23 
Don was a man of many parts: by profession he was a Civil Servant and 
retired in the late 1970s, when working for the Health and Safety 
Executive. In retirement, he had a wide range of interests: gardening 
(especially herbs), jazz, classical music as well as renovating a large 
Victorian house. Effectively, however, he retired to birds, which had, it 
seems, already taken up the majority of the free time of his adult life. 
His considerable overseas ornithological experience, especially of the 
Middle East, had been gained initially from his pioneering work as an 
ornithological tour leader in the 1960's. His tours took him to Turkey, 
Israel, Hungary, Greece, Rumania and many other countries. He was also 
much involved in more formal overseas studies; leading a BTO ringing 
expedition to Portugal in 1973, taking part in the pathfinding raptor 
migration surveys in northeast Turkey in 1979-80, an extensive bustard 
survey in Turkey in 1981 and ringing studies in Israel. His last 
organised overseas survey was to Ecuador in 1985. At home, he threw 
himself into local ornithology wherever he was. Spending much of his life 
in Surrey, he was a founder, in 1957, of the Surrey Bird Club and held 
high office in that body until his death. He was the BTO representative 
for Surrey for very many years and founded Hersham Ringing Group in 1967; 
he had been a ringer since 1951. He edited the classic county ornithology 
Birds in Surrey (1900-1970) in 1972. When he moved to Malvern, 
Worcestershire, after retirement, he soon became very deeply involved in 
organised ornithology there, too. He chaired Wychavon Ringing Group from 
1985, was a committee member of the Hereford Ornithological Club from 
1986, ran not one but two Constant Effort ringing sites in Worcestershire 
and two Common Bird Census sites at Malvern and Radnor. Elected to the 
Board of Malvern Hills Conservators in 1987, he chaired its wildlife 
advisory group. He was also a local Department of the Environment 
Wildlife Inspector from 1982. 
Don died on 4 December 1988 after a short illness. He leaves a wife, 
Joyce, son, Martin, and daughter, Vivien, to whom our deepest sympathy is 
extended . 
Michael Jennings 
OSME was represented at Don's funeral by the Honorary Secretaries. Don 
requested that there should be no flowers at the funeral and instead 
invited donations to the Woodland Trust. OSME has sent £100, and The 
Woodland Trust has informed us that by 9 February £428 had been received 
in memory of Don. Any members wishing to send a personal contribution 
should address it to The Woodland Trust, Autumn Park, Dysart Road, 
Grantham, Lines NG31 6LL, Great Britain. 
