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Books about birds and birdwatching in Lancashire

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



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The Gathering Tide: A Journey Around the Edgelands of Morecambe Bay

Karen Lloyd

Saraband

2016

"Karen Lloyd takes us on a deeply personal journey around the 60 miles of coastline that make up ‘nature’s amphitheatre’. Embarking on a series of walks that take in beguiling landscapes and ever-changing seascapes, Karen tells the stories of the places, people, wildlife and history of Morecambe Bay. So we meet the Queen’s Guide to the Sands, discover forgotten caves and islands that don’t exist, and delight in the simple beauty of an oystercatcher winging its way across the ebbing tide. As we walk with Karen, she explores her own memories of the bay, making an unwitting pilgrimage through her own past and present, as well as that of the bay. The result is a singular and moving account of one of Britain’s most alluring coastal areas."

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The Birds of Lancashire and North Merseyside

Editor: Steve White, Barry McCarthy and Maurice Jones

Hobby Publications

2008

"The Birds of Lancashire & North Merseyside is the first avifauna of this region to be published since 1953. It records in great detail the state of the county's birds at the beginning of the 21st century and will be an indispensable reference for years to come. All 348 native and naturalised bird species recorded in Lancashire and North Merseyside up to the end of 2005 are included. Species accounts detail the past and current status; hundreds of graphs, charts and breeding distribution maps give further information and additional chapters detail the main habitats, key birdwatching sites and history of ornithology in the county."

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Where to Watch Birds: North West England & The Isle Of Man

Allan Conlin, Dr J P Cullen, Pete Marsh, Tristan Reid, Chris Sharpe, Judith Smith, Stephen Williams

Christopher Helm

2008

"A guide to the best birding sites in the north western counties of Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire. This area holds some of the finest upland sites in England, as well as some superb wetlands including Morecambe Bay which holds the largest wader roost in the country. The western coast of Northern England has a good record for attracting Nearctic vagrants, and the Lake District is the only place in England where Golden Eagles breed. The guide explores the best birding sites in the area, and several new sites have been added to this revised and updated third edition. Each site is described in terms of habitat, species, access and timing, and the volume is illustrated throughout with line drawings and maps of each site. This book seeks to enable birders plan productive trips at any time of the year."

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Birdwatching Walks Around Morecambe Bay

John Wilson & David Hindle

Palatine Books

2007

"Morecambe Bay area is one of the finest bird watching sites in Great Britain. With 310 square kilometres of inter-tidal sand flats, it is an outstanding combination of habitats. This book, with forty specially chosen walks, covers Morecambe Bay, from the Wyre estuary in the south to Walney Island in the north. It embraces the neighbouring Duddon estuary and the peripheral areas of the southern Lake District and Forest of Bowland. It also describes where and when to find the birds and other wildlife in this unique area."

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Surveying Waterbirds in Morecambe Bay for the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) Low Tide Count Scheme

A.N. Banks, P. Ellis, S.J. Holloway, C. Holt, R. Horner, I.M.D. Maclean, J. Marchant, A.J. Musgrove, R.A. Schofield, J. Sheldon & J. Stenning

Research report 443

British Trust for Ornithology

2006

"Morecambe Bay, is situated at the confluence of four major rivers and holds the largest continuous area of intertidal habitat in the UK. It is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site on the basis of its non-breeding waterbird interest. The Wetland Bird Survey is divided into two schemes: Core Counts and Low Tide Counts."

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Birdwatching Walks In Bowland

John Wilson & David Hindle

Palatine Books

2005

"The forest of Bowland is a truly stunning and immensely important Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Many species of birds - some of them rare - are there to be enjoyed within the varied habitats of the Bowland landscape, a fact that is celebrated to the full in this superb new book. Over 30 scenic walks cover the whole of the area, from Lancaster to Pendle, and from Preston to Settle, each one designed to give the walker the chance to encounter a wide range of different birdlife in a magnificent Bowland setting."

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Martin Mere: Lancashire's Lost Lake

A. Coney and W.G. Hale

Liverpool University Press

2005

"Martin Mere is best known as an extremely beautiful nature reserve located in Lancashire and maintained by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. A History of Martin Mere reveals the fascinating origins of this particular part of Britain. Martin Mere was the largest lake in England when it was proposed by Thomas Fleetwood in 1700 that it should be drained and converted to dry land. A History of Martin Mere records the history of this area from the ice age to the present day, Coney and Hale examine in detail the consequences of Thomas Fleetwoods actions in particular the social and economic effects on the surrounding community and the Lake District, as well as the dramatic transformation of the environment and wildlife. The book contains over 40 illustrations covering amazing variety of birdlife, views of Martin Mere and the original plans for the drainage of the area. A History of Martin Mere provides a comprehensive and fascinating history of one North West Englands most striking areas of natural beauty and will be essential reading for the natural historian and tourist alike."

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Wildlife of Lancashire: Exploring the Natural History of Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside

Editor: M. Edmunds, T. Mitcham, G. Morries and D. Bellamy

Carnegie Publishing / Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside

2004

"An authoritative and complete guide, by a range of expert contributors, to exploring the natural history of Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside. Lavishly illustrated in full colour throughout. `Wow! This is a real classic. Every sort of living thing is here, whether it swims, slithers, walks, creeps, crawls, flies or stands resolutely rooted to its appointed spot, safe in the county of the red rose. This is your personal guide to a wonderland overflowing with fascinating, really wild life, there for you and your family to discover.' (From the foreword by David Bellamy.) Take a walk on the wild side in the old county of Lancashire and you will be rewarded with a cornucopia of living things. From the dizzy heights of Leck Fell to deep under the sea in Morecambe Bay, you are in for lots of surprises, big and small. You never really know what you are going to see next, but whatever it is this book will give you all the fascinating facts you could want. Red squirrels in Formby, sealife in Morecambe, birds in Bowland and otters on the Hodder and Ribble; read this book and wherever you wander, a walk in town or countryside will never be the same again. `Wildlife of Lancashire' is aimed at anyone who enjoys exploring the natural wonders of our region, and is packed full of superb images of treasures both common and rare. Intended to stimulate the general reader rather than inform the expert, the book is written in a clear and readable style, making it a real joy to use. The Wildlife Trust has been working for the past forty years to try to ensure that the wildlife of both town and countryside will be cherished by future generations."

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Atlas of Breeding Birds of Lancashire and North Merseyside: 1997-2000

Robert Pyefinch and Peter Golborn

Hobby Publications for the Lancashire Bird Club & the Lancashire & Cheshire Fauna Society

2001

"A meticulously compiled and beautifully composed book with distribution maps of the 146 breeding species of birds, including the first recorded breeding of spoonbills since around 1688. Lancashire's location between the sea and the moors and between the Cheshire Plain and the Lake District ensures that the county has a wide diversity of habitats, and this is reflected in is exceptionally rich avifauna. The introduction describes the principal habitats, and each map is accompanied by a one-page caption giving detailed information on each species. An unusual feature of the book is that each double-page spread is sponsored, the name of the individual or organisation being printed as a footnote."

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Birds of Marshside

Barry McCarthy

Hobby Publications

2001

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Birds of Marton Mere

Pauline McGough

M & P McGough

2001

"This booklet celebrates 50 years of bird-recording at Marton Mere, Blackpool, a natural freshwater site that is very important for birds in the Fylde area of Lancashire. There are accounts for all 216 species recorded to the end of 2001."

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Where to Watch Birds: Cumbria, Lancashire & Cheshire

Jonathan Guest, Malcolm Hutchinson

Christopher Helm

1997

"A guide to Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire - counties which boast some of the most varied bird habitats in Britain. For this second edition new sites have been added, the maps have been redrawn and the information has been updated."

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Atlas of Breeding Birds of Lancaster and District

Ken Harrison

Lancaster & District Birdwatching Society

1995

A5 paperback, 132 pages with b/w photographs, line drawings and maps.

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A Birdwatchers' Guide to Lancashire

Ken Lawson

Lancashire County Books

1994

"A guide to 35 birdwatching sites in the county."

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Where to Watch Birds: Cumbria, Lancashire & Cheshire

Jonathan Guest, Malcolm Hutchinson

Christopher Helm

1992

"Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire boast some of the most varied habitats in Britain from the mountains of the Lake District to the green plains of Cheshire. The region also has four bird-rich estuaries which are of international importance. The authors have divided this guide into eight regions covering 66 sites. As with other volumes in this series, each site is described under the headings of habitat, access, timing and calendar giving the visitor all the information required to make the most of each trip. Jonathan Guest is a former bird recorder and editor of the Cheshire Bird Report and is joint editor of A Breeding Atlas of Cheshire and Wirral. Malcolm Hutcheson also wrote Cumbrian Birds."

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The Management of Salt Marsh and Lagoon Creation at Morecambe Bay

J. Wilson

Technical Report

RSPB

1991

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Where to Watch Birds: Cumbria, Lancashire & Cheshire

Ron Freethy, Jonathan Guest

Christopher Helm

1988

"This guide is a general introduction to the climate and wildlife of Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire, followed by a systematic list of the many birdwatching localities, with a map for each site and a calendar summarizing the arrival and departure dates of migrants. Essential information is given on habitat, species, timing and access for each site, aiming to provide a comprehensive survey of each locality."

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Birds of Morecambe Bay

John Wilson

Cicerone Press

1988

"A comprehensive pocket book ideal for use in the field. Well illustrated in colour and black & white photos. With a check-list for over 270 birds which visit the Bay."

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Birds of the Preston Area From 1943 to 1984

The Preston Society

1985

117 page booklet.

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Birdwatching In Lancashire

Eric Hardy

Dalesman

1979

"A guide to the best places in Lancashire for seeing birds, allowing for the influence of tides, winds, weather and season."

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The Status And Distribution Of Birds In The Burnley Area

K.G. Spencer

Turner and Earnshaw Limited

1977

64 page with b/w photographs.

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Birds of Morecambe Bay

John Wilson

Dalesman

2nd edition

1976

64 pages with illustrations and maps.

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Birds of Morecambe Bay

John Wilson

Dalesman

1974

62 pages with illustrations and maps.

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The Status And Distribution Of Birds In Lancashire

K.G. Spencer

Privately printed

1973

71 pages.

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Birds of Lancashire

Clifford Oakes

Oliver & Boyd

1953

370 pages with 31 b/w plates.

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A Bird-Watcher In Lancashire

Clifford Oakes

Illustrations: Roland Green

Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds

1948

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

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Birds of East Lancashire

C. Oakes & F. Battersby

Burnley Express Printing

1939

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The Birds Of Lancashire

F.S. Mitchell

Revised and annotated by Howard Saunders

Additions by R.J. Howard and other local authors

Illustrations: G.E. Lodge, V. Prout

Gurney & Jackson

1892

This is a revised version of the 1885 work by F.S. Mitchell.

Preface to second edition:"The First Edition having been exhausted very soon after its appearance in 1885, and several species having since been added to the Lancashire list, I accepted the task (in the absence of Mr. Mitchell from England) of preparing a Second Edition, as far as practicable, up to date. I should have preferred that this had devolved upon some ornithologist who was personally connected with the county, but my deficiencies in this respect have, I trust, been remedied by the cordial assistance of Mr. E. J. Howard of Blackburn, whose name appears on the title-page, and whose valuable notes will be found throughout the work. To him also we owe some recent details from Messrs. W. Fitzherbert Brockholes, Hugh P. Hornby, and others. Again, my thanks are due to Messrs. Frank Nicholson and C. F. Archibald; and especially to the Rev. H. A. Macpherson, of Carlisle, who generously placed at my disposal the proofsheets of his "Fauna of Lakeland," in which there is some important information respecting the outlying district of Furness. My own share has been chiefly editorial, and in this connection my labours have been lightened by the admirable and systematic Bibliography for the Northern Counties, published in the present series of The Naturalist. The species added to the Lancashire list in this edition are the Purple Heron (p. 145), Sociable Plover (p. 213, with woodcut), Whitefaced Petrel (p. 258), Wilson's Petrel (p. 258), and Black-necked Grebe (p. 262). There is a new Index. Inasmuch as the full-page illustrations of Duck-decoys in the first edition relate to Fritton in Suffolk, and have, moreover, already appeared elsewhere, they are now omitted..

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The Birds Of Lancashire

F.S. Mitchell

Colour plates: J.G. Keulemans

Illustrations: Victor Prout and others

John Van Voorst

1885

A 2nd edition was published in 1892 by Gurney & Jackson with engravings by G.E. Lodge replacing the colour plates by Keulemans.

From the introduction:

"This book has been written mainly as a chapter on geographical distribution, a subject which of late years haa deservedly received a large share of attention from naturalists, and which when thoroughly worked out for tbe whole of the British Islands, may be expected to show results both interesting and valuable. It may well be doubted whether the system of taking the counties as limits is not an exceedingly ill-chosen one, but research has in so many instances progressed on these lines, and local enthusiasm is so much more readilly stimulated in this direction, that scarcely any choice is left for those portions of the country whose faunal condition yet waits investigation. It can hardly be denied that it would have been far better if, in the division of the ground for local work, regard had been had to physical configuration, and the river valleys, the mountain chains, and the sea coasts had been taken as boundaries by observers; but the compiler of some future day will have to gather these results for himself, and to collate and compare from this and like histories, whose limits of observation are so arbitrarily defined."
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Last updated September 2011