The Big Garden Birdwatch happens but once a year. Run by the RSPB, this citizen science project collects vital information for conservation. For example, it has revealed the catastrophic declines in House Sparrow and Starling populations, which we assume common. All you need to do is watch birds in your garden or local area for an hour, and count every species you see. It is accompanied by many LIVE videos, not to mention quizzes and activities. Last year, ONE MILLION people took part. Let’s see if we can beat that this year.
We did ours yesterday, and it included a lovely little surprise in the form of Europe’s smallest bird.
We perched by the windowsill, binoculars at the ready, pencils poised. A box of biscuits had been opened especially. And with that, the hour started. We begun with a Dunnock flying in to perch on the fence. It sat there for a while, watching 2 Robins come and go, before diving under the feeders for the sunflower hearts that had been dropped by our resident Goldfinches, who were jabbing greedily at the feeder’s ports. Suddenly, a glossy Blackbird alighted on the fence where the Dunnock had been minutes before. But this bird didn’t hesitate to charge down the hanging table, and to gulp down the mealworms we had put out. A second Blackbird, this time as brown as the muddy leaves, joined the first.
It seemed everyone had eaten their fill and all went quiet for about 10 minutes. But then one of our local Nuthatches dived for the suet and restarted the frenzy. A Great Tit alighted on the fence, closely followed by a Blue Tit. They both went for the black sunflower hearts, and started cracking open their shells. A group of Chaffinches kept on returning to grab a bite, before retreating to the shelter of the oak tree. House Sparrows went for the seed mix and a Woodpigeon thudded onto the fence. I tore my eyes away from the party and began to scan the trees. More Chaffinch, another Nuthatch and something else. It was so tiny it could have fit in the palm of my hand. It had a striking golden crown. A Goldcrest, Europe’s smallest bird. It flitted about the tree’s slimmest branches, before taking flight towards the undergrowth.
Before long, the hour was up. It had absolutely flown by, with plenty of entertainment to be enjoyed.
The Bovey Birder 