Take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend

The world’s largest garden wildlife survey runs from Friday January 28 - Sunday 30.

Over its four decades, with the help of local people, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world, giving the RSPB an astonishing amount of insight into how our wildlife is faring.

In 2021, more than one million people across the UK took part – making it the biggest Birdwatch ever, with an incredible 17million birds counted over a three-day period

Last year it was the humble house sparrow that topped the charts for the most sightingsnationally, accounting for 64 percent of all recorded sightings.

It was followed by the starling, in second place, and the blue tit in third.

Figures for East and West Sussex mirrored the national figures for the three most common sightings.

Blackbirds and robins also did well last year, both moving up the table and coming in at fourth and sixth place respectively.

Meanwhile, finch numbers continued to fall, with greenfinches and chaffinches recording their lowest numbers ever.

Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s chief executive, said: “Over the past year, we’ve seen how important the natural world is to our mental health and wellbeing.

“There has been a surge in interest in the nature on our doorsteps and many people have come to rely on garden birds to bring joy and comfort in these unsettling times.