Big Campus Birdwatch
Record sightings of our feathered friends in the Big Campus Birdwatch on Friday 28 January.
Ducks in the Roger Stevens pond
Whether you’re a keen bird-watcher or a spontaneous sparrow-spotter, get involved in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, taking place from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 January.
This annual survey makes an important contribution to monitoring biodiversity across the country, but we also encourage staff and students to take part on a local level, in our Big Campus Birdwatch.
How to get involved
To take part, choose a spot on campus and birdwatch for up to an hour, then record what you see using our online form.
If you spontaneously spot a bird while you’re on the move, just note down the time and location so you can still contribute to the survey.
You might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of our Peregrine Falcons which regularly nest on the Parkinson Tower, or the heron that frequents the Roger Stevens pond.
If you’re not on campus on the day in question, or if you want to take part from home during the weekend, then sign up to the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, where you can find more information about how to take part.
Ducklings in the Roger Stevens pond
Identifying birds
The RSPB has some fantastic resources to help, including an interactive Bird Identifier on their website. This uses information such as where you were and the size and colour of the bird to give suggestions of what species it might have been.
The RSPB’s Instagram account shares lots of information on recognising common birds, including recordings of different birdsongs to help you identify the birds you see.
If you’re still stuck, just take a quick photo and share it with the Sustainability team or tag them on Twitter and Instagram. You can also use the tags #BigGardenBirdwatch and #BigCampusBirdwatch to see what others have spotted. Go on, it will be a real hoot!
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