By Miranda Krestovnikoff, RSPB President
Big Garden Birdwatch starts today (Friday, January 29) and I have to admit, I’ve probably looked forward to this one more than any other I can remember. And I’m guessing I’m not alone in that.
Young girl preparing her feeder for the Big Garden Birdwatch. (Image by Eleanor Bentall RSPB Images)
The family calendar, usually packed with trips to relatives, friends’ get togethers, days out and weekends away, is looking a bit forlorn right now. Watching the big green circle around January 29, 30 and 31 has really brightening my month!
It’s certainly not been the start to 2021 any of us hoped for, finding ourselves in another tough lockdown. But through all of this, I also know I’m not alone in finding a fantastic escape through nature, a real endorphin-boosting rush when I’m striding through a frosty field, smelling the wonderful damp earth of a woodland or simply watching the birds at my feeders.
Getting started
Big Garden Birdwatch allows you to do your bit for citizen science just by sitting on the sofa, watching birds in your garden! (Image by Eleanor Bentall RSPB Images)
There’s surely never been a better time to set aside an hour of your weekend to sit at the window and just drink in what you can see in the garden. It’s positively encouraged that you also drink in a lovely cuppa and enjoy something delicious to eat too!
You don’t have to be an expert bird-watcher to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch – the RSPB provides a guide, including a bird identification chart and some tips for your Birdwatch, along with advice on how to attract wildlife to your garden. The BTO’s blog on feeding the birds earlier this week has lots of great tips too.
This year, you can join us for our very first Birdwatch Live, including a quiz I’m co-hosting this evening with Dr Amir Khan, along with a series of livestreams and online content throughout the weekend to inspire, inform and get even more from your Birdwatch! You can also watch live cameras from some of our reserves, like this one at .
Amazing results
House sparrows have held the top spot for garden sightings in recent years (Image by Ben Andrew RSPB Images)
This event has been running for an amazing four decades now, charting the rises and falls of garden bird numbers. The plucky house sparrow has been our number one sighting for a few years now, with almost 1.3 million recorded during 2020’s Birdwatch, followed by starlings and blue tits.
But a closer look at our Birdwatch data shows that numbers have in fact dropped dramatically since it began in 1979. House sparrows are down 53%, starlings a massive 80%. It’s a pattern echoed by two more garden favourites, with blackbirds and robin numbers 46% and 32% lower respectively.
Being able to collect this kind of information is invaluable to us. It gives our scientists a regular and consistent flow of data, as they look into the reasons behind the declines and try to find ways of reversing them. Having almost half a million people all busy watching and counting for a weekend is citizen science work like no other - in fact it’s the world’s largest garden wildlife survey!
Nature’s helping hand
Bird feeders can get very busy at this time of year! (Image by Jenny Tweedie RSPB Images)
And whilst we know this event is helping our birds, it’s also helping us too. It’s a chance to put our busy, stressful lives on hold for an hour and just lose ourselves in the antics of our garden birds. Last year, my family was thrilled to see a marsh tit and a great spotted woodpecker during our hour, along with a host of other birds – just amazing!
But whether you see one starling or a multitude of different species, it’s all important information. And for you yourself, the act of looking at nature and slowing things down is the key thing. It’s both comforting and fortifying, helping us recharge and realign. It’s a reminder that nature can help us through these difficult times!
Registering couldn’t be easier. Just visit . And don’t forget your biscuits!
Miranda Krestovnikoff, RSPB President