Let's talk books!

Rainbowmum · #1 (**permalink**) 14-11-2006, 10:24 PM

Okay my favourite game on WAB at the moment is to find a photo then sit with my guide books and try and identify it and see if I am right. But my books are letting me down lol. I only have Collins Complete British Wildlife, The RSPB British birds handbook and the Kingfisher Concise field guide, Animal, Plants of Britain and Europe. I have a few Collins Gems too.
I want a book (or a few) I can take out in the field with me that is not as heavy as an encyclopedia. Most are big and bulky (desribed as Pocket!!) and they seem to contain info on most of Europe, which as I see myself staying in the UK for the forseeable future I don't need as much detail on.
I wondered if there are any identification books that might be more useful to me (not to mention lighter).
I am not too bad on birds and now have developed an interest in identifying the following :
Fungi, Wild Flowers, Trees, I am leaving the insects and such like for now figuring I have enough to be going on with.
Thank you xxx

RobSutton · #2 (**permalink**) 14-11-2006, 10:33 PM

For wild flowers it has to be:

The Wild Flower Key by Francis Rose - the latest edtion is revised by Clare O'reilly

In my view it's got the best combination of good illustrations and keys that are simply enough to get to grips with if you need to. I'm an entirely self taught botanist and it all started with this book.

ps Published by Warne and Amazon did it cheap a few months ago

Rainbowmum · #3 (**permalink**) 14-11-2006, 10:39 PM

Thanks Rob, I shall go and look that one up

speckled wood · #4 (**permalink**) 14-11-2006, 10:57 PM

Therer are compact editions of the various Oxford Books, the Oxford book of insects is a good around guide to insects, there is also editions on birds and wild flowers. Might be worth looking on Amazon or Ebay for secondhand copies

Wild-Woman · #5 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbowmum

Okay my favourite game on WAB at the moment is to find a photo then sit with my guide books and try and identify it and see if I am right. But my books are letting me down lol. I only have Collins Complete British Wildlife, The RSPB British birds handbook and the Kingfisher Concise field guide, Animal, Plants of Britain and Europe. I have a few Collins Gems too.
I want a book (or a few) I can take out in the field with me that is not as heavy as an encyclopedia. Most are big and bulky (desribed as Pocket!!) and they seem to contain info on most of Europe, which as I see myself staying in the UK for the forseeable future I don't need as much detail on.
I wondered if there are any identification books that might be more useful to me (not to mention lighter).
I am not too bad on birds and now have developed an interest in identifying the following :
Fungi, Wild Flowers, Trees, I am leaving the insects and such like for now figuring I have enough to be going on with.
Thank you xxx

A good way to get field guides is to visit secondhand book stores or charity shops. You can pick up bargains and if it's for the field as you've said, if the copy gets some wear and tear, it wont matter so much. The basics for species would be the same,you'd just have to be wary about any distributon maps if the copy is fairly old. This may have been revised. Julie

Barbara · #6 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 06:07 AM

I totally agree with Julie regarding charity shops, only yesterday in my lunch hour I went into one in search of books and managed to bag myself the RSPB Birdfeeder Handbook for £2.49 and the Collins Complete Guide British Wildlife for £1.49 and both were in perfect condition so for £3.98 I got a real bargain

Susie · #7 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbowmum

Okay my favourite game on WAB at the moment is to find a photo then sit with my guide books and try and identify it and see if I am right. But my books are letting me down lol. I only have Collins Complete British Wildlife, The RSPB British birds handbook and the Kingfisher Concise field guide, Animal, Plants of Britain and Europe. I have a few Collins Gems too.
I want a book (or a few) I can take out in the field with me that is not as heavy as an encyclopedia. Most are big and bulky (desribed as Pocket!!) and they seem to contain info on most of Europe, which as I see myself staying in the UK for the forseeable future I don't need as much detail on.
I wondered if there are any identification books that might be more useful to me (not to mention lighter).
I am not too bad on birds and now have developed an interest in identifying the following :
Fungi, Wild Flowers, Trees, I am leaving the insects and such like for now figuring I have enough to be going on with.
Thank you xxx

You can't leave insects, they're the best bit!

I find books are too heavy to take out into the field so I just take a small cheap digital camera, snap away like mad at anything interesting, and id it when I get home. The only book I will take out with me is my bird book, cos I can never get a decent photo of birds.

Rainbowmum · #8 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie

You can't leave insects, they're the best bit!

Oh don' worry Suzie..I will get to them eventually and if I see something on here I like the books will come out, even if it is an insect..it's just there are sooo many of them!

speckled wood · #9 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie

You can't leave insects, they're the best bit!

I find books are too heavy to take out into the field so I just take a small cheap digital camera, snap away like mad at anything interesting, and id it when I get home.

One of the best bits of advice I have seen lots of cheap digicams just make sure it has a good macro setting that works. A video camcorder is another optionas most of them do close-ups of insects and flowers quite well, and most camcorders have good zooms so you can video birds at a distance and stand a good chance of identifying some of them and observe their behaviour back at home.

Paul mabbott · #10 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainbowmum

Oh don' worry Suzie..I will get to them eventually and if I see something on here I like the books will come out, even if it is an insect..it's just there are sooo many of them!

There's a lot to be said for taking invertebrates slowly ... It's not easy to pin many of them down to species even when you've had experience. But it's a good thing to make a start on identifying them to order ... family &c. There used to be a Collins pocket book that was useful for this ... Learn how to tell a beetle from a bug; then a ground beetle from a leaf beetle &c &c...

Yes Rose is a good starter book for flowers - lot's of them around in charity shops, I find. In fact I gave one to Oxfam a couple of weeks back .... might have offered it, I suppose ....

aeshna5 · #11 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 03:42 PM

Some of my favourite UK guides:

Wildflowers of Britain + Ireland- Blamey, Fitter + Fitter (Stunning drawings-better than Rose but without the keys which is a plus for Rose)

Complete British Animals by Paul Sterry-excellent photoguide of mammals (including bats + cetaceans), reptiles + amphibia (including naturalised exotics)

Collins Tree Guide by Owen Johnson + David More

Mushrooms-Roger Phillips

And a couple of manageable insect groups:

Pocket Guide to Butterflies of GB + Ireland by Richard Lewington

Field Guide to Dragonflies of GB + Ireland by Steve Brooks/Richard Lewington

There's a few suggestions Santa might provide if you're fairly good!

Deer Stalker · #12 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 04:19 PM

I carry my books around in my ruck sack when I'm out walking. Even if you've only got 'pocket' sized books it would be difficult for you to carry one on flowers, one on insects, one on trees...etc with you without one. Plus you can carry other stuff like pots for holding little critters while IDing them, drink, chocolate (just for the energy you understand

Books that come out with me are:

Britain's Butterflies by David Tomlinson & Rob Still

Field Guide to the Dragonflies & Damselflies of Great Britain & Ireland by Steve Brooks
or Britain's Dragonfles by Dave Smallshire & Andy Swash

Collins Insects of Britain & Western Europe by Michael Chinery

The Wild Flower Key by Francis Rose (waiting for the new edition in the post)
or Wild Flowers of Britain by Blamey, Fitter & Fitter
the Aidgap Fren Guide

Theres a few more but thats the main ones I take.

honeybee · #13 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 04:22 PM

this previous thread may be of use: The BIBLES ?

Paul mabbott · #14 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 04:38 PM

.... and the camera, and the spare battery, and the binoculars, and the tripod (if you're very keen), and the sweep-net, and the beating sheet, and the mobile in case you fall off a cliff, and a big stick, and .... it's no wonder we're all so fit ... or not ....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deer Stalker

I carry my books around in my ruck sack when I'm out walking. Even if you've only got 'pocket' sized books it would be difficult for you to carry one on flowers, one on insects, one on trees...etc with you without one. Plus you can carry other stuff like pots for holding little critters while IDing them, drink, chocolate (just for the energy you understand

Rainbowmum · #15 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Some of my favourite UK guides:

Wildflowers of Britain + Ireland- Blamey, Fitter + Fitter (Stunning drawings-better than Rose but without the keys which is a plus for Rose)

Complete British Animals by Paul Sterry-excellent photoguide of mammals (including bats + cetaceans), reptiles + amphibia (including naturalised exotics)

Collins Tree Guide by Owen Johnson + David More

Mushrooms-Roger Phillips

And a couple of manageable insect groups:

Pocket Guide to Butterflies of GB + Ireland by Richard Lewington

Field Guide to Dragonflies of GB + Ireland by Steve Brooks/Richard Lewington

There's a few suggestions Santa might provide if you're fairly good!

Thanks for all that.
Hope Santa's reading!
Hmmm, wonder what his WAB username might be??

Susie · #16 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

.... and the camera, and the spare battery, and the binoculars, and the tripod (if you're very keen), and the sweep-net, and the beating sheet, and the mobile in case you fall off a cliff, and a big stick, and .... it's no wonder we're all so fit ... or not ....

you missed off the specimen jars for insects, a bottle of water, a packet of tissues, a black bin bag (very useful for sitting on when it is a bit damp underfoot), chocolate, bits of string, elastic bands, a few furry mints, some small change, assorted leaflets that will be read when the time is found, and various assorted small stones with holes in for making wishes ...

nightshade · #17 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 07:42 PM

Hello Rainbowmum,perhaps these might save some weight when you go out and about
FSC Identification Charts Alana Ecology Field Identification Charts
I have one for bats which is very popular ,they do cover most facets of wildlife watching
and make perfectly acceptable gifts,they also look good on the wall

Paul mabbott · #18 (**permalink**) 15-11-2006, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie

you missed off the specimen jars for insects, a bottle of water, a packet of tissues, a black bin bag (very useful for sitting on when it is a bit damp underfoot), chocolate, bits of string, elastic bands, a few furry mints, some small change, assorted leaflets that will be read when the time is found, and various assorted small stones with holes in for making wishes ...

Well the chocolate and specimen pots had already been mentioned and I didn't think I'd go into the hip-flask, the compass, the maps, the loupe, the Swiss army knife, the 'bus pass, the defibrillator ....

badgerwatcher · #19 (**permalink**) 16-11-2006, 06:27 PM

Don't forget to take sketch pad and coloured pencils for sketching elusive creatures, spare shoes and plasters, (got bad feet), instruction books for camera and mobile phone, wind-up phone charger (it's the boy scout complex), storm kettle and teabags. Come the end of the world I'm ready! Got all the books! Got all the gear!

Susie · #20 (**permalink**) 16-11-2006, 07:22 PM

What are we like? rofl

Paul mabbott · #21 (**permalink**) 16-11-2006, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie

What are we like? rofl

Well, there's an old sign in one of our local woods that says: "Nutters - beware!". It was actually referring to people who came round illicitly collecting hazelnuts but .......

The one thing that none of us has come up with is perhaps the most obvious one. A notebook - everything else we can live without but in the absence of notes - where are we? Notebooks plain, lined, hand-made, cheap, expensive ..... you can't have too many or give too many ....

Alan · #22 (**permalink**) 16-11-2006, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

The one thing that none of us has come up with is perhaps the most obvious one. A notebook - everything else we can live without but in the absence of notes - where are we? Notebooks plain, lined, hand-made, cheap, expensive ..... you can't have too many or give too many ....

Speaking of which...

How to Keep a Sketchbook Journal by Claudia Nice

Amazon.co.uk: How to Keep a Sketchbook Journal: Books: Claudia Nice

badgerwatcher · #23 (**permalink**) 16-11-2006, 10:12 PM

That sounds good, it's gone on the list!

Imaginos · #24 (**permalink**) 17-11-2006, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie

What are we like? rofl

By the sounds of it, struggling along with rucksacks the army boys would think twice about carrying! For me, most of the books are left at home-I tend to take Rose and possibly a dragonfly book now, the bird book comes out if I'm visiting the coast (for waders & gulls) this leaves much more room for chocolate...oh, and notebook, sample jars, net and binoculars.