Fame - but no fortune!

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Four and a half weeks ago a freelance journalist spent most of the morning with us, asking about our bluetit webcams and how we came to embark upon this project. He said an article should appear on a Saturday in the Daily Telegraph before too long, and asked if he could send a photographer round to take some pics of the garden. As he left he said he would let us know when the article was due to appear - but - that was the last we heard from him, and no photographer contacted us.

We assumed that the plan had been dropped, until my sister rang me yesterday afternoon from Liverpool, telling me that she had heard from a friend in Manchester who was a Telegraph reader. My son rushed out to buy a copy of the paper - not one we read - and there was the article! A half page in the gardening section.

All seven chicks seem to be thriving, and keeping their parents very busy - whenever I go out of the back door one of them usually comes to ask me for a new supply of mealworms. I now place these into a special feeder only accessible by bluetits - the robins and sparrows take too many at a time, and we don't have an endless supply, though I also provide some elsewhere for them.

Just adding a bit: From 10am yesterday we had 573 visitors to our site in the following 24 hours, and since 10am today there have been 370. We sometimes have as many as 13 people viewing our site at the same time - this slows down my access to the forum!! :eek!:

[pauco]

Well done Elizabeth, and well deserved:clap:

[Andy Bright]

Hang on, I'll go and dig yesterdays gardening section out of the bin. Well done on getting yourself into the paper...you didn't manage to wrangle a plug for everyone's favourite birding forums did you? ;)

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Hang on, I'll go and dig yesterdays gardening section out of the bin. Well done on getting yourself into the paper...you didn't manage to wrangle a plug for everyone's favourite birding forums did you? ;)

I hope it is the recycling bin Andy!

I did mention Bird Forum in passing, but I'm afraid it didn't get a mention. However some of the multitude of visitors might go to our links page, and see the BF logo and URL there.

[Andy Bright]

Just read it...it was in the newspaper bag (so not covered with the remnants of yesterdays salmon). Very nice article, half page in a broadsheet is good going. I presume all the photos were supplied by the company that makes the equipment... so they'll give freely for the plug.
"Malcolm enthused" ;)

[Bluetail]

Well done, Elizabeth.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Just read it...it was in the newspaper bag (so not covered with the remnants of yesterdays salmon). Very nice article, half page in a broadsheet is good going. I presume all the photos were supplied by the company that makes the equipment... so they'll give freely for the plug.
"Malcolm enthused" ;)

Well done, Andy. Yes - they didn't use any of our pics, unfortunately - we think ours are much better. Also please note - we are NOT responsible for the text, though actually we both enthuse about our birds to the extent that we cannot go away on holiday until well after the birds have fledged!

[dylan]

I don't read the papers, so had a quick look at the telegraph online....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/main.jhtml?xml=/gardening/2004/05/08/gspy08.xml&sSheet=/gardening/2004/05/08/ixgmain.html

Congratulations Elizabeth, maybe the fortune will follow o:D

Best wishes,
Dylan.

[KCFoggin]

Well hot dog!! Thanks to Dylan, I did not feel left out and congrats to you and hubby Elizabeth. Well done!

[Bluetail]

Yes, thanks for that, Dylan.

[John N]

You deserve it. CONGRATULATIONS. Elizabeth. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[joser]

What a wonderful recognition of all the hard work you put in to delight your viewers. Well done, its very much deserved.

[Darren Oakley-Martin]

Good stuff Elizabeth!:clap:

Shame it wasn't in a decent paper though.;) What are you doing fraternising with the enemy anyway?

[nobby]

I don't read the papers, so had a quick look at the telegraph online....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/main.jhtml?xml=/gardening/2004/05/08/gspy08.xml&sSheet=/gardening/2004/05/08/ixgmain.html

Congratulations Elizabeth, maybe the fortune will follow o:D

Best wishes,
Dylan.
Thanks for the link Dylan (missed the papers this weekend) & well done Elizabeth & Malcolm.

All the best.
Brett.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Good stuff Elizabeth!:clap:

Shame it wasn't in a decent paper though.;) What are you doing fraternising with the enemy anyway?

Thanks Darren. Yes, it is rather hard to accept that we stooped so low - but it was in the interest of Avian Science. If just a few more people take an interest in their garden birds, then I think you should forgive us! Could have been worse - the S**????

[pduxon]

Well done Elizabeth and in a quality paper as well!

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Well done Elizabeth and in a quality paper as well!

Pete - my reply would be modded out of the forum - I'll text you instead!!!!