Join the Big Garden Birdwatch

Keen birdwatchers can join in a free project to help a charity record local bird populations

WEST Berkshire residents have been invited to take part in the world's largest annual wildlife survey this weekend.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is asking people in the district to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch on Saturday and Sunday and help record the birds they see.

Everybody is welcome to take part in the free project and it only takes a minute to register on the RSPB website.

Local bird watching group, Newbury District Ornithological Club, has said that many of its members will be taking part and even West Berkshire's local MP and minister for the natural environment, Richard Benyon, will be out scouting for birds.

Mr Benyon said: “The Big Garden Birdwatch is something everyone can get involved in and I'm looking forward to taking part this year. Our bird populations are a good indicator of the wider health of our environment and the valuable information collected will help us understand more about why birds are in decline and what we do to help them.”

Last year in Berkshire, more than 8,000 people took part in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch, the highest ever recorded. The RSPB hopes even more people will join in this year and help to create a record of how our garden birds are doing.

RSPB media officer Sophie McCallum said: “We'd like to get as many people in Berkshire involved as possible. You don't have to be a birdwatcher. Everyone can enjoy watching the birds that visit their garden.

“By spending just one hour watching which birds come into your garden you will be adding to our knowledge. From the results we can see the ones that are doing well and those that may need our help.”

Blue tits were the most common bird in Berkshire gardens, with an average of 2.70 per garden. Woodpigeons took second place, with an average of 2.55 per garden, ousting Blackbirds into a close third, with an average 2.47 per garden.

To take part, all you have to do is register at their website, where an identification pack is available for download, and then spend one hour over the weekend counting the birds in your garden or local park and record the highest number of every bird species seen at any one time.

For further information, visit the RSPB website: www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch