Having watched birds since childhood, Rob Hume began a career with the RSPB doing fieldwork and finished up as editor of BIRDS magazine from 1989 to 2009. He was a member of the Editorial Board of British Birds and Chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee. He has written best-selling bird guides and led numerous groups on wildlife holidays in Europe and Africa.
Description
Preface What is birdwatching, anyway? What to do with your interest in birds Buy a good book Get a notebook and pen Distribution, habitats and time of year Colour and light Early days More good days, bad days, ordinary days Waxwings Some dusk encounters Soaring birds and birds of prey Local patches Wonderful Wales - Croeso i Gymru Superlative Scotland Great shrikes If at first...
Reviews
This is a lovely book... If all those who look through binoculars were as thoughtful as this author, and wrote as well, the world, and the world of birding, would be a better place. A very good read. -- Mark Avery, author and environmental campaigner Engaging and informative in equal parts. -- Bo Beolens * fatbirder.com * Inspirational! -- John Miles * birdwatching.co.uk * Hume has been a major figure in British birding throughout recent decades and Purposeful Birdwatching comes loaded with knowledge and experience as a result. It's worth picking up. -- Ed Stubbs * Birdwatch * The book is full of the author's own talented drawings and quotes from many years of diaries. It is highly recommended for anyone who wants to start watching birds or for those more experienced. -- Hans Meltofte * Danish Ornithology Association Journal * Whether we are new to birding or an old hand, this is a book that encourages all of us to hone our skills. Writing a list of species and numbers is a start but it is just that: the start of a potentially life-long and life-enhancing learning process. It is recommended reading. -- Barry Gray * IBIS * This is a fascinating book... a birdwatching memoir with some passionate advocacy and gentle advice from an experienced birdwatcher with over five decades of bird-watching experience. This book will be of great interest both to beginners as well as seasoned birders. -- Mike Thornton * Scottish Birds * This book was written by someone who has had a passion for ornithology since childhood, and on every page it shows this man's enormous passion for birdwatching, ornithology, and bird identification in the field. Reading it is a great pleasure for anyone with the same passion. -- Bruno Massa * Avocetta *