Mark Preston Email
The following email was received on Thursday, March 18 from Mark Preston of England wanting to thank an unknown club member.
Subject: thank you
From: "mark preston" <mark@kmserve.fsnet.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 00:20:21 -0000
To: <feedback@3rbc.org>
My name is Mark Preston and I live in Gravesend, which is about 25 miles east of London in England.
I was in Pittsburgh last weekend with my wife Kirsten, a native Pittsburgher who came over to live with me 2 years ago, and although we could only stay for 3 days I could not pass up on the opportunity of a couple of hours birding at Beechwood Farms while she was stocking up on essentials from home that she cannot get in my "podunk little backwater of a country", if Reese's peanut butter eggs are essential, that is!!
We only visit 2 or 3 times a year so my US birding is just beginning really and as I sat watching all the usual suspects around the feeders, I got chatting to one of your members, who was only too happy to answer my many questions and provide me with heaps of useful information on where to bird in the area, species ID, and also your club. Sadly I did not get the guy's name but he will know who he is when he reads this and I am most grateful for all the friendly and useful advice.
My day was really made up when a Turkey Vulture came through about 50 yards away, if only for a brief glimpse, and then later on a Red Shouldered Hawk was kind enough to perch for about 5 minutes on a tree over behind the pond.
I shall be joining your club as soon as I can get the form printed off in anticipation of our next visit, around Labor Day weekend, when we shall be staying a bit longer for our annual vacation and I look forward to meeting with as many of your members as possible and perhaps attending an outing or two or just tagging along with anyone willing to nursemaid the new kid on the block. In the meantime , if any of your members need any advice, help with info or suchlike regarding UK birding or just want a chat then please feel free to drop me a line.
Finally, on behalf of all UK birders, please accept my apologies for our Sparrowhawk that ate the American Robin stopping off in Lincolnshire last week, I hope this hasn't dented Anglo - American relations too much.
See you in August,
Mark Preston
