Bird book.....feathered variety!

[Onthedrops]

Im not considering dressing up in green camo gear, painting my face and sitting in a hide armed with notebook, binoculars and a tartan thermos flask.
I would however be interested to know of any good bird identification books out there.
We were on a weekend break in the countryside during the summer and I saw quite a few British birds I'd never seen before.
Not being one to get geeky or nerdy I did however mention to Mrs OTD that it would be satisfying my curiosity if I knew what aforementioned birds actually were.

Any recommendations please?

 

[The Bystander]

A Collins Gem Guide fits nicely in the pocket and is fairly comprehensive.
ISBN 0-00-458804-5

 

[Poacher]

While @User9609 's recommendation is a good choice (I have at least one copy, and have bought others in charity shops purely to give away), I prefer CollinsGuide.

 

[Hill Wimp]

I use the RSPB pocket guide and their phone app to identify the bird song because I am particularly bad at that. The book fits nicely in my bar bag with my binoculars.

 

[Hitchington]

I got this one for my birthday this year. It's very good
http://www.dk.com/uk/9781409344308-rspb-birds-of-britain--europe/

 

[Rooster1]

I can tell you what a pigeon looks like, I just got hit by one.

 

[srw]

While @User9609 's recommendation is a good choice (I have at least one copy, and have bought others in charity shops purely to give away), I prefer CollinsGuide.

This. It's the only book I've seen that's both comprehensive and useable by a mortal.

 

[snorri]

I have found this one to suit my needs.............https://www.amazon.co.uk/FIELD-GUIDE-BIRDS-BRITAIN-IRELAND/dp/1858132002

Buy restricting the content to Britain and Ireland it saves you from having to thumb through pages of foreign birds before finding what you are looking for.

 

[Poacher]

[QUOTE 4516347, member: 9609"]May be I just like it so much because I am so used to using it I know where most of the pages are - I have just asked the wife to name a bird and she choose Wheatear, so I picked the book up and I was only 2 pages out with my first opening.[/QUOTE]
I know what you mean! I use the first edition (1999) of Collins Guide - when I idly flicked through the pages of a second edition (2010) I was disconcerted to find that birds of prey were no longer on consecutive pages. Due to changes in taxonomy, hawks, buzzards,eagles etc. were separated from falcons! At some point, I may upgrade (and I'm sure it is an upgrade) to the new edition, but it'll take some getting used to. There have been many changes in bird classification since the Heinzel/Fitter/Parslow guide (4th edition 1979), not least concerning gulls - have you tried looking up Yellow-legged Gull? Seriously, the Collins Guide is a huge improvement.

 

[Poacher]

I have found this one to suit my needs.............https://www.amazon.co.uk/FIELD-GUIDE-BIRDS-BRITAIN-IRELAND/dp/1858132002

Buy restricting the content to Britain and Ireland it saves you from having to thumb through pages of foreign birds before finding what you are looking for.

..and when a rare visitor turns up, you won't have a clue what it is, and may well force it to match one of the species in your very restricted guide. I keep a scruffy copy of this one in the car, but I really can't recommend it - I'm sure many rarities go unreported because they couldn't be identified and remained a mystery.
Mind you, even a relatively comprehensive guide can't cover every possibility - Nottinghamshire hosted two extremely rare vagrants in early 1996, a drake Redhead (a North American duck) and a Cedar Waxwing, both firsts for mainland Britain, and of course in none of the field guides to British, or even European birds. The first, I would probably have made into a Pochard, if a more experienced birdwatcher hadn't recognised it as subtly different, and the second I would probably not even have noticed in the flocks of about 400 Bohemian Waxwings present at the time. Once atuned to its differences, I managed to identify it a couple of times before the flocks dispersed.

 

[Beebo]

John James Audubon's Birds of America is a fine illustrated guide, if you have £10 million to spend on a copy.
Probably best not to take in on long walks as it is 39 x 26 inches and would weigh down your ruck-sac.

 

[Poacher]

John James Audubon's Birds of America is a fine illustrated guide, if you have £10 million to spend on a copy.
Probably best not to take in on long walks as it is 39 x 26 inches and would weigh down your ruck-sac.

Birmingham City Library has a copy*. I was once allowed to turn the pages!

*Well, I hope it hasn't since been forced to sell it due to "austerity".

 

[Onthedrops]

Thanks guys.

Just ordered the Collins British Bird Book.
Should be here Friday.