When one listens to Neil G Morris speak about birds, the British ornithologist’s fascination seems as tenacious as the tireless flight of millions of his winged friends.
Invited by the Qatar Natural History Group (QNHG) to give a talk at Doha English Speaking School on the common, and not-so-common, birds of Qatar’s cities, coasts, farmlands and desert, Morris reminisces about one particular weekend back when he lived in Doha, while talking to Community.
“I vividly remember having to persuade my companions to come out birdwatching with me during a violent storm,” he recalls.
To make it worse, Morris wanted them to travel with him to Al Ruwais where the winds were particularly violent on that day. “At the end of long day, they were glad I had been so persistent. We saw the very first Long-tailed Shrike and Little Gull for Qatar — two ‘firsts’ in a day! It’s not often that any birdwatcher finds two national ‘firsts’ in a day anywhere in the world,” he says.
Over an extended conversation, Morris shares all about his passion and why he loves birds the way he does.
 
What is it about ornithology that got you interested at such a young age as 11?
I have always been fascinated by the natural world. As a kid, I would pour over wildlife magazines and encyclopaedias, making lists of the animals I wanted to see when I was grown up! As birds are everywhere, easy to see and often very colourful, I quickly developed a passion for birdwatching. The thrill of seeing new birds in the countryside in and around my village was bettered only by the thrill of travelling to exciting faraway destinations to find and watch birds I could not see at home.
 
What are your earliest memories of birdwatching?
My earliest birdwatching memory is of my German teacher (called Mr Brittan!) telling me to stop staring out the classroom window. When I explained that I was looking at flocks of wild thrushes — Redwings and Fieldfares — that were arriving from Scandinavia to spend the winter in England, he took a look out of the window, too. I also remember endless hours cycling with my pal Ian to our nearby reservoirs in freezing weather and summer heat to go birdwatching at every opportunity.
 
How did you keep up with your passion, and when your career eventually took you in another direction, did you miss birdwatching?
I had always imagined that I would end up working in wildlife conservation, and dreamed of working on a beautiful Indian Ocean desert island looking after the seabirds and wildlife. One particular ambition was to work for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and I was very lucky to fulfil this ambition early on in my career. But instead of being sent out as a trainee warden to one of the RSPB’s nature reserve, I took on a short-term marketing role. I loved the job and decided to pursue marketing as a career, knowing that I would always have birdwatching as my ‘hinterland’. Working at the RSPB gave me a chance to be at the epicentre of birdwatching in the UK, while building my career in a fascinating professional discipline.
 
How did moving to Qatar help you reconnect with ornithology?
After 18 busy and intense years as Deputy Managing Director of the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing, I needed a change. Coming to Qatar with my family was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. With my wife securing a contract in the health service in Doha, I took up the role of house husband — though to be fair it was more like absentee husband as I spent all the daylight hours possible out ‘in the field’. With the help and companionship of a number of other birdwatchers and wildlife photographers in Qatar, I explored every corner of this fascinating country. If you know when and where to look, then the coasts, deserts, farms and even cities and towns of Qatar offer excellent birdwatching opportunities.
 
Briefly tell us about your experience of observing and photographing birds in Qatar. Also, what sort of peculiar trends did you notice about birds in Qatar?
Some 325 species of wild bird have been recorded in Qatar to date. Of these, 82 per cent are migratory and winter visitors. So, for many species, there are specific windows in the calendar when they can be seen. Some spend the winter here, while others pass through in spring and autumn on their way from Africa to breeding grounds in Asia and vice versa. A few, such as the Northern Wheatear and WillowWarbler, travel from the very southern tip of Africa where they have spent the winter all the way to Alaska and Northwestern Canada to nest; and they do the reverse journey again in the autumn. It’s amazing to see these incredible travellers stopping off in Qatar to rest and feed midway through this epic annual migration.
 
That must certainly be exciting.
Yes, birdwatching in Qatar takes you to some pretty extreme places. You must be prepared for some unexpected problems! I shall always remember the kindness shown to me by the Qataris when I got stuck in the mud, stuck in the sand, or suffered multiple punctures. No matter where I got into trouble, there was a friendly villager or policeman who came to my rescue. I think it’s something to do with living in the desert and the kinship in always being prepared to help your fellow travellers. Every year, species of bird are being recorded in Qatar for the first time and new breeding species are being found. But the populations of nearly every species of wild bird are rapidly declining. Qatar provides winter and migration refuge to several species that are gravely endangered. Without active conservation measures, these species will quickly disappear from Qatar forever and even become globally extinct.
 
How would you describe the joy of indulging in the world of birds?
As a conservationist, I could make the scientific and pragmatic case for the necessity for species conservation and for the protection of the precious and increasingly fragile environment in which we live. But I think it’s also a hugely spiritual thing. What would the world around us be like without bird song? How would it feel to wander along the coasts, in the deserts or around our towns and cities without seeing the colour and business of all the birds we take for granted? The world would be a much less uplifting place without birds. I like to think of birdwatching as hunting without a gun. I can see gloriously colourful and characterful birds, even take their photographs, and then leave them for the next person to enjoy. Whether it’s enjoyment of birds, wildlife or any other aspect of the natural environment, I think the enjoyment goes right to the heart. It’s simply a deep, innate appreciation of the living world.
 
Could you share some basic tips on when and where to find birds in Qatar and how to identify them?
March marks the official start of spring — and the start of bird migration in earnest, which continues until the end of April. It’s a wonderful time to look for birds. The coastal flats around Al Ruwais and Al Khor host thousands of birds of many different species. Many are starting to acquire their colourful summer dress before departing for northern Europe, Asia, Siberia and the Arctic. But you don’t have to go far. Parks such as MIA Park and Al Corniche Park near the Sheraton Hotel are worth checking regularly. Al Wakrah Park, Al Shamal Park and many of the tree-lined, lawned parks around Qatar are also well worth a visit.
 
As a birdwatcher, you have made some interesting discoveries in the UK as you have in Qatar. Which one is most special?
I cut my birdwatching teeth in the UK and was lucky enough to find the second ever Red-flanked Bluetail on the mainland. I found the Bluetail late on a Saturday evening. The next morning dawned with more than 2,000 birdwatchers from all over the UK queuing on a small country track to catch a glimpse of the bird. During the ensuing week, birdwatchers came from all over Europe to see this enigmatic visitor from Siberia. In Qatar, I was fortunate to discover nine species of bird that had never been seen in the country before. In addition, I observed nine sub-species that had never been documented in Qatar before. I shall always look back fondly on my birdwatching jaunts in Qatar, to the companionship of those who birdwatched with me, and to the Qataris who were always ready to smile and come to my assistance.

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