Alpha Estates have recently spread their wings and opened a branch in Alderney. The, well established, Guernsey Estate Agency has long seen potential in Alderney’s housing market and understands why people would want to move there and why locals are so passionate about staying there, too. Its’ rural charm, natural beauty and relaxed pace of life are coveted by many and Alpha believe that they can facilitate the perfect stepping stone for both vender and purchasers to make their dreams into realities.

As part of their own transition into the Island the idea of contributing to an island charity was at the front of Damian and Chris’s minds, and, in all fairness, they didn’t have to look too far to establish a link and a cause to a project that they wanted to give their full support to; The Alderney Bird Observatory (ABO).

Since its’ initial conception in 2016 until now the ABO has continually been at the cutting edge of the science of ornithology and Alderney has provided the perfect environment and location to deliver discoveries and records of international significance. Founder and warden, John Horton, is an established and nationally respected expert in the field, who Chris claims is one of his ‘real time’ heroes. Having worked at the Observatory for all of April, in 2021, when no volunteers could travel from outside the Bailiwick, due to Covid 19 restrictions, Chris has seen, first hand, the expertise, knowledge and passion that goes in to the daily working of the charity.

The ABO has gone from strength to strength and held up to some pretty vigorous teething problems. It now has a new, state of the art ringing room and has acquired other buildings and equipment that will keep the ABO at the forefront of international migration monitoring programs. When Chris approached John about how Alpha Estates could invest specifically in their work, the response was immediate.

The ABO has signed up to a scheme that involves tagging birds with, state of the art, transmitters the signals from which would be picked up by receivers whenever that bird was in its’ proximity. These receivers are being set up globally and will revolutionise the study of mass migration. The ABO already had a receiver but did not have any transmitters, yet, to fit to migrating birds that were caught in their nets, to be ringed.

The obvious investment for Alpha Estates was to provide the first 5o digital transmitters, at a cost of £50 each.

‘It’s so exciting to, literally, be providing the first transmitters for the ABO and help keep them at the cutting edge of new technology. The potential discoveries and insights into bird migration that will come of it are truly ground breaking.’

Alpha Estates are equally excited about the property market, in Alderney, and they are greatly looking forward to establishing strong connections with the community and individuals, alike.