Birds of Lincolnshire

The last comprehensive review of Lincolnshire’s birds was completed more than three decades ago, so this book will undoubtably serve as a timely and eagerly awaited update. Produced on behalf of Lincolnshire Bird Club, this book aims to document the status of every bird species that has occurred in the county and report on the changes concerning their population and distribution since the last publication. By this virtue it also serves to showcase Lincolnshire’s birdlife and habitats to anyone unfamiliar with the county, so I thought it was perhaps a missed opportunity not to use a more representative and relevant species for the front cover instead of using artwork, superb as it is, depicting an historic occurrence of vagrant Pallas’s Sandgrouse. As you would expect, the main content concentrates on the population trends and change status of for each species - supported by distribution maps, tables and trend graphs where applicable. Key contextual information is also provided using Breeding Bird Survey population index comparisons with the East Midlands and England.

A considerable amount has been packed into each page, resulting in the text appearing condensed and not the most comfortable to read at first glance. However, the quality and consistency of the respective images is overall exceptional and shows how far bird photography has progressed in the last few decades. It is a pity the majority of the photos were not credited, although the authors do acknowledge this at the start. I thought it was a clever addition to include images of key birding sites and landscapes characteristic of Lincolnshire. This gives context to the subject matter and helps pull it away from functioning merely as reference tool. This is the type of publication you use to look up one species account and end reading a dozen more in the process – an indication of its significant value as a source for information. Aside from the minor editorial and formatting criticisms, this book is once again a fine example of the immeasurable work of bird recorders, reflected up and down the country, and a celebration of their combined efforts. To compile and report these records is an enormous undertaking, and the authors should be proud of this remarkable achievement. An essential book even if you have just a passing interest in Lincolnshire birdlife.

Book reviewed by David Norfolk