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As ever, the RSPB are kicked off 2010 with their biggest event of the year - Big Garden Birdwatch. The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch will be over the weekend 30 and 31 January and encourages people all over the country to count the birds in their garden for just an hour over this one weekend. It's very simple to take part and provides the RSPB with information and patterns in bird numbers that help them prioritise their conservation work. They are also celebrating Big Garden Birdwatch with a special promotional incentive to join the RSPB - new members joining between 19 January and 31 March can choose a FREE RSPB classic apex nest box (normally £11.99) as their free joining gift. More details about the event and how people can join in can be found at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. This was followed by the Make Your Nature Count Survey which ran until the 13th June. Make Your Nature Count follows the same method as Big Garden Birdwatch, just spend one hour watching and counting the birds in your garden. At this time of year, the birds you see are probably breeding in or around your garden. There are a few summer visitors to look out for too. This year, the RSPB are specifically asking whether house martins are nesting on your house. After youve done your count, please tell us whether you ever get any mammals in your garden. They have listed eight on the form including two species of deer and mole, which are new for this year. There are a few quick questions to answer on your garden and thats it! Visit the RSPB web site to submit your results or to find out more. It's Official small birds struggled to beat the snowy winter. Nearly 530,000 people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2010 and counted over 8 and a half million birds. The RSPB celebrated last year with the arrival of long-tailed tits in the top 10 for the first time, suggesting they were getting used to feeding on seeds and peanuts in hanging feeders and on bird tables. However, smaller bodied birds are particularly susceptible to the cold, having to eat almost continuously to stay alive, so they were very keen to get your counts and see just how the bad weather at the start of the year affected bird populations. As predicted, birds like the long-tailed tit, coal tit and goldcrest were the worst affected, with average numbers of all three species dropping significantly since the 2009 survey. Click here for RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch 2010 Record-breaking celebration. Well over half a million people celebrated the 30th year of the Birdwatch, making this the biggest bird survey in the world. A huge increase from humble beginnings in 1979 when just 30,000 children took part. Big Garden Birdwatch 2009 was held on 24 and 25th January 2009. Read more about RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch 2009 Birds on Top on the Focus Blog - RSPB RESERVES IN DEVON Isley Marsh is made up of saltmarsh
and intertidal mudflats on the southern edge of the Taw Torridge estuary
and lies largely within the estuary SSSI. As it is
mostly underwater at high tide, no management is carried out and no birds
breed. However, it is an important haven in the busy estuary for undisturbed
feeding and resting birds, especially the wintering flocks of ducks such
as teal and waders including significant numbers of curlew, greenshank
and dunlin. In recent years, numbers of little egret have increased and,
in winter, it is often possible to see spoonbills. An active group of
local volunteer wardens monitor the birds and try to keep disturbance
to a minimum. Visitor access is restricted to public footpaths, largely
outside the reserve itself, but allowing expansive views across the estuary
and the surrounding farmland. There is no public parking within two miles,
although the Tarka Trail runs along the
south side of the reserve, allowing easy foot and cycle access along this
former railway track.
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| A North Devon Focus Feature. RSPB for birds - for people - for ever | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Articles. Photographs and Illustrations ©Copyright P. Adams North Devon Focus 2010 - All rights reserved | ||||||||||||||||||||