Big Garden BirdWatch Preparations 2021

It's nearly time for the annual RSPB Big Garden BirdWatch. The bears like to do this every year. It involves counting how many different birds visit your garden in a given hour over a specific weekend. This year's BirdWatch takes place between 29th and 31st January. You can visit the RSPB website at www.rspb.org.uk to request a free pack which gives you lots of information and explains exactly what to do.

The bears always put out plenty of food for the birds in their garden, some of which is for specific types of birds because birds don't all like the same food - just like bears don't!

They did decide, though, that they needed to make sure there was lots of water for the birds too. The birds use it for drinking (of course) but they also use it for bathing. The bears aren't actually too keen on baths themselves, but birds are because it helps to keep their feathers in tip-top condition - which is very important for them as they do so much flying!

Honeybees are also frequent visitors to birdbaths, as they need water to regulate the temperatures within the bee colony on hot summer days.

So the bears decided to make a nice new bird bath for the birds in their garden. They found a large plastic saucer - the kind you put under plant pots. It was reasonably shallow, with sloping sides and quite wide. They were going to just lay it directly on the lawn, but then decided that it might be better slightly off the ground.

So they found 2 plant pots (one slightly smaller than the other), and used them on top of one another, to make a column on which they placed the saucer. They made sure it was very secure - they didn't want a tiny wren landing on the edge and tipping it over!

They put it in an open position, where the birds could see all around, but also close enough to any bushes or trees so that the birds could dive into cover if they needed to. It also needed to be away from anywhere where cats might be able to hide and jump out at them.

They set up their birdbath, and put some gravel and little pebbles in the bottom (so that the birds had something to grip on to in the water and the honeybees would be able to climb out if they got into any difficulty). They filled their birdbath with rainwater from one of their water butts, but you could also use tapwater. You only need to fill it with a couple of inches of water.

The birds love it in the summer months because it helps them to stay cool, but they also need to drink during the winter too, so make sure you always keep it clean and filled with water. In very cold weather, you might have to break the ice off the top of it!! Brrrrrr!

The bears should see lots of birds visiting it, especially blackbirds, robins, sparrows and starlings, and even the occasional pigeon.

Why don't you join in with the RSPB BirdWatch this year and fill in the survey at the end of the month? And, also, have a go at making a birdbath for the birds - you can make use of all sorts of things like upturned dustbin lids, large serving dishes (though perhaps ask your Mum first if you can use them), or plant pot saucers (like the one the bears made)! There are some helpful instructions on the Resources page here.