Synopsis
A tie-in to the TV series, offering practical advice to beginners wanting to learn more about wildlife Bill Oddie's How to Watch Wildlife is a practical beginner's guide to enjoying the wildlife of Britain. Organised into a calendar of months, Bill tells you the best places to visit, how to catch a glimpse of our best-loved species, and things you can do for each month of the year. For example, in May, you could visit some wild flower meadows which are in their prime, see a nightingale, and experience the dawn chorus. Written in Bill's endearingly frank and witty style, this is an inspiring and refreshingly straightforward approach to watching wildlife. There are suggestions for places to visit within reach of wherever you live in Britain, and advice on watching wildlife with children. With stories of Bill's experiences in the field, it offers you and your family the know-how to start out with confidence. Bill Oddie sets out to demystify wildlife watching, giving advice on basic equipment and field craft, as well as explaining how to make the most of your encounters with animals.
To guide you successfully through some of the finest wildlife experiences, there are top tips, advice for things to take with you that you might never have considered, and helpful addresses and websites for some of the activities less close to home. And in case you really get bitten by the bug, there is information on taking the next step, with hints on getting more advanced equipment, which conservation trusts to join, and wildlife holidays to make the most of your new-found skills.
From the Author
Why watch wildlife? Quite apart from the fact that wildlife has as much right to exist on this planet as we do, and that our very survival depends upon natural resources, I would suggest that watching - and listening, learning about and understanding - wildlife enriches our lives. If I had to choose a single word to encapsulate the wonder of wildlife, I think it would be 'variety'. Birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, marine life, flowers, trees etc. they are all wildlife. There is also variety in the way you can watch - or should I say get involved with - wildlife. It can be a hobby or a job, a pastime or an obsession. Whatever level you wish to be on, it's OK. Don't be intimidated by the difficult areas. We have tried to make this book and the TV series - how can I put it? - accessible, entertaining and informative. You may or may not wish to take things furhter. By all means remain merely a viewer or a reader. There is nothing wrong with a bit of armchair birding or botany, but I would venture to suggest that if you enjoy wildlife on the screen or page, you may find the real thing even better.
I hope this book will tell you how to watch wildlife, but - even more importantly - I hope it will help you to enjoy it. Go wild and have fun.
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