Page 30 • The HERALD • 26th January 2023 v THE HERALD - YOUR COMMUNITY MAGAZINE v • Airport & Seaport Specialists • Highly Competitive Fares • Friendly, Reliable Service • Comfortable 6 Seater MPVs • Any Distance - Minimum Fare £10 Before booking your journey please call us for a free quotation 07770 967198 or 023 8194 8754 www.kazcarz.co.uk • Interior and exterior painting and decorating • Gutter cleaning and repairs • Plumbing and tiling • Carpentry • Wooden flooring installation • Sheds and fences • Fully insured Professional • Honest • Reliable PJ-T DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIRS • Misted Units • Locks • Handles • Hinges • Door Adjustments/Repair • Cat Flaps Paul Jackson-Turner 07708 620910 pjtrepairs65@yahoo.com uPVC & Aluminium Free Quotes Fully Insured Garden Birds are Counting on You! Big Garden Birdwatch 2023 Together, let’s make it count e world’s largest garden wildlife survey returns, with hundreds of thousands of people watching and counting the UK’s garden birds over the last weekend in January for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. Nearly 700,000 people took part in 2022, counting 11 million birds. is year’s event takes place on 27th, 28th and 29th January. People are asked to spend just one hour watching and recording the birds in their garden, balcony or local park, then send their results to the RSPB. is year marks the 44th Big Garden Birdwatch. Starting in 1979, it has since become a much-loved annual event, that helps give the RSPB a valuable snapshot of how our garden birds are doing in the UK. Over that time, 172 million birds have been counted and nearly 11 million hours spent watching garden birds. Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s Chief Executive, said: “The birds we see in our gardens, from our balconies, and in our parks, are a lively, colourful and endlessly fascinating part of all our lives, offering a real connection to the natural world. By taking part in the Birdwatch you, and hundreds of thousands like you, play an important role in helping us understand how UK birds are doing. With birds now facing so many challenges due to the nature and climate emergency, every count matters. Join us for Big Garden Birdwatch 2023 and together let’s take action to protect and preserve our birds and wildlife for generations to come.” e house sparrow remained at the top of the Big Garden Birdwatch rankings as the most commonly seen garden bird with more than 1.7 million recorded sightings in 2022. Blue tit and starling remained in the number two and three positions respectively. Over its four decades, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world. It was rst to alert the RSPB to the decline in song thrush numbers, which are down a shocking 81% compared to the rst Big Garden Birdwatch in 1979. is species was a rm xture in the top 10 in 1979, but by 2009, its numbers were less than half those recorded in 1979. It came in at 20 in the rankings last year, seen in just 8% of gardens. To take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2023, watch the birds on your balcony, in your garden or in your local green space for one hour at some point over the three days. Only count the birds that land, not those ying over. Tell them the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not the total you see in the hour. Beccy added: “Whatever you see - one blackbird, twenty sparrows or no birds at all - it all counts. It helps us build that vital overall picture of how our garden birds are faring from one year to the next. With so much challenging our birds now, it’s more important than ever to submit your results. Our garden birds are counting on you!” e parallel event RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch takes place during the rst half of spring term, 6th January – 20th February. In 2021, it celebrated its 20th anniversary of connecting children with nature in their school grounds. Since its launch, over a million school children and teachers have taken part. Further information can be found at: www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch For your FREE Big Garden Birdwatch guide, which includes a bird identi cation chart, top tips for your birdwatch, RSPB shop voucher, plus advice on how to help you attract wildlife to your garden, text BIRD to 70030 or visit www.rspb.org.uk/ birdwatch Join in the Big Garden Birdwatch BIRD AWARE SOLENT RANGER WALK Join Ranger Julie, from Bird Aware Solent, on a leisurely walk around Lepe Country Park on Saturday 4th February at 3pm. You will discover the often-hidden world of overwintering waders, ducks and geese who must not only survive winter here but ensure they stock up on enough food to complete long migrations. You will learn to identify these birds, talk about their ecology and migration and learn how we can help them thrive. is walk is intended for anyone who loves spending time on the coast. You do not need to know anything at all about birds. You will be walking on uneven ground and on sand. Please wear sturdy walking shoes and dress for the weather. Binoculars will be available to borrow. No need to sign up, this is a FREE drop in activity but usual parking charges apply
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