New Titles

 

1) Paulson, Dennis. American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Washington. 2020. Scott & Nix. Flexibound: 350 pages. Price: $24.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Washington is one of the premiere states for birds and birding. Its rugged coastline and expansive forests in the western portion, the towering Cascades, of the central region and the arid eastern valleys, combine to provide excellent and varied habitats for hundreds of types of birds year-round. Washington is home to three magnificent national parks providing some of the best natural wildlife viewing areas in North America. And there are over 100 parks throughout the state, including 19 marine parks and 11 historical parks. Over 350 beautiful color photographs, featuring 300 bird species in natural habitats; clear and concise identification, habitat, and birdsong text; tips on when and where to see species throughout the year; complete Washington bird checklist; detailed map and index, and more. Written by expert Washington birder Dennis Paulson and filled with gorgeous color images by Brian E. Small, the American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Washington is the perfect companion for anyone wanting to learn more about the natural history and diversity of the state’s birds and when and where to see them.

RECOMMENDATION: Best for beginning or intermediate level birders.

 

2) Newton, Ian. Uplands and Birds. 2020. William Collins. Paperback: 598 pages. Price: $50.00 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Ian Newton, author of Farming and Birds and Bird Migration returns to the New Naturalist series with a long awaited look at the uplands and its birds.

     The uplands of Britain are unique landscapes created by grazing animals, primarily livestock. The soils and blanket bogs of the uplands are also the largest stores of carbon in the UK, and 70% of the country’s drinking water comes from the uplands. It’s a significant region, not least to the multitudes of bird species that hunt, forage and nest there.

     Once again, Ian Newton demonstrates his mastery of the subject matter at hand, in this beautifully illustrated, authoritative addition to the New Naturalist series.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in British bird habitats and/or collect the New Naturalist series.

 

 

3) Fairbrother, Vic and Ken Hutchinson. The Ring Ouzel: A View from the North York Moors. 2020. Whittles Publishing. Paperback: 272 pages. Price: $27.95 U.S.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Using vivid extracts from field notebooks and profusely illustrated with photographs as well as paintings and sketches by wildlife artist Jonathan Pomroy, the reader is transported to the beautiful North York Moors National Park. We can share in the excitement as the first Ring Ouzels of the year return from their winter quarters in North Africa, witness their courtship displays, the establishment of territories and the female ouzel painstakingly building her nest and laying her eggs.

     To hear the song of the Ring Ouzel carrying for a surprising distance across the high moorland in the early morning is one of the many delights of upland Britain. The authors have recorded and analysed both simple and complex songs in their study area and, following comparison with recordings from Scotland, Derbyshire and the Yorkshire Dales, have confirmed the suspected presence of local dialects.

     Crucially this book is much more than a remarkable record of twenty years' fieldwork as it builds on earlier research elsewhere and relates local findings to the results of other current studies in England, Wales and Scotland. As a migrant, the Ring Ouzel faces additional pressures and problems on passage and conditions in their wintering areas in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco are described. The importance of Britain as a stop-over and refuelling area for Fennoscandian birds on passage in Spring and Autumn is stressed. This milestone publication bring the Ring Ouzel into sharp focus for the first time.

RECOMMENDATION: A must have for anyone with an interest in this species!