Merry Christmas from Rare Bird Alert
On behalf of the team at RBA, I would like to wish you a very safe and Happy Christmas and a healthy, bird-filled New Year.
I hope that this finds you, your friends and family well. If that is not the case, or you have lost someone close to you this year, please accept our deepest sympathies. As we head into the New Year, and reflect on 2020, it is good health that is paramount. Birding has certainly been challenging this past year, as has staying safe, and keeping others safe, but by paying attention and being careful, it has been possible to enjoy our hobby safely and responsibly. Please continue to do that as this year closes and a new one begins. Being out in the fresh air, getting exercise whilst correctly socially distancing is one thing we can do to remain safe and healthy. The benefits to our mental health when we connect with nature is as important now, or more so, than ever before.
Despite the obvious difficulties with birding, 2020 was a remarkable year for rare and scarce birds. National firsts, ultimate blockers falling, outrageous seabirds, a plethora of high quality rarities and a vintage autumn meant that the year will live long in the memory for all the right reasons. We will soon be bringing you part one of our annual rarity roundup but this rarity roll-call should whet your appetite. Tengmalm’s Owl, Lesser Kestrel, Song Sparrow, Brown Booby, White-chinned Petrel, Little Swift, Scops Owl, Green Warbler, Cayenne Tern, Asian Desert Warbler, Short-tailed Shearwater and Lammergeier. And that was just the first 6 months of the year!
Away from birdnews 2020 saw us launch our RBA Young Ornithologists Fellowships. We received a large number of applications from which four young naturalists were chosen for the inaugural awards. The prize for each – a week stay at a UK bird observatory, a pair of Swarovski CL Companion binoculars, a large selection of natural history books (donated by WildSounds & Books) and a Rare Bird Alert Platinum subscription. We look forward to announcing the 2021 Fellowship details in the New Year.
Christmas and New Year hours
Birdnews: the team will, as always, continue to work uninterrupted throughout the entire holiday period.
General queries: the admin office is open until 5pm on Christmas Eve after which it closes until 9am on Tuesday 29th. It will be closed again on New Year’s Day Friday 1st January.
Support: Over the holidays, for the best possible support, please email us if you need any help and the birdnews team will do their utmost to help with anything urgent when the admin office is closed. If for any reason you cannot email about an urgent issue, please leave a message on the birdnews hotline instead, being sure to clearly leave your contact phone number.
We would like to say a special thanks to all our subscribers and contributors. The RBA team, working from home, have worked hard throughout this difficult year to bring you all the news, accurately and speedily. Without your support we couldn’t do it so thank-you. We look forward to keeping you fully informed with all the news throughout 2021.
Very best wishes
Dick Filby
And the RBA Team, Chris, Brian, Pete, Will, David and Stuart
With thanks to Paul Coombes for his Waxwing photo
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