There was phenomenal response to the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this winter as people turned to nature for comfort during the lockdowns.

More than a million people across the UK spent an hour watching and recording the birds that visit their garden or outdoor space – a record figure and double the number taking part last year.

Over 15,600 people participated in Oxfordshire, contributing to the 17 million birds that were counted across the country.

The Big Garden Birdwatch, which took place on the last weekend in January, is the world’s largest wildlife survey and gives RSPB scientists insights into how our garden birds are faring nationally and locally.

In Oxfordshire the house sparrow remained the most commonly seen bird and was found in 61 per cent of gardens across the country too.

The blue tit and woodpigeon were the other two most sighted birds in Oxfordshire.

However, 16 out of the top 20 bird species showed declines in average counts compared to last year.

Starlings slid down the ranking from second place for the first time since 2010 and numbers are now down 83 per cent since 1979.

Further national declines were also recorded for the greenfinch and chaffinch, with the lowest average for both types of bird ever recorded during the four-decades old project.

Only robins, blackbirds, carrion crows and the song thrush saw an increase on 2020 across the UK.

The charity had been expecting a bumper year for participation as a year of lockdowns had seen many people turning to nature for comfort.

A recent YouGov survey of nearly 3,000 people revealed 41 per cent were seeing wildlife near their homes over the past 12 months that they had never noticed before.

Some 63 per cent said watching the birds and hearing their song had added to their enjoyment of life since the pandemic started.

Over the first three days of the this year’s event the number of submissions were already up 85 per cent compared to 2020.

During the first half of the spring term over 21,000 pupils who were still attending school also took part in the RSPB’s Big Schools Birdwatch.

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

“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.”

She added: “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.”

This month the RSPB is launching a digital platform, Nature on Your Doorstep, providing resources to help nature lovers revive wildlife in their garden, on their balcony or even a windowsill.

For more information, go to www.rspb.org.uk