Lost shorebirds

Foraging shorebirds at low-tide

Shorebirds get plenty attention. In the UK for instance over one million pounds are spent annually on their conservation. Worldwide about 120 species are protected and the budget for that might well be over 30 million US dollars. 

Looking for nests on a island

In Kenya, I estimate the current shorebirdbudget to be somewhere between 25 and 150 US dollars, about the price one Kenyan shorebirdenthusiast has to pay for a decent pair of secondhand binoculars.

Martin Mwale, a Kenyan shorebirdenthusiast has a pair of secondhand binoculars. Martin came by our office to collect information for his thesis study on shorebirds and in particular the role of protected areas in shorebirdconservation. His thesis will probably be the first overview of shorebirds for the Kenyan coast in a long time, an extremely valuable document. Martin also needs a new pair of binoculars since the second-hand pair he bought on E-bay is so whacky that you can’t help but feeling drunk when looking trough them.

Lost shorebirds