~ DAVID ATTENBOROUGH
Who wants to fatten up this winter?
Whilst some of us fervently attempt the opposite (with very little success may I add), the one's that really do need to fatten up are our feather friends.
The winter months are long and hard for our native birds.
For birds that are commonly found in the UK in winter, such as Blue Tits or the iconic Robin Redbreast, the shortened daylight hours, depleted seeds and often frozen ground present real difficulties for them finding food.
On cold nights, Robins can lose 10% of their body weight. You can help them replenish vital energy by making fat balls.
The suet or lard balls packed with bird seed will give the birds energy to keep going through the winter months and our step by step guide below shows you exactly how to make the perfect fat balls.
This is one messy activity that the kids and the birds will love in almost equal measure!
~ HOW TO MAKE FAT BALLS FOR THE BIRDS ~
Mix 1 part lard / suet with 2 parts bird seed, gently heat in a saucepan and allow to cool.
THE BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH 2024 WITH THE NSPB
You can read how to participate here. It's wonderfully straightforward, you simply count any groups of birds species you can see (ignoring those in flight) and record them. Best to record in groups of species you can see at any one time to avoid double counting!
HOW DOES BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH WORK?
Thanks to all those that participate in the survey, Big Garden Birdwatch with the RSPB now has over 40 years of data, helping to increase our understanding of the challenges faced by wildlife.
It was one of the first surveys to identify the decline of song thrushes in gardens. This species was a firm fixture in the top 10 in 1979. But by 2019, those numbers had declined by 76% – coming in at number 20. And did you know that house sparrow sightings have dropped by 53% since the first Birdwatch in 1979? However, in the past 10 years their numbers have grown by 10% showing that we are beginning to see some signs of recovery.
Results like these help us spot problems. But, more importantly, they are the first step towards putting things right.
Download our free printable sheet as a guide to knowing the most common birds to be found in your garden - and your littles can enjoy colouring all the lovely birds in after your hour of Big Garden Birdwatching.
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" Birds are the most accomplished astronauts the world has ever seen. They fly high and low, at great speed and very slowly. And always with extraordinary precision and control. " ~ David Attenborough
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