Birdingplaces.eu was launched at the beginning of 2020. To stimulate as many bird watchers as possible to add bird areas we started a nice promotion with Leica, our main sponsor. Bird watchers who added 5 areas to the website had a chance to win the Leica Noctivid 10x42 binoculars, with 10 areas also the Leica Apo Televid 82 telescope. The response to the go-in-and-win promotion was overwhelming and it gave Birdingplaces a kickstart. In less than a year, no fewer than 2000 nice bird areas were added to the Birdingplaces map!
‘we are happy to share our passion on birdingplaces’
The Leica Noctivid 10x42 binoculars were won by HGON from Germany. HGON stands for Hessische Gesellschaft für Ornithologie und Naturschutz. This is an active group of birders in the German state of Hesse that is committed to the protection of birds. HGON placed 22 bird areas in the Hesse region online at www.birdingplaces.eu. HGON will use the binoculars in field work and educational activities for their members. For example, the group monitors the distribution and breeding of all common bird species in the Hesse region. The chairman of HGON, Dr. Tobias Erik Reiners, received the Leica Noctivid 10x42 from Björn Friedrich and Dimitri Wegel of Leica Germany. Tobias Erik Reiners: "HGON promotes birding and conservation since more than 50 years. Our passion was always driven by all the special places and birding sanctuaries in Hesse. Therefore, we are more than happy to share our passion for special places on Birdingplaces and also demonstrate the conservation success".
‘I can now see details that I have never seen before’
The Leica Apo Televid 82 spotting scope was won by Hannah Driesse from the Netherlands. Hannah placed 12 bird areas on the map of Birdingplaces. Hannah received the telescope at the Leica Store in Amsterdam. She was delighted: "I am suddenly the proud owner of a high quality telescope! We immediately tried it out the first weekend in the Nieuwe Driemanspolder near The Hague, a wetland we discovered via Birdingplaces! From a very large distance we could easily identify teals and wigeons. In addition, I could observe a beautiful pair of goldeneye and a group of courting black-necked grebes. I was amazed. I can now see details that I have never seen before. The Leica Televid really does make a huge difference! I am so happy that I can take it with me this birding season on my bird hikes. Thank you so much Birdingplaces and Leica!"
