Many
may recall that Hywel Roderick used to do an e-mail circulation of monthly
summaries of Ceredigion bird sightings.
I have
been doing a brief monthly summary for BirdWatching magazine for some while,
sourced just from this blog. Belatedly it has occurred to me that I could put a
version of it on the blog.
Having
taken a few soundings and with Harry’s OK, it will be called the Hywel Roderick
Monthly Summary. When he died in 2009, well ahead of his time, we lost the
County’s leading amateur birdwatcher/ornithologist, Recorder, Report Editor and
author of ‘Birds of Ceredigion’ which was published after his death.
During my visits to Norfolk and north-east
Essex, I come across many a hide, areas of marshland and the like named after
particular individuals of note. Very regrettably that failed to happen here. Now
his name may live on by way of this small measure.
These monthly summaries should encourage
purchases of future Ceredigion Bird Reports with their much more comprehensive
coverage, splendid photographs and other items of interest. My friends and I
are sure that the Report will live on. Just as books have shown a resilience,
indeed resurgence in the face of the Kindle, so County Bird Reports throughout
the country are surviving despite digitalised alternatives.