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Books about birds and birdwatching in Devon

The books are arranged by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.



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Devon Bird Atlas 2007-2013

Editor: Stella Beavan, Mike Lock

Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society

2016

"This second published Atlas of breeding – and for the first time, wintering – birds in Devon will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in the county's birds. It covers six years of fieldwork from winter 2007 to summer 2013 and contains maps for some 220 species. The joint Devon Birds/BTO project ran concurrently with the national Atlas project and, using the same data plus those from two extra years' fieldwork, the Atlas depicts bird distributions in the county at a finer resolution than in Bird Atlas 2007–11. Accounts covering 480 species and subspecies are complemented by sections on Devon’s geology and diverse habitats, as well as methodology and coverage."

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The Birds of Exmoor And The Quantocks

David Ballance, Brian Gibbs, Roger Butcher

Illustrations: Tom Raven & Brian Slade Photographic Editor: John Rivoire

2016

Second edition following the first published in 2003. Covers 300 species recorded in Exmmor, the Quantocks and some adjacent areas. Includes information on birdwatching sites.

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Birds of Plymouth: Additions and Updates 1995-2015

Vic Tucker

Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society

2016

"This 94 page book is best read in conjunction with his original book [Birds of Plymouth 1950-1994]. It covers many additions and shows the changes that have come about over this period with new birds appearing regularly and others far less frequent. It brings you up to date including the Lesser Grey Shrike at Jennycliff in September 2016."

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Birds Of Devon

Michael Tyler

Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society

2010

"The Birds of Devon covers all 420 species known to have occurred in the county and is the first complete avifauna for the county since 1969. Each entry is illustrated with photographs or line drawings, and many contain charts depicting occurrence, migration patterns and other data."

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Where to Watch Birds: Devon & Cornwall

David Norman & Vic Tucker

Christopher Helm

2009

"Whether local or visiting, expert or novice, Where to Watch Birds in Devon and Cornwall is the essential guide for any active birdwatcher in these counties. All significant birdwatching areas in the region are analysed under the headings 'Habitat', 'Timing', 'Access' and 'Calendar', providing all the information necessary to make the most of each and every trip, whatever the time of year. This substantially revised and expanded edition has new chapters, details of 'clusters' of sites easily accessible from particular holiday or population centres, additional information on access for the car-bound or disabled, as well as numerous examples of recent occurrences and significant status changes."

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Dartmoor

Ian Mercer

New Naturalist 111

Harper Collins

2009

"New Naturalist Dartmoor explores the complex and fascinating history of one of southern England's greatest National Parks, an area of enormous interest to naturalists and tourists alike. Dartmoor is said to be the loneliest wilderness in England. This has been said more often of Dartmoor than any other part of our country. Traditionally in the world of fiction as well as that of fact, Dartmoor has been renowned as a vast and empty moorland area, the property of nature rather than of man. It has always been the public's idea of a lonely place. Not many generations ago it was regarded with a certain amount of awe and nowadays it is one of our most important centres of recreation, an island in upland England of abundant interest to the naturalist. In 1951 it became a National Park, one of the first of several places that have been so designated in Great Britain, helping to conserve and promote both its beauty and cultural heritage. Spanning miles of open moorland, whilst also hiding small secluded river valleys, rare plants and endangered birds, Dartmoor is a place of variety, and has evolved in the public's mind from a forbidding place to that of romance and mystery. In the latest addition to the long-running New Naturalist series, Ian Mercer sets out to explore every aspect of this important area of southern Devon. Focusing not only on its extensive history and physical landscape, but also its cultural place within Great Britain, this is both a comprehensive and engaging look at the wild and rugged landscape that has inspired so many poets, painters and musicians over countless centuries."

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The Wildlife of Dartmoor

Norman Baldock and John Walters

John Walters

2008

"The Wildlife of Dartmoor is organised by habitat type, and includes information on The Open Moor, Woodland, Farmland and Water. Suggested sites to see wildlife and an index of species names are very useful additions."

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The Birds Of Lundy

Tim Davis, Tim Jones

Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society / Lundy Field Society

2007

"The opening chapters provide background and context, with a brief description of the island and the history of human habitation and land use that has produced the mosaic of natural, semi-natural and entirely manmade habitats to be found on the island today and which is partly responsible for the sheer diversity of Lundy's birds. A brief history of ornithology and bird conservation on the island is given, including an indication of what birds to expect – or hope for – at various times of year, and some hints on some of the most promising places to look for birds when visiting Lundy. Four suggested routes of varying distance are offered to assist those new to the island and keen to make the most of limited time, particularly if on a day trip. The Systematic List of birds recorded on the island constitutes the heart of the book. It gives a detailed account of all 317 species on the ‘Lundy list', along with notes on another 36 species that have been reported from the island and surrounding waters. Each text includes the species' status, pattern of occurrence, historical records and unique anecdotal insights, as well as an analysis of ringing movements. The species accounts are based largely on a compilation and analysis of information contained in the daily logbook maintained on Lundy by the LFS since 1969 and the 59 published LFS Annual Reports covering the years 1947 to 2005. In addition, all records contained in the 2006 LFS logbook, plus records up to August 2007 are included."

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A Naturalist on Lundy: The Island Wildlife Over 50 Years

Mary E Gillham

Halsgrove

2007

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2003 Devon Barn Owl Survey Report

David J. Ramsden, John A. Howells

Barn Owl Trust

2007

"A repeated census of the county Barn Owl roost and nest sites ten years on from the first in 1993. The survey methods used rely on data already held by the Trust and so any developments in BOT's activities that may skew results between the two surveys are discussed."

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Birds of the Devon Hedgerows

Sandra Chalton

Orchard Publications

2006

A 36 page booklet.

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The Birds of Dartmoor

Roger Smaldon

Illustrations: Mike Langman Isabelline Books

2005

"Dartmoor is a unique natural area. A National Park since 1951, it covers 368 square miles of upland moor and bog, lowland heath, deciduous valley woodland, coniferous plantations, reservoirs, rivers and farmland. In these varied habitats 254 species and sub-species of birds have been recorded. Because some of these species are at the very northernmost edge of the world range, and others, such as Dunlin, Golden Plover, or Red Grouse are at their southernmost edge, Dartmoor is the only place where they can be found in close proximity. The Birds of Dartmoor is the first book to provide a comprehensive history of the birds of this area, drawing on references from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Relying particularly on records of the Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society and the Dartmoor Study Group for current information, it represents the most complete status report to date. In addition to full details of species, the book includes an introduction to Dartmoor habitats, a section dealing with a typical Dartmoor year from month to month, and a comprehensive bibliography."

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Secret Nature of Devon

Andrew Cooper

Green Books

2005

"Secret Nature of Devon is an inspirational introduction to the unique character of Devon's countryside, and the animals and plants that are special to the county. The book explores the extraordinary richness of Devon's wildlife habitats: estuaries; farmland; fresh water; heathland; limestone and chalk; Lundy; moorland; sand dunes; sea cliffs; sea shore; woodland; wood pasture and parkland. It includes a comprehensive list of the species that make Devon special, with the best times and places to see them; details of recommended nature reserves and a map showing their locations; and contact details for local wildlife organisations."

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A History of Devonshire Ornithology

David G. Jenks

Isabelline Books

2004

"... about those who have studied and observed Devons birds through the years. A Review of the Literature, Events and Personalities from Prehistoric Times to the End of the Twentieth Century. This authoritative work sets a high standard for research and analytical presentation of a county's rich ornithological history..."

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The Ornithological Journal

Walter Walmesley White

Isabelline Books

2004

"Best known as the author of Bird Life in Devon (Cape, 1931), Walter Walmesley White (1877-1970) kept three ornithological journals during his lifetime. This one, which begins in 1926 and ends in 1961, is the last of the three and the only one to have survived. A close observer and gifted writer, Walmesley White records sightings, nesting and feeding habits, and migratory patterns of local birds near his Devon home with grace and precision. His comments on bird song bear witness to his musical interests and abilities. Always in touch with others interested in ornithology, both local and distant, his journal captures something of the way of life in a rural English village in the first half of the twentieth century. This volume includes a memoir by Walmesley White's daughter-in-law, Jocelyn, five sensitive, observant etchings by his wife Jessie, showing areas they often visited together, a section of photographs, a large colour foldout map of the whole area immediately surrounding Ellergarth, the Walmesley White's home near Budleigh Salterton."

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The Birds of Exmoor And The Quantocks

David K. Ballance & Brian D. Gibbs

Illustrations: Tom Raven & Brian Slade Isabelline Books

2003

"This avifauna covers Exmoor National Park, the remainder of West Somerset, and is the first comprehensive survey to include the Quantocks. It contains a review of all published information since 1800 as well as professional surveys of recent years. It includes a review of ornithology in the area, an extensive list of references, the systematic list, escapes and exotics, rejected records, a gazetteer with map references and an index."

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Where to Watch Birds: Devon & Cornwall

David Norman & Vic Tucker

Christopher Helm

2001

"Whether local or visiting, expert or novice, Where to watch birds in Devon and Cornwall is the essential guide for any active birdwatcher in these counties. All significant birdwatching areas in the region are analysed under the headings 'Habitat', 'Timing', 'Access' and 'Calendar', providing all the information necessary to make the most of each and every trip, whatever the time of year. This substantially revised and expanded edition has new chapters, details of 'clusters' of sites easily accessible from particular holiday or population centres, additional information on access for the car-bound or disabled, as well as numerous examples of recent occurrences and significant status changes."

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Wildlife of North Devon

Trevor Beer

Halsgrove / Westcountry Books

2001

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Nature of Dartmoor: A Biodiversity Profile

Dartmoor National Park Authority

2001

"Consists of 76 pages covering topics such as: the nature of Dartmoor, geology and landforms, species for conservation, wildlife habitats, Dart valley and includes many illustrations, maps and indexes."

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Action for Wildlife: The Dartmoor Biodiversity Action Plan

Dartmoor National Park Authority

2001

"An action plan for Dartmoor, with much useful data on distribution and occurrence, together with clearly formulated plans for faunal and floral groups and individual species."

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Devon: Wildlife Through the Seasons

John Walters

Arlequin Press

2000

"John Walters has been a naturalist since his earliest memories - watching glow worms as a child in his native Hampshire. Now living in Devon with his family, John has always tried to capture, in watercolour, the liveliness of the wildlife he witnesses, whether birds, insects, plants or rockpool creatures. His paintings are fluid and immediate and always the result of fresh observation."

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The Birds of Dawlish Warren

Ivan Lakin & Kevin Rylands

Kingfisher

2000

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Birds Of Devon

Trevor Beer Trevor and Endymion Beer

Tor Mark

1999

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Where to Watch Birds: Devon & Cornwall

David Norman & Vic Tucker

Christopher Helm

1997

"A comprehensive guide to birdwatching sites in Devon and Cornwall. This edition includes extra chapters, "clusters" of sites easily accessible from particular holiday or population centres, information on access for the car-bound or disabled, and an update of recent occurrences at each site."

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The Flora and Fauna of Exmoor National Park: A Natural History Check-List

Editor: Caroline Giddens, John Robbins and Noel Allen

Exmoor Natural History Society

1996

Systematic lists of the flora and fauna of Exmoor.

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Birds of Plymouth: A City Avifauna 1950-1994

Vic Tucker

Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society

1995

"Includes a full systematic list and a guide to good birdwatching sites."

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Exmoor Birds

Jonathan White

Exmoor Books

1994

"Descriptive list and status information of birds recorded on Exmoor."

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1993 Devon Barn Owl Survey Report

Keith Grant, Geoff Pearce and David Ramsden

Barn Owl Trust

1994

"This was carried out in partnership with the Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society. All known roost and nest sites were re-checked in Devon to complete a population census of the county."

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The Birds Of Prawle

P.M. Mayer

Published by the author

1993

A 56 page booklet with some line drawings and sketch maps.

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Where to Watch Birds: Devon & Cornwall

David Norman & Vic Tucker

Christopher Helm

1991

"Information on the original 39 sites has been updated and extended, and there is new text on recently developed or created sites. The site accounts cover habitat, species, timing, access and calendar. Each site has Ordinance Survey map references and up-to-date contact addresses."

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The Undercliff: A Sketchbook of the Axmouth - Lyme Regis Nature Reserve

Elaine Franks

Foreword: John Fowles

J.M. Dent & Sons

1989

Published in the US by Bullfinch Press as The Undercliff: A Naturalist's Sketchbook of the Devon to Dorset Coast.

"The section of the coast known as the undercliff is perpetually sliding into the sea, yet it is one of the most beautiful parts. Elaine Franks in her sketches and paintings captures the intense beauty of this stretch of the coast and her writings describe the terrain, weather and wildlife."

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Tetrad Atlas Of The Breeding Birds Of Devon

H.P. Sitters

Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society

1988

"This book is the culmination of nine years of fieldwork by over three hundred amateur birdwatchers. The object of the Devon Breeding Bird Atlas Survey, which ran from 1977 to 1985, was to map, with a high degree of accuracy, the distribution of all birds breeding in Devon."

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Wildlife Of The Dart Estuary

Tony Soper

Harbour Books

Revised edition

1986

"The visiting naturalist's guide to the tidal waters of the Dart. From the seagoing birds of the harbour approaches, by way of the teeming life of the mudflats to the dabbling ducks of the fresh water at Totnes, the Dart supports a rich variety of species. Tony Soper's mile by mile account provides the perfect companion to the classic pleasure-boat trip 'up the river'. Robin Prytherch's accurate and pleasurable sketches and Hilary Soper's useful maps make this an ideal guide for the visitor exploring these idyllic waters."

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The Birds In Exmoor National Park

N.V. Allen & R. Butcher

Alcombe Books

1984

Descriptive checklist with black and white photographs, maps and line drawings. Subsequently revised at least once.

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Where to Watch Birds: Devon & Cornwall

David Norman & Vic Tucker

Christopher Helm

1984

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Wildlife Of The Dart Estuary

Tony Soper

Harbour Books

1982

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The Birds Of Lundy

J.N. Dymond

Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society

1980

"A systematic list plus a map of Lundy, abibliography and line drawings."

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Birds Of Plymouth

David Curry

Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

1977

"20 page booklet with systematic list, status of birds plus a map and line drawings."

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The Birds Of Exmoor

N.V. Allen

The Exeter Press

1971

Descriptive checklist with black and white photographs, maps and line drawings. Subsequently revised at least once.

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The Naturalist In Devon And Cornwall

Roger Burrows

David & Charles

1971

300 pages with b/w photographs and maps.

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The Birds Of Devon

Robert Moore

David & Charles

1969

Descriptive checklist with black and white photographs, maps and line drawings. Subsequently revised at least once.

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Dartmoor

L.A. Harvey & D. St Leger-Gordon

Collins

The New Naturalist 27

1953

"L.A. Harvey, skilled and widely experienced naturalist, Professor in the University College of the South-west at Exeter, has collaborated with the learned D. St Leger-Gordon to make Dartmoor a balanced and consistent book, full of new syntheses and original ideas. The ideal natural history book is that which shows not only wild nature, but man's place in it. By this token, and many others, Dartmoor is such a book."

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A Bird-Watcher In Devon

Henry G. Hurrell

Illustrations: Roland Green

Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds

1947

One of a series of short booklets about birdwatching in English counties.

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Bird Life In Devon

W. Walmesley White

Jonathan Cape

1931

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Bird-Life In A Southern County

Charles Dixon

Illustrations: Charles Whymper

Walter Scott Ltd

1899

From the preface:

"The present volume, as its title suggests, is a record of some of the observations made during a residence of eight years on the south coast of Devonshire, and on many excursions into various other parts of the county. In some respects it may be regarded as a record of comparison ; for I have studied the bird-life of this area coming as a stranger to the county and its ornis, and with a life-long ornithological experience gained in more northern and eastern shires. By all British ornithologists Devonshire must ever be regarded as classic ground; for years it was the home of Montagu one of the Fathers of Field Ornithology and within its borders many of those discoveries were made which are inseparably associated with his name. Few other counties in England present us with a greater diversity of physical aspect; and certainly no other shire is blessed with a milder and more equable climate. So far as sedentary birds are concerned, the county is rich in species, and most branches of our resident avifauna are well represented. But the same can scarcely be said of migratory species, the county being very unfavourably situated for them. Indeed, next to Cornwall, I should feel inclined to class Devonshire as the poorest littoral county in England for normal migratory birds, lying, as it does, too far to the south-west. Its poorness in this respect, however, is not without compensations to the scientific student of the dispersal and migration of Birds, as I have pointed out elsewhere. So far as abnormal migrants are concerned, Devonshire can compare favourably with any other county. Devonshire is par excellence a field naturalist's county; an area in which outdoor work can be carried on throughout the year under the most favourable and pleasant conditions, abounding with an avifauna of exceeding diversity. Some of our rarest British birds still find a sanctuary here; one or two species are commoner here than elsewhere."

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The Birds Of Devon

W.S.M. D'Urban and Rev. Murray A. Mathew

R.H. Porter

1892

Includes 4 colour plates by J.G. Keulemans (Black Redstart, Montagu's Harrier, Rough-Legged Buzzard and Great Black-headed Gull)

From the introduction:

The County Histories of Birds, so many of which have been published of late years, have helped to show that in the British Isles, considering their area, the Avifauna is very dissimilar in its distribution. The East differs from the West, the North from the South, an inland county from a maritime one, in variety and number of species. This arises from many causes, the chief depending upon the points at which migrating birds arrive and depart, and these landing-places are selected according to the position of the mountain-ranges and the character of the coast- line. County histories of birds also serve to indicate the changes in a local Ornis since pre-railway times. Much might be written as to the influence of railways upon our native Fauna: they have invaded quiet bird-sanctuaries; they have rendered others accessible to gunners from a distance; they have carried the "collector" everywhere; they have prompted and made possible the improvements in agriculture of the present day, which while they have banished some birds have conduced to the multiplication of others.
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The Birds Of Devonshire

William E.H. Pidsley

Editor: H.A. MacPherson

Frontispiece: J.G. Keulemans

W.W. Gibbings/J.G. Commin

1891

Preface:

"The exciting cause of this handbook must be looked for in the omission of other Devonshire Naturalists to provide a book of reference on the Ornithology of our County; an omission that may perhaps be accounted for, by the seriousness of the undertaking. The great size of the county, and the large quantity of published notes to be explored, rendered the completion of the task more difficult than I had at all anticipated. Accordingly I thankfully availed myself of the friendly co-operation of the Rev. H. A. Macpherson, who, since the beginning of the present year, has laboured assiduously at the improvement of the text. I have received the sympathetic support of many other naturalists, and tender my grateful thanks to all whose names are mentioned in the text. Though it is impossible to enumerate them here, I can not but express my special obligations to the Rev. M. A. Mathew, Mr. H. E. Rawson, Mr. Mitchell of Tavistock, Dr. Elliot, Mr. Nicholls, Mr. J. H. Gurney, and the Rev. (t. C. Green of Modbury, for assistance received. I am, mifself, solely responsible for the revision of proofs, and claim the kind indulgence of critics for country printers. The classification and nomenclature adopted are those of Mr. Howard Saunder's list of British Rirds."
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Last updated September 2017