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100 birds to see before you die. Click here to buy
Chandler, David and Dominic Couzens.
$30.00
Hardback 224 pp., colour photographs, maps.
This is a must have for anyone interested in birds, with entries on 100 of the most incredible avian species across the world, illustrated with stunning photographs of each. Entries describe the natural history and significance of the featured species, with summary information including size (and wingspan, where applicable); distribution; habitat; classification; population and conservation status; and the reason for inclusion. Whilst many of the species would be on any bird enthusiast's wish list, the list has been fiercely debated over by two renowned birding authors, using various criteria to arrive at a top 100. Some species are endangered and therefore a must to see and conserve; others are quite common but have a particular plumage or behaviour that makes them exceptional; and others have a legendary status amongst birdwatchers and the layman, such as the dancing Red-crowned cranes and the spectacular Gyr falcon. (ISBN: 1592239587) (EAN: 9781592239580)
100 birds to see before you die: the ultimate wish-list for birders everywhere. Click here to buy
Chandler, David and Dominic Couzens.
$35.00
Large octavo, dustwrapper, 222 pp., colour photographs, maps. BRAND NEW.
This book is the ultimate birdwatcher's wish-list. Fiercely debated by two renowned birding authors using various criteria to arrive at their selection, this top 100 includes avian species that are endangered; common species with particularly exceptional plumage or behaviour, and others that have gained legendary status. Illustrated with stunning photographs and range maps with unusual facts and anecdotes. Entries describe the natural history and significance of the featured species, with summary information including size (and wingspan, where applicable); distribution; habitat; classification; population and conservation status; and the reason for inclusion. (ISBN: 1742112323) (EAN: 9781742112329)
A bad birdwatcher's companion: 50 intimate portraits of Britain's best loved birds. Click here to buy
Barnes, Simon.
$15.00
WAS $30.00Octavo, dustwrapper, 290 pp.
WAS $30. Few books are more intimidating than a conventional field guide. There are simply too many birds in them. This book introduces the reader to Britain's most obvious birds. But it does more than that: it also explains them. It explains the way that different birds do different things, eat different food, sing different songs and live different lives, and it explains why they are different. If you are a would-be birdwatcher but don't know where to start, A Bad Field Guide is for you. It will help you understand birdwatching: but far more important, it will help you begin to understand birds. Robin...But have you ever wondered what a red breast means to a robin? A red breast is not just the way a human can recognise a robin when it comes a-calling, when it sits on a spade or a Christmas card. The red breast is not just a bit of chance colouration. No: the red breast is the core of the robin's being. The red breast is the love, the honour and the glory of a robin. Have you noticed that a robin positively flaunts it? It is as if he is telling the world: for God's sake, I'm a robin! (ISBN: 1904977375) (EAN: 9781904977377)
A bird in the bush: a social history of birdwatching. Click here to buy
Moss, Stephen.
$55.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 375 pp.
Traces the history and development of birdwatching and looks at what makes birders tick. Why do people watch birds for pleasure? And how have they done so through the ages?
A guide to bird watching. Click here to buy
Hickey, Joseph J.
$10.00
Octavo, softcover, 296 pp.
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A guide to bird watching. Click here to buy
Hickey, Joseph J.
$15.00
Octavo, 264 pp. text illustrations, sound secondhand copy in worn dustwrapper.
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A guide to bird watching. Click here to buy
Hickey, Joseph J.
$10.00
Octavo, 264 pp. text illustrations, some wear to cover, lacking dustwrapper.
A history of ornithology. Click here to buy
Bircham, Peter.
$75.00
Octavo, paperback, 484 pp., colour illustrations. BRAND NEW.
New Naturalist. What did we know about birds a thousand years ago, and how has our understanding developed? This book offers a complete history of birdwatching in Britain from 1066 to the mid-1970's. Also available in hardcover [stock id 26827].
A history of ornithology. Click here to buy
Bircham, Peter.
$130.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 482 pp. BRAND NEW.
New Naturalist. What did we know about birds a thousand years ago, and how has our understanding developed? This book offers a complete history of birdwatching in Britain from 1066 to the mid-1970's. Also available in paperback [stock id 26826].
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A passion for birds. Click here to buy
Soper, Tony.
$30.00
Small quarto, dustwrapper, 208 pp., colour photographs.
(ISBN: 0715392298) (EAN: 9780715392294)
All things reconsidered: my birding adventures, Roger Tory Peterson. Click here to buy
Thompson, Bill, editor.
$50.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 354 pp., colour photographs.
Ten years after Roger Tory Peterson?s death, his unique perspective on birding comes to life in these highly personal narratives. Here he relates his adventures during a lifetime of birding and travelling the world to observe and record nature.
Anoraks to Zitting Cisticola: a whole lot of stuff about birdwatching. Click here to buy
Dooley, Sean.
$25.00
Octavo, paperback, 192 pp. BRAND NEW.
A limited number of SIGNED copies are available. Following the success of The big twitch, Sean Dooley presents a guide to the secret world of birdwatching from how to look cool in binoculars to how not to get stuck with a bird bore. He covers varied topics such as how to start your own bird list, what not to wear, whether birds have penises and lots more. Using an alphabetic template, it's an insight into the language, behaviour, haunts and habits of both birders and birds. Ranging far and wide, Sean covers birdwatching from the perspective of environmental issues, politics, literature, sociology and ornithology, all with a deft touch that both informs and entertains. So whether it's A for Anoraks, P for Parabolic Grot, S for Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet contains the first argument over bird identification ever recorded) or G for Gonads, this A-Z is a must for the amateur, the wannabe or fanatical birdwatcher. And it's guaranteed to keep even the most casual bird nerd amused. (ISBN: 1741752728) (EAN: 9781741752724)
Around the world with 1000 birds. Click here to buy
Boyman, Russell.
$25.00
Octavo, paperback, 272 pp., colour illustrations.
What could possibly compel a man in his early 40's to give it all up? Birds. A thousand of them. For Russell Boyman the choice was easy. No more sweaty commuter trains and stressful job. Bring on the chance of a lifetime - the last chance - to explore new countries, meet new people and indulge a lifelong passion for birds and wildlife. That was an easy dream. There was just one snag: the timing. If he left his business now he would lose a small fortune to his partners. So every day for the next three years he dreamt about and devised his journey of a lifetime. The goal: to pursue 1000 birds in their natural habitat and walk in the landscapes of every wildlife documentary he had ever watched. From the Amazon jungle and the African Savannah to the glaciers of New Zealand, Russell savoured the splendours of the natural world. But did he see his 1000 birds? Did he succumb to the pleasures of the Orient? What were the strange noises coming from the chalet next door deep in the Indian jungle? Why was there an antelope in his shower? And which bird made him fly halfway across the world for a weekend?, In Around the World with 1000 Birds an ordinary man finds an extraordinary answer to his mid-life crisis. It is a voyage of emotions and experiences which provides for us all a fascinating insight into the calming influence and inspiration that nature provides for those who will take the time to stop and see the world around them.
Arrivals and rivals: a duel for the winning bird. Click here to buy
Riley, Adrian M.
$35.00
Octavo, paperback, 180 pp., colour photographs. BRAND NEW.
An account of competitive twitching by two leading British birders, this book describes in an informed and lively manner the struggle in 2002 to become nationally recognised 'Birder of the Year', a competition involving much travelling and sometimes a little guile too. It contains accounts of the many bird species encountered, as well as descriptions of the habitats visited - some wild, some urban. It is also a story of the competition between the two main birders in the field, the author and his arch rival Lee Evans (author of Finding Birds in Britain). The competition they engaged in was indeed a close-run thing, with both men traversing the length and breadth of Britain looking for rare and exotic species to add to their lists. (ISBN: 0954334795) (EAN: 9780954334796)
Beguiled by birds: Ian Wallace on British birdwatching. Click here to buy
Wallace, Ian.
$85.00
Large octavo, dustwrapper, 272 pp., colour illustrations, colour and black and white photographs. BRAND NEW.
Looks at British birdwatching, particularly over the last 125 years. (ISBN: 0713665351) (EAN: 9780713665352)
Bird identification and fieldcraft: a birdwatcher's guide. Click here to buy
Ward, Mark.
$25.00
Large octavo, paperback, 128 pp., colour photographs, colour illustrations. BRAND NEW.
This book shows how easy birdwatching can be, by improving key skills in various ways. Identification is discussed first, before more advanced topics are introduced, such as the changing of certain species appearances throughout the year. Other subjects that are explored include fieldcraft, the specialist skills that all birders need during different seasons, and details on what to do, what to look for and how to make the most of each birdwatching trip. Superb photos and artworks, many specially commissioned, accompany the text. This book offers invaluable information, hints and tips usually only gleaned through years of experience, and very rarely found in print form. (ISBN: 1847731376) (EAN: 9781847731371)
Birders: tales of a tribe. Click here to buy
Cocker, Mark.
$50.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 230 pp. BRAND NEW.
Birders is the story of the obsessional birdwatching community, of its characters, its rules, its equipment and its adventures, many of which are hilariously funny. Bill Oddie says of Birders "At last! An up-to-date examination of what makes birders tick. And about time too! Wonderfully written." (ISBN: 0224060023) (EAN: 9780224060028)
Birders: tales of a tribe. Click here to buy
Cocker, Mark.
$12.00
WAS $25.00Octavo, paperback, 230 pp., remainder mark.
WAS $25. Birders is the story of the obsessional birdwatching community, of its characters, its rules, its equipment and its adventures, many of which are hilariously funny. Bill Oddie says of Birders "At last! An up-to-date examination of what makes birders tick. And about time too! Wonderfully written." (ISBN: 0802139965) (EAN: 9780802139962)
Birding on borrowed time. Click here to buy
Snetsinger, Phoebe and Douglas H. Pratt.
$35.00
Octavo, paperback, 307 pp., colour illustrations. BRAND NEW.
Birders will be the audience for this autobiography of Snetsinger (d.1999), who travelled widely and saw an unprecedented 8,000 types of birds in her lifetime. The narrative chronicles her travel experiences and her struggle with cancer, but the main focus is always the search for and eventual sighting. (ISBN: 1878788418) (EAN: 9781878788412)
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Bird-Lore: an illustrated bi-monthly magazine devoted to the study and protection of birds [volume 22]. Click here to buy
Chapman, Frank M., editor.
$45.00
Octavo, colour plates, text illustrations. Cloth bound, some yellowing and spotting of end-papers, minor blemishes a very good copy.
Later known as the Audubon, official organ of the Audubon Societies.
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Bird-Lore: an illustrated bi-monthly magazine devoted to the study and protection of birds [volume 29]. Click here to buy
Chapman, Frank M., editor.
$45.00
Octavo, colour plates, text illustrations. Cloth bound, some yellowing of end-papers, minor blemishes a very good copy.
Later known as the Audubon, official organ of the Audubon Societies.
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Bird-Lore: an illustrated bi-monthly magazine devoted to the study and protection of birds [volume 34]. Click here to buy
Chapman, Frank M., editor.
$45.00
Octavo, colour plates, text illustrations. Cloth bound, some yellowing of end-papers, minor blemishes a very good copy.
Later known as the Audubon, official organ of the Audubon Societies.
Birds and people: bonds in a timeless journey. Click here to buy
Collar, Nigel J. et al.
$95.00
Large quarto, dustwrapper, 360 pp., colour photographs.
A portfolio drawn from the world's greatest bird photographers drives the message of this book home. The book is split into five chapters looking at all aspects of human's relationship with birds. The first looks the place birds occupy in our culture - both ancient and modern and the second looks at the influence of birds in art. Then there is the use of birds for food, feathers and fertilisers; leading onto to the many ways we benefit from birds. Pest control, pollination and the growth of bird tourism - enabling some of the world's poorest countries to benefit from their rich and diverse avifauna. The final chapter explores what we can learn from studying bird behaviour; their changing habits, such as shifting their ranges closer to the poles are tangible evidence of climate change.
Birds by colour. Click here to buy
Duquet, Marc.
$40.00
Octavo, paperback, 224 pp., colour illustrations. BRAND NEW.
You've just seen a small black and white bird, but which species is it? Which bird has a red head and a yellow wing? "Birds by Colour" helps you to identify almost 200 bird species common to western Europe simply by their shape and colour. Conceived and designed specifically for beginners, this is the first guide to approach identification from birds' most visible characteristics: their colours. No prior knowledge of ornithology is required to use the guide. 184 species have been classified according to the most typical bird shapes. Then groups of species that share physical characteristics and have similar colours are treated together on a spread, illustrated side by side to allow direct comparison.In the second half of the book, each featured bird has its own shortfield guide entry, including information on their biology, behaviour, habitat and distribution. Each field guide entry is illustrated by a colour photograph and the artworks from the first half of the guide and details the best times and locations for observing the species.
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Birds in the Garden Click here to buy
Mockler, Mike
$30.00
Quarto, dustwrapper, 160 pp., colour photographs.
(ISBN: 1850792178) (EAN: 9781850792178)
Birdwatching: all the tips and techniques you need to get into birdwatching. Click here to buy
Hume, Rob and Dominic Couzens.
$15.00
WAS $30.00Octavo, paperback, 192 pp., colour photographs.
WAS $30. A guide to observing and identifying the birds. This highly illustrated, practical reference provides you with all the information you need to discover birds, including details on size, distinguishing features, seasonal changes, and habitat. The book includes sections on choosing the right equipment; basic techniques for getting started; essentials on identifying birds; and a glossary of terms. (ISBN: 0060849894) (EAN: 9780060849894)
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Crow country. Click here to buy
Cocker, Mark.
$33.00
Octavo, paperback, 224 pp. BRAND NEW.
Rooks and jackdaws are both members of the same bird family. To ornithologists the group is known as the corvids, to the layperson they are 'crows'. This is a prose poem in a tradition of English pastoral writing. It is also a celebration of the Norfolk countryside, of its oceanic flatness, its immense skies and of the human intimacies. Also available in hardcover [stock id 27374]. (ISBN: 0099485087) (EAN: 9780099485087)
Crow country: a meditation on birds, landscape and nature. Click here to buy
Cocker, Mark.
$60.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 216 pp. BRAND NEW.
Rooks and jackdaws are both members of the same bird family. To ornithologists the group is known as the corvids, to the layperson they are 'crows'. This is a prose poem in a tradition of English pastoral writing. It is also a celebration of the Norfolk countryside, of its oceanic flatness, its immense skies and of the human intimacies. Also available in paperback [stock id 27373]. (ISBN: 0224076019) (EAN: 9780224076012)
Fifty places to go birding before you die: birding experts share the world's greatest destinations. Click here to buy
Santella, Chris.
$45.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 222 pp., colour photographs. BRAND NEW.
The author presents some of the greatest birdwatching places in the United States and around the world through interviews with prominent birders, from tour leaders and conservationists to ornithologists and academics. Interviewees include ornithologist Kenn Kaufman; David Allen Sibley, author and illustrator of The Sibley guide to birds; Rose Ann Rowlett, the "mother of modern birding"; John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; and Steve McCormick, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. (ISBN: 1584796294) (EAN: 9781584796299)
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Gone birding. Click here to buy
Oddie, Bill.
$40.00
Octavo, 180 pp., illustrations, fine copy in dustwrapper.
(ISBN: 0413518604) (EAN: 9780413518606)
Growing up with Australian birds: the personal journey of Raoul Slater. Click here to buy
Slater, Raoul.
$60.00
Large octavo, dustwrapper, 160 pp., colour photographs. BRAND NEW.
A personal journey of one of the country's most respected birders, Raoul Slater. Raoul has dedicated most of his life to the photography and study of Australian birds, capturing their incredible beauty on film, recording their unique behaviour in books and sharing here his experiences as a birder with unwavering honesty compassion and humour. (ISBN: 1741932246) (EAN: 9781741932249)
How to watch a bird. Click here to buy
Braunias, Steve.
$25.00
Octavo, paperback, 160 pp., line drawings.
Kingbird highway: the biggest year in the life of an extreme birder. Click here to buy
Kaufman, Kenn.
$25.00
Octavo, paperback, 320 pp., black and white illustrations. BRAND NEW.
One of America's leading birders recounts his trek across the country at the age of sixteen in search of birds, his efforts to set a record for the most North American species seen in a year, and how he gained a deeper understanding of the natural world. (ISBN: 0618709401) (EAN: 9780618709403)
National Geographic birding essentials: all the tools, techniques, and tips you need to begin and become a better birder. Click here to buy
Alderfer, Jonathan and Jon Dunn.
$25.00
Octavo, paperback, 224 pp., colour photographs, colour illustrations, maps. BRAND NEW.
For the beginning and intermediate birders, this guide is a comprehensive and authoritative, yet engaging and user-friendly guide that teaches readers how to get started in and improve their birding, what to look for, and how to make sense of what they see and hear in the field. The book's visual component includes spreads that show actual field guide pages and how to read them, spreads that compare the same bird in photography versus artwork and explain how to use both in your birding, and hundreds of colour photographs, illustrations, and maps. (ISBN: 1426201354) (EAN: 9781426201356)
National Geographic guide to birdwatching sites: Western U.S. Click here to buy
White, Mel.
$20.00
WAS $40.00Octavo, paperback, 240 pp., colour photographs.
WAS $40.00
Of a feather: a brief history of American birding. Click here to buy
Weidensaul, Scott.
$38.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 358 pp., illustrations. BRAND NEW.
From the moment Europeans arrived in North America, they were awestruck by a continent awash with birds--great flocks of wild pigeons, prairies teeming with grouse, woodlands alive with brilliantly coloured songbirds. This book traces the colourful origins of American birding: the frontier ornithologists who collected eggs between border skirmishes; the society matrons who organized the first effective conservation movement; and the luminaries with checkered pasts, such as Alexander Wilson (a convicted blackmailer) and the endlessly self-mythologizing John James Audubon. Scott Weidensaul also recounts the explosive growth of modern birding that began when an awkward schoolteacher named Roger Tory Peterson published A Field Guide to the Birds in 1934. Today birding counts iPod-wearing teens and obsessive "listers" among its tens of millions of participants, making what was once an eccentric hobby into something so completely mainstream it's now (almost) cool. This compulsively readable popular history will surely find a roost on every birder's shelf.
On sparrows and man: a love-hate relationship. Click here to buy
Summers-Smith, J. Denis.
$50.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 112 pp., colour photographs and illustrations. BRAND NEW.
Of all the wild birds, none are more closely associated with man than the sparrows. In this book, his fifth on sparrows, Denis Summers-Smith sets out to explore this relationship from both sides: how the birds have exploited man and in his turn how much, and in many diverse ways, man has been affected by these birds that so obtrude on our lives. This is a book not only for bird-watchers, but also anyone with an interest in our natural environment.
Pete Dunne on bird watching: the how-to, where-to, and when-to of birding.; Click here to buy
Dunne, Pete.
$12.00
WAS $24.00Octavo, paperback, 334 pp., illustrations.
WAS $24. (ISBN: 0395906865) (EAN: 9780395906866)
Petrels night and day: a sound approach guide. Click here to buy
Robb, Magnus and Killian Mullarney.
$110.00
Quarto, laminated boards and CD, 300 pp., colour photographs, maps, sonograms. BRAND NEW.
Covers the Petrels of Europe and North Africa. Includes digital stereo recordings of 23 species of petrels nesting on islets, islands and coasts of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. You will learn how to separate them by ear, with the help of clearly annotated sonograms. You can read the author's tales of making the recordings, and learn where to go to experience the birds. There are many colour photographs taken at the same time as the recordings. Includes 127 new recordings on two CDs. (ISBN: 9081093320) (EAN: 9789081093323)
Remarkable birds: 100 of the world's most unmissable birds. Click here to buy
Moss, Stephen.
$55.00
Quarto, dustwrapper, 208 pp., colour photographs.
Published in association with BirdLife International. Beautiful photographs support fascinating text which explores the cultural associations of our favourite species and what exactly makes them species. There are also some less well-known species included with interesting conservation stories. The author has been an active birdwatcher all his life and has written several books on the subject.
RSPB guide to birdwatching: a step-by-step approach. Click here to buy
Chandler, David et al.
$35.00
Octavo, paperback, 176 pp., colour illustrations, colour photographs. BRAND NEW.
FORTHCOMING, due December 2008. Inspired by the RSPB's learnbirding.com website this great new book will launch beginner birders of all ages into the world of birds and birdwatching. The book has been split into six sections which cover: principles of identification and tips on making notes and recording; birdwatching equipment and field skills; how birds are built, how they work and where they come from; behaviour including breeding, feeding, migration and adaptation; bird habitats and distribution; how to help wild birds in your garden and beyond, current threats to birds and how to get involved in conservation. (ISBN: 0713679433) (EAN: 9780713679434)
Secret lives of British birds. Click here to buy
Couzens, Dominic.
$45.00
Quarto, paperback, 160 pp., colour illustrations, colour photographs. BRAND NEW.
Takes the reader on a trip around Britain's principal habitats, which looks beyond the confines of our gardens to expose the world of some our familiar birds. This work shows the secrets of romance from Mute Swans, the perfect father in the Guillemot, the estranged couple (of Chiffchaffs) who share the same territory, and more., Britain's birds are among the best loved in the world, and also among the best studied. In recent times, these studies, rather like tabloid exclusives, have thrown up some surprising revelations and sullied a few reputations in the process. They have, above all, demonstrated that many of our birds lead much more complex lives than we previously thought. Following in the footsteps of the bestselling "Secret Lives of Garden Birds", this trip around Britain's principal habitats looks beyond the confines of our gardens and parks to expose the extraordinary hidden world of some our most familiar birds. We learn the secrets of romance from Mute Swans, meet the perfect father in the Guillemot, the estranged couple (of Chiffchaffs) who share the same territory, and enter the bizarre, high-rise society of the Dotterel in which women rule. We also meet the ultimate killers, both by day (Peregrine) and by night (Barn Owl), and encounter the only true living monster in Scotland. At the same time, we find out how all these birds cope with living in seemingly inhospitable habitats such as muddy estuaries, lonely moorland or open ocean., Dominic Couzens is an acclaimed writer and bird tour leader, whose popular monthly columns in BBC Wildlife and Birdwatching magazines have brought a fresh and dynamic approach to writing about birds and birdwatching. His previous publications include "Identifying Birds by Behaviour" and "Secret Lives of Garden Birds". Peter Partington's painting is widely admired for the uniquely vibrant and fluid style in which he captures the essence of bird behaviour. His previous publications include "Learn to Draw Birds" and Secret Lives of Garden Birds."
Sibley's birding basics. Click here to buy
Sibley, David Allen.
$32.00
Octavo, paperback, 154 pp., colour illustrations.
Focusing on the general characteristics that influence the appearance of all birds and thus give us clues to their identity, this book shows how to identify birds using the clues in feathers, habitats, behaviours, and sounds.
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Ten-year index to The Auk; volumes 98-107, 1981-1990. Click here to buy
Monroe, Burt L. Jr.
$10.00
Octavo, wrappers, 267pp., minor blemishes, a fine copy.
The big twitch: one man, one continent, a race against time - a true story about birdwatching. Click here to buy
Dooley, Sean.
$27.00
Octavo, paperback, 322 pp. BRAND NEW.
This is the story of a quest to see 700 Australian birds in a year. Sean Dooley has had quite a few successes under his belt and seems reasonably well adjusted, but for some reason he's carried his childhood hobby of birdwatching into his adult life. The cross he bears, socially, is that he's a twitcher (an extreme form of birdwatching where birders charge around the country trying to add as many species of bird to their list as possible). After both his parents died, he blew his inheritance on taking a year off to try and see 700 birds in a year. He was determined to break the Australian twitching record. Part confessional and part travelogue, this is a true story about obsession. The characters who populate the tale are weirdos, the action comes from the pursuit of a dream and the attempt to break a national record. It's about trying to work out what normal is and to find the meaning of life. It's refreshingly original, it's poignant and very amusing. "I have just finishing reading it and this book is a gem! I laughed, cried and wept tears. It is brilliant." Jim Downey, former CEO Birds Australia. (ISBN: 1741145287) (EAN: 9781741145281)
The big year: a tale of man, nature and fowl obsession. Click here to buy
Obmascik, Mark.
$25.00
Octavo, paperback. 318 pp.
An account of the competition known as 'the Big Year' - the gruelling, expensive, no-holds-barred race to identify the most species in North America in a single year.
The big year: a tale of man, nature, and fowl obsession. Click here to buy
Obmascik, Mark.
$15.00
WAS $25.00Octavo, paperback, 268 pp.
WAS $25.00 Ever since Roger Tory Peterson recorded seeing and hearing a total of 572 bird species in North America in 1953, fanatical bird watchers have pursued the "big year," hoping for a record number of observations. In 1998, Sandy Komito, Al Levantin, and Greg Miller each sought to break Komito's standing record of 721. Mark Obmascik dramatically and hilariously relates how the El Niņo year, with amazing numbers of lost, rare birds blown into North America, fueled an intense yet gentlemanly competition that has yet to be surpassed in the birding world. (ISBN: 0965901343) (EAN: 9780965901345)
The call of the country. Click here to buy
O'Shea, Brian.
$40.00
Octavo, paperback, 314 pp., black and white illustrations. BRAND NEW.
The story of the rural environment as seen through the eyes of a life-long birdwatcher. It is a nostalgic return to childhood haunts remembered from the early post war days; a journey of discovery to find how the countryside and its birds have changed. From a base in the heart of England, the author revisits fascinating habitats across the land. A book of exploration, The call of the country offers delightful descriptions of birds and the countryside whilst conveying a serious conservation message. (ISBN: 0953811557) (EAN: 9780953811557)
The sound approach to birding: a guide to understanding bird sound. Click here to buy
Constantine, Mark and The Sound Approach.
$95.00
Quarto, laminated boards and CD, 192 pp., colour photographs, sonograms. BRAND NEW.
A step-by-step guide through tone, pitch, rhythm, reading sonograms, acoustics and using sound to sex and age birds. The book explains how bird sounds are often the first indication of previously unrecognised taxonomic splits, and explains how to identify them. The book comes with two CDs with over 200 stereo bird song samples from all over the world. (ISBN: 9081093312) (EAN: 9789081093316)
This birding life: the best of the guardian's birdwatch. Click here to buy
Moss, Stephen.
$25.00
Octavo, paperback, 216 pp., illustrations. BRAND NEW.
Designed and illustrated with line drawings, this work is a chronicle of how one person's hobby has endured and evolved and in turn enriched a whole life. Aurum's first collaboration with Guardian Books, "A Lifetime of Mountains", a collection of Harry Griffin's much-loved "Country Diary", was a beautiful book and a significant sales success, with 11,000 copies sold. For its second Guardian book, Aurum collects another popular "Guardian" column, this time by an Aurum author whose last book was a critical and sales success. Stephen Moss is the author of "A Bird in the Bush: A Social History of Birdwatching", which has sold over 8000 copies already and been praised by John Carey in the "Sunday Times" and by Simon Barnes, author of "How to be a Bad Birdwatcher". Moss's 'Birdwatch' column has over the years included nostalgic reminiscences on birdwatching as a child, accounts of birding expeditions to places as farflung as St Kilda and even Antarctica, of birding on his honeymoon in the Gambia, the birds on his garden feeder and, recently, introducing his toddler son to a first awareness of birds. Now, the best of these 'Birdwatch' columns are collected into a beautiful miniature hardback, tastefully designed and illustrated with line drawings, and together they build into a touching and fascinating chronicle of how one person's hobby has endured and evolved and in turn enriched a whole life. Also available in hardcover [stock id 25121]. (ISBN: 1845133609) (EAN: 9781845133603)
This birding life: the best of the guardian's birdwatch. Click here to buy
Moss, Stephen.
$30.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 216 pp., illustrations. BRAND NEW.
Designed and illustrated with line drawings, this work is a chronicle of how one person's hobby has endured and evolved and in turn enriched a whole life. Aurum's first collaboration with Guardian Books, "A Lifetime of Mountains", a collection of Harry Griffin's much-loved "Country Diary", was a beautiful book and a significant sales success, with 11,000 copies sold. For its second Guardian book, Aurum collects another popular "Guardian" column, this time by an Aurum author whose last book was a critical and sales success. Stephen Moss is the author of "A Bird in the Bush: A Social History of Birdwatching", which has sold over 8000 copies already and been praised by John Carey in the "Sunday Times" and by Simon Barnes, author of "How to be a Bad Birdwatcher". Moss's 'Birdwatch' column has over the years included nostalgic reminiscences on birdwatching as a child, accounts of birding expeditions to places as farflung as St Kilda and even Antarctica, of birding on his honeymoon in the Gambia, the birds on his garden feeder and, recently, introducing his toddler son to a first awareness of birds. Now, the best of these 'Birdwatch' columns are collected into a beautiful miniature hardback, tastefully designed and illustrated with line drawings, and together they build into a touching and fascinating chronicle of how one person's hobby has endured and evolved and in turn enriched a whole life. Also available in paperback [stock id 27936]. (ISBN: 1845131800) (EAN: 9781845131807)
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Time to fly: exploring bird migration. Click here to buy
Flegg, Jim.
$40.00
Octavo, paperback, 184 pp., colour photographs, maps.
Captures the magic of migration among birds in seven familiar habitats in Britain. He investigates when, why and how this frenetic activity takes place and the hazards that migrants may encounter on their often prodigious travels. Nearly one hundred maps illustrate the migratory journeys of birds as diverse as Manx shearwaters and Chaffinches, House martins and Cuckoos. A fascinating read for birdwatchers. (ISBN: 1904870082) (EAN: 9781904870081)
To see every bird on earth: a father, a son and a lifelong obsession. Click here to buy
Koeppel, Dan.
$35.00
Octavo, dustwrapper, 278 pp. BRAND NEW.
This title explores the thrill of the chase and the quest to see every bird on Earth, at the expense of all else. To travel to places exotic, dangerous and commonplace, It's also the story of obsession and how it defines us. There are nearly 10,000 known species of bird on the planet and Richard Koeppel, the author's father, has seen over 7,000 of them. But what drives a man to travel to sixty countries and spend a fortune to count birds? (ISBN: 071814760X) (EAN: 9780718147600)
To see every bird on earth: a father, a son, and a lifelong obsession. Click here to buy
Koeppel, Dan.
$12.00
WAS $25.00Octavo, paperback, 278 pp.
WAS $25. From a well-known outdoors and nature writer comes a narrative that explores a lifelong obsession with competitive birding. What drives a man to travel to sixty countries and spend a fortune to count birds? And what if that man is your father? Richard Koeppel's obsession began at age twelve, in Queens, New York, when he first spotted a Brown Thrasher, and jotted the sighting in a notebook. Several decades, one failed marriage, and two sons later, he set out to see every bird on earth, becoming a member of a subculture of competitive bird watchers worldwide all pursuing the same goal. Over twenty-five years, he collected over seven thousand species, becoming one of about ten people ever to do so. (ISBN: 0452285399) (EAN: 9780452285392)
To see every bird on Earth: a father, a son, and a lifelong obsession. Click here to buy
Koeppel, Dan.
$18.00
WAS $40.00Octavo, dustwrapper, 278 pp.
WAS $40. From a well-known outdoors and nature writer comes a narrative that explores a lifelong obsession with competitive birding. (ISBN: 1594630011) (EAN: 9781594630019)
UK500: birding in the fast lane. Click here to buy
Hanlon, James.
$30.00
Octavo, paperback, 128 pp., colour illustrations.
An account of the author's quest to record 500 plus bird species found in the British Isles. Complimented by his own paintings, drawings and photographs, this book recounts car crashes, stormy sea crossings, and a coastguard rescue during his travels.
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Ultimate birding: a guide to the world's top 100 birdwatching sites. Click here to buy
Couzens, Dominic.
$105.00
Quarto, paperback, 320 pp., colour photographs, maps. BRAND NEW.
FORTHCOMING, due December 2008. For both the globe trotting birdwatcher and the armchair enthusiast. Features detailed accounts of the best birdwatching sites in the world, giving background and first-hand experience of what you can find there. Each is ranked from one to 100. The expertly written and very readable text is backed up by lavish photos of the birds and scenery at each of the chosen hot-spots, including rare images of amazing species and some of the world's best avian spectacles such as the Snow goose 'blizzard' at Bosque del Apache and the swarms of Lesser flamingos on Africa's Rift Valley Lakes. Coverage is global, with sites from across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, North and South America and Antarctica. (ISBN: 1847731090) (EAN: 9781847731098)
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Watching birds. Click here to buy
Fisher, James.
$10.00
Octavo, 224 pp., photographs, lacks dustwrapper.
Where to watch birds in Asia. Click here to buy
Wheatley, Nigel.
$20.00
WAS $70.00Octavo, laminated boards, 463 pp., 104 maps, illustrations.
WAS $70.00 Deals with over 250 sites in detail. (ISBN: 0691012148) (EAN: 9780691012148)
Where to watch birds in Australasia and Oceania. Click here to buy
Wheatley, Nigel.
$50.00
Octavo, laminated boards, 448 pp., text illustrations, more than 100 maps. BRAND NEW.
Describes over 200 sites in detail and many more in passing. The primary aim is to help birders make the most of their trips, detailing the endemic and 'special' birds found at each site.
Where to watch birds in Central America and the Caribbean. Click here to buy
Wheatley, Nigel and David Brewer.
$55.00
Octavo, paperback, 432 pp., line drawings, maps.
This guide follows a format familiar to readers of this very popular series. Each site is considered in terms of habitat, timing, access and calendar, allowing birders to plan excursions to maximise the chances of getting the best out of each site and each region. The book includes detailed maps of the larger sites, plus general maps of the regions covered, and it is illustrated with line drawings.
Where to watch birds in Europe and Russia. Click here to buy
Wheatley, Nigel.
$50.00
Octavo, paperback, 416 pp., maps, illustrations. BRAND NEW.
Deals with 250 sites in detail, from Iceland to Ussuriland in southeast Russia. (ISBN: 0713648708) (EAN: 9780713648706)
Where to watch birds in South America. Click here to buy
Wheatley, Nigel.
$60.00
Octavo, laminated boards, 431 pp., 100 maps, illustrations.
Includes more than 200 of the best sites for birds on the South American continent, with sections on the archipelagos of Trinidad and Tobago, the Galapagos and Falkland Islands, the Netherland Antilles, and part of Antarctica.
Where to watch birds: world cities. Click here to buy
Milne, Paul.
$48.00
Octavo, paperback, 496 pp., text illustrations, maps.
Following the familiar Where to watch birds style, this guide covers top birding sites which are within easy travelling distance of 60 of the world's largest city centres. It includes detailed travel and access information as well as overviews of the sites' habitats, species likely to be seen, and advice on the best times to visit. All birders enjoy the excitement of birding abroad. However, many overseas trips are for business or for family holidays, and birding opportunities may be frustratingly brief. This book is aimed at all birders who would like to make the most of their trips abroad, even when birding time is limited. Following the familiar Where to Watch Birds style, it covers top birding sites which are within easy travelling distance of 60 of the world's largest city centres. It includes detailed travel and access information as well as overviews of the sites' habitats, species likely to be seen, and advice on the best times to visit. Armed with this guide, a travelling birder will easily be able to plan an enjoyable few hours of birding, perhaps between meetings or connecting flights, even in an unfamiliar country.