The Edge of Silence: Disappearing Sounds of Nature

The Edge of Silence is a unique book by an acclaimed nature writer, who has suffered from progressive hearing loss his whole life. As his world becomes ever more silence, he suddenly hears the haunting call of  the northern driver (a larger water bird that migrates here from Iceland, Greenland and North America).

This extraordinary experience makes him realise that the sounds of nature are still within his reach, if he can find himself in the right place, at the right time.

This is a moving book that charts the author’s mission to hear rare elusive creatures, from the mountains and islands of the Scottish Highlands to he marshes of England, and hills of Wales. Many of these species are in danger of extinction, so it’s important that we fight to prevent that.

When I was being fitted for an updated hearing aid, my audiologist commented to me that it was surprising how often his patients mention birdsong. You might think that their focus would be primarily on their ability to communicate with others, to manage at work, to speak on the telephone.

But when people begin to lose their hearing, only then do they realise just how much the sound of birds singing can be integral to the quality of a life well-lived.

You’ll learn about the calls of creatures in the Scottish Highlands, from ptarmigans (ground-nesting birds), grebes, greenshanks, red-throated divers and otters.

Then it’s up to the Shetland Isles to hear storm petrels and whimbrels (wading birds with seven whistles!) Then back down to Perthshire to hear red kites.

On the Inner Hebridean island of Coll, you’ll meet corncrakes and snipes, and on Rum the manx shearwater. And puffins on Canna and Sanday.

Then it’s down to England to hear bitterns (Morecambe Bay, not safe for humans to walk on due to quicksand), endangered natterjack toads (booming sounds in The Wirral) and finally over to Wales to meet black grouse.

The lesson in this absorbing lyrical book is simply to listen. To sit still, turn off your phone, and rejoice in sounds. Country Life

Neil Ansell is an award-winning journalist who has worked for the BBC, Guardian, Big Issue and New Statesman. He is author of two other books:

The Circling Sky charts his journey over one year exploring key natural habitats in Hampshire’s New Forest, where he spent his childhood.

Deep Country is Neil’s unique story of how he spent five years living alone in a Welsh cottage, with no transport or phone. A place so remote that he did not see another soul for weeks on end, so wild creatures became his society. A place where the weather could be so bad, that it rained sideways!