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I remember seeing a Puffin on a boat trip to the Bass Rock, off Scotland's Lothian coast, in 1967 at the age of seven. The seed was sown then, and there was no going back. In 1972, against my wishes, I was sent on a birdwatching holiday in north Wales with my brother; I didn't even have any binoculars. But my parents had spotted what I failed to recognise and thereafter, to a greater or lesser extent, I was obsessed. Despite the attractions of girls, the music business, Lambrettas and much more - what one of my birding mates refers to as 'the wilderness years' - my enthusiasm for birding has never diminished. Having trained as a journalist, I set up my own publishing company and founded 'Birdwatch', which grew to become the most popular monthly magazine for keen birders in Europe. I have also written books on birds, led tours and travelled to almost 50 countries in six continents - Australasia next! I do most of my birding in and around my home city of London, UK, but also love the Azores, the Western Palearctic generally and North America (especially Mexico). Birds remain both work and pleasure, and I am lucky to have a family who enjoys them with me.