Raptors in Focus

A foray into the literature dealing with identification of European raptors will inevitably lead to one or more of Dick Forsman’s books. These are currently among the very best of the books that aim to help readers to resolve the questions and conundrums that often attend this topic. Many of the images in Forsman’s books are the author’s own, and demonstrate that he has the skill, patience and equipment necessary to take outstanding raptor photos, as well as the knowledge needed to guide readers through the many subtle features that can help to distinguish species in this difficult group, and an unwavering passion for his subject.

This newest of Forsman’s books also draws on all of these attributes, but has a decidedly different aim. Earlier book[CS1] s such as Flight Identification of Raptors of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East aim for (and achieve) technical precision in their words and pictures. Raptors in Focus, on the other hand, is a showcase both for Forsman’s impressive portfolio and the birds that are its subject. In selecting the images for the book, the author has attempted to give readers a feel for what draws him to raptors and to the places they live in, and to share some of the delight he derives from watching birds of prey.

The backbone of the book comprises a sequence of chapters focussing on particular regions with which Forsman is most familiar. That Britain and Ireland do not feature among these should not deter readers from this corner of Europe, as it means that many of the raptor species glimpsed through Forsman’s lens are likely to be new to them or, at least, pictured in relatively novel surrounds.

The images I found most appealing and evocative were portraits that set raptors firmly into the context of the landscapes they inhabit. These include a Griffon Vulture surrounded by stark white sand that seems to radiate with dry heat; a soaring Lammergeier, Europe’s largest raptor, dwarfed against a vast slab of rock; and an Osprey carrying fish, photographed against an incongruously industrial backdrop of ships and buildings in an eastern European harbour. In common with many of the other images in the book, these photos combine beauty of subject with faultless composition and a strong sense of place or story.

A nice extra touch, for those interested in honing their own raptor photography skills, is the fact that every image in the book is replicated as a ‘thumbnail’ miniature in the last few pages, below which Forsman gives the details of the photographic settings used to capture the image.

Book reviewed by Mark Wilson