First of all, I need to say that this site would not exist if it was not for the patience, creativity and expertise of Soraia Binzagr. My earlier version of the site had gone defunct due to digital technology that evolved faster than my brain could absorb. Soraia designed the site, created the framework, and advised me on many aspects of the layout and visuals, adding enormously to the attractiveness and taking much pain out of my life.
Many of those visuals are the photos of Arlette Berlie who generously shares the product of her many patient hours in the field to capture the photographs that illustrate the species. A key addition to this site are the paintings and drawings of my former friend and collaborator the late Frank Jarvis, his wife Jane very generously allowed my unfettered use of Frank’s work which adds much to the species accounts.
In my own life many people have helped me to learn about birds and the sounds they make. It was my friend and fellow doctorate student David Waugh who first opened my ears to bird sounds - as a new student of birds I was simply amazed at what he could tell me just from what he heard, and I will always remember the day we sneaked away from the lab to the nearby Hermitage Woods where he whistled in a Wood Warbler – my first “ah-ha” moment. For both of us our ornithological knowledge was greatly enhanced through working under the eye of David Bryant.
My first real job was as a lecturer at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, where for my research work I had to learn about tropical birds - a whole new kettle of fish for me! David Wells was a great friend and expert colleague, but when he provided me with my first exposure to tropical rainforest it was daunting - plenty of bird sounds but all I could see were trees - learning those sounds would be important. David Wells introduced me to Ken Scriven of WWF Malaysia. Ken was a keen birder and nature recordist and it was really he who taught me my early recording skills and showed me the ropes in places like Ampang Reservoir and Pasoh Forest Reserve. This sparked a passion (infection?) that was to persist with me until today.
I worked in Asia until the late '80s then moved to Switzerland for a job with WWF International. A young family, and a heavy-duty conservation job made birds slip well down the agenda in my life. I packed away my old Sony recorders, parabola and cassette tapes, and for many years I took only a casual interest in birds, and certainly did no recording at all.
In about 2006, my youngest son Ewan became a student in sound technology, and he opened my eyes to the digital world and what it could mean for me and my lost pastime. Along with his elder brother Duncan, they made a birthday gift of my first mini-disc recorder and I never looked back. Suddenly I could edit my own sounds, filtering out the rubbish, and even make sonograms on my laptop - an impossible activity in my Malaysian days. My old passion was rekindled.
When the first version of Wildechoes became defunct, it was the constant encouragement of my partner Carla who pushed me to not give up but to breathe life into it again. I am glad she did. Nature has been kind to me over the years, it has given me both an interesting life and career, and some of my most moving moments. This website gives me the opportunity to share some of that, and to say thanks to those mentioned above, and many others too numerous to mention here, who have helped me on my journey. I'll be happy if this site allows others to gain the same pleasure from our natural world.