Pounds for Cuckoos

Thanks to your good selves, and of course the kind sponsorship of Meopta and Forest Optic, who donated £1 for every species of bird recorded on PWC 2013, we were able to make a donation of £315 to the BTOs Out of Africa appeal. This great work has allowed us to follow our cuckoos on their annual journeys into the heart of Africa - and considering the amount of time they spend here, has raised the question of whether we can call them 'our' cuckoos at all! The results of this fascinating project can be seen here.

This year, we're doing something slightly different, although the cuckoo work is ongoing, and BTO have tagged a further 16 birds, who can be followed here, and perhaps more importantly, sponsored here. 

This year we've decided that our donation will go to the BTOs House martin appeal, which will hopefully shed some light on the long term decline in this species that might have seen numbers decline by as much as two thirds. Again, the donation will be based on a £££/species rate, and the donation this time will come from Bresser and Forest optic. We'd like to thank them again for their generous offer for 2014!

So, get out there and find something new for the PWC year list - which can be found here on BUBO. Then, not only can you bask in the glory of your good find, you can enjoy the warm glow that comes from knowing you've added a little extra to the pot. 

And if you are not fortunate enough to be able to get out in the field right now, you can enjoy this picture of Ryan handing the cheque over, to Bonita Johnston from BTO ably assisted by Charlotte Lancashire of Forest Optics.