Wildlife of Britain Magazine

[Dan Salter]

Forgive me people if im behind times and everyone knows about this ?...but...

was just having a browse online and came accross this uk wildlife based mag ! Wildlife of Britain ( Clever title?...)

Its going to be a weekly affair with a planned 52 issues this year ( you see?...they are clever!!)

Personally im quite excited...I do like BBC WILDLIFE but i no longer buy it as its only the uk wildlife articles that interest me and its often full of overseas stuff....but this little beauty is all english...and you get a binder eventually which im always a sucker for !.

Now i have looked around the site...cant work out if its subscription only or it will be on shop sale?...but i thought id give peeps a heads up ( they initially plan 52 issues unless there is a lot of interest/demand) and its only £1.99 a pop ! splendid..i feel like a kid again going to the newsagents for my reserved copies of "The Countryside Companion"

Dan
https://wildlife-of-britain.net/default.asp

[jdurbo]

I will have to look out for it.
Do you think it will about different things each time?

jen xxx

[Dan Salter]

Hi jen

Yes i guess so....if you click on "preview" there is a list of preview pages to look at and it says what issue they will appear in?....

I reckon as its a weekly not a monthly it wont be as thick ( as many pages ) as say BBC wildlife....but personally im so impatient it will be nice to get a new issue to read once a week!..

I think i may subscribe anyway....the 3 free gifts arent bad either...cheap bins to leave in the car glove box or on a window sill ( i wont leave my proper bins in the car)..a nestbox for my planned wildlife garden...an a dawn chorus cd....makes a change to get 3 useful gifts/promotions rather than say a keyring.....some wild bird pattern teatowls...and a handy luminous orange kagool to go wildlife watching with? ha ha

[jdurbo]

Sounds quite good then, might have to get it now.
I could do with learning more about wildlife.
jen xxx

[jdurbo]

Do you know when the first one comes out?
jen xxx

[Dan Salter]

You will probably learn just as much from using this forum...but yes it still looks like a good mag.
I cant work out if its already out or its subscription only but you can choose which issue to start your subscription from and i guess most obviously people will start from issue one.

and if you keep sending me those xxxx's ill tell you anything you like ha ha

[jdurbo]

I shall have a look for it tomorrow.
jen xxxxxxxxxxxxx he he

[rscott74]

Looked at the site and not impressed. It's preprinted and will not contain news/views. After a year you'll have paid £100. How much quality reading/reference material could you have bought instead? This site (FOC) and individual purchases seem like a better option to me.

[Gill Catton]

hmm yes I already get 'British Wildlife', 'BBC Wildlife', 'New Scientist' not to mention the magazines from my membership to the wildfowl and wetlands trust, RSPB, British Trust for Ornithology and Butterfly Conservation......

I'm not sure I have enough hours in the day!!

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by rscott74

Looked at the site and not impressed. It's preprinted and will not contain news/views. After a year you'll have paid £100. How much quality reading/reference material could you have bought instead? This site (FOC) and individual purchases seem like a better option to me.

I agree with you. It sounds very much like the Marshell cavendish publications that are advertised throughout the year. I collected one as a young lad about aircraft, an issue every fortnight for three years All the information was readily available in other books. After three years I hardly even opened the magazine but felt compelled to buy them to complete the set. As you correctly say the money you spend could be spent on much better books that are available.

It's up to the individual but I to will leave it in the news agent.


BWD

[Digiscoper62]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

...but this little beauty is all english...

Do you mean it covers just England? Or do you mean the English language?

cheers

[matt_xyz]

I would avoid this like the plague. It's not a weekly magazine that will run indefinitely, but just 52 issues which you're meant to collect. Aside from the free gifts in the 1st issue, the content in issues will be absolutely minimal. Plus this series was initially released some years ago, so it doesn't contain up-to-date news or information.

There are loads of these magazine series released every year along the lines of 'battleships of the world', 'learn to paint watercolours' etc etc. All a complete rip-off.

Matt

[rscott74]

It's a pity there isn't a monthly UK wildlife/nature magazine generally available. I'm interested in railways and there are about 6 mags on the shelf for enthusiasts - and more for steam/nostalgia/model buffs. I wonder why the publishers have ignored an expanding and relevant market?

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by rscott74

It's a pity there isn't a monthly UK wildlife/nature magazine generally available. I'm interested in railways and there are about 6 mags on the shelf for enthusiasts - and more for steam/nostalgia/model buffs. I wonder why the publishers have ignored an expanding and relevant market?

there is 'British Wildlife' which Gill refers to above, but I've never actually seen a copy. Is this aimed more at specialists rather than a general audience? I have had a subscription to BBC Wildlife for years and I do think it's a good read, but I do tend to be more interested in British wildlife.

Matt

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

there is 'British Wildlife' which Gill refers to above, but I've never actually seen a copy. Is this aimed more at specialists rather than a general audience? I have had a subscription to BBC Wildlife for years and I do think it's a good read, but I do tend to be more interested in British wildlife.

Matt

I suppose it is a little bit, there are very useful sections of habitat management/ restoration and a whole section on whats happening with the various groups of wildlife (mammals, birds, butterflies etc) getting a specific write up as to whats happened over each season for them, there are good regular and chuckle-worthy articles as well as very good book reviews and letters.

Its still very accessible I think I don't always read them as soon as they hit the mat but are very useful reference material with info on what crickets look like on bat sound if you've recorded them on your detector, perhaps an article on a specific group of hoverflies or grassland survey for example......

Sometimes they do in depth studies of various reserves, I like it a lot personally, something I shall remain subscribed to - plus its less depressing that BBC wildlife!!

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

there is 'British Wildlife' which Gill refers to above, but I've never actually seen a copy. Is this aimed more at specialists rather than a general audience? I have had a subscription to BBC Wildlife for years and I do think it's a good read, but I do tend to be more interested in British wildlife.

Matt

I suppose it is a little bit, there are very useful sections of habitat management/ restoration and a whole section on whats happening with the various groups of wildlife (mammals, birds, butterflies etc) getting a specific write up as to whats happened over each season for them, there are good regular and chuckle-worthy articles as well as very good book reviews and letters.

Its still very accessible I think I don't always read them as soon as they hit the mat but are very useful reference material with info on what crickets look like on bat sound if you've recorded them on your detector, perhaps an article on a specific group of hoverflies or grassland survey......

Sometimes they do in depth studies of various reserves, I like it a lot personally, something I shall remain subscribed to - plus its less depressing that BBC wildlife!!

British Wildlife Publishing: The magazine that provides top quality coverage of all aspects of British Wildlife and nature conservation

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I suppose it is a little bit, there are very useful sections of habitat management/ restoration and a whole section on whats happening with the various groups of wildlife (mammals, birds, butterflies etc) getting a specific write up as to whats happened over each season for them, there are good regular and chuckle-worthy articles as well as very good book reviews and letters.

Its still very accessible I think I don't always read them as soon as they hit the mat but are very useful reference material with info on what crickets look like on bat sound if you've recorded them on your detector, perhaps an article on a specific group of hoverflies or grassland survey for example......

Sometimes they do in depth studies of various reserves, I like it a lot personally, something I shall remain subscribed to - plus its less depressing that BBC wildlife!!

Morning Gill, Is this the link to the magazine you get.

British Wildlife Publishing: The magazine that provides top quality coverage of all aspects of British Wildlife and nature conservation

It looks like a good read, I had never heard of it until this morning. Like many others, I get the BBC wildlife magazine every now and then if there is an article on UK wildlife. I think this one sounds far better, for me anyway, I might give it a go. Thanks.

BWD

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I suppose it is a little bit, there are very useful sections of habitat management/ restoration and a whole section on whats happening with the various groups of wildlife (mammals, birds, butterflies etc) getting a specific write up as to whats happened over each season for them, there are good regular and chuckle-worthy articles as well as very good book reviews and letters.

Its still very accessible I think I don't always read them as soon as they hit the mat but are very useful reference material with info on what crickets look like on bat sound if you've recorded them on your detector, perhaps an article on a specific group of hoverflies or grassland survey......

Sometimes they do in depth studies of various reserves, I like it a lot personally, something I shall remain subscribed to - plus its less depressing that BBC wildlife!!

British Wildlife Publishing: The magazine that provides top quality coverage of all aspects of British Wildlife and nature conservation

thanks Gill, I may give it a go. I also find BBC Wildlife quite depressing, but then I think that does accurately reflect the state of the world's wildlife.

Matt

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

thanks Gill, I may give it a go. I also find BBC Wildlife quite depressing, but then I think that does accurately reflect the state of the world's wildlife.

Matt

yes me too, I am happy to learn about such things - i need to know, but it does rather make me feel like I am trying to stop a flood with a single sandbag.....

[Dan Salter]

Pah...you miserbale lot...ok ok i wont buy the mag.

and i agree British Wildlife is the rolls royce of brit mags...but its not available in shops ( as far as i know its subscription only) and ..im a completist and want all the back issues to day one, most of which are out of print and impossible to track down on ebay.

It is a little "heavy" for the general wildlife fan though...i just really wanted some lighter monthly or weekly reading in the style of BBC wildlife but purely about UK WILDLIFE...im sick of reading about orangutangs and snow leopards....as lovely as they are.

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

It is a little "heavy" for the general wildlife fan though...i just really wanted some lighter monthly or weekly reading in the style of BBC wildlife but purely about UK WILDLIFE...im sick of reading about orangutangs and snow leopards....as lovely as they are.

I know what you mean. I guess publishers don't think there's a big enough market for a general interest magazine devoted to British wildlife. It's a shame though, I'm sure plenty of WAB members would buy it

Matt

[Dan Salter]

I think it would fly off the shelves !

I collected some as a kid but thinking back they were all in the same format as this mag i just posted about....a collector series thing

I dont buy BBC wildlife now as 90% of the content im not interested in...i just usually read the BRITISH parts while standing in WHSMITHS ( and incase anyone worries, smiths have a policy to allow people to read mags for as long as they want...hence why unlike other shops you never get 'excuse me sir...are you going to buy that ?') but i would certainly buy BBC BRITISH WILDLIFE if it ever appeared.

With all our talents and experience on WAB cant we produce WILD ABOUT BRITIAN the monthly british wildlife magazine? ha ha

[galanthus]

These were also published and issued in 1998 by Midsummer Books Ltd, I've just looked in my wildlife bookcase and I have the first 7 or so. Think it was newsagent first then by subscription. Has some great articles and bits about good places to visit for wildlife etc. Ideal for very early beginners I think as most of it seems to be commonplace knowledge. great pics.

[poschiavanus]

As has already been noted this is a part work which has been issued before (2001 if I remember rightly). I bought a couple of issues then and found them attractively produced with good photographs and decent artwork. It is not a magazine, and is likely to be dated: although in many areas, for instance common wild flowers, this is unlikely to be important.

As another poster has pointed out buying 52 parts is around a hundred quid. This may be better spent on authoritative field guides which are likely to be used over a long period.

British Wildlife is a superb publication. It is well designed and produced to a high specification. It is also good value for money.

In general the articles are readable, but have real depth to them as well. I find most articles repay reading again. It's mix of topical reportage, in-depth articles, and a couple of light-hearted columns ensures that each issue is awaited with interest.

I think it is fair to say that it is aimed at a knowledgeable readership - active volunteers, naturalists, staff of conservation bodies & so on, but as generalists. This means that most articles have a strong ecological stamp - placing a given species, group of organisms, or nature reserve in overall context. If you're not sure if it's for you try the local library: larger ones probably have a subscription.

My main complaint about British Wildlife is that it only comes out 6 times a year!

poschiavanus</