Sadness at death of naturalist Bill Oddie who was long-time ambassador for Haith's seeds

 

Bill Oddie - favourite bird was the Swallow (photo: BBC)

There has today been an outpouring of tributes to much-loved naturalist, comedian, musician and broadcaster Bill Oddie who died on Saturday, three weeks after his 85th birthday. Over his career, he probably did more than  anyone to popularise birding (though he preferred the term birdwatching). Below is a revealing interview with him after he travelled up to Grimsby's Europarc  to carry out a duty for Haith's Bird Seeds for whom he was a long-time ambassador before the firm relocated to Louth.

Do you recall how you first  became interested in birds?
Through egg collecting, sadly. I was aged about eight or nine. That's how I first became familiar with birds and their behaviour.

Was there any  incident or sighting of a particular bird that transformed you from being an egg collector to a birdwatcher?
No, it was probably a gradual thing. By collecting eggs, I learned to identify different species, their songs, their call notes and their choices of  nesting sites. I do recall being particularly pleased at coming across a Cuckoo's egg in a Dunnock's nest in  a privet hedge outside our house in Rochdale. Maybe that was a turning point. Another time, while fielding in a cricket match, I was fascinated by the behaviour of a Skylark which obviously had its nest in the outfield. Later, as my enthusiasm increased, my father bought me  a pair of binoculars. From then on, my egg-collecting days were over.

What's your favourite bird?
I'll stick with the Swallow. It has a graceful flight, a sweet little face, an attractive plumage, a cheerful song and it builds an intricate nest. It also carries with it the mystery of migration - I've seen Swallows in all sorts of places, skimming over oceans, in deserts and even once over a volcanic island off Iceland where it is a very rare bird. 

What other species do you particularly like?
Stonechats and Whinchats rate highly. So do Wheatears  - though they are birds of  upland pasture and coastal cliffs, they can turn up anywhere on migration,  even in Hampstead Heath near where I live. When they look out on an urban scene, they have a kind of quizzical look as if to say: "All very interesting but what am I doing here? Isn't it time to move on?"

Do you think there are any birds that tend to be underrated?
That's probably true of certain  groups of birds such as waders in winter plumage - what the Americans call "peeps". The same sometimes applies to warblers. Because they are predominantly brown and indistinct,  people sometimes give up on them. But I like them - they're the worth the challenge.

Do you have a favourite habitat for birdwatching?
Reservoirs. After we moved to Birmingham when I was growing up, my birdwatching patch used to be Bartley Reservoir. They may not be the most pleasing of landscapes, but you never know what might turn up at reservoirs - all through the year but especially at migration times

Are there any species that you are not so keen on - or may even irritate you? Are you OK with Magpies, for instance?
I'm not anti- any birds. All species  have their own special appeal. In my garden I feed Jays and the Ring-necked Parakeets which have now become common.  Sometimes, they make an awful din and I tell them to shut up - but really I'm only saying it to myself. It's a pleasure to have them - especially the Jays within just a foot or so away.

Ring-necked parakeets have become established in breeding colonies in parts of London after escaping from aviaries. Do you have any misgivings  about the spread of non-native species.
As far as I am aware, there is no evidence that parakeets compete with other species or cause crop damage as they are said to do in Asia. Actually, as a species, they are a bit "wet". Despite their aggressive appearance, they are  timid - even Woodpigeons frighten them off.

Do you enjoy watching birds overseas?
Yes, but it's a different sort of pleasure. I remember a visit to Kenya and seeing lots of different species. I thought I'd never get the hang of them all, but after a week you more or less work things out - for instance, which are the more common ones.

Finally, did you see any unusual birds on your rail trip up from King's Cross to Grimsby?
Not on this occasion. I do look out for birds through train windows but, apart from the last stretch, this is not the  most interesting of lines. One of the  best routes is the one from Paddington to Penzance. It was  on one trip that I saw lots of Little Egrets - it made me aware how widespread they were becoming since their arrival only a few years ago.

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Below is a further feature on Bill Oddie that was published in this blog to coincide with the launchin 2011 of his fascinating part-autobiographical book, Unplucked.  

AFTER a bust-up with other members of the team, ornithologist and entertainer Bill Oddie was dropped as presenter of the BBC-TV shows, Springwatch and Autumnwatch, in favour of Chris Packham, a parting of the way that caused him great anguish.

Although he said he had  "never been able to work out" why the Beeb dispensed with his services, he acknowledged that he had become difficult to work with - largely because of a mental condition, bipolar disorder, which subsequently twice resulted in his being admitted to a private clinic for his own safety.

Now fully recovered, the 71-year-old has published his latest book, Unplucked  - an entertaining insight into some of his wildlife-watching experiences around the world.

One particularly memorable occasion came in Portugal when he saw the following  exotic species perched  on the same length of power line - Bee-eater, Woodchat shrike, Southern Grey Shrike, Hoopoe, Roller, Red-rumped Swallow and Azure-winged Magpie - plus a Little Owl on the wooden pylon holding up the wire.

His description of the moment: "Electric!"

Another time,  he and two birding colleagues were delayed at the airport in Ethiopian capital, Addis Abbaba, because widespread  civil unrest was disrupting aircraft flights into and out of the country.

The trio decided to fill in the time by birdwatching just outside the confines of the airport - but were intercepted  by armed guards and ordered back into the building at  gunpoint.

Determined not  to miss out,  they decided to use the men's WC as an impromptu bird observatory, spotting many rare species - including White-collared Pigeon, Brown-rumped Seedeater and Wattled Ibis  -through an open window near the ceiling.

Not that the experience was particularly comfortable for Oddie who, as is well known,  is of short stature.

He recalls the occasion well. "I had no choice but to stand on the rim of the lidless toilet, steadying myself by grabbing the cistern and risking pulling it off the wall.

"On several occasions, when I lost balance, I grasped at the chain which saved me from slipping down the pan but, of course, kept flushing."

Oddie does still occasionally make cameo appearances on TV shows and was invited to be a contestant on I'm A Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here!

He says he declined because the prospect  of "chewing live grubs and grasshoppers or crunching through barrels of cockroaches" was not his  idea of animal welfare

"I find the idea of any living thing being sacrificed for laughs on a TV show - what's the word - distasteful."

There was also an invitation to be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, to which he gave more serious consideration  until he was dissuaded by his wife and three daughters, one of whom is a dance teacher and who warned him the hard work could kill him as he was not particularly fit.

Bowing to their advice, he states: "Imagine me in a sky blue silk trouser suit with a neckline plunging to the waist revealing a belly that could compete with a Christmas pudding . . . actually I wouldn’t imagine that if you want to sleep tonight!"