RSPB SURVEY REVEALS REGION'S TOP GARDEN BIRDS

NEARLY 2000 people from Dumfries and Galloway took part in this year's Big Garden Birdwatch.

The survey gives bird welfare organisation the RSPB a clearer picture of bird population trends across the country.

With a second bad winter, officials from the charity's Scottish staff feared some species may have suffered declines.

But reports from volunteer garden watchers across the country showed many species were more visible indicating a good breeding season last spring and access to food and water in gardens during the widespread snow and ice in December.

The RSPB explained that after recording a drop during last year's Big Garden Birdwatch, smaller-bodied birds appeared to have recovered this year.

Sightings of long-tailed tits almost doubled, while coal tit records rose by 17 per cent.

At the same time, treecreeper sightings increased by 150 per cent on the previous year.

On the down side reports of wrens, a tiny bird that feeds on insects, fell by 19 per cent.

The sub-zero weather also brought with it some more unusual garden visitors.

Species more commonly found in woods and farmland, like brambling and lesser redpoll, were sighted in a number of gardens - presumably in search of food.

Across Scotland, an average of six chaffinches were recorded at any one time, an increase of five per cent on the previous year.

Second and third place were occupied once again by the house sparrow and starling, both recording a rise in sightings since the last Big Garden Birdwatch.

A number of local schools also took part in the survey adding to the data.

Keith Morton of RSPB Scotland said: 'It's fantastic that so many people were able to take part in this year. We were especially interested to see how our garden birds would have fared over the harsh winter."

Topping the Dumfries and Galloway garden population league table were a chaffinches with an average of 12.8 per garden and were followed by the house sparrow averaging almost seven.

Other birds doing well in the region were starlings averaging 4.8 per garden; blackbirds 3.8; blue tits 3.8; great tits 2.1; goldfinch 2; robin 1.7; coal tit 1.5; dunnock 1.4; woodpigeon 1.2; collared dove 1.1; carrion crow 1.1; jackdaw 1.1; greenfinch 1.1.







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