During the pandemic, we’ve seen how important the natural world is to our mental health and wellbeing.

There has been a surge in interest in the nature on our doorsteps and many people have come to rely on garden birds to bring joy and comfort in what have been unsettling times.

Winter is the perfect time to welcome birds into your garden and help them by putting out food when it might be scarce elsewhere.

And, if you’re a novice birdwatcher, the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch, which runs from January 28-30 is a great place to start learning to identify the wildlife on your doorstep.

Eastern Daily Press: If you have apples and pears that are past their best, put them out for the blackbirdsIf you have apples and pears that are past their best, put them out for the blackbirds (Image: RSPB)

What is the Big Garden Birdwatch?
The Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey - it attracted a million people in the 2021 count.

Held in the last weekend of January, members of the public are asked to spend just one hour during the weekend watching and recording the birds in their garden, balcony, or local park, then send their results to the RSPB.

Since its inception in 1979, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world.

House sparrows remained at the top of the Big Garden Birdwatch rankings as the most seen garden bird in the UK for 18 years running, while starlings have held onto the top spot for the past two years.

But although house sparrows and starlings may be the UK’s most sighted birds, a closer look at Big Garden Birdwatch data shows that numbers have in fact dropped dramatically since the Birdwatch began in 1979.

House sparrows are down 53 per cent while starlings are down a frightening 80 per cent.

How to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2022
To take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch 2022, watch the birds in your garden for one hour at some point from January 28 to 30.

Only count the birds that land, not those flying over.

Tell the RSPB the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not the total you see in the hour.  

Once you have recorded the birds that make a visit, submit your results online at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.

Eastern Daily Press: Birds will eat an array of kitchen leftovers, including fruit and cheeseBirds will eat an array of kitchen leftovers, including fruit and cheese (Image: RSPB)

How to attract birds to your garden
One of the best places to spot birds is on your own doorstep.

Putting up feeders is the number one trick for welcoming birds to your garden.

Not only will feeders make garden birds stay for longer but if you feed them regularly, they’ll learn that your garden is a great place to keep coming to.

Different feeders and food will attract a variety of birds so feel free to experiment and see who comes to visit.

You don’t necessarily need an all singing all dancing feeder as even a tray on a table will make a nice start.

If your bird feed supplies are running low, your cupboards can also hold the answer to attracting feathered friends to your garden.

Fruits like apples and pears, even when they’re past their best, can be snapped up by blackbirds and thrushes, while grated mild cheese can be a fantastic source of energy and protein for a range of birds.

Cooked pastry, defrosted peas or unsalted bacon leftovers are also great options, as well as cooked rice, pasta and the inside of potatoes providing a great energy source.

Where to spot birds in Norfolk
Norfolk is a prime location for bird spotting - and nature reserves RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, Snettisham and Titchwell Marsh are amongst some of the best places to discover the sights of nature.

Eastern Daily Press: If you're lucky you might spot a kingfisher at Strumpshaw FenIf you're lucky you might spot a kingfisher at Strumpshaw Fen (Image: RSPB)

Gaze across to the reedbeds at Strumpshaw Fen and you may be lucky enough to see the iridescent blue of a kingfisher or the upwardly hooked bill of an avocet.

If you listen closely, you may even hear the distinctive ‘ping’ calls of a bearded tit – a rare and elusive bird that lives in amongst the reedbeds.

Eastern Daily Press: Look and listen out for the bittern at RSPB Titchwell Marsh and Strumpshaw FenLook and listen out for the bittern at RSPB Titchwell Marsh and Strumpshaw Fen (Image: RSPB)

RSPB Titchwell Marsh and Strumpshaw Fen are home to the bittern – one of the UK’s rarest breeding birds, famous for their booming calls that can be heard across the nature reserves.

You can also see incredible birds of prey like marsh harriers performing their breath-taking sky dancing routines in the sky.

Much like bitterns, marsh harriers have had to fight for survival throughout the twentieth century but numbers are now on the rise.

Over the border in Suffolk, RSPB Minsmere, the RSPB’s flagship nature reserve is home to an abundance of wildlife, from nightingales to otters and owls.