This January we’re all aflutter about birds on the Heath! Winter is a great season to watch birds and learn how to identify them. The leafless trees and bushes give a clearer view of them as they perch and forage, and the cold climate can make them bolder as they search for food, especially on bird feeders. Importantly, this weekend sees another round of the Big Garden Birdwatch run by the RSPB, an annual citizen science event encouraging everybody to survey the birds in their gardens or local green spaces. By identifying and counting the birds in your garden this weekend (24th-26th of January) , you can contribute to a nationwide survey assessing how garden birds are faring across the country.

To tie in with this national event , we have some bird-themed activities to help you learn more about your local feathered friends on the Heath this weekend, whether you’re an experienced birdwatcher or a total beginner.

Wildlife Interpreters leading a Big Birdwatch at the Highgate Ponds.

On Saturday the 25th, you can join our Bird ID Walk, led by a friendly local expert from the British Trust for Ornithology. Please sign up online here to attend. Our Nature Interpretation Centre at the Dairy will also be open from 11 to 3pm, where you can pick up guides to common birds on the Heath, see our latest sightings board and talk to one of our rangers about the Heath’s wildlife.

On Sunday the 26th, our Wildlife Interpreters will be running one of their popular Big Birdwatch drop -ins from 1-3pm, stationed at the bird feeders by the Bird Sanctuary Pond (Highgate 4 pond) . Binoculars, spotting scope and bird guides will be provided and our knowledgeable volunteers are on hand to help identify your sightings.

Check out our What’s On page for these upcoming events, and more.

People enjoying birdwatching on one of our Bird ID walks on the Heath.

You can also help our efforts to conserve a familiar bird, the House Sparrow by adopting a House Sparrow Terrace on the Heath. If you’re lucky, you may spot them around the south side of Parliament Hill, amongst the brambles and hedging, including the new hedgerows we’ve planted for them around the Hive. House Sparrows were the most sighted bird in last year’s Big Garden Birdwatch, but their numbers have dropped by 60% nationally since the first birdwatch in 1979. We are trying to help the local population recover and encourage them to establish on the Heath by increasing the continuity of hedgerow and meadow habitats they like as well as putting up bespoke House Sparrow boxes. You can also buy a sparrow bag from our online shop to help carry those binoculars around.

We hope you can join us this weekend, and happy birding! You can find out what you’re likely to see on the Heath from the Hampstead Heath Bird Report.

Big Birdwatch on the Heath

Getting out and about this winter