The 2018/19 Irish Garden Bird Survey is nearly over!!

Time flies when you're having fun!

Believe it or not, we're now in the last week of this winters Irish Garden Bird Survey! The survey officially ends this Sunday, 3rd of March. The mornings are a bit brighter, and the evenings a bit longer, so make sure to keep an eye out this week to see if you can add a few more species to your garden total this year. The last few weeks of the survey often produce more birds and more species (including Siskin and Lesser Redpoll) than the early weeks, so its well worth keeping your eyes peeled!

It's been quite a mild winter overall, with no notable stormy or cold spells, so it will be interesting to see how our garden birds fared compared to previous years.

It is, of course, vitally important, that having put the effort into recording your garden birds this winter that you actually send the data in to us!! There are several ways to do it:

• Online - You can enter your data online here. 

• Post - You can print out this survey form, and post it in to us.

• Email - You can fill out the above sheet and email it to us at gardenbirds@birdwatchireland.ie , rather than posting it. Remember to send both sides of the sheet though!

If you have any questions or any problems at any stage, don't hesitate to get in touch with us by email or through our Facebook or Twitter pages.

We'd also like to take this opportunity to give a big thanks to The Ballymaloe Group, who have sponsored the Irish Garden Bird Survey this year. 

Their support really makes a difference, and means we can really focus our efforts on making the Irish Garden Bird Survey as big as it can be, and analyse the data to tell us what your efforts are telling us about Ireland's wintering garden birds.

As the survey draws to a close Ballymaloe House are offering a very special ‘Bird Lovers’ mid-week unique break this March.  Including walks and talks on the grounds at Ballymaloe House and at the nearby Bird Sanctuary in Ballycotton with BirdWatch Ireland Ornithologists.  

Arrive in the afternoon for tea in the drawing room at Ballymaloe House (option to join tour of Ballycotton wetlands at 3 pm). Make the house your home for the evening before enjoying a three-course Ballymaloe menu and the opportunity to enjoy our award-winning world-famous DessertTrolley too at your leisure.  Meet your guide at 6.30am for a quick coffee and bite to eat before joining him to experience the sights and sounds of the Ballymaloe farm when the birds are waking up. Return to Ballymaloe House to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and make the house your home for the day or enjoy the East Cork area until you meet your guide at the Ballycotton wetlands site for a different bird loving walk and talk experience at 3 pm.

For full details on what's sure to be a great way to start the spring, see the Ballymaloe website here.

See below some facts that you might not have known about Ireland's garden birds, and do keep in mind that now is a great time to put up a nestbox and ensure your local bird populations are looked after during the summer too!