House sparrow and fledgling

Dear Readers, the report on this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch has just been published, and very interesting (and sobering) reading it makes too. The top ten birds for the year are:

1. House Sparrw
2. Blue Tit
3. Woodpigeon
4. Starling
5. Blackbird
6. Robin
7. Great Tit
8. Goldfinch
9. Magpie
10. Long-tailed tit

The only change in position for this year is that starling and woodpigeon have switched places, with starling now at number four and woodpigeon at number three, but there are some other changes. Although house sparrows are at number one, there’s been an 11% fall in the numbers recorded. Starlings are down by 4%, blue tits by 5%, but woodpigeons are up by 2 %.

Of course, some of this might be down the vagaries of weather, and we’ll need a longer term study to see what’s happening in future. Nonetheless, numbers of birds have been declining for decades, as my Red List posts have reported, and our gardens are becoming more and more important. Interestingly, a number of birds are being seen in gardens that previously preferred other environments – I just accidentally scared off a jackdaw on the bird feeder, and overall garden sightings of the species are up by nearly 8%.

Jackdaw at Kenwood House in Hampstead

There has also been a 15% increase in song thrush sightings, which is surely a good thing.

Song thrush singing in East Finchley

Towards the bottom of the list (so small numbers but still increasing), there’s been a 37% increase in bullfinch sightings, and a 27% increase in blackcaps. I have still never seen a bullfinch in the garden, but blackcaps have become much commoner during my fifteen years in this house – blackcaps are increasingly spending the winter in the UK, in part because of all that handy food we put out for them.

Blackcap in Cherry Tree Wood

So it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the more unusual garden species are being seen more often, the common ones are still being seen but it looks as if numbers, particularly of house sparrow and starling, are dropping. What to do to turn the tide? One clear message is that birds are relying on our gardens more and more, so let’s make them safe spaces – no pesticides, clean feeders, as few places for cats to hide as possible. Nearly 600,000 people took part in the Garden Bird Watch this year. With all that interest, surely we can make a difference.

Blackbird. Rather like the penguin from Wallace and Gromit if you ask me.