Residents across Oxfordshire are being encouraged to get twitching this weekend to take part in the UK’s biggest bird survey.

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is the highest profile citizen science project – a survey which relies on ‘ordinary people collecting data – in the UK. It has been running since 1979 and during the three days it runs more than half a million people are expected to participate.

Among those taking part is 13-year-old wildlife enthusiast, Alex White, who will be joining in for the third time with his mum Debbie at their home in Appleton.

He said: "The Big Garden Bird Watch is a brilliant way for everyone, no matter what age you are or what size garden you have, to get involved in citizen science.

"I'm looking forward to comparing numbers and species of birds this year with the two previous years."

In 2016, more than 7000 people took part from Oxfordshire and, across the UK, more than eight million birds were reported. To take part all you have to do is watch the birds in your garden or local park for one hour at some point either today, tomorrow or Monday and report your sightings to the RSPB.

The Big Garden Birdwatch has shown that sightings of well-known species such as starlings and song thrushes has declined by 81 per cent and 89 per cent retrospectively in the past 38 years.

It has also shone a light on some good news. The tiny long-tailed tit flew into the Big Garden Birdwatch top 10 – for the first time in eight years – after the average number seen visiting gardens across the UK increased by 44 per cent.

Daniel Hayhow, RSPB Conservation Scientist, added, “With results from so many gardens, coupled with over 30 years of data, we are able to create a snapshot of the birds visiting at this time of year across the UK. Even if you see nothing during your Big Garden Birdwatch hour, that’s important information too.”

As well as counting birds, the RSPB also asks participants to log some of the other wildlife they see in their gardens and green spaces such as grass snakes, hedgehogs, stag beetles, stoats and moles.

For your free Big Garden Birdwatch pack, text BIRD to 70030 or visit rspb.org.uk/birdwatch