Chaffinch the most spotted bird in Borders gardens

The results are now in and while the house sparrow was the most commonly seen bird in Scotland’s gardens, in the Borders it was the chaffinch which took first spot, counted in over 86% of gardens of residents taking part in the count.

Participants counted 626,335 feathered visitors during the birdwatch weekend and there was a rise in the number of smaller garden birds such as coal tits and great tits.

Keith Morton, species policy officer at RSPB Scotland, said: “The increase in smaller garden birds recorded, such as long-tailed tits, suggests that the lack of sustained cold weather helps these species survive in far greater numbers over the winter months. The food these birds rely on, such as insects, would have been easier to find, helping to boost the numbers of them spotted in Big Garden Birdwatch hour.”

In Scotland sightings of well-known species such as starlings and song thrushes experienced another drop during Big Garden Birdwatch this year.