OUT TO WATCH THE BIRDS

This is a regular January event in our household.  It’s a really good family nature activity.  I’m talking about the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch.  A nationwide event where you count the largest groups of birds in your garden and submit them to the RSPB so they can find out what is happening to our garden bird population.   My son is very familiar with bird watching so it was easy to get him to participate.  The binoculars are always part of our holiday luggage and go with us on most family walks.  He’s been a  junior RSPB member, with the great name of Wildlife Explorer, for a couple of years.  The magazines, sent quarterly, are brilliant and geared to specific age range and about all UK nature and animals, not just birds.  As well as free entry to RSPB reserves he gets free entry to the Wildfowl and Wetland Centres.

This year with snow and cold temperatures around it was likely that different, perhaps more unusual birds would be seen.  We prepared carefully and brought new stock of bird seed for the feeders. Saturday’s Telegraph featured the Birdwatch so that was brought in addition to our usual Saturday newspaper,  Birds seem to feed more in the morning, especially on a winter’s day so after a little lie in on Sunday and quick breakfast, but without getting dressed we started. Our feeders are visible from the back of the house in the past we just have watched them and always done the birdwatch from indoors.

Well the birds weren’t playing ball this weekend.  Not a sign of one on the feeders and nothing scrambling around in the flower beds – one of their favourite locations.

Frustrations grew.  ‘Where are all the birds mummy’?’  ‘This bird watching is stupid’ says my son.  There was nothing for it, surely the whole area could not be devoid of birds.  There are always birds in our garden.  We are always seeing them and hearing then.  Sound – that was the clue.  You can usually hear, but not always see them.  But that song, call and coo can lead you to them.  So out we went in pyjamas and dressing gowns.  Yes, we were going to be that mad family next door.

And so we were.  Yet it worked.  Stepping outside the back door we were met with numerous bird sounds.  Our list gradually became longer.  Not that it is a competition, but with an 8 yr old some length and variety on the list does help.  We did not see any large groupings of bird, the flocks of field fares certainly did not appear to have reached us.

2 crows, 1 Greenfinch, 1 robin singing its heart out, 2 starling, 2 pigeons, 1 sparrow, 1 blackbird and the best of best , 1 green woodpecker and 1 greater spotted woodpecker.

One last stage and that was to submit the information online. This year the RSPB have thoughtfully provided a certificate to, say that the children have taken part.  Its been placed next to my son's bed this evening.

Move outside and a whole world awaits.  Next year we will get dressed.

Watching Birds in the Garden: A Great Kids Activity

Just now there is quite a lot in the media about garden birds. Next weekend 28/29 January 2012 is the RSPBs Great Garden Bird Watch and people have been noting that they are not seeing so many birds in the garden during this, so far, mild winter.  This article reckons there are staying in the countryside.

In our garden this week we have seen our resident wren, starlings, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, 2 robins, pigeons, a greater spotted woodpecker and the blackbird shown above eating berries from the ivy.

Spotting and identifying birds is an ideal activity for children this time of year. You can see them through the window and you don’t necessarily have to use binoculars. Binoculars are not always easy for small children, who may have difficulty finding and focusing on the subject. A bird table or feeder will encourage the birds as may a bird water bath. The birds in our garden are attracted by the oak tree next door and our shrubs with berries.

It is useful to have a bird book or identification sheet close at hand to help with deciding what has been seen. Spotting birds from upstairs windows and also from the front of the house adds a bit of variety. We only ever see sparrows in our front garden. Possibly because there are more hedge type plants in front gardens. You could also pop outside to check which birds you can hear. Our garden is rarely without birdsong or noise.

Spotting birds is a great skill for your children to have. It makes walks and journeys far more interesting and helps them appreciate and learn about wildlife. I can’t now resist in showing you below what I spotted last week. No, it wasn’t in my garden, but just off the river Thames in London. If you are lucky enough to be close to a kingfisher, it must be one of the easiest birds in the country to spot.

Kingfisher on the Thames

The whole family is looking forward to the garden bird watch next weekend. We will try and complete our hour before midday as usually there are more birds about. Hope you find the time to do the same.

The London Wetland Centre: A Great Garden in the Heart of London.

If you hadn’t thought of a wetland as a garden, then please think again. All the elements of natural beauty, native planting, seasonal interest, open space, and water are present in a wetland. For me and for my son the London Wetland Centre is a fantastic garden. We had one of our many visits there this week and I thought I would share with you some of the simple pleasures he loves there.

• The trail of the duck feet marked on the ground leading to explore the children’s adventure play area.
• The mock duck nest and its eggs, together with the ‘dinosaur’ bones.
• The new webcam set up in a pond, filming both on top and under the water. He spent ages operating this, focusing, zooming in and out, and looking at the screen to see what he had found.
• The pathways that lead off the main pathways and then rejoin later on.
• The willow dens, both when they are covered in leaves and in their winter state.
• The foot operated water pump in the new rain garden.

And for me there is always something new. This time it was the new rain garden. Opened by Alan Titchmarsh in September it shows how gardens can be sustainable by capturing and using rainfall. It forms a series of rain gardens, fed from the roof of a pavilion.  This is made from a converted cargo container and  provides living space for animals and insects in its walls and a green roof. There is a prism to view the  green roof.



I do not have a full photo of the garden to show you as was so bowled over by the fact that a flower meadow was still flowering in November that I concentrated on the flowers.  I have since learnt that they are from Pictorial Meadows. They provide an unique colourful meadow-flower seed mixes that rapidly produce a naturally vibrant display with an extended flowering season. The mixes contain no grass and all the green foliage you see are part of the plants.


So Wetlands are not all about birds, though there is presently a bittern at the London Wetland Centre and plenty of other wildfowl to see and things to do.  And, oh yes, there are also at least the six water voles we saw at the Wetland Centre in Arundel this summer.



In 2 play in the Garden

As a family this weekend we were very much indoors. However I am pleased to say that we fitted in some garden-related activities. All of us joined in the RSPBs Garden Bird Watch. There has been lots to press recently about how quite rare birds are visiting and depending on food from peoples' gardens. We didn't manage any rare furry friends , but we did clock up 8 different species including long-tailed tits and a goldfinch. Which isn't bad for a small suburban garden.

There was also a visit to another museum. The Science Museum in London. It has set up a 'garden' (recently refurbished) for the under 6s. All the kids love it. The museum has divided the play area into sections - light - shadow - sound - water - mirrors. These complement some of the features I have listed on my website http://www.kidsinthegarden.co.uk . What's fascinating though is that nearly all of the children make a bee line for the water play. You can feel the tension in the parents standing around who want their kids to have fun, but don't want to go home with a dripping toddler. It has got me thinking that maybe I have been too hard line in thinking that for safety reasons there should be no garden water features for very young children. I am now going to investigate bubble fountains and similar.