Book reviews

Book reviews

Read reviews of the books we hold in the Chris Mead Library, written by our in-house experts. A selection of book reviews also features in our members’ magazine, BTO News.

All the Birds of the World

Featured review

Lynx have had a long-term project to produce an exhaustive guide to the birds of the world. It started out with the 17 volumes of the Handbook of the Birds of the World (1992-2013) which has family and species accounts for all birds. This was followed by the two volumes of the Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World (2014-16). They have now published the third and final stage of this avian odyssey with this current book.

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            Where to Watch Birds in Wales

            Author: David Saunders & Jon Green

            Publisher: Helm, London

            Published: 2022

            Following the long-established format of the Where to Watch Birds in… guides, a newly-updated fifth edition of this guide to birdwatching sites in Wales is now available. The addition of new locations brings this volume to a total of 142 sites. Most of the premier birdwatching locations in Wales have an entry; nonetheless, this is not an exhaustive guide, so other worthy and popular birdwatching locations are necessarily overlooked. Likewise, many ‘sites’ cover very large areas and are themselves comprised of a number of distinct locations.The book itself is nicely produced and a good size to carry into the field (or in holiday baggage, for those visiting from elsewhere!). Each site is presented according to the familiar, tried-and-tested formula of these guides. A basic map picks out access and parking information along with key named locations, and enough information is provided to identify the site’s features on more detailed OS maps. Text provides information about the site’s habitat, typical species, and when and how to visit. A final ‘calendar’ box gives information about what species to expect year-round and in each part of the year. The 14 vice-counties of Wales are used to sort sites into conveniently-sized chapters, with a separate map of sites within each vice-county. Whilst this seems a sensible way to subdivide the book into manageable chunks, one might question the decision to order the chapters alphabetically by vice-county names, which occasionally leads to geographically-neighbouring sites becoming separated within the pages. For example, the Little Orme (page 104, Caernarfonshire) and Rhos-on-Sea (page 160, Denbighshire) are in such close proximity that they comprise opposite ends of a single WeBS site, but a reader unfamiliar with the area might struggle to identify that the two can readily be visited in a single trip. A final index to species will allow readers with particular target species to quickly identify the sites where they stand the most chance of success.The site accounts are well-researched and written with advice from experienced local birders. Inclusion of historical rarities at some sites is a nice touch but dooms the book to being immediately out-of-date (even as I type, twitchers descend upon RSPB Conwy to view a Red-rumped Swallow, which will surely warrant a mention in a future sixth edition!).Overall, this book will be a very useful travel guide for birders visiting Wales from elsewhere, especially those who have not previously visited and have little idea of where to begin. Those wishing to target sightings of Welsh specialities such as Pied Flycatcher or Chough would also benefit from a copy. Those with existing local knowledge may not find much within these pages that they do not already know, but may still find interest within the site accounts.Book reviewed by Callum Macgregor 

            Field Guide to the Birds of Dominican Republic and Haiti

            Author: Steven Latta, , Chris Rimmer , Kent McFarland & Dana Gardner (principal illustrator)

            Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton

            Published: 2022

            The island of Hispaniola, comprised of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, is among the Caribbean’s most exciting birding destinations. With an excess of 300 species recorded, the island is home to an impressive 30+ endemics (more than any other Caribbean island) with all but one of those, Grey-crowned Palm-tanager, found in the accessible Dominican Republic. One of the most celebrated endemic birds of the region is the Palmchat, which is the sole representative of its genus and is the national bird of the Dominican Republic.This new slimmed-down update of the first edition, published back in 2007, is eminently more portable and it has also been revised and updated to reflect recent taxonomic changes. The authors have also opted to split two species yet to be formally acknowledged (Hispaniolan Kingbird and Hispaniolan Eleania) and use the less familiar, though to my mind more appropriate and evocative, Hispaniolan Highland-Tanager and Green-tailed Ground-Tanager for White-winged Warbler and Green-tailed Warbler, respectively.This book follows the standard layout of similar contemporary field guides, with colour plates facing the species text. Overall the illustrations by Dana Gardner are good, and more than adequate for identifying most birds in the field, while the concise text provides information on status, distribution, habits, vocalisation and identification.The introductory chapters are excellent, giving the reader and prospective visitor a sense of what to expect when birding on the island, plus highlights the value of eco-tourism to this relatively under-visited tropical gem. The authors also hope that the book will continue to inspire island residents to appreciate local bird life and work towards helping conserve the countries’ natural treasures. Reading this guide made me long to return to the Caribbean, and indeed to Hispaniola which I last visited in 2000, to soak up its many avian and cultural delights.Book reviewed by Jon Carter 

            Australian Bird Guide: Concise Edition

            Author: Jeff Davies, Peter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers, Rohan Clarke, Peter Marsack & Kim Franklin

            Publisher: Christopher Helm, London

            Published: 2022

            Although there are many bird books available for birders visiting Australia, the best by far is The Australian Bird Guide. However, this book is somewhat too large, heavy and bulky for use in the field. Even taking with you would add weight to your luggage. Thankfully, a concise version of this field guide has now been released and I was fortunate enough to visit northern Queensland earlier this year and have a copy of this book to take with me.The main thing to notice about this concise guide is the difference in size, being about half the size and thickness of the original guide. It also weighs less than 500 g compared with the original being about three times this, making it much easier to slip into a pocket or backpack without adding any noticeable bulk.The plates, as in the original, are superb and although the species accounts are much reduced in this version, this doesn’t take anything away from the usability of the guide in the field. Each still gives a distribution map, a brief text description covering distribution and habitat, a succinct description of voice (including transcription of sound), and illustrations with notes on age, sex, and identification characteristics. The taxonomy is more up to date that the original guide, with newly split species such as the Hornbill Friarbird and Torresian Kingfisher, both of which I was lucky enough to see, included. In order to make this book more concise, there are around 200 species fewer included than in the original, though these are vagrants and species with very restricted ranges on less visited Australian territories such as the Lord Howe Woodhen, and so these aren’t noticeable for the majority of visiting birders. Although the original The Australian Bird Guide is still worthy of a place on any birder’s bookshelf as a reference when they are revising for a trip or on returning and want to check their photos or notes, this concise guide is an invaluable piece of kit that no birder undertaking a trip to Australia should be without. Now, if they could just follow in the Collins Bird Guide’s footsteps and bring out an app version too …Neil Calbrade 

            Man and Bird in the Palaeolithic of Western Europe

            Author: Anne Eastham

            Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, Oxford

            Published: 2021

            Anne Eastham Softback https://www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress/ASP/missingPageHandler.asp?404%3Bhttps… £ 160 30.00 2021 Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, Oxford 9781789699098

            Female Heroes of Bird Conservation

            Author: Rosemary Low

            Publisher: Rosemary Low (self-published)

            Published: 2021

            Rosemary Low Softback https://www.nhbs.com/de/female-heroes-of-bird-conservation-book £ 254 27.99 2021 Rosemary Low (self-published) 9781739913007 Fionnuala McCully 

            Feathers: An Identification Guide to the Feathers of Western European Birds

            Author: Fraigneau. Cloé

            Publisher: Helm, London

            Published: 2021

            The pattern and colouration of feathers provide valuable and often memorable clues to bird identification. Taken in isolation, however, feathers can be surprisingly hard to identify, particularly for those who do not have experience of birds in the hand.

            The Pelagic Dictionary of Natural History of the British Isles

            Author: Peter J. Jarvis

            Publisher: Pelagic Press, Exeter

            Published: 2021

            This impressive compendium sits somewhere between dictionary and encyclopedia, providing information for 10,000 species of animals, plants, fungi and algae of the British Isles. Detailed descriptions are given, not only about identification and taxonomy, but also distribution, population trends, and even origins of the species name. Did you know, for example, that the species name for Chaffinch means ‘unmarried finch’, because Linnaeus, who named it, only ever saw males? The Crab Hacker Barnacle owes its name to a competition winner; presumably Barnacle McBarnacleface already existed.Sometimes you have to delve a little deeper into the text to look up the words used in the entries (at least I did), but that’s part of the fun, getting lost in the various definitions. There’s also a handy section at the beginning defining common biological terms.This would be a very useful addition to any library, classroom, or bookshelf of anyone interested in natural history, or indeed crossword fans!Book reviewed by Henrietta Pringle 

            At the Very End of the Road

            Author: Phillip J Edwards

            Publisher: Whittles Publishing, Dunbeath

            Published: 2021

            This book takes you through a year on the author, Phillip Edward’s, home ‘patch’ – a complex area of farmland, saltmarsh, river and coastline. Each chapter covers a calendar month, describing in intricate detail encounters with not just birds but mammals, plants, insects and everything else. Britain's fickle weather provides a backdrop to the seasonal changes. Each month is split into eight different accounts of an observation or discovery from that period. The intimate observations of wildlife are often described in remarkable detail – clearly the author immerses himself in each and every experience, however fleeting it may be.This is an immersive book, but for me a few things might have helped. It’s very much a book with ‘place’ at the heart of it but we never know where that place is – western England is as much information as we get. It would have helped me to know the landscape and surroundings a little better if we were told where it is. Even a sketched map of the immediate area would have helped. There is also one species conspicuous by its absence – human beings. Any thoughts, feelings, or human touches are actively excluded and given that the UK is almost entirely a manmade landscape that seems a missed opportunity. I like places where people and wildlife rub alongside each other, and adding some personal stories may have helped.There are numerous stunning passages in this book and it can really transport you to moments in time. I would treat this as a book to dip in and out of – making a point of picking it up each month to read a section (or chapter) appropriate to the season. This would definitely get you in the right frame of mind to head out there and make your own observations in the field. Book reviewed by Steve Willis 

            Fergus The Silent

            Author: Michael McCarthy

            Publisher: YouCaxton Publications

            Published: 2021

            Michael McCarthy is perhaps best known for his environmental journalism and nature writing. His skills were recognised by BTO back in 2011, when he was awarded the annual Dilys Breese Medal for outstanding communication of science to new audiences.Fergus The Silent marks a departure from his usual work, in that it is a foray into fiction. You have to admire the ambition of somebody whose first published fictional work is a 440-page novel! Given its length, you won’t be surprised to hear that Fergus covers a lot of ground, from the damage parents can inflict on their children, to toxic academic ambition, seabird conservation and a particularly tricky moral dilemma.The main plot revolves around Miles Bonnici and is set at the turn of the millennium. At the start of the book, we learn about Miles’ career trajectory to a fellowship at the ‘Niko Tinbergen Institute’ at Oxford University, having had a Nature front cover for a paper on extra-pair paternity in Guillemots breeding on the Pembrokeshire island of ‘Skarholm’ during his PhD. However, his interest in birds is purely as a means to surpass the career of his brilliant but unloving physicist father. Miles gets together with Jenny Pittaway, a New Zealander working in Oxford as she finds her way in the world after her own university studies. Miles proceeds to break her heart, but only realises why this (and the birds) matter when he’s sent to report on the effects of the Erika oil spill on the west coast of France by the ‘United Kingdon Offshore Conservation Agency’. The devastation he witnesses finally cuts through his ambition and exposes his soul, specifically when he finds the body of ‘Arty Bu-bu’, a Guillemot from Skarholm whose behaviour underpinned his famous Nature paper.We don’t meet the Fergus of the book’s title until the novel’s second half. The island of ‘Lanna’, the most remote in Britain and Ireland, is threatened with its own oil disaster when exploration starts taking place. Lanna has been closed since 1939, and no seabird surveys take place there. The data on its importance for seabirds could prevent licenses for drilling from being granted. However, Lanna’s seabirds are closely guarded by Fergus, the mysterious warden who spends every breeding season on the island and is weighed down by a secret about the wildlife there. Miles convinces Jenny to come with him to Lanna to survey the seabirds, where they discover Fergus’s secret and grapple with its implications.Since I could hardly precis the plot into less than two paragraphs (and even then I have stopped well short of ending to avoid any spoilers), you’ll realise that Fergus The Silent has many twists and turns, and we meet a large number of characters in a variety of places. I enjoyed working out which UK and European academic and seabirder luminaries inspired the various characters, and unsurprisingly, the author’s descriptions of the natural world and the damage human activity can inflict upon it are excellent. However, I was less convinced by the female characters in the book, who I found a little two-dimensional and shoehorned into traditional gender roles. I also felt like some parts of the plot could have moved along a little more quickly.I see there are some glowing reviews out there from some of the very same people I suspect might have partly inspired some of the characters. Despite my small misgivings, I did think Fergus The Silent was a page turner. So why not get hold of a copy and see what you think?Book reviewed by Viola Ross-Smith 
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