Thursday, August 10, 2006

The Dawn of Time

Somewhere in my loft I've got the first issue of Birdwatching magazine, complete with 'amusing' article by Bill Oddie, identification of something or other by Ian Wallace, and a nice picture of a Great Crested Grebe on the front. 20 years ago! Blimey. I was 16.

But that's not big and it's not clever... this is big and clever. Issue 1 of British Birds, from June 1907. Brainchild of Harry Witherby.


Mmmm Harry Witherby, now there's a hero of the Birding Revolution. Unfortunately done to death by others, but he'll get the Secret Freezer treatment one day.

What struck me, looking at the contents page



is that actually it's not really that different from the contents page 99 years later, June 2006.


Behaviour of this, study of that, changes to lists etc. You'd think there'd be nothing left to read about. Note inciteful paper by the author of the Secret Freezer.


grrrrr..... European Storm-petrels past Peterhead today. Still need for Newtonhill list. Roll on the weekend.

btw... is this http://www.birdchick.com/2006/08/my-mind-is-blown-not-bird-related.html the best bird blog entry ever?

2 comments:

John said...

Hi Martin:
First and foremost let me say I am not John as listed. I am John's wife, Michelle. My husband is anxiously looking over my shoulder saying that he is going to think it is me when you send a message. Anyway, now that is cleared up...John.
My husband introduced me to your website becuase you have a posting about ivory-billed woodpeckers. He is looking for this extinct bird and pretty much knows it is extinct when he is searching for it.
He grabbed me one evening after reading your website to have me read for myself why we should not have children. You see we were just married in January and I have baby fever in the worst way. We just howled reading your postings about your children.
We just finished reading the latest excerpt and again just howled. Keep up the postings. Maybe I will break my fever.
My husband is an avid birder. You can check out his website if you aren't distracted by all that PPC.

Martin said...

Actually, the government doesn't like people knowing what it's like having kids, until it's too late. Otherwise no one would do it and the pension crisis etc would get worse. So they keep trying to shut the PPC blog down; in fact I'm constantly dodging sniper bullets.

Tell your husband John to give me his email and I'll let him see my article de-bunking the Luneau video.