Who are we?

Chris Sharpe ringing a Chough

Chris Sharpe

Chris was born and raised on the Isle of Man and has had an interest in birds since childhood.   

After completing his secondary education, and following a brief period of employment in a local Advocates office, Chris joined the civil Service in late 1978. He remained within the Service until April 1999, holding a number of positions, most notably: Finance Officer for the Department of Local Government and the Environment, five years with the Office of the Chief Minister, finishing his Civil Service career with five years as Administrator for the Department of Home Affairs.   

Throughout that period his love of birdlife remained and, in late 1997, together with others, he formed the local charity Manx Bird Atlas (later to be re-named Manx BirdLife), resigning from the Civil Service in April 1999 to work for the charity full-time.   

In the time since, he has worked to produce the publication ‘Manx Bird Atlas‘ which gives a comprehensive account of the 150 species of bird that breed and or winter on the Island, including details of the distribution and abundance of each. In addition he has promoted the work of the charity and established it as one of the leading conservation and research bodies on the Island. Always looking for new challenges, Chris has recently taken on board a new piece of work for the charity, that of filming and producing a wildlife documentary, showcasing the beauty and diversity of the Island’s natural history.   

In addition to his work Chris enjoys fishing, kayaking and diving and has travelled extensively, including a number of visits to Uganda and South Africa to assist in monitoring migratory birds.

Claire Barnett

Claire joined Manx Birdlife in August 2011 on an 8 month secondment from RSPB Northern Ireland. Claire has been working with RSPB in Northern Ireland for over five years where she has been working as a Farmland Bird Project Officer.

Claire was brought up on a dairy farm in County Tyrone where her love of the countryside began. She left to study for her BSc Honours degree in World Agriculture at the University of Wales, Bangor, where later she completed a Masters in World Animal Production. The hills and valleys of Snowdonia National Park proved the perfect surroundings to nurture her love of wildlife.

After University she worked for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) in NI as an Animal Welfare Officer and left in January 2006 to take up the post as Yellowhammer Recovery Officer with RSPB in Belfast. Over the next five years Claire worked advising arable farmers in County Down who were in DARD’s agri-environment scheme, the NI Countryside Management Scheme. She advised them to take up specific arable options such as wild bird cover (providing a much needed winter seed source) which would benefit Yellowhammer and a suite of other seed eaters. She has also worked with other declining countryside bird species such as Barn Owl and breeding waders such as Curlew and Lapwing.

Conservation is as the very heart of Claire’s work ethic and she hopes that during her time at Manx BirdLife, she will be able to influence and assist with conservation matters on the Island. She believes that the Isle of Man is a very special place and its unique wildlife and landscape needs to be protected and enhanced.

RSPB and Manx BirdLife’s joint vision for the island is for a healthy countryside, rich in wildlife that sustainably produces food and supports rural communities.

Trish Wilson

Trish Wilson - office volunteer with Manx BirdLife

Trish was born in the north of the Island at Glascoe Road, Ballacorey, an area where her Mother’s family had lived for generations. Her father had been stationed at Jurby with the RAF and when he was discharged the family moved to the outskirts of London. Trish also lived in Plymouth and the Isle of Wight before settling in the New Forest area. Whilst living in the south of England, Trish had trained as a Psychiatric Nurse and had worked in the Salisbury area. On her return to the Island in the late nineties she took up a position with the Community Mental Health Team from which she retired last year. She is married to Dave who is Senior Services Manager for the Red Cross on the Island. She has two grown up children who still live in the New Forest area and four grandchildren.

Her favourite occupation is walking her three dogs on the beaches of the North of the Island. She also enjoys gardening and has a small wildlife pond in the garden. She misses the Koi carp that they used to keep when they lived in the New Forest, but too many Herring Gulls and a visiting Heron, not to mention a pair of Mallards who frequent her garden pond have put her off trying to keep Koi in Ramsey. In spite of that her favourite birds remain the sea birds and she loves to see the Gannets diving in Ramsey Bay. She is an enthusiastic birdwatcher and is currently volunteering a few hours each week at Manx BirdLife to help with the office administration.

Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick - just emerged from a reed bed in the north of the Island

Mark helps Manx BirdLife by looking after its website and e-mail list. He has been a regular visitor to the Isle of Man since his first visit in 1972 on a YOC/YHA birdwatching course run by Gordon Craine. From 1973 to 1976 he stayed on the Calf of Man during school summer holidays, including two summers as a temporary second Assistant Warden while Malcolm Wroight and then Bob Haycock were the Wardens. In 1978 he started ringing on the main Island, mainly in the north. Though he lives in Bedfordshire, the Isle of Man is very much ‘home from home’ and visits to the Island are a highlight of his year.

Carly Peggie