TODAY! Big Garden Birdwatch
World’s biggest wildlife survey
The rspb’s big garden birdwatch (30-31 January 2010)
Around half a million people are expected to be watching the garden birds this weekend (30-31 January) for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.
So, you want to take part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2010? Excellent news, as it’s simple and fun, and your results will help us to understand more about the UK’s garden birds.
That’s ’simple’ covered, then!
What about the ‘fun’? Well, that starts when you settle down for your hour watching and recording the highest number of each bird species seen in your garden, or local park (not flying over) at any one time, on either Saturday 30 or Sunday 31 January 2010.
NB – The RSPB site seems to be down (probably inundated!), so try the Google Cached Version here.
As Britain has endured its harshest winter since the launch of Big Garden Birdwatch over 30 years ago, The RSPB is particularly keen to know how the wintry conditions have affected garden bird numbers and whether people see any unusual visitors. There has been huge interest in garden birds during the snowy weather, with RSPB switchboards and website being inundated with people looking for advice on feeding hungry garden birds and help identifying unusual visitors. Big Garden Birdwatch should help us understand the effects of the prolonged cold weather.
The extraordinarily harsh weather is particularly bad for birds with small bodies like robins, long tailed-tits and wrens. Says Dr Avery, “ It’s unlikely the long tailed tit, which famously flew into tenth place in 2009, will remain in the top ten this year. Sadly, we may even see the nation’s favourite garden bird, the robin, also fall out of the top ten in 2010. If this is the case, it’ll be the first time the robin hasn’t featured in the top ten since the start of the survey.”
The RSPB is also keen to identify any regional variations that occur as birds fly to milder regions in search of areas less affected by the weather or where natural food is still readily available.
Sarah Kelly, the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch co-ordinator, said: “Big Garden Birdwatch is a fun, easy activity that anyone can do. All you need is a pen, some paper and just one hour of your time over the weekend 30-31st January. Record the highest number of each species seen at any one time and send us your results. It’s that simple!”
Visit the RSPB website www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch for more information and to submit your results online.
Simples.
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