Pendle MP twitching to take part in biggest birdwatching event

This year’s event takes place on January 28th, 29th and 30th when the public is asked to spend just one hour watching and recording the birds in their garden, balcony or local park, then send their results to the RSPB. Over a million people took part in 2021, counting 17 million birds – making it the biggest Birdwatch ever.

Over the past year, we’ve seen how important the natural world is to our mental health and wellbeing. There has been a surge in interest in the nature on our doorsteps and many people have come to rely on garden birds to bring joy and comfort in these unsettling times.

Just one hour every year, for the last four decades, has made the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch the largest garden wildlife citizen science project. Now in its 43rd year, well over 150 million birds have been counted giving the RSPB an astonishing amount of insight into how our wildlife is faring.

Mr Stephenson said, “This is a fantastic initiative from the RSPB, and one that’s incredibly easy for us all to get involved with.

“Apart from the opportunity to get that little bit closer to nature, it’s also a way to help contribute to understanding the health of bird populations, not just in Pendle but right across Britain.”

For four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world. The house sparrow remained at the top of the Big Garden Birdwatch rankings as the most commonly seen garden bird with 2.6 million sighted in 2021. The blue tit and starling completed the top three.

While house sparrows and starlings may be amongst the UK’s most commonly sighted birds, a closer look at Big Garden Birdwatch data shows that numbers have in fact dropped dramatically since the Birdwatch began in 1979. House sparrows are down 58% while starlings are down 83%.

To take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2022, watch the birds in your garden or local park for one hour at some point over the three days. Only count the birds that land, not those flying over. Tell us the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not the total you see in the hour.

Visit, www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch