Andy Stoddart, as the longest serving member of BBRC, is due to retire on 1st April 2001. Andy has been a member of BBRC since 1993 and has helped us enormously with his extensive knowledge of bird identification, particularly of Eastern Palearctic passerines. We are now seeking a replacement with the usual attributes required for membership of BBRC. The prime qualifications of candidates are;
- A widely acknowledged expertise in identification,
- Proven reliability in the field
- A track record of high quality submissions of descriptions of scarce and rare birds to county records committees and BBRC
- Considerable experience of record assessment
- The capacity to handle the considerable volume of work involved in assessing upwards of 1,000 records per year.
- The capacity to work quickly and efficiently
BBRC is asking for nominations from individuals with these attributes and a sound working knowledge of the birds from East Anglia. BBRC’s nominee is Steve Votier. Despite only being in his mid-twenties, Steve has worked as an assistant warden on Fair Isle on several occasions and at Long Point Canada. He helped set up Sheringham Ringing Station, Norfolk and has travelled extensively in America and the Middle and Far East including staying for more than a month on Happy Island, China. He lived and birded in Norfolk for years but know lives in Glasgow and works in Shetland. He has an extensive identification knowledge of birds in the field and in the hand, has written numerous identification articles and is well-known and respected in East Anglia, Scotland, the Shetlands and the Northeast of England.
Other nominations, with a proposer and seconder, and the written agreement of the nominee, should be sent to the Chairman of BBRC before 1st December 1999 after which date a voting slip and list of candidates with relevant details will be sent to all county recorders and bird observatory wardens
