However, Richard Baine’s extraordinarily lovely memoir of sorts, while still being very much a first-hand account, is a different kind of beast altogether. And to my mind, all the better for it.

Comprised of snippets from a daily log, compiled over a 10-year period, Baines shares the enviable experience of living at the East Yorkshire honeypot that is Flamborough Head. This book is so much more than a list of amazing birds (though they do appear a fair bit!) but also a reminder of why so many of us love birds and birding. 

Instrumental in improving large areas of diverse habitat through working with local landowners and farmers, Baines has helped, in no small way, to sculpt and shape the nature-friendly bird-magnet that we know today. But at the heart of the book is the garden of its title. Over his decade in residence, Richard created a veritable cliff-top sanctuary for weary migrants, and indeed mouth-watering vagrants, in his modest garden. There’s also a shed which features rather a lot, as it provides a handy shelter from which to ‘scope the nearby golf course and other top spots. One day I would like to think that this shed will have its own blue plaque.

Along with the red-carpet line-up of birds, the garden is also home to a well-employed moth trap, and Baines’s obvious glee at checking this daily makes for irresistible reading. Along with regional rarities, the trap’s more familiar lodgers simply provide the author with an almost childlike joy, best summarised by his own words: “It’s such a thrill to stop for a moment and marvel at the diversity in nature, the ultimate drug.”

And so the narrative runs: exciting sightings backed by weather synopsis; discoveries made by endless enquiry and enthusiasm; collaborative effort shared with local and visiting birders and ringers; all suffused with Richard’s inexhaustible passion and awe.

Describing his love of birding by ear, Baines writes, “My ears are on stalks – 100% concentration. Nothing else matters in those moments, it’s a fabulous and vital feeling.”

We may not all have the opportunity to live on a famous coastal headland, or create such a nature-generating backyard, but we can all share the sheer elation experienced by Baines each time some thrilling sighting, discovery or indeed new question presents itself.

This is a beautifully produced book, filled with stunning photographs and maps and enhanced by Ben Green’s evocative watercolour illustrations. Ultimately, it’s a memoir that isn’t so much about the author, or even the place, but the very wonder and pleasure of being truly invested in nature.

Reviewed by

Jon Carter