Eyes on the skies

The RSPB is asking people to look out for birds this weekend

Feature by Sarah Olowofoyeku

HUNDREDS of thousands of people up and down the country will be in for the count this weekend when they take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. Until tomorrow (Sunday 29 January), they will be peering off balconies, into gardens and around parks and recording how many birds they see.

The annual count is a part of the RSPB’s work to see how garden birds are faring. It says that the watch takes place in winter because that’s the time of year when garden birds need people most – if it’s very cold, it’s likely more birds will go into gardens, seeking shelter and food.

With people looking for birds in many different parts of the country, in different weather conditions and at different times of the day, the RSPB hopes to get an accurate snapshot of garden bird life in the UK.

The results of last year’s watch showed that the house sparrow was the most common garden bird for the fifth year in a row it had more than 1.7 million sightings across the UK. Altogether, more than 11 million birds were seen by about 700,000 people.

To see which bird rules the roost in the 45th year of the count, participants will enter their findings online or send them in by post, using the RSPB’s free guide to help them identify the birds they have seen.

The RSPB is using lots of ways to engage people and get them involved in the count. Throughout the weekend it is live streaming content, with famous faces providing commentary, laughs and interviews. Its website is also offering information about special events and activities, including a session in Newport, south Wales, on learning bird calls, a bird identification workshop in Birmingham and a guided birdwatching walk in Chichester.

And just for fun, there’s a Big Garden Birdwatch Quiz that tells users which garden bird they are. Results could be a blackbird, who is independent and prefers being alone; a very noisy and sociable house sparrow; a wood pigeon, who has a loud call and is speedy for its size; or a robin, who, despite its cute appearance, would be happy to fight off intruders.

The bird comparisons are fun and a good way to spend a few minutes, but the quiz is not the only place we can find people being compared to birds – and sometimes the analogy can have a deeper meaning.

One Bible figure, who felt called to share God’s messages, told people: ‘Those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired’ (Isaiah 40:31 Contemporary English Version).

Being a Christian means trusting God at all times, even when life presents challenges, and those words from the Bible offer the assurance that when they do so, God will give them the strength to get through.

It’s a promise that is available to everyone. All we have to do is acknowledge that we need God and go to him. He will look out for us, strengthen us and make sure that we are faring well.