Some of the RAREST birds ever seen SPOTTED in UK during world's biggest ever nature watch

LUCKY nature lovers have discovered some of the rarest birds ever seen in Britain by taking part in the planet’s biggest garden wildlife survey.

By STUART WINTER

PUBLISHED: 13:18, Fri, Jan 25, 2019 | UPDATED: 13:20, Fri, Jan 25, 2019

As the Big Garden Birdwatch celebrates its 40th anniversary this weekend, conservationists are revealing the highs and lows of the mass citizen science project. While the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ annual winter nature count has charted the marked decline of the house sparrow and starling in the nation’s gardens, some lucky observers have spotted exotic visitors from all points of the compass. One of the most amazing discoveries was a straggler from across the Atlantic that turned up on the streets of London – the striking American robin.

Only 30 of these red-breasted thrushes – close relatives of the blackbird rather than our native robin – have ever made it to British shores since the first sighting in the early 1950s, many drawing huge crowds of twitchers.

The use of an animatronic American robin rather than the British species in the Spoonful of Sugar scene of Disney classic Mary Poppins, supposedly set in Edwardian London, has been described as one of Hollywood’s biggest bloopers. Yet delighted observers taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch were lucky to a get a sighting of a real American robin in Peckham in 2006.

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Get ready for January's Big Garden Birdwatch

VALERIE ROBINSON

19 December, 2015 01:00

NOW is the time to make a pledge to kick off 2016 by doing something great for nature from the comfort of your own home. The RSPB Northern Ireland's annual Big Garden Birdwatch, the world's largest garden wildlife survey, celebrates its 37th year on the weekend of January 30 and 31.

What I love about this event is that it provides a way for veteran and novice nature buffs to spend time appreciating wildlife in their own backyards while helping to provide information on the wellbeing of our best-known bird species across the north.

“It couldn't be easier to take part in the survey. Pick up a survey leaflet from your local RSPB NI nature reserve during January or register at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. Then make yourself a cuppa, grab a biscuit and spend one hour during the Birdwatch weekend counting the visitors to your garden,” says spokeswoman Amy Colvin.

Last year more than 22,000 in Northern Ireland took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch and of the 127,700 birds they counted, house sparrows were the most commonly seen.

The Big Garden Birdwatch also asks participants to record other garden wildlife, including hedgehogs and squirrels. See rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.

Also, teachers and pupils should take note that they can take part in Big Schools' Birdwatch between January 4 and February 12. More at rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch.

Meanwhile, the latest assessment of the status of all the UK's 244 birds, entitled Birds of Conservation Concern 4, shows that 67 species are now classed as being of 'highest conservation concern'.

Big Garden Birdwatch returns on 24/25 January

The RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch is back on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 January 2015, giving people across the UK the chance to be part of the world’s biggest wildlife survey. 

Around half a million people across the UK took part in 2014 and between them counted more than seven million birds. 

The wildlife survey, now in its 36th year, provides the RSPB with an important snapshot of garden bird populations in winter and has helped to highlight some dramatic declines in UK garden birds over the last three decades years. 

Everyone can join in by spending just one hour at any time over Big Garden Birdwatch weekend noting the highest number of each bird species seen in their gardens or local park at any one time then submitting the results to the RSPB. 

Schoolchildren and teachers will be doing the same in their school grounds as part of Big Schools’ Birdwatch from 5 January - 13 February.

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How you can be part of the world’s biggest garden wildlife survey

The countdown has begun for the world’s biggest garden wildlife survey.

And more people in Lancashire than ever before are being called upon to take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch on January 25-26. They are being asked to simply count the birds in their garden or local park for one hour over Big Garden Birdwatch weekend and tell the RSPB what they see.

But for the first time ever in the event’s 35-year history the RSPB wants to hear about the other creatures on view to create an even better picture of what is happening to our wildlife.

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