Lee Evans Retired from Twitching (1 Viewer)

[Bonsaibirder]

What a p***t you are. A real asset to BF

Don't you mean p************t ? :-O

 

[cheshirebirder]

Seems most folk are enjoying recounting old twitching stories about Lee , so what's the problem, Rokermartin? Just keep off this thread if you don't want to be involved.

 

[Mark Newsome]

...To me at least he is a someone, and as a footy fan, the birding equivalent of a Cloughie, or Shankly - loved and hated by many, and everyone has a story about them. For a "quaint English hobby" it is good to have someone who creates so much passion and debate.
There seem to be a lot of vindictive people around.

Very true. Nearly all hobbies and professions have a character like LGRE. Football would have been duller without characters like Dennis Wise and Vinnie Jones. I'm sure angling, train spotting etc all have larger than life people involved too, with many tall stories and 'legends'. The world would be a dull place if we were all conformist clones. It's better to be remembered as someone who brightened up and contributed to birding, rather than just as some bloke who moaned a lot and contributed nothing (there's plenty who fall into this category!)
I wish Lee well whatever he gets up to in the future.

 

[Keith Reeder]

You have stated a stupid thing here on your post saying that my opinions do not represent Roker ,Sunderland or indeed north east of Engalnd,how on earth do you know what the people of Roker,Sunderland,and the north east of england think .You dont EVEN come fromRoker,Sunderland.Should get your facts right before you make a statement like that.Never heard such utter rubbish

Good grief.

Are you related to theshark?

What Quacker is trying to do - and I suspect that his meaning is obvious to everyone but you - is to distance himself and the other NE contributors to Birdforum from the nonsense you write, to prevent guilt by association.

In other words, just because you come across as a gibberish-spouting pain in the nether regions, it doesn't automatically follow that everyone else from up here is...

 

[Keith Reeder]

I'm sure angling... [has] larger than life people involved too, with many tall stories and 'legends'.

I'll say - some of them making Mr Evans look like the epitome of common sense and rationality!

One example off the top of my head - a carp angler (no longer with us) who packed in his job and spent 14 months camped up in a small tent ("bivvied up", as anglers say) by a 200 acre lake in the Home Counties to catch a single carp that was rumoured to live in the lake and was believed to be big enough to give the then British record a run for its money.

Now that's obsession...

He didn't catch it either.

 

[Lawts]

Interesting how this thread has evolved. It started off with people putting the boot in. I was one of the first who tried to balance things up by expressing some positive views on Lee. Now poor old Roker is getting more stick than Lee.

 

[Xenospiza]

a single carp that was rumoured to live in the lake and was believed to be big enough to give the then British record a run for its money.

He didn't catch it either.

Hmmm... was this the infamous Ivory-billed Carp?

 

[gyrfalcon]

We are.. without exception, a strange bunch.
A very strange and peculiar bunch indeed!

 

[silkybepswant]

Isn't this bloke contactable? Probably not. He's probably sat back, with his mobile off, pissing himself at the furore he has allowed someone else to create. And for that, I applaud him.

 

[sparrowbirder]

Just come to this thread, been away from BF for a while receiving Electric shock therapy at the local hospital to cure my osession for birding!! well maybe not, but you know what I mean, and to some people its more than a hobby , its a way of life,LGRE is one of these people, love him or hate him, (and ive only met him once on scillies in 1990, when I remember he used to go around checking virtually every bird that was reported, even B Redstarts, just to make sure), I used to Twitch when I was younger, but these days ive got other things to do, birding to me is still a hobby not a way of life, some of the lads I used to go with in my younger days arent even active any more, think it used to be called "phasing out" in those days, its like any kind of addiction I suppose, because thats what it is, drink, drugs gambling, smoking, some people are more inclined to exhibit obsessive behaviour than others, whereas others can take it or leave it, its in the genes........

 

[DJW]

Fascinating. A thread that has reached a post count of 130 regarding a comment posted on Surfbirds (long since deleted) which was definately not posted by Lee. Whoever posted even got Lee's initials in the wrong order. One of the problems I have with Birdforum is that allows individuals to hide behind an anonymous user name and take the p**s out of characters such as Lee and others. (You know who you are)
Lee is well aware of this thread and he is both amused and amazed by it all by it all. Whatever his perceived faults he has put a tremendous amount of effort into our hobby and at least deserves recognition for that.

On balance it would appear that there are more posts pro Lee than anti which is about right.

Regards

Dave

Full name David John Wadley
ie not anonymous.

 

[sparrowbirder]

Must be good for his ego though, having people talking about him, bet hes lovin it really!!

 

[Chris Monk]

LGRE responds on the UK400Club newsgroup

"As for recent speculation about the future of LGRE and the UK400 Club
(including an amusing 115 entries on a Birdforum thread incorporating mass
misinformation), I am still contemplating it. I am unfortunately restricted from making any comments of a general nature on this forum at present as my every writing is being monitored by a notorious harasser and at present enquiries and judgements are still being procured by both Surrey and Thames Valley Police.

As more than one Birdforum member has recently said 'British birding will be much the better without him and I say good riddance' is the sort of statement I am currently labouring over and it is realistically possible that these so-called birders will get their way.

I don't know who came up with the now infamous statement (******* ****** perhaps?) but somewhat spookily the sentiments are ringing true.

Yes, these past few weeks have been deeply depressing and to be rewarded by so many (compatriots) in such a negative way after the amount of input and effort I have put into all aspects of British birding for the best part of 35 years leaves me incredibly deflated and insulted.

Needless to say, my love of birds and their behaviour will never wane but my
tolerance to fellow birdwatchers has now met an all-time low."

 

[PYRTLE]

Lgre

If these are Lee's sentiments then those who have directly and publicly contributed to Lee's current downer should be ashamed - particularly those who have never met him! Yes, he can get some people's back up but I have known him for at least twenty years (when I lived and birded in Slough / Berks)....bumped into him on twitches, abroad* and had "good value" when on Scillies. Many times I've noted him helping others and trying to sort out situations, in my mind for the correct reasons. Personally I like the guy.

We have a code of conduct for birders / welfare of birds but treat fellow human beings with contempt and little respect. What a fickle and shallow species we (birders) have become. Good luck Lee whatever you decide.

*Had such a laugh/crack in Goa, circa 1999 or later

 

[sparrowbirder]

If this is what birdings come to, I think ill be giving up as well, come on folks, its a hobby not a way of life, people will be trying to turn it into an olympic sport next!!

 

[James Lowther]

"As for recent speculation about the future of LGRE and the UK400 Club
(including an amusing 115 entries on a Birdforum thread incorporating mass
misinformation), I am still contemplating it. I am unfortunately restricted from making any comments of a general nature on this forum at present as my every writing is being monitored by a notorious harasser and at present enquiries and judgements are still being procured by both Surrey and Thames Valley Police.

As more than one Birdforum member has recently said 'British birding will be much the better without him and I say good riddance' is the sort of statement I am currently labouring over and it is realistically possible that these so-called birders will get their way.

I don't know who came up with the now infamous statement (******* ****** perhaps?) but somewhat spookily the sentiments are ringing true.

Yes, these past few weeks have been deeply depressing and to be rewarded by so many (compatriots) in such a negative way after the amount of input and effort I have put into all aspects of British birding for the best part of 35 years leaves me incredibly deflated and insulted.

Needless to say, my love of birds and their behaviour will never wane but my
tolerance to fellow birdwatchers has now met an all-time low."

maybe this is a hoax as well......

or maybe LGRE is a super-sensitive soul..

i've just scanned over the entire thread and save for two proven drivel-merchants no-one's had a seriously bad word to say about him (although to be fair I'm sure it's not nice being discussed like this)

if you're reading this Lee, don't let it get you down!!

B :t:

 

[Killdeer]

If this is what birdings come to, I think ill be giving up as well, come on folks, its a hobby not a way of life, people will be trying to turn it into an olympic sport next!!

The whole point is that for some folks it IS a way of life. For many people, Lee in particular, their whole life is dedicated to all and every aspect regarding birds.

I have known Lee for a number of years, not exactly what you might call a friend, and have ALWAYS found him to be most helpful and courteous.

It would be a great loss for the british birding scene if Lee was to retire and I for one would miss his energy and enthusiasm.

 

[redeyedvideo]

So who is this LGRE?

Some notorious stringer who gets people driving miles to see non-existent birds? Someone who flushes a rarity before anyone else gets to see it? A photographer who pushes you out of the way to get his shot maybe?

Or someone who rattles the bucket at reserves to get us to part with our 50p for a Blyth's Pipit? Or makes sure everyone can find the Franklin's in amongst 5000 gulls? Or someone who uses his Worldwide contacts to establish the identity of a difficult species for all our benefit?

Yes, he may get it wrong sometimes, don't we all. He may give the finder of a Caspian (Common) Tern a hard time to establish if it really was one to save others from making the journey. And he may not believe a sighting if he hasn't seen it himself (sound familiar? I know I'm just a sceptical).

So would birding be better off without him? I think knot ( )

You young-uns will be boasting to your kids in 20 years time that you met Lee Evans at the so and so twitch, believe me.

Like him or hate him, he's one of just a handful of characters in this hobby of ours.



Name and address withheld by request.


p.s. for the record ******* ****** has denied making the statement.

 

[s. james]

When the warden signalled that the bird was present , there was a mass charge across the heath towards the bird. Lee stayed on the path and tried to call the others back - to no avail ,but at least he tried to do the right thing.

This sounds a bit mad!

Can't comment on the man- sounds a bit like a bird watcher's David Beckham only more controversial! I've only just read about him in the book "A Bird in the Bush".

 

[Robin Pearson]

This sounds a bit mad!

Can't comment on the man- sounds a bit like a bird watcher's David Beckham only more controversial! I've only just read about him in the book "A Bird in the Bush".

Bumped into him a few times. Can't say I'd want him as my best friend but he seemed OK. Showed me around a couple of sites on his local patch and was generally helpful. Obviously doesn't suffer fools gladly and gets upset at what he perceives as bad behaviour.

Just a normal sort of bloke really, why all the hype?