RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch: Fri 29 Jan to Sun 31 Jan 2021

I looked out of the window the other day and there was a bird. It wasn’t anything I recognised – perhaps a dunnock? It can be a stretch to identifying birds beyond sparrows, Robins and magpies.

But the welcome visitor reminded me about the annual Big Garden Bird Watch run by the RSPB. The next one is from Fri 29 Jan to Sun 31 Jan.

You can find out more online, using the hashtag #BigGardenBirdWatch on Twitter for instance.

You can choose any hour between 29 and 31 January. So whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, you can still take part. RSPB website

So what better chance to extend our bird-identifying skills while taking an hour to relax and, who knows, be “in the moment”.

There’s a link of sorts between this event and a page, #BMBeyondtheScreens, that I added here a little while back. Thank you, as ever, White Heat Design.

Until the end of January, I’ll carry on savouring the sparrows that I noticed the other day on the beach closest to me in Dover. They gather on a chainlink fence to chat and chirrup about this and that; the sight and sound of them never fails to lift my spirits.

That also reminds me of Gone Fishing, the strangely compelling TV series in which friends and comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse hang out in beautiful surroundings, talk nonsense and catch the occasional whopper.

I must try to watch a recent episode or two of that as well.

(Lead image by Andrew Alexander on Unsplash; excerpt from RSPB how-to guide)