Residents are invited to join the Wren Wildlife Group for a bird spotting walk through Wanstead Park as part of this January’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.
“We’ll be looking at a variety of wintering ducks – including gadwall, shoveler, pochard and tufted ducks – on the park’s lakes. And we’ll be searching through the bare trees for fieldfares, redwings and siskins. And there may be the odd surprise as well!” said Tim Harris. Participants will meet at the park’s Temple at 10am on 25 January (free; call 07505 482 328).
The Big Garden Birdwatch started as an event for children in 1979 when the RSPB joined forces with BBC’s Blue Peter and called on kids to report what birds they saw in their garden. The annual event has since highlighted the decline of house sparrows and starlings. These birds have dropped by 56% and 80% respectively since the event began. But there have also been increases in some species, such as great tits, which are up by 68%.
Visit swvg.co.uk/birdwatch
