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BOOK
REVIEW
by John Burland,
Wainwright Society Press & Publicity
(reviews first published in Footsteps) |
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 A Year in Nature Notes by Derwent May
Published by Harper Collins - ISBN 0-00-718190-6 - £9.99
 For those
of us who regularly walk the fells and valleys of Cumbria, one thing
that we notice most of all are the changes in nature. Whether this
be the budding of leaves in the spring, the call of the cuckoo, the
flight of the swallow or maybe even the eagle if one is up on the Mardale
fells;
the golden tints of the trees in autumn, particularly in the valleys,
or the frozen waterfalls in winter – one cannot help but fail to be
awestruck by some of the beauties that nature reveals to us.
One man who has made his living from studying nature is Derwent May
who contributes "Nature Notes" to The Times every day. He has been
a keen naturalist since he was a schoolboy, when he was writing for
magazines such as British Birds and Ibis. This, his most recent book,
reveals the
secret lives of the wildlife around us and takes us on a journey through
the year, based on his contributions to The Times and covering a wide
range of subjects from nesting birds to the new season's growth
of shoots and buds.
This day-by-day account of British wildlife records the comings and
goings of the swallows and swifts, the first appearance of the bluebells
and primroses,
and sightings of March hares and Egyptian geese, to reveal the changing
sights and sounds of our cities and countryside throughout the year.
Brilliantly observed and elegantly written, it is the perfect bedside
book for any
nature lover.
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