Shetland Sanctuary

Bobby Tulloch, known to his pals as 'Tucker', was the son of a crofter in the island of Yell. He'd started his working life as a baker and became, through his own extraordinary talents and a certain amount of good luck, a renowned field ornithologist, tour guide, author and wildlife photographer. He was also an accomplished musician and songwriter, a skilled fisherman and a daring (some would say reckless) navigator of small boats among big rocks. He toured the UK giving illustrated talks for the RSPB and frequently appeared on national TV and radio. But perhaps his greatest skill was for friendship. When he died in 1996 at the age of 67 he was mourned by hundreds of friends throughout his native islands and far beyond. In this book, some of those friends celebrate their many happy memories of his life. After a biographical sketch by Jonathan Wills the stories from other contributors tumble out - dramatic, insightful and usually very funny. The book is illustrated throughout with evocative pictures from those eventful days and Bobby's wonderful wildlife and landscape photographs.

Includes Part 1A: Books and Part 1B: Pamphlets, Serials and Contributions to Periodicals

This is an ornithological bibliography for the counties of England, Wales, and Scotland and for the Isle of Man. It includes all known books, pamphlets and papers which contain substantial studies of the birds of local areas, from a county down to a back garden or a gravel pit. Each county has an introduction on its boundaries and the history of its ornithology. There has been no comprehensive national publication of this kind since Mullens, Swann and Jourdain's Geographical Bibliography in 1920. The volume also provides a detailed record of the many county and local bird reports and of the ever-increasing number of area surveys produced by statutory and voluntary bodies. The material is arranged by the pre-1974 counties and takes the record up to 1995. There are maps to show the many changes in county boundaries since 1800. The book will be a standard reference work for libraries and collectors, and for anyone interested in the rich and diverse development of local ornithology in its homeland. Contents:A Brief History of Local RecordingThe Arrangement of This BookThe Counties of EnglandThe Counties of WalesThe Counties of Scotland and The Isle of Man Readership: Ornithologists, bird-watchers, book-collectors/sellers and libraries. Keywords:Birds;Counties;Ornithological Bibliography;England;Wales;Scotland;Isle of ManReviews:“I have no hesitation in recommending this book to researchers and collectors alike and it should be in all major collections, public and university libraries.”Scottish Bird News

A comprehensive monograph of the skua. Many birdwatchers may never have seen a skua; those who have will most probably have vivid memories of one or other species flying powerfully past a headland, or twisting and diving in pursuit of its piratical intentions towards a food-laden seabird - or, perhaps more memorably still, of themselves taking evasive action from the power-diving irate skua whose territory they have unwisely invaded. The full classification of the skuas is still debated, but Dr Furness of the Applied Ornithology Unit, Glasgow University, favours six species, of two genera, with five subspecies, based on current knowledge and his own long and dedicated field studies and research. All of the species are treated comparatively under the following chapter titles: Early history and classification, Distributions and populations, Migration patterns, Reversed sexual size dimorphism, Behaviour, Food and feeding, Kleptoparasitism, Plumage polymorphism, Breeding systems and social organisation, Breeding - laying to hatching, Breeding - hatching to fledging, Population dynamics, Pollutants, Skuas and agriculture, Skuas and conservation. The text is supported by 100 maps and diagrams, 30 photographs and 65 tables. In addition, John Busby contributes 35 evocative drawings which more than embellish this erudite and readable summary of an impressive and diverse group of birds. Jacket paintings by John Busby.

One of Britain's natural treasures, the Shetland Islands are spectacular with their varied geology, wonderful landscape and special flora and fauna. This book describes all the wildlife of Shetland and is illustrated with photographs and sketches.

“An entrancing read, illuminating how life in Britain has been influenced and enhanced by those who arrived, often with nothing except their skills.” —Babs Horton, author of Winter Swallows Seeking Sanctuary explores the history of people looking for refuge in Great Britain. It starts with those Protestant refugees fleeing oppression and persecution from Catholic Spain who ruled the Netherlands in the sixteenth century. It traces successive waves of peoples in the context of why they fled. At various times this was due to religious persecution, political upheaval, war and ethnic cleansing. “The author writes from the perspective of her work with asylum seekers, which evidently generated her interest in Britain’s history as a refuge. Jane Marchese Robinson’s passion for displaced persons is apparent in her examples and case studies, and for anyone with an interest in, or connection with, the selected groups of refugees over the past 100 years, it will make interesting reading . . . The author demonstrates compassion for, and empathy with, the groups she examines, and many will find this the compelling aspect of the book.” —Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives “This is a wide-ranging book which explores these major refugee movements in depth and it is often emotional in its details.” —Bristol and Avon Family History Society

A comprehensive monograph on the Atlantic Puffin. With its colourful beak and fast, whirring flight, this is the most recognisable and popular of all North Atlantic seabirds. Puffins spend most of the year at sea, but for a few months of the year the come to shore, nesting in burrows on steep cliffs or on inaccessible islands. Awe-inspiring numbers of these birds can sometimes be seen bobbing on the sea or flying in vast wheels over the colony, bringing fish in their beaks back to the chicks. However, the species has declined sharply over the last decade; this is due to a collapse in fish stocks caused by overfishing and global warming, combined with an exponential increase in Pipefish (which can kill the chicks). The Puffin is a revised and expanded second edition of Poyser's 1984 title on these endearing birds, widely considered to be a Poyser classic. It includes sections on their affinities, nesting and incubation, movements, foraging ecology, survivorship, predation, and research methodology; particular attention is paid to conservation, with the species considered an important 'indicator' of the health of our coasts.