2010 was a brilliant year

This year has been amazing for me and collecting my bones. It's probably been one of the best years of my life so far.



• The best bits of 2010

The best bit of 2010 was when I was famous for a week in the summer. I was in four newspapers, on the radio and on TV talking about collecting bones. That was amazing.

Being a bit famous meant I got to do stuff like go behind the scenes at Perth Museum, which was brilliant.

My fallow deer skull was the best thing I collected this year, especially as I rotted it down myself. That skull is in my bedroom now.

Another great new skull I found was the two cat skulls I found in April while exploring a new wood.

I saw lots of birds this year, including lots on my bird table during the winter, and it was great to find red kites living in one of the woods I go to.

Another wild bird I found was a buzzard which was ill, and which I brought back for the SSPCA to help.

• People I want to say thank you to

Tons of people helped me this year, or left comments on my website, or sent me emails. Thank you to everyone !

Here are some special thanks:

George the journalist who wrote the story which the newspapers ran about me.

Mitch the gamekeeper who gave me the fallow deer skull, a dead fox and a dead grey squirrel.

Fred MacAulay had me on his radio show which was really nice.

Michael Fox is a brilliant bone collector who helped me loads and who has an amazing collection.

Catherine Smith, Mark Simmons and Linda Allan at Perth Museum were really nice and helpful, especially Catherine who knows tons.

Mike McDonnell who is the head ranger at the Argaty Red Kite Project, which is totally brilliant and you have to go and see.

Cromers for the frog.

Paolo for his brilliant blog which I read almost every week. I've even got three or four right !

The SSPCA for helping the ill buzzard.

Bob Erlam for sending me a cat skull and a newt skull through the post after reading about me in the newspaper.

Everyone who has emailed me or left comments. I've had emails from the USA, Canada, Scotland, England, Wales, France, Hungary, India, Australia - and lots of other countries too !

• Who has visited my website ?

Since November 2009, people from 96 97 countries (someone from Georgia visited just a few hours before midnight !) have visited my website, including 4,500 from the USA, and 3,200 from the UK. I've had 70 comments on my website, and about the same number of emails, which is amazing.

• Did I find all the bones I wanted ?

Last year, here are the bones I said I wanted:

• An owl skull. which I got by swapping with Michael Fox


• A complete sheep skull. which I found in November


• A cow skull. I didn't get this, but I think I know how to


• A red deer skull with more than 8 points. I got a seven-pointer, and a fallow deer skull, but not an eight-pointer


• A badger skull. another one I got by swapping with Michael

• The bones I want to find in 2011

In 2011, I want to find these bones:

• A pig skull.


• A cow skull. I think I can get a pig head and a cow head from an abattoir, then rot them down


• A skull from an animal that comes from a different country


• A red deer skull with more than 8 points. (still!)


• A complete roe buck skull. with proper, full grown antlers and lower jaws. I still don't have one.

I hope you have a happy 2011 !

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