This is an exploration of an overlooked but very British habitat – the temperate rainforest. It’s understandable that it is much neglected, there’s not that much of it left and it is, as the name suggests, found in the soggiest places in the north and west of the UK. Its denizens are the fungi, ferns,…
Tag: William Collins
Sunday book review – In Search of One Last Song by Patrick Galbraith
This book, out of 55 I reviewed in 2022, was the title I chose as my wildlife book of the year – I recommend it highly. You can buy this book from Bookshop.org and I have set up a booklist to make that easy through this link https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/MarkAvery Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org…
Sunday book review – Beak, Tooth and Claw by Mary Colwell
I have found this book a difficult one to review because I like and admire the author but I dislike and don’t admire the book. What follows is a review of the book, not of the author. It’s a book about predators in the UK – so raptors, Red Foxes, Badgers, seals get lots of…
Sunday book review – Restoring the Wild by Roy Dennis
Roy Dennis is a ‘name’ in ornithology and nature conservation – he was the warden of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory from 1964-70 (following Ken Williamson and Peter Davis), the RSPB’s person in the Highlands (under various job titles) from 1970-90 and, ever since, an independent conservationist mostly involved with species reintroductions and habitat restoration….
Sunday book review – A Curious Boy by Richard Fortey
I’m not very familiar with Richard Fortey, not having read any of his previous books nor, as best as I can recall, seen him on TV. So I came to read his book of memoirs uncluttered by preconceptions. This book is about Fortey’s childhood through to young adulthood and about the role of natural history…
Sunday book review – Orchard by Benedict Macdonald and Nicholas Gates
This book is about an orchard and its wildlife. Month by month the two authors describe aspects of the orchard’s year. It sounds a nice place with its ancient trees and rich wildlife. As you travel through the pages then you may well wish you were there – I did. I enjoyed hearing about the…
Sunday book review – Who Owns England? by Guy Shrubsole
I’ve been looking forward to reading this book and it hasn’t disappointed me – I recommend it. I went to the book launch on Tuesday and drank red wine, met some friends and we all sang The Manchester Rambler which was fun. But I was keen to discover what Guy had found out and how….
Guest blog – New Year, New Moon Bird by Kerri ni Dochartaigh
Kerri ní Dochartaigh is a writer who grew up during the Troubles that ravaged Ireland. She lives in a very northwesterly part of the island, where the sky is grey and unbearably beautiful. She writes about nature, literature, place, beauty, grieving and healing. She writes at her kitchen table with the back door open; even…
Sunday book review – Curlew Moon by Mary Colwell
Yesterday was World Curlew Day. Everybody likes Curlews these days. GWCT and Curlew Country want your money to save the Curlew, BTO want your money to save the Curlew and RSPB is spending over a million pounds over five years on Curlews but isn’t gagging for your money it seems! Wow! The author of Curlew…
Bird Fair books – review – Farming and Birds by Ian Newton
I sometimes wonder how many New Naturalists are read rather than collected as an investment – well this one should be read. Ian Newton has never produced a duff book – his works are characterised by clarity and suffused by a deep knowledge of the biology of the subjects on which he writes. This one…