‘I never paid much attention to pigeons until one defecated on me’ is not a bad opening line for a book. This book is about the interaction between pigeons and people – which of the two gets more defecated upon? Domesticated pigeons, and urban feral pigeons, are derived from the Rock Dove but are normally…
Category: BOOK REVIEWS
Sunday Book Review – The Twitch by Kevin Parr
This is one of two books I bought in Oxford the week before last. The first was in the shop window and caught my eye so I went inside and then this cover and title caught my eye so I bought it too. Both purchases were testaments to the power of advertising – or communication. …
Sunday Book Review – The Birds of Berkshire by Bucknell et al.
Yet another county avifauna piggybacking on the back of the BTO/BWI/SOC Atlas? Of course, and how lucky we are to be deluged with such a large number of these excellent works. Some chap writes at the front of this book ‘Everyone, who has contributed to this splendid work, deserves the highest praise.’ and he is…
Sunday Book Review – Ten Thousand Birds: ornithology since Darwin by Tim Birkhead, Jo Wimpenny and Bob Montgomerie
This is a wonderful book. It might not appeal to everybody but it is right up my street and it will be a book to which I return, often, over many years. It’s about the study of birds, and the contribution made by ornithologists (and birds!) to our understanding of evolution, population regulation, sexual selection,…
Sunday Book Review – The Birds of Buckinghamshire by the Bucks Bird Club
Although this is described as the 2nd edition of the book of 1993 it is much, much more than just a revamp. This edition includes data from the recent atlassing frenzy and so it is pretty much up to date (and was published in 2012). Buckinghamshire is one of those mysterious counties as far as…
Sunday book review – Our Once and Future Planet by Paddy Woodworth
I really wanted to like this book but I couldn’t quite do it. It’s about restoring habitats – a subject on which I am very keen – and I have the feeling that I would enjoy a couple of beers with Mr Woodworth, but his book didn’t move me or thrill me. I’ve had it…
Sunday book review – Bird Populations by Ian Newton
Prof Ian Newton FRS has been described as the UK’s greatest living ornithologist and there is nothing in this book to dent that assessment. In his clear and precise way, Ian Newton explains the factors that affect, determine and regulate bird population levels. There are plenty of examples which illustrate the general principles. As Ian…
Sunday Book Review – And After That He Ate Them by Leon Hills
This book is for children but I enjoyed it, and I suspect younger children will too. A frog wanders around and comes across various other creatures, all of whom he engages in conversation before he eats them! The illustrations are big and bold and attractive. In each there are half a dozen hidden mini-beasts for…
Books of the year?
These are the 20 books that I have reviewed on this blog in the last 12 months. They will all be the perfect present for someone this Christmas – it’s just a case of matching the book to the person. The publication of The Atlas and Birds and People were both ‘events’ as well as…
Sunday Book Review – Bird Atlas 2007-11 by Dawn Balmer et al.
I’ve seen Andy Clements quoted as saying that this is the ‘most important British and Irish bird book for two decades‘ and once or twice thought – well, we’ll be the judge of that! And you must judge for yourself, but I would find it difficult to argue. And not only is this book important,…