New Titles

1) Colwell, Mary. Curlew Moon. 2018. William Collins. Hardbound: 328 pages. Price: $27.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY:  Eurasian Curlews are Britain’s largest wading bird, known for their evocative calls which embody wild places; they provoke a range of emotions that many have expressed in poetry, art and music.
     Over the last 20 years numbers in the UK have halved; the Eurasian Curlew is one of our most endangered birds. With a quarter of the world population breeding in the UK and Ireland, this is nothing short of a disaster. The curlew is showing all the signs of being the next Great Auk.
     In Curlew Moon, Mary Colwell takes us on a 500-mile journey on foot from the west coast of Ireland to the east coast of England, to discover what is happening to this beautiful and much-loved bird. She sets off in early spring when the birds are arriving on their breeding grounds, watches them nesting in the hills of Wales and walks through England when the young are hatching. She finishes her walk on the coast of Lincolnshire when the fledglings are trying out their wings. This is also the place many curlews will return to for the winter months.
     This evocative book chronicles Colwell’s impressive journey, with beautiful illustrations by Jessica Holm, weaving a gentle tale of discovery interspersed with the natural history of this iconic bird that has fascinated us for millennia – and so desperately needs our help.
RECOMMENDATION: If you have an interest in curlews, you should like this book.

2) Morris, Pat. Hedgehog. 2018. William Collins. Paperback: 404 pages. Price: $50.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: In recent years the hedgehog has ousted the badger, dolphin and red squirrel from heading the list of the most popular British animals. It is now regularly voted Britain’s favourite, and yet we know surprisingly little about the life of this, our only spiny mammal. Much of what we think we know is based on only a small number of studies, but with the hedgehog gaining in public prominence, support from key charities has enabled a significant enhancement in research activity that continues to illuminate the life of this very special prickly animal.
     Hedgehogs have had a long association with humans, extending back to Ancient Egypt and beyond. Strong public support makes it an ideal flagship species for encouraging public acceptance of nature conservation principles, particularly in the urban environment. In a worrying development, after surviving for millions of years and outlasting mammoths and sabre-toothed cats, the hedgehog population now appears to be in serious decline. In our modern world, its plight appears to be worsening, due to the loss and fragmentation of habitats in Britain’s towns and countryside. The insidious effects of pesticides and the intensification of farming result in habitats that offer little support in the way of suitable foraging or nesting sites. There are also many deaths on the roads.
     In this timely addition to the New Naturalist Library, Pat Morris provides the first fully comprehensive overview of the hedgehog’s life, including hibernation, behaviour and numbers, also its relationship with people from being a statutory pest to become a protected and cherished friend. Ideas are offered for conservation efforts and public participation crucial to the survival of this iconic creature.
RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have if you have an interest in hedgehogs and/or collect the New Naturalist series.

New Title

1) Lindo, David. How to Be an Urban Birder. 2018. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 232 pages. Price: $18.95 U.S. 
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Urban birding is fast becoming ornithology’s new rock ’n’ roll. Birds and birding have never been cooler―and urban birding is at the cutting edge.
How to Be an Urban Birder is the world’s first guide to the art of urban birding―which is so easy and great fun! Here, urban birding pioneer David Lindo tells you everything you need to know about birds and birding in towns and cities in the UK.

• Includes a brief history of urban birding in the UK
• Covers the best places to look for birds in towns and cities
• Helps you get to know your urban birds
• Gives useful tips on how to attract birds to your garden
• Explains what gear you need and how to go about being an urban birder
• Features hundreds of cool images and illustrations of birds in urban settings

RECOMMENDATION: If you enjoyed the author's other works, you should enjoy this one!

New Title

1) Smallshire, Dave and Andy Swash. Britain's Dragonflies: A Field Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland - Fully Revised and Updated Fourth Edition (WILDGuides). 2018. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 232 pages. Price: $23.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Britain’s Dragonflies is the only comprehensive photographic field guide to the damselflies and dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Written by two of Britain’s foremost Dragonfly experts, this fully revised and updated fourth edition features hundreds of stunning images and identification charts covering all 57 resident, migrant and former breeding species, and six potential vagrants. The book focuses on the identification of both adults and larvae, highlighting the key features. Detailed species profiles provide concise information on identification, distribution, flight periods, behaviour, habitat, status and conservation. Other sections cover biology; how to watch, photograph, record and monitor Dragonflies; conservation status and legislation; and introduced exotic species.
     This redesigned, updated and expanded edition features:

• Beautiful colour plates showing males, females, immatures and all colour forms for every species
• Over 500 stunning photographs, many of which are new, and more than 550 illustrations
• Up-to-date species profiles and distribution maps
• Detailed, easy-to-use identification charts for adults and larvae

 RECOMMENDATION: For anyone with an interest in the Odonata of the region.

New Title

1) Unwin, Mike. RSPB Spotlight: Swifts and Swallows. 2018. Bloomsbury. Paperback: 128 pages. Price: $18.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: People all over Britain and Europe have long welcomed the arrival of swifts and swallows as a promise of summer being just around the corner. And with their similar long wings and dashing flight, it is perhaps understandable that we often confuse the two birds.
      After all, they have much in common: both feed on flying insects, both breed around buildings, and both are long-distance migrants that spend winter in Africa. But appearances can be deceptive. Swifts and swallows are completely unrelated birds that have adapted through evolution to survive in similar ways. In Spotlight: Swifts and Swallows, Mike Unwin reveals their fascinating lifestyles, explains how and why they have acquired their similarities, and ways in which we can help protect them.
      The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals with eye-catching colour photography and informative expert text.
RECOMMENDATION: A well illustrated introduction to these two species (Common Swift and Barn Swallow).

New Title

1) Pyle, Robert Michael. Magdalena Mountain: A Novel. 2018. Counterpoint. Paperback: 388 pages. Price: $16.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: In Magdalena Mountain, Robert Michael Pyle's first and long-awaited novel, the award-winning naturalist proves he is as at home in an imagined landscape as he is in the natural one. At the center of this story of majesty and high mountain magic are three Magdalenas―Mary, a woman whose uncertain journey opens the book; Magdalena Mountain, shrouded in mystery and menace; and the all-black Magdalena alpine butterfly, the most elusive of several rare and beautiful species found on the mountain. 
     And high in the Colorado Rocky Mountain wilderness, sharing the remote territory of the Erebia magdalena butterfly, lives the enigmatic Oberon, a reluctant de facto leader of the Grove, a diverse community of monks who share a devotion to nature. Converging in the same wilderness are October Carson, a beachcomber-wanderer in pursuit of the alpine butterflies he collects for museums; James Mead, a young graduate student intent upon learning the ecology of this seductive creature; and Mary Glanville, who also seeks the butterfly but can't remember why. 
    While the mystery surrounding Mary takes a menacing turn, their shared quest pulls them deeper into the high mountain wilderness, culminating in a harrowing encounter on the stony slopes of Magdalena Mountain.
RECOMMENDATION: If you like Pyle's non-fictional works, you should like this fictional one!

New Title

1) Peterson, Merrill A. Pacific Northwest Insects. 2018. Seattle Audubon Society. Paperback: 520 pages. Price: $34.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: This field guide sets a new standard for insect identification, making it an indispensable resource to naturalists, educators, gardeners, and others. Engaging and accessible, Pacific Northwest Insects features detailed species accounts, each with a vivid photograph of a living adult, along with information for distinguishing similar species, allowing the reader to identify more than 3,000 species found from southern British Columbia to northern California, and as far east as Montana. The book features most of the commonly encountered insects, spiders, scorpions, millipedes, centipedes, and kin in the Pacific Northwest, as well as representatives of an amazing variety of unusual and interesting insects living in the area. After more than a decade of research, reviewing hundreds of thousands of museum specimens and scouring the technical entomological literature, Merrill Peterson has brought together for the first time in a single volume a wealth of information on the region's insect life.

     Detailed identifying information on over 3,000 species
     Complete description of 1,200 species
     Organized by insect group for easy identification
     Up-to-date taxonomy
     1,725 color photos, 50 line drawings, and 2 maps

RECOMMENDATION: A MUST have for all naturalists in the region!

New Titles

1) Arlott, Norman. Birds of the Greater Sundas, the Philippines, and Wallacea. 2018. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 416 pages. Price: $29.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Birds of the Greater Sundas, the Philippines, and Wallacea is a comprehensive illustrated guide to the varied and fascinating avian population inhabiting these Southeast Asian islands, which include Indonesian territories, the Philippine archipelago, and Borneo, the third-largest island in the world. Covering more than 1,900 species, this volume contains 179 beautiful color plates and 476 maps. The accompanying text provides detailed information about plumage, voice, range, distribution, status, and habitat. This accessible and much-needed guide will be essential for all bird enthusiasts traveling to this unique region.

• A comprehensive look at the more than 1,900 bird species of the Greater Sundas, the Philippines, and Wallacea
• Lavishly illustrated with 179 stunning color plates
• Gives detailed information about plumage, voice, range, distribution, status, and habitat
• Handy and easy to use

RECOMMENDATION: This compact guide is best suited for ecotourists or for birders who  want to travel lightly. 

2) Stevens, Guy et al.. Guide to the Manta and Devil Rays of the World. 2018. Princeton University Press. Paperback: 144 pages. Price: $19.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY: Manta and devil rays are some of the most intriguing creatures in the ocean. Driven forward by powerful beats of wing-like pectoral fins, these filter feeders search the waters for prey, their horn-like head fins giving rise to ancient mariners’ tales of fearsome devilfish dragging boats into the ocean depths. Beloved by scuba divers and marine biologists alike, these impressive animals have never had a comprehensive field guide dedicated to them―until now.
     Guide to the Manta and Devil Rays of the World includes detailed information on the identification, characteristics, threats, and distribution for each species in this family. Illustrated with more than 200 color photos, drawings, and plates, this guide also contains an expansive introduction to the general taxonomy, biology, and behavior of these iconic animals. This book will be an essential resource for fisheries management and international trade enforcement, and for anyone involved in ongoing manta and devil ray research and conservation.

• The first dedicated field guide for manta and devil rays
• Exhaustive treatment of every aspect related to their identification and biology
• Filled with 200+ color drawings, photos, and diagrams

 RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those with an interest in these rays.