Books on the Joy of Watching Birds
Be a Birder is a treasure! The moment you open this book, you’ll fall in love with the 50 birds featured, each with gorgeous black-and-white illustrations and information on their habitat, behaviour and movements. And Hamza is a wonderful writer who will instil a love of birds, in anyone who reads this book.
Hamza Yassin was born in Sudan and on arrival to England as a child, only spoke four words of English (he began to learn the language by watching David Attenborough’s The Life of Birds).
This fuelled in him a passion that led to a degree in zoology with conservation, and career as a wildlife cameraman. He recently presented Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles (wonderful viewing on BBC iPlayer).
Tips to Help Garden Birds
- Keep cats indoors at dusk and dawn, when birds are feeding.
- Don’t feed birds stale, mouldy or crusty bread (nor buttered bread, fat can smear on feathers, affecting weatherproofing and insulation).
- Never use coloured or tin bird houses (they overheat and attract predators).
- Read more on create safe havens for garden birds, and how to stop birds flying into windows.
- Don’t play birdsong near birds, it can confuse and attract predators.
Book Excerpt
I absolutely love birds. They make me tick. It’s no exaggeration to say that I wake up and go to sleep, thinking about birds. All of my conversations get redirected back to birds somehow.
When someone asks me what it is I love about birds, my first answer is that they can fly. I still find myself staring at their wings and thinking ‘How can you do that?’
Birds in Cities, Parks and Gardens
- Blackbird
- Goldcrest (and Firecrest)
- Magpie
- Peregrine Falcon
- Redwing
- Ring-Necked Parakeet
- Rock Dove (and Feral Pigeon)
- Starling
- Swift
Birds in the Woods
- Bullfinch
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Green Woodpecker
- Nightingale
- Nuthatch
- Sparrowhawk
- Tawny Owl
- Wryneck
Birds in Moors and Mountains
- Black Grouse
- Capercaillie
- Dartford Warbler
- Dotterel
- Golden Eagle
- Hen Harrier
- Merlin
- Wheatear
Birds on Farmland
- Barn Owl
- Lapwing
- Long-Tailed Tit
- Red Kite
- Skylark
- Waxwing
- Yellowhammer
Birds on Rivers, Marshes & Estuaries
- Curlew
- Dipper
- Great Crested Grebe
- Grey Heron
- Grey Wagtail
- Kingfisher
- Osprey
- Snipe
- Teal
Birds on the Coasts
- Arctic Tern
- Black-Browed Albatross
- Chough
- Eider
- Herring Gull
- Northern Gannet
- Puffin
- Stonechat
- White-Tailed Eagle
Where to Buy Good Birdwatching Binoculars
It’s important not to disturb birds (don’t play birdsong, it can confuse and attract predators), when watching them. RSPB Puffin Binoculars are around £30 (they are designed for children, but they are small and lightweight, so also good for adults who don’t want to lug around heavy binoculars).
They are easy to hold still, and offer a wide field of view and sharp image quality. They include a case and wrist strap, sold with a 1-year warranty.
Matt Sewell’s Bird Spotting and Jotting Guide!
Watching birds is a lovely hobby, to learn about native and migrating feathered friends. And a wonderful way to appreciate nature.
Spotting and Jotting Guide is one of the many wonderful birding books by pop artist and ornithologist Matt Sewell. Small enough to keep in your pocket, birds are replicated in stunning watercolours, with fun and knowledgeable descriptions of your favourite feathered friends:
- Greenfinches
- Goldcrests
- Blackcaps
- Collared Doves
Matt Sewell is a talented watercolour artist and ornithologist who writes some of England’s best-selling books about birds and other creatures. His designs are even on postage stamps on the Isle of Man.
A Field Diary for (slowly) Watching Birds
The Slow Birding Journal is a beautifully designed field diary, for anyone who loves to watch birds. Unlike most journals that are just ‘lists of birds’, this one advocates ‘slow birding’ that focuses on the joy of watching birds at your own pace, rather than ‘ticking birds you spot’ off your list.
Filled with detailed sections for daily use, the journal includes:
- Space to record dates, locations and species of sightings
- Targeted prompts & questions to incorporate into birding
- Advice and guidance on what to look for and pay attention to
- Illustrations of many birds, plus blank pages for drawings
The best birding is where you are right now: in your backyard, your local parks, or on your favourite day hikes. This journal will lead you to a deeper understanding of the birds you see each day.
Joan Strassman is an evolutionary biologist who has watched birds (slowly) all her life. An award-winning teach of animal behaviour in Houston and St Louis, she has written 200 scientific articles on ecology.
The Joy of Watching and Knowing Birds
How to Look at a Bird is a beautifully illustrated guide for beginner birdwatchers, by acclaimed naturalist and artist Clare Walker Leslie.
Using her signature nature journal illustrations, she shows readers the key clues to look for – from the shape of the beak or talons to distinctive feather colours, flight patterns and behaviour traits.
Find simple prompts to encourage readers to ask how the bird is moving or eating and what season is it?
