Take a look out of your window. What can you see? A bird in the tree over the road? A butterfly fluttering past, dancing from flower to flower? Now you can turn your wildlife sightings into points with Open Your Window Bingo!

Download your Open Your Window Bingo! sheet here:

The brainchild of Kate Howlett, one of our brilliant PhD students, find out about some of the species you are likely to see through your window or in your garden. Score points with each sighting – the rarer the animal the more points you get. Why not keep a record over the coming weeks and see how the animals you spot changes and the seasons progress.

There are four bingo pages:

Butterflies

From the showy beauty of a peacock or red admiral butterfly, to the pale delicate wings of the whites, butterflies are insects that you can record and admire without having to catch them for a closer look. Find out more on the Bingo sheet, and keep an eye on the blog for further posts about our British butterflies, and gardening tips to encourage more into your garden. For even more butterfly fun, check out the website of Butterfly Conservation.

Birds

Animals you are likely to hear as well as see, Britain is home to lots of beautiful species of birds. From the cheerful robin redbreast, to the mellow song of the blackbird and the bright flashes of colour provided by blue tits, common garden birds are something to delight in. Find out more on the Bingo sheet, and keep an eye on the blog for our Birdwatch posts, explore the sights and sounds of our local birds. Seen birds that aren’t on our list? Take a look at the RSPB website for more information and snippets of birdsong.

Plants

Britain is home to a variety of colourful wildflowers. These native species are important for supporting other wildlife. There are also invasive species, like the Himalayan balsam, that can cause problems for our native species. Find out more on the Bingo sheet. Want to find out more about wildflowers and other plants? The Plantlife website is packed with information about our wild plants and fungi.

Extras

Here are some other animals you might see through your window or in your garden. The buzzing of a bumblebee is like the sound of summer, and grey squirrels are a common sight on bird feeders and in the trees. Find out more about these creatures on the Bingo sheet, and keep an eye on the blog for posts about the mammals, minibeasts and other animals of Britain. For even more information, check out the website of the Wildlife Trusts.

Let us know how you are getting on with your bingo and share your sightings with us on social media using #OpenYourWindowBingo

Stay safe, stay home and happy wildlife watching!

Image credits: peacock, Andrew Bladon/ small tortoiseshell, Ed Turner/ red admiral, Ed Turner/ comma, Ed Turner/ painted lady, Lousie Docker/ speckled wood, Andrew Bladon/ meadow brown, Ellie Bladon/ ringlet, Ed Turner/ gatekeeper, John Howlett/ orange tip, Ed Turner/ brimstone, Ellie Bladon/ small white, Andrew Bladon/ large white, Andrew Bladon/ green-veined white, Charles J. Sharp/ holly blue, Ed Turner/ common blue, Andrew Bladon/ blackbird, Juan Emilio/ robin, Kate Howlett/ long-tailed tit, Zeynel Cebeci/ blue tit, Francis C. Franklin/ great tit, Rhododendrites/ wood pigeon, Jozefsu/ collared dove, Dr. Raju Kasambe/ crow, Charles J. Sharp/ magpie, Charles J. Sharp/ red kite, Charles J. Sharp/ house sparrow, Mathias Appel/ goldfinch, Charles J. Sharp/ chaffinch, Zeynel Cebeci/ dunnock, public domain/ swallow, Thomas Nugent/ swift, pau.artigas/ dandelion, John Howlett/ lesser celandine, Kate Howlett/ primrose, John Howlett/ English bluebell, Eric Foxley/ daffodil, John Howlett/ blackthorn blossom, John Howlett/ daisy, Lodchjo/ cowslip, John Howlett/ yarrow, TomSmithNP/ forget-me-not, Humanfeather,Michelle Jo/ bramble, Ria.peros/ nettle, Uwe H. Fiese/ cow parsley, John Howlett/ buttercup, John Howlett/ speedwell, public domain/ Himalayan balsam, Tony Atkin/ common toad, Kate Howlett/ brown rat, VJAnderson/ hedgehog, Mary and Angus Hogg/ fox, John Howlett/ grey squirrel, John Howlett/ common frog, DILIN/ seven-spot ladybird, AnemoneProjectors/ frogspawn, John Howlett/ badger, kallerna/ cat, John Howlett/ toadspawn, Mike Krüger/ grass snake, Charles J. Sharp/ muntjac deer, Peter O’Connor/ harlequin ladybird, Tony Hisgett/ house mouse, public domain/ white-tailed bumblebee, John Howlett.