Whether you have blue tits in your bird box or a visiting robin which lands on the tree at the end of your garden, help keep track of the birds in the county in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

Put the kettle on, get comfy in the armchair and look out the window this weekend for the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch.

Thousands of families across the county will be putting their feet up for a day of ornithology without the rain macks, steamy glasses and binoculars.

From the comfort of your own home, help the charity record the fortunes of Kent’s garden visitors by noting which of our feathered friends swoops into your garden for an hour on either Saturday, January 28 or Sunday, January 29.

Last year, a record-breaking 20,481 people in Kent joined more than 600,000 people across the UK, spotting the birds in their garden.

The findings revealed a recovery for small birds, putting the starling as Kent’s most common bird in 2011, followed by house sparrows and blue tits.

RSPB South East’s Samantha Stokes said: “Because this survey takes place each January it’s always interesting to compare results, especially if we’ve had a particularly harsh or mild winter.

“As well as helping us track the ups and downs of garden birds, if you take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch you’ll have the perfect excuse to sit down with a cuppa and enjoy the wildlife living alongside you.

“Everyone can get involved. You don’t have to be a birdwatcher – just enjoy watching the birds as they perch on branches, hang from feeders and swoop in and out of their nests in your garden.

“By taking part, you’ll contribute to the biggest garden bird event in the world and you won’t even have to leave the warmth of your armchair.”

An extension of Big Garden Birdwatch is the RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch, which runs until Monday, January 30. Children have been learning about the birds which share their school environment in classrooms across Ashford, Beckenham, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Folkestone, Eastchurch, Gillingham, Gravesend, Hever, Longfield, Rochester, Sandwich, Sevenoaks, Sittingbourne, Swanley, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Westgate-on-Sea.

Since its launch in 2002, more than 70 different species have been recorded in school grounds, ranging from starlings and house sparrows, to kestrels and pheasants.

Back home, the Big Garden Birdwatch is one of the first indicators to show how well UK birds have fared during the previous breeding season and winter.

Recent harsh winters have seen some garden bird populations drop, only to make a comeback after a good breeding season the following year.

It is hoped that this year’s survey will show birds have managed to maintain or even increase their numbers after the mild winter weather.

With more than half a million people taking part each year and in excess of 30 years’ worth of data, the event helps the RSPB spot trends in bird populations and prepare for which species need help.

Samantha said: “It’s important we keep a close eye on how our birds are faring, like the house sparrow for example.

“With so many people stepping up and taking part in Big Garden Birdwatch, if a pattern emerges, we take it seriously. Over half a million people can’t be wrong and that’s why the survey is so important.

“As well as getting hundreds of thousands of people enjoying wildlife, it actually helps protect nature by showing the RSPB where we need to focus our efforts.”

How to take part

1. Download the recording sheet or register for a free pack at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch or by calling 0300 456 8330.

2. Spend one hour over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, January 28 and 29, counting the birds in your garden or local park, and record the highest number of each bird species seen at any one time.

3. Submit your results by visiting the results section of the website at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch