Students join Brook Court residents for a ‘twitching’ good time

Home news

Feb 07, 2019

Brook Court had bird-feeders filled and binoculars at the ready when it took part in this year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch with the help of some special friends. 

Residents at Brook Court participated in the annual wildlife survey, and recorded the number of birds, as well as other wildlife species, they spotted in their garden. 

Students from Foley Park Primary Academy, who are regular visitors to the care home, joined residents to help make bird boxes for the home’s garden. Everyone also enjoyed writing wildlife-inspired poetry, and getting crafty with bird art, as well as singing songs together. 

There was also a special visit from the Falconry Club, which brought a host of birds of prey to the homes, including an American Kestrel and Spectacled Owl, for residents to meet up close. 

2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which encourages people nationwide to count the birds in their gardens to allow the charity to monitor trends and understand how different species are doing. 

Data from over half a million people is then compared year-on-year to provide a ‘snapshot’ of bird numbers across the UK.  

Gill Pratt, home manager at Brook Court, said: “The birdwatch is always an incredibly popular activity with residents, so we were delighted that local students and the Falconry Club could join us to make this event even more special for everyone involved. All of the residents enjoyed taking part, especially seeing the birds up close and spending time getting creative with pupils from Foley Park Primary Academy. 

“Birdwatching gives older people a fantastic opportunity to get outdoors and be more active – but even better, no matter what your mobility level you can take part. This wonderfully inclusive hobby can also be enjoyed across the generations, with older people sharing their knowledge of nature and bird life with younger people – I know the pupils from Foley Park Primary Academy learned plenty of new nature knowledge from the residents. We all had a fantastic time and will continue our hobby over the coming months.”