Derek Scott, 27 June 1944 – 22 November 2022

January 7, 2023

by Mark Beaman

It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Derek Scott on 22 November 2022.

Derek was a highly-regarded Birdquest leader for many years until he had to give up owing to increasing medical issues, guiding numerous tours in six continents.

Derek was brought up in Bradford, Yorkshire, and first became interested in birds in that famous county. Long before he started leading for Birdquest, Derek was the chief ornithological science officer for the government of Iran, back in the days of the late Shah of Iran. He used to style himself ‘Birder to the Shah’. He travelled to every part of that wonderful country, before the new religious regime changed everything, and wrote numerous papers and articles and even a respected book on the birds of Iran. After that, he was involved in wetland and waterfowl studies and censuses for the IWRB, IUCN and other conservation bodies. He even set up a new world record for seeing all the bird families of the world in under a year.

Derek had a lovely sense of humour but was always a determined leader who wanted the best results for his groups. We will greatly miss that cheeky smile of his and that acerbic wit.

Derek was cremated in December wearing the very same Birdquest Wallcreeper sweatshirt he is wearing in the image. May you travel in peace Derek and see many more ‘lifers’ in paradise.