While I held many delightful conversations at the recently concluded Birdfair with friends both old and new, one person I kept repeatedly missing was Mark Avery. Oh I had sightings – coming upon Mark and his friends from Birders Against Wildlife Crime as I was exiting the Authors’ Forum following the conclusion of Tessa Boase’s brilliant presentation of her new Mrs. Pankhurst’s Purple Feather, stumbling upon him meeting with a table-full of fellows outside the Celestron stand. Unfortunately, each time our paths crossed, one or the other of us lacked the available time for a nice cuppa and a sit-down.