Do I detect a whiff of sniffiness? Guys, it's a puff piece for cryin' out loud, lighten up.
Rich helicopter parents pitching their kid to the BBC or any other news organization usually doesn't go over too well with news staff or editors. It being a light weight piece I'm guessing the BBC had plans in advance to do a nice feel good story and may have heard about him through social media or a third party.
Maybe someone here knows the parents and can attest to their wealth, or perhaps he bought that kit used on Flea bay or elsewhere. Don't underestimate a determined kid (or anyone else for that matter) with a passion, its remarkable how that passion can trigger the ingenuity and incentive needed to make things happen.
The camera is an older Nikon D7200 and can be picked up second hand pretty cheap for around 600.00 USD. The D7500 is the current model and is going for just under 900.00 USD body only. The lens looks like the Nikon 200-500 and sells for 1257.00 USD. Total cost new around 2200.00 USD, hardly the out of reach king's ransom being suggested.
If my supposed casual mention of this sum suggests I view it as being chump change, it's not. I would have to scrimp and save for some considerable time to be able to afford this gear. But if I really really wanted it I'd find a way. I suspect this kid feels the same way.
I live in Costa Rica where both the living wage and the average age of a birder is much lower than in Britain. I see that very kit or similar in the hands of a fair few of the local kids. Most of them here are merely determined to earn and save every penny to get their gear. If they can pull it off with the inherent disadvantages that exist here why not a young guy over there.
I might add that not one of the kids here who can't afford the gear shown in that piece would give up on birding because of one video nor would any kid contemplating taking up the sport.
I guess I'm just making a pitch for giving this kid a break. It might not be his fault he found himself in the cross hairs of a light news day.
Cheers,
Bryan