Mick Rogers
Encyclopedia
Mick Rogers was warden of Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre at Portland Bill
, Dorset
, England
from 1979 to 1995 (not to be confused with Mike Rogers, secretary of the British Birds Rarities Committee
).
He was born in 1944, and died at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge
on 27 April 2003 as a result of a brain haemorrhage. From 1975 to 1978 he was barman on Lundy Island "so that he could act as the Lundy Field Society's unofficial representative and warden in his free time."
Rogers' reputation among the British birding community was of someone who took the scientific study of birds extremely seriously, and believed that "serious" ornithology should take precedence over "popular" approaches at all times. As an illustration, following the publication in British Birds
magazine of an account by Robin Chittenden of the finding of a Northern Parula
on the Isles of Scilly
in October 1983 (Chittenden 1986), in which Chittenden wrote effusively about his excitement at this find, which was then only the fourth record for Britain, Rogers wrote to the British Birds letters page criticising both Chittenden for an article consisting of "60 lines full of irrelevances", and the journal's editors for "letting editorial standards slip ... perhaps in an attempt to widen [the journal's] circulation" (Rogers 1987). Providing information and encouragement to casual birding visitors to Portland Bill
was low on Rogers' list of priorities compared with the day-to-day running of the observatory; as a result, many birders visiting Portland for the first time felt that they were not welcome there.
His predecessor as warden was Iain Robertson
, and his successor was Martin Cade, who had previously been the observatory's assistant warden.
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone, which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and therefore also the county of Dorset, England....
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from 1979 to 1995 (not to be confused with Mike Rogers, secretary of the British Birds Rarities Committee
British Birds Rarities Committee
The British Birds Rarities Committee , established in 1959, is the national bird rarities committee for Britain. It assesses claimed sightings of bird species that are rarely seen in Britain, based on descriptions, photographs and video recordings submitted by observers...
).
He was born in 1944, and died at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
on 27 April 2003 as a result of a brain haemorrhage. From 1975 to 1978 he was barman on Lundy Island "so that he could act as the Lundy Field Society's unofficial representative and warden in his free time."
Rogers' reputation among the British birding community was of someone who took the scientific study of birds extremely seriously, and believed that "serious" ornithology should take precedence over "popular" approaches at all times. As an illustration, following the publication in British Birds
British Birds
British Birds could refer to* The magazine British Birds.* Birds recorded in Great Britain, see List of British birds....
magazine of an account by Robin Chittenden of the finding of a Northern Parula
Northern Parula
The Northern Parula, Parula americana, is a small New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida....
on the Isles of Scilly
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
in October 1983 (Chittenden 1986), in which Chittenden wrote effusively about his excitement at this find, which was then only the fourth record for Britain, Rogers wrote to the British Birds letters page criticising both Chittenden for an article consisting of "60 lines full of irrelevances", and the journal's editors for "letting editorial standards slip ... perhaps in an attempt to widen [the journal's] circulation" (Rogers 1987). Providing information and encouragement to casual birding visitors to Portland Bill
Portland Bill
Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone, which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and therefore also the county of Dorset, England....
was low on Rogers' list of priorities compared with the day-to-day running of the observatory; as a result, many birders visiting Portland for the first time felt that they were not welcome there.
His predecessor as warden was Iain Robertson
Iain Robertson
Iain Robertson is a BAFTA winning Scottish actor. He was once described by Barry Norman as "the best thing to come out of Scotland since whisky"....
, and his successor was Martin Cade, who had previously been the observatory's assistant warden.