Our Verdict *****

Well as you would expect with a massive work of this quality and 608 pages, the book weighs in at 2.8kg. I first became aware of Anglesey artist Philip Snow on a birding trip to the Isle of Arran many years ago where I was fortunate enough to obtain a copy of 'the Birds of Arran' which he illustrated for author John Rhead.  His artwork appears in many publications including the recent Anglesey Naturewatch with foreword by well known Springwatch presenter Iolo Williams and here we are treat to the beautiful cover depicting one of my favourite birds the Manx shearwater. There is also a frontispiece painted by Philip (far right picture).

This book is the work of passion -the result of many thousands of hours study in the field by an army of volunteers. The Welsh Ornithological Society have spent two years preparing this masterpiece and although regional avifauna's are nothing new, each time we see a new one produced, the standard seems to get better and better. This, like many in recent times is helped immensely by the plethora of superb photographic contributions and reflects the advances and affordability of digital bird photography.

'The Birds of Wales traces the earliest evidence, such as Barnacle Geese that bred in Pembrokeshire before the last Ice Age and the footprints of Common Crane preserved in Severn Estuary mud around 7,000 years ago. The authors have also explored the historic record in English, Welsh and Latin. Gerald of Wales documented what is probably the earliest bird identification dispute in 1188, an argument about whether a bird heard near Caernarfon was an oriole or a woodpecker'. Knowledge of many species has improved in recent decades thanks to monitoring by volunteers, and information from all the major recording schemes has been used by authors, many of whom are acknowledged experts on the species. The book tells the stories of all the birds recorded here, whether common or rare, and looks forward, anticipating what may occur in the coming decades. It describes, for the first time, the history of bird recording and conservation in Wales and the environmental context that has resulted in big changes for our birds. It also charts the patterns of visiting migrants to the bird observatories on Skokholm and Bardsey, and the efforts of generations of ringers that have revealed much about bird movements and life-cycles'.

The Birds of Wales (Adar Cymru) is a must for all keen ornithologists and rightly deserves a place on all birder's bookshelves. Available here

David Thompson

Our Verdict *****

 'The Government judges the health of the countryside by our bird populations' ?. Reading this book again, eighteen years later, I could only shed doubt on this statement appertaining to the current government. A government that would appear to put private landowners profits above any biodiversity considerations. Since 2004 the British countryside has been systematically raped and destroyed by chemicals and ravaged by endless house building under the false guise of 'a housing crisis;. Many landowners are themselves shareholders in house developers and the simple fact remains that the UK population appears obsessed with property. Many small villages have multiple second homes leading to bland housing estates randomly placed on greenfield sites on their outskirts for 'local people'. The trick is simple, remove all wildlife and there can be no objections to development on the grounds of biodiversity concerns as there is simply nothing left to 'protect'.

When was the last time your car windscreen was covered in insects ? The direct result of spraying pesticides. Where are the Skylarks, corn buntings' and grey partridge ? hedgehogs ?

The excellent foreword written by Rob Hume in 2004 should of been a warning of impending catastrophic decline and degradation of the Countryside, but instead the situation now looks grimmer than ever ! What has struck me as a birder, is that most of our birdlife in the UK is now confined to reserves and other 'protected areas', and even these are subjected to constant threats from development. If we can do anything to reverse this ecological disaster then joining a conservation body such as the RSPB will help fund and protect what is left. People need to realise that the 'green and pleasant land' has virtually nothing left in it !

There are over 600 million fewer birds in Europe than there were 40 years ago

The cause of these declines has been attributed to the destruction of the birds' habitats by humanity. More intensive farming and the loss of breeding grounds have left many species struggling, leading to a decline of around 623 million animals. since 1980 across the continent of Europe. Further here

The Strange death of British Birdsong is well reviewed by Mr Phelps (above) 'Telling it like it is', I for one remember corn buntings, reed bunting, tree sparrow on farmland winter stubble fields, yellow wagtail, spotted flycatcher , cuckoo in the spring and summer countryside. For anyone wanting to familiarise themselves with this ongoing disaster I recommend this book and it won't break the bank . The last time I looked it was available as a recycled book on Amazon from just 71p here

MiE Fielding November 2020