THE RSPB is celebrating a major milestone - the one-millionth visitor to its peregrine falcon viewing project at Symonds Yat Rock.

The Rogers family was visiting the Rock when the RSPB announced that they were the millionth visitors.

Lee, a software engineer from Highnam in Gloucestershire, along with his wife Louise and daughters Gabby, aged six, and Ellie, four, were thrilled to hear the news.

Lee, 36, said: "We come up to Symonds Yat because the children love it, and because it is educational."

The project was set up by the RSPB in the summer of 1984 as a 24-hour nest-watch after peregrine eggs were stolen during the previous breeding season. It is now about wildlife education and showing people these spectacular birds in their natural setting.

Funding

Twenty years on, and with the numbers of peregrines across the UK at their highest for 50 years, the project has received another boost - almost £30,000 of funding has been promised from Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust.

The money will be spent on helping to enhance the information and facilities available to visitors to Symonds Yat and to train volunteers and field teachers about peregrines.

Susan Taylor, RSPB information warden at Symonds Yat Rock, said: "The project averages about 50,000 visitors each year, and this is the 20th year, so we did some simple sums and realised that we would soon be getting our millionth visitor!"

She added: "With a million visitors, and the peregrines at the site successfully rearing 55 fledglings over the last 20 years, this has to be one of the RSPB's most successful and well known projects."

For more information on the work of the RSPB or the Forestry Commission, please visit www.rspb.org.uk or www.forestry.gov.uk