THE BIRDWATCHER’S YEARBOOK 2009

“Buy this book. It's a simple as that. No fuss, no nonsense"

EVEN IN THIS internet age, nothing can beat having all the information you need as a birdwatcher in one handy volume. For the past 28 years, The Birdwatcher’s Yearbook has been acclaimed as the most comprehensive reference work for the British birdwatching scene and the 2009 edition is now available. Check it out today.

As its title suggests, The Yearbook contains a personal diary element so you can record details of your birding trips, plus Checklists of British birds, butterflies and dragonflies. At 352 pages, the book is great value – here are just some of the ways it can help enhance your favourite hobby…

Trip planning: Check the tide tables (up to April 2010) and sunset/sunrise tables to be in the right place at the right time.

Visiting reserves: Find it hard to get up-to-date information on unfamiliar reserves? The Yearbook details more than 400 sites across the country, including Northern Ireland, the Scottish islands, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. Updated every year.

Making contact: If you want details of your county recorder, BTO rep, local bird club or RSPB member group, bird hospital or wildlife trust, you’ll find them in The Yearbook. Also listed are national organisations and projects, plus a directory of overseas bird organisations.

Need a lecturer? The Speaker Directory has been greatly expanded this year to ensure your group can find entertaing speakers reasonablty close to home. Also listed are bird artists, photographers and companies providing goods and services for the birding market.

Surfing the web: Looking for information on the internet can be time-consuming and frustrating. Our annual survey of the most useful bird-related sites could save your sanity.

Staying informed: Each edition of The Birdwatcher’s Yearbook contains a series of special features. In 2009 we celebrate 100 years of bird ringing in Britain, expand the survey of English-language bird magazines around the world and provide a round-up of significant bird news from the previous 12 months.

SPECIAL OFFER:
Order your copy of The Birdwatcher’s Yearbook 2009 before December 31, 2008 and save £2. Only pay £15.50 (including p&p).

LATEST BOOK NOW AVAILABLE – CORNWALL & SCILLY by Sara McMahon and Nigel Hudson £17.50 (including p&p)

At last, a dedicated guide to the best birding places in Cornwall and Scilly featuring 52 sites on the mainland and seven routes around the key birding islands. It follows the much-appreciated format of other Best Birdwatching Sites guides. Here’s what Cornishman Mark Golley included in his review on the Birdguides website……

“Buy this book. It’s as simple as that. No fuss, no nonsense, this is a volume that anyone planning a trip to one of the very best birding areas in Britain would do well to pack in the rucksack, even if they've been to the far southwest of England on countless occasions before.

“The 208 pages that make up Best Birdwatching Sites: Cornwall & Scilly are a "must have" ……. the book is jam-packed full of useful information without ever seeming cluttered….. Everything you need to know is listed.

“Authors Sara McMahon and Nigel Hudson have done a first-class job. The word ‘essential’ is often rather overblown and overused — but not here. As mentioned at the start of the review: buy this book. It's as simple as that.”

To read the full review please visit:www.birdguides.com

BEST BIRDWATCHING SITES IN NORTH WALES
by Alan Davies and Owen Roberts
“A must for all those intending to go birding in North Wales.” - Birding World.

The latest book in the successful Best Birdwatching Sites series spotlights the leading sites of Gwynedd and Clywd, areas that have so much to offer the visiting birdwatcher – from peaceful oak woodlands alive with spring birdsong to the moors and mountains where it is still possible to see superb species such as Black Grouse, Merlin and Hen Harrier.

Thousands of waders and wildfowl congregate along the Dee Estuary and for seabird fans, what could beat a visit to Anglesey?

Author Alan Davies is known to thousands of birders for his work with Birdline Wales and as warden of RSPB Conwy, while tour leader Owen Roberts contributed to the successful Birds of Pembrokeshire.

Here are just some of the features inside Best Birdwatching Sites in North Wales:
Up-to-date information on 58 major sites, plus a handful of smaller sites around Wrexham.
Birding tips for each site – based on practical experience.
Detailed maps and access information.
All sites evaluated for wheelchair access.
Valuable background information for new visitors to North Wales.
Target birds for each site – and how likely you are to see them.
What birds to expect – month by month.
Public transport options.

NOW AVAILABLE! JUST £5.95! (includes p&p)
ID Insight Pocket Cards – The Butterflies of Great Britain

Artist Rosemary Powell has illustrated and provided key ID information on 58 species of resident and commonly occurring migrant species – all on 12 handy pocket-sized cards you can carry at all times.

All butterflies are illustrated life size in perfect detail on heavyweight card with a weatherproof matt coating. In addition to the illustrated cards, there are charts showing main flight times, typical habitats and distribution advice.

BEST BIRDWATCHING SITES IN NORFOLK
by Neil Glenn (2nd Edition) Softback, 256 pages. £16.95.

Up-to-date information on 83 sites, including many little known gems
Birding tips for each site
Detailed maps and access information
Up-to-date bird information
All sites evaluated for wheelchair access
Valuable background information for those new to Norfolk
Target birds for each site – and how likely you are to see them
What birds to expect – month by month
Public transport options

BEST BIRDWATCHING SITES IN SUSSEX
by Adrian Thomas and Peter Francis. Softback, 192 pages. £14.50.

Up-to-date information on 57 sites, including many little known gems
Birding tips for each site
Detailed maps and access information
Up-to-date bird information
All sites evaluated for wheelchair access
Innovative migration charts
Target birds for each site – and how likely you are to see them
What birds to expect – month by month
Public transport options

BEST BIRDWATCHING SITES IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
by Gordon Hamlett. Softback, 240 pages. £15.95

Coverage from Pitlochry in the south to John O’Groats, including the islands of Handa and Skye
22 birding routes, with 164 maps for individual sites
Birding tips for each site
Detailed maps and access information
Up-to-date bird information
All sites evaluated for wheelchair access
Checklist of Scottish birds
Target birds for each site – and how likely you are to see them
What birds to expect – month by month

ID INSIGHTS POCKET CARDS
£5.95 (including P&P in UK)
At last, a practical alternative to lugging a full-scale fieldguide – a set of ten silk-laminated postcard-sized cards showing the key ID points of no less than 113 common, but troublesome UK bird species.
Illustrated by top bird artist Dave Nurney with helpful tips from Dominic Couzens.
All birds illustrated show the plumages that cause the greatest confusion.

Each set contains:
A fully annotated topographical drawing of a bird
Divers, grebes, cormorants and diving ducks
Diving and non-diving ducks
Large raptors, buzzards and Red Kite
Harriers and small raptors
Large waders
Small waders
Gulls and terns
Warblers
Finches and buntings