The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch!
The Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey. Every year, hundreds of thousands of nature lovers like you take part, helping to build a picture of how garden birds are faring. The Big Garden Birdwatch will run from the 26th January until 28th January. Find out how we will be taking part!
What will we be doing at the farm?
Each day at the farm we will be doing our own bird count using our own chalkboard to count the many different types of birds we see. There will be a staff member at the location, to help you identify the birds we might spot and to tell you a bit about how we can help our wonderful native wildlife. Make sure you bring your best pair of eyes, ready to spot as many birds as you can! You will be able to mark off the birds you have seen, along with others, so we can identify what is the most spotted bird that day! There will be bird identifier sheets to help you tell between the different species that you may encounter.
Our farm birdwatch will take place for 1 hour, from 11am-12pm on Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th January, in the Tea Rooms gardens.
In our activity shed, there will be some conservation ideas that you can go and look at, so you can take the knowledge you have learnt home. For example, how to make your own bird seed! For our younger visitors, they will have the opportunity to colour in their own bird on an activity sheet.
How can we help birds at home over the cold periods?
In the colder months, it can be challenging for the smaller wildlife as their food sources are limited. The temperatures are low, with drastic weather changes, so in order for them to survive, they need to conserve their energy until the warmer months. So, we can do our bit by helping them survive the difficult periods, and this is very important for animals, like the smaller birds, as they do not go into hibernation.
A very important thing is helping birds with their fat intake, as this helps them to keep them warm. So why not try making your own fat blocks or purchasing them from your local garden centre? However, it is also important to ensure a balanced diet for these birds, so you can provide them with options such as grain mix or nuts as well. A very common way of feeding the birds, is using a wire mesh feeder, and in these you can put mixed seeds or peanuts in.
Top Tip: Put your wire mesh feeder off a tree branch or fence in your garden, so it is the perfect height for them!
Another important factor for these birds, is their water intake. They must have a clean, fresh water supply. You can provide this in the form of a water bath or even a shallow dish filled with water (raised slightly off the ground). This water must be cleaned out daily, to avoid the risk of common diseases for birds, and especially on the colder days, where the water may have the potential of freezing over.
What might you see at the farm?
We see lots of Magpies here at the farm, make sure if you spot one land on the ground, you mark it off on the board… and give it a salute!
You may even spot a House Sparrow on your big birdwatch, use your sheet to identify them!
I’m sure you have all seen these guys around before, they are super common. We see lots of Pigeon’s here at the farm, so get your chalk at the ready!
If you are visiting the farm over this weekend, for the Big Garden Birdwatch, why not ask our Farmers for their top tips, or let them know some of yours! I wonder how many birds we will spot.
