Keep an eye on the birds!

Garden bird lovers are being encouraged to become nosey neighbours following a huge affordable house building programme.An estimated 30,000 householders took part in the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) annual National Bird Box Week earlier this month to put up new homes for their feathered friends.

Garden bird lovers are being encouraged to become nosey neighbours following a huge affordable house building programme.

An estimated 30,000 householders took part in the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) annual National Bird Box Week earlier this month to put up new homes for their feathered friends.

Officials from the Thetford-based organisation, in partnership with the BBC, are now calling on people to register and record the activity at their new and old bird boxes over the spring.

More than 12,500 sites were recorded last year as part of the Nest Box Challenge, with bird researchers hoping that more than 6,000 will be registered by March 14.

Dr Dave Leech, head of the nest record scheme at the BTO, said monitoring garden bird boxes provided hours of entertainment, but also served as an important scientific tool.

“As the countryside becomes more developed, our gardens become increasingly important havens for wildlife. It is therefore vital that we find out just how well they provide for our breeding birds. By taking part in Nest Box Challenge 2008, you can help to provide the answers that we are looking for,” he said.

For more information, visit www.bto.org.