The Biking Birder 2016

"Chris Boardman, Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Chris Froome, Laura Trott, Bradley Wiggins .... in 2016 one Gary Prescott attempted to add his name to this long line of illustrious British cycling champions. At sixty years old, asthmatic and (by his own admission) slightly over-weight, Gary - often simply referred to as the Biking Birder - cut a slightly surprising figure as a potential cycling record holder but what he may have lacked in physical prowess he more than compensated for in sheer will and determination and in 2016 he reached for the stars in attempting to set a new European Green Birding for the most species recorded in one calendar year." The thought of seeing 300 different birds in a year in the UK is one that many birders dream of. To achieve such by cycling over 7,000 miles from Lands End to Shetland, to see those birds, whilst challenging for the European record is an undertaking few would take on. In fact this book tells of a unique quest. Green Birding is a growing, yet vital phenomenon. Whereas most will know of a birders desire to list the birds seen, or maybe be aware of a twitcher's need to travel possibly hundreds of miles to see a lost waif, a bird far away from it's chosen migratory path, a Siberian Accentor or a Franklin's Gull; few will know that there are some birders who pursue birds through Green means. Gary details not only his remarkable journey undertaken in 2016 and how he saw over 300 bird species but also tells of people met, the places seen and fills the pages with anecdote and nostalgia. Some stories are taken from his previous Biking Birding years, those two years when Gary cycled to every RSPB and W&WT nature reserve in the UK - twice! The first in a forthcoming series, The Biking Birder Adventures, Gary will be cycling and kayaking around Peru in 2018, aiming to become the World Green Big Year record holder.
About the Author: Gary Prescott, now mostly better known as The Biking Birder, is a passionate environmentalist and birder, who spent three years, 2010, 2015 and 2016, cycling around the UK. During two of these years Gary cycled to every Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Wildfowl & Wetland Trust (WWT) nature reserve, all 242 of them. Gary cycled over 17,000 miles during this time. Gary became the British Green Birding Year list record holder in 2015, seeing 290 different bird species in that year. Gary in 2016 tried to become the European Green Birding record holder and this book details his attempt. Gary did all of this in order to raise money for his favourite charities; the RSPB and the WWT. Also he raised money for Asthma UK, as he is a serious asthmatic and also for Chaskwasi-Manu. Chaskwasi-Manu is a project which enables indigenous rainforest children of The Manu Rainforest in deepest Peru access education. The children's aim is to get an education and hence learn how to lobby and petition in order to protect their rainforest from various industries trying to destroy their homeland; namely treeloggers, mineral extractors and the oil industry. The Manu is a two million hectare National Park and is in desperate need of protection. Gary spent his career as a teacher, working as a Secondary Biology teacher in Wolverhampton, UK. Gary also taught for a number of years in Primary Schools before working as a Special Needs teacher in MLD, ESBD, Deaf and Autistic schools. Now retired, Gary spends his life giving talks (email for details) and working as a volunteer at the wonderful Stratford Upon Avon Butterfly Farm during the Winter months. Biking Birder adventure Peru is therefore Gary's fourth Biking Birder adventure. BB2018-Peru. Now over sixty, Gary's zest for life is undiminished and many more exciting projects and destinations are ahead of him.