The Bursary

In September 2024, we lost a family member of BirdWatch Ireland, Steve Wing. To honour our friend and colleague, the bursary at Cape Clear Bird Observatory has been named after him to preserve his legacy. The Steve Wing Memorial Bursary is designed to help with support training, mentorship and direct experience in the fields of ornithology and ecology. Each year, BirdWatch Ireland will advertise that it is seeking applications for the bursary, which is open to all young aspiring ecologists/naturalists, aged 18-25.

The value of the bursary each year is €1,000. Two weeks’ accommodation in Cape Clear Bird Observatory, worth €600, will be paid for by BirdWatch Ireland. A total of €400 will be paid to the successful recipient to help cover the cost of travel and living costs while on the island. The application that best fits with the ethos of the Bird Observatory, in the opinion of the members of the bursary oversight committee, which is made up of BirdWatch Ireland staff, Oileán Chléire islanders and Steve Wing’s family, will select the winner.

We are now seeking applications for the 2026 Steve Wing Memorial Bursary. Applicants are invited to submit an email (maximum 500 words) explaining why they should be chosen to receive the bursary. Submissions can be sent to ccbo@birdwatchireland.ie. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 31st March 2026. In the application email please provide a response to the following question: How would receiving this bursary help you with your goals?

About Steve

A lifelong birder, Steve had a passion for bird monitoring and recording. In particular, he loved migration time, diligently updating the ‘Daily Log’ and ringing birds on Cape Clear during his time as Warden of BirdWatch Ireland’s Cape Clear Bird Observatory. Steve was also agreat advocate of education and was extremely generous with his time, always willing to share his impressive natural history knowledge, in the typically unassuming way which he did so well.

It is therefore a fitting tribute to Steve that this bursary will provide an aspiring young ornithologist/ecologist with an opportunity to obtain training and gain experience ‘in the field,’ helping to record bird migration at one of Ireland’s most famous bird migration locations. Steve’s family commented, “If the bursary can assist a student in any small way along the path towards a career in natural history, what a fine tribute to Steve, to all his hard work and to his love of the natural world this will be.”