直井宏は、昭和13年（1938年）に千葉県松戸市小金で生まれ、谷津田と里山を遊び場として育ちました。野山を駆け回っているうちにいつも目にする野鳥に興味をもつようになり、小学校高学年になるころには殆どの鳥の地鳴きとさえずりを判別できるようになっていたそうです。
Naoi Hiroshi was born in Kogane, Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture in 1938, and grew up playing in the undeveloped woodlands and rice fields in the valley. He became interested in the wild birds he saw quite often as he ran around the fields and mountains. By the time he was in the upper grades of elementary school, he was able to distinguish the call and song of most birds.
写真を撮り始めたのは高校を卒業した頃です。社会人になってからも天気の良い週末には里山歩きと野鳥観察を続け、家族や地元の風景、野鳥、飛行機など様々なものを被写体とした写真撮影も楽しんでいました。
Hiroshi started taking photographs after graduating from high school. After he started working, he continued to take walks and birdwatching in the countryside on sunny weekends, and he also enjoyed taking pictures of his family, local landscapes, wild birds, airplanes and many other things.
定年退職後の平成16年（2004年）から平成31年（2019年）までの15年間は、松戸市内の21世紀の森と広場で野鳥担当の自然解説員を務めました。「野鳥は幼なじみのような存在」と言っていた宏は、野鳥の魅力と彼らが安心して暮らせる場所・営巣できる環境を守っていくことの大切さを伝える仕事にとてもやりがいを感じていたようです。
After retiring, for 15 years from 2004 to 2019, Hiroshi worked part-time as a nature guide at the Forest and Park for the 21st Century in Matsudo City. Hiroshi, who said “wild birds are like childhood friends to me,” found it very rewarding to work on conveying the charm of wild birds and the importance of protecting the environment in which they can live and nest in peace.
暇さえあれば野山や水辺に野鳥の観察・調査に出かけ、ウォーキングやジョギングも欠かさず、すこぶるエネルギッシュに活動していたのですが、令和2年（2020年）3月に病気のため（膨大な量の写真を整理しないまま！）この世を去りました。
Hiroshi spent much of his spare time in the fields and waterside observing and studying wild birds. He also went walking and jogging almost every day. He was extremely energetic, but he passed away due to illness in March 2020 (without sorting through the huge amount of photos!)
