Birdwatching London

David Darrell-Lambert

From Shelf: Overheard on Twitter, recommended bird books

A fully illustrated guide to the 60 best places to watch birds around London, by one of London's most experienced birders, for both the keen birdwatcher and those wanting ideas for a day or afternoon out among nature, published in association with the London Wildlife Trust.

Predictably for such a beautifully green city, London is rich in bird life - and not just pigeons, gulls and parakeets. Now here is a beautiful guidebook by one of London's most experienced birders to the best places to watch birds in the capital. Over 100 species are seen in a year on Hampstead Heath alone, for example, from goldcrests to hobbies. Peregrine falcons nest in the Barbican and on Battersea Power Station. A short walk from East India Dock DLR is a secluded backwater frequented by teal and shoveller ducks. Flagship wetland reserves run by the RSPB, WWT and London Wildlife Trust at Barnes, Woodberry Down and Rainham offer everything from bitterns to avocets, marsh harriers to bar-tailed godwits. Some 60 birding locations are covered, all round the capital, from classic parks to former brownfield sites like a Battle of Britain fighter station and a water treatment plant. Birdwatching London both reveals the amazing variety of birdlife in London and offers a wonderful guide to unexpected places for a day or afternoon out among nature.