Big Garden Birdwatch

I was pleased to discover yesterday that this weekend is the weekend of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. I always enjoy taking part in this. I hope the weather is a bit better than last year. Then it was very stormy so most of our birds hid away. All you have to do is spend an hour sometime over the weekend, counting the birds in your garden. You only count the birds you can see at any one time, as often a single bird flits in & out of your view & the same bird would otherwise be counted multiple times. There's no need to count birds flying overhead, just those that settle on the ground or in trees. The results are then sent to the RSPB. Easy.

Usually I sit in the warmth, behind the window of our kitchen door. Binoculars at the ready. A pad of paper & a pen on the work surface next to me. Before I begin, I usually list our regular visitors so I just have to note the numbers as I count the birds. I always keep a bird book next to the pad in case some stranger arrives whose species I don't recognise. It makes a very pleasant interlude, whilst feeling that you are doing something positive to help the RSPB in its work.