Book description
Birdwatchers' Year is, in essence, six 'years' of bird activity and
behaviour as recorded, month by month, by six experienced bird watchers
and ornithologists. The result is a fascinating compilation of fact,
anecdote and general observation as seen and noted by the authors, that
will appeal to birdwatchers at all levels of expertise. The habitats
(Brent Reservoir in NW London, a Kentish woodland, the Ouse Washes in
Cambridgeshire, farmland in Derbyshire, a mountain region of SW
Scotland, and an island, the Calf of Man) encompass a wide and varied
range of breeding, resident and passage birds, but the authors'
observations are not confined to bird life alone - there are comments
and 'asides' on many aspects of natural history and wildlife, weather
and seasons, conservation and ecology. Each author has brought an
individual approach to his 'diary' with the result that they are
entertainingly diverse in style, content and viewpoint. The common
factor throughout is an affectionate regard for the subject, an intimate
knowledge of the habitat, and an evident understanding and knowledge of
the birds and their environment. The diarists are: Leo Batten, Research
Officer at the British Trust for Ornithology; Dr Jim Flegg, Director of
the BTO; Jeremy Sorensen, RSPB Warden of the Ouse Washes; Donald Watson,
bird artist and past-President of the Scottish Ornithologists' Club;
Mike J. Wareing, farmer; Malcolm Wright, Warden of the Calf of Man Bird
Observatory. The diaries are illustrated with line drawings by Ian
Willis, except for that of Donald Watson, which is illustrated by its
author. The bookjacket illustrations are by Ian Willis.
