Big Garden Bird Watch

I have just registered for the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch. I do this every year and I love it.Through doing it every year I have been able to see birds that I didn't realise came into my garden like the Dunnock and the Green Finch. Sitting watching the birds for one hour is so relaxing and very very enjoyable.

Always do it. It's a case of choosing the right hour as well

It's a lovely thing to do and shows me the different birds that come in quite large numbers one year not again. One year we have loads of bramblings. I don't think they uncommon but we hadn't had them before. We haven't had them since either. 

I've spent hours with the binocs and the bird book and there's still quite a mixed collection of 'little brown birds'

I've registered now

I do this every year too and like to keep my own record to see how things have changed in my garden.  Its nice to see how the number of species has increased as the garden has developed and when you get the results back from the RSPB you feel very pleased if a declining species is thriving in your own garden . 

It's good to have contact with like minded people as well. BIL here today, commented on all the bird activity which he enjoyed. But he doesn't feed the birds. He knows what he's been missing now. 

That's very true nutlcutlet.  People who come to my house often say how lucky I am to have all these different birds in the garden and close to the house.  When I tell them all they really need to do to start is put food and water out regularly they seem so surprised

I suppose they've just never thought about it, some people aren't very in contact with the natural world. I wasn't so much when I was younger but now I think about it all the time. A while back 2 ecologists became my neighbours, now I'm even more involved. They've introduced us to moth traps, educated us on the pipistrelles and the different dragonflies and they bring rescued amphibians to share the ponds with our resident great crested newts. Now everything I grow I think, what will like that?

If you know anyone who thinks the object of the garden birdwatch is to cheat on times to count as many birds as they can, please persuade them not to. A nil return is as valuable as any other.

yes, that would be a daft thing to do. It's not a competition it's a survey.

Making up the number of birds seen in your garden is rather silly, like you say it is not a competition, it is important for the RSPB to know how many birds are visiting. As usual, lovely comments from you all, thank you for reading my thread.