What sorts of wild things are living in and around Aberdeen this summer? The RSPB would like to know.
As we sadly know, wildlife in our area is under threat on all fronts – over-development, environmental changes and unpredictable weather, and yes, culling.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds invites you to take some time to consider what’s in your own backyard
Get involved in the UK’s largest garden wildlife survey and help us find out how wildlife is doing this summer.
We’d like you to record the birds you see in one hour (on one day between 2-10 June), and let us know what other creatures visit your garden.
You’ll be joining thousands of other people as you step up for nature, helping us build up a picture of how summer wildlife is faring. Tell us what slithers, tweets, forages and snuffles in your garden this summer.
Here is a link to add your information to this survey: http://www.rspb.org.uk/naturecount/
The link below gives a wall chart of what birds you might encounter:-
http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/MYNC_sheet_2012_tcm9-309454.pdf
Why should I do it?
We’d like you to record birds that you see in one hour in the same way as Big Garden Birdwatch. But we’d also like to know about other animals that visit your garden, such as badgers, deer, moles, hedgehogs and, for the first time ever, slow worms.
The information we collect on birds and other wildlife through Make Your Nature Count is really useful – this is by far the biggest survey of garden wildlife! And it’s all thanks to people like you who take the time to tell us what they see.
Our Big Garden Birdwatch helps us to identify trends among wintering bird populations. We hope that, in time, Make Your Nature Count will build a picture of the wildlife that visits green spaces in summer – and increase our understanding of their importance.
Special visitors
The survey also includes a simple question about house martins. These small birds make a huge journey to the UK each summer, flying all the way from Africa. They nest under the eaves of buildings – but their numbers are declining. Make Your Nature Count will add to our understanding about how vital our buildings and green spaces are for them..
Chat about what you see
Take a look at our friendly online community. Here you can discuss your garden and the wildlife you see with lots of other like-minded people. Join in the conversations and see what other wildlife fans are talking about!
Pictures: Bob the Robin by Elaine Andrews 2012