CAN you spare an hour to help to help understand how Denbighshire and UK birds are doing?

From Friday, January 26, until Sunday, January 28, the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch takes place.

The campaign that has been going for more than 40 years encourages people to take an hour in their own garden or local park and count how many of each bird species lands nearby.

Over the last 50 years around 38 million birds have been lost from the UK skies, with popular species house sparrows and starlings struggling.

Residents who want to lend a helping hand and do not have their own back gardens, can make use of the outdoor park areas and local nature reserves near their homes.

To submit your findings to the survey, log on to https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/everything-you-need-to-know-about-big-garden-birdwatch/

Denbighshire County Council Senior Biodiversity Officer Liam Blazey said: “Across Denbighshire you may catch sight of birds including the Long-tailed tit (who move around together in small flocks), goldfinches, starlings (who can form very large flocks over winter, and sometimes perform aerial displays called murmurations), redwings (a relative of the blackbird, who breed in the north of Europe, and visit us over winter).

“Also, around the county gardens blue tit, great tit, and robins are all common visitors that you may see on your own land.”

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion, added: “It is important to keep track of the state of our local bird populations to help us help birds that have decreased in numbers.

"Taking part in this survey can really help protect the future of all county and UK bird populations.”