The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch long weekend is here, from 27-29 January. Just spend one hour between Friday 27 and Sunday 29 January counting birds, and help monitor how birds are faring. It’s free, fun, and a great way to keep an eye on your local wildlife. And if you don’t have a garden, the Great Field is a wonderful place to spot birds.

Taking part is easy:

1. Watch the birds around you for one hour, whether in your garden, park or just out your window

2. Count how many of each species of bird lands on your patch (not the ones flying over)

3. Go online and report what you saw

The RSPB says 38 million birds have been lost from the UKs skies in the last 50 years, so the Big Garden Birdwatch is one way of checking the health of the nation’s birdlife. Last year more than one million people took part.

There’s still time to sign-up and take part. For full details about how to get involved visit the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch website. And you can download the RSPB’s free Big Garden Birdwatch guide, including pictures to help you identify different birds, here.