Purposeful Birdwatching
Getting to Know Birds Better
Published on 6. February 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-78427-468-9 (ISBN)
Description
'I remember well my first Bewick's swans, which I bumped into one November day not far from home. They looked at me, unsure whether or not to fly into the fog, as I tried to get as close as I dared. ... What is it, exactly, that can, many years later, recall such emotionally charged birding moments so vividly to mind? I can't really remember my birthdays at all, but my first green woodpecker and my first jay are firmly embedded. And with some of these things, the place it happened is equally important.'
With its mix of memoir, gentle advice and enthusiastic advocacy, this book sets out a case for purposeful birdwatching. Along the way, it explains how to make your birding more enjoyable, fulfilling and worthwhile. Using ideas and techniques from his five decades of experience, Rob Hume reveals how an ever-enquiring approach to observation of the natural world can yield unexpected treasures - whether this be something rare or simply new details concealed in the apparently everyday. From the basics of equipment and methods, through the mysteries of seawatching, to special insights on the likes of honey-buzzards and goshawks, and a focus on some iconic sites, his breadth of knowledge ensures there is something for every curious birder.
Illuminatingly illustrated throughout with the author's sketches and fieldnotes, at its heart this is a call to appreciate birds for themselves, as individuals and as species, and not merely as numbers on a list. It will help lead beginners towards a practical and more satisfying hobby, while also being of great interest to experienced birders who will relate to the content through their own experiences.
With its mix of memoir, gentle advice and enthusiastic advocacy, this book sets out a case for purposeful birdwatching. Along the way, it explains how to make your birding more enjoyable, fulfilling and worthwhile. Using ideas and techniques from his five decades of experience, Rob Hume reveals how an ever-enquiring approach to observation of the natural world can yield unexpected treasures - whether this be something rare or simply new details concealed in the apparently everyday. From the basics of equipment and methods, through the mysteries of seawatching, to special insights on the likes of honey-buzzards and goshawks, and a focus on some iconic sites, his breadth of knowledge ensures there is something for every curious birder.
Illuminatingly illustrated throughout with the author's sketches and fieldnotes, at its heart this is a call to appreciate birds for themselves, as individuals and as species, and not merely as numbers on a list. It will help lead beginners towards a practical and more satisfying hobby, while also being of great interest to experienced birders who will relate to the content through their own experiences.
Reviews / Votes
This is a lovely book... If all those who look through binoculars were as thoughtful as this author, and wrote as well, the world, and the world of birding, would be a better place. A very good read. -- Mark Avery, author and environmental campaigner Engaging and informative in equal parts. -- Bo Beolens * fatbirder.com * Inspirational! -- John Miles * birdwatching.co.uk * Hume has been a major figure in British birding throughout recent decades and Purposeful Birdwatching comes loaded with knowledge and experience as a result. It's worth picking up. -- Ed Stubbs * Birdwatch * The book is full of the author's own talented drawings and quotes from many years of diaries. It is highly recommended for anyone who wants to start watching birds or for those more experienced. -- Hans Meltofte * Danish Ornithology Association Journal * Whether we are new to birding or an old hand, this is a book that encourages all of us to hone our skills. Writing a list of species and numbers is a start but it is just that: the start of a potentially life-long and life-enhancing learning process. It is recommended reading. -- Barry Gray * IBIS * This is a fascinating book... a birdwatching memoir with some passionate advocacy and gentle advice from an experienced birdwatcher with over five decades of bird-watching experience. This book will be of great interest both to beginners as well as seasoned birders. -- Mike Thornton * Scottish Birds * This book was written by someone who has had a passion for ornithology since childhood, and on every page it shows this man's enormous passion for birdwatching, ornithology, and bird identification in the field. Reading it is a great pleasure for anyone with the same passion. -- Bruno Massa * Avocetta *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Exeter
United Kingdom
Illustrations
100 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
521 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78427-468-9 (9781784274689)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2024
Pelagic Publishing
€29.49
Available for download
Person
Having watched birds since childhood, Rob Hume began a career with the RSPB doing fieldwork and finished up as editor of BIRDS magazine from 1989 to 2009. He was a member of the Editorial Board of British Birds and Chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee. He has written best-selling bird guides and led numerous groups on wildlife holidays in Europe and Africa.
Content
Preface
What is birdwatching, anyway?
What to do with your interest in birds
Buy a good book
Get a notebook and pen
Distribution, habitats and time of year
Colour and light
Early days
More good days, bad days, ordinary days
Waxwings
Some dusk encounters
Soaring birds and birds of prey
Local patches
Wonderful Wales - Croeso i Gymru
Superlative Scotland
Great shrikes
If at first...
What is birdwatching, anyway?
What to do with your interest in birds
Buy a good book
Get a notebook and pen
Distribution, habitats and time of year
Colour and light
Early days
More good days, bad days, ordinary days
Waxwings
Some dusk encounters
Soaring birds and birds of prey
Local patches
Wonderful Wales - Croeso i Gymru
Superlative Scotland
Great shrikes
If at first...