Current book reviews

At first glance this book looks like any ordinary book about birding. However upon closer inspection the author has managed to portray his enthusiasm and personality through his choice of words. This in some cases can even come across as humorous.

The locations are packed full of information including the star species for the site, the author’s past experiences with the sites and also information on the notable birds that have in the past been present, in order to spur some interest in these areas especially in migration.

This book, which contains a selection of the winning, commended and shortlisted photographs from the Bird Photographer of The Year’s third annual competition is an absolute delight. It is a work of art both in its production and its content. Working your way through from the brilliantly original abstract shot of a Razorbill to the close-up shot of a Water Rail at the very end of the book you cannot help but be astonished and impressed with the sheer technical skill, imagination and artistic vision of the photographers.

The phrase 'patch recording' was probably first coined by the doyen of British birders, Ian Wallace, who, for most weeks over the past 60 years, has religiously recorded the birds seen in one defined area (patch) close to his home. This type of recording is regarded by many to be the ‘purest’ kind of birding there is because the activity engenders a greater understanding of the daily, monthly and seasonal rhythms of life.

What do Curlews need? Given that the Britain and Ireland breeding population has declined by 50% in the last 20 years, and we hold a significant proportion of the Eurasian wintering population, they need an advocate who understands evidence and communication. Mary Colwell, and her book Curlew Moon, fits the bill perfectly. What this story also tells us is that for the diversity of locations where Curlews live in summer and in winter in our islands, there are people whose soul is stirred by Curlews, and who are now working to look after these precious birds.

Michael Brooke’s Far From Land; the Mysterious Lives of Seabirds takes the reader on a magical tour of every ocean and some of the remotest locations on the planet through the lives of seabirds. Michael Brooke’s passion for seabirds shines through from every page of this book. As a seabird biologist, he has spent his career studying this enigmatic group of birds.

After enjoying Tim Birkhead’s previous book Bird Sense, I had high expectations for The Wonderful Mr Willughby and I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed the exploration into the life of Francis Willughby, born in 1635. I hadn’t heard of him before reading this book, and I am glad that I took the time to learn more about him. His work ethic and thirst for knowledge is inspirational and it reminded me to keep asking questions and to continue to embrace scientific curiosity.

This book by Robert Gillmor covers his recent work from commissioned prints to original works. With a lot of the prints being inspired by Norfolk, he re-emphasises his love for the county and sets out to give some background to each image’s root and creative process.