Wildlife: general interest Books

Book SynopsisA wonderful resource book for any Waldorf or Waldorf-inspired kindergarten. Encourage children to engage with the seasons as they craft willow hanging baskets, harvest and prepare fruit, care for birds and make Advent wreaths. As well as fun nature activities -- both indoor and outside -- for children, this book also includes advice for teachers and valuable background reading, on topics such as biodynamic farms. All the activities in this book are based on practical experience from the Children's Nature and Garden Centre in Germany, and are fully tried and tested. This is the companion book to Spring and Summer Nature Activities for Waldorf Kindergartens.Trade Review'The activities included will be inspiring for all, including those seeking outdoor nature-based ideas and projects for children up to the age of seven and beyond. It is richly illustrated with lovely photographs of young children engaged in these nature activities… With its spring/summer companion it would make a lovely gift and provides a resource to return to as the seasons turn.'-- Kindling'This is another wonderful book full of resources and ideas for activities with children, following the rhythm of the seasons of Autumn and Winter... This book is a worthy addition to any home or Kindergarten Library!'-- Blathu

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Book SynopsisTabby cat or toucan? Airedale terrier or Angora rabbit? Python or Parakeet? If you didn’t have a pet as a child, you probably wanted one. Pets features a huge range of pets from everyday pets such as cats and dogs to exotic pets such as tropical fish, toucans and terrapins, from cute mice to formidable pythons, from energetic rabbits to docile tortoises to thoroughbred horses. Part of the highly successful Mini Encyclopedia series, Pets includes 300 pets from around the world, offering a wealth of fascinating information on the background, breeding and natural habitat of these animals. With a page and outstanding colour illustration given to each pet, and specification boxes detailing on the origins, appearance, size, diet and lifespan of each animal, Pets is an easy-to-use pocket reference book for anyone interested in domesticated animals.Table of ContentsBrittany Munsterlander English Pointer Curly Coated Retriever Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever English Setter Irish Setter Clumber Spaniel English Springer Spaniel Sussex Spaniel Cocker Spaniel Italian spinone Standard poodle Norwegian Elkhound Bloodhound Basenji Pharaoh Hound Irish Wolfhound Basset Hound English Foxhound Afghan Hound Greyhound Otterhound Ibizan Hound Airedale Terrier Bull Terrier Cesky Terrier Lakeland terrier Norfolk terrier Scottish terrier Yorkshire Terrier Chihuahua Italian Greyhound Maltese Papillon Pekingese Shih Tzu Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Shar-Pei Bulldog Dalmatian Lhasa Apso Japanese spitz Boston Terrier Bernese Mountain Dog German Boxer Briard Bullmastiff Doberman (Pinscher) Japanese Akita Bearded Collie Border Collie Smooth Collie Komondor Hungarian Puli Hungarian Kuvasz Leonberger Alaskan Malamute Mastiff Neapolitan Mastiff Australian Shepherd Dog Belgian Shepherd Dog Newfoundland German Pinscher Pembroke Welsh corgi British Shorthair Exotic Shorthair Cat Manx American Shorthair American Curl Chartreux Bengal Cat Japanese Bobtail Russian Blue Cat Korat Burmese Bombay Singapura Abyssinian Ocicat California spangled cat Snowshoe cat Cornish Rex Cat Devon Rex Sphinx Cat Selkirk Rex Siamese Cat Tonkinese Oriental Shorthair Cat Havana Brown Cat Egyptian Mau Cat Persian Birman Turkish Angora Cat Turkish Van Cat Maine Coon Norwegian Forest Ragdoll Siberian Tiffanie cat Javanese Scottish Fold American Bobtail Non-pedigree cat Banjo Catfish Hillstream Loach Bronze Cory Cardinal Tetra Redeye Piranha Freshwater Angelfish Lifalili Jewel Cichlid Common Discus Texas cichlid goldfish Harlequin Rasbora Striped Raphael Catfish Kissing Gourami Royal Pleco Threadfin Rainbowfish Siamese Fighting Fish Honey Gourami Glass Catfish Glass Knife Fish American Flagfish Guppy Spotted Scat Targetfish Achilles Tang Sohal Surgeonfish False Clownfish Clown Triggerfish Mandarin Dragonet Copperband Butterflyfish Clown Coris Harlequin Tusk Red Sea Eightline Flasher Pearly Jawfish Comet True percula clownfish Blacktail Humbug Emperor Angelfish Sulphur Damsel Domestic Goose Barbary Duck Yellow-crested cockatoo Moluccan Cockatoo Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Galah Cockatiel Domestic Pigeon Orange-Cheeked Waxbill Finch Blue-Capped Cordon-bleu Finch Canary Domesticated Turkey Ko-Shamo Chicken Dorking Chicken Fisher's Lovebird Turquoise-Fronted Amazon Parrot Blue and Yellow Macaw Scarlet Macaw Military Macaw Burrowing Parakeet Eclectus parrot Black-Capped Lory Parrot Budgerigar Crimson Rosella Red-Rumped Parrot Plum-Headed Parakeet Alexandrine Parakeet Rose-Ringed Parakeet African Grey Parrot Pesquet's Parrot Thick-billed Parrot Rainbow lorikeet Toco Toucan Sheltie Guinea Pig Smooth haired guinea pig Abyssinian guinea pig Long-tailed Chinchilla Dzungarian Hamster Golden Hamster Alaska Rabbit Angora Rabbit Checkered giant rabbit (was german piebald) Dutch Dwarf Hotot English Angora English silver rabbit (white guards) Oryctolagus cuniculus Florida White Giant Chinchilla Rabbit Harlequin Rabbit Himalayan Holland Lop Mini Rex Rabbit Mini/German Lop Netherland Dwarf New Zealand Rhinelander Rabbit Satin Swiss fox rabbit (longhaired rabbit) Pallid gerbil Mongolian gerbil House Mouse Common Rat Ferret Sugar glider Chinese Water Dragon Bearded dragon Painted Terrapin Emerald tree boa Rainbow boa Veiled Chameleon Jackson's Chameleon Common Snake-necked Turtle Victoria Short-necked Turtle Hilaire's Side-necked Turtle Mangrove Snake African egg eating snake Beauty Rat Snake Sungazer lizard Brown Basilisk Lizard Painted Turtle Red-Eared Slider Terrapin/Turtle Green Iguana Caroline green anole Geen tree python Short-Tailed Python Royal Python Common sandfish skink Radiated Tortoise Hermann's Tortoise Arabian horse Mongolian Horse Orlov horse Trakehner horse Lippizaner horse Kladruber Horse Knabstrup horse and pony Selle Francaise horse Ardennes Horse Baudet de Poitou Donkey Camargue horse Oldenburg horse Nonius horse Murgese horse Salerno horse Sanfratellano horse Haflinger Friesian horse Lusitano Andalusian horse Freiberger horse Clydesdale horse Hackney horse and pony Shire horse Thoroughbred Horse Akhal-Teke Horse Appaloosa Morgan horse American Quarter horse Standardbred horse Criollo horse Peruvian paso horse Anglo arabian horse Dulmen pony Dartmoor pony Fell pony Shetland pony Oriental fire bellied toad European Green Toad Blue Poison Dart Frog Barking Tree Frog Clown Tree Frog Asian Painted Frog Giant African Bull Frog American Bull Frog Pickerel Frog Marsh Frog European common frog Fire salamander Crested newt European honey bee Madagascar hissing cockroach Ladybird/Ladybug Leafcutter Ant Field cricket Stick insect Stag beetle Praying mantis Antlion Giant millipede Linnaeus leaf bug Rhinoceros beetle Dung beetle Black emperor scorpion Mexican red kneed tarantula King baboon tarantula Goliath bird eating tarantula

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Book Synopsis'A superb naturalist and writer.'CHRIS PACKHAM'From Stone Age remains to modern day skyscrapers, Stephen Moss takes us on an exhilarating journey through place and time, providing a fascinating insight into nature's relationship with environments created by man.' DR MYA-ROSE CRAIG (BIRDGIRL) Welcome to The Accidental Countryside.This is the fascinating and remarkably empowering story of our influence upon the landscape and wildlife of these crowded islands, and of how wildlife has co-opted its most unlikely corners - even when we least expected it.From the seabirds sheltering in the prehistoric stone structures of Shetland to the peat diggings in Somerset teeming with life, and from the rare insects hidden in Belfast's docklands to the falcons that make London's Shard their home, Stephen Moss reveals the unexpected oases which foster the crucial links in the chain that bind the natural world together.

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Book Synopsis'Evocatively written and charming' - Countryfile'The January Man is a book that makes you want to pull on your boots, grab a map and get out there' - Country LifeThe January Man is the story of a year of walks that was inspired by a song, Dave Goulder's 'The January Man'. Month by month, season by season and region by region, Christopher Somerville walks the British Isles, following routes that continually bring his father to mind. As he travels the country - from the winter floodlands of the River Severn to the lambing pastures of Nidderdale, the towering seabird cliffs on the Shetland Isle of Foula in June and the ancient oaks of Sherwood Forest in autumn - he describes the history, wildlife, landscapes and people he encounters, down back lanes and old paths, in rain and fair weather.This exquisitely written account of the British countryside not only inspires us to don our boots and explore the 140,000 miles of footpaths across the British Isles, but also illustrates how, on long-distance walks, we can come to an understanding of ourselves and our fellow walkers. Over the hills and along the byways, Christopher Somerville examines what moulded the men of his father's generation - so reticent about their wartime experiences, so self-effacing, upright and dutiful - as he searches for 'the man inside the man' that his own father really was.Trade ReviewThis is nature at its most embracing; human nature richly-woven into the cycle of the seasons and the ecologies of father and son, observed with the passion and learning of Britain’s favourite walker. A truly wonderful, uplifting book, bursting with life. * Nicholas Crane *Christopher Somerville's THE JANUARY MAN has taken me on such a happy journey. I have experienced every type of weather, and walked until my feet are very sore; I have learnt many ancient stories, and stopped to notice the crows, the gulls, the geese, not to mention moss, flowers and clouds. I have thought about churches, pubs, morris men, farming, mud, rain, boots, badgers, apples, climate change - as well as growing older. All this from the comfort of my chair in the kitchen. And of course in thinking about all these things, I have also thought about my own place in the world, and the things I love. I have thought about my dad too and his final years. By the time I came to the end, I was crying. It is a wise, entertaining, kind book - one that makes you want to walk and want to read. The language is taut, beautiful, sparky and generous. It’s a book not just for walkers or nature lovers, but anyone who loves a good plain story. * Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry *A delightful, poetical hotchpotch...three parts nature notes to one part history lesson, one part personal memoir and one part loving salute to his late father...Somerville is a great wordsmith and could write about mud and make it interesting...he supplies a bumper draught of inspiration to visit some enticing, intriguing corners of Britain. -- Patrick Hosking * The Times *BOOK OF THE WEEK ... Like all the best nature writers, he's able to evoke an entire landscape with the lightest of touches. * The Daily Mail *This is the kind of book that will make you ache to leave the Tube or train at the very next stop and make for that distant ridge, that glimpsed wood. -- Stuart Maconie * Mail on Sunday *How good is it to read a nature memoir that is not a study in misery? … For a writer, the highest compliment he or she can pay another writer is envy. And I was green on reading The January Man. It’s not just Somerville's knowledge, it’s the truth and clarity in his prose – which is like the pure tone that comes from a tuning fork. * John Lewis-Stempel, author of Meadowland and The Running Hare *The January Man is a book that makes you want to pull on your boots, grab a map and get out there ... [Somerville] has the enviable power of noticing and describing details so beautifully: the subtle but once captured so distinct, variations of yellow in spring flowers; the way a kingfisher's garb - iridescent blue and copper in the sunshine, green and brown in the shadows - gives it the power of discretion ... This is a gentle, thoughtful narrative about the nature of relationships ...love opened up through the mutual experience of the power of place, enjoyed on foot. -- Fiona Reynolds * Country Life *A goldmine of historical nuggets and walking inspiration * Wunderlust *This inspiring book tells the story of a year of walking across the British Isles...Evocatively written, with charming snippets of childhood memories... Somerville explains how walking the countryside shaped him as an adult... Touching on his father's Second World War experiences and stoic nature, Somerville seeks to discover the man inside the man. Poignantly highlights the power walking has in forging close relationships and enabling communication, this heart-warming walker's diary proves real inspiration to exploring Britain on foot. -- Carys Matthews * Countryfile *Christopher Somerville’s moving, measured and immaculate The January Man is part walker’s diary, part celebration of his reticent yet loving father, and part... well, anything that takes his fancy and ours. But most of all it is a tender rumination on the One Big Thing that troubles all of us when we put on our hiking boots – and that’s mortality. * Jim Crace, author of Harvest *

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Book SynopsisBeavers are widely recognised as a keystone species which play a pivotal role in riparian ecology. Their tree felling and dam building behaviours coupled with a suite of other activities create a wealth of living opportunities that are exploited by a range of other species. Numerous scientific studies demonstrate that beaver-generated living environments that are much richer in terms of both biodiversity and biomass than wetland environments from which they are absent. Emerging contemporary studies indicate clearly that the landscapes they create can afford sustainable, cost-effective remedies for water retention, flood alleviation, silt and chemical capture. Beaver activities, especially in highly modified environments, may be challenging to certain land use activities and landowners. Many trialled and tested methods to mitigate against these impacts, including a wide range of non-lethal management techniques, are regularly implemented across Europe and North America. Many of these techniques will be new to people, especially in areas where beavers are newly re-establishing. This handbook serves to discuss both the benefits and challenges in living with this species, and collates the wide range of techniques that can be implemented to mitigate any negative impacts. The authors of this handbook are all beaver experts and together they have a broad range of scientific knowledge and practical experience regarding the ecology, captive husbandry, veterinary science, pathology, reintroduction and management of beavers in both continental Europe and Britain.Trade ReviewThe authors of this handbook include many of the most significant names in beaver conservation in Europe, drawing on a wide range of experiences and perspectives, which gives this book great depth and insight.... For me, working on the River Otter Beaver Trial here in Devon, this book is already providing a quick reference guide which I’m finding easy to use and full of valuable information. It is well organised and referenced and will become vital for those managing land which beavers recolonise in the decades ahead. -- Mark Elliott * ECOS *... I recommend Eurasian Beaver Handbook for land managers, policy writers, and landowners interested in managing European landscapes that include, or may potentially include, beavers. ... Although this book focuses on the European beaver, practitioners in North America also could benefit from reading this book to compare management styles, tools, and techniques. -- Jimmy D. Taylor, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center * Journal of Wildlife Management *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The history of beavers in Britain 3. Beaver biology and ecology 4. Legislation 5. Effects of beavers 6. Managing beaver impacts 7. Survey and monitoring 8. Learning to live with beavers Appendices References Index

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Book SynopsisIn our modern, distracted world it is easy to miss the kaleidoscope of life that exists on our doorsteps.Stretching nearly thirty kilometers from the Wicklow Mountains to the Grand Canal Dock, the River Dodder offers a serene escape into nature in our capital city. In Wild Waterways, Robert O? Leary showcases the river? s rich biodiversity through stunning photography and informative text in Irish and English.In these pages, you are invited to pause and reconnect with the teeming wildlife that surrounds us - kingfishers diving, otters playing, wagtails busily foraging and emperor dragonflies patrolling the river? s surface for prey.Showcasing birds, mammals and insects in glorious detail, these dazzling images remind us that you? re never too young, too old or too busy to ? stand and stare? and reconnect with the natural world in all its glory.

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Book SynopsisIn our busy, pressured world, the natural world can be a powerful counter-balance, offers wisdom for the challenges, pain and dislocations of life as well as for beauty, wonder and healing. In Soulful Nature, Brian Draper and Howard Green encourage you to get outside and make deeper connections with creation and its creator. They chart walking journeys through rural landscapes and town streets over the course of a year, showing how the natural cycle of the changing seasons can awaken us to the rhythms of our own lives. Each chapter explores a different landscape, zooming in on the small details of the natural world as well as panning out to the wide-screen beauty of time and place. Simple and practical spiritual exercises are provided throughout.Trade Review'A walk with Brian and Howard helps you see and hear more clearly, feel with a warmer heart and be a part of nature rather than just an observer.' -- Clare Balding'As this timely book explains, we need to let nature into our lives and to feel its healing properties.' -- Alan Titchmarsh'A remarkable book, transporting the reader on a journey through a year in nature. I am lucky enough to know all the places visited in this book, most of them very well. Brian and Howard's musings bring these places, and our seasons, not so much to life, as to meaning.' -- Matthew Oates'A thoughtful, evocative journey through some very special places, exploring the connection they offer us to the healing balm and spiritual possibilities of nature. It's a pleasure to be in the company of these two friends as they share history, naturalism and practical suggestions about how to slow down, connect with nature, and reflect in whatever way works for you.' -- Louise Govier'Brian Draper and Howard Green write with warmth, wisdom and a winsome way of earthing spirituality in the unique gift of each place. Best of all, they make you want to step outside and find the kingdom of heaven, hidden like treasure in the soil.' -- Andrew Rumsey

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Book SynopsisTheology, says Brian McLaren, is at its best when it is in conversation with the wild world that flourishes beyond our walls and outside our windows and cities. In God Unbound, McLaren follows his love of nature all the way to the Galapagos Islands. There, he pays close attention to the flora and fauna around him but also to what is happening within him, how the natural world awakens his soul in a way that organized religion cannot. The result is a sparkling and engrossing theology which refuses to remain indoors.Trade ReviewBrian McLaren has written a great many life-changing books, but this may be the most significant. He uses a new voice here to describe his own life-changing voyage. I found myself reading him in a whisper, if such a thing is possible, for fear of interrupting the flow of his gorgeous, intimate, and brilliant prose. My only caveat is this: do not read this book unless you are ready for your life to change too, for you will never see your place in the universe the same way again. -- Barbara Brown Taylor, author of An Altar in the World

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Book SynopsisI have yet to decipher what the word ''brave'' truly describes, but one thing is evident to me, judging by the number of things that do scare me, I am no braver than the next person. From his early days at Hartbeespoort Snake and Animal Park, to his military conscription during the late ''70s and up to his internationally renowned TV shows on Animal Planet, herpetologist and wildlife photographer Austin Stevens takes us through his extraordinary encounters with some of the world''s most dangerous creatures. Be it staring down a black mamba or trying to retrieve an escaped chimpanzee, these accounts are often exciting and hilarious in equal measure as Stevens dispels the myths surrounding these widely-feared creatures. Running Wild, Stevens''s fourth book, is reflective and personal. He touches on his relationship with his wife Amy, and describes dealing with depression after suffering a string of terrible misfortunes including a horrific car crash, a vicious knife attack and his struggle to rebuild a shattered life. Running Wild is the captivating story of a restless adventurer as he evolves from curator of reptiles, to wildlife photographer, author and film maker. Having faced adversity and mortality more than once, Austin shares with us his reminiscences of past experiences. With never a dull moment, Running Wild will render the reader both fearful and elated.

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Book Synopsis"With each day spent outdoors I am reminded of what a beautiful world we all call home, and the challenges that face ecosystems across the world." – Alfie Bowen “The photographs are outstanding, and the story behind them inspirational. Given the odds stacked against Alfie throughout his life, this book is a significant success and bodes very well for a continued and very inspiring career as a world-class photographer.” – Chris Packham "There are illustrated books that go straight to the heart, leave you speechless and humbled....and "Wild World" by Alfie Bowen is just such an illustrated book. Wildlife photography in perfection, for which there are no words, because Bowen succeeds in letting the viewer look directly into the soul of the animals with his photographs." – Lovely Books Germany Alfie Bowen is an exceptionally talented young autistic photographer and wildlife activist. His latest project offers a glimpse into the private lives of numerous wild animals from across the globe and reveals the highs and lows of living as an autistic environmental campaigner. Bowen’s photographs are truly breath-taking. Hours are invested into every piece to ensure the results are exactly as Bowen envisioned, and Bowen conducts in-depth research on every animal he captures, believing it is of the utmost importance to understand his subjects. In this book, Bowen discusses overcoming the limitations of technology and how autism has given him the obsession needed to persevere in often cold, lonely and difficult circumstances. From Bowen’s relation of his struggle to capture the perfect picture of a cheetah, to his majestic portraits of some of the most beloved animals on the planet, this book captures the powerful sensory experience Bowen enjoys whenever he immerses himself in nature. Featured animals include: lions, cheetahs, leopards, tigers, snow leopards, Geoffrey’s cats, red pandas, chimpanzees, monkeys and colobuses, lemurs, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, deer, flamingos, eagles and other birds, and koi. Trade Review“There are few things more calming than the beauty of nature – and no one understand the power of the natural world more than Alfie Bowen.” - Danielle Lett, East Anglia Daily Times"The illustrated book Wild World captures that powerful sensory experience, which Bowen enjoys when he's in the Nature immerses." - Photo Weekly Germany"There are illustrated books that go straight to the heart, leave you speechless and humbled....and "Wild World" by Alfie Bowen is just such an illustrated book. Wildlife photography in perfection, for which there are no words, because Bowen succeeds in letting the viewer look directly into the soul of the animals with his photographs." - Lovely Books Germany"Bowen’s photographs are truly breath-taking. Hours are invested into every piece to ensure the results are exactly as Bowen envisioned, and Bowen conducts in-depth research on every animal he captures, believing it is of the utmost importance to understand his subjects." - Lovely Books

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Book Synopsis'A dazzling, funny and elegantly angry demolition of our preconceptions about female behaviour and sex in the animal kingdom ... Bitch is a blast. I read it, my jaw sagging in astonishment, jotting down favourite parts to send to friends and reading out snippets gleefully...' Observer'A book that is tearing down the stereotypes and the biases. Absolutely fascinating.' BBC R4 Woman's Hour'From the heir to Attenborough. 5*' - Telegraph'Glorious ... A bold and gripping takedown of the sexist mythology baked into biology ... Full of marvellous surprises. Guardian'Colourful, committed and deeply informed.' Sunday Times'Gloriously original' Daily MirrorA 'sparkling attack on scientific sexism' Nature'Humorous, absorbing, sometimes shocking (for a variety of reasons), and bound to be a conversation starter' BBC Wildlife'Brilliant ... Cooke is a superb science writer' TLS'Zoologist Lucy Cooke's hilarious and enlightening book reclaims evolutionary biology for females of all species.' New Statesman'Introduces us to a marvelous zoetrope of animals.' The Atlantic'[An] effervescent exposé ... [A] playful, enlightening tour of the vanguard of evolutionary biology.' Scientific American Selected for the Telegraph's 'best books for summer 2022' and as one of the Guardian's '50 hottest new books for a great escape'._______________________________________________________________What does it mean to be female? Mother, carer, the weaker sex? Think again.In the last few decades a revolution has been brewing in zoology and evolutionary biology. Lucy Cooke introduces us to a riotous cast of animals, and the scientists studying them, that are redefining the female of the species.Meet the female lemurs of Madagascar, our ancient primate cousins that dominate the males of their species physically and politically.Or female albatross couples, hooking up together to raise their chicks in Hawaii.Or the meerkat mothers of the Kalahari Desert - the most murderous mammals on the planet.The bitches in BITCH overturn outdated binary expectations of bodies, brains, biology and behaviour. Lucy Cooke's brilliant new book will change how you think - about sex, sexual identity and sexuality in animals and also the very forces that shape evolution.__________Praise for Lucy's previous book THE UNEXPECTED TRUTH ABOUT ANIMALS'Endlessly fascinating' - Bill Bryson'I cannot remember when I enjoyed a non-fiction book so much' - Daily Express'A joy from beginning to end' - Guardian'Best science pick: deeply researched, sassily written' - NatureTrade ReviewLucy Cooke's Bitch shows just how far we have come in seeing nature's females for what they actually are.' -- Simon Ing * Telegraph *Surprising sex lives of the animal kingdom: From bondage-loving spiders to 'Scrooge-like' lobsters who save their sperm for a female who's 'worth it', BITCH lifts the lid on kinky creatures -- Claire Toureille * Daily Mail *Best books of 2022 so far: Zoologist Lucy Cooke's hilarious and enlightening book reclaims evolutionary biology for females of all species. * New Statesman *Mr Darwin, your time is up...This is the evolutionary reboot us bitches have been waiting for. -- Sue PerkinsBrilliant ... Cooke is a superb science writer -- Carol Tavris * TLS *

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisPresented in a beautiful quarter-bound hardback format and aimed at a general audience, this engaging book presents a selection of remarkable trees in the care of the National Trust. Throughout human history, trees have occupied a role that is central to our existence providing timber to build our homes, fuel to heat them, fruit to sustain us, shelter from a downpour and shade on a sunny day. Vital to our wellbeing, they impress us with their size, enchant us with their ever-changing colours and have provided inspiration for artists down the centuries. This celebration of trees at National Trust places presents a carefully chosen selection of 50 fascinating examples. Alongside named' witnesses to history, such as the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Sycamore and Sir Isaac Newton's Apple Tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, are fine examples of their type that deserve to be better known, such as the Douglas Firs at Cragside and the Black Mulberry at Chastleton House. Each featured tree is accompaniedTable of ContentsIntroduction 50 GREAT TREES Glossary of terms Gazetteer of National Trust Places Index Acknowledgements Picture credits

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Book SynopsisIn his refreshingly lighthearted style, Pat Morris presents scientific and downto-earth information about one of Britain's best-loved wild creatures, the bumbling and endearing hedgehog.

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Book SynopsisThe art of needle felting can produce endless possibilities of hyper-realistic, almost taxidermic results. With a little know-how, some needles, wool and a few inexpensive accessories, you can learn to needle felt like a professional. Take your needle felting to a whole new level to create a range of lifelike British wildlife. World class felting master Cindy-Lou Thompson of Chicktin Creations will take you through the steps. Covering four different British wild animals, with illustrated step-by-step instructions, Cindy guides you through the process of creating different body shapes, proportions, armatures, coats, and blending, as well as realistic finishing touches such as eyes, nails, ears and detailing. Learn how to achieve a professional finish you will be proud of with different textured coats, blending, clipping, and adding shape and giving a realistic finishing touch with a variety of mediums and methods, some of which Cindy has designed and developed herself. From the author of the best-selling book A Masterclass in Needle Felting Dogs, this follow-up book will teach you new techniques, and inspire you to try new and exciting creations of your own!Table of ContentsChapter 1. Basic information, items used etc. Chapter 2. The Fox, highlighting armature, initial covering, long fur attachment and coat pattern, Fox eyes and texturing wool. Chapter 3. The Hare, highlighting proportions, blended coat, large ears, eyes and finishing off details Chapter 4. The Badger, highlighting an unusal body shape and armature, claws Chapter 4. The Deer, highlighting long thin legs, large ears and a shorter coat.

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Book SynopsisCollins Complete Guide to British Muchrooms and Toadstools allows everyone to identify mushrooms found in Britain and Ireland. The book is illustrated with beautiful photographs throughout, featuring the species you are most likely to see.By only covering Britain and Ireland, fewer species are included than in many broader European guides, making it quicker and easier for the reader to accurately identify what they have found.Extensive details on size, shape and colour are given and over 1,500 photographs help you identify each species.This is the essential photographic guide to the mushrooms and toadstools of Britain and Ireland.Trade ReviewPraise for the Collins Complete series: 'Wonderfully descriptive photographs'BBC Wildlife ‘Whether you are a keen amateur or someone with a passing interest, this book will satisfy your needs.’The Sea 'Packs in lots of well-chosen detail in compact form'British Wildlife Magazine

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Book SynopsisA guide that explores the wildlife most likely to be encountered by a safari visitor to the Masai Mara National Reserve in southwest Kenya. It covers 140 photographs that showcase 65 mammals and 17 reptile species, including 6 snakes. It also provides a brief and informative introduction to the habitats of the Masai Mara.Trade Review"This is the guidebook for every child, and child inside of us, between the ages of 5 and 105 that has ever dreamt of learning about the fascinating animals seen on a safari in Africa."--Gabriel Thoumi, MongaBay.com "Like its avian companion volume, you will love this book--even if you never visit the Masai Mara!"--Devorah Bennu, GrrlScentist "If you are going to visit the Masai Mara, this is a must have book. But I recommend this book equally to anyone who wants to take an imaginary journey to this part of the Serengeti. It is a fascinating book about the world's most charismatic community of animals."--DRK, Wildlife ActivistTable of ContentsAbout this book 7 Geography of the Masai Mara 10 Map of the Masai Mara 12 Where to watch wildlife in the Masai Mara 14 The great migrations 18 About the guides 22 Mammals * Lion Panthera leo 26 Leopard Panthera pardus 30 Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus 34 Serval Leptailurus serval 38 Caracal Caracal caracal 39 Wild Cat Felis sylvestris 40 African Civet Civettictis civetta 41 Small-spotted Genet Genetta genetta 42 Large-spotted Genet Genetta tigrina 42 Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta 44 Aardwolf Proteles cristata 46 Striped Hyena Hyena hyaena 47 Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula 48 Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo 49 Slender Mongoose Herpestes sanguineus 50 Ichneumon Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon 51 Marsh Mongoose Atilax paludinosus 52 White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda 53 Zorilla Ictonyx striatus 54 Honey Badger Mellivora capensis 55 Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas 56 Side-striped Jackal Canis adustus 57 Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis 58 Wild Dog Lycaon pictus 59 Pangolin Smutsia temminckii 60 Aardvark Orycteropus afer 61 African Elephant Loxodonta africana 62 Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis 67 Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius 68 Warthog Phacochoerus africanus 70 Plains Zebra Equus quagga 72 Maasai Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis 76 Cape Buffalo Syncerus caffer 80 Eland Tragelaphus oryx 84 Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros 86 Bush Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia 88 Oribi Ourebia ourebi 89 Kirk's Dik-dik Madoqua kirkii 90 Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus 91 Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula 92 Bohor Reedbuck Redunca redunca 93 Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus 94 Defassa Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus 95 Impala Aepyceros melampus 96 Grant's Gazelle Nanger granti 98 Thomson's Gazelle Eudorcas thomsonii 100 Coke's Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus 102 Topi Damaliscus lunatus 103 White-bearded Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus 104 Cape Hare Lepus capensis 108 Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis 108 Springhare Pedetes capensis 109 Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus 110 Striped Ground Squirrel Xerus erythropus 110 Grass Rat Arvicanthis niloticus 111 White-bellied Hedgehog Atelerix albiventris 112 Crested Porcupine Hystrix cristata 113 Bush Hyrax Heterohyrax brucei 114 Greater Galago Otolemur crassicaudatus 116 Lesser Galago Galago senegalensis 117 Guereza Colobus Colobus guereza 118 Red-tailed Monkey Cercopithecus ascanius 120 Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis 122 Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus 124 Olive Baboon Papio anubis 126 Reptiles * Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus 130 Savanna Monitor Varanus albigularis 132 Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus 132 Leopard Tortoise Geochelone pardalis 134 Helmeted Terrapin Pelomedusa subrufa 135 Flap-necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis 136 Striped Skink Mabuya striata 136 Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia . 138 Cape Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus capensis 139 Mwanza Flat-headed Agama Agama mwanzae 140 Blue-headed Tree Agama Acanthocercus atricollis 141 Black-necked Spitting Cobra Naja nigricollis 142 Black Mamba Dendroaspis polylepis 143 Spotted Bush Snake Philothamnus semivariegatus 144 Velvety-green Night Adder Causus resimus 144 Puff Adder Bitis arietans 145 African Rock Python Python natalensis 146 References and useful resources 148 Acknowledgements and photographic credits 149 Index 150

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Book Synopsis"A stunning collection of photographs by Alex Saberi, which illustrate the rich diversity of wildlife in Richmond Park throughout the seasons." - Discover Wildlife.com "Alex's ethereal, fairy-tale-like images are a real wonder. His grasp of light, location and atmosphere make these photographs ones that border on the unique." - Amateur Photographer Sir David Attenborough has described Richmond Park as "A very special place" - and with good reason. This vast oasis of green, just eight miles from the centre of London, is an ecological pearl in the midst of sprawling urbanisation. The park, most famous for its herd of 630 Fallow and Red Deer, is not only Europe's largest park, but is as big as the seven other royal parks combined. Since King Charles I enclosed the park in 1637, it has provided a haven of tranquillity and diversion for all its visitors. Today, some 77 million people pass through its gates each year. In this beautiful book, Alex Saberi captures Richmond Park's unique blend of rare and diverse wildlife, plant life and rolling landscapes. From a crow perching on a bench in the morning haze to a foolhardy Labrador, breaking impatiently away from its owner, the photographs capture its inherent beauty as well as those rare moments of wildlife action and majesty that only yield themselves to the most patient and knowledgeable of observers.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive guide to Britain's stunning wildlife heritage, showcasing more than 475 walks through the Wildlife Trust's forest, heaths, moors and woods. Published in conjunction with the Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Walks is a superb guide to more than 475 of the UK''s top nature reserves, all of them owned and managed by the unique network of Wildlife Trusts.Organised by region, each entry includes information on access and conditions, opening times, facilities, how to get there, and local attractions. Boxes highlighting special species of interest are dotted throughout the book. Illustrated throughout with many beautiful colour photographs and maps, Wildlife Walks is the only guide you''ll need to plan a great family day out.Trade ReviewScience is catching up to what nature lovers already know – that time in nature plays an essential role in physical and mental wellbeing. Access to nature-rich places is also crucial to conservation – we will not fight to save what we do not love, and we cannot love what we do not know. This dual role of protection and connection are why the Wildlife Trusts will always have my support. Their reserves are not only places of wildlife preservation and nature restoration, but gateways to a sense of ecological belonging. * Amy-Jane Beer *Take a walk through the Wildlife Trusts’ nature reserves with this handy guide that showcases some of our nation’s best forests, woodlands and coastal locations. * BBC Wildlife *Expect to be pointed towards interesting routes. * Countryman *Wildlife Walks is a companion to your discovery of nature across the UK. […] With details about everything you could need to plan a walk at each nature reserve, plus hundreds of beautiful photographs, you’re guaranteed to find your next happy place. * British Travel Journal *Wildlife Walks is an inspiring guide to more than 475 walks through The Wildlife Trusts’ nature reserves […] Whether you’re planning your next family day out, or are looking for your next adventure in the great outdoors, this is the perfect book to have on the shelf or in the car. * Countryside Magazine *The guide offers practical information on how to get there, facilities available on each route and walking time along with some inspirational photography and tips on how to engage with the natural world. * National Geographic Traveller *Each county is covered, with its best walks. Some are much longer, but each has a potential half-hour rate if you have not got the time -- John Miles * Birdwatching *Table of ContentsAbout the Wildlife Trusts The Countryside Code The Wildlife Trusts – Key Stats The Regions - South West - South East - East - East Midlands - West Midlands - North - Wales - Scotland - Northern Ireland Glossary Maps Index

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Book SynopsisA walking safari is the best way to enjoy pristine African wilderness, reaching places impossible for vehicles. It offers safari travellers the joy of genuine immersion. This book combines practical tips, reserve-by-reserve information of specific interest to walkers, and vivid narratives of the best walking experiences.

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Book SynopsisDavid Attenborough, Dion Leonard (Finding Gobi), Dervla Murphy and Brian Jackman are just four of the authors whose work features in this new anthology from Bradt focusing on true stories about travelling with animals. In Beastly Journeys, there are 46 tales of extraordinary animal travel experiences, from hilarious holidays with pets to journeys on which wild animals somehow came along for the ride, including: David Attenborough tries to get an armadillo through Paraguayan customs; adventurer Ash Dykes takes a white cockerel to Maromokotro to ward off evil spirits; Mike Gerrard shares a car journey from Belsize Park to Canvey Island with a python; Brian Jackman rides, walks and swims with Abu the elephant; Bradt New Travel Writer of the Year Dom Tulett rows with a kingfisher; and John Rendall travels to Africa with Christian, the lion he bought at Harrods and raised in west London. Also included is a brand new piece of writing from ultramarathon runner Dion Leonard about his experience with Gobi, the stray dog who accompanied him for 80 miles over the treacherous Tian Shian mountains. A mix of new, previously unpublished writers and old favourites are included, with extracts from writers such as Mark Shand (Travels on my Elephant), Dervla Murphy (Eight Feet in the Andes) and Robert Louis Stevenson (Travels with a Donkey), not to mention Gerald Durrell, 19th-century explorer Isabella Bird and renowned publisher Michael Joseph. Compelling, engaging, surprising, humorous and entertaining. if this book proves one thing it's that travel with animals is every bit as unpredictable as you would expect it to be.Trade Review'Quirky collection' - BBC Wildlife MagazineTable of ContentsIntroduction Hilary Bradt THE AMERICAS From Zoo Quest in Paraguay Sir David Attenborough The Llama that Couldn't Gordon Thompson Running with Parrots Katharine Lowrie From Eight Feet in the Andes Dervla Murphy Barry's Flying Visit Adrian Phillips Pepper Pays her Passage Celia Dillow Just a Dog Emma Laing From The Whispering Land Gerald Durrell Beer and Burras Graham Mackintosh Spinny the Sea Cat Frances Howorth Dapple the Reluctant Donkey John Harrison EUROPE Goldfish Trek Emma Macdonald From Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes Robert Louis Stevenson Monty in a Basket Mike Gerrard Smuggling Fleur Hugh Tucker From High Albania Edith Durham, selected and introduced by Elizabeth Gowing Polly Kala Mary Johns Understanding Peggy Hilary Bradt From Zarafa Michael Allin One Man and a Mule Hugh Thomson Hedgehogs on the Road Tanis Jordan From The Bible in Spain George Borrow The Show Must Go On Sarah Pope Lost and Found in the Arctic Kelsey Camacho From Charles: The Story of a Friendship Michael Joseph From Me, My Bike and a Street Dog Called Lucy Ishbel Holmes AFRICA Habibi Sheelagh Reynolds From The Sky is on Fire Magsie Hamilton Little The White Cockerel Ash Dykes Painted Wolves Jonathan Scott Annie's Story Richard Kitzinger An Elephant Called Abu Brian Jackman Follow the Leader Suzy Pope Our Long-Eared Holiday Companion Alison Ely From Christian the Lion: the Ilustrated Legacy John Rendall ASIA From Travels on my Elephant Mark Shand Finding Gobi Dion Leonard Kenny Dom Tulett From Unbeaten Tracks in Japan Isabella Bird The Road to Blue Paradise Lu Barnham Rani and Me Harjeet Johal From Across Coveted Lands Henry Savage Landor AUSTRALASIA Piloted across the Indian Ocean Sarah Outen Starboard Michael Howorth Jack Sparrow Rachel A Davis From Tracks Robyn Davidson

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Book SynopsisA journey across Ireland, in words and dazzling images,exploring the nature we pass every day. Go deep in the bog, high in the mountains and under crashing waves. Discover alpine flowers blooming in the Burren, meet ferocious anemones on our shorelines, and visit the Shannon Dolphins, who have had a place in local legend for centuries.

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Book SynopsisWorms are remarkable but often underrated creatures. Exploring their roles from gardener's friend to toothache culprit, this book offers an insight into the mysterious world of worms. The reader is introduced to all manner of 'worms', even though many only superficially resemble the limbless, sinuous archetype. There is discussion of worms as internal parasites, soil dwellers and aquatic forms, and an examination of worms in literature and mythology, showing how humans and worms have an intimate and closely entwined history - throughout the ages, worms have been portrayed as benign, even beautiful, yet at other times spitefully ostracized as deadly creatures. This richly illustrated book looks at the microscopic and the very large indeed, asking what the future holds for both human- and worm-kind.Table of Contents1 Introducing the Worm 2 People's Interactions and Perceptions 3 Darwin's Plough 4 Aside from Science 5 Lumbricus terrestris - (Not Such) a Common Earthworm 6 The Future of Worms and Humans Appendix: Phrases and Words Referring to Worms Timeline References Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisSpecies evolve over time to become perfectly adapted to their environments, right?Well, sometimes.Consider that an elephant will not grow a seventh set of teeth, even though wearing down the sixth will condemn it to starvation; that hosts of the European cuckoo seem unable to tell that the overgrown monster in their nest is not their own chick; and that whales are fully aquatic mammals who, millions of years after first abandoning the land, still cannot breathe underwater.This book is about evolution, but not its greatest hits. Instead, it explores everything in the animal kingdom that is self-defeating, ill-made, uneconomical, or downright weird – and explains how natural selection has favoured it. In the grand struggle for survival, some surprising patterns emerge: animals are always slightly out-of-date; inefficiency tends to increase over time; predators usually lose, and parasites usually win. With equal parts humour and scientific insight, Andy Dobson is here to explain the how and why of evolution’s limits and liabilities.Trade Review‘A delightful exploration of the diversity of life and the shortcomings of evolution.’ Dave Goulson, author of A Sting in the Tale and Silent Earth‘A lively, entertaining and highly readable account of natural selection in all its quirky glory.’ Nessa Carey, author of The Epigenetics Revolution and Junk DNA‘A wonderful read – witty and profound, this book upends the usual way of thinking about evolution, instead highlighting the flaws, dead ends and downright nastiness that natural selection produces as it goes on its aimless and morally neutral way.’ E.J. Milner-Gulland, Tasso Leventis Professor of Biodiversity, University of Oxford

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Book SynopsisBradt's popular guidebook 52 Wildlife Weekends suggests inspiring itineraries for 52 unforgettable British wildlife-watching breaks, stretching from the Isles of Scilly to northern Scotland - each perfectly timed for every week of the year. Thoroughly updated to reflect Britain's ever-changing natural history, this second edition integrates the latest information on the country's most thrilling wildlife experiences, suggests new target species and showcases fabulous new locations. Written by award-winning author and experienced naturalist James Lowen, 52 Wildlife Weekends remains the only guide to package Britain's nature-watching highlights into deftly timed, user-friendly holiday suggestions. Say it's February and you want to watching otters. Or May: time for spring flowers and bewitching butterflies. Or July, and you fancy marvelling at dragonflies. Or October: the height of bird migration. Whenever in the year you get a chance to escape, this book suggests 48 hours' worth of brilliant wildlife-watching - perfect for staycations, whether as a weekend or part of a longer holiday. 52 Wildlife Weekends suggests a year's worth of short breaks celebrating the full range of Britain's most exciting wildlife, from tiny silver-spotted skipper butterflies to gargantuan basking sharks, and from seabird skyscrapers to ostentatious orchids. Covering more than 40 counties or regions, this unique guide offers engaging descriptions, detailed directions (including grid references and postcodes), accommodation suggestions, and assessments of accessibility and (new for this edition) child-friendliness, plus 180 mouth-watering colour photographs. Find out how, where and when to track down such thrilling creatures as beavers and basking sharks, eagles and otters, dolphins and dragonflies, glow worms and grey seals. Why not open the New Year on a real-life wild goose chase in the Inner Hebrides? Or make a spring pilgrimage to Yorkshire to see truly wild daffodils? Or experience underwater life by peering into rivers for rare fish in Powys, snorkelling in Dorset, or rock-pooling in Devon? Or gawp at starling murmurations, shape-shifting through the autumnal sky, in Suffolk or Somerset. Combining the very best of travel and wildlife guides, and covering both well-known spectacles and less familiar species, Bradt's 52 Wildlife Weekends has something for everyone - wildlife experts and novice ecotourists alike.Trade Review'A diarised walkthrough of 52 wildlife-filled weekend destinations to explore and experience in every corner of the British countryside, this is a guide that will find a home in the caravans, tent pockets and backpacks of nature-lovers just about everywhere...... 52 Wildlife Weekends will provide many with the inspiration to get close to nature somewhere across our islands, and might add a few destinations to the bucket lists of those already enthused. This is a guide well worth buying?-?regardless of your location, interest or expertise on anything wildlife-related. Let yourself be inspired!' www.birdguides.com 'Packed with stunning wildlife photography, this is an ideal guide to the range of British wildlife you can see as well as where to see it and when.' Powys County Times and Express 'Each chapter is an invitation to pack a picnic, pull on the walking boots and head out in search of our wonderful wildlife.' The Simple Things 'The text is, like the rest of the book, simply superb and full of feeling, as if the author has actually taken you there.' Highland News 'A pleasurable and practical read that aims to inspire and inform... an indispensible resource for anyone interested in British wildlife.' Outdoor Photography 'A year of wildlife-watching ideas divided into handy weekend breaks' Countryman Magazine 'Packaged in a handy-sized and beautifully illustrated book. The sumptuous photographs on the front cover provide a taster of the wonderful variety of wildlife that can be enjoyed across Britain... a great addition to any bookshelf' The Biggest Twitch 'An invaluable, inspirational guide and a real bargain to boot.' BBC Wildlife "A good idea and a useful guide... packed with information and well written... a good reminder that Britain has plenty of wildlife if you go to the right places, at the right times" Mark Avery, British Wildlife. 'Offers inspiring itineraries for a year of unforgettable wildlife-watching breaks across the UK' Sussex Wildlife Trust 'This would suit non-specialists as well as seasoned naturalists, and, accompanied by some fine photographs, contains evocative accounts of varied landscapes, from balmy evenings in the Chilterns to the saturated fens of Norfolk.' Good Book Guide 'This book provides an excellent starting point for a novice or for a 'wild' family to explore nature across beautiful Britain!' Dorset Wildlife Trust 'Britain is rich in wildlife, and now, thanks to a new book, seeing all these creatures in their natural habitats has suddenly been made a lot easier.' Evergreen 'Learn where to spot basking sharks, forage for fungi, track red squirrels and more, with maps, itineraries and great photos.' National Geographic Traveller 'Who needs BBC's Springwatch when this book has 52 good reasons to get out and see British wildlife for yourself?' Wild TravelTable of ContentsJanuary 1 Wild goose chases and whisky chasers Argyll & Bute for barnacle goose, Greenland white-fronted goose, white-tailed eagle, otter, goose barnacle 2 Meres, fens and washes Cambridgeshire for Chinese water deer, bittern, Bewick's swan, whooper swan, hen harrier 3 Larking about Hampshire for red deer, roe deer, wood lark, great grey shrike, hawfinch 4 Seal of approval Durham for harbour seal, grey seal, long-eared owl, waxwing, snow bunting 5 Seaduck go Forth! Fife & East Lothian for velvet scoter, long-tailed duck, Slavonian grebe, white-tailed eagle, sea buckthorn bracket February 6 Touting for Tarka Northumberland for otter, red squirrel, Mediterranean gull, willow tit, twite 7 Whirling waders, gathering geese, aerial attacks Lancashire for otter, whooper swan, pink-footed goose, starling roost, scarlet elf cup 8 Kite-flying and Welsh witches Powys for red kite, raven, dipper, witches beard, Wilson's filmy fern 9 Dark Peak, white hare Derbyshire for mountain hare, peregrine, curlew, raven, red grouse March 10 From rifles to Ratty Greater London & Kent for water vole, heronry, Caspian gull, long-eared owl, rook roost 11 Serpents of the sandlings Suffolk for adder, Mediterranean gull, Dartford warbler, brown hare, mossy stonecrop 12 Daff's in t'dale North Yorkshire for wild daffodil, red grouse, goshawk, gannet, kittiwake 13 Wailing heath chicken run Suffolk & Norfolk for stone-curlew, stoat, grape hyacinth, Breckland speedwell, fingered speedwell April 14 Sand and deliver! Devon for sand crocus, sand lizard, narrow-headed ant, rockpool species, cirl bunting 15 A rabble of reptiles Dorset for eight species of reptile, natterjack toad, sika, early spider orchid, emperor moth 16 Snakes and snake's heads Gloucestershire & Wiltshire for wild boar, adder, goshawk, pied flycatcher, snake's-head fritillary 17 Highland spring, famous grouse Highland for black grouse, osprey, golden eagle, pine marten, Kentish glory May 18 Dukes and ladies Kent for lady orchid, bluebell,shingle plants, Duke of Burgundy, dew moth 19 Fantastic fish - and fishers Radnorshire & Carmarthenshire for sea lamprey, brook lamprey, badger, osprey, wood warbler 20 Pembrokeshire parrots, mystical Manxies Pembrokeshire for Manx shearwater, puffin, gannet, bluebell, red campion 21 Does the lady's slipper fit? Yorkshire & Cumbria for lady's slipper, coralroot orchid, pearl-bordered fritillary, white-spotted sable, natterjack toad 22 Machair marvels, streaming skuas Outer Hebrides for machair plants including orchids, corncrake, breeding waders, long-tailed skua, moss carder bee July 27 Butterfly high season Cumbria for high brown fritillary, mountain ringlet, large heath, dune helleborine, dark-red helleborine 28 Island intensity Northumberland for Arctic tern, roseate tern, puffin, dune helleborine, ballan wrasse 29 There be dragons... and dolphins Inverness-shire for northern emerald, northern damselfly, bumblebee robberfly, creeping lady's-tresses, bottlenose dolphin 30 Snorkelling and skippers Dorset for corkwing wrasse, Lulworth skipper, small red damselfly, heath tiger beetle, Dorset heath 31 Shark! Cornwall & Devon for blue shark, harbour porpoise, beaver, greater horseshoe bat, silver-studded blue August 32 Basking on the Lizard Cornwall for Cornish heath, bog asphodel, chough, basking shark, red-veined darter 33 Mad Manx and mountains Ceredigion & Snowdonia for Manx shearwater, osprey, sand lizard, marsh helleborine, feral goat 34 Pelagic paradise Isles of Scilly for Wilson's storm-petrel, great shearwater, common dolphin, grey seal, rockpool life 35 Dragonfly delights Essex & Kent for southern migrant hawker, scarce emerald damselfly, shrill carder bee, water vole, great crested newt September 36 Chiltern challenge Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire for edible dormouse, brown hairstreak, silver-spotted skipper, glowworm, Chiltern gentian 37 Webs, willows and wanderers Suffolk for fen raft spider, willow emerald damselfly, convolvulus hawk-moth, badger, polecat/ferret 38 The Flamborough front East Yorkshire for gannet, sooty shearwater, pomarine skua, red-backed shrike, rockpool life 39 Blubber and bucks Norfolk for harbour seal, fallow deer, bearded tit, yellow-browed warbler, dune waxcap October 40 Winner takes all Suffolk for red deer rut, otter, bearded tit, bittern, little stint 41 Scilly season Isles of Scilly for migrant birds, lesser white-toothed shrew, basking shark, prickly stick-insect, crimson speckled 42 Don't spurn the chance East Yorkshire for migrant songbirds, estuary waders, long-eared owl, woodcock 43 Estuarine exodus Cheshire & Conwy for pygmy shrew, harvest mouse, feral goat, short-eared owl, chough 44 Leap of faith North Yorkshire for the salmon run, roe deer, red squirrel, dipper, common crossbill November 45 Yew and yours Sussex for huge yews, fly agaric, water shrew, water vole, brent goose 46 Otterly fabu

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together a very special collection of pictures. Planet Earth is now regarded as the ultimate wildlife TV series, and its magic lies in its photography. Featuring the very best of Planet Earth images - from breathtaking aerials to unique, intimate portraits - Planet Earth, The Photographs is full of surprises, spectacle and a sense of awe. It is also, to quote David Attenborough, "an eloquent rallying call to all of us who care for the Earth's welfare to redouble our efforts to protect those wonders that still survive." Accompanying the images are thought-provoking captions by Planet Earth series producer Alastair Fothergill, along with quotes from the good and great of the wildlife and conservation world. Together they reveal the wonders of life on earth today and remind us that, without action, "within the next few years, the world itself may never look the same again.""There is something about the wonder of nature, nature in its infinite variety and mystery, that touches people in their very souls." Planet Earth - The Future

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Book SynopsisThis stunningly beautiful and informative book celebrates the Arctic, one of the last great wildernesses on the planet; a place where animals have survived for thousands of years protected only by fur and feathers. Humans also survive in the Arctic, but only those who have adjusted to the climate over millennia and who clad themselves in the skins of the animals they hunt. For the casual visitor, this is a place where survival for any extended period requires taking advantage of the best that modern technology can offer. But the rewards are immense: the Arctic can be harsh, but it is also stunningly beautiful - days during which the sun glints on ice, nights illuminated by the ethereal dancing light of the aurora and with a glimpse of some of the most remarkable animals on the planet. Many travel to the Arctic to see the animals, the land mammals, the whales and seals, and the birds. However, the Arctic also has an absorbing human history. The origins of the Inuit in North America, and the array of Eurasian northern peoples, from the Sami of Scandinavia to the Yuppik hunters from Asia's Bering Sea coast, are still debated, while the discovery, just a year or so ago, of the second ship of Franklin's doomed expedition to find the North-West Passage has reopened the arguments over exactly what did happen to more than 100 Royal Navy seamen. The Arctic provides not only an understanding of the formation of the Arctic but the science of snow and ice including the phenomena of aurora and parhelia, and the way in which the area's wildlife contends with the chilling harshness of its climate. This fascinating, magnificent area is now under severe threat. Global warming is causing the sea ice to shrink, in both area and volume. This allows easier access to its probable resources and, ironically, this access merely adds to the threats to the area and its wildlife. Due to feedback mechanisms, the Arctic warms about twice as fast as the Earth. The area therefore acts in the way that canaries once acted in coal mines, giving an early warning of danger: melting sea ice not only threatens the local wildlife but indicates the threat to the Earth as a whole. This is a truly remarkable book encompassing the diverse facets of this magnificent area and its vital importance as an indicator of the planet's health.Trade Review`…should be required reading for all those who have influence over the future direction of the world’s economies, its threatened environment and ever-growing population’. John O’ Groat Journal -------------------- `This is an extremely well laid-out book, written by Richard Sale and with photos by Per Michelson on almost every page helping the reader to understand the subject under discussion. To read it was a fascinating experience... ...absolutely fascinating... ...illustrated by amazing photographs... Reading the book I was in awe at the vast knowledge of the author. This is not a book about one aspect of the Arctic but of a wide range of complex topics. The compilation of such a book, and its photographic illustrations, are a credit to Sale and Michelsen'. Wildlife Detective, The blog of Alan Stewart -------------------- `...a true celebration of the Arctic Wilderness... ...is essential reading for both Arctic "aficionados" and ordinary travelers to the Arctic, anyone indeed, with real interests in the future of the physical and human environment of the hugely extensive and beautiful wilderness of the Arctic'. ECOS

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Book SynopsisThe Outer Hebrides is an island archipelago on the remotest north-western periphery of a bigger island archipelago, itself part of Europe’s Atlantic coastline. And what is Atlantic Europe if not the north-western tip of the vast land mass of Eurasia? Here is an unrivalled sense of place, on the edge, the periphery, the brink. Bruce Kendrick has been visiting these islands, regularly, since 1970. Art & Nature in the Outer Hebrides combines his highly commendable nature writing with fascinating stories of folk he has met over the years who create wonderful art and crafts in these remote islands. How do these artists, be they painters, potters, photographers, or poets, interpret their world of nature, their culture, their heritage, here in the wilds of the north-east Atlantic Ocean? Like many worthwhile things in life, making art is not without its challenges. There will be setbacks on any lifelong journey but there will be triumphs too. If there is one trait these Hebridean-based artists do have in common it is their single-minded determination and persistence to create art, in all its many guises, from out of the deep well of their own imagination and their inescapable world of nature’s beauty and inspiration. Bruce is also an accomplished nature photographer and his supporting images of both art and nature in these islands only add to the book’s appeal. So come along and enjoy Bruce’s fine narrative style as he travels from Lewis in the north to Vatersay in the south where nature prevails and art flourishes.

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Book SynopsisThis is the long-awaited re-issue of the bestselling classic. Brought right up to date and with new illustrations and a gallery of superb photographs, this is the perfect introduction to the bats living in Britain.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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