The Ultimate Birdfeeder Handbook
The Ultimate Birdfeeder Handbook by John A Burton with Photos by Steve Young published by New Holland at £14.99 September 2005 ISBN 1843309564
This is a terrific birding book – especially for non-birders. There may be three million birdwatchers, and only a few tens of thousands of regular birders, but 20 million people feed their garden birds and would find life a poorer thing were it not for the spectacle of blue tits on peanut feeders, blackbirds plundering their fruit or robins around them whilst they turn over the veg patch. This book is for them, not just because they will enjoy it and be familiar with the majority of birds it portrays, but because they will learn a lot from it too – most importantly some of the do`s and don`ts of feeding garden birds, hygiene, the suitability of feed and feeders. In an age when the importance of gardens for birds is increasing this is a timely addition to a growing resource.
It is very nicely laid out and illustrated making it a great book for the coffee table as well as for the xmas stocking and I am sure will do well just for that. What is more it is the first one I have come across that actually lists all the seeds and feeds we use in the garden and annotating their uses and the birds they are most likely to attract. There is a useful section on plants which grace gardens and provide food for the birds too as well as lots of stuff about feeders and how to best site them.
All in all this is a great book which I hope is read by many more non-birders than birders – having said that this has a few tips for the more experienced birder and enough to make it worth a read for any of us.
Fatbirder
Created: 23rd Jun 2005
