The Practical Ornithologist

Whenever I am not underwater, I am often found photographing birds in which I have achieved some modest success. This book is packed with pictures of the highest quality I have ever seen in any book which is "not" about photography. Whether they are standing, perched or even in mid-flight, the pictures are just stunning. The reason I have deducted one star, however, is because the photographers who took these excellent pictures are not named in the book. Sadly, all we learn is that the photographs came from a particular picture library. Simply not good enough! High quality photography is very important when it comes to determining the difference between birds of different species. I still can't tell the House Sparrow from the Tree Sparrow or the Song Thrush from the Mistle Thrush and it is books like this which both explain and demonstrate those differences by setting such high standards not only in photography but also elsewhere. So what have we got? A high quality book which describes just about all there is to be described in terms of ornithology; The birds around us, how birds work, behaviour, binoculars, photography, keeping notes, bird-watching in towns, inland waterways, the seashore, cultivated areas, forests, mountains and so forth. Altogether an excellent book for the amateur ornithologist who really does want to learn more about his hobby. NM

Whenever I am not underwater, I am often found photographing birds in which I have achieved some modest success. This book is packed with pictures of the highest quality I have ever seen in any book which is "not" about photography. Whether they are standing, perched or even in mid-flight, the pictures are just stunning. The reason I have deducted one star, however, is because the photographers who took these excellent pictures are not named in the book. Sadly, all we learn is that the photographs came from a particular picture library. Simply not good enough! High quality photography is very important when it comes to determining the difference between birds of different species. I still can't tell the House Sparrow from the Tree Sparrow or the Song Thrush from the Mistle Thrush and it is books like this which both explain and demonstrate those differences by setting such high standards not only in photography but also elsewhere. So what have we got? A high quality book which describes just about all there is to be described in terms of ornithology; The birds around us, how birds work, behaviour, binoculars, photography, keeping notes, bird-watching in towns, inland waterways, the seashore, cultivated areas, forests, mountains and so forth. Altogether an excellent book for the amateur ornithologist who really does want to learn more about his hobby. NM