Yes I am a bird watcher, a dodgy figure who creeps along hedgerows and carries powerful binoculars and a telescope...

It seems a very strange activity to some people but it's fun. Personally I think it satisfys some primordial hunting instinct that modern life stifles. I mean, you do have to sneak up on birds, use the cover available, get the sun to your back, stay downwind and all. And just when you're about to feast your eyes on the bird, the little bastard flies off. If you want to hear the full range of expletives follow a birder on a day out. We're supposed to like birds but sometimes there is an overwhelming compulsion to shoot them. It'd tighten some of them especially those crepusular habit bastards that make distinctive "chak" noises.

My trip reports:

Overseas:

• Portugal, 1998 (may have been truncated-I will fix it soon!)
• Florida, 1996
• New York, 1991-1992; The birds of the New York Botanical Gardens
• Hong Kong April 1993
• At Paul's house in France, April 1992
• Inter-railing in France, Spain and Morocco, September 1991
• Hong Kong Christmas 1990 (not a detailed report)
• China trip species seen and trip report December 1989 (again not detailed)
• My first fumbling birding attempts in Borneo, 1989 (not a bad place to start!) and Thailand, 1990

England:

• Stodmarsh, Kent 1997
• Thurley Common. Surrey 1997
• Paignton, Devon 1992

Lists:

• Life list, i.e. all the birds I have ever seen!
• Hong Kong list

Other stuff:

• Ulster country names for birds
• Why do I birdwatch?
• a map of Mai Po marsh- one of the best birding places ever!

If you want any more info, or have any questions about places I have visited, just email me!

Other birding pages:

Birding,the next generation

The Internet Flyway

African Bird Club

Neotropical Bird Club

Oriental Bird Club

Hong Kong Birdwatching Society

Urs Geiser's trip reports

Eurobirdnet trip reports

Lisa's trip report page (good for US)