Andy Langley is a World Land Trust (WLT) supporter who will be completing his annual sponsored birdwatch at the start of October to raise funds for WLT’s Autumn Appeal, which will launch with Big Match Fortnight (BMF) on 7th October.
Donations through his JustGiving page between 7th and 21st October, up to his £5,000 target, receive extra matched funding provided by Ecclesiastical (part of the Benefact Group). Ecclesiastical will double donations, which will then be doubled again due to BMF matching.
Big Match Fortnight 2026
As last year, I’m writing this blog a few weeks before BMF has been launched, so I can’t give too much away, but there are a few things that I have been told I can share.
Firstly, for the first time WLT’s Autumn Appeal will be supporting land purchase in two continents! Each year I love to hear which habitat and species will benefit from the appeal, so the opportunity to raise money for two amazing projects is a bonus.
Secondly, one of the land purchase areas is home to a stunning critically endangered bird species! As a keen birdwatcher, it’s great to have the opportunity to know that donations will help a species that is in such need of help, as well as saving habitat which is home to so many other amazing species.
I have included some photos below of the habitat from both appeals as a teaser, but I will add lots more photos to my JustGiving page on 7th October when BMF goes live.
Photo: Chantelle Melzer
Why I support World Land Trust
Hopefully lots of you already know about World Land Trust, as Mark has mentioned them many times in his blogs, having previously been their Chair of Trustees. I haven’t asked him why he supports them and how he ranks them compared with other wildlife charities, but for me they have to be one of the most impactful conservation charities around. [Mark writes: I agree completely!]
I find it hard to stay positive when thinking about the threats to wildlife around the word, but I know that by supporting World Land Trust my donations are having a long-term impact on protecting some of the most precious habitats in the world. There must be so many projects that need their help, but I know they prioritise land purchases that provide the greatest benefits. As with the appeal this year, this often involves improving the connectivity or extending existing protected areas to improve the long-term viability of populations of endangered species. They also always ensure that the interests of local people are central to their work, with local conservation organisations managing the reserves and local communicates benefitting from their work.
Big Match Fortnight is an opportunity for donations to go even further and I’m very grateful for Ecclesiastical for providing extra matched funding each year, totalling over £36,000 since 2018, so that people’s donations to my fundraiser can be quadrupled, rather than doubled. I’m also so grateful for everyone who has sponsored me in the past, including many readers of this website, so that I can make the most of my employer’s extra matched funding.
If you would like to find out more about World Land Trust’s Autumn Appeal and Big Match Fortnight, please see their website from 7th October.
Photo: Sebastian HerzogThis year’s Sponsored Birdwatch
My fundraising challenge is to see as many bird species as possible in one day in Gloucestershire, without doing too much driving. I mentioned in my guest blog last year, that I was trying to improve on my species count from the year before. This had gradually been increasing from 72 in 2018 to 92 in 2022, but over the last few years has dropped back down again to 82 last year. The greatest impact on the number of birds I can see is the weather, which usually adds to the challenge of the day. My best year was a really clear day, when it was easy to see birds migrating overhead, as well as lots of activity at the sites I visited. This contrasts with the end of my birdwatch last year, where after a good start, new birds were very hard to spot as storm Amy arrived.
My bird count over all years totals 120 and gives me hope that one day I can see 100 species in a day. I know many birdwatchers have been able to do this, but it seems a long way off at the moment! There are currently a few birds in Gloucestershire that I haven’t seen before during my birdwatches, which may still be around – there is a long staying Long-tailed Shrike on the Gloucestershire-Oxfordshire border, which is a rare migrant from Asia and only the third individual ever spotted in the UK. Another unusual possibility is an escaped Greater Flamingo which has currently made its home on the Severn estuary. As I make up my own rules for the birdwatch, I can count any bird that isn’t a chicken or part of the Slimbridge Wetland Centre’s captive bird collection. As the flamingo isn’t an escapee from Slimbridge, I would be allowed to count it!
I have included some photos below of some of the highlights from last year’s wet birdwatch, where the birds were kind enough to come close enough to be photographed. I’ve also included a list of the birds I saw.
Please consider if you are able to support World Land Trust by sponsoring me, or help by spreading the word of my fundraising on social media.
I will be posting details on Bluesky (@langers77.bsky.social), Instagram (langers_77) and I also resurrect my X account once a year to post details there too (@Langers_77).
Thank you for anything you can do to help.
Some of last year’s birds: Mallards/Grey Heron/Cormorant, Snipe, Spoonbill More of last year’s birds: Spotted Redshank & Shoveler, Garganeys, Coot/Ruff, Green Sandpiper Full list of birds seen last year Photo: Chantelle Melzer