My, how the times have changed!

Back then the local birdwatching scene was quite different.
There was no internet or widespread mobile phone ownership and the nation's birders still relied on good old-fashioned forms of communication.

News of rare finds was passed around by a string of telephone calls organised via an established grapevine and local birdwatchers were in constant touch with one another.

It also seems that there were many enthusiasts of my own generation back then too. It is an increasingly rare sight to see anyone under the age of 40 with a pair of binoculars these days, which baffles me given the leaps and bounds made in the popularisation of wildlife and conservation issues in recent years.

And there have been other, more significant, changes since 1992.
When I started writing my column marsh harriers and avocets were still rare birds in this area while Leighton Moss's bittern population was one of the most important in the country.

The marsh harriers and avocets have established significant breeding populations and have prospered well but the the bittern's fortune has been less positive locally, although it is doing well in the south of the country.

Grey partridge, yellowhammers, lesser-spotted woodpeckers and corn buntings could still be found with relative ease in the local area back in the 90s, but declines in their numbers means that this is sadly no longer the case.

You may well be wondering why I'm reminiscing so much this month?
Well, there are two reasons. One, the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society celebrates its 50th anniversary this autumn and the significant changes that have taken place in the half-century since its founding acted as a catalyst for my own rose-tinted recollections.

Keep an eye out for a number of events to celebrate this occasion in the press and online at the society's website at www.lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk

Secondly, and far less significantly, this will be my last ever Birdwatch column.

For too long I have been ignoring the call of the wild and my wife Jenny and I have decided to head west to Canada's Pacific coast, where the bald eagles, rufous hummingbirds and harlequin ducks will replace the familiar birds of north west England.

I can safely say that I will miss my daily ambles down the prom and Jetty and my regular birding sorties on the Lune estuary at Aldcliffe.

But the very thought of finding a new local patch and keeping note of the birdlife and the changes through the seasons fills me with real excitement.

Good news for Visitor readers though is that Birdwatch articles will continue to appear in these pages, kindly contributed by local expert Pete Marsh.

Pete will keep local wildlife enthusiasts up to date with all the area's news, sightings and tips. Keep an eye out for Pete's new column starting next month.

In the meantime, thanks for reading and for providing me with local bird sightings over the years.