Books About Birds A guide to books about birds and birdwatching Home | Index | Search | Links | Contact


On this page

Ebury Press: bird related books.

This page collects together books about birds, or partly about birds, published Ebury Press.

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

 

A Charm of Goldfinches & Other Collective Nouns

Matt Sewell

Ebury Press

2016

"Illustrated with Matt’s inimitable watercolours, and imbued with a love of his subjects that will resonate with people everywhere and of all ages, this book is a great gift for nature and art lovers. Accompanying each illustration is a playful, quirky description of each groups' personality that readers cannot help but smile at. Sewell's unique witty take on the subject, and delicately vivid illustrations make for a lovely addition to his collection of pocketable books."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: Lessons in Life and Death

Chris Packham

Ebury Press

2016

"An introverted, unusual young boy, isolated by his obsessions and a loner at school, Chris Packham only felt happy in the fields and woods around his suburban home. But when he stole a young Kestrel from its nest, he was about to embark on a friendship that would teach him what it meant to love, and that would change him forever. In his rich, lyrical and emotionally exposing memoir, Chris brings to life his childhood in the 70s, from his bedroom bursting with fox skulls, birds' eggs and sweaty jam jars, to his feral adventures. But pervading his story is the search for freedom, meaning and acceptance in a world that didn’t understand him. Beautifully wrought, this coming-of-age memoir will be unlike any you've ever read."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Penguins and Other Sea Birds

Matt Sewell

Ebury Press

2016

"From tiny fairy penguins to the regal emperor penguin, street artist and ornithologist, Matt Sewell, illustrates one of the world’s favourite birds in this charming follow-up to Owls, Our Garden Birds, Our Songbirds and Our Woodland Birds. Matt captures the famously quirky characters of penguins through his unique and much-loved watercolours accompanied by whimsical descriptions. You'll discover everything you've ever wondered about this enigmatic bird and his feathered friends from across the globe."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Our British Birds: Spotting and Jotting Guide

Matt Sewell

Ebury Press

2015

"There is nothing better than spotting a bird you have never seen before, so here is a handy way of keeping all your jottings in check. In Matt Sewell's much-loved pop art style, and small enough to pop in your pocket, Our Garden Birds: Spotting and Jotting is the perfect accessory for bird-seekers and nature-lovers alike. Replicated in stunning watercolours and true-to-life, discover wild and wonderful birds from Greenfinches to Goldcrests, Blackcaps and Collared doves."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Owls: Our Most Enchanting Bird

Matt Sewell

Ebury Press

2014

"In this beautiful follow-up to Our Garden Birds, Our Songbirds and Our Woodland Birds, street artist Matt Sewell captures the world’s most evocative bird: the owl. In his much-loved pop-art watercolours and accompanied with his whimsical descriptions, Matt Sewell expresses the individual characters of owls as never before. .... With 50 hand-selected, hand-painted owls, this is a delightful gift which appeals to owl lovers, bird-watching enthusiasts, children, adults and art and design fans alike."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Our Woodland Birds: A Nature Lover's Guide

Matt Sewell

Ebury Press

2014

"Now, in this beautiful follow-up to Our Garden Birds and Our Songbirds, street artist Matt Sewell captures Britain’s unique woodland life with his charming and distinctive illustrations. Featuring an array of enchanting scenes, from bramble-picking Blue Tits and a flight of Finches to a parliament of young Tawny Owls, Matt’s quirky, pop-art watercolours and whimsical descriptions express the individual characters of our woodland birds as never before. A delightful gift, this book will appeal to bird-watching enthusiasts, children, adults and art and design fans alike."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Our Songbirds: A Songbird for Every Week of the Year

Matt Sewell

Ebury Press

2013

"In this beautiful follow-up to 2012's hit, Our Garden Birds, street artist Matt Sewell offers more watercolours and quirky descriptions of British songbirds. In Matt's world, the peewit sings the blues, and the bittern fills his neck 'like a tweed pair of bellows'. Distinctive and enchanting, with a songbird for each week of the year, this delightful gift book will appeal to birders, children and adults, and art and design fans alike."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Our Garden Birds: A Bird for Every Week of the Year

Matt Sewell

Ebury Press

2012

"In this beautiful, collectible new volume, street artist Matt Sewell offers his own unique take on 52 of our favourite British garden birds. Since its first appearance in July 2009, Matt's 'Bird of the Week' feature for the Caught by the River website has quickly become a cult hit. His pop-art watercolours are distinctive and enchanting, as are his innovative descriptions, which see great tits 'bossing the other birds around', the 'playful yet shy buoyancy' of bullfinches and the 'improbable' nature of the waxwing ('like a computer-generated samurai finch'). With 52 birds, one for each week of the year, this delightful gift book will appeal to bird watching enthusiasts, children and adults, and art and illustration fans alike."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Walking In Ireland

Christopher Somerville

Ebury Press

2011

"Walking has never been a more popular pastime and nowhere is more beautiful for walkers to explore than Ireland. In this beautifully written and superbly researched guide, Christopher Somerville draws on his very popular column for the Irish Independent, to present 50 of the very best walks in Ireland - from the Nephin Beg Mountains in Mayo to Dingle Way in Kerry. Practical instructions for the walks are married with evocative and informative passages on the history, flora and fauna, culture and topography of the land. Whether it's exploring the Burren in its floral glory or seeing the Walls of Derry, or even sitting at home in your armchair planning your next walk, this book will prove popular with ramblers, holiday makers and anyone who loves the Irish landscape."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


101 Golden Rules of Birdwatching

Marcus Schneck

Ebury Press

2009

"Birdwatching is a hobby that sometimes pleases, sometimes frustrates, but always enthrals. It is a pastime that can take years to understand and 101 Golden Rules of Birdwatching is the perfect companion for that journey – filled with wise advice alongside tales of personal experience. Not only does the book include anecdotes about this unique activity that will resonate with any bird watcher, it also provides valuable hints and tips and essential dos and don'ts. Packed with practical, hard-earned advice from a life-long birdwatcher, it will help you track down new and elusive species, attract more birds to your garden, and make the time you spend on your favourite hobby more rewarding than ever before. From the birding beginner to the experienced twitcher, 101 Golden Rules of Birdwatching has something to entertain and inform all nature lovers."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Bearded Tit: A Love Story with Feathers

Rory McGrath

Ebury Press

2008

"Bearded Tit is Rory McGrath's story of life among birds. From a Cornish boyhood wandering gorse-tipped cliffs listening to the song of the yellowhammer with his imaginary girlfriend, or drawing gravity-defying jackdaws in class when he should have been applying himself to physics, to quoting the Latin names of birds to give himself a fighting chance of a future with JJ - the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. As an adult, or what passes for one, Rory recounts becoming a card-carrying birdwatcher, observing his first skylark - peerless king of the summer sky - while stoned; his repeatedly failed attempts to get up at the crack of dawn like the real twitchers; and his flawed bid to educate his utterly unreconstructed drinking mate Danny in the ways of birding. Rory's tale is a thoroughly educational, occasionally lyrical and highly amusing romp through the hidden byways of birdwatching and, more importantly, a love story you'll never forget."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover

book cover


The Bird Man: A Biography of John Gould

Isabella Tree

Ebury Press

2004

Originally published in 1991

"This vibrant, fascinating account of Britain's most eminent bird illustrator was first published to wonderful reviews over a decade ago. Beautifully repackaged as a classic biography of one of our most extraordinary Victorians, The Bird Man, by acclaimed writer Isabella Tree, will captivate a new audience. John Gould was a genius and a cad. His volume of work eclipsed his American counter part Audubon in accuracy and artistic value. But John Gould's work was the result of sacrifice and alienation. Through the unacknowledged loyalty and handiwork of his wife, and many other artists, in particular one young fellow called Edward Lear, Gould cemented his reputation as the first gentleman of birds. Isabella Tree's lively biography reveals a story of discovery, ambition and betrayal - touching on some of the greatest wonders of the Victorian era, from the arrival of the first giraffe in London to Gould's crucial role in Darwin's theory of natural selection."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Home Country

Richard Mabey

Ebury Press

1990

"From childhood dens in the grounds of a derelict mansion, through explorations of the wild, bird-haunted fringes of the north Norfolk coast, and the final rediscovery of his roots in the Chiltern woodlands, this book traces the growth of Richard Mabey's view of nature. Yet the book is more than a series of autobiographical episodes, for it presents a critique of our traditional attitudes towards nature and the coutryside. This reaches a dramatic climax with his account of the environmental crises of the 1980s: Scottish afforestation, the seal plague and the great hurricane of 1987. Richard Mabey also wrote The Frampton Flora , Gilbert White: A Biography , The Flowering of Kew and Natural History of Selbourne."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover


Gilbert White

Richard Mabey

Ebury Press

1986

"When the pioneering naturalist Gilbert White (1720-93) wrote The Natural History of Selborne (1789), he created one of the greatest and most influential natural history works of all time, his detailed observations about birds and animals providing the cornerstones of modern ecology. In this award-winning biography, Richard Mabey tells the wonderful story of the clergyman - England's first ecologist - whose inspirational naturalist's handbook has become an English classic."

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover

Buy from amazon.co.uk

book cover




Last updated August 2013