Bob Scott (ornithologist)
Bob Scott | |
---|---|
Born | RSPB staff member | 11 May 1938
Spouse | Ann |
Robert Ernest 'Bob' Scott (11 May 1938 – 26 March 2009) was a
Early life and Dungeness
As a child, Scott was
The RSPB
In 1960, following Axell's move to a different post, Scott was employed as Warden for both the bird observatory and the reserve at Dungeness.[1] He began to gain greater notability through his work in Dungeness and also through finding three more new visiting birds to Britain. In 1960 he found the dark-eyed junco, a bird normally found in North America, and in 1968 he spotted the short-toed treecreeper, normally found in continental Europe. Both these finds were at the Dungeness reserve.[1][2] He also, unknowingly, spotted the first Hume's leaf warbler in 1966, at Beachy Head, Kent. At the time it was believed to be a variant of the yellow-browed warbler, but was reclassified in 2002[4] and the recording of it by Scott was declared the first official one.[2]
In 1975, Scott moved to a new position as Warden at Northward Hill RSPB reserve. He worked there for four years and during that time began running training courses for bird ringers in Rwanda, Burundi and Ghana.[1][3]
In 1979, Scott again moved, this time to the RSPB headquarters in Sandy, Bedfordshire. Initially he was employed as Reserves Manager (England), moving to Senior Reserves Manager and then into Head of Reserves Management, which he held until his retirement in 1997.[3]
Work abroad
Scott often visited foreign countries, regularly leading these trips.[1][3] He was able to add numerous first sightings during these trips while contributing to the education of the local people in basic conservation. It was during one of these trips that he was awarded a medal by the Bulgarian government, for the work he had done.[3]
British Birds journal
In 2000, Scott joined with other leading
Bibliography
- The Birdwatchers Key (Frederick Warne, 1976) ISBN 0-7232-1829-3
- The Birdwatchers Calendar (ISBN 0-85223-249-7
- The Atlas of British Bird Life (ISBN 0-600-33319-1
As contributor
- Bird Observatories in Britain and Ireland (edited by Roger Durman) (ISBN 0-85661-013-5
- RSPB Nature Reserves (edited by Nicholas Hammond) (1983)
- Go Birding (by Tony Soper) (ISBN 0-563-20650-0
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Moss, Stephen (11 April 2009). "Bob Scott - Ornithologist and conservationist who helped spread the joys of birdwatching". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bob Scott: ornithologist". The Times. London. 11 April 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Bob Scott: ornithologist". The Times. London. 11 April 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ Ibis Volume 144 Issue 1 pp 153-159