The world’s biggest bird survey, the RSPB’s 30th anniversary Big Garden Birdwatch takes place on January 24 and 25. This survey provides the charity with a vital snapshot of the UK’s birds each winter.

Over the years, the survey has found falling numbers of house sparrows, starlings and song thrushes. RSPB data reveals that last year the number of birds seen in our gardens was at its lowest in five years.

However, woodpigeons, collared doves, blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits have all made regular appearances in the Big Garden Birdwatch top 15, year on year.

If you want to attract more birds, set up bird tables and feeders near shrubs so that shy birds will use them. Water for drinking and bathing is important too.

If you have tree hollows, put up a nest box or two for the birds to raise their young, siting it high in a tree or wall.

Environment is all-important to tempt birds in. Dogwood and willow stems are potential habitats, ivy provides winter shelter and berried shrubs and trees including rowan and crab apple provide autumn and winter food and spring nesting sites.

Try to keep a wilderness area in a part of your garden, featuring nettles, knapweed and teasel, which offer great feeding opportunities to finches.

Put out a selection of foods, including peanuts, seeds, fat and kitchen scraps, which will attract different types of birds.

The better mixtures contain plenty of flaked maize, sunflower seeds and peanut granules.

Mixes containing chunks or whole nuts are suitable for winter feeding only. Small seeds, such as millet, attract mostly house sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and collared doves, while flaked maize is taken readily by blackbirds.

Tits and greenfinches favour peanuts and sunflower seeds. Pinhead oatmeal is excellent for many birds. Wheat and barley grains are often included in seed mixtures but they are really only suitable for pigeons, doves and pheasants, which feed on the ground and rapidly increase in numbers, frequently deterring the smaller species and upsetting neighbours.

Avoid seed mixtures that have split peas, beans, dried rice or lentils as again only the large species can eat them dry.

Fat balls are sold in nylon mesh bags but never put out any food in these bags, which may trap birds’ feet and even cause broken or torn off feet and legs.

For details of the Big Garden Birdwatch, visit rspb.org.uk