Profile of a Naturalist Geoffrey Arthur Pyman MBE (1920-1999) 17
Post-War Mover and Shaker
Fired with enthusiasm for birds, on his return from the War, Geoff's activities rested largely in that
field. But he never took a narrow, blinkered view, and always considered himself a naturalist rather
than just a birdwatcher. In 1949, following a suggestion from Albelt Holman, the Essex Bird Watching
and Preservation Society (now Essex Birdwatching Society) was formed, with Geoff taking on the
role of General Secretary until 1956. He acted as editor of the Essex Bird Report from 1949 to 1970,
and was also County Recorder for the first seven years; subsequently he took on a number of other
positions until, deservedly, he became President from 1991 until his death. He played an important
part in all three recent county avifaunas - as co-author with Robert Hudson of A Guide to the Birds
of Essex (1968), a major contributor (including a chapter on the broad features and habitats of the
county) to A New Guide to the Birds of Essex by Simon Cox (1984), and an enthusiastic advisor to
Simon Wood in the preparation of the forthcoming guide. But Geoff never lost sight of the birds
themselves - he was an active participant, for example, in counts at Hanningfield Reservoir (about
which he contributed a useful paper to the 1955 Essex Bird Report on the changes in bird populations
following completion of the reservoir), the Blackwater Estuary and East Tilbury.
His local activities did not go unnoticed in a wider sphere. Geoff was elected as the first General
Secretary of the British Birds Rarities Committee in 1959, and served on that body until 1970,
testament to his field identification abilities and meticulous organisational skills. In addition to
compiling the first three reports of the BBRC, he also found time to publish important, erudite
papers, including 'The status of the Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) in the British Isles" (British
Birds 52: 42-56). Forty years on that paper is still referred to today.
Reflecting the breadth of his interests, Geoff was also a staunch supporter of the Essex Field Club,
even through the post-war doldrum years, when for a period even the Essex Naturalist ceased to
exist as an annual transactions. He was co-author in 1985 with Maitland Emmet of The Larger
Moths and Butterflies of Essex (Essex Naturalist (N.S.) 8), the successor volume to A guide to the
Butterflies and Larger Moths of Essex, published by the Essex Naturalists' Trust in 1975. Geoff was
a leading member of the Panel which produced the earlier volume: the Essex Lepidoptera Panel has
remained in existence since that time providing a valuable service to the conservation community of
Essex. More often than not, meetings of the Panel benefited from Geoff and Eileen's hospitality. The
role of County Recorder for macro-moths passed in 1985 from Geoff to Brian Goodey, who has
always valued his support. In the Essex Moth Group Newsletter 15, Brian recounts a typical tale of
Geoff's determined approach to meticulous recording: in 1992, he noted an unfamiliar micro-moth
in Thrift Wood, which neither Geoff nor Brian (from the description) could place. Similarly in 1993,
when even a rapid sketch could not help. Then in 1995, same place and same time, it appeared again;
Geoff's careful sketch and detailed description enabled its identification as Esperia olivella, a notable
record for the county. Only someone with Geoff's persistence and determination could have tracked
it down over a period of three years.
And so too did botanical recording benefit from Geoff's activities. The BSBI and EFC' County
Recorder Ken Adams maintains that his single most regular correspondent over the years was Geoff,
and his annual summaries were unfailingly accurate and interesting. The relatively infrequent
appearance of the initials GAP in the Flora of Essex (Jermyn 1974) surely owes more to his modesty
than the number of records he supplied - certainly his favoured Danbury Ridge haunts are well-
represented.
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)