Big Garden Birdwatch 2022
The Big Garden Birdwatch
The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2022 took place over the final weekend of January. The Birdwatch helps the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) to monitor garden birds. Thirty-eight million birds have been lost from UK skies in the last 50 years. Others are becoming scarce. Greenfinches, for example, used to be a regular garden visitor when I was a child. But such is their decline that in 2021, they were added to the UK Red List for Birds. Over a quarter of British birds are on the Red List, and there are currently 9 species of UK birds threatened with global extinction. Others on the Red List include the house sparrow, and starlings. Both of which frequented our garden when I was younger. I find it hard to imagine our son not having the opportunity to see these birds in the wild.
Joining In
The Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest wildlife survey. Over a million people took part last year, providing vital information on garden birds. Our son joined in this year, and we set aside the Sunday morning to participate. Having made some easy feeders, and hung them out, we settled to watch.
The Birdwatch asks participants to count the maximum number of birds of each type seen at a single time (to avoid double counting) over a one hour period. Birds flying over the viewing area are not included in the count.
We saw many regular visitors during the time we watched. A pair of robins were the first to arrive (I’m sure one of them is the robin which sings beautifully for much of the night). A magpie, a group of house sparrows, blackbirds, a collared dove, wood pigeons, and blue tits made up the numbers.
Fun Facts
- Robins were known as storm cloud birds in Norse mythology, and sacred to the god Thor. The appearance of a robin is meant to be good luck, and a sign that deceased loved ones are visiting.
- In ancient Rome, the magpie was associated with magic and fortune telling. According to Native American legends, the magpie was considered a friend of hunter-gatherer tribes.
- To ancient Greeks, house sparrows were a symbol of love. Egyptians looked on sparrows as pests who stole grain. They used a hieroglyph of a sparrow (the ‘bad bird’) to represent small, bad things.
- Out of all the black coloured birds, why is it the blackbird who takes the name of the colour? The most likely explanation is that in the 1400s, when the term ‘blackbird’ was first used, the blackbird was the most widely known black ‘bird’ known in the British Isles. Until sometime around the 18th century, larger black birds such as crows were considered fowl rather than birds.
- The collared dove’s scientific name is Streptopelia Decaocto. This comes from the Greek Streptos (collar), Peleia (dove) and Decaocto, after a Greek servant girl. In Greek mythology, the servant girl complained about her low wages of 18 pieces a year (decaocto), asking the gods to help her. Zeus turned her into a dove, so she could escape.
- Pigeons are symbols of prosperity, and fertility. It’s thought that this arises because both parent birds create food for their offspring. Wood pigeons are one of a very small group of birds which produce ‘milk’ (a secretion made in their crop) to feed their young.
- Sailors thought of blue tits as bringers of good luck. The birds don’t tend to stray far from their territory, so to see a blue tit while onboard a ship meant that land was nearby.
Declining Birds
We reported our sightings to the RSPB towards their report on this year’s birdwatch (due around April). Sadly, it is likely the report will show continued decline of some of our bird species.
There are many reasons for the decline. Changes in farming practices are a major contributor. These include the increased effectiveness of pesticides, which kill many of the insects and wild plant seeds (often referred to as weeds) which birds rely on for food. The increase in field size, leading to the destruction of hedgerow nest sites is another factor. As is the reduction of mixed farming, meaning the diversity of habitat has decreased.
Habitats are also disappearing as more buildings are constructed. Pigeons and magpies are more adaptable to the changing conditions than smaller birds are, which is why we often see more of these. Magpies are sometimes thought of as a reason for other birds declining. Although they do predate other birds’ eggs and young, this accounts for at most 10% of a magpie’s diet. Extensive research has found no evidence to link this to the reduction in populations of other birds.
Over manicured lawns, and concreted areas also reduce opportunities for garden wildlife visitors. I’ve written before about the obsession with grass cutting, and the need to let some wild areas flourish.
Birds and Mental Health
Research by academics at the University of Exeter, the British Trust for Ornithology and the University of Queensland found that birds are good for your mental health.
The study, involving hundreds of people from a wide range of backgrounds, found benefits in being able to see birds, shrubs and trees around the home. This applied both to urban and suburban areas.
It was found that lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress were associated with the number of birds people could see from their windows. The species didn’t seem to have an impact, it was simply the number of birds which people could see.
Even after applying controls for a wide range of socio-demographic factors, the positive association between birds, shrubs, trees, and better mental health applied.
We love seeing wildlife, and will continue encouraging birds to our garden, by letting wild flowers grow, putting food out, and making sure water is available. And for now, at least, our son will have the pleasure of seeing some avian visitors in the garden.
[A selection of some of the garden birds who’ve dropped in over the months.]
