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ISBN 1-871344-12-3   Price: UK £9.95  International £11.95

Category: Leicestershire Natural History

Key Subjects:
Birdwatching
Ornithology
Wildlife
Leicestershire
Charnwood
Countryside

Michael Webster
BIRDS OF CHARNWOOD

Account of the ornithology and wildlife of Charnwood,
with maps of 93 breeding bird species

Publication date 1997
Size: 196 pages 150 x 218mm
90 line drawings, 95 distribution maps
format: paperback (Hardback binding also available - see below)

Charnwood Forest is an area of rocky outcrops, woodland and heathland, between Leicester and Loughborough, in the English Midlands. Between 1992 and 1994 Michael Webster co-ordinated a detailed survey of the breeding birds of the area, and this book provides distribution maps for all 93 recorded species. But ‘Birds of Charnwood’ is also a vivid account of the author's experiences observing the birds and wildlife of Charnwood. Beautifully illustrated throughout, with 97 specially commissioned drawings, it provides a unique insight into the birdlife of the area. An ideal book not just for ornithologists but anyone who enjoys the countryside.

Extract of a Review by Ian F Hill, in Ibis, vol 140, 1998, p.552
“The charms of Charnwood have clearly gripped the author. His book is a highly personal endeavour, written by a man with a deep desire to share his enthusiasm. The book is beautifully written and crammed with information.
The volume is divided into four chapters. The first takes the reader through a year in Charnwood. Each season begins with a neat and informative summarizing table. .... The second chapter occupies more than half the book and is a summary of the breeding birds in the area, based on an extensive survey. The lay-out is sensible, figures clear and text enjoyable to read. Chapter three covers conservation ... of note are the sections on the decline of the snipe Gallinago gallinago population and the essay on habitat decline in the Soar Valley. .... In the final chapter, Birds of the Night, the results of Tawny Owl Strix aluco and Woodcock Scolopax ruticola projects are presented.
Special mention must be made of the illustrations that liberally illustrate the work to great effect. They are drawn by brothers Andrew and Stephen Jackson, who had never been commissioned to illustrate a bird book before. Their results, though occasionally not quite spot on, show the birds within the landscape and are generally superb.”

EXCLUSIVE: to website visitors - we have a limited number of high quality hardback copies of this book, priced at £20.00 (£22.00 international). Please quote ref HB12 when ordering by post.

Price including UK Postage: £9.95

(If you are looking for more information on birding in Leicestershire and Rutland, have a look at the very excellent site run by The Leicestershire & Rutland Ornithological Society - LROS)

BIRDS OF CHARNWOOD
Breeding Birds: Chapter 2 of the book details all the birds recorded as breeding in Charnwood during the Survey of 1993-5. Below is a list of these species, each of which is given a descriptive passage and detailed 1Km sq distrubution map:–

LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis

GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus

GREY HERON Ardea cinerea

MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor

CANADA GOOSE Branta canadensis

GADWALL Anas strepera

TEAL Anas crecca

MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos

SHOVELER Anas clypeata

POCHARD Aythya ferina

TUFTED DUCKAythya fuligula

RUDDY DUCK Oxyura jamaicensis

SPARROW- HAWK Accipiter nisus

KESTREL Falco tinnunculus

HOBBY Falco subbuteo

PEREGRINE Falco peregrinus

PHEASANT Phasianus colchicus

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE Alectoris rufa

GREY PARTRIDGE Perdix perdix

MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus

COOT Fulica atra

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Charadrius dubius

LAPWING Vanellus vanellus

CURLEW Numenius arquata

REDSHANK Tringa totanus

WOODCOCK Scolopax rusticola

COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo

STOCK DOVE Columba oenas

WOODPIGEON Columba palumbus

COLLARED DOVE Streptopelia decaocto

TURTLE DOVE Streptopelia turtur

CUCKOO Cuculus canorus

LITTLE OWL Athene noctua

TAWNY OWL Strix Aluco

SWIFT Apus apus

KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis

GREEN WOODPECKER Picus viridis

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos major

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos minor

SKYLARK Alauda arvensis

SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia

SWALLOW Hirundo rustica

HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbica

TREE PIPIT Anthus trivialis

MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis

YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava

GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea

PIED WAGTAIL Motacilla alba

WREN Troglodytes troglodytes

DUNNOCK Prunella modularis

ROBIN Erithacus rubecula

REDSTART Phoenicurus phoenicurus

BLACKBIRD Turdus merula

SONG THRUSH Turdus philomelos

MISTLE THRUSH Turdus viscivorus

GRASSHOPPER WARBLER Locustella naevia

SEDGE WARBLER Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus

LESSER WHITETHROAT Sylvia curruca

WHITETHROAT Sylvia communis

GARDEN WARBLER Sylvia borin

BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla

WOOD WARBLER Phylloscopus sibilatrix

CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita

WILLOW WARBLER Phylloscopus trochilus

GOLDCREST Regulus regulus

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER Muscicapa striata

LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithelos caudatus

MARSH TIT Parus palustris

WILLOW TIT Parus montanus

COAL TIT Parus ater

BLUE TIT Parus caeruleus

GREAT TIT Parus major

NUTHATCH Sitta europaea

TREECREEPER Certhia familiaris

JAY Garrulus glandarius

MAGPIE Pica pica

JACKDAW Corvus monedula

ROOK Corvus frugilegus

CARRION CROW Corvus corone corone

STARLING Sturnus vulgaris

HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus

TREE SPARROW Passer montanus

CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs

GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris

GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis

SISKIN Carduelis spinus

LINNET Carduelis cannabina

REDPOLL Carduelis flammea

BULLFINCH Pyrrhula pyrrhula

YELLOW- HAMMER Emberiza citrinella

REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus

CORN BUNTING Miliaria calandra

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