Gardening for birds
from
28-30th.
The results for last year were amazing, with an incredible million plus participants and more than 17 million birds counted. While House Sparrow remained at the top, Common Starling dropped to third place, pushed out by Blue Tit.
To take part, simply choose a day and spend an hour counting the birds you see, noting the highest number of each species during that period. Full details of how to take part can be found at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.
The RSPB will be repeating its live event this year, which will be broadcast on both Facebook ( www.facebook.com/ RSPBLoveNature) and YouTube ( www.youtube.com/c/ RSPBVideo), providing a great opportunity to find out, and even watch, what is being seen across the UK, with a chance to ask questions of the experts. There will be live commentary from nature reserves and gardens, with many special guests. Visit the RSPB website during the Big Garden Birdwatch to take part live.
Private gardens are amazing places for birds and other wildlife, covering more than 270,000 ha. They are especially important in urban settings as domestic gardens have been estimated to make up 30% of the urban area in England.
The secret to a good bird garden is variety and careful planning. Wherever possible choose native plants. Aim to attract birds which are already in your area. A wellmanaged garden can provide important micro-habitats for wildlife such as trees and bushes, ponds, lawns, walls, rocks and hedges. Flowerbeds attract insects, and dead wood or leaves are perfect for many creepy crawlies which birds will eat. The provision of nestboxes and feeders enhance natural nest sites and food supplies.
There is a wealth of information available to help improve your garden for wildlife and the British Trust for Ornithology’s book Gardening for Birdwatchers is recommended. The following websites have some useful advice:
• www.rhs.org.uk/gardening – advice from the Royal Horticultural Society;
• www.rspb.org.uk/birds-andwildlife – essential information from the RSPB;
• www.wildlifetrusts.org/ gardening – ideas from the Wildlife
Trusts;
• www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk
– a joint project from RHS and the Wildlife Trusts.
Recent research in North America looking at birds in various habitats has shown that backyards which are specifically designed to benefit wildlife really do support more birds and so contribute to maintaining local bird diversity.
If you already have a thriving bird garden then you probably have a garden list. Now there is a Facebook page for the best of these: Garden Birding 100 ( bit.
ly/3rgDLKi). To join you have to have seen or heard 100 bird species in or from your UK garden (excluding remote nocturnal bird recordings). If you haven’t seen that many birds then why not challenge some birding friends to get the biggest garden year list, or even month-by-month lists. If you save your garden lists on eBird
( www.ebird.org) you can define the location as a ‘yard’ and compare it with others.
Chris Harbard