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YOUNG BIRDERS AROUND THE GLOBE GIVE
Advent for birds this
Christmas Season
Photos and
text by Stefan Rust
2013
(In
terms of the Geneva Convention the copyright of these texts belongs to Stefan
Rust)
This Bird
Advent is a special Christmas project initiated by BirdsConTours’ Young Birders
to count and celebrate the 4 advents (Sundays) leading up to Christmas Day by
supporting wild birds.
Every participating Young Birder is
awarded with a 1 penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly Award, receives a
penguin candy lolly and wears the Christmas hat for a photograph that gets
published together with a brief text.
Under the project Young Birders BirdsConTour takes the idea of the Advent Calendar
by doing something good every advent for wild birds. Around the globe
BirdsConTour motivates one child (Young Birder) per advent leading up to
Christmas to either feed wild birds, clean the bird habitat, put up a nest box
or something similar leading to a better life for birds.
The idea behind this Young Birders Advent for Birds project is to create an awareness of bird life with
children and simultaneously helping birds.
01. December, Sunday
Nino Leicher (13), a Young Birder from Windhoek, Namibia,
fixes plastic bags over the vehicles mirrors to prevent an aggressive Chestnut-vented
Tit-Babbler from fighting his own reflection by thinking it is a rival bird.
This habit, especially during breeding season, can lead to exhaustion that will
make the bird more vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and predators.
08. December, Sunday
His family’s planned house is not built yet, but the house
of the wild bird family that will stay with them is done. Young Birder Rigo
Hellmich (3.5) from Farm Sonnleiten, Namibia, certainly will see that his
father puts up this nest box to support bird life, because he likes birds.
15. December, Sunday
German Young Birder Wiebke-Julia Röder (1), visiting
Namibia, gets introduced to keeping poultry free range by her grandmother Heidi
Rust. Keeping chicken, geese, ducks, guinea fowl and pigeon is a very
rewarding, relaxing and fun hobby giving one pleasure and is a magnet for
children with the added benefit of having free range fresh eggs and meat and
cost-effective insect controllers.
22. December, Sunday
Young Birder Wolfram Röder (5) from Germany visits Namibia
and already understands the importance of water for birds. Birds need water for
drinking and bathing, particularly during winter when natural water may be
frozen, and in dry, hot weather when water can be hard to find.
24. December, Tuesday
While cyclone Xaver heralded by sweeping devastating wind
and rain across Northern Europe, the media was packed with news about occurring
financial losses. But who spent a thought on losses nature and particularly
bird life experienced? Young Birder Leni Rust (4) from Germany did and erected
together with her father a bird feeding station to give support to the wild
birds after the cyclone calmed down.
May Peace, Joy,
Happiness and spectacular Birding
be yours during
this Christmas/Holiday Season
and throughout the
New Year
Season’s Greetings
Joyeux Noel
Feliz Navidad
Fröhliche
Weihnachten
Yours truly,
Stefan Rust
