Product Description

Britain's birds are among the best loved in the world, and also among the best studied. In recent times, these studies, rather like tabloid exclusives, have thrown up some surprising revelations and sullied a few reputations in the process. They have, above all, demonstrated that many of our birds lead much more complex lives than we previously thought. Following in the footsteps of the bestselling Secret Lives of Garden Birds, this trip around Britain's principal habitats looks beyond the confines of our gardens and parks to expose the extraordinary hidden world of some our most familiar birds. We learn the secrets of romance from Mute Swans, meet the perfect father in the Guillemot, the estranged couple (of Chiffchaffs) who share the same territory, and enter the bizarre, high-rise society of the Dotterel in which women rule. We also meet the ultimate killers, both by day (Peregrine) and by night (Barn Owl), and encounter the only true living monster in Scotland. At the same time, we find out how all these birds cope with living in seemingly inhospitable habitats such as muddy estuaries, lonely moorland or open ocean. Dominic Couzens is an acclaimed writer and bird tour leader, whose popular monthly columns in BBC Wildlife and Birdwatching magazines have brought a fresh and dynamic approach to writing about birds and birdwatching. His previous publications include Identifying Birds by Behaviour and Secret Lives of Garden Birds. Peter Partington's painting is widely admired for the uniquely vibrant and fluid style in which he captures the essence of bird behaviour. His previous publications include Learn to Draw Birds and Secret Lives of Garden Birds. 'Whether it's the duplicitous love-life of certain male Pied Flycatchers or the fragile pair-bonding of Dottorel, plenty of sexy secrets are revealed.' Birds Illustrated, Spring 2007

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66279 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Review
'This trip around Britain's principle habitats exposes the extraordinary lives of our most familiar birds in a humorous way.' Publishing News (25th August 2006) 'The pages burst with enthusiasm This is an exceptional book, as inspiring as it is informative.' BBC Wildlife (September 2006) 'Very absorbing and highly readable This is a book for everyone who likes a good read and has an interest in birds on any level. At just GBP14.99, Dominic Couzens' light writing style and Peter Partington's evocative paintings make the entrance fee worth paying.' Birdwatch Magazine, Spring 2007 'stimulating and informative a fascinating insight into birds' lives an ideal Christmas present for birdwatchers of all ages and experience.' North Star (4th November 2006) 'Really does reveal things you never knew about some of our most familiar species.' Saturday Guardian (25th November 2006)

BBC Wildlife, September 2006
'The pages burst with enthusiasm...This is an exceptional book, as
inspiring as it is informative.'

North Star, 4th November 2006
'stimulating and informative... a fascinating insight into birds'
lives... an ideal Christmas present for birdwatchers of all ages and
experience.'

Customer Reviews

Birdtours.co.uk
Beautifully writen cameos of the private lives of the UK's birds. Dominic shares his passion and exposes the secrets. There isn't a birder in Britain that couldn't learn something new for this book.

Highly recommended
A must for any birder who wants to find out a bit more about the birds of Britain. Very informative text and beautifully illustrated make this a highly recommended read.

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Highly Rated by my Wife!
Firstly I did not buy the book for myself but for my wife who is a great bird (and wildlife) enthusiast..
All I can say is that it has been read from cover to cover at least once & my wife is absolutley delighted with it.. I've lost count of the times I've seen it open so I guess it achieved its aims!!