Field Guide to the Birds of Britain

Product Information

If you would like to have a little fun preparing for the tour by listening to the songs of some of the common species along our route, you can do so at this BBC link. Enjoy!

For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is organized according to the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV classification system. Each species features up to five vibrant photographs, to aid with identification, along with notes on range, season, flowers, stems, fruit, conservation status, and more. Introductory essays give in-depth explanations of each part of a wildflower, and discuss nomenclature, invasive species, and the impacts of our changing climate.

Do some homework

By Lars Svensson. Illustrated by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterström. 2nd ed. HarperCollins, 2010. This definitive and bestselling field guide is the perfect companion for nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers.

Some illustrations are very appealing, others less so, and on balance Paul Greenfield's figures from the earlier guide have the edge. However, the new plates are better labelled, with English names for species, subspecific trinomials where relevant, and age and/or sex – much more convenient for use in the field than the earlier number-based system. This new field guide by Mark Golley covers 285 of the species regularly seen in Britain and Ireland and is intended for beginners, as well as those with a little bit more experience. The short introduction covers the plumage details of a bird and a section covering the various habitats found in the region. The latter is well worth reading as it includes some useful tips on how to find birds within the habitat being described. For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is organized according to the latest phylogenetic arrangement from the Assembling the Fungal Tree of Life project. Each species features up to five vibrant photographs, to aid with identification, along with notes on range, season, spore print, look-alikes, conservation status, and more. Introductory essays explain the various parts of a mushroom—both above and below ground—common host trees, nomenclature and taxonomy, mushroom ecology, and the impacts of our changing climate.

Practice makes perfect

The Handbook - HBI as it is already known - must now jostle for bookshelf space with not only the BWP but also the other major treatments of the birds of Europe or the Western Palearctic which have emerged over the last decade. To do so successfully, it must offer something identifiably different and of sufficient quality to meet the demands of an increasingly sophisticated market. The acid test of the success of HBI must therefore lie in its text. This I found to be excellent, with an appropriate balance given to jizz and plumage minutiae. The more complex identification problems are well-handled and are models of crisp precision given the constraints of space. HBI is not, therefore, the source of major new enlightenments (nor presumably was it intended to be), but it does give an admirably solid and authoritative snapshot of our knowledge of bird identification in the late 1990's. Other more specialist sources may have more detail on a particular topic, or one may prefer some other plates by other artists in other works, but no other single guide brings together so much of such a consistently high quality.' Andy Stoddart, Birding World " Try to see the bird that is making the unfamiliar sound – if you then identify it, this will help the process of remembering it for next time. This new app series features incredible search functionality, letting you organize species alphabetically or taxonomically and search by family, shape, color, habitat and, more. You can even take notes and upload photos to create your own digital nature journal. More than 3,800 full-colour figures with illustrations of distinct subspecies, sexes, ages and morphs, are further supported by in-text identification keys and figures.

Much anticipated [...] this new seabird identification guide had a great mountain to climb. Not only would it be expected to have the same impact as his original work, but much of the original identification insights of the 1983 version were now well understood and second nature to moderately experienced seabirders. [...] So was this a setup for failure, an impossible summit to scale? The author clearly believed not and in my view has, together with his co-authors Martin Perrow and Hans Larsson, produced an exceptional work – a collaboration that adds significantly to what has gone before [...] So does this 2021 renewal of Peter Harrison's seabird identification guide match expectations? Yes, I think undoubtedly so. This is an excellent publication, a fitting replacement for the original work and one that should definitely grace the bookshelves and travel bags of anyone with a passion for seabirds." Created by the world’s most trusted name in nature field guides, this handsome volume is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable resource, with nearly 2,900 full-color photographs, it reveals the astounding variety of forms, colors, and conditions of 668 species of mushrooms that can be found all throughout North America. GPS coordinates for each species of the top three to five locations where you're likely to see the bird and what time of year is best for this

However for the orginal question I guess the Collins is the standard by which all others are judged but beware its not a British guide, its a Europe, North Africa (above 30'N) and a large part of the Middle East guide. If I was going on a trip thru Europe that might include Armenia, and Azerbaijan whilst swinging thru Israel and Algeria its the perfect guide. I'm not sure I need to lug all that around with me if the furthest I'm likely to go is Wales or Scotland. Designed for speedy bird identification with living birds in the garden, the guide features beautiful colour paintings by Chris Shields. Accompanying text on the reverse side covers body size, food, key identification notes and conservation status. From the creators of the world's most trusted field guides--a go-to source for millions of nature lovers--comes a completely new and unparalleled reference work: the most comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date guide to the trees of North America. Many people find identifying birds by the sounds they make to be particularly challenging. There’s no shortcut to mastering this but there are several tips that can help: superb, full-colour plates with extensive captions and detailed facing-plate identification texts and maps, to enable identification at a glance.

ITINERARIES • TOUR STATUS • DETAILS • SPACE REQUESTS ITINERARIES • We issue a separate itinerary for each year, typically at least 9 months before that year's first departure. Most itineraries don't vary much year to year, but there may be small or rarely more substantive changes. A sample previous-year itinerary is usually available even if the one for your chosen departure is not. We do not require any deposit for provisional bookings until the itinerary for the departure is ready.

For ornithology enthusiasts, or if you just want to identify the visitors coming into your garden, this bird guide will tell you everything you need to know about our local birds. It has been authenticated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to provide you with the most thorough and accurate information. Comprehensive and definitive, the text covers status and conservation, geographic range, movements and migration, breeding biology and feeding habits, plus identification and latest taxonomic treatments. As we continue to enjoy nature close to home, we’ve asked NHSN members to tell us about their favourite field guides for the garden or on nearby walks. In this post, local naturalist Neil Pont recommends guides for identifying birds. Field Guides for Bird Watchers Now revised and updated, this lavishly illustrated bird book includes crystal-clear photography and the latest taxonomic changes. From Robins to Jays, from Kingfishers to Ravens, this is your complete photo guide to all the birds of Britain and Europe.