On Watching Birds

An authoritative guide covering the best birdwatching sites in Britain. This handy field ebook covers the very best birding sites in Britain. In a format familiar to readers of this popular series, each site is considered in terms of 'Habitat', Access' and 'Birds', aiding birders of all levels to plan successful birding trips anywhere in Britain, and to maximise the chances of getting the best out of each site and each region. The ebook includes attractive line drawings and detailed pinch-and-zoomable maps of the larger sites, plus general maps of the regions covered. This second edition has been extensively revised, with several new sites added for this edition, together with information on disabled access for most sites. Praise for the 1st edition: "There could be no better guide than this book" Chris Packham "Highly recommended....the best guide of its kind" RSPB Birds "Don't leave home without it" Birding

Longlisted for the 2020 Wainwright Prize 'I can't remember the last book I read that I could say with absolute assurance would save lives. But this one will' Chris Packham 'Fabulously direct and truthful, filled with energy but devoid of self-pity . . . I was impressed and enchanted. Highly recommended' Stephen Fry 'Succeeds – triumphantly – in articulating with great honesty what it is like to suffer with a mental illness, and in providing strategies for coping' Mail on Sunday When Joe Harkness suffered a breakdown in 2013, he tried all the things his doctor recommended: medication helped, counselling was enlightening, and mindfulness grounded him. But nothing came close to nature, particularly birds. How had he never noticed such beauty before? Soon, every avian encounter took him one step closer to accepting who he is. The positive change in Joe's wellbeing was so profound that he started a blog to record his experience. Three years later he has become a spokesperson for the benefits of birdwatching, spreading the word everywhere from Radio 4 to Downing Street. In this groundbreaking book filled with practical advice, Joe explains the impact that birdwatching had on his life, and invites the reader to discover these extraordinary effects for themselves.

Where to Watch Birds in Africa is a field guide designed to help birders and general wildlife enthusiasts organize the most enriching trips possible throughout this great continent. From Morocco to Madagascar, this book presents over 200 bird-watching sites in detail and describes the species endemic to Africa. The traveler will find practical information on climate, transportation, accommodations, health, and safety as well as advice on a number of strategic questions: Where can we see birds that epitomize the continent? Which country supports the best cross-section of species and the most endemics? How many sites must be visited to see most of these birds? How much time do these trips take and when is the best time to go? Featuring over one hundred maps and fifty-one line drawings, this book is not only a guide but also a handy reference. Following a chapter on how to use the book, there is an introduction to the continent and its birds. The countries, archipelagos, and islands are then dealt with alphabetically. General introductions to each country are followed by site details, which include bird lists; a list of other wildlife present, if applicable; and the latest information on where to look for the best birds. Originally published in 1995. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

An indispensable book for traveling bird enthusiasts who find themselves in a foreign city with a little free time This is the first birder's guide to sixty cities of the world. Designed and written for the bird enthusiast who is traveling for reasons other than birding--on business, with family, for academic conferences--the book offers assistance in locating birds, identifying local bird residents, and using public transportation. Where to Watch Birds in World Cities deserves a permanent place in the suitcase or briefcase of anyone who would like to make the most of limited time in an unfamiliar city by learning about the local birds. Entries for each of the sixty cities provide an introduction to the city and detailed information on major bird-watching sites, including lists of typical summer and winter bird residents and migrants and directions for getting to the sites using public transportation. The book is illustrated throughout with maps and attractive line drawings. In no way a replacement for detailed guides to specific cities or regions, this book instead fills an important gap for travelers whose birding, though done on short notice, can nevertheless prove delightful. Some cities included in this guide: Milan Toronto Mexico City Tokyo Los Angeles Taipei Lima Singapore Kampala Shanghai Hong Kong Dublin Copenhagen Seattle Chicago San Francisco Caracas Rome Cape Town Rio Buenos Aires Paris Boston New York Berlin New Delhi Zurich Amsterdam Nairobi Warsaw A&C Black

An introduction to France for anyone visiting with birds in mind, from casual birdwatchers checking a bird that flies over the terrace during a family holiday to addict birders who would sell their souls for a dream species or a record-breaking checklist. Some may have just a few spare hours to get their binoculars out between business meetings or museum visits, others will be out in the field for two weeks or more, from sunrise to sunset. The authors wrote this book for all bird lovers, birdwatchers and birders, whatever the duration of their stay, the number of kilometres they are prepared to travel and how they enjoy birds. With over 400 regularly occurring species, of which 357 normally breed or winter, France has one of the most diverse avifaunas of the whole of Europe, spanning an incredible range from colourful Mediterranean flagship species such as roller, bee-eater or black-winged kite to secretive cold-climate or mountain specialists like three-toed woodpecker and Tengmalm's owl. The Birdfinder section provides targeted details for 30 species which often rank in the top wish-list of birders visiting France. Dividing the country into 14 regions, the authors highlight 312 representative sites, chosen for their bird species composition and ease of access. The selected sites enable the reader to see the widest possible species diversity and largest range of local specialities in a reasonable time, while respecting the basic ethical rules obvious to all birdwatchers. Whenever possible, sites are arranged in clusters or itineraries that can be covered in two to three days without hurrying. To supplement the use of the book in the field, all the sites described are geolocated in a file that can be downloaded from the publisher's website and loaded onto any GPS device.

This new slim volume is an authoritative guide to the best birding sites in Ethiopia, lavishly illustrated with photographs and maps. Ethiopia is one of Africa's top birding destinations, harbouring dramatic scenery, a wonderful diversity of habitats, over 30 endemic species, and a number of other regional specialities that cannot be easily seen anywhere else in the world. No self-respecting world lister can afford not to go there! This new book is a comprehensive site guide to the 50 best birding sites in the country. Each site describes how to get there, what you can see there, and when to visit. A number of full colour maps complement the site texts, and GPS co-ordinates allow sites to be located with great accuracy. A section covering the top 50 species gives details of how to see each of these special birds. The book is completed with an annotated checklist of all the country's birds and more than 150 photographs of birds, habitats and even some of Ethiopia's other fauna and flora.

A definitive site guide to three of Britain's most bird-rich counties – Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. East Anglia – the jewel in the crown of British birding. The counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire represent the most popular region for birders and naturalists to visit in the British Isles, whether to see wintering flocks of geese and waders, rare vagrants, scarce breeding birds such as cranes and bitterns, or just to soak up the countryside, be it fen, broad, coastal dune, breckland, heath or down. This new book by David Callahan is the definitive guide to the birding highlights of the region. It contains a comprehensive review of all the major sites, and many lesser-known ones, with maps, notes on access, and information on target species and when to visit. Where to Watch Birds in East Anglia is indispensable for any birder heading to this bird-rich corner of England.

Learn the how’s and why’s of bird behavior, from flirtatious mating practices and gorgeous birdsong to flying south for the winter. In this lively reference book, Laura Erickson addresses hundreds of real-life questions sent in to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world’s foremost authority on birds. With expert advice on bird watching techniques and equipment, feeding and housing birds, protecting habitats, and much more, Erickson guides you through the intricacies of the avian world with a contagious passion for our feathered friends.