Nature charity the RSPB is encouraging people on the Isle of Man to take part in the world’s biggest wildlife survey later this month.
The Big Garden Birdwatch is a chance for everyone to help nature by donating just one hour to count the birds and other wildlife in their gardens. The data gathered from this survey provides a vital health-check of the wildlife that makes its home here.
In 2016 almost 500 people on the Isle of Man took part in the world’s biggest wildlife survey earlier this year, including children from three local schools. House sparrows swooped into the top spot locally after being seen in around 75 per cent of gardens and green spaces.
Now this year, for the first time, the charity is extending the Big Garden Birdwatch weekend by another day to give even more people the chance to get involved.
Just visit the Birdwatch website (www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch) and spend one hour counting the birds you see at any time during 28, 29 or 30 January. You can use the handy online bird counting tool on the website to identify and record the birds as you see them directly on your laptop, tablet or smartphone. Or, if you’ve registered in advance, you can fill in a paper survey form and post it back to the RSPB. They’d also love you to log some of the other wildlife you see in your garden – from squirrels to hedgehogs.
As temperatures drop, the natural food available for wildlife becomes scarcer and so birds are more likely to visit our gardens in the hope of supplementing their diets. RSPB NI recommends providing a mix of food sources like seeds, peanuts, sunflower hearts and suet balls to help them keep their energy up during the winter months. These can be bought in most supermarkets, garden centres and pet shops. Kitchen leftovers like mild grated cheese, cold potatoes, apples and pastry scraps will also go down a treat.
Register to take part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2017 now at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. Children can also get involved by counting the birds which visit their school grounds until 17 February. Teachers can get involved in Big Schools’ Birdwatch at www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch.
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