Organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Britain’s leading bird research charity, NNBW aims to encourage people to put up nest boxes in their local area which will promote and enhance biodiversity and assist with the conservation of our breeding birds and wildlife.

As urban and suburban gardens and woods become increasingly ‘tidy’, the natural nest sites on which many of our bird species depend, such as holes in trees and buildings, are fast disappearing.  Since National Nest Box Week was launched in 1997, thousands of enthusiastic people across the UK have put up boxes to compensate for this loss and it is estimated that there are now 5-6 million boxes in gardens across the UK.

Whether you’re a family with space for a box in your garden, a teacher, a member of a local wildlife group, or you belong to a bird club and could organise a work party, National Nest Box Week gives you the chance to contribute to this conservation effort in the UK whilst giving you the pleasure of observing any breeding birds that you attract to your garden.

Follow the links at bto.org for ideas on how you can take part — and remember that any time of year is a good time to put up a nest box.

For more information about nests and nest boxes, contact the BTO at nnbw@bto.org

All you have to do is look out of a window overlooking your garden or a local park and count the highest number of each species of birds you see at any one time over a period of one hour. Any time of the day is fine although I usually watch from early morning, sat in the warm with a cup of tea and binoculars at the ready. Fill up all the bird feeders the evening before so the birds have plenty of food. The weather forecast is for another cold weekend so the birds will be relying on the extra help we can give them.

Note down all the birds you see actually in the garden, not flying over. Remember it’s the highest number of each species at any one time, not the total over the hour as you may count the same bird several times. These should be recorded and sent off on the online form that you can download from the RSPB website, www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

The results are used to produce valuable scientific data. Over the past 30 years the Garden Birdwatch data has been used to monitor the decline of some species eg House Sparrow whose number have more than halved whist other species like Goldfinches are now regular visitors to many gardens.

So whether you’re a seasoned Big Garden Birdwatcher or if its your first time give it a go. It’s great fun and your results really count.