Over the weekend of the 12th to the 14th of July Wader Quest attended the Global Birdfair at Lyndon Top, Rutland. It made a lovely change to have pretty much perfect weather for the event, it didn’t rain, and it was not too hot and sunny, just right.
Somehow, a number of people felt, us included, that this year there was a greater sense of the old ‘Birdfair vibe’ that was perhaps missing at the previous venue. Generally, it was felt that visitor numbers were slightly down, and this was reflected in the income and profit from the weekend. That said there was a steady and manageable flow of visitors to the stand and it was definitely worth attending, especially as this year we were greatly indebted to Wildwings and Limosa Holidays, which sponsored part of the cost of the stand.
Wader Quest Trustees were on hand at the stand, Rick and Elis Simpson on all three days, as was Ray Heaton, Phil Hadley came on Friday and on Sunday with his wife and volunteer Karen. Phil also came on Thursday to help set up the stand preventing Rick and Elis coming to their usual blows over this process. Elizabeth Anderson also attended on Friday with her husband Andrew.
We are very grateful to Corporate Sponsors Opticron who printed and supplied the posters for the stand greatly enhancing its attractiveness to passing visitors.
Rick gave a talk on Friday at 12.30, which seemed to go down well. It covered some amusing incidents and many of the wonderful waders many of which are endemic to be found in Australia. These included both the attractive Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterels, Masked and Black-shouldered Lapwings and some hybrids they encountered as well as an early tick in the form of a Banded Lapwing from the plane at the airport on arrival in Perth. Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers featured as did the unusual Australian Pratincole, two species of Thick-knee, Stilts and Avocets plus several sandpipers and plovers and, of course, the beautiful and endangered Hooded Plover, which has such a profound effect on Rick and Elis’ outlook on wader conservation tactics.
Next year’s talk will be about Rick and Elis’ experiences in New Zealand.
On the stand this year we introduced the 2024 pin badges, namely No. 39 Common Redshank, No. 40 Asian Dowitcher, No. 41 Red Knot, No. 42, Red-wattled Lapwing and the 2024 Friends of Wader Quest badge No. 43 featuring the head of a Common Ringed Plover. All of these will shortly be available in our shop.
Red Dragon Metal Art waders also featured on the stand and were, as always, very popular. Some of these designs have been made specifically with Wader Quest in mind and the generosity of owners Paul and Nicky Stanway means that the charity benefits from every sale made of wader designs.
We also benefitted this year from the generosity of long-time friend of Rick and Elis; Jayne Watts.
Jayne, along with her late Husband Mick, joined Rick and Elis in Brazil for a tour of the North-east of the country looking for its endemic birds, it was a successful and highly enjoyable trip for all concerned. Sadly, Mick died in January 2020 and Jayne decided at his funeral that donations should be directed to Wader Quest, an honour we will not forget. Jayne has further supported Wader Quest by recently donating some of Mick’s wildlife library for us to sell to raise funds. We are of course extremely grateful to Jayne and humbled by her support.
Our stand was sandwiched between Our Indian Tours, who have been our neighbours at Birdfair through various locations, the stand usually being managed by Manoj Vardhan the most amazing friend and gentleman from India. it is always a pleasure to see him each year and we are very pleased to be able to assist him by storing some of his stand items to save him carrying them back and forth to India.
The other side we are joined this year by Curlew Action, a leading light in the race to save the Eurasian Curlew in the UK. Unfortunately, Mary Colwell was unwell so unable to attend, but we were delighted to meet Ellen Bradbury and be reacquainted with Megan Shersby from the Curlew action team. The added bonus for us was meeting Alicia Hayden in person whom we were delighted to help fund a film she has made about the Curlew’s plight that will be premiered later this year at the North Of England Curlew Awards in Masham in August.
Beyond the Curlew Action stand was the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force stand, another cause with which we have been associated since our outset, and indeed was our reason for creating Wader Quest in the first place back in 2012.
Another young friend we always delight in seeing each year at Birdfair is Crow Artist, aka Kirsty Yeomans. This year she presented us with this amazing stand-up design of a Little Ringed Plover, it was individually made especially for us, but we think that if she were to go into production, they would be a great attraction to her many followers, it is a delightful addition to our collection of wader paraphernalia.
We were also honoured by a visit from Richard Chandler, one of the foremost authors and wader experts, who’s book Shorebirds In Action is one of the best and most educative book ever written on the subject, a signed copy of which is one of our most prized possessions.
One feature of the Wader Quest fundraising has always been what we lovingly refer to as the ‘Mobile Charity Shop’. Over the years we have been donated items to sell. Most of it is sold at Car Boot Sales attended by Rick and Elis, but some of the items are bird related and these we bring to Birdfair. During the fair itself people often bring us items to sell, and this year was no exception with ornaments and stamps brought to us by Colin Horne, books from Sue Ryden and this year, at the end of the weekend, some miniature wader models created and donated by Martyn Bacon.
It just remains for us to thank Tim Appleton and Penny Robinson, who just happen to be patrons of Wader Quest for the tremendous effort they put in each year to create the Global Birdfair. It is truly one of the highlights of so many birders’ year, and that includes the Wader Quest team.
Talking of teams, it is also important to recognise that the event could not take place if it were not for the many volunteers who attend the event, keeping exhibitors and visitors informed, happy and above all, safe.
Birdfair volunteers do a magnificent job for very little recognition.
Thanks too to all our pin badge collectors, supporters, friends and sponsors that came to the stand, it is communicating and conversation with you all that makes the Birdfair what it is, a thoroughly enjoyable and fulfilling weekend.