Robin at feeder. Image: Ben Hall RSPB-images.com

Half a million people in Britain have taken part in the Big Garden Birdwatch.

This is a nationwide project run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ and is the biggest of its kind in the world.

Participants are asked to count birds and make note of any other wildlife they see, the aim being to create an important snapshot of UK nature.

Garden wildlife: the urban fox (image: MPH)

Its first aim in 1979 when it started, was to simply get younger wildlife enthusiasts interested and active in the RSPB.

Last year the most common sighting was of the brown house sparrow, though most of the top twenty birds had increased in numbers since the previous Garden Birdwatch in 2014.

Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow. Image: Chas Thursfield @Chas_Thursfield

The event clearly ruffled the feathers of many across the country – with keen bird-spotters and photographers taking to Twitter; to tweet, naturally.

Over eight and a half million birds were counted this time last year, with blackbirds spotted in nine out of ten gardens.

Here here! RT @GingerKnits: Still some daylight to do #BigGardenBirdwatch. Just finished ours, very enjoyable hour. https://t.co/1f7SK6BRF2

—
RSPB (@Natures_Voice) January 31, 2016

In 2015, the festive robin climbed three places in the chirpers’ chart to number seven, having been seen in 85 per cent of gardens.

LMMNews travelled to West London to meet two keen ornithologists and ask them why they were getting involved.

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With such enthusiasm at all ages, it’s not surprising the Big Garden Birdwatch is rapidly becoming a great British tradition.

Sandy the seagull can be contacted on his Twitter account @SeagullSandy (image: with thanks to Andrew Noble)

For more information from the  RSPB click here.