House Sparrow Most Common Bird in Highland Gardens Iain Ferguson In January a total of 78,066 people across Scotland (including me and I am sure some of you) took part in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Big Garden Birdwatch. This was achieved using dedicated paperwork with pictures and names of the birds on which to record the numbers visiting the garden or area in which you would normally watch the birds. Across Scotland 1,527,163 birds were counted and the results broken down into various regions to give an indication of species distribution based on geography. A ‘Top Ten’ of the most numerous was also created.
Now in its 42nd year the event is also a great indicator of how different species are fairing in numbers, either thriving or declining, allowing ‘warning flags’ to be raised on environmental factors may be affecting them.
Highland results:-
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Anne McCall, director of RSPB Scotland said: “I am absolutely delighted with the number of people who have taken part in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch, making it the biggest year ever for RSPB Scotland. “Over its four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted which species are thriving and which are struggling in the garden bird world. It was first to alert the RSPB to the decline in song thrush numbers, which are still down 78 per cent across the UK compared to the first Big Garden Birdwatch in 1979. “This species was a firm fixture in the top 10 in 1979. By 2009, its numbers were less than half those recorded in 1979, it came in at 20th in the rankings this year, seen in just 13% of Scottish gardens.”
| MAY 2021
Lochaber Life May 2021.indd 14
09/04/2021 16:42:24
