Originally posted by Simon Gregory today:


Just found this on amazon, it's by the same people that did the macmillan guides due 27/03/14

Sorry if it's already been posted I did a search but it came back with no results, just thought i'd give a heads up

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Helm-Guide-Bird-Identification/dp/1408130351/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385907409&sr=1-1&keywords=helm+guide

Bird Atlas 2007-2011 has been delivered this morning. Plenty to dip in to on these dark nights and a pleasant reminder of the survey years

Its not just me then. Lol. I also recently bought the new helm guide to The birds of Gambia and Senegal. A birders guide to southern california by Brad Schram. An audubon handbook to eastern birds by mcgraw hill. A photographic guide to birds of britain and europe. Bill oddie. Birdwatching. Gripping yarns. And gone birding. Northwest nature reserves by our very own Pauline Mellor. And finally Birds and Birdwatching at Pennington flash by the legend. David Wilson. Very nice . I like the classics too and have wanted the old penny flash book for ages

-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Thursday 17th of October 2013 06:40:45 PM

Superb new book arrived today

Bird ID Insights by Dominic Couzens


Not really a standard book as the trusty Collins does very well but more interested in recognition with the trickier species with the main ID Features and differences straight to the point. The key features and what to look for are the only features listed. Also ageing and plumage variation. Well worth the £12 price with free delivery on Amazon. Definitely worth a look to add to the collection

Identifying Animals.
All vertebrates of France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Great Britain and Ireland.
A French publication with text in English, French, & Dutch.

I received my copy today and am very pleased with the content which has excellent drawings, text, and distribution maps for birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, & mammals. 644 species.
Finally a field guide with all these in one book which is ideal for a trip to the near continent.

Available online from Subbuteo Natural History Books which is part of CJ Wildbird Foods Ltd (£23.99 + £2.50 postage)

Just a small enquiry, I have had an order in for Multimedia Identification Guide to North Atlantic Seabirds: Pterodroma Petrels for some time and was just wondering if any one else has ordered this book and if they have received it yet or if this item is not yet available!

Paul Wilson - re your initial post on 26/3. As Ian rightly suggests the number of books that you regularly look at and use will probably be quite limited. One book that I particularly like that hasn't already been mentioned in other posts and that I refer to frequently is the Poyser publication "Birds in England" by Brown and Grice. The dust cover describes this as being "a timely and thorough examination of the status and distribution, past and present, of every species on the English list." Unfortunately with it being published in 2005, it will now be as expected, slightly out of date but still contains plenty of interesting info, to my mind anyway. Not a great deal of pictures in it for you though! If you can get it cheaply anywhere, then it's certainly a welcome, as well as useful addition to any book collection. Another book that I bought this year (and "reviewed" somewhere back earlier on this particular thread) that I have often referred to since purchase is the excellent BTO publication " A Field Guide to Monitoring Nests" by Ferguson-Lees, Castell and Leech. This is one book that I will keep in the boot of my car this summer and will certainly take out with me whilst birding and be one to cast an eye over regularly.

Paul Hurst - re your post on this topic dated 26/3, I too spend far too much time looking at maps, especially in books about birds. Not sure if you are aware that one of our neighbours local atlas publications is now available to look at online, without necessarily having to buy the book! What a bargain! The really excellent "Birds in Cheshire and Wirral - A breeding and wintering atlas" can be viewed at http://www.cheshireandwirralbirdatlas.org/

Also if you wish to look at a limited amount of data for the first two national breeding birds atlas publications for '68 -'72 and '88 - '91 this can be viewed at http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/birdatlas/previous-atlases Whilst not having the publications in full the drop down box at the bottom of this webpage shows the distribution maps for species in the two atlas periods and any changes. Also a map (where relevant) of the winter distribution of species during the winter atlas '81 - '84. Maybe just a "taster" for these three publications...assuming they are still available in print?


Best wishes,


Bill.

Paul Hurst wrote:

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Just saying that the Bird Atlas 2007-11 is now available for pre-order on the BTO website!
If you pre-order it apparently it only cost £50 (inc. p&p), which is £20 cheaper than its retail price (though in my opinion its worth every penny).

I have to admit I've been waiting so long for this book. I love books, birds, and maps, so a book with bird maps is honestly one of the best things I can dream of right now!

It's getting published in Autumn 2013: only about 7 more months to go...

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It certainly does look like an impressive piece of work - I too can't wait!

However, there may be a chance that you could get it a few quid cheaper if you contributed records to the atlas - will let you know as soon as I get details...

Just saying that the Bird Atlas 2007-11 is now available for pre-order on the BTO website!
If you pre-order it apparently it only cost £50 (inc. p&p), which is £20 cheaper than its retail price (though in my opinion its worth every penny).

I have to admit I've been waiting so long for this book. I love books, birds, and maps, so a book with bird maps is honestly one of the best things I can dream of right now!

It's getting published in Autumn 2013: only about 7 more months to go...

I would recommend the Helm gulls book Paul. No other guide i've come across does this diverse and variable group justice, and the level of detail in it is remarkable. I agree with Ian that identification criteria are constantly evolving, but that is an issue for guides featuring allsorts of groups and not specific to this book in particular in my opinion.

With a grand to spend, it's a fantastic opportunity to purchase a few volumes of Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW)!

Paul Wilson wrote:

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Not a post on new books, but rather a request on anyone's thoughts on a few that have been out a while.

My son is struggling to spend his £1000 Blackwells University book allowance and I was thinking of getting him to spend some of it on me, rather than it just be lost at the end of the year. I have come up with a shortlist of four books I thought I'd like. Are any of them rubbish? I was thinking of giving him about a third of the value in cash for them if he can get hold of them.


Handbook of Bird Identification - For Europe and the Western Palearctic - 9780713639605 Price 75.00 (Amazon 71.25) (Kindle 31.80)

Raptors of the World - An Identification Guide to the Raptors of the World - 9780713680263 Price 60.00 (Amazon 52.80) (Kindle 18.04)

Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America - 9780713670875 Price 50.00 (Amazon 35.96) (Kindle 24.46)

Collins Bird Guide - large format - 9780007449026 Price 50.00 (Amazon 32.98)

Any others I should consider - given that I don't want anything too serious!

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Handbook of Bird Identification- old now and showing it though still has lots of very good information of course.

Raptors of the World- nice to look at but in a Western Palearctic perspective nothing beats Forsman's Raptors book.

Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America- not my favourite book I'm afraid; contradictive in parts; very repetitive in others; and unfortunately as gull identification ploughs on relentlessly this book continues to fall further and further behind. I don't recall the last time I even opened mine up anymore

Collins Bird Guide (large format)- the smaller version is the best field guide available, so this one's just bigger and maybe better? Not for me though. It's unwieldy, cuts the circulation off in your legs when you rest it on your lap and I actually prefer the print and illustrations in the smaller version (I'm odd). I have the large version of the first edition and I don't think I've ever opened it more than a few times.

I have a bookcase bending under the weight of its books and whilst I dip into many of them with regularity, only two now remain on the desk, thumbed to death; Collins Bird Guide (second edition small version) and Advanced Bird ID Handbook (large edition). Its all every bird could want for identification purposes

Steve Suttill wrote:

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Not read his Merlin book, Jon, but Dick Orton's "The Hawkwatcher" (probably hard to find these days) is also an excellent read.

I'm currently reading "Bird Sense" by Tim Birkhead. Fascinating stuff...

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Steve

I've ordered a copy of the hawkwatcher - I'll let you know what I think, although if it's anything like the Merlin book I won't be disappointed

Not read his Merlin book, Jon, but Dick Orton's "The Hawkwatcher" (probably hard to find these days) is also an excellent read.

I'm currently reading "Bird Sense" by Tim Birkhead. Fascinating stuff...

Birds in a Cage by Derek Niemann, a profound moving book of four British birdwatchers in Warburg POW Camp 1941.

Birding with no bins, risk of been shot etc, John Buxton , Peter Condor, John Barrett and George Waterson (Fair isle fame).

Amazing book, and on offer at the moment on Amazon £6.

Joe Wynn wrote:

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I just received as a late birthday present Return to One Man's Island, which is a load of sketches and paintings from the Isle of May ...:

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I received it as an early Xmas present (from myself ).
Got to agree it's a great book even though I've not been fortunate to visit the Isle of May.
Really good paintings and sketches and interesting ornithologically as well.

Large Format Collins Bird Guide, second edition, £25 (Half Price) at Cley NWT shop.

Just bought the "RSPB British Birdfinder". It is nice book, maybe more for beginners or for less experienced birders, but it has some good tips on finding birds. In some ways, it completes my Collin's Bird Guide by going more in dept in the habitat description, as well as being more tailored to Britain's geography. To be fair, having just moved permanently back to England, I needed a book that could give me a more precise layout of the British avifauna. And since the Bird Atlas 2007-2011 won't come out until next summer. . .

Bill Myerscough wrote:

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I see that the BTO have out what looks to be an excellent new publication:-"A Field Guide to Monitoring Nests" by Ferguson-Lees, Castell and Leech at £24.99.

I feel sure that Santa will be a regular visitor to the website and forum and if you're reading this Santa I promise to be a really good boy in 2012 should I be lucky enough to find this book in the stocking at the bottom of my bed on Christmas morning.

It's probably not a book to be read from cover to cover but if I do get this book for Christmas, I'll try and post a brief review after I've had chance to look it over.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 18th of December 2011 10:20:30 AM

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Sean Sweeney wrote:

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It is a cracking book. Although it was published in june rather than march, missing most of the nesting season, it came in handy as a reference guide in the uplands for me in early summer and certainly during my later write ups on survey work third year. I expect it to be even more helpful in 2012 and hope it gets more people into finding nests and experiencing a dying skill in ornithology - nest monitoring.....

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I'm pleased to say that I did get this book for Christmas but quite how Santa managed to pay for it using my credit card is currently under investigation! Said I would give a quick review for those interested. I totally agree with Sean's comments that this is an outstanding book and is an excellent buy for anyone with an interest in this particular aspect of birding. Despite initially stating that I didn't think this was a book to be read from cover to cover, I have actually done so over a period of a few weeks! The book itself is well made and beautiful to handle and is just about pocket sized if you have a slightly larger than average pocket! Most species accounts are handily placed on a single page, with just a few spread over 2 pages. Each page contains a small distribution map, 4 small photos - adult birds at or around their nest; nest with eggs; nest with nestlings in or for those species which leave the nest soon after hatching a photo of small downy young and finally a photo of the egg with measurements. The accompanying text is concise but full of interesting and useful information and includes a general introduction and also paragraphs on site of nest; nest structure/composition; information on eggs; information on young and finally a paragraph headed "Methods", which focuses on tips and hints for finding and monitoring nests. There are also two small bar charts detailing the calendar months when eggs and young might be most likely to be found. Additionally a small box lists the average number of eggs per clutch, likely number of broods per year and the mean number of days spent incubating and also from hatching to fledging.

At £24.99 it may seem a little on the expensive side but when you consider the vast amount of really well presented and fascinating information in the book and that it could last you a lifetime, then I suggest that it is actually a bargain for those with an interest in our breeding birds.

Cheers,

Bill.

Bill Myerscough wrote:

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I see that the BTO have out what looks to be an excellent new publication:-"A Field Guide to Monitoring Nests" by Ferguson-Lees, Castell and Leech at £24.99.

I feel sure that Santa will be a regular visitor to the website and forum and if you're reading this Santa I promise to be a really good boy in 2012 should I be lucky enough to find this book in the stocking at the bottom of my bed on Christmas morning.

It's probably not a book to be read from cover to cover but if I do get this book for Christmas, I'll try and post a brief review after I've had chance to look it over.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 18th of December 2011 10:20:30 AM

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It is a cracking book. Although it was published in june rather than march, missing most of the nesting season, it came in handy as a reference guide in the uplands for me in early summer and certainly during my later write ups on survey work third year. I expect it to be even more helpful in 2012 and hope it gets more people into finding nests and experiencing a dying skill in ornithology - nest monitoring.....

I see that the BTO have out what looks to be an excellent new publication:-"A Field Guide to Monitoring Nests" by Ferguson-Lees, Castell and Leech at £24.99.

I feel sure that Santa will be a regular visitor to the website and forum and if you're reading this Santa I promise to be a really good boy in 2012 should I be lucky enough to find this book in the stocking at the bottom of my bed on Christmas morning.

It's probably not a book to be read from cover to cover but if I do get this book for Christmas, I'll try and post a brief review after I've had chance to look it over.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 18th of December 2011 10:20:30 AM

Steve Suttill wrote:

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Amazon advertising it at £31 - available at end of Sept.

Steve

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Currently on sale via Amazon at £26.19

"Wildlife in Printmaking" - new addition to the Langford Press Wildlife Art Series.

My copy arrived this morning and it's the best book I've seen in a long time. I know, from previous art correspondence on this forum, that it won't be to everyone's taste, but check it out if you get the chance.

Steve

Hi Dennis It's the same as the second edition only 4 times the size so you get to really appreciate the illustrations

Pre-Publication copies of the Large format Collins second edition are on sale at Leighton Moss RSPB. Full price is £50. I got one yesterday as I couldn't resist and it was £5 off too!