THE number of nature lovers who took part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch soared to a million people this winter after a year of lockdown restrictions saw people turn to nature for comfort.

The Big Garden Birdwatch is a chance for people to count the number of birds in their garden, helping the RSPB build up a picture of how birds are faring. This year, over a million people across the country took part counting 17 million birds, with over 37,000 people taking part in Hampshire.

Hopes were raised for a bumper participation year after results from a YouGov survey revealed the pandemic is making the public more aware of nature in their local area, with 41 per cent seeing wildlife near their homes over the last 12 months that they had never noticed before.  

The YouGov survey of 2,071 adults across the UK revealed 63% of people said watching the birds and hearing their song added to their enjoyment of life since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with more than half of those surveyed (51%) believing the pandemic has made them more aware of the nature around them.  

When the final Big Garden Birdwatch results were counted, the RSPB was blown away by the phenomenal response from the public. Over the first three days of submissions alone, numbers were up 85% compared to the same time period in 2020.

Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, said: “We have been blown away by the enthusiasm with which people have taken part in the Birdwatch this year.”

Lockdowns have brought few benefits, but the last year has either started or reignited a love of nature for many people, right on their doorsteps.

“This winter has been a bleak ordeal but as the dawn chorus starts to burst into song and the blossom starts to flower from the trees once more, we are emerging from this pandemic a new generation of nature lovers.

“We hope the Birdwatch has kindled a new passion for wildlife for the thousands who took part for the first time this year – we need every voice raised to stand up for nature. The wildlife that gave us so much interest and solace is now just a fraction of what should be there. On the back of this wave of public support, we need the government to take the global leadership, policy and legislative opportunities open to it this year to reverse the decline and restore nature now.”