About Me |
This is where I say a big thank you to my parents for their full support over the years, for putting up with the calls that didn't come and all the missed family occassions!
There's no doubt my interest in birdwatching came from my father, in 1983 at the age of two I was taken in my pushchair on my first birdwatching twitch to see a Rock Thrush at Minster, Kent. At the age of seven I accompanied my father to see the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Worth marshes, Kent 1987. Family holidays were seen by my father as further opportunities for more birding (sounds perfectly acceptable to me now!). Griffin Vultures and Wall Creepers at the Cirque Gavarnie, Pyrenees; Cory's Shearwaters off Porthgwarra, Cornwall; Golden Eagles and Dotterels in the Highlands of Scotland and Bulwer's Petrels off the beach at Los Americanos, Tenerife.
My first international birdwatching trip was to Hong Kong 1997, I was only 16. My father and I went under our own steam for a fortnight, my half share was kindly funded by my mother I have to say! This was my first taste of a proper birding holiday, up before dawn every day and birding till the light fails, visiting different habitats trying to find as many bird species as humanly possible! The birding highlight of that trip was four Spoon-billed Sandpipers feeding on the mudflates off the Mai Po marshes. I also discovered many other delights associated with international birding trips, which I found to be quite exciting; time spent drawling over a new field guide, the long haul fight full of anticipation, the different cultures and language barriers, new species of bird and other wildlife and there's also the excitement of not knowing quite what's going to happen! Like when we were chased by a pack of wild dogs in a remote part of the new territories (Hong Kong) and having to fend them off with our tripods! I was hooked and I hadn't even taken a photograph!
Studying Marine Biology with Environmental Science at Hull University, Scarborough campus is where I discovered surfing. After completing my degree I found work as a beach lifeguard and It wasn't long until I had brought a one-way ticket to New Zealand. In a country full of beauty I discovered a place full of magic, a small town called Kaikoura. Known locally as the place where the mountains meet the ocean. I couldn't have wished for a better couple of years that followed. I managed to convince Dive Kaikoura to employ me first as their swimming with sea-lion guide and later trained me to become a PADI dive master. I regularly saw Dusky dolphins, Hectors dolphin, Hutton's shearwaters and species of Albatross from the dive boat, plus the occasional humpback whale! When we were very lucky Orca's would come close and scare the life out of my seal swimmers! To top it off there was also a world class point break just a stone's throw away!.
My first international birdwatching trip was to Hong Kong 1997, I was only 16. My father and I went under our own steam for a fortnight, my half share was kindly funded by my mother I have to say! This was my first taste of a proper birding holiday, up before dawn every day and birding till the light fails, visiting different habitats trying to find as many bird species as humanly possible! The birding highlight of that trip was four Spoon-billed Sandpipers feeding on the mudflates off the Mai Po marshes. I also discovered many other delights associated with international birding trips, which I found to be quite exciting; time spent drawling over a new field guide, the long haul fight full of anticipation, the different cultures and language barriers, new species of bird and other wildlife and there's also the excitement of not knowing quite what's going to happen! Like when we were chased by a pack of wild dogs in a remote part of the new territories (Hong Kong) and having to fend them off with our tripods! I was hooked and I hadn't even taken a photograph!
Studying Marine Biology with Environmental Science at Hull University, Scarborough campus is where I discovered surfing. After completing my degree I found work as a beach lifeguard and It wasn't long until I had brought a one-way ticket to New Zealand. In a country full of beauty I discovered a place full of magic, a small town called Kaikoura. Known locally as the place where the mountains meet the ocean. I couldn't have wished for a better couple of years that followed. I managed to convince Dive Kaikoura to employ me first as their swimming with sea-lion guide and later trained me to become a PADI dive master. I regularly saw Dusky dolphins, Hectors dolphin, Hutton's shearwaters and species of Albatross from the dive boat, plus the occasional humpback whale! When we were very lucky Orca's would come close and scare the life out of my seal swimmers! To top it off there was also a world class point break just a stone's throw away!.
Returning from the sumit of Mount Kinabalu
I didn't discover the joys or should I say frustrations of photography until I was living in Japan! A girl friend had got me work in her family business as a delivery driver. I was based in the busiest part of Tokyo, Shinjuku! I brought myself a bridge camera (Panasonic Lumix, DMC FZ50) from Yodobashi Camera Tokyo and days off were soon spent with Mark Brazils guide tucked under one arm, searching for new birds to photograph. If I could get a good photograph of a bird my father hadn't seen, well that was great (not for my father tho!). The north island of Japan, Hokkaido, to my eyes offers some of the most exciting birding in SE Asia. The magnificent Steller's Sea Eagle, soaring over a frozen sea and the majestic dancing Red-crowned Cranes, in the fields of snow. Living in Japan for over a year allowed for multiple visits to Hokkaido and I was fortunate to travel quite extensively. Malaysia also proved irresistible and I was lucky enough to organise a trip to Borneo in search of Orangutans and Hornbills. Other highlights of Borneo were climbing to the summit of mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in SE Asia and also witnessing a giant Green Sea Turtle lay her eggs on Turtle Island beach. Wow what a privilege!
On returning to the UK my father and I joined a trip to the Tibetan plateau (now in China) run through the Oriental Birdwatching Club (OBC). The trip was lead by experienced guide Jesper Hornskov. The quality of the birding was second to none and my claim to fame was spotting a brown bear with cubs, the first in 14 years of trips to that area.
On returning to the UK my father and I joined a trip to the Tibetan plateau (now in China) run through the Oriental Birdwatching Club (OBC). The trip was lead by experienced guide Jesper Hornskov. The quality of the birding was second to none and my claim to fame was spotting a brown bear with cubs, the first in 14 years of trips to that area.
I'm currently back in the UK and living in Broadstairs, a lovely small coastal town in southeast Kent. I'm proud to be working at a local residential school for students diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders with associated learning and behavioural needs. The long summer holiday's have allowed me two fantastic six week trips to Australia and a six week holiday volunteering for Santa Lucia eco-lodge in Ecuador.
This summer holiday (July 2013) will be spent sailing around Svalbard in search of Polar bears and other Arctic specialties
Thank you for taking the time to read about me. I hope you found it of interest?
Please go and enjoy the rest of my website.
This summer holiday (July 2013) will be spent sailing around Svalbard in search of Polar bears and other Arctic specialties
Thank you for taking the time to read about me. I hope you found it of interest?
Please go and enjoy the rest of my website.
Andy Short
|
All images on this site Copyright © by Andrew J. Short 2013, all rights reserved.