About Us

1951 – Born in the fishing port of Grimsby to a sea-faring family; in this post war, industrial landscape, a little boy named Kevin was instinctively fascinated by all things living and wild, constantly bringing home a menagerie of little beasties.

1961 – Aged 10, Kevin joined a local birding group call the Avocets, run by local man Collie. The group had a base on the Earl of Yarborough’s estate and Collie would take them on birding trips to Scotland and Norfolk.

1965 – On one of those early trips to Norfolk, Kevin met a bird artist named Richard (R.A.) Richardson. Richard roamed the marshes of Norfolk looking for unusual bird species and had acquired something of a following of birders, as they knew that if Richard was there they would see something good. Richard made a huge impression on the young Kevin, who despite being shy, seemed to have also made an impression on Richard.

1967 – At 16, Kevin left home and hitch hiked to Norfolk where he sought out his old friend Richard. Richard asked Kevin if he would like a job on the birding mecca island of Fairisle, in the far north of Scotland.

1968 – ‘Borrowing’ a pair of waders from his brother, Kevin hitched his way to Aberdeen with a handful of clothes and no money. After spending a restless night in a shelter with a tramp and despite being warned that the ferry most likely wouldn’t make it through the weather, he waited patiently for the Good Shepherd to arrive to take him across from the mainland to the island. Arrive it did, and the ship battled back to the island with Kevin clinging to the mast and melting the toggles on his parka. In Fairisle, Kevin became the Assistant Warden to Roy Dennis MBE, the warden at the time and . Despite some of the tasks that Kevin was expected to fulfil, he describes his time on Fairisle as ‘…the best time of my life.’. His days were spent ringing Puffins and catching Storm Petrels, recording rarities. Swinging from the end of a rope that occasionally no one was holding on to, Kevin recorded nesting seabirds and checked bird traps daily. To this day, we’re pretty sure that Kevin can give a blow by blow account of every hour he spent on Fairisle.

1970 – A sweet, wide-eyed young lady named Pat met a quietly mysterious, “long-haired and handsome” young bird whisperer, fresh from the rugged isles of Scotland.

1980 – The now married Kevin, together with his beautiful wife Pat, purchased Wold Farm and brought their three children to live in the quiet village of Nettleton, Lincolnshire. Kevin saw the potential for nature to flourish once more on the farmland.

1994 – Kevin seized an opportunity to approach the neighbouring landowner with an offer to purchase the unfarmed hillside adjacent to Wold Farm. Kevin’s vision was to re-wild the property and create a haven for wildlife, in particular his beloved birds. With the help of his friend Alan, together they began to transform the steep-sloped clay field in to a wildlife habitat, planting by hand thousands of native trees, reintroducing indigenous plants that now flourish and attract myriad bees, butterflies, moths and other insects.

Kevin and Pat have so far identified over 70 different breeding bird species. Stoats, weasels, rabbits, hares, foxes, deer and badgers all share this magical little piece of the Lincolnshire Wolds.