A bit more weather action for Friday and the weekend than of late. Wild swings in temperatures with some chilly starts, so check the feeders. Windy spells but often dry.
This week is the RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch. An opportunity to help monitor birds in the UK from your local area. The data gathered, mostly from people’s gardens, backyards or local parks, helps find out how different species are doing, thriving or not. It is also a great winter activity for all ages.
It involves an hour of observing and whilst that can be done out of the window, you might be outside and wonder what the weather will be up to this weekend. Or want to plan a time when it’s not pouring with rain, blowing a gale or feeling too cold. That might be for the birds as well as you.
The Birdwatch runs from Friday 28th until Sunday 30th January. There is a set list of 15 well-known garden birds and space for any others that you see.
The RSPB asks that you only include those birds that land, not those flying over. And also count the highest number of each bird species that you see at any one time. You don’t want to count the same bird twice.
“For example, if you saw a group of four starlings, and towards the end of the hour you saw two starlings together, please write four as your final count.”
Once you have done your Birdwatch, go online by 20 February to enter the results at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch
This past week high pressure in the south has brought some very settled weather, gloomy skies and it has been cold. The end of the week is more mixed, but Friday does start off fair and chilly with some lingering fog for the morning which might impair your viewing. East Anglia looks likely. The birds will be looking for their breakfast with temperatures around -2C to +4C to start the day. Windy for the Western Isles and by this afternoon there will be a brisk SW wind for Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland, this will be fresh to strong in the far north with patchy rain. Otherwise, a fair, bright day with temperatures up into double figures later as milder air arrives from the west. Manchester up to 9C this afternoon and even milder by the evening.
Saturday
If you are thinking of Saturday, it will be very windy in the north in the morning and turning colder as the day progresses. There will be a band of rain over western areas followed by brighter skies and showers, even some wintry ones for the Highlands. However, for many parts of the UK, there will be a lot of dry weather in the next few days. For many, it will be a very mild day with temperatures of 10 to 14C out of the breeze. As a cold front moves down the UK, temperatures will fall and it will feel much colder for NE Britain as the strong, gusty winds continue through lunchtime. Not ideal. Southern England will stay in the mild air with lighter winds through daylight hours. London should reach 13C.
Sunday
A cold start for Sunday so make sure the feeders are stocked up. Birmingham will be colder at only 6C. There is some uncertainty in the forecast for Sunday. It starts settled thanks to high pressure but a low will be moving in off the Atlantic. That will bring a spell of strong winds and rain, potentially some snow for Scotland too as it whizzes by.
Last year the House Sparrow, Blue Tit and Starling were the top three recorded birds. The House Sparrow has come top for 18 years. As well as for the UK as a whole, there are also results for the four home nations. More than 17 million birds were counted and over a million people took part. Blackbirds and Robins moved up the table, but finch numbers continued to fall.
RSPB “The sad truth is that there are actually far fewer birds around. Over the last 50 years, 40 million birds have vanished from the UK’s skies.”
Enjoy your viewing, stay warm as the weekend weather becomes more changeable.