This is part 3 of a four part special celebrating the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2011.
The good news is bird watching is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing leisure pursuits in the world, (according to the business section of American Airlines)
So why not experience some bird love with Greener Leithand half a million others this weekend in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch? In the comfort of your own home from 2 – 3pm this Saturday.
Discover how birds are a universal unifier (there’s a bird story with your name on it) in the multimedia extravaganza that is part 2. And why should you give garden birds a go? Check out part 1. These posts featured in the Guardian Edinburgh blog this week.
Close encounters of the celebrity kind
And now part 3, I’ve chosen three bird related celebrity encounters to share with you to prove birds really do open doors (an ostrich probably could give one a good go but I’m talking metaphorically). Feel free to choose the one you like best, or read them all.
Close encounter 1: World Gannet Expert Bryan Nelson (approximately 2 years ago)
He wrote the book the Atlantic Gannet, at the time this was my bird bible, I’d been studying it and he was the author. I’d never met a world expert on anything before, let alone my current educational idol. I was excited to say the least.
He didn’t let me down. He was marvellous, with very bright eyes and a cheeky personality. He told me with excitement about his trips around the world to remote tropical islands. We were at a fancy event (with champagne and important people, I’m not sure how I got to be there). I was feeling a bit out of place so I smiled and nodded (my default nervous setting) and there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned and Bryan pretended it wasn’t him. He then grinned. I realised I’d made a friend when chatting to him earlier and I suddenly felt at ease. He was brilliant. Birds had opened doors. His wife was brilliant too. I asked her if she minded that her honeymoon was spent on the Bass rock (a not so tropical island in the Firth of Forth. Human population 0, gannet population 100,000). She informed me she ringed her first gannet before Bryon did (it’s foot not it’s neck) and was quite happy to spend a few years out there with her newly wed.
'Gannets up the way' Emily Dodd
Now after meeting Bryan, I was very excited to tell my bird Tutor all about it. Having recently stated working as the Education Officer at the Scottish Seabird Centre I needed to learn more about the birds. Every week I would watch the birds on the remote cameras and have their random movements explained to me. For example, if a Gannet bows and wiggles it's head, it means, "this is my nest."
My tutor was the very knowledgeable John Hunt. I bumped into him whilst still buzzing after meeting Bryan and excitedly
Me: “you’ll never guess who I’ve just met?”
Him: “No, tell me”
Me: “the worlds expert on gannets, BRYON NELSON” (I was very triumphant)
Him (even more triumphant): You do know he’s not only the worlds expert on gannets? HE’S THE WORLDS EXPERT ON BOOBIES!”
And I lost it, I’m ashamed to say it was immaturity, or shock or just something abut the triumphant nature in which it was announced that sent me into fits of uncontrollable laughter. In case you don’t know, boobies are birds, the tropical equivalent of Gannets.
But I just wasn’t expecting boobies, I’d only studied Scottish Sea Birds, Boobies weren’t on my bird radar. And so I just kept laughing. And John politely smiled and waited for me to stop (which I couldn’t) and then to dry to diffuse my embarrassment I managed to squeak out the words “it’s a funny name” which I think just made things worse, John politely smiled. And then slowly backed away and slowly left. I continued laughing that day and many times after whenever I remembered it again. John if you're reading, I'm sorry!
Celebrity Encounter 2: Queen Elizabeth the 2nd
I wrote a rhyming puffin lifecycle story to help the children to learn about puffins in a fun way and it became a wee bit famous. So when the Queen came to present the Queens Award to the Scottish Seabird Centre, it was decided her tour would finish up with her watching a section of my story and then it would be stopped and I’ve be officially introduced to her. I nearly fainted. How very exciting and how very terrifying.
Then there were the rules, "Your Majesty" first time, put out your hand if she puts out hers, don’t touch her unless she touches you, the second time you address her it’s "Mam" as in spam (not Mam as in arm). Oh and there’s the curtsy, I practised that lots but kept almost falling over since it’s not like a regular curtsy. It was a lot to remember. Especially when you’re in the middle of telling a puffin story for the second time over to a group of P1 children, trying to keep them fully entertained, so much so they would not be distracted by the Queen. I had to keep going when she arrived so she saw some of it and not even look at the Royal audience. I managed that first bit, the children were even better than me at not being distracted. We’d practiced with a fabulous pretend Queen who had even made a stuffed corgi for the occasion, Anne O'Brien.
When I was met her, in the heat of the moment, I think I curtsied, said it’s a pleasure to meet you your majesty and touched her hand all at once, it’s a daze. I didn’t think I’d even be nervous so when I was it took me by surprise (like the Boobies.) She definitely had a presence about her. She said “puffin are they?” to me, referring to my hand.
You may notice I’m wearing a comic book dress, I hadn’t got the message about formal wear because I’d been off sick the week before with suspected swine flu. I’d been to the dodgy swine flu infested area of Glasgow and then had symptoms. My GP had to make a fully suited and masked visit to my home and shove a stick down my throat. Swine flu had not yet reached Edinburgh so they were on super swine flu alert. I’d concernedly asked how long it would take for the results because I was meeting the Queen. He firmly said if they hadn’t come back I couldn’t meet her, I might give her the swine flu. But they came back as negative the day before and I was well by then, phew.
So there I was in my comic book dress and she was asking me about number of visits and some other such things. She was very nice. I met Prince Phillip after and he made a joke (I can’t remember what, puffin related) and it was all over. I’d done it. And all because I’d enjoyed birds and admitted it, and told children about it. Birds had opened doors.
Celebrity Encounter 3: Simon King (6 months ago)
On the way back from a long weekend in Shetland for an awesome wedding, Reg said “don’t look now but standing behind you.... is Simon King” how could I not look! There he was on the deck with a G and T, chatting with a birdy lady. I know people who have posters of him, he’s a wildlife pinup! For the record I don’t have a poster of him but my Mum has his autograph.
I went for it and asked gingerly if he would mind if I had my photo with him? I apologised for this probably happening all the time and this being his holiday and me interrupting. He was very polite and obliging. He has such passion and enthusiasm for wildlife, it’s clearly not just an on camera thing, it’s in his soul! It’s in his eyes, bright with excitement, just like Bryon.
So birds really do open doors. Enjoy them and you never know where it might lead and who you might meet. The bird watch is a great way to start.
What’s Next?
The Big Garden Bird Watch part 4: Doing it in a Park with Greener Leith. Here’s where I report on the watch and include your tweets and stories (if you’ll join me).
If you’re taking part and you’re on facebookor twitter, change your profile pictures to be like this, just for the weekend. That should help us to separate the (wheat) ear from the chiff (chaff).
Good luck and please do let us know where you’re doing it and what you see (:
June 13, 2011 by 
