The Birds of Nottinghamshire

It is 44 years since the last review of the county’s birds and much has changed since then.  I’m not sure back then anyone would have predicted Little Egret breeding in the county.

The book follows a tried and tested format, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the introduction to the birds of Nottinghamshire; I grew up in the county and cut my birding teeth at Attenborough and thought that I had a reasonable handle on the history of the birds and birdwatchers in the county, but there is clearly a lot more to learn. I love the account of the finding of a Pallas’s Sandgrouse by Joseph Whitaker on 14 June 1888 and the photograph of the Trent Valley Bird Watchers outdoor meeting from 8 June 1937 – you don’t see many bow ties being sported by bird watchers these days.

The thorough history section is followed by an equally thorough exploration of the county’s climate and habitats. I had always thought that being a landlocked county might offer Nottinghamshire shelter from the worst the weather might throw at the UK but I hadn’t realised that gale-force winds are only recorded on average around two days per year.

The species accounts follow and every species encountered in the county up to 2018 is included, with each species either accompanied by some superb artwork from Michael Warren or by a photograph of the species taken in the county, or more often than not, by both.

Within this section are finders’ accounts of some of the rare birds that have been seen in the county that are published for the first time. It is these that I found most fascinating as they put you in the shoes of the finder and allow an insight into the thrill of finding your own rarity. It has to be said that rarities were just that in my time in the county, but I was lucky enough to see the 1976 Little Crake at Attenborough, and of course this book is thoroughly researched so it is included here. As I would expect from the authors involved.

The Birds of Nottinghamshire is a weighty tome that runs to 606 pages, a result of the incredible amount of information it carries, both informative and entertaining in equal measure. You can’t have an interest in the birds of Nottinghamshire and not own this book.

Book reviewed by Paul Stancliffe