WILDLIFE lovers across Hampshire are being asked to get counting.

It is that time of year again when the RSPB launches the Big Garden Birdwatch.

Last year the wildlife survey attracted more than 15,000 people in the county to take part.

It was created 36 years ago in a bid to keep track of how garden birds fared during the winter but for the second year running participants are asked to keep track of other wildlife animals as well.

Now the charity is asking people to draw up their tallies once again and keep their eyes peeled on Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25.

Grey squirrels were the most popular animal spotted in Hampshire last year, along with frogs, badgers and hedgehogs.

Almost half a million people in the UK took part last year and 82 per cent of people revealed they spotted grey squirrels in their gardens at least once a month.

Deer were fairly popular in countryside locations like the New Forest last year as well, with 18 per cent of Hampshire watchers recording a sighting.

But the RSPB are urging people to look out for animals like starlings, butterflies and ladybirds after last year’s drop in results for the species.

Daniel Hayhow, RSPB conservation scientist, said: “This massive survey shows how important our gardens are for the amazing variety of wildlife living there.

“The State of Nature report showed that we need more information across many species groups, so widening the Big Garden Birdwatch’s scope to include other animals made perfect sense.

“This is the start of something big and something very, very important. In a few years’ time we’ll be able to compare how the distribution of garden wildlife may have changed. Hopefully, more people will help to give nature a home in their gardens and outside spaces meaning we see improvements rather than declines.”