How it started Since cheap package-deal holidays started to introduce Northern Europeans to the beaches of Benidorm in the 1960s, there has been a steady but impressive demographic movement of mainly retired people, seeking the sunshine and ambience of the Levantine coast, now making up a sizeable proportion of the population. Inevitably, this sector contains a substantial number of people with a combination of time on their hands, and an interest in the natural environment. Many of you have been members of organisations such as the RSPB. A few of you will have taken your interest onto 'higher plains' and gone on to become more serious ornithologists, joining your local or county groups, the BTO, becoming ringers, visiting observatories and attending classes. Whether or not you fit into either of the above categories, you are probably looking for some way of filling in your increased leisure time, having discovered that the joys of soaking up sunshine and vino tinto do have their limitations. Many of you have responded, over the years, to a regular natural history newspaper column, enquiring as to the existence of a suitable organisation to join, and the response has had to be to advise you to join the excellent SEO (Sociedad Española de Ornitología) which has a local branch, and a few foreign members. However, this and other conservation bodies operating in Spain operate entirely in Spanish. (Logical, of course - try getting the RSPB magazine in anything other than English!) Whilst, in the long term, it is still very much in everyone's interest to learn Spanish, of course, we have recognised the need to provide an English-speaking Bird Club.  JUNE 2009 - Important Notice - It is with extreme regret that I have to announce the untimely death of popular committee member Brian Conduit. Click here to read an obituary written by club president Malcolm Palmer. Click here to read about the donation of Brian's Memorial Fund to a Spanish cancer charity. Click here to read a personal tribute to Brian to mark the first anniversary of his death.
	Red Backed Shrike - Photo by Bryan Thomas©
	The Committee
	President - Malcolm Palmer Malcolm has lived in Spain since 1993 based originally in Santa Pola, he now resides in San Vicente del Raspeig with his wife Juani. He writes a bird-related article for the Costa Blanca News on a weekly basis. Malcolm is the author of three bird guides to Spain, and co-author of a book on the Island of Tabarca. He has been interested in birds all his life, and his knowledge of the avifauna of the Costa Blanca region is second to none making him an ideal candidate for this prestigious post.
	Junior V. P. - Julian Sykes Julian (Jules), another native Yorkshireman lives in the coastal town of Oliva (Northern Costa Blanca) with his wife Amanda and their two boys, Stan & Harry. Presently he is the only official birdwatching and nature guide in the whole of Communitat Valenciana being the owner of an expanding wildlife tourism company Oliva Rama Tours He also he co-owns (with his mother) a small guesthouse (Oliva Rama Pension) ( )in his home town serving as an excellent base for visiting birdwatchers and tourists. His local patch is the very under-rated Pego Marsh, which is situated 5km south of Oliva and is always producing something special. Jules is our 'Junior V. P.' due to his tender age compared to the rest of the committee, although I think he'd say he's catching them up quite quickly!!!
	Treasurer - Fran Vickers Fran spent many years in science education followed by a short spell as a volunteer worker at the excellent Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton. Now she and her partner, Brian, have retired to Campello where she continues to pursue her interest in natural history and works hard to learn Spanish.
	Club Secretary - Pete Alden Pete retired to the Costa Blanca with his wife in 2003, having spent his life as an industrial gypsy building power stations in many parts of the world. He now lives in Benissa Coastal, and tries to keep CBBC members informed of trips, when not birdwatching from his garden."
	Bird Guide - Barry Chambers Barry retired early to live in Rojales on the Costa Blanca with his wife Carol in March 2006, having spent the previous 25 years working in a Day Centre with Adults with Learning Disabilities where he was Deputy Manager. Barry was Vice Chairman of the Local Natural History Society for more than 20 years in Essex, has been a keen bird watcher since his school days and has continued his passion since moving to the Costa Blanca.
	Vacant