While Flocks Last

Description

An armchair birdwatcher goes on an hilarious trail of Britain's most-endangered birds. Armed with a field guide and a half-decent pair of binoculars, Charlie Elder travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to spot forty bird species in serious decline - the UK's Red List. He looks at why their numbers have fallen, what efforts are being made to encourage their recoveries and meets experts and enthusiasts who are working to make a difference. He also examines just why birds matter in the first place and considers the role of the birdwatcher - one species that is certainly not in decline.

Charlie Elder is a journalist. For the last twenty years he has worked for papers ranging from the Times of Tonga in the South Pacific and Hampstead and Highgate Express in north London to the Daily Telegraph and the Evening Standard. He is currently chief sub-editor on The Herald in Plymouth. He lives with his wife and two daughters on the edge of Dartmoor.

Joyous... totally compelling... very funny... This book is a classic of its kind * Sunday Telegraph * A joy to read... An uplifting book, not a depressing one * RSPB * Elder is a stylish writer and his ornithological travelogue takes him on entertaining adventures to some of Britain's most remote bird sites -- Stephen Moss * Guardian * [This] joyous account will delight twitchers and novices alike * Telegraph * One of those rare books where, though you may not care about the subject at the first page, you will by the last * Observer *