John C. Coulson Softback https://www.nhbs.com/gulls-book?bkfno=238474 £ 496 35.00 2019 2020 William Collins, London 9780008201432 

One of the few personal joys of these recent challenging months is that I’ve had the time to read many nature books. Some of which have been thrilling reads, and today I thought I would share my thoughts on one of the most revolutionary nature publications in recent times, Rebirding.Rebirding  explores how humans have shaped British ecosystems since the end of the last ice age, and how recent farming methods have led to impoverished ecosystems and serious declines in many of our native species. Undeterred however, author Benedict Macdonald presents us with bold new solutions that could bring our threatened wildlife back from the brink. Until the release of Rebirding, Benedict Macdonald was a relatively unknown writer and naturalist, though many would have been aware of his contributions over the years to wildlife magazines such as Birdwatching and Nature’s Home. He also co-produced the Netflix series Our Planet, helping with the script with his knowledge of natural history. Rebirding is his book debut, and I was very much looking forward to reading what visions he has for restoring Britain’s wildlife. Interest in the subject of restoration ecology - or rewilding - has exploded in recent years, with multiple books, such as Feral and Wilding, winning several awards, so I was also wondering whether this book would be as compelling as some of the others. He didn’t disappoint. Rebirding, for the most part, is a fantastic read.What Macdonald has produced here is a gloriously ambitious yet theoretically achievable manifesto to save Britain's wildlife, and he’s done so in a very readable way. The book is extremely thorough, with hundreds of references cited throughout the book, though it doesn’t read like an academic journal. It’s very easy to follow, and I think this will be a fascinating read even to those with just a casual interest in saving nature.The first half of the book focuses more on how Britain once looked in its natural state, and what species it has lost over the last few thousand years. Such species include those that are globally extinct, like mammoths, rhinos and aurochs, and species that exist elsewhere, such as bears, wolves and lynx. For me, reading such passages caused some mixed emotions. On the one hand, sadness that we’ve lost these species, but on the other, the thought of these animals walking around together in the same area made me feel quite tranquil. Macdonald encourages such imagination by often starting chapters with a description of walking around a wildlife-rich landscape which could be in our grasps if we conserve our wildlife properly. Although it does feel a little repetitive, often they make you want to jump into the pages themselves to see such a world yourself.      The book is compelling as it is beautiful, and one of the main reasons for this is that Macdonald tells us that much of what we think is right for wildlife, is in fact wrong. I’m sure many of us have a picture of pre-human Britain as being one dense forest, but Macdonald wastes no time in telling us that was simply never the case, and instead, Britain once contained a dynamic mixture of many habitats, such as grasslands, scrub, and open woodlands that were kept in balance by mammalian herbivores. These are the landscapes we should be attempting to restore, and we should not be content with simply planting a load of trees (which often form wildlife deserts).Another example is that, while most of us would think that national parks are havens for wildlife, in reality, a lot are poorly managed for wildlife to thrive. This is also the case for many of our protected sites and nature reserves, which are often over-managed to accommodate only a few species. Yet in such passages he never descends too much into bitter pessimism, and he keeps such chapters light and optimistic by offering slight improvements that could enhance their biodiversity.When talking about what we can do to rescue our wildlife from the brink - which is the main focus of the second half of the book - what repeatedly emerges is that there are many economic incentives to rewilding. A key fact to remember is that only 6% of Britain's surface is built upon, so there is huge scope to change our countryside in ways that could create employment and economic prosperity, and several examples are explored in this book. Such ideas quash the opinion that conservation is an economic burden that hampers progress, and what makes these suggestions so interesting is that a lot of them are based on models and case studies that currently exist elsewhere in Europe in countries with much higher levels of biodiversity. Sometimes it makes you wonder why we haven’t adopted them all this time.The book will of course be a better read for those who are already familiar with the birds found in Britain, but not massively so, as the ecology of a few species that appear repeatedly throughout the book are described in its earlier chapters. Despite its title, this is not solely a book that will appeal to birders. Birds of course are mentioned throughout, but the types of ecosystems that Macdonald is hoping to restore will also be those with higher diversity of other animal groups, such as insects and mammals and reptiles. Birds of course have co-evolved with other faunal groups for millions of years, so naturally optimum habitats for bird communities will also be the optimum habitats for these other groups.For a book of under 300 pages, Rebirding is unusual in having multiple subheadings throughout its chapters. Some of these are better placed than others, but I eventually grew to like them, because one thing that you will struggle to do with this book is to binge-read it. Many of the chapters reveal such bold and thought-provoking ideas that at times you just want to stop at certain points and let them wash over you for a while. That’s how powerful this book is at times.The book isn’t perfect however. Occasionally, I felt that some case studies could have been fleshed out a bit more, especially the Netherlands Oostavaardersplassen project, which is one of the first case studies he talks about in this book. I also felt that Chapter 2, which goes through the changes that Britain has undergone over the past few centuries, felt a bit disjointed, with it not knowing whether to focus on landscape changes over time or on the fortunes of particular species. But these are just small gripes in what is an amazing writing debut.I don’t often comment about the cover of a book, but I think this one deserves some attention. Looking at the habitat in the background, it’s hard to define what sort of landscape you’re in, as you can see wetland species as well as those of woodland and grasslands. But of course, this mosaic of different habitats in one area is exactly what Macdonald is hoping for us to achieve as that’s how it looked before human intervention. But this isn’t a hypothetical landscape; In the background you can see the Burrow Mump, which is a famous landmark of the Somerset levels, so you can see that this is his vision for the region. In the foreground is a transparent ‘ghost’ of a Dalmation Pelican, reminding us that this species was once breeding in Britain, and I think having this famous and charismatic species as the main focus point of the cover was a very good idea. The colours are also impressive. I think the orange and yellow background colour gives an impression of dawn, which is fitting, as the reintroduction of species back into Britain will itself be a new dawn for how we treat our wildlife and landscapes in a sustainable way.Overall, Rebirding is a fantastic book that will likely inspire you to get actively involved in saving Britain's wildlife. This is a read you won’t regret.Book reviewed by Gethin Jenkins-Jones 

Throughout my birding life I have never been a fan of photographic guides. The images in most of these early guides were of poor quality and often only featured one or two plumages per species. Back in 2016 that changed after seeing a copy of the WILDGuides' Britain's Birds: An Identification Guide to the Birds of Britain and Ireland in the accommodation I was renting on Shetland. This book was packed with high-quality photos by various photographers, including Hugh Harrop and David Tipling, and each species had a whole suite of photos showing the various ages and plumages. The book was also full of useful identification snippets and side-by-side comparisons of similar species. I purchased a copy as soon as I returned home, but it is best treated as a reference book rather than a field guide due to its size.That has all changed with the publication of the new British Birds: A Pocket Guide which, as its title suggests, is designed to be taken into the field. As you would expect there is some trimming down to be done to make it a pocket edition. Whereas the original book covered all those species that have occurred in the UK (600 species) this book only covers the most regularly occurring species, 248 in all, plus 45 scarcer species. The book still manages to include over 1,600 photos, all of which are of a high quality. It starts with a guide to using the book and is followed by a section on bird topography, identification and finally birds by habitat. Once into the main body of the book each species has at least one photograph accompanied by a short amount of text detailing size, identification features, voice and a distribution map. Those species that have a range of plumages or age groups such as wildfowl, gulls and waders, are assigned more photographs to show the different plumages states. As in the original book this guide is full of nuggets of information such as showing the difference in tertial patterning in juveniles of the larger gulls and makes identification that much easier. Similar species, such as Curlew and Whimbrel, are often depicted next to each other and in similar postures with the identification features useful in separation highlighted for each species. For some family groups there are also additional comparison pages that show a number of species in that family side by side and how they can be identified. The page for Calidris waders showing both winter and summer plumage, and the two pages detailing the four main age groups of the larger gulls will no doubt prove most helpful for those who struggle with these groups.In all this is a fantastic piece of work. It continues the spirit of the first book and manages to cram a huge amount of information in the pages without it feeling too cluttered or overwhelming. The text is concise but thorough enough to help with identification. Priced at £9.99, this is a must have for new and seasoned birders alike.Book reviewed by Scott Mayson 

Mention of a day-flying moth to many people will receive a reaction akin to ‘Don’t you mean a butterfly?’ However, as mentioned in WildGuide’s Britain’s Day-flying Moths the number of moth species which are most active in the day (158 covered in the book) comfortably doubles the number of our butterflies (71 species including migrants). The differences between moths and butterflies are included here, along with the book’s definition of day-flying which encompasses those species which are easily disturbed in the day and are likely to be encountered in flight.  By focussing on this selected group of moths over the entire group, numbering over 2,500 species, the book is accessible for the enthusiastic naturalist who hasn’t made the leap to the expensive world of moth-trapping. That should not be seen as if it would only appeal to beginners though, as it includes topics such as the tantalising and more specialised world of clearwing pheromones, which is covered in detail. The flexibound cover makes it comfortable to use in the field and the high-quality photographs should allow for easy identifications.Most species receive a full-page account, covering behaviour, food preferences (for both adult and caterpillar), flight times and advice on how to see the moth in action. Besides the comprehensive species accounts, there are sections covering moth biology, naming conventions and a guide to the best habitats for seeing a diverse range of day-flyers.Is every moth that one could conceivably encounter during daylight covered? Of course not, but that shouldn’t prevent a budding lepidopterist from getting a lot out this charming book.Book reviewed by Rob Jaques 

Kenneth Wilson, Andy Fenton & Dan Tompkins (eds.) Hardback http://www.nhbs.com/product?id=246469%3Fbkfno%3D246469&af_id=26943 £ 690 89.99 2019 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 9781107136564 

It is 44 years since the last review of the county’s birds and much has changed since then.  I’m not sure back then anyone would have predicted Little Egret breeding in the county.The book follows a tried and tested format, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the introduction to the birds of Nottinghamshire; I grew up in the county and cut my birding teeth at Attenborough and thought that I had a reasonable handle on the history of the birds and birdwatchers in the county, but there is clearly a lot more to learn. I love the account of the finding of a Pallas’s Sandgrouse by Joseph Whitaker on 14 June 1888 and the photograph of the Trent Valley Bird Watchers outdoor meeting from 8 June 1937 – you don’t see many bow ties being sported by bird watchers these days.The thorough history section is followed by an equally thorough exploration of the county’s climate and habitats. I had always thought that being a landlocked county might offer Nottinghamshire shelter from the worst the weather might throw at the UK but I hadn’t realised that gale-force winds are only recorded on average around two days per year.The species accounts follow and every species encountered in the county up to 2018 is included, with each species either accompanied by some superb artwork from Michael Warren or by a photograph of the species taken in the county, or more often than not, by both.Within this section are finders’ accounts of some of the rare birds that have been seen in the county that are published for the first time. It is these that I found most fascinating as they put you in the shoes of the finder and allow an insight into the thrill of finding your own rarity. It has to be said that rarities were just that in my time in the county, but I was lucky enough to see the 1976 Little Crake at Attenborough, and of course this book is thoroughly researched so it is included here. As I would expect from the authors involved.The Birds of Nottinghamshire is a weighty tome that runs to 606 pages, a result of the incredible amount of information it carries, both informative and entertaining in equal measure. You can’t have an interest in the birds of Nottinghamshire and not own this book.Book reviewed by Paul Stancliffe 

If, like me, you are continually perplexed by the seemingly random re-ordering of birds on the British List every year, then this is the book for you.Any list of species needs to be ordered in some way, and all modern lists try to reflect the order in which species diverged, from earliest to most recent. Until the ground-breaking work of Charles Sibley in the mid 1980’s, a relatively stable consensus had emerged based largely on anatomical and physical characteristics. Unfortunately, these turn out not to be terribly helpful, distantly related species may look similar because they occupy similar habitats, and closely related ones may diverge markedly to fill unoccupied niches. The rapid advancement in molecular techniques is now providing, in ever finer detail, a picture of the true relationships, based on genetic differences.In 27 chapters, each based around a particular bird group, this book follows these relationships and the evolutionary adaptations that have led groups to diverge in different ways. The author was a medical scientist during his working life and this shows: physiological and biochemical adaptations are well covered, ecological ones perhaps a little less so. Although he doesn’t shy away from details (concentration is required in one or two places), the writing is engaging and the story never less than fascinating, so I found it hard to put down.Is this the last word on the topic? Undoubtedly not. Two initiatives: the Birds 10,000 Genomes (B10K, https://10k.genomics.cn) and the just launched OpenWings (blog.openwings.org) projects aim to sequence all or part of the genomes of every bird species in the same manner over the next few years; more surprises undoubtedly await.In the meantime though, this ranks among the best popular science books and provides a great guide to our current understanding of where, and how, birds evolved. John Reilly Hardback Buy now and support the work of the BTO p 364 £24.99 2018 Pelagic Publishing, Exeter 9781784271695 Rob Robinson 

This book was originally reviewed by Brian Small on behalf of British Birds. The review can be read on the BB website: https://britishbirds.co.uk/article/gulls-of-the-world-a-photographic-guide/Is there space on your shelf for another book on gulls? For any ‘gull freak’ the answer will always be ‘yes’, but for more ‘normal’ birders what does this guide offer that others have not?My most-thumbed (gull) books are Gulls of Europe, Asia & North America, by the same author and illustrated by Hans Larsson; Gulls of the Americas, by Howell & Dunn; and, of course, Gulls: a guide to identification, by Peter Grant. There are classic papers too: Lars Jonsson’s article in Alula on Yellow-legged Larus michahellis and Caspian Gulls L. cachinnansas well as his ‘fuscus’ [Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus] paper in Birding World; and the BB papers by Martin Garner and David Quinn on Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls. There are other articles, and other books; will this new addition become equally well used?In many ways it is unfair to compare this guide to the gulls of the world with those detailed papers, as they have the capacity to deal with the intricacies of gull ageing and identification that a guide of this kind cannot. Indeed, the author professes it to be a ‘companion guide’ to (his own) Gulls of Europe, Asia & North America and to offer a ‘more concise’ view of gull identification. In this respect he has succeeded; while at the same time acknowledging that the minutiae of difficult gull identification are better served by the ‘overwhelming’ plethora of images on the internet, for example at www.gull-research.org, and by detailed papers on individual species.Following a 12-page introductory section on various elements and difficulties of gull identification, the new book moves you swiftly on to the main species accounts. These vary in length according to identification difficulty and where the plumage is most complicated. There are 1–4 pages of dense text, including a map, followed by a series of photographs showing the development of the plumage through a number of age stages and some individual variation (and occasional hybrids/intergrades). There are just eight images for Dolphin Gull Leucophaeus scoresbii, but over 30 images to help us navigate the intricacies of Iceland Gull L. glaucoides, Herring Gull L. argentatus and American Herring Gull L. smithsonianus.Individual species texts deal with ‘Identification’ (which actually is a detailed description of plumages), ‘Moult notes’, ‘Geographical variation’, ‘Hybridisation’, ‘Status, habitat and distribution’, ‘Similar species’ (which has a better discussion of identification than ‘Identification’, as it compares the discussed species with others) and ‘References’. I have to admit that I find it hard to gain a true impression from the detailed written descriptions of gull plumages, especially juvenile, without photographs or artwork. Here’s a description of a juvenile gull: ‘Head and breast muddy brown, streaked or mottled, often with more solid eye-mask. Underbody whitish with greyish brown mottling or spotting along the flanks. Central belly and undertail-coverts whitish with dark markings normally restricted to fine spots or arrow shapes along sides of undertail coverts…’. It could be any one of umpteen species (it’s actually a Caspian Gull).However, as this is a ‘photographic guide’ the focus of attention is on the images. Virtually all of the images are good, well-chosen to illustrate a point and are accompanied by text. I have two comments: firstly, the annotations could have been more detailed – in many instances there is the space – and have pointed out more of the key features; secondly, I think that in quite a few cases the reproduction is a touch too dark or contrasting, with heavy shadow or very dark background. For example, in my copy I find that the mantle tone of ‘Heuglin’s Gull’ L. fuscus heugliniis a shade too dark. A simple header at the top of each page might have been a good idea too, to save you paging back and forth to find out which species you’re looking at.The taxonomy chosen, in my opinion, takes a sensible and proactive view: ‘Mew Gull’ L. (canus)brachyrhynchusis treated as separate from Common Gull, ‘Thayer’s Gull’ L. (glaucoides) thayeri (of particular personal interest) is not lumped with Iceland Gull, nor is Heuglin’s lumped with Lesser Black-backed. Distinct (sub-) species such as ‘Steppe Gull’ L. (fuscus) barabensis, ‘Azores Gull’ L. (michahellis) atlantis, etc., are described in separate accounts, with a strong series of images.I enjoyed this book (the more I use it the more I like it) and, despite a few personal misgivings about one or two elements, I am confident it will find a prominent place on my bookshelf; I am quite sure I shall go back to it time and again.Book reviewed by Brian Small 

Michael Brooke’s Far From Land; the Mysterious Lives of Seabirds takes the reader on a magical tour of every ocean and some of the remotest locations on the planet through the lives of seabirds. Michael Brooke’s passion for seabirds shines through from every page of this book. As a seabird biologist, he has spent his career studying this enigmatic group of birds. Out of necessity, his, and many other seabird researchers’, studies have mostly been conducted on land, leaving large gaps in our knowledge about where seabirds go when they leave our shores, how they migrate, how they cope with inclement weather conditions at sea, how they locate their food and so on. Over the past 20 years, these questions, and many more, have started to be answered thanks to modern electronic tracking devices; in this book, Brooke reveals what these emerging technologies have uncovered about the lives of seabirds when at sea.The book starts by introducing the reader to the seabird families of the world as well as to the various electronic devices that have provided so much previously unobtainable information. The book then charts the progression of seabirds from fledging, through immaturity to adulthood, revealing what we now know, thanks to electronic devices, about their wanderings as unencumbered juveniles, their migrations as adult birds, the restrictions placed on them when breeding, their abilities to flourish in (what we would consider to be) inhospitable oceanic conditions and their various feeding strategies. The final chapter looks at interactions between humans and birds, historically, currently and into the future.The book contains a series of colour plates along with black and white photographs. Each chapter is also beautifully illustrated by Bruce Pearson, the renowned wildlife artist. Stunning as the photographs and drawings are, I did occasionally find myself wishing for a splash of colour to truly appreciate the beauty of the Red-necked Phalarope or the absurdity of Red-footed Booby feet. Throughout, the text is personalised by the inclusion of anecdotes from Brooke’s days spent researching seabirds as well as occasional, sometimes random, often humorous, asides (we learn, for instance, that Finsbury Park is the London underground station used by supporters of Arsenal Football Club when heading to a home game and that Sooty Shearwaters can fly almost as quickly as Usain Bolt can run a 100m race).This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in seabirds and tracking technologies. It provides a detailed and thoroughly referenced review of the knowledge these technologies have imparted, yet is written in an easily accessible, highly readable, style. At times, it does career though numerous different species to illustrate a point, which can be a little confusing, although understandable in the context. The book is packed with fascinating discoveries and revelations – just how and why penguins leap so suddenly from the water onto an ice shelf being one of my personal favourites. What we have learned to date from these relatively new technologies is astonishing; researchers are now able to tell, remotely, where a bird is, whether it is flying or swimming, how deep it is diving, whether (and when) it is eating and so on. The potential for future discoveries as technologies advance is truly exciting and I cannot wait for the sequel to this book in 20 years’ time. I would highly recommend Far From Land to anyone with an interest in the subject.  Book reviewed by Ruth Walker