A memory from Martin Walters:
I first knew Michael when we both worked at Cambridge University Press where I was responsible for part of the biology list, notably botany, zoology and ecology. He always showed great interest, and offered valuable advice.
Some years ago my wife Sarah and I met Michael and Sue, quite by chance, on safari in Kenya, at Naivasha I think. They were on their way to the Maasai Mara. As Sarah and Sue chatted, Michael and I ambled onto a boardwalk overlooking the lake. We watched as hippos floated and grunted and jacanas walked over lily pads. Then Michael spotted an unusual wader with a straight, slim bill. I had never knowingly seen a marsh sandpiper before, and certainly not so close. That shared moment of quiet birdwatching has stayed with me.
This summer I exchanged emails with Michael for his advice after I found the nest of a pair of spotted flycatchers near the river in Great Shelford. His knowledge of these beautiful birds is considerable and he must have spent many hours studying their local breeding habits and distribution.
Martin Walters
A memory from Martin Walters:
I first knew Michael when we both worked at Cambridge University Press where I was responsible for part of the biology list, notably botany, zoology and ecology. He always showed great interest, and offered valuable advice.
Some years ago my wife Sarah and I met Michael and Sue, quite by chance, on safari in Kenya, at Naivasha I think. They were on their way to the Maasai Mara. As Sarah and Sue chatted, Michael and I ambled onto a boardwalk overlooking the lake. We watched as hippos floated and grunted and jacanas walked over lily pads. Then Michael spotted an unusual wader with a straight, slim bill. I had never knowingly seen a marsh sandpiper before, and certainly not so close. That shared moment of quiet birdwatching has stayed with me.
This summer I exchanged emails with Michael for his advice after I found the nest of a pair of spotted flycatchers near the river in Great Shelford. His knowledge of these beautiful birds is considerable and he must have spent many hours studying their local breeding habits and distribution.
Martin Walters
