Talking Birds: Mark Pearson interviews Andy Roadhouse
In a regular new series, Mark James Pearson talks to the good and the great of the birding world.
It's an honour to begin with a Q and A with Andy Roadhouse, a genuine birding legend who lost a long and characteristically good-humoured battle with cancer very recently. Andy's indefatigable passion and enthusiasm for birds and especially his beloved Spurn Bird Observatory are well-known in his native Yorkshire and beyond, and he leaves a unique legacy - not least through The Birds of Spurn, a lush, mammoth tome unrivalled in its combination of fine detail, accessibility and authoritativeness.
When I first started putting a list together of potential victims, Andy was at the top of it, and – as always when you asked him a favour – he responded swiftly and enthusiastically (despite being very ill); nothing was too much trouble, especially if it involved his beloved Spurn. We did the interview just a few weeks ago and were in touch the day before his passing at the end of April, and while I didn't know him anywhere near as well as many others in his wider community, I'm lucky to call him my friend.
Andy's funeral was last week, and he specifically requested donations to the Observatory instead of flowers. If you'd like to donate to the cause closest to Andy's heart and to a real beacon of a bird conservation and study, then please do so here
His masterpiece The Birds of Spurn – arguably the greatest site Avifauna ever written – can be purchased via the SBO website.
When did you first start visiting Spurn?
August 1980, and then fairly regularly whenever the weather looked good – and then very regularly after my divorce in 1995.
Did you have a mentor who guided and encouraged you when you were cutting your teeth? Several – it was John Cudworth to begin with, and then after 1995 Nick Bell, Dale Middleton and Adam Hutt, who were all heavily into vis-migging and sea-watching.
As a young birder, you must've come across some less than encouraging attitudes from the older generation. What advice would you give to young and/or less experienced birders just beginning their journey today?
Most of negative attitudes from the older generation were rooted in suppression – they didn't want loads of twitchers on their hallowed amateur scientific patch! What I enjoyed was what I learned, and I soaked it up like a sponge, and I'd encourage all youngsters to the same: listen, learn and put into practice what you've learned through talking to elders. Not everything looks or sounds the same on the internet! That's another good reason not to have TV's in observatories – don't waste your time and soak up every minute with experienced birders.
What was your motivation for writing The Birds Of Spurn?
It didn't even start as a book, just an update to Geoff Neal's Checklist, to include the area north of the old recording boundary...
How long did it take, and was there ever a point - especially given the circumstances of ill health - where you thought, 'sod it, I can't do this'?
It took eight years from start to finish. As I was researching records for the northern area, I thought this may as well be done properly, with all the records in one book. Never did I think of packing it in; the cancer drove me on, even more so in the last couple of years.
Can you describe your reaction when they arrived from the printers and you cut open that first box?
I was ecstatic! I knew it looked good on the computer, but seeing it, smelling it and feeling the weight of it was brilliant; and then seeing the design work by Chris (Gaughan) made it even more special.
The brainchild of yourself and the much-missed Martin Garner, the Spurn Migration Festival (a.k.a. Migfest) goes from strength to strength. What influence did Martin have on you?
Martin was a massive influence on me. He had the knack of drip-feeding you ideas; I'd say, 'no, it won't work', and then later, as we put all the problems that lay in the way into some sort of practice, that'd be it – done. That's how the Migfest started – Paul [Collins] and I were going to the winter birders bash in Scarborough and there had been a gig at [Migfest HQ] Westmere Farm the night before. I asked Paul how it'd gone and how many had attended, and before we got to North Yorkshire we'd more or less sorted out the basics. On the way back we asked Andrew and Sue at Westmere if they'd be prepared to host it, and the rest is history!
With a thriving observatory, a strong community of birders (of all ages), Migfest and a seemingly endless torrent of great birds, it's fair to say that Spurn is something of an exemplar these days. What do you think are the main reasons for this?
Lots of reasons.... a superb bird report, a brand new Observatory building which is full of all-new gear (and is very comfortable with great views and real 'Obs' feel), friendly local birders (which has encouraged many single women and couples to join), and the 'Migfest effect' – people approach us and ask questions now, whereas before they thought it was just a clique. Having an Observatory building and regular get-togethers really help towards the community feel.
From a (primarily) birding perspective, where is your favourite place on the planet (except Spurn!)?
Papua New Guinea and Antarctica are the best birding trips I've been on, but from an all-round, birding / food / travel / friendliness perspective, then it has to be Thailand.
With the caveat that there are no doubt many to choose from, tell us about one of your best on-patch birding experiences.
22nd October 2012. I was like a headless chicken from an hour before first light, knowing there would be a massive arrival of migrants, but nobody expected a fall that big. No real rarities but Redwings, Bramblings, other thrushes, Goldcrests, Robins, finches and Chiffchaffs in incredible numbers. The log took ages to write up that night!
Your best find?
Baillon's Crake at Spurn and Merlin in Thailand (a first for the country).
Anything else you'd like to add?
No matter what you're age or level of experience – use Bird Observatories! They're such a great place to really learn. Ok, so they're not as comfortable as a nice B&B, but they're far more interesting....
Mark Pearson
15 May 2017
Share this story
