If it’s got feathers, a beak and can take to the sky, he’s probably seen it.
And now Sheringham’s Moss Taylor has published a book summing up the highlights and everyday moments of seven decades of birdwatching.

Eastern Daily Press: Moss Taylor, right, and Bill Oddie at a bird fair at Rutland Water in 1986.Moss Taylor, right, and Bill Oddie at a bird fair at Rutland Water in 1986. (Image: Moss Taylor)
My Birding Life is the 10th book by Mr Taylor, 77, who said he has seen more than 3,500 species of birds through a lifelong passion that has taken him to over 50 countries.
Mr Taylor said: “I’ve done a lot of writing in the past and not always about birds, but I thought it was time to get everything down. This book contains a lot of material that’s been published in various journals in England and other countries, and there are 154 photographs and illustrations.”

Eastern Daily Press: The Australian superb fairy wren also features in the pages of Moss Taylor's My Birding Life.The Australian superb fairy wren also features in the pages of Moss Taylor's My Birding Life. (Image: Moss Taylor)
Mr Taylor, a retired GP, said the types and number of birds had changed over the years, and the hobby of birdwatching itself had also developed.
He said: “There have been declines as well as increases in some species of birds, but mainly declines, sadly.
“When I started in the 1950s birdwatchers were looked upon as kind of weird, with our anoraks. But now there are so many people interested in it and there is so much bird food being put out in gardens.

Eastern Daily Press: One of the birds featured in Moss Taylor's My Birding Life is the white-throated hummingbird, seen in Uruguay.One of the birds featured in Moss Taylor's My Birding Life is the white-throated hummingbird, seen in Uruguay. (Image: Moss Taylor)
“When I first came to Cley in the early 1960s, if an unusual bird turned up you’d get perhaps 10-12 people coming along to see it. Now if a rare bird turns up you get 1,000 people. Communications have changed a lot and people can get notified by pager or on the internet.
“But there’s a lot less of going out and finding your own birds, which to me is the essence of birding and that’s what I enjoy.”

Eastern Daily Press: The black redstart also features in the pages of Moss Taylor's My Birding Life. This one was seen in Sheringham.The black redstart also features in the pages of Moss Taylor's My Birding Life. This one was seen in Sheringham. (Image: Moss Taylor)
Mr Taylor said his favourite bird was the great skua, also called a bonxie, a sea bird which takes fish from the surface of the water - or from other birds.
He said: “It chases other birds and makes them disgorge their food. They’re absolutely stunning. I’ve seen them up on the breeding grounds in Scotland and you also get them passing off the north Norfolk coast. It’s majestic.”
In the book, Mr Taylor also talks about his days lecturing about birds on cruise ships in seas off South America and the Bay of Biscay.

Eastern Daily Press: A woodcock in the snow, which Moss Taylor photographed in his garden in Sheringham.A woodcock in the snow, which Moss Taylor photographed in his garden in Sheringham. (Image: Moss Taylor)
Proceeds from My Birding Life are going to Love for Leo, a charity Mr Taylor and his partner, Robina Churchyard, set up six years ago to help children in Norfolk and Suffolk with cerebral palsy. Named after their grandson, they have so far raised over £35,000 and given grants of almost £30,000 to 35 children who needed equipment or treatment that was not otherwise available under the NHS.
To order a copy, call 01263 823637 or email moss.taylor@btinternet.com. Copies can be picked up from Sheringham for £18 or posted out for £20.

Eastern Daily Press: A make firecrest bird at Weybourne Camp.A make firecrest bird at Weybourne Camp. (Image: Moss Taylor)

Eastern Daily Press: The front cover of Moss Taylor's new book, My Birding Life.The front cover of Moss Taylor's new book, My Birding Life. (Image: Moss Taylor)