Flying over the Pyrenees, standing on the plains

Extract from the review by André J van Loon in Dutch Birding vol 30, nº1, 2008:

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This second book is a personal account of his life in Catalunya. It is divided into chapters with a story on a particular local species as a starting point, which triggers thoughts about a wide variety of subjects, such as hunting, conservation, the migration strategy of shrikes, the dancing displays of cranes in relation to finding a partner in the human world, going out birding with young children (“never, never forget the wet wipes”), memories of birding trips with his friends or as a tour leader, the Spanish Civil War, or observations of the same species as a vagrant or rare breeding bird back in England or elsewhere. ….

The book is a good, pleasant, humoristic and at times even emotional read. Since he also explains certain features or behaviour of birds (or behaviour of birdwatchers!), this book is not only fun for birdwatchers (especially those with a hunch for birds and birding in Spain) but also for their non-birding friends and partners.

Thanks André!

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