The definitive field guide uses the highest quality close-up photography to bring over 500 species to life on the page, capturing the beauty and detail of every bird, and allowing simpler, more straightforward identification than ever before.
* Innovative photographic approach ensures quick and accurate field identification
* Features every bird found in Britain and Europe
* Includes full-page profiles of the 320 most commonly seen species
* Every fact and image fully authenticated by the RSPB and top bird author Rob Hume
Author:
Rob Hume
Number of Pages:
448
RRP:
£16.99
Published Date:
02 May 2002
Dimensions:
140 x 210mm
ISBN:
9780751312348
Format
Paperback Hardback
Author
Gill Catton Commander of the Wild Empire
Registered: March 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth Posts: 4785
Review Date: Mon 19, June, 2006
Would you recommend it? Yes |
Total Spent: £12.00| Rating: 9
Strengths:
a number of photographs for each species and a good range of species covered.
Weaknesses:
Too big really for your pocket!
This is one of my favourite bird guides of the moment, it may just be a personal thing but I picture match must better with photographs than I do drawing and although other field guides are superb they can sometimes cover really too many species many of which are very unlikely to be seen and this can boggle the mind a little. This book doesn't fall into this trap and covers all the common birds and the most likely of the unusual.
The defining characteristics are highlighted for each bird including flight patterns and different juvenille plumages with photographs annotated to illustrate certain points. There is a little box at the bottom of each page with possible confusion species shown as a photograph in miniture with again the main differing points highlighted.
I feel this book has been rather over looked in the recent glut of good books and I shout it's praises whenever i can!!! The only really negative points are that it's a bit heavy to carry around unless you're hide bound for the day. Always worth having in the car though!!
almostnormal Officer of the Wild Empire
Registered: March 2007 Location: Haydon Bridge (that's in Northumberland) Posts: 851
Review Date: Wed 17, October, 2007
Would you recommend it? Yes |
Total Spent: £15.00| Rating: 9
Strengths:
clear photographic identification, good general information,
Weaknesses:
doesn't cover as many birds as some other field guides
This is an excellent bird guide fo those who are just getting started, or who want to know a bit more about the general ecology of a given species. The book is clearly written, concise, covers migration, calls, identification and basic ecology of most of the species found in Britain. Its great value for money, and is easy to read and use. bit hefty to fit in a pocket, but there is a pocket version to take out and about with you, so you can leave this one at home on the shelf for later perusal
------------------------------ I enjoy my life...its the only one I've got
