Earth Day - Garden BirdWatch

The first garden birds I ever remember seeing were blue tits at my grandmother's house - she put up coconut shells and bacon rind for them. They are still way up among my favourites. Since 2002 I have contributed to the British Trust for Ornithology's Garden BirdWatch scheme, recording birds visiting my Oxford garden. This year the scheme is celebrating 20 years of record-keeping by dedicated volunteers. For EARTH DAY (celebrating its 45th anniversary) I have made a collage of all the birds that have visited my garden, 32 species in all (plus a hedgehog!). The news for our garden birds is of course not all rosy - there have been alarming declines in many common species such as house sparrow and starling. The willow warbler is now extinct in south-east England. I have delighted in these birds all my life and my Earth Day prayer is that we will find ways to do what is needed to ensure that future generations can do the same.