Chris Redfern is currently Emeritus Professor at Newcastle University and a Trustee of the Natural History Society of Northumbria. A bird ringer for over 40 years, he has been studying seabirds on the Farnes and Coquet Island for over 20 years in his spare time. As a result of recently discarding (most of) his previous roles in research and teaching, he is now focussing his time and energy on ornithological studies.