THE annual bird race organised by the Bolton Group of the RSPB has showed how many of the area's once-common birds are in decline.

Teams of birdwatchers set out to record as many species of birds as possible within a six-mile radius of Smithills Hall in a single day. This year, the winning total by a team, made up of Bolton and Bury birdwatchers, was only 59 species -- 20 fewer than typical totals of 10 years ago. Former group leader, Tony Johnson, of Horwich, who sits on many conservation groups, said: "It really is very worrying. This year we never saw a single yellow wagtail, siskin or kingfisher, and it is quite a few years since we saw a yellowhammer, which was once fairly common in this area." Mr Johnson claimed changes in farming practices were partly to blame.

The RSPB has set up an experimental working farm in the South of England to find ways of running commercial food production while still providing a habitat for birds.