Mark first began watching birds as a ten-year-old boy and this interest developed into a lifelong passion.
As a young man he was part of the team that described a new bird species (Nava’s Wren) in Mexico in
1991, and he found the first nest of Pacific Royal Flycatcher in Ecuador in 1992. Alongside regular
birding in Northumberland (where he lives) he has experience of birding in 25 countries.
He worked as an academic for most of his life and has published over 180 research articles, successfully
supervised more than 25 PhD students, many on bird and mammal projects. His favourite part of
academic teaching was leading field trips (for over 20 years), particularly those focussed on bird
identification. He is now an Emeritus Professor in Applied Ecology and Director of Whittingham Ecology.
He began leading bird tours around Europe in 2026. He believes watching wildlife is a team activity and
takes joy in engendering a group approach to ensuring everyone has the best chance of both seeing the
wildlife and enjoying the experience. He is always keen to emphasize the dual importance of plastic cover
guards for binoculars: to stop rain & cake getting on the lenses!
