Our vision for the future of Spurn Bird Observatory is set – now we want your help to make it, and more, happen!
21 September 2026
The last ten years have been a remarkable period of change and investment at Spurn Bird Observatory. Since 2016, we have strengthened the charity, expanded and improved the land we manage, developed our buildings and facilities, grown our conservation work and created new opportunities for people to experience, learn from and understand Spurn's wildlife.
Now, as we look towards 2027–2036, we want to build on that progress and ask an important question:
What do you want to see happening at Spurn over the next ten years?
Looking back: a decade of achievement
There is a lot to celebrate.
Over the last decade we have opened the new Observatory building, rebuilt Kew Villa (where our warden and intern live), purchased Schipper’s Field and Sykes Field, and secured a 99-year lease on Beacon Lagoons. We have strengthened our team with a full-time Observatory Manager, Seasonal Assistant Warden and Conservation Intern programme, while introducing subsidies for all Residential Volunteers.
Our financial position has also strengthened considerably, with the charity's balance sheet value increasing from £228,000 in 2016 to £539,000 in 2026.
Our events, research and conservation work have grown too. MigFest has developed into one of the biggest birding experiences in the UK, while Spurn became the first bird observatory in the UK to host a Motus tower (used to detect Motus-tagged birds and bats), allowing migration to be studied as it happens.
We have established Friendship Agreements with three overseas bird observatories (Falsterbo, Cape May, and Long Point), launched The Birds of Spurn by Andy Roadhouse, which went on to be named British Birds/BTO Best Bird Book of the Year, and watched Friends of Spurn membership pass the 1,000 mark.
And, of course, Spurn continues to produce extraordinary birds and conservation successes. In 2026, our Little Terns produced a record 149 fledged chicks, while the discovery of a Siberian Accentor provided a first for mainland Britain.
These achievements have given Spurn a strong foundation for the future.
Looking forward: our vision for 2027–2036
Our vision for the next decade is centred around three interconnected priorities:
Monitoring & Research
We want Spurn to remain one of Britain's leading sites for bird monitoring, scientific research and the sharing of knowledge. We will continue long-term bird and biodiversity monitoring, collaborate with others and use what we learn to deepen our understanding of the natural world and how to conserve it.
Habitat Conservation
We want to protect and enhance our land at Spurn as a haven for resident and migratory wildlife, while ensuring it remains a place where our members and visitors can enjoy and connect with nature.
Engagement & Education
We want to inspire visitors, volunteers and staff to discover, value and protect birds and other wildlife, while celebrating the extraordinary journeys of migrants and the habitats on which wildlife depends.
Together, these three priorities form the foundation of our ten-year vision: monitoring birds, conserving habitats and inspiring people.
See our vision booklet, below, or pick a printed copy up when you next visit us:
https://heyzine.com/flip-book/31be91cac7.html" style="border: 0px; width: 100%; height: 400px;">
But setting a vision is only the beginning.
Now we want to hear from you
Our first strategic period will run from 2027 to 2029, with plans reviewed and adapted as we progress towards the longer-term vision.
That means there is an opportunity now to help shape what the strategy looks like on the ground.
What would you like to see more of at Spurn?
What opportunities should we create for research, conservation, volunteering, education and engagement?
How could we make better use of our land, buildings, data and expertise?
What would make your experience of Spurn better?
And what should we be doing that perhaps we aren't doing yet?
We want your views to help shape the next ten years.
Please take a few minutes to complete our questionnaire and tell us what you want to see happening at Spurn Bird Observatory between 2027 and 2036.
Complete the questionnaire : https://forms.gle/tiumfgtdf6Qr4iAw9
Whether you have been visiting Spurn for decades, are one of our Friends or volunteers, come for the migration spectacle, have an interest in conservation and research, or simply care about this extraordinary place, your views matter. Don’t think ‘someone else will have said it’…
Help us decide how we make our vision, and more, happen.
