It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Pete Burness. Pete was a long-time supporter of the Observatory, having first visited in 1957 with his father. He saw his first 'scarce' bird, a Barred Warbler, in 1959 and his first Bluethroat in 1962. He was among the early pioneers that tramped the shingle, walked the Heligoland traps and worked through the transition to Mistnets. He continued to visit and support the Observatory and was happy to share his knowledge with anyone, whether it be birds, books or music and there was never a negative word against him. His dry sense of humour and his fund of stories, often with a wry twist will be long remembered. Our thoughts are with his family and long time partner, Pam. He will be very much missed by all who knew him.
Pam and the family have requested that any donations in his name should go to one of the following:
Dungeness Bird Observatory Trust
The Salvation Army
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust