THE 47-year-old man found dead in the Menai Strait was last night described as a "gentle and knowledgeable" birdlover.. Marc Llewelyn Jones' passion for birds often landed him in court although he was never convicted. He was due to appear before magistrates again next week after being charged with harassment and common assault. It followed an incident at an osprey breeding site near Porthmadog. Mr Jones, a translator of Tan y Foel, Bethesda, claimed he was trying to expose security lapses through a commando-style reconnaissance in the middle of the night. "I'm obsessed with birds - and with stopping egg collectors," he said at the time. Last night his solicitor Elen Parr, said: "I'm extremely sad and very distressed. "Marc was a knowledgeable, gentle and interesting man. He knew everything there was to know about birds." An RSPB spokesman said yesterday: "We are shocked and saddened. It's very unfortunate." | 
