My interview with Mike Dilger!

Today I had another first at Minsmere. Not another new addition to my life list (as you know I’m not a list keeper) but I was tasked with meeting and interviewing Mike Dilger; the famous naturalist who has presented many inspiring wildlife film clips for the One Show as well as Springwatch to name only a few and written several books on nature. Today he was at Minsmere as part of the Swarovski tour launching their new product the BTX binocular-telescope. I made my way down to the pond where the optics demonstration was set up with a piece of Minsmere’s 70^th Birthday cake in hand. Mike had requested via twitter that we save him a slice and I thought it could be a used as a bit of bribery for answering my questions!!

In the blustery location by the pond I presented him with the cake and allowed him to enjoy a little of it before making demands to have pictures with him and then firing a load of questions at him!

My interview with Mike Dilger.

As Mike was visiting the reserve as part of the Swarovski optics demonstration I thought my opening question should be...

What was your first pair of binoculars?

My first pair of binoculars was a pair of Prinz  10 x 40 which I think came from Dixons. I got them when I was 9 years old for Christmas. I got my first pair of Swarovski binoculars about 28 years ago and I haven’t looked back since!

When were you a volunteer at Minsmere?

I was a volunteer at Minsmere for three months on a residential placement during the summer of 1989 (I think!)

What were your roles whilst you were a volunteer?

One of the strongest memories I have was the arrival of a rarity; the penduline tit. This was a first for Minsmere and Suffolk and I remember being tasked with the role of letting ten people into Centre Hide at a time! (Centre hide is no longer present at Minsmere, but it’s location was on the right after you have gone past the pond.)

I remember doing jobs like cleaning hides with newspaper as well as carrying out many common bird surveys.

What did you like best about volunteering at Minsmere?

I liked just being here at Minsmere. Minsmere was the first place I saw a bittern and the place where I have had my most exciting birding minute in Britain ever. I was walking along and encountered a hoopoe and then 30 seconds later a wryneck, all within 30 seconds of each other! Nothing has topped that in Britain since. The sheer diversity of habitats at Minsmere and the fact you can see a hundred species before breakfast makes Minsmere one of the best nature reserves in Britain. I don’t know anywhere else you can hear a bittern booming in one ear and a nightingale in the other!

What has changed about the reserve since your time here as a volunteer?

The reserve is much busier with people, which is great. Where the pond is now use to be the car park but the sand martin cliffs were still there in the same place. Much of the reserve is the same such as the Scrape and Island Mere but there has been changes in the composition of birds on the reserve. You have seen the arrival of Mediterranean gulls and stone curlews but some species of birds have unfortunately departed the reserve such as the lesser spotted woodpecker.

What did you enjoy most about being a volunteer?

I enjoyed being with like minded people. The reserve didn’t use to open to the public until 9am so I use to go out before opening and spot what was about on the reserve with my fellow residential volunteers. I just liked being able to just go birding everyday and effectively be ‘licensed to bird!’

Volunteers at RSPB Minsmere... 28 years apart!

What is your favourite bird?

I always use to say the roseate tern but now it is the bullfinch. I am fortunate enough to have regular visits to my garden by bullfinches and they are a beautiful but shy bird with a lovely song that always leave you wanting more!

Do you have a favourite place at Minsmere?

Island Mere because of the marsh harriers.

At that point Mike was told by one of our very keen young birders (Thomas Barthorpe) that there were water shrew down in the pond. And with that he raced off to catch a rare sight of this wonderful animal. The water shrew did not disappoint and appeared several times for us to easily see from the bridge over the pond. In fact four water shrews in total were sighted at the pond today.

After our little nature watching interlude I persevered with my questions!!

Why is your book called Nightingales In November?

Well the book should really be called a year in the life of twelve British birds but I thought that was a bit of a boring title and so named it Nightingales in November. Have you ever wondered what birds are doing for the rest of the year? This book is about twelve British birds throughout the year; where they are and what they are up to when they are not around for us to see.

How did you research for the book?

I talked to many people. I used my own knowledge as well as talking to many BTO experts. I spent a lot of time out in the field and a lot of time reading many current papers on the birds of interest. I found the information I found out about the puffin the most interesting out of the birds I was researching.

What was your inspiration for getting into Wildlife?

When I was 9 years old I received a book called ‘A Guide to Birds in Colour’ written by Bruce Campbell. It had 256 birds in it and it got me hooked! My 9th birthday was on 7^th November 1975 and by the time it was Christmas that year I was so interested in birds and nature that I got my first pair of binoculars which I mentioned earlier!

Another incredible inspiration was a man named Nigel Brown. He was the curator at the Treborth botanical gardens in Bangor and was just a fantastic naturalist. I met him and he became a family friend and I use to go moth trapping with him every morning for three years. He was just so knowledgeable it was a real inspiration.

It was at that point that I left Mike and made my way back to the Visitor Centre . I purchased a copy of his children’s book Wildlife In Your Garden which is bursting with bright pictures and interesting facts. I hope when I give this book to my children that it has the same effect on them that Bruce Campbell’s ‘A Guide to Birds in Colour’ had on Mike Dilger. After meeting and interviewing him I am sure if his book possesses the passion and enthusiasm for nature that he has when he speaks about his work and experiences with wildlife then it will. I very much look forward to sharing it with them. Thank you very much for your time Mike Dilger.