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RSPB British Birdfinder (RSPB)
by Marianne TaylorMost bird books are designed to help you identify the birds that you've seen. This book is different. It is a species-by-species guide that shows you how to find and watch more than 250 species of birds that can be seen in Britain. Some are common; others are rare migrants or scarce breeding birds, but this book will tell you the best places to see and watch all of them. Readers will be able to see their most coveted species but also enjoy rewarding watching experiences that will enhance their understanding of the species, of bird behaviour and of key fieldcraft techniques.Sections include:- How to find including the best time of day, how to search the habitat and behavioural signs - Watching tips including ways to get close to the bird without disturbing it and how to attract it to your garden. - Super sites includes a short list of some of the best places to see the species.
RSPB Migration Hotspots: The World's Best Bird Migration Sites (RSPB)
by Tim HarrisEach spring and autumn hundreds of millions of birds - wildfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and passerines - migrate between higher and lower latitudes, or in some cases between high latitudes in the northern hemisphere and high latitudes in the southern hemisphere. In a handful of places around the world, a combination of geography, topography and climate combine to funnel migrant birds into narrow fronts, leading to migration hotspots, places where, for a few days each year, birds seem to be everywhere. The sight of thousands upon thousands of birds is one of nature's greatest wildlife spectacles.Migration Hotspots takes a look at 30 of the locations where the planet's most dramatic bird migration can be witnessed, from raptor bottlenecks such as Veracruz (Mexico) and the Strait of Messina (Italy) to places like Point Pelée (Canada) and Beidaihe (China) where spectacular falls of songbirds can take place. And from wetlands where huge numbers of waders stop over each spring and autumn to the great rarity islands of Scilly and Heligoland.The book covers each of the world's major avian flyways and features stunning photography throughout. The geographical reasons for the importance of each hotspot are explained, with a summary of the different birds that pass through and the best times of year to see them, and an introductory chapter summarises birds' migration strategies.
RSPB Nature Tracker's Handbook (RSPB)
by Nick BakerEvery animal leaves some kind of trace as it passes and the art of tracking is very much like learning to read. If you learn to read the signs left by footprints, leftover food, droppings and scrapes in the earth you will soon be able to tell the story of an animal's life, packed with fascinating details and hidden meanings This new book shows readers how to find and interpret the evidence that animals leave behind, from a footprint, a bent blade of grass, a soil disturbance or a chewed nut or leaf. Combined with other signs, tracks and trails they will soon be able to build a profile of a huge range of creatures. Readers will not only learn the difference between a poo and a pellet; but will be able to spot the differences between pellets regurgitated by a variety of bird species.Written by popular nature presenter, Nick Baker, and beautifully designed and illustrated, the book is a brand new approach to the curious science of nature tracking.
RSPB Guide to Digital Wildlife Photography (RSPB)
by David TiplingThis helpful and practical RSPB guide to all aspectsof digital wildlife photography is an updated version of our first edition. It is accessibly written by and beautifullyillustrated with the work of one of Britain's best known wildlifephotographers. The book's elegant design makes the most of the author'sincredible photos and informative text. The book discusses all aspects of digital wildlifephotography, from equipment, fieldcraft, locations and composition,post-processing and computer manipulation of images, through to getting yourphotos published. This is the ultimate referencebook for all aspiring and established natural history photographers, and willequip its readers with everything they need to know to help them take betterdigital wildlife photographs.Praise for the first edition:'A helpful and practical RSPB guide to all aspects of digital wildlife photography, accessibly written and beautifully illustrated with the work of one of Britain's best-known wildlife photographers.' Publishing News'For anyone new to digital photography, or wanting to judge their existing work against a professional standard, the technical content alone makes this book a square meal.' BBC Wildlife'A comprehensive and brilliantly illustrated guide to the pleasures and mysteries of digital photography, from choosing equipment to taking pictures, working on them at the computer and selling your work. If you are serious about your hobby, this is for you.' RSPB Birds
RSPB Spotlight Owls
by Marianne TaylorOwls are charismatic and exceptionally well-loved characters in British wildlife, and have always held a special place in our folklore and legends. Their nocturnal habits mean few of us have been lucky enough to see them up close. In RSPB Spotlight: Owls Marianne Taylor introduces readers to every aspect of their lives including their physiology, biology and behaviour, as well as their history, and future in conservation in Britain and abroad.Five species of owl currently live in Britain - the Tawny, Barn, Little, Long-eared and Short-eared Owls - and each of them, as well as their relatives abroad, are introduced here in detail alongside top quality colour photographs and fascinating behavioural images, which will delight and inform the whole family.The book begins with a look at owls in general then examines the five British species in more detail. It discusses their evolutionary history and distribution around the world. Their anatomy and adaptations are examined, as well as their natural behaviours including hunting, nesting and mating practices. Next, we are introduced to their life cycles, beginning as eggs, moving onto fledging and independence, migration, and finally death. Marianne also includes a discussion of conservation as it affects owls, and owls' unique relationships with humans and our culture.
RSPB Spotlight Kingfishers
by David ChandlerUsually observed as a flash of blue and orange from a riverbank, most people are aware of Kingfishers, but few of us are familiar with the intricacies of their day-to-day lives.With their long, dagger-like bills, bright blue plumage and characteristic fast, low flight over water, Common Kingfishers are instantly recognisable. The 90 or so species that belong to this colourful family have a cosmopolitan distribution and, in Spotlight Kingfishers, David Chandler celebrates their remarkable existence, studying their unique adaptations and their courtship, breeding and feeding habits. He also investigates historical threats to Kingfishers, considers their future, and offers practical advice on how to find and see these glorious birds.
Mark Carwardine's Guide To Whale Watching In Britain And Europe: Second Edition
by Mark CarwardineA new and fully updated edition of this popular title, which is the definitive guide to watching whales, dolphins and porpoises in British and other European waters. A fascinating introduction to whales and whale watching is followed by a detailed field guide with spectacular illustrations, identification and behaviour tips, dive sequences and distribution maps for all the cetaceans of Europe. The final part of the book provides a comprehensive guide to Europe's major whale watching sites, covering 19 countries in all, from Scotland and Ireland to Spain and Norway. Imagine watching Minke Whales in the light of the midnight sun in Iceland; snorkelling with a wild Bottlenose Dolphin; or sharing a day with a group of Blue Whales against a spectacular backdrop of snow-capped mountains. These are just a few of the whale and dolphin watching experiences now available in different parts of Europe, which is rapidly becoming a hot-spot for this exhilarating activity.
Instant Weather Forecasting: You Can Predict the Weather
by Alan WattsInstant Weather Forecasting has been a perennial bestseller since it was first published nearly 50 years ago. A brilliant concept, its winning formula of 24 clear colour photographs of cloud formations and their accompanying explanatory text enables the reader to read the sky, pick up the clues, and predict what the weather will do.This revised and updated 5th edition takes into account the new ways users can receive professional weather forecasts, factor them into their own cloud observations, and develop an even better understanding of how the weather will change.This bestselling gem of a book will continue to be invaluable to anyone participating in outdoor activities, from farming, gardening and walking to riding, golfing, flying, sailing, fishing - and of course holidaymakers.
Critical Critters
by Ralph Steadman Ceri LevyFollowing on from Extinct Boids and Nextinction, Critical Critters is the third in this epic trilogy of books dedicated to extinct and critically endangered animals from cartoonist Ralph Steadman and film-maker Ceri Levy - the GONZOVATIONISTS.Expect plenty more of what made the first two books so successful - unpredictable nonsense beasts, irreverent jokes, a diary-style record of the creative mayhem, and around 100 spectacular illustrations by Ralph of critically endangered mammals, insects, fish, lizards and trees – a stunning collection, with a serious conservation message.Ceri's humorous but meaningful message accompanied by Ralph's sensational paintings will satisfy art-lovers and conservationists alike.
Where to Watch Birds in Northern and Eastern Spain
by Ernest Garcia Michael RebaneThe definitive guide to finding birds in Northern and Eastern Spain.This region embraces an impressive range of habitats from the Pyrenees to the sun-drenched Catalan coast. As a consequence the area is rich in birdlife and full of potential for visiting birders. Almost 200 sites are described in this fully updated third edition, with full coverage of terms of habitat, access and the species to be seen. The accounts are illustrated by detailed maps and beautiful line drawings of selected species.Where to Watch Birds in Northern and Eastern Spain includes comprehensive coverage of all thirteen autonomous regions, a descriptive list of all the resident, visiting and rare birds to be found, as well as advice on watching seabirds from key sites like Estaca de Bares. This edition provides better coverage than ever to one of the most popular birding destinations in Europe.
Extinct Birds
by Julian P. HumeExtinct Birds was the first comprehensive review of the hundreds of the bird species and subspecies that have become extinct over the last 1,000 years of habitat degradation, over-hunting and rat introduction. It has become the standard text on this subject, covering both familiar icons of extinction as well as more obscure birds, some known from just one specimen or from travellers' tales. This second edition is expanded to include dozens of new species, as more are constantly added to the list, either through extinction or through new subfossil discoveries.Extinct Birds is the result of decades of research into literature and museum drawers, as well as caves and subfossil deposits, which often reveal birds long-gone that disappeared without ever being recorded by scientists while they lived. From Greak Auks, Carolina Parakeets and Dodos to the amazing yet almost completely vanished bird radiations of Hawaii and New Zealand via rafts of extinction in the Pacific and elsewhere, this book is both a sumptuous reference and astounding testament to humanity's devastating impact on wildlife.
Birds of Oman (Helm Field Guides)
by Jens Eriksen Richard PorterWith its unique blend of Western Palearctic, Oriental and Afrotropical components, and lying on a migratory crossroads, Oman is a jewel of the Middle East. This is the first comprehensive field guide to the birds of this fascinating and welcoming country. All 528 species on the Oman Bird List are featured on the 116 colour plates, illustrating many of the distinct plumages and races, plus a few non-naturalised escapes. Species accounts cover key identification features - including habitat and voice - with colour maps showing the breeding, wintering and migration distributions for all regularly occurring species.
Make Your Own Bird Food: Simple Recipes to Entice Birds to Your Garden
by Mark GolleyBirds are the life and soul of any garden, whatever its size or location, and one thing can be guaranteed: if food is on offer, birds will visit.With this in mind, Make Your Own Bird Food brings you some of the most popular and successful bird food recipes ever served up, ensuring your bird feeder or table will be the toast of avian gourmet for years to come.With 40 quick, easy and cheap meal ideas and a range of useful cookery tips and helpful hints on what to feed and when, it won't be long before you'll have birds flocking to your garden.
The Complete Garden Bird Book: How to Identify and Attract Birds to Your Garden
by Mark Golley Stephen Moss Dave DalyOne of the greatest pleasures of having a garden is being able to identify the great number of different bird species that may feed, bathe and nest there, or simply fly over, particularly during migration.This bestseller combines full identification and behavioural features of over 70 common garden bird species with detailed information on attracting birds to your garden. The clear illustrations and text are presented in an easy-to-use format and provide practical bird identification information to the novice birdwatcher. A concise introduction covers ideal garden habitats, binoculars, bird behaviour and feeding birds.Stunningly illustrated, yet simple to use, The Complete Garden Bird Book will ensure that you get the maximum pleasure from your garden whatever its size or location.
Birds of the West Indies (Pocket Photo Guides)
by G. Michael Flieg Allan SanderThis is a compact, easy-to-use bird identification guide for any birdwatcher visiting Jamaica and the islands of the West Indies. It provides comprehensive coverage of 252 species of birds that inhabit the islands of the West Indies, with detailed descriptions and a colour photograph for each species. Includes thumbnail family silhouettes, a regional distribution map, up-to-date tips on the best birding localities, and an index of local bird names.
Birds of Java, Sumatra and Bali (Pocket Photo Guides)
by Tony TilfordThis text is a compact, easy-to-use bird identification guide suitable for any birdwatcher visiting the Indonesian islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali. The book features descriptions of 236 species, thumbnail silhouettes for ease of use, up-to-date tips and information on bird biology and behaviour.
Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore (Pocket Photo Guides)
by G. W. Davison Chew Yen FookThis compact and easy-to-use bird identification guide covers more than 250 species, and each bird description is supported by at least one clear colour photograph. The forests and coastline of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore are home to a fantastic and vast array of birds, and offer many outstanding and easily accessible birdwatching locations, many of which are highlighted in the book's introduction. With easy-to-use thumbnail silhouettes, a regional map showing the best birding localities, up-to-date tips on birdwatching and information on bird biology and behaviour, this guide an invaluable for anyone birdwatching in the region.
Birds of the Himalayas (Pocket Photo Guides)
by Bikram Grewal Otto PfisterThe Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range, are a birdwatcher's paradise. Many of its species are high altitude specialists, including Tibetan and Himalayan Snowcocks, Snow Partridge, Ibisbill, Tibetan Sandgrouse, Hume's Groundpecker, Tibetan Snowfinch and Great Rosefinch. The area comprises a mosaic of different habitats which host a huge range of avian species, with families such as raptors, gamebirds, flycatchers and warblers particularly well represented. 252 of the Himalayas' most interesting and spectacular birds are featured in this concise and easy-to-use guide, and each species is illustrated with a colour photograph which is accompanied by text giving key information on identification, habitat and distribution.
Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (Field Guides)
by Richard LewingtonPresented in an accessible, easy-to-use format, this is an ideal guide for both beginners and more experienced enthusiasts. It includes more than 600 superb illustrations of all the life stages of each species, together with beautiful artworks of the butterflies in their natural settings and pertinent species information, distribution maps and life history charts. The second edition features a new, illustrated 'at-a-glance' identification guide, updated distribution maps and species accounts, and new spreads and artwork for the Cryptic Wood White and Scarce Tortoiseshell.
Minibeasts with Jess French: Masses of mindblowing minibeast facts!
by Jess FrenchFancy meeting a foot-long centipede or a spider the size of your dinner plate? Willing to let the world's weirdest and most fascinating minibeasts join you on your sofa?Then allow Jess French to lead you head first through the unbelievable world of invertebrates and explore their incredible adaptations, from dancing scorpions and blood-sucking moths to zombie spiders and slime-shooting worms.Marvel at how minibeasts have evolved to survive in almost every describable habitat. Discover the fascinating ways they find food, mate, fight, hide and collaborate in even the most extreme conditions! And pore over more than 250 breathtakingly detailed photographs of astonishing invertebrates.With her unparalled zeal for minibeasts, Jess will enlighten you on the most fascinating and intense aspects of the minibeast world, revealing everything from cloaks made of corpses to mid-flight kamikaze mating.
Mountain Flowers (British Wildlife Collection)
by Michael Scott“Mountain flowers are the most romantic in our flora, exquisite, enigmatic and, often, remote from human habitation. Michael Scott has not only seen them all but has roamed every part of the hill scenery of Britainand brings to his subject passion, learning and hands-on experience. This is field botany at its best, engrossing, exciting and full of wonder.”PETER MARRENBritain's mountains and exposed sub-arctic regions of the far north are home to a remarkable range of specialist flowers, shrubs and ferns that are able to thrive on our islands thanks to a combination of conditions seldom found in mainland Europe. The peculiarities of their occurrence here, at unusually low altitudes for typically alpine species and uncommonly far south for arctic species, make their ecologyespecially intriguing. In this invigorating journey from the Lizard of Cornwall to Unst in Shetland, Michael Scott examines Britain's richest upland sites, bringing an important 21st-century perspective to our understanding of the flora along the way. Lavishly illustrated, Mountain Flowers has much to offer wild flower enthusiasts and botanists, including detailed profiles of over 150 of the plants most characteristic of our montane regions. It will prove an indispensable companion for hillwalkers and climbers wanting to learn more about the enigmatic species that are such an intrinsic part of the British mountain landscape.- Featuring over 150 mountain plants, with 20 extended profiles for the most enigmatic species- Illustrated with over 340 colour photographs of plants and their spectacular habitats- Jacket artwork by Carry Akroyd
Off the Deep End: A History of Madness at Sea
by Nic ComptonConfined in a small space for months on end, subject to ship's discipline and living on limited food supplies, many sailors of old lost their minds – and no wonder. Many still do. The result in some instances was bloodthirsty mutinies, such as the whaleboat Sharon whose captain was butchered and fed to the ship's pigs in a crazed attack in the Pacific. Or mob violence, such as the 147 survivors on the raft of the Medusa, who slaughtered each other in a two-week orgy of violence. So serious was the problem that the Royal Navy's own physician claimed sailors were seven times more likely to go mad than the rest of the population. Historic figures such as Christopher Columbus, George Vancouver, Fletcher Christian (leader of the munity of the Bounty) and Robert FitzRoy (founder of the Met Office) have all had their sanity questioned. More recently, sailors in today's round-the-world races often experience disturbing hallucinations, including seeing elephants floating in the sea and strangers taking the helm, or suffer complete psychological breakdown, like Donald Crowhurst. Others become hypnotised by the sea and jump to their deaths. Off the Deep End looks at the sea's physical character, how it confuses our senses and makes rational thought difficult. It explores the long history of madness at sea and how that is echoed in many of today's yacht races. It looks at the often-marginal behaviour of sailors living both figuratively and literally outside society's usual rules. And it also looks at the sea's power to heal, as well as cause, madness.
The Everyday Guide to British Birds: Identify our common species and learn more about their lives
by Charlie ElderThe Everyday Guide to British Birds is the perfect companion for nature enthusiasts and birdwatching beginners. It describes the common and widespread species we're most likely to come across in Britain and explains what makes each of them unique. Clearly illustrated, packed with fascinating facts and written in a friendly style, this RSPB is ideal for anyone who wants to identify and learn more about the birds they encounter, whether in the back garden or the wider countryside.
Food You Can Forage: Edible Plants to Harvest, Cook and Enjoy
by Tiffany FrancisWhen you know where to look, each season Nature provides a generous spread of tasty treats ripe for the picking. Foraging can be an adventure for the entire family, and Food You Can Forage is packed with photos, illustrations and useful information to help you identify and find food in the wild, as well as delicious recipes to try with your finds.In this book, Tiffany Francis explores a range of habitats, revealing why plants grow where they do and which other living things live there too. Tiffany offers tips to help make the most of time spent outdoors wherever you are, and her delightful text also explains everything from the birds to look out for along the coast to which bumblebees you're most likely to spot on your local heathland.Whether you prefer to avoid eating overly processed foods or just enjoy spending time outdoors with your family, knowing how to ethically source food for free in the wild is a valuable and fun skill that anyone can learn.
Birds of the Canary Islands (Helm Field Guides)
by Eduardo Garcia-del-ReyThis new and comprehensive guide covers all bird species found in the Canary Islands, a group of beautiful islands that are home for endemics such as the Blue Chaffinch, and are one of the best places in the world to see a number of rare species. · Covers every species recorded in the Canary Islands, including vagrants. · 73 colour plates illustrating more than 300 species, with text on facing pages for quick and easy reference. · Concise text covering status, distribution, habitat, identification, voice and taxonomy. · Introduction includes information on the geography and climate of the Canary Islands, plus habitats, birding sites and conservation.