Birdwatch and me

AS a long-time admirer of Birdwatch, I made my first contribution in the early days of the magazine, by documenting a fast-moving, 28-day European birding trip by rail, covering a rich diversity of sites from Arctic Norway to the Mediterranean coast.

Developing a keen interest in optics subsequently inspired me to submit my first review, in 2002, covering the groundbreaking Pentax PF-80ED telescope, after which I was invited to produce further optics coverage in the same vein by the magazine’s editor and founder, Dominic Mitchell. Buying guides for binoculars and telescopes followed in 2004 as precursors to a series of my first all-encompassing optics supplements, before being appointed Optics

Editor in 2014.

I expanded my range of contributions by writing the monthly Midlands birds summaries between 2008 and 2010, as well as writing more diverse ad hoc pieces exploring subjects such as wintering continental Blackcaps, the birding potential offered by industrial development sites and the coverage of a series of pelagic trips off Scilly.

In practical birding terms, I have enjoyed the privilege of being a key player in the Birdwatch Champions of the Flyway fundraising team, embarking upon the annual 24-hour bird race held in southern Israel, for the four years 2014-17. The 2015 event saw the Birdwatch team proudly scooping the Guardians of the Flyway award for the team raising the most funds for BirdLife International. It was an epic moment and I was delighted to have been part of it. Mike Alibone