John Tidmarsh

We interviewed long-term volunteer and bird enthusiast John Tidmarsh to tell us about his Wild Life!

How long have you been interested in wildlife?

I was born in Gloucestershire so have always loved the countryside but my interest in wildlife, and birds in particular, didn’t really start until my early 20’s with an almost religious conversion. We were on a canal holiday and just before lunch I was steering the boat through Elsemere in Cheshire while everyone else was below. We passed under a tree branch and there, three feet over my head was a kingfisher! So beautiful! All of a sudden I started seeing lapwing and herons on the banks and I was hooked!

When we got home, I bought my first pair of binoculars and started in earnest. There is nothing quite as exciting as starting birdwatching from scratch. I can still remember by first goldfinch (Stanmore Common, who knew Britain had birds as beautiful as that!) and my first swallow (Aviemore).

Where has the love of wildlife taken you?

I have been very fortunate in going to many beautiful places. I have seen roadrunners in America, duck billed platypus in Australia, penguins in the Antarctic and polar bears in the Arctic. While all these experiences were wonderful, it has to be said that the UK has some amazing wildlife. You can’t beat sitting on a Scottish cliff and have a puffin sit beside you literally only three feet away (yes really happened, he stayed there for nearly half an hour using me as protection against the gulls), watching sanderling in winter plumage running along the edge of the sea or simply hearing a robin singing.

We only live on an estate but for several months this year we have had four blackcaps in the garden, a very rare event and I can’t tell you the pleasure that has given us.

How did you start volunteering for the Wildlife Trust?

After leaving British Rail, where I worked for thirty years in IT, I joined the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and worked there for ten years in membership. Just before retiring, Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust got in touch as they had just switched to the same data base system that we used in Nottinghamshire. I volunteered to visit for the day to give some advice which somehow led me to coming to Birmingham every Monday for the next ten years! I not only enjoyed helping but very much, but also liked the contact with all the staff with their huge knowledge of nature.

All that stopped three years ago when the pandemic hit but the supportive team found me a laptop and since then I have been able to support the Trust from home! In some ways this is more convenient but I really miss the personal contact so it’s great to come to the office from time to time.

Why do you think Wildlife Trusts are important?

Wildlife everywhere seems to be under such a threat. People who love watching it on the small screen often don’t seem to notice it outside in their own garden. I feel that encouraging people to take a personal interest in what is around them would not only help protect the environment but also provide much personal pleasure and relaxation.

The Wildlife Trusts provide a vital way of trying to protect the local area and get people involved.