The grounds and gardens team were joined by staff and students for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch on Friday 27 January, the largest citizen science wildlife survey in the UK, for a wonderful birdwatching experience.
Data was collected at two very different sites; the garden at 68 Storey’s Way and the woodland ‘Copse’ behind the Chapel, and a total of 60 birds and 19 different species were spotted across the two different locations.
Whilst the top sighting in both locations was the long-tailed tit, the two environments yielded some very different findings and bird-watching experiences. The bird-feeder and fat balls in the garden at 68 Storey’s Way attracted a range of smaller common garden birds including blackbirds, blue-tits, great tits, a goldfinch and a couple of very noisy (and territorial) robins! Other birds spotted in this location included collared doves, crows, redwings, jackdaw, woodpigeon and a magpie. Bird spotting at the ‘Copse’ required more patience as there are no bird-feeders in this area, but the results were well-worth the wait. Top sightings included a treecreeper, greater spotted woodpecker and a mistle thrush along with two song thrushes and three yellowhammers!
When I was on maternity leave in the States, my older brother would take my daughter, Amaryllis for hikes in the woods pointing out the different flowers and fungi, teaching her how to pause and listen to the birdsong, and take time to notice the world around her. When we moved back to Cambridge I knew I wanted to continue this tradition. The Breat Garden Birdwatch was a great opportunity to pause after the stress of an international move with a toddler in tow and acquaint my daughter (and myself!) to our new surroundings! My favourite moment was when all the participants stood quietly listening to the beautiful call of a robin in the bushes near the beehives. However, my daughter’s favorite was not the robin but the sassy magpie who greeted us outside our maisonette on the way home!
Lily Rubino (G20 Geography)
A massive thank you to everyone who took part, and a special thank you to our grounds and gardens team for leading on the project and taking time out of their day to make this happen. We plan to join the survey again next year, but in the meantime, if anyone spots any interesting wildlife on-site, please let us know and send pictures if you capture anything on camera!
Email your wildlife sightings and images to: comms.manager@chu.cam.ac.uk
Birdsong captured the garden of 68 Storey’s Way:
More info about this project:
Joining the world’s largest wildlife survey – Churchill College (cam.ac.uk)
