All change in top 10 for Merseyside

Male House Sparrow

Gardens are vital for many much-loved species. Almost half a million people who took part in this years RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch have discovered some interesting changes among our most popular garden birds, with some species that benefit from a bit of extra help creeping up the rankings.

In Merseyside there were changes in the top ten as house sparrows moved up one position to the top of the table, while the previous occupier of first place, blackbirds, dropped to number three. Starlings also climbed to second place, with an average of two recorded per garden, while blue tits held onto fourth place.

Goldfinches climbed an impressive sixteen places to take seventh position this year and scientists believe that the increase in people providing food, like nyjer seed and sunflower hearts in gardens, may have contributed to their steady rise.

Goldfinch on teasel

Scientists also believe that the weather has played a role in the ups and downs in this year s top ten as many of the birds were recorded in lower numbers in gardens due to the mild conditions. Some species, such as blue tits, were likely to be more reliant on food provided in gardens than others, such as blackbirds, which could easily find their favoured foods like worms and insects in the countryside.

Overall numbers of species such as blackbirds and fieldfares may appear to have dropped in our gardens since last year, but in many cases this is not because these populations are in decline but because these species don t need to come into our gardens during mild winters due to there being plenty of natural food available in the wider countryside.

However the continuing declines of some species are of greater concern.  In Merseyside, numbers of starlings have dropped by 1.2 per cent and song thrushes have dropped by an alarming 94 per cent. Both species are on the UK  red list  meaning they are of the highest conservation concern.

Song thrush

There is slightly better news for the house sparrow, as the declines appear to have slowed, and it remains the most commonly seen bird in our gardens. However, the bird remains on the red list as we have lost 62 per cent nationally since 1979. In Merseyside, the house sparrow claimed first position with an average of two recorded per garden a 2.7 per cent decline compared to last year s results.

Richard Bashford, Big Garden Birdwatch organiser, says:  2014 was always going to be an interesting Big Garden Birdwatch as the winter has been so mild and we wondered if it would have a significant impact on garden birds.

They were out and about in the wider countryside finding natural food  instead of taking up our hospitality. The good news is that this may mean we have more birds in our gardens in the coming breeding season because more survived the mild winter.  It is a great time to give nature a home by putting up a nesting box and supplementary feeding.

Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director, says:  Many garden birds rely on us humans for help. During winter, birds need extra food and  water, and at other times of the year, as well as sustenance, a safe place to shelter and make their home can really give them a boost.

Baby Blue tits

Two of the species that moved up the national rankings this year, blue tits and goldfinches, are adaptable, friendly garden birds and great examples of birds that can flourish with our help. If we put up a nestbox, leave out some food or let our gardens grow a bit wild, they ll be among the first to take advantage.

More than 5,500 people in Merseyside took part in the Birdwatch survey in January, which is the largest of its kind in the world.

This year, for the first time, participants were also asked to log some of the other wildlife they see in their gardens. The RSPB asked whether people ever see deer, squirrels, badgers, hedgehogs, frogs and toads in their gardens, to help build an overall picture of how important our gardens are for giving all types of wildlife a home. This information will be analysed and results will be revealed next month.

The Big Schools  Birdwatch is part of the Big Garden Birdwatch. The UK-wide survey of birds in schools has revealed that the blackbird is the most common playground visitor for the sixth year in a row.  85% of schools that took part in the survey in the Big Schools Birdwatch saw blackbirds, with an average of five birds seen per school, slightly down on 2013 figures.

Giving Nature a Home is the RSPB s latest campaign, aimed at tackling the housing crisis facing the UK s threatened wildlife. The charity is asking people to provide a place for wildlife in their own gardens and outside spaces  whether it is by planting pollen-rich plants to attract bees and butterflies, putting up a nestbox for a house sparrow, or creating a pond that will support a number of different species.

The RSPB hopes to inspire people across the UK to create a million new homes for nature.

To find out how you can give nature a home where you live visit rspb.org.uk/homes

This table shows the top 10 birds seen in Merseyside gardens in 2014.

  

Species                     Average number per garden          Rank 

House Sparrow                      2.51                                  1 

Starling                                2.47                                   2 

Blackbird                              2.19                                   3 

Blue tit                                1.90                                   4 

Woodpigeon                         1.82                                   5 

Goldfinch                              1.78                                   6 

Magpie                                 1.32                                   7 

Feral pigeon                          1.17                                   8 

Collared dove                       1.10                                   9 

Robin                                 1.03                                   10