The results of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch are in
You may be interested, especially those of us who did the survey, that the results of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch came out this month.
Each January we are invited to record the birds we see over a period of one hour in our gardens, noting the highest number of each species seen at any one time.
Taken together and analysed across the nation, this gives a rough picture of how the different species have fared over the years and helps to indicate overall population trends.
This year’s Big Garden Birdwatch was the biggest ever with over a million people taking part, and more than 17 million birds counted, probably aided by the fact that so many of us were at home and in need of nature therapy – birdwatching being one of the easiest and best forms.
This year the top 10 species spotted across the UK were ranked as follows, and are broadly comparable with the rankings in 2020:
In pole position this year is the house sparrow, and indeed it has held this position for the 18th year running. I must admit that this surprised me a little as they rarely visit our garden, and it is well known that their numbers have dropped alarmingly in recent times.
But they are making a comeback and the decline now seems to be slowing. Since the survey began in 1979, house sparrow numbers have declined by over 50 per cent, but happily there has been a recovery in some areas, notably in Wales.
Blackbirds and robins have moved up the table, while greenfinches and chaffinches dropped out of the top ten. Chaffinch (12th) and greenfinch (20th) have not done so well and recorded their lowest numbers ever.
Starling has dropped from 2nd place last year to 3rd place this year, while blue tit has done the reverse. Robin has improved from 8th place to 6th. Blackbirds were seen in the most gardens, closely followed by robins, then blue tits and woodpigeons - the latter species now much commoner in towns and gardens than it was years ago.
Although it is good news that so many species of bird are being spotted in our gardens, nevertheless the picture for bird populations across the country is far from rosy and there are 19 million fewer pairs of breeding birds in the UK when compared with the late 1960s.
In terms of numbers breeding, the wren takes top spot across the country with an estimated 11 million pairs, followed by robin (7.3m), house sparrow (5.3m), woodpigeon (5.2m) and blackbird (5m).
There are still plenty of blackbirds around, but I rarely see a song thrush in the garden nowadays. The gradual decline of the song thrush is somewhat mysterious. Since the late 1960s they have declined, especially in farmland, perhaps because of the loss of hedges for nesting and pasture for feeding.
In the Garden Birdwatch in 1966 they were spotted in over half of gardens, while last year and this year they were recorded in only 9 per cent, and ranked a lowly 20th, just below greenfinch.
Having focused on the garden and feeders, at this time of the year I often gaze upwards, watching for the arrival of swallows and house martins.
Swallows have been seen nearby, and I expect by the time you read this I will have spotted some myself. House martins tend to arrive a little later. Last year there were still three or four nests under the eaves of the old Salvation Army shop in Covent Garden, and they have a stronghold at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
The Covent Garden building is being renovated and I am worried lest the house martins desert the site. Fingers crossed! Swallows and house martins have unfortunately declined by 20-30 per cent over the last 10 years.
Both bring us joy when they make it back after their perilous migrations.
- Martin Walters is a Cambridge-based writer and naturalist.
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RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch ni moja ya mashirika ya ndege ya kimataifa ambayo huadhimisha maonyesho ya ndege ya RSPB. Kila Januari tunaalikwa kurekodi ndege tunaowaona kwa muda wa saa moja katika bustani zetu, tukiona idadi kubwa zaidi ya kila spishi iliyoonekana wakati wowote. Kwa pamoja na kuchambuliwa katika nchi nzima, hii inatoa picha ya jumla ya jinsi spishi tofauti zimefanikiwa kwa miaka na husaidia kuonyesha mwenendo wa jumla wa idadi. Mwaka huu, Big Garden Birdwatch ilikuwa kubwa zaidi ya watu milioni moja walioshiriki, na zaidi ya ndege milioni 17 walihesabiwa, labda kwa msaada wa ukweli kwamba wengi wetu tulikuwa nyumbani na kuhitaji tiba ya asili - kuangalia ndege kuwa moja ya aina rahisi na bora. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""spishi 10 za juu zilizogunduliwa nchini Uingereza ziliorodheshwa kama ifuatavyo, na zinafanana sana na orodha ya 2020: Katika nafasi ya kwanza mwaka huu ni nyumba ya sparrow, na kwa kweli imeshikilia nafasi hii kwa mwaka wa 18 mfululizo." Ni lazima nikiri kwamba hili lilinishangaza kidogo kwani wao mara chache hutembelea bustani yetu, na inajulikana vizuri kwamba idadi yao imepungua kwa kushangaza katika nyakati za hivi karibuni. Lakini wanarudi tena na sasa inaonekana kwamba kupungua kwao kunapungua. Tangu uchunguzi huo ulipoanza mwaka 1979, idadi ya vipepeo wa nyumbani imepungua kwa zaidi ya asilimia 50, lakini kwa furaha kumekuwa na kupona katika maeneo fulani, hasa huko Wales. Ndege aina ya blackbird na robin wamepanda cheo, huku greenfinch na chaffinch zikianguka kutoka katika orodha ya kumi bora. Kwa upande mwingine, chaffinch (nambari ya 12) na greenfinch (nambari ya 20) hazikufanya vizuri na zilirekodi idadi yao ya chini kabisa. Starling imeshuka kutoka nafasi ya pili mwaka jana hadi nafasi ya tatu mwaka huu, wakati Blue Titus imefanya kinyume. Robin ameboresha kutoka nafasi ya nane hadi ya sita. Ndege aina ya blackbird ndio walioonekana katika bustani nyingi, wakifuatwa kwa ukaribu na robins, kisha blue tits na woodpigeons - spishi ya mwisho sasa ni ya kawaida sana katika miji na bustani kuliko ilivyokuwa miaka iliyopita. Ingawa ni habari nzuri kwamba aina nyingi za ndege zinapatikana katika bustani zetu, picha ya idadi ya ndege nchini kote ni mbali na rangi ya waridi na kuna jozi milioni 19 za ndege wa kuzaliana nchini Uingereza ikilinganishwa na mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1960. Kwa idadi ya wren, wren inachukua nafasi ya kwanza nchini kote na takriban jozi milioni 11, ikifuatiwa na robin (7.3m), nyumba sparrow (5.3m), woodpigeon (5.2m) na blackbird (5m). Bado kuna ndege wengi weusi, lakini ni mara chache sana mimi kuona wimbo thrush katika bustani siku hizi. Kupungua kwa hatua kwa hatua kwa aina hiyo ya mnyama ni jambo lisiloeleweka. Tangu mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1960, idadi ya wanyama hao imepungua, hasa katika mashamba, labda kwa sababu ya kupoteza mipaka ya kuwekea viota na malisho ya kulisha. Katika uchunguzi wa ndege wa mwaka 1966, ndege hao walionekana katika zaidi ya nusu ya bustani, wakati mwaka jana na mwaka huu waliorekodiwa katika asilimia 9 tu, na waliwekwa katika nafasi ya 20 tu, chini tu ya greenfinch. Baada ya kuzingatia bustani na wale wanaolisha, wakati huu wa mwaka mara nyingi mimi huangalia juu, nikitazama kuwasili kwa vipepeo na marlins za nyumbani. Swallows wameonekana karibu, na mimi kutarajia kwa wakati wewe kusoma hii nitakuwa spotted baadhi yangu mwenyewe. Wanyama wa aina ya house martin hufika baadaye kidogo. Mwaka jana kulikuwa na viota vitatu au vinne chini ya paa la duka la zamani la Jeshi la Wokovu huko Covent Garden, na wana ngome katika Hospitali ya Addenbrooke. Jengo la Covent Garden linarekebishwa na nina wasiwasi kwamba watu wa nyumba hiyo hawatakuacha. Vipande vya mikono! Kwa bahati mbaya, idadi ya swallows na house martins imepungua kwa asilimia 20-30 katika miaka 10 iliyopita. Wote wawili hutuletea shangwe wanaporudi baada ya kusafiri kwa njia hatari. - Martin Walters ni mwandishi na mtaalamu wa asili anayeishi Cambridge. Tembelea ukurasa wa mwandishi wa Martin kwa makala zaidi kama hizi: