Macclesfield RSPB Wildlife Explorers joined around half a million people all round the country
to take part in this year's RSPB nationwide Big Garden Birdwatch.

Wildlife Explorers gathered at Pikelow Farm and spotted the following incredible array of bird species in one hour of birdwatching:
(NB Numbers are most seen at any one time.)

Mallard	46		Dunnock	2
Blackheaded gull	15		Magpie	2
Tree sparrow	12		Mistle thrush	2
Blue tit	8		Pheasant	2
Grey partridge	8		Robin	2
Great tit	7		Brambling	1
Chaffinch	6		Bullfinch	1
Goldfinch	6		Great spotted woodpecker	1
Long-tailed tit	6		Herring gull	1
Moorhen	6		Jay	1
Greenfinch	5		Kestrel	1
Blackbird	4		Lesser black-backed gull	1
Buzzard	4		Nuthatch	1
House sparrow	4		Red-legged partridge	1
Mute Swan	4		Redwing	1
Coal tit	3		Reed bunting	1
Collared dove	3		Song thrush	1
Coot	2		Sparrowhawk	1
Crows	2		Wren	1

Big Garden Birdwatch has now been running for 30 years and in that time more than three million Big Garden Birdwatch hours will have been clocked up. The survey has made a major contribution to tracking garden bird numbers over the winter.

Over the last 30 years, Big Garden Birdwatch has highlighted the winners and losers in the garden bird world. It was first to alert the RSPB to massive declines in song thrush numbers. The song thrush was a firm fixture in the top 10 in 1979. In 2008, its numbers were less than half those recorded in 1979.

The survey has also shown the the alarming declines of the house sparrow and starling and increases in collared dove and wood pigeon numbers.

Visit The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch website for more information and to submit your results online.