Cllr Colette Blackburn: take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch project

Hundreds of thousands of people sign up each year to gather ‘snap shot’ data regarding bird population in the UK. All instructions may be found online, the work is done from home, and it will take only an hour of your time.

The old adage of the canary in the coal mine has a bleak poignancy when applied to bird species extinction on our pirouetting planet, but it is a truism nonetheless. The populations of half of the 11,000 species of birds around the globe are falling; a notable statistic in itself but also a strong indicator of the wider environmental decline that is the root cause of such marked downward spiralling. Birds are very quickly adversely affected by any loss of wildlife habitat caused by imprudent development, pollution and climate change effects. Because birds are so conspicuous, their presence or absence is an excellent living indicator of global, national and local change where wildlife and biodiversity are concerned.

In the UK, (regretfully one of the most nature depleted countries in the world), the populations of more than 30 species of bird have declined by more than 50 per cent over the past 30 to 50 years. The Red List, which records those birds at risk of extinction, contains more than 70 species, and includes the Cuckoo, Greenfinch, Nightingale, Swift and House Martin; to choose some of those that, in the recent past, were so commonplace that using their examples may help to make the point. The Turtle Dove, too, is on track to become extinct.

To offer a contrast to such a grim report, community groups around Horsham District, as ever, are already working to reverse the decline. Bird boxes such as Swift boxes and House Martin nests are being installed across Storrington, Sullington, Amberley, Pulborough, Billingshurst, Warnham, Shipley and parts of Horsham town. At Knepp, work is ongoing to restore critically endangered breeds, such as the aforementioned Nightingales and Turtle Doves. Also breeding there are Peregrine Falcons, Red Kites, lesser spotted Woodpeckers, Skylarks, House Sparrows and Yellowhammers, among many others.

Local wildlife recovery is boosted by Horsham District Council through the careful management of several countryside sites and these are havens for birds. Warnham Local Nature Reserve, with its expertly maintained array of habitats, has recorded 168 bird species and attracts rare and at risk breeds. Chesworth Farm similarly provides a home to a wide range of species. It is worth noting that it is the habitat provision that makes this possible and Warnham, for example, is home to 472 species of plants, 32 species of mammals, 25 species of dragonflies and 35 species of butterflies. Next to the reserve a rare moth thrives on a quiet site filled with Larch.

If you can, do please help out with these efforts in your own garden. A mixture of trees and shrubs provide food and shelter. Berry-rich trees and shrubs like Rowan, Hawthorn, Guelder Rose and Holly are a great choice, as are any of those with an abundance of seeds such as teasels or sunflowers. Ivy and Honeysuckle are popular with birds as they provide dense cover and fruits, and attract insects. Wildflowers attract insects too. Access to fresh water is essential and a bird bath is nice but putting out any old shallow container works just as well. Place it somewhere shaded with an open view so that approaching predators may be seen and, in wintertime, remove any ice. If you plan to install a nest box, keep it out of direct sunlight and wind. Feeders are helpful but do keep them clean.

And, finally, as mentioned earlier, do please join the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch so that more detailed information may be compiled by that essential organisation.