Bristol Bird Watch

Bird Watch - Update

This year we hope that Bird Watch will be bigger still! If you've been involved in this project before, you may have noticed that we've changed our name. That's because this year North Somerset has joined in sponsoring the project, meaning we will be able to involve even more people and communities. This sponsorship will mean the project can continue to go from strength to strength and we're very excited about the move into North Somerset.

Last year 900 new people joined in surveying, meaning that almost 4000 people have taken part in the Bristol region over the past four years. Each year that the project runs the results become more valuable as we are able to build up a picture of how bird populations are changing, as well as getting an idea of how they are in any one particular year. Long term monitoring is vital if we are really going to pick up important changes. Bristol city council is committed to sponsoring the project for another two years, with an eventual target of ten years, finishing in 2010.

We hope that as many of you as possible will continue to take part - the more repeat surveys we get from the same gardens the better the results.

The top ten

The top ten birds were:

Bird Watch has also been keeping a monthly count of starlings, sparrows and feral pigeons.   Sparrows and starlings because they are in decline nationally, and pigeons because they may be on the increase.   The results show:

• Starling populations declined again this winter - their numbers have fallen by 42% since 2000/2001. This is a dramatic change as they were once the commonest winter bird.
• House sparrow numbers are stable, though the best areas have more then twenty times the density of the worst areas. Areas with high sparrow density also tend to have high starling density and vice versa.
• Feral pigeons are increasing in all areas between the last two winters, though it looks as if they're moving out of town centres, perhaps because of competition from gulls and crows.

Avon Wildlife Trust will be running Bird Watch again this autumn and if you would like to be included in our mailing list complete a simple online enquiry form to request a Bird Watch pack once they are available.

Thank you
We would like to thanks everyone who took part in 2004 and hope that many of you will take part again this year. If you have friends of neighbours who would like join in, they can contact us for a pack at number below.

Bird Watch Report
For a full report of the results, please send a cheque for £3.00 (payable to Avon Wildlife Trust) to the address below:

Avon Wildlife Trust, 32 Jacob's Wells Road, Bristol, BS8 1DR Tel: 0117 917 7270

Bristol Bird Watch is run by Avon Wildlife Trust in partnership with Bristol Naturalist's Society, Bristol Ornithological Club and Bristol City Council and North Somerset Council.

The Avon Wildlife Trust would like to acknowledge the support of North Somerset Council and Bristol City Council for the sponsorship of Bird Watch.