Sunday, August 06, 2006

Heroes of the Birding Revolution III - Bob the Builder

As any fule kno, when Bob the Builder gets a day off, there's nothing he likes better than a spot of birdwatching (and/or going for long sticky 'walks in the wood' with Wendy). Bob has a single-observer inland record of Blue-crested Warbler (first and only Western Palearctic record). The record was never officially submitted and is hence not admitted to the British List, but he made a high quality 15 minute video of the bird and the circumstances of the find, which has been broadcast repeatedly on BBC children's channels to an audience of millions, and is currently available as a DVD price £15. One can only admire this innovative digital approach to rarity reporting which has never really been repeated, although there are overtones of the single British Bay-breasted Warbler record. And Ivory-billed Woodpecker, for that matter. Bob the Builder - you are a renegade, and a rake, but the birding scene needs characters like you. I therefore title you a Hero of the Birding Revolution, Second Class.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brave, Martin, brave. I hear Bob doen't like being dissed.

Martin said...

True but if he gives me trouble I'll tell Wendy what really happened to his last girlfriend in that 'accident' with the pink cement mixer. Also I know where he really was when he claims to have ticked Sooty Tern.