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It was with great sadness recently I learned of the death of one of our contributors, Ray Collier. Although he was born in Gloucestershire, Ray fell in love with Scotland when he worked there for the Nature Conservancy Council in the 1960s. He ended his days near Inverness, in a house on the side of Strathnairn where badgers visit nightly and mandarin ducks nest in the large garden pond he created. His attitude to the mandarins sums up Ray. Rather than dismiss them as non-natives he loved their beauty and was intrigued by their spread in Scotland. Although serious when he talked of challenges facing conservation, he was also full of anecdotes about nature that brightened many a phone call. His fascination with wildlife was inspiring. His knowledge of animal behaviour, folklore, history and literature was enviable. We need more people like Ray to fly the flag for our wildlife with their passion.