Closer to home and with Dee's parents living in France we always take up the opportunity to visit, who can refuse, with great food, great conversation and great birding. However, this year a trip to France proved to be my worst nightmare. Hours before we were due to fly I trapped my femoral nerve pretty badly and unfortunately not only did I spend almost the entire week in bed during our visit, it practically wiped out my entire summer! Thankfully, it's a situation I'm now able to manage, although it still has it's moments.
To Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve and in fact this week sees my third anniversary since joining the voluntary conservation team, some would say that they can't remember a time when I wasn't at Brandon! Do I take this as a compliment or otherwise? In reality Brandon is a place where I spend endless hours working and birding and I'm proud to be a part of a team of people who devote hours of their time and energy managing and creating an environment for the benefit of our amazing British wildlife. Inspirational, enthusiastic individuals, who work hard, take criticism on the chin (not everyone understands conservation) and who are passionate about the work they do, and long may it continue. Sadly, in the three short years that I've been involved at Brandon Marsh we've lost three amazing characters, and so at this time of year I think a brief pause to remember Ted Jury, Roger Porter and Bob Rothwell, who it was a privilege to know and who are sorely missed.
