WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Jackdaws build their loose twiggy nest in a hole or in a fork of a tree (or a chimney!) GARDEN YEAR LISTING Jays build nests in a fork of a tree higher than 2m above the ground. The stick and mud nest has an inner cup lined with hair etc. TAWNY OWL

An easy one – Tawny Owls are owls (the UK’S commonest owls) and they are tawny, which basically means orangebrown coloured. They are also called Brown Owls (or were in the olden days). The only complication to this simple naming system comes from the fact that Tawny Owls are a bit variable in tone, so most birds are red brown while others are much greyer. Indeed, the extremes may be considered ‘colour morphs’.

There are many ways to approach year listing. One which arguably requires the least effort (at least in terms of transport) is a garden year list. In general, birdwatchers take a slightly different approach to garden lists from, say, county lists. With a county list, most birders only count birds they record within the boundaries of the particular county. However, with garden lists, it is regarded (by most) as perfectly OK to count any bird seen or heard from within your house or garden. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules, and Ravens build their large nests of sticks high up on sheltered cliff ledges (including at the coast), tall buildings or even on towers or pylons as well as tall trees.

Carrion and Hooded Crow nests are bulky tangles of sticks and mud, usually high in tall trees, and solitary. Number of pairs of Wren in the UK (our commonest bird)

you can make your own rules up! Whatever you choose, keeping a garden year list is a great way to get more from your garden and surroundings and can make getting up in the morning to greet the dawn just that bit more bearable… Try and watch regularly if you can. You can even join in nationwide surveys if you want, with the Big Garden Birdwatch at the end of January or perhaps join the BTO’S monthly Garden Birdwatch scheme