Birds flock to countryside as mild winter leaves rich pickings

Experts say the helter-skelter weather this winter has 
affected the number of birds visiting gardens with mild weather meaning birds have instead sought to find more food in the countryside.

The claim comes from the RSPB as it launched its annual Big Garden Birdwatch, an event participated in by more than half a million people, and set to take place this weekend.

With many of the UK’s garden birds in decline, the wildlife charity is calling for more people than ever to take part in the scheme to record bird numbers in parks and gardens to help assess the state of UK wildlife. Last year’s Big Garden Birdwatch saw starlings hit an all-time low, while house sparrows dropped 17 per cent in 2013 compared with 2012 figures, bullfinches were down a fifth and dunnocks fell 13 per cent.

For the first time, people are also being asked to tell the RSPB if they ever see some other wildlife in their gardens, including deer, squirrels, badgers, hedgehogs, frogs, and toads.

Martin Harper, RSPB conservation director, said: “Winter has felt more like autumn for many of us and this could have a significant impact on the number of birds in our gardens.

“Birds come into gardens for food when they can’t find it in the wider countryside but if insects and berries continue to be 
available long into winter, numbers visiting gardens may be down.”

To take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, people just need to spend an hour birdwatching at any time over the coming weekend, recording the highest number of each bird species seen in their garden or outside space at any one time.