Crossbill Guide : Canary Islands - I : Lanzarote and Fuerteventura – Spain

The first thing to point out is that this is not an identification guide – it does list the wildflowers, birds and other wildlife that occurs on the islands and gives very up-to-date locations and very accurate directions to get you to what you are looking for.  I found the guide’s mix of history, culture and wildlife refreshing, and making my walks on a family holiday this February much more interesting.  There are lots of excellent photographs throughout that show some of the more interesting features and wildlife but you will need additional guides to help with identification as they only cover a few species.

The strength of the book comes in the routes section, where the authors provide ‘guided’ walks to take in target species.  Houbara Bustard was at the top of my wish list and so I undertook route three – the one that would give me the best chance of seeing this amazing bird. The directions were clear, easy to follow and very accurate and pretty much guided me directly onto my first bird, even giving me tips of how to search it out – all-in-all a huge success. If you are planning a visit to either of these islands, don’t go without this guide.

Book reviewed by Paul Stancliffe