Another great birding legend bows out - JOHN FORTEY

JOHN FORTEY was an outstanding birdwatcher and a man I knew over most of my birding career. Much of his life was spent in the Midlands, where he discovered the first LESSER SCAUP for Britain, as well as the famous WHITE-TAILED PLOVER at Packington. Later, he retired to South Devon, where Dawlish Warren became his passion and love and hardly a day passed without him visiting. In fact, in the last ten years, this has been the only place I have met John on an annual basis and throughout those meetings, he was most informative, highly entertaining and excellent company. It was he who discovered the first-summer Semipalmated Plover there, as well as many of the rare birds that have bestowed this excellent site with their presence.

I shall miss him very much indeed, as will all those that knew him well. He had been suffering illness for over five years but still generated sparkling enthusiasm for the site and almost up until the day he died in late December, had maintained almost a daily presence.

More details, including that of the funeral, can be found at http://www.dawlishwarren.co.uk/birdlatest.html

A very sad loss indeed (Lee Evans)