Hell Out There

Why this weekend's Big Garden Birdwatch could reveal nature in the raw, as well as providing data on decreasing sparrows and increasing goldfinches.

“It’s hell out there,” says John Robinson, aka the Birdman of Wadsley, as the frost settles on the lawns of Sheffield. “I marvel at how small birds can survive such cold weather.”

Garden birdwatchers in 2004

The answer, of course, is that they’re getting fed in our gardens, and not just with our supermarket bird seeds, fat balls* and coconut husks.