Erithacus rubecula, on seed feeder with family watching in the background, back garden, Cheshire, October 2013
Robin Erithacus rubecula, on seed feeder with family watching in the background, back garden, Cheshire, October 2013

“It is only by us understanding how our wildlife is faring that we can protect it.

“We know that nature is in crisis but together, we can take action to solve the problems facing nature.”

For four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world.

Last year’s results showed that for the fourth year in a row, house sparrows topped the Big Garden Birdwatch rankings in Northern Ireland.

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus, on RSPB bird table, Potton, Bedfordshire, OctoberWoodpigeon Columba palumbus, on RSPB bird table, Potton, Bedfordshire, October
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus, on RSPB bird table, Potton, Bedfordshire, October

Starlings flew into second place, while blackbirds moved up three places to third.

This weekend hundreds of thousands of people across the UK will be counting their garden birds for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

The public is asked to spend just one hour watching and recording the birds in their garden or balcony, and then send their results to the RSPB.

Last year more than a million people took part.

To take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2022, count the birds that land, not those flying over.

Tell the RSPB the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not the total you see in the hour.

Once you have recorded the birds that make a visit, submit your results online at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

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