blue tit © Darin Smith

Features from Wildlife magazine Wildlife articles 2008 -- Spring 2008 -- ::Severn Barrage ::The Variety of life ::A year at Willsbridge ::Willsbridge comes of age ::Reaching out - Willsbridge ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2007 -- Autumn 2007 -- ::Thinking BIG ::Watery webs:the pond network ::Wildlife in the landscape ::Variety of life ::How to be a climate friend ::Seasonal stroll - Walborough ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2007 -- ::The Folly Farm appeal ::Weston Big Wood-biodiversity at its best ::The variety of life ::How to capture a butterfly ::How to get to know an orchid ::Seasonal stroll - WestonBigWood ::Reserves update -- Spring 2007 -- ::Folly Farm - a very special place ::Making a difference at Folly Farm ::How find the magic at Folly Farm ::Seasonal stroll at Folly Farm ::Magic spots at Folly Farm ::Batscapes ::Climate challenge ::Variety of Life - the Ponways project ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2006 -- Autumn 2006 -- ::The Severn Estuary ::Bird Watch results ::How to identify garden birds ::Making space for wildlife ::How does your garden grow? ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2006 -- ::Going for green ::Stand up and be counted ::Happy birthday NSLMP ::Holi day - a riot of spring colour ::Avon's species-rich grassland ::How to photograph dragonflies ::The Big Switch ::Round the reserves -- Spring 2006 -- ::How to identify winter water birds ::Make 2006 the year you... ::Invasive invasion ::Sowing the seeds: Willsbridge Mill ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2005 -- Autumn 2005 -- ::Indentify common funghi ::Build a hedgehog hideaway ::Big Bird Watch ::Champions for wildlife ::Round the reserves ::Seeds of the futre: Willsbridge Mill -- Summer 2005 -- ::Restoring Folly Farm ::How to become bee-friendly ::How to identify the butterflies of spring ::Save our seas ::The variety of life: hedgerows ::Round the reserves ::25 Ways to make a difference -- Spring 2005 -- ::The variety of life: water voles ::The Avon Biodiversity Action Plan ::How to take really good wildlife photos ::How to help your garden grow ::Round the reserves ::Seasonal strolls: Browns Folly ::Sowing the seeds: for wildlife for people ::Sowing the seeds: looking back

Big bird watch

Bird Watch was first launched in 2000 and encourages people to keep regular watch on their garden birds between October and April. It started as an initiative for Bristol's birds, but was extended last year to North Somerset, and survey forms have been returned from all over the region.

Participants receive a free pack with a simple survey form, notes on how to take part and tips on garden birds and their care. Over 2,000 people took part last winter bringing the total number of households that have taken part since the project began to just under 5,000!

The Results of Bird Watch 2004
63 different species were recorded, 35 of them very regularly, demonstrating the huge importance of the area's gardens for birds in winter and evidence suggests that at least 100,000 birds are being supported through the winter by garden feeding in the Bristol region.

Over four winters there has been an increasing trend in the percentage of gardens reporting dunnock, great spotted and green woodpecker, long-tailed tit, redwing, sparrowhawk and wren. A few gardens this year were privileged to have some of the 600 or so rare and beautiful waxwings that spread through the area from January to March - a once in a lifetime event! A number of species are much more frequent in the Bristol region than in the south west generally, including blackcap, long-tailed tit, wren, sparrowhawk, jay, magpie and wood pigeon.

Top Ten

The Bristol region's top ten most widespread birds were Starling, Sparrow and Pigeon counts.

Bird Watchers are asked to count the numbers of starlings, house sparrows and feral pigeons using their gardens on the last weekend of each month. House sparrows and starlings are counted because they are in decline nationally, and pigeons because they may be on the increase.

The results showed:

• Good news for starlings! After three years of decline; their numbers seem to have stabilized. This is an early sign so it's very important that we measure again next year to see what's really happening. Starlings were once the commonest winter bird in gardens and the reasons for their decline in the UK as a whole are not fully understood.
  
• Good news for house sparrows too. Numbers are now increasing in the Bristol region, though their density remains varied.
  
• Feral pigeon numbers fell slightly this year, in contrast to the increases over the past two years.

Get involved
Thanks to everyone who has taken part so far. You've helped make this one of the most extensive and detailed local garden bird surveys in the UK! Each year that the project runs the results become more valuable, allowing us to build a picture of how bird populations are changing over time. Please help us again this year - or if you've never had a go before why not give it a try? Please print off this survey form then tick the birds in this table if you see them in your garden each month. Alternatively, you can complete our online enquiry form to request a Bird Watch pack to be sent to you in the post once they are available.

The bird count takes place on the last weekend of each month between October 2005 and March 2006.