Michael is the author of two books, most recently The Cuckoo's Lea—a journey into the long past to discover the fascinating stories behind our ancient place-names. He was previously chair of the charity New Networks for Nature, is now a trustee for Curlew Action, and curates The Birds and Place Project, a website devoted to recording the birds of English place-names. Michael has watched birds and led student expeditions in several countries, but his favourite places are in Britain, including the Hebridean Isle of Islay, which he has visited many times for its wildlife (and whisky!).
