Page 27 - Real Rochdale Issue 14 Summer 2022

The RSPB Big Garden

Birdwatch 2022

House sparrows held onto the top spot, but the jay
surprisingly flew nine places up the results from this year’s
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.

Photos: Ian Kimber

Goldfinch Robin

House Sparrow Woodpigeon Blue Tit

This year almost 700,000 people across the UK jay can store around 8,000 acorns each year and There was a small increase in greenfinches by temporarily stopping the provision of food if
took part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch , many remain buried to grow into oak trees. compared to 2021, giving scientists a glimmer ill birds are seen and making sure that garden
counting more than 11m birds. of hope that this might be the first signs of a bird feeders are cleaned regularly.
The 10 most common birds in Greater population recovery, but only time will tell.
In Greater Manchester, the house sparrow took Manchester: Over its four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has
the top spot, followed closely by starling and In recent years the greenfinch has suffered a highlighted the winners and losers in the garden
woodpigeon. 1. House sparrow population crash (62% since 1993) caused by a bird world. It was first to alert the RSPB to the
2. Starling severe outbreak of the disease trichomonosis decline in song thrush numbers, which are still
In the UK, the jay moved up nine places to 3. Woodpigeon and, as a consequence, the species was added down 81% compared to the first Big Garden
number 23, an increase of 73% compared to 4. Blue tit to the UK Red List last year. This infection is Birdwatch in 1979.
2021 numbers. Each autumn, jays, a colourful 5. Blackbird spread through contaminated food and drinking
member of the crow family, can often be seen 6. Magpie water, or by birds feeding one another with This species was a firm fixture in the top ten in
flying back and forth finding and hiding acorns 7. Goldfinch regurgitated food during the breeding season. 1979. By 2009, its numbers were less than half
to help see them through the winter. These are 8. Robin those recorded in 1979, it came in at 20 in the
then hidden in the cracks and crevices of trees, 9. Feral pigeon Garden owners can help slow transmission rates rankings this year, seen in just 8% of gardens.
but also in leaf litter on the ground. An individual 10. Great tit

REAL ROCHDALE - summer 2022 26 27 REAL ROCHDALE - summer 2022