Magic Bustard: Birding the Hippie Trail

In 1978, Nigel Redman set off on a 10-month overland journey to India and Nepal in search of exotic Asian birds and nirvana. A few months later, following the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, the infamous and well-trodden 'Hippie Trail' was closed forever. Lifelong birder Nigel will recount the highs and lows of this epic adventure, illustrated with many photos from the pre-digital age of people and places (and birds) that few of us will ever see. Don't miss this blast from the past!

Nigel is an experienced tour leader and bird guide. He has led over 150 overseas bird tours and visited more than 100 countries on seven continents. His travels have frequently involved getting off the beaten track and he has led pioneering expeditions to many places including Siberia, Central Asia, China, Yemen, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Indonesia and Ethiopia. In 1992 he led the first-ever birding tour to West Papua, and in 2012 took an intrepid birding group to Somaliland. He is also a polar expedition guide and has accompanied over 40 expedition cruises to the Antarctic and Arctic.

In between his travels, Nigel worked for 20 years as a publisher of bird books, retiring as the head of natural history for Bloomsbury Publishing in the UK. He is also the author of numerous articles and three books, including Where to Watch Birds in Britain and a field guide, Birds of the Horn of Africa. Nigel has served on several bird club committees and recently retired as President of the North East Norfolk Bird Club. This will be his fourth talk to North Norfolk U3A.