Membership Change, May 2014.
It is with regret that we announce that Dick Coombes has stepped down from the IRBC. During his long tenure on the Committee, Dick brought a depth of knowledge and experience to the assessment process. In addition, the fact that Dick spent so much time in the field allowed him to see and photograph many rarities, making both the assessment process and the compilation of the Irish Rare Bird Report considerably easier. Moreover, Dick also took on the thankless task of sourcing photographs for publication in some of the Irish Bird Reports during his tenure. He will be sorely missed, not just for his input to the business of the Committee, but also for his quiet and self-deprecating good humour.
However, with Dick's departure, the Committee are pleased to announce that Paul Moore has accepted an invitation to join the Committee as a voting member. Paul is well known to birders on the Irish twitching scene, and, in particular, to birders in his native Cork. He has found many rarities over the years, a small selection of which include Hudsonian Whimbrel, Pallid Harriers, Black Kite, Chimney Swifts, and both Radde's and Dusky Warblers. Paul has long shown a keen interest in the finer points of bird identification, and, having been involved with BirdWatch Ireland at branch and national level, we are certain that his experience of serving on a committee will benefit us well. We welcome Paul to the Committee, and feel sure that the Irish birding community will wish him well in his new role.