gb supp 2018 (1)

GET THE BEST FROM YOUR
BIRD-FRIENDLY GARDEN
Tim Gainey/Alamy*
Watching your garden birds?
Make your records count!
WHY MONITOR GARDEN BIRDS?
By sending your garden bird records to the
British Trust for Ornithology, you can make a
difference to its understanding of how birds use
our gardens, and how changes in our cities and
countryside are affecting birds.
The BTO Garden BirdWatch Survey has
been running since 1995 and has charted the
decline of House Sparrow, has linked garden
feeding with the increase in wintering Blackcaps
in the UK over the last 30 years, and has helped
us understand how birds choose between natural
foods and garden bird feeders.
Monitoring and recording your garden wildlife
also gives you an opportunity to watch more
closely, and understand the changes and
differences across seasons, as well as interesting
behaviours which you may, of course, have
previously overlooked.
A MESSAGE FROM THE BTO...
We are asking people to join our community of
more than 11,000 Garden BirdWatchers, and
send in simple weekly lists of the birds in your
garden. We are interested in all garden types,
from small to large, from urban to rural. By
recording on a weekly basis we can see
patterns of garden use and how it changes
depending on the time of year.
For example, we see a clear dip in Blackbird
sightings in the late summer and early autumn.
This is a time when they are most secretive,
while going through moult, and there is also a
lot of available food in the wider countryside.
The time that you spend doing the survey is
up to you, and it can fit into your schedule. You
might wish to record all the species you see
throughout the week, or you might wish to
dedicate a set time every Saturday morning.
Whatever time you can give is fine, but all we
ask is that you are consistent from week to week.
Many Garden BirdWatchers also want to record
other wildlife and there is an option to record
butterflies, dragonflies, bumblebees and
mammals. You can send us your counts on paper
forms, or on our simple online system.
GET INVOLVED
You can get involved by signing up online at
bto.org/gbw or by contacting us via email
(gbw@bto.org), or phone (01842 750050).
The administration is supported by
participants through a yearly subscription of
£17, and for this you receive a free 'Garden Birds
and other wildlife' book which provides a
fantastic handbook for a garden birdwatcher,
and quarterly magazines, updating you on the
progress and results of the survey.
birdwatching.co.uk 21