RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch ready to take off
This weekend more than half a million people across the country will be dusting off their binoculars take part in the world's biggest birdwatching event.
Last year almost 20,000 people across Staffordshire and the Black Country took part The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' annual Big Garden Birdwatch.
The event is now in its 36th year and keen birdwatchers have spent a combined total of over 200 million hours watching and recording birds visiting their gardens – with a national total of 7,274,159 birds spotted.
The annual birdwatch event asks participants to spend an hour watching the skies from their own back gardens recording the type and number of each bird spotted.
The 2015 event is taking place this Saturday and Sunday. Participants are being asked to register at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch for an information pack and then submit their results to the RSPB by February 13, either online or by post.
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The group then uses the figures to build up a picture of the national bird population and how it is changing.
There will also be opportunities to get involved in group birdwatching activities throughout the West Midlands over the weekend.
On Sunday bird lovers are invited to the RSBP base at 20 Tanhouse Avenue in Sandwell Valley, West Bromwich between 10.30am and 2pm, to spend an hour counting the birds that call Sandwell home.
Alex Sharrod, RSPB visitor officer, says "This is a wonderful opportunity to take part in the world's biggest wildlife survey; it's a great chance to discover more about Sandwell's wildlife and help us understand more about how this changes from year to year."
So, what can you expect to see this weekend?
Last year, the most popular bird in the West Midlands, Staffordshire and the whole country was the house sparrow, a small, common bird that can live in rural or urban areas.
It had an average of three sightings every hour in the West Midlands, while birdwatchers in Staffordshire were treated to four sightings every hour.
Blackbirds were found flying above Staffordshire at a rate of three every hour, while two blue tits and wood pigeons graced the skies across the West Midlands every 60 minutes.
Other popular birds across both Staffordshire and the West Midlands were starlings, great tits, robins and goldfinch.
Despite topping the national and regional sightings, a local representative of the RSPB says sightings of sparrows are declining.
Barry Proffitt, group leader for the RSPB Wolverhampton group, said: "In the West Midlands there has been some interesting changes over the last couple of years.
"The number of house sparrow and finches being spotted is decreasing, despite their high rankings.
"The West Midlands, as a heavily populated area with lots of buildings, isn't ideal for a bird to live in and the number of tarmacked drives and paved over gardens is always increasing.
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"Recently two parakeets were spotted in West Park, so a few birdwatchers may head over there to try and get them on their list, which would be a real coup."
He said the charity is keen for people who would not normally get involved with birdwatching to give it a go.
He said: "This sighting may encourage people who don't usually do this sort of thing to take part.
"That is always an aim of ours, because it really is fascinating what you can learn about nature just by stopping and taking the time to have a look around."
This year the charity is asking budding ornithologists to 'look at their garden through the eyes of a bird'. Organisers have said participants should watch how the birds use their garden as well as watching the birds themselves.
When the results are gathered at the end of the weekend, they help provide important information about the changes in numbers of birds that use gardens in winter.
This then helps alert conservationists to species in decline across the country like house sparrows, greenfinches and starlings.
The RSPB hopes to use the data to build an overall picture of how important our gardens are for all types of wildlife and tailor its advice so people can help their wild visitors find a home, feed and breed successfully.
Last year, for the first time, participants were asked to log other wildlife they had seen in their gardens,to help build an overall picture of how important they are when it comes to giving nature a home. And again this year they will be asked to make a note of other wildlife activity they have seen over the past 12 months when they return their form.
RSPB conservation scientist, Dr Daniel Hayhow, said their are various way to encourage birds and other wildlife into your garden.
He said: "Making your garden more nature-friendly is the best way you can help the birds and other wildlife that use it – and by doing so you'll attract even more to your garden for you to enjoy.
"Whilst putting out food for birds is important, it's not the be-all and end-all.
"Birds need a wide variety of plants to shelter and perch to be able to make use of the feeders we provide in winter, as well as nectar-rich plants that attract insects in summer.
"During this year's Birdwatch look at how the birds approach your feeders using the various trees, shrubs and bushes."
Experts are interested to see how the mixed weather conditions around the UK so far this year is affecting birds and other wildlife.
Will numbers be low because natural food sources in the countryside are abundant, or will birds appear in their droves to make the most of garden feeders?
There is only one way to find out.
To sign up for the RSPBs Big Garden Birdwatch and for information on identifying different birds visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch
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