Birds : Coping with an Obsession

Described as one man’s journey through the history of birdwatching, this is the autobiography of Derek Moore whose birding experiences started when binoculars were ex-MOD issue (and came with a sighting-cross that got in the way when identifying warblers) and continues today.  At its heart is the growing popularity and accessibility of the hobby.

Derek Moore’s book is in three parts.  I most enjoyed the start, when Derek was a school boy and young man, doing his own thing in Suffolk and encountering some of the local ‘names’ in ornithology.  His development as a birdwatcher and his commitment to conservation were both developed by people that he met, including his teacher, game-keeper birdwatchers, early wardens and others who chose to support a teenager’s quest to learn more.  Derek repaid their generous use of time by contributing to ornithology, as a recorder and BTO RR, for instance.  Given this background, perhaps it is unsurprising that Derek is a big supporter of Pledge to Fledge, a new initiative that seeks to encourage birders across the world to engage with people of all ages and get them hooked on birds. 

Most of us who know Derek will recognise the middle third of the book, as Derek turns his love of nature into a profession, becoming the Director of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and a regular panel member of Radio 4’s Home Planet.  During part of this period, he was also a Trustee of BTO, generously using the contacts he had made through his work on radio and with personalities and old friends such as Bill Oddie and Stephen Moss, to develop the visibility of the organisation.

The last third has an international dimension which I guess will be of more interest to people who travel to watch birds than it was to me.  When Derek describes visits to places that I know, there are fascinating insights that I appreciated, however, especially as they are set within a well-grounded knowledge of the history of ornithology.

Derek has lived an interesting life, demonstrating what can be done if time is used to the full.  Can a modern teenager expect to be a top-notch birdwatcher, have a business career, take the lead singer role in a band (that shared the bill with The Kinks, Georgie Fame and The Who), run a charity, play sport and have a family?  This book is an interesting social history, illustrating how much freedom there was to develop one’s potential in the second half of the twentieth century.

If there is one lesson to come out of this book it is that we are moulded by the people we meet – which works both ways.  Next time you’re out birdwatching and see a teenager dragging his or her parents and siblings around Cley share your ‘scope and your enthusiasm!

Book reviewed by Graham Appleton