Urgently needed: Long-term counters for Autumn 2023
Dear friends of Batumi Raptor Count, raptor enthusiasts,
For every autumn count we rely on the voluntary work of a diverse group of counters from all experience levels and walks of life. We offer positions for participation anywhere from two-week periods til full seasons. In particular, we rely on a group of long-term participants staying with us for half a season or longer as the ‘backbone’ of our count. Usually, these positions are popular and easily filled. However, this year — for unknown reasons — we still have vacancies for most long-term positions. If, in a worst-case scenario, these positions do not get adequately filled soon, we are unable to ensure consistent count effort throughout the season and we may eventually even have to (partially) cancel the count for this autumn.
Given our experience in the previous year, we are still confident there are many enthusiastic birders able to commit for longer terms to our project. Please, if you are interested in participating yourself, or know someone who may be, forward them this urgent call. Long-term counters receive a discount on the daily fee between €10 and €15. Additionally, we can also offer these positions as internship positions for students. Finally, if you are unable to cover your participation fee for financial reasons, you should know that we can provide further discounts on a case-by-case basis thanks to other participants who have generously decided to pay extra on top of their fees. If you wish to apply for this further reduction of the participation fee, send an email to volunteer@batumiraptorcount.org.
In addition to positions for long-term counters, we also still have plenty of unfilled short-term 2-week slots available.
We strive to keep the barrier of entry for volunteering positions as low as possible. In case you feel there are ways in which we can improve this further, especially if you experience hindrances to participate, please reach out to us via email and we will see what we can do about this now and in the future.
Warm wishes,
Batumi Raptor Count
Edit June 16th, 2023: We’ve lowered the prices for long-term counters by €2 to €10 and €15/day for full season and half season counters respectively.
First BRC publication in Russian Raptors Conservation journal
We are proud to announce the publication of our first Russian language paper in the Russian Raptor Research and Conservation Network’s (RRRCN) journal ‘Raptors Conservation’.
The cover of Raptors Conservation features a stunning juvenile Short-toed Eagle giving onlookers in the Batumi bottleneck a close look.
Spearheaded by Olga Zaytseva, the new publication is a follow-up to our British Birds article, providing both a translation to the Russian-speaking community as well as a review of likely breeding areas of migrants passing Batumi and a comparison between Russian breeding population estimates and numbers of migrants in Batumi.
Despite ongoing conflict in our flyway, we are proud to feature on the cover of Raptors Conservation journal. It truly is an important milestone for us in connecting with the researchers that work in the breeding areas of most of the raptors that we are monitoring every autumn in Georgia.
Bird Artwork by Jérôme Wey
BRC is happy to announce our collaboration with Jérôme Wey!
Jérôme is an artist and keen French birdwatcher, currently living in southern France. Largely influenced by his travels and the graffiti culture, his art, mostly birds, are realistics and highly colourful tending to explore a more modern approach than the traditional naturalist art. His bird drawings are treated as human portraits with a certain pride and eminence while conserving vulnerability. He has generously offered to sell his drawings to raise money for the BRC.
“I have always been passionate about nature and animals, birds hold a special place in my life. As such and aware of the challenges and threats that weigh on them, especially during their migration, it seems essential to me to protect them. This is where the Batumi Raptor Count comes in. The BRC is doing tremendous work to collect valuable data, to involve local people as well as their desire to limit the impact of hunting and poaching. So, when the opportunity presented itself to me to be able to help the BRC, I did not hesitate for a second.” - Jérôme
Check out Jérôme’s work on his Instagram, Facebook or his website!
Jérôme’s bird drawings are available as prints in A4 format, or as an original. The drawings are made with mixed materials including acrylic paints, alcohol markers and colour pencils. There is one original available or 20 prints, each print is unique on its own as Jérôme adds more details after printing. Originals are made on white grain paper, prints are available on glossier paper.
Drawings are shipped worldwide from France in a cardboard envelope, delivery times range from 3-15 days. Shipping is included in the price.
For now there are four drawings available, but hopefully we are able to add other prints in the future!