Watch the birdie

IT’S that time of year: the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is imminent, on January 28–30. Last year, more than a million people took part, counting 17 million birds, increasingly necessary as we’ve lost 38 million from UK skies in the past 50 years; in 2021, more birds than ever before were added to the charity’s red list, including the swift, house martin, greenfinch, goldeneye, smew, Bewick’s swan and dunlin. Visit www.rspb.org.uk for more details and to sign up.

Hot on its heels, the GWCT’S Big Farmland Bird Count takes place on February 4–20. ‘Farmers and gamekeepers are vital in helping to ensure the survival of many of our cherished farmland bird species, such as skylarks, yellowhammers (left), corn buntings (above) and wild grey partridges,’ explains GWCT’S Roger Draycott. They are also ‘responsible for managing the largest songbird habitat in this country… in a position to make a real difference’, There were 2,500 counts last year, almost double 2020; visit www.bfbc. org.uk to take part.