Author Topic: Bird watching book  (Read 1652 times)

Ray 6701

  • SO @ T
    • Tamworth cycling club
Bird watching book
« on: 26 January, 2010, 05:34:53 pm »
Hello, could anyone recommend me a good british bird watching book.

Many thanks!
SR 2010/11/12/13/14/15
RRTY. PBP. LeJoG 1400. LEL.




Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #1 on: 26 January, 2010, 07:00:37 pm »
The Collins Bird Guide is the definitive reference these days. This is the hard cover version but it is also available in paperback.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Really Ancien

Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #2 on: 26 January, 2010, 07:13:31 pm »

Rig of Jarkness

  • An Englishman abroad
Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #3 on: 26 January, 2010, 07:14:53 pm »
Hello, could anyone recommend me a good british bird watching book.

Are you looking for one to carry about with you or for reference at home ?
Aero but not dynamic

Glosbiker

  • Gentleman Antiquarian
Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #4 on: 26 January, 2010, 07:17:15 pm »
The Collins Bird Guide Second Edition - very, very good and pocket sized even though hardback
Question everything, accept nothing.

Ray 6701

  • SO @ T
    • Tamworth cycling club
Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #5 on: 27 January, 2010, 10:32:41 am »
Hello, could anyone recommend me a good british bird watching book.

Are you looking for one to carry about with you or for reference at home ?

One of each would be nice but a small one for carrying about is what I would get first.
SR 2010/11/12/13/14/15
RRTY. PBP. LeJoG 1400. LEL.




Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #6 on: 27 January, 2010, 10:44:37 am »
The Collins Bird Guide Second Edition - very, very good and pocket sized even though hardback

Depends on how big your pockets are. It's quite a thick book even in paperback.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #7 on: 27 January, 2010, 03:53:17 pm »

Tourist Tony

  • Supermassive mobile flesh-toned black hole
Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #8 on: 30 January, 2010, 03:06:23 pm »
I have...a several of books. This one:
Amazon.co.uk:
is a good one.
This one I would also suggest:
Birds of Britain and Europe (Collins Field Guide): Amazon.co.uk: Roger Tory Peterson, Guy Mountfort, P. A. D. Hollom: Books

I have reservations about the Svensson one largely because of what seems like perverse name changes. Divers, for example, are given the American name of "loon" and one of my favourite little birds, the fan-tailed warbler, gets the rather ugly name "zitting cisticola" because the Americans use that name for a bird of their own.
A bit like Julie "Mary Poppins" singing about spoonfuls of sugar to a Turdus migratorius (yes, really) as opposed to an Erithacus rubecula. When are we going to stop calling it a robin and start saying something like red-breasted chat?

Wowbagger

  • Stout dipper
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Bird watching book
« Reply #9 on: 05 February, 2010, 05:20:07 pm »
Maybe a bit late but I've got two copies of this, in different sizes:-

RSPB Birds of Britain and Europe: Amazon.co.uk: Rob Hume: Books
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