Robin Prytherch died in 2021 and we misplaced a stalwart of British and Bristol ornithology. As I grew up in Bristol as a teenage birder Robin Prytherch was a number one gentle within the Bristol Ornithological Membership, he had designed its emblem on the membership’s founding in 1966 and the topic was a Pied-billed Grebe which Robin himself had discovered, a brand new fowl for the UK, at Blagdon Lake in 1963. His day job was within the BBC Pure Historical past Unit in Whiteladies Highway.
My first radio interview was on the newly launched BBC Radio Bristol with a few schoolmates with Robin asking us questions on our passion of birdwatching. He was very mild with us as 12 or 13 yr olds and we thought he was a really form, good outdated man – I realise now that he should have been 31 on the time!
This quick e-book collects collectively 26 Christmas playing cards, all Buzzard-themed with illustrations of the Buzzards in his research space of the Gordano Valley simply southwest of Bristol – it’s the realm you move via on the M4 south of the River Avon. These Christmas playing cards contained data on the person Buzzards which have been illustrated. Robin’s research documented an enhance from 19 territories in 1988 to 120 in 2020 – maybe the very best density of this species anyplace in its vast worldwide vary.
The research was an awesome achievement of dedication and skilful statement, the findings have been necessary and fascinating, his drawings have been in a recognisable fashion and confirmed the vast variation in plumage between birds.
Robin was on the board of the journal British Birds for a few years, for one thing over three a long time, and each Fowl Honest I might search him out for a chat about birds, Bristol and Buzzards.
I broke my pretty agency behavior of claiming ‘no’ to requests for endorsements for e-book jackets (I write opinions – I don’t have to see my identify and 5 phrases of mine on any person else’s e-book) for this e-book. It is a charming e-book of collected writings about Buzzards by a captivating man.
The duvet? I can’t see that there’s something flawed with that. I’d give it 8/10.
Robin Prytherch, A Life with Buzzards is compiled and edited by Lyndon Roberts and revealed by Bristol Books.
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