The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience - Who We Are - Neil Gartshore is the principle guide for the business but we have a number of other local birdwatchers and conservationists who will lead some of the tours as required. 
   
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Who We Are
Neil Gartshore is the principle guide for the business.  He has travelled in search of wildlife for nearly 30 years, visiting many parts of Europe and further a field  to South Africa, Kenya, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Japan.  He has led trips in the UK and to South Africa, Japan, Mallorca and mainland Spain. 

Neil was born in Leicestershire where his natural history interest developed at an early age.  Working in the banking industry he spent holidays volunteering on nature reserves, including Handa Island where a fascination for seabirds began. A move to Shetland in 1981 continued this interest and led to a career change in 1983 when he took up his first conservation post on the Farne Islands, returning in 1984-1985. 

A three month break to South Africa in the winter of 1984/85 hooked Neil on the country and he returned in 1986 to work for the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology.  Based in Cape Town, the post included 14 months studying seabirds as a field research assistant on the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. 

Returning to the UK, Neil next took up an RSPB contract in the summer of 1988 on Coquet Island and then ran the 1988 season’s seal work on the Farnes Islands before, in 1989, beginning a 17-year stretch with the RSPB.  Contracts on the Mawddach Valley and Minsmere were followed in March 1991 with an assistant warden’s post on the heathlands at Arne in Dorset.  Over the next 14 years he progressed to the post of Senior Warden at Arne before becoming the Dorset Reserves Manager in 2005.  He left in June 2006 to take some time out with his young family and to develop other interests. 

In 1997 Neil set up Calluna Books, specialising in buying and selling out of print natural history books. 

Experienced at leading guided walks in the county, Neil also runs adult education birdwatching classes and spent three years as the Dorset County Bird Recorder. 

He keeps in contact with his conservation roots by undertaking freelance contract work and has recently been involved with a number of bird surveys (especially around the Poole Harbour area), conducted visitor and access surveys on a number of sites, and has drawn up a number of Environmental Stewardship grant applications for local landowners.  He writes articles on books for Bird Illustrated and is currently writing ‘Best Birding Sites in Dorset’ for Buckingham Press. 

 

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience. Hengistbury Head. Photography by Neil Gartshore

Hengistbury Head

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience - Grey Plover - During the winter months at on passage, the Grey Plover can often be seen at close quarters along the causeway to Portland at Ferrybridge as well as in good numbers in Poole Harbour. Photography by Neil Gartshore.

Grey Plover

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience. Raft spider. Photography by Neil Gartshore

Raft spider

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience - Greenshank - A passage migrant and winter visitor, the Greenshank may be found in small numbers on many coastal sites, and occasionally on inland waters. Photography by Neil Gartshore.

Greenshank
 
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