Every species and subspecies recorded in the county during the last 200 years features,
though in many cases the author delves much further back in history revealing fascinating
facts about the changing fortunes of birds over the years, in some cases for as long as a
millennium past.
Each species is described with details of its preferred locations, breeding habits, migration,
seasonal and annual variations in numbers and records of particular interest. There are
many line drawings and colour photographs as well as distribution maps for breeding
species.
This may not be the sort of book that one sits down to read from cover to cover, packed
as it is with statistics, but I found it absolutely fascinating and as a book of reference
quite invaluable. 1 am lost in admiration for the persistence of the author in drawing
together so many facts and I am embarrassed because it has brought home to me my
relative ignorance of many of the less common species, most of which I fear we day to
day birdwatchers or even twitchers will never have the good fortune to see - but which
are no less interesting for that.
The Birds of Essex is published by A&C Black at £40-00. Further details are available
from the distributor M.D.L. on 01256 302699 or by contacting Vicky Atkins at the
publishers on 020 7758 0281 or vatkins@acblack.com
John Bath
Editor's note: The Birds of Essex is also available on-line from Amazon and other suppliers at
prices less than RRP.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 55, January 2008
21