The Big Garden Bird Watch organised by the RSPB will take place on the weekend of 29 and 30 January 2011.

Torridge District Council lead member for the Biosphere, Councillor Miranda

Cox is urging local residents to register for the event.

For

over 30 years, the RSPB has been asking its supporters to count the

birds in their garden. During this time, more than 3 million hours have

been clocked up watching and enjoying the birds that visit our English

gardens and every year some 6 million birds are spotted by people taking

part.

Results from some 280,000 gardens in past years

have helped the RSPB create a 'snapshot' of bird numbers in each region,

and the results suggest that some of our birds are disappearing in

scary numbers.

Councillor Cox said, “If like me, you love

birds and want to help them, then the Big Garden Birdwatch is your

chance to do something that really counts. All you need is a pen, some

scrap paper (or a printout of the handy bird ID sheet available from the

RSPB website), and an hour to spend watching the birds in your garden

some time during the weekend of 29th and 30th January. Then you just

record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time.”

For more information and for people wanting to take

part, have a look at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch where you can register

and download the bird identifier.

photo usembassylondon via Flickr