THE MS for Aberconwy, Janet Finch-Saunders, has encouraged farmers, gamekeepers and land owners to spend 30 minutes between February 4-20 counting the birds seen in one part of their farm.

This follows her recent engagement with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’, and comes as part of the Big Farmland Bird Count 2022.

Organised by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trusts since 2014, the count provides a vital national snapshot of the health of the UK’s birdlife.

According to NFU Cymru, who are one of the sponsors of the event, about 2,500 counts were completed in 2021, which was an increase on 2020, when 1,500 count forms were returned.

Marking the start of the initiative, Mrs Finch-Saunders said: “As an avid birdwatcher, having provided feed near my window at home on which robins and wagtails have been known to gorge on, I am incredibly pleased to be encouraging our rural stakeholders to set aside just 30 minutes to take part in the Big Farmland Bird Count 2022.

“The scheme is a perfect opportunity to again highlight the fantastic conservation steps being implemented by our sustainable food producers, such as their planting and management of crucial hedgerows which provide a source of food, as well as nesting habitat and a safe haven from predators.

“For any land custodian interested in taking part in this bird count initiative, I can recommend morning as the ideal time to view our visiting feathered friend.

“It is perhaps also best to aim for a fine, dry day without too much strong wind.

“A sheltered spot next to a hedgerow could also be beneficial.

“I hope that this year’s count proves to be the biggest yet.

“I’m told that the area covered by 2021’s count was a remarkable 2.5 million acres of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“As well as highlighting the interest of this sector to play their role in tackling our nature crisis, this scale is also crucial to allowing us to gather the data required to take valuable interventions.”

To take part, simply download a count sheet from Big Farmland Bird Count (bfbc.org.uk) and spend just 30 minutes between February 4-20 counting birds in one spot on the farm, plus a few minutes inputting results via the website.

Guides to counting and identifying birds, biodiversity-boosting tips, and more details on taking part are all available on the Big Farmland Bird Count website.

Participants are encouraged to share photos or videos of themselves counting on social media using #bfbc.