Our campaign (in partnership with the National Musems of Kenya) to raise funds for the “Small African Fellowship for Conservation” - in essence to support the admirable Dominic Kamau Kamani in his struggle to promote awareness amongst his own community of the threats facing the Endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw - is going very well, thanks to the generosity (and, let’s face it, trust) of our readers. Just a few weeks in and we’ve already been given more than half the 2000USD we’re aiming to raise (and I know that when people are paid at the end of the month there’s more to come - I know for a fact actually, because I’ve promised to donate another 100USD myself come August 30th!).

However, ‘half-way there’ is not ‘all the way there’ and though we’ve got Dominic into the field looking for the Longclaw, we still need to fund his extremely important education programme - and how often can a sum as small as 1000USD be used so effectively in conservation? Not often, that’s how.

Having said that everyone needs a little incentive in these fiscally worrying times (’credit crunch’, you’re doing us no favours), so how would you like a chance to win one of five copies of the splendid “A Guide to the Birds of East Africa: a Novel” generously donated - for absolutely free and specifically for this campaign - by the author Nick Drayson and the publishers Penguin Group? Of course you would.

Now we’re not licensed to run a lottery, so we’re not going to do anything illegal like say that entrants into the competition must donate to the “Small African Fellowship for Conservation”. No, the competition and the campaign are linked only in that we’re using one to promote awareness of the other. If you’d like to donate to thank Nick and Penguin that would be great. If you’d like to win a copy of “A Guide to the Birds of East Africa: a Novel” because it’s a good read and you’ve a holiday coming up - then that’s fine too. And if when you’ve read about Kenya (which is of course where Sharpe’s Longclaw comes from) you’re gripped by a sense of wanting to help, and realise that a few dollars out of your family budget isn’t going to mean the difference between paying the bills or living on the streets, that’ll be fine too.

So, what competition have we come up with this time?

Well, we figured that poking a little fun at the folk that make up 10,000 Birds might be in order - or at least in this case, poking fun at me (Charlie). So we thought that a simple caption competition might be fun.

Just below is a photo of me taken near Santa Cruz last month by my good buddy Jack Cole. I’ve suggested a caption - in reference to my Big Year schedule - to give you an idea of the absolute freedom you have to say whatever you like (though can I remind you that children do read this blog too!). My partner and bestest friend Jo (mother of the beautiful Jammy Finger) is going to judge the entries, and the wittier and more unflattering the better frankly…

Send your caption to charlie10000birds AT gmail DOT com by 12:00pm New York time on Friday 29th August please. As ever, we’re not collecting email adresses for a mailshot, we won’t contact you except to tell you if you’ve won, and we will never let anyone else know that you entered or if you did or didn’t donate.

Please, though, please remember why Nick allowed us to have free copies of his novel and why we’re running this give-away. Oh, and have fun!

Thanks again to our two sponsors, Penguin and Eagle Optics (who have given Dominic a brand new pair of binoculars), and every blogger and webmaster who’s linked to the project.

Like to offer us a product to “give-away” in support of the “Small African Fellowship for Conservation”? We’re happy to give you as much publicity/promotion as we can to say thanks. Please email Charlie (charlie10000birds AT gmail DOT com).