About me

I'm in the teaching English as a foreign language profession. Sometimes I am in management and sometimes in the classroom but always in a foreign country.  

I am an Oxford educated DPhil chemist with a background in senior management who threw it all in a few years ago for a simpler life.

I now live comfortably in Bulgaria and in Spain but have worked in other countries - Azerbaijan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Oman and now Mauritania. No longer spending hours commuting I have more time to indulge my passions. That mostly means bird watching and travel.

I am now the e-bird database reviewer for both Libya and Saudi Arabia.

My main home is now in Bulgaria. It's in a quiet country village. It is being landscaped so it is bird friendly. The classic Brit wants a colourful garden.  I am not immune from these sentiments. However I am taking advice on using local bushes and trees. 

My second passion is travel usually now mixed with bird watching at the same time. I have visited 104 countries. My main birding expertise is in Middle East North Africa (MENA). I also like home birding in Spain and Bulgaria but am no real expert there. However I bird almost anywhere given the chance.

I travelled extensively in Libya, Saudi Arabia and Oman too. Here's a picture of me and two fellow teachers (in happy times) enjoying a day out to Cyrene. Libya has some excellent Roman and Greek remains. We are sitting somewhat dismissively on the Temple of Zeus.

Cyrene is one of many places with wonderful culture and equally good bird watching. Where else can you see engraved roman eagles and live golden eagles flying above them.


Please keep visiting my blog and see what more there is to discover here in Mauritania and elsewhere. BirdingRob