President Announcement

The BOC Committee is delighted to announce that Neil Bucknell has accepted our request to become the Club’s President. Neil has made an outstanding contribution to ornithology in Berkshire and his engagement with ornithology nationally brings us a valued perspective, experience and authority.

Neil was born in Reading, educated at Theale Green (then Theale Grammar) School and read law at Cambridge, qualifying as a solicitor in 1980. He was Honorary Secretary of the British Ornithologists’ Union from 1997 to 2006, and has been on the Council of the British Trust for Ornithology since 2009, and its Honorary Secretary since 2010.

He joined the Reading Ornithological Club (now Berkshire Ornithological Club) in 1971 and has been an active member ever since, serving several times on the Committee and as its Chair. He was Wildfowl Counts/WeBS organiser for about 20 years, was one of the organising team for the first Birds of Berkshire Atlas and is working now on the second edition, based on the last four years’ fieldwork.

Renton Righelato, Chairman –