Little Crake twitchers raise £3,800

Nearly £4,000 was raised by birders visiting the recent Little Crake in Buckinghamshire, either via donations or the purchase of permits.

The bird was first found when it was unwittingly photographed at Linford Lakes on 6 November. Linford Lakes only offers access for permit holders, but wider admission was arranged and, as a result, the crake proved popular during what would be a six-day stay, often showing well from the site's Otter Hide.

The Little Crake often gave great views at Linford Lakes (Donald Hutchins).

Visiting twitchers raised £1,035 in cash donations during the opening three days, with a further £2,820 being made in permit sales for The Parks Trust, which operates Linford Lakes.

A county first, the crake marked the first twitchable British record since a one-day bird at Blacktoft Sands RSPB, East Yorkshire, in 2019, with the last multi-dayer being one at Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, as long ago as 2014.