THE British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is asking people to monitor the numbers of Long-tailed tits in their gardens.

Reported sightings of the birds have been at their highest for two years, and the organisation wants to know whether they will continue to do well in gardens, or whether numbers will start to match those seen in the wider countryside.

For more information contact gbw@bto.org, telephone 01842 750050, write to Garden BirdWatch, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, or visit www.bto.org/gbw.