Champions of the Flyway Bird Race funds BCG
We are pleased to inform you that BirdLife and SPNI have selected Bird Conservation Georgia as the first recipient of funding generated by the Champions of the Flyway Bird Race to support our conservation work!
The support raised through the bird race will be targeted to our projects on raising awareness among the local communities around Batumi about the incredible migration of raptors, their ecology and vulnerability. Receptive local hunters and falconers will be engaged as ‘ambassadors for conservation’, to raise awareness among their peers of the consequence of their current actions and the significant ecotourism opportunities that a change of attitude and behaviour presents.
The more money raised, the more we can achieve!
For the occasion, Ingeborg Jacobs created this wonderful trailer:
Check out the Champions-of-the-flyway 'cause'-page and learn how you can support this race.
BRC at the Belgische Vogeldag
This saturday the BRC will be present at the Belgische Vogeldag. We will have a stand where people can find out more about the project. The purpose is to familiarise people with our project, promote birdwatching around Batumi and attract visitors and volunteers.
Pilot Spring Count 2014
The BRC is conducting its first spring count in Batumi from 01. April till 31. May and invites everybody who is keen to join the migration count.
This pilot study aims to record data on all passing raptors, waders, seabirds and passerines in Batumi to create a full data set on phenology, timing and abundance. Yet, we have only counted sporadically but the day results were quite promising. This season we are starting the day from a count post in the delta. After 4 hours we will switch to the near mountains and focus on raptor migration till late afternoon. As hunting is very rare in spring, we are curious on a calm morning in the delta and on surprising news of rare observations. The drive from the delta to the counting post will be done with a 4x4 and takes about 30min.
You like to support the pilot spring count? Then make a difference with your donation and help us to bring volunteers to Batumi! Or join us during spring and watch the fantastic migration!
Join as counter
We invite everybody interested in proving an important bottleneck for spring migration to join us on the posts. There is no strict time schedule, no heavy protocol, just a daily running 4x4 starting well before sunrise and returning short before sunset. We like to have a stable team of 4 counters but this may vary during the season. We also give assistance to everybody in finding an accommodation near the posts. The costs are covered for the vehicle, everything else needs to be covered by each person or comes from donations through our website.
Join as eco-tourists
Our guesthouses in Sakhalvasho are also open, which you can book on our website. Near the guesthouses you find good observation points for raptor migration while you need to book transport to the spring posts with the drivers from the village. Of course, we will be happy to assist you and arrange your stay as comfortable as possible.