Stephen Moss's This Birding Life, (ISBN 978 1 84513 180 7), which Aurum published in 2006 (and reissues in paperback simultaneous with this title) was not only a sales success with over 7000 copies sold, but was also universally acclaimed for one of the most irresistibly beautiful and colourful jackets to grace any book that year. This follow-up volume features another such jacket by the doyen of bird artists, Robert Gillmor (whose linocut illustrations also adorn all the Collins New Naturalist books). The new book retains everything that reviewers liked about This Birding Life - its easy, good-humoured style, its combination of a wide birding knowledge with the gift of making things interesting for the general reader - and applies it to a simple concept. Stephen Moss began on 1 January 2007 to chronicle each species of bird as he was seeing it for the first time last year, and continued to do so until 31 December. He writes about what he saw, where he saw it, who he was with, what it made him think and feel - the little story of each birdwatching episode, be it goldfinches on his garden feeder, seeing hen harriers nesting underneath a bridge in Glasgow, or the extraordinary rescue of a rare albatross on a Somerset beach. The result is both a unique chronicle of Britain's natural history and a touching and funny piece of autobiography - a year of life measured out in birds. Stephen Moss is also the author of A Bird in the Bush (Aurum), Attracting Birds to Your Garden and Remarkable Birds. He lives in Somerset.
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Review
`another engaging slice of life'
-- Good Book Guide, October 2008
-- Good Book Guide, October 2008
About the Author
Stephen Moss is also the author of A Bird in the Bush (Aurum), Attracting Birds to Your Garden and Remarkable Birds. He lives in Somerset.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By K. F. Betton
Format:Hardcover
In 2006 Stephen Moss compiled "This Birding Life" which was a collection of his columns that had appeared in The Guardian since 1993, grouped into common themes. Its style was witty and informative.
For this new book Moss kept a diary throughout 2007. Based in Somerset he chronicled what he saw in the locations close to his home in Mark. A few trips elsewhere are included - such as the Cairngorms, North Norfolk Coast and Rutland Water (for the Bird Fair). The book is written in an easy style with informative anecdotes about everyday birds. Apart from the Christmas Cup (a BBC Natural History Unit bird race) the author rarely chases a rarity, other than unexpected local surprises such as a Great Grey Shrike. Mind you, like the rest of us, he'd have liked to have seen that Yellow-nosed Albatross that arrived in Somerset in June 2007!
Overall this is a really relaxing book that brings out the best in normal birding. And there is the challenge. All of us can keep a diary like this, noting the behaviour of typical birds. The difference is that few of us can communicate such observations in a way that captures the imagination of others. Ordinary birding has a lot to offer - and this book reminds you of that on every page.
For this new book Moss kept a diary throughout 2007. Based in Somerset he chronicled what he saw in the locations close to his home in Mark. A few trips elsewhere are included - such as the Cairngorms, North Norfolk Coast and Rutland Water (for the Bird Fair). The book is written in an easy style with informative anecdotes about everyday birds. Apart from the Christmas Cup (a BBC Natural History Unit bird race) the author rarely chases a rarity, other than unexpected local surprises such as a Great Grey Shrike. Mind you, like the rest of us, he'd have liked to have seen that Yellow-nosed Albatross that arrived in Somerset in June 2007!
Overall this is a really relaxing book that brings out the best in normal birding. And there is the challenge. All of us can keep a diary like this, noting the behaviour of typical birds. The difference is that few of us can communicate such observations in a way that captures the imagination of others. Ordinary birding has a lot to offer - and this book reminds you of that on every page.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By SCM
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
From the cover illustration to the final passage of text this book is a hymn to the value of the local and the ordinary, and neither of these words should be taken as any form of slight. The majority of the entries in this year long diary occur in Somerset, the authors local patch, and while he does venture to other parts of the UK most of the birds he sees in the year are found within a few hours of his house. This book is much more in the vein of "The Natural History of Selbourne" than any of the "Big Year / Big Twitch" books available.
On occasions there are short sections of repetition - we are told the "rhyne" is the local term for dyke on more than one occasion, jizz is defined on a number of occasions and the decline on the Spotted Flycatcher is also detailed more than once. This does give the book a slight feel of being a series of discounted articles rather than a coherent account of year - although I have to stress this is only a slight feeling.
This delightful book is a clear message that birding can be more, far more, than just the accumulation of rarities and for this reason it still deserves the highest rating.
On occasions there are short sections of repetition - we are told the "rhyne" is the local term for dyke on more than one occasion, jizz is defined on a number of occasions and the decline on the Spotted Flycatcher is also detailed more than once. This does give the book a slight feel of being a series of discounted articles rather than a coherent account of year - although I have to stress this is only a slight feeling.
This delightful book is a clear message that birding can be more, far more, than just the accumulation of rarities and for this reason it still deserves the highest rating.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Big Jim
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
At first I thought this book was just going to be one of those annoying tomes written by someone who has got all smug because they have escaped the rat race, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The author works for the famous BBC natural history unit and has travelled the world filming and making natr=ure documentaries, but I get the imprssion that he is never happier than when he is at or near home, finding new revelations amongst the commonplace at home.
It has certainly sharpened my appetite, not just to see birds but to basically keep my eyes and ears open when out and about because there is certainly a bustle in the hedgerow, in case you don't know.
It has certainly sharpened my appetite, not just to see birds but to basically keep my eyes and ears open when out and about because there is certainly a bustle in the hedgerow, in case you don't know.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Birding Year
As ever Stephen Moss`s delightful descriptions are enthralling. He writes with such enthusiasm that I find it hard to believe that his book of poetry was actually written by him... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. J. Emmott
5.0 out of 5 stars
A simple but inspired idea
I found it difficult to put this book down and could instantly relate to many of the points raised by the author. Read more
Published on 13 Jun 2010 by Ian Thumwood
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gentle read.
Having a long-standing interest in birds and bird books, I selected this volume on the strength of the superb cover illustration. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2009 by G. Harrison
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