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Television

Radio

BBC Radio 4 FM: 92.4 - 94.6 MHz
The Natural History Programme
Friday 11:30 to 12:00 and repeated Sunday 20:00 to 20:30

Book Reviews

I have included a comment and a five star rating system ( being worse and being best) in some cases. The number of pages ignores the physical size of the book. Please note that these are merely my personal comments and do not necessarily indicate scientific accuracy or value for money.

Click to see a list of Natural History Book Sellers contactable via e-mail.

Field Guide to the Butterflies and other Insects of Britain.
by: Dr J Feltwell
Reader's Digest
ISBN: 0-276-36007-9
Pages: 352
ú:
Value for money: N/A
Illustrations:
Overall:

I like this book! Not suitable as a field guide but has some great drawings and photos covering a wide range of butterflies and insects. Plenty of interesting history & old wives' tales. Ideal for the amateur wildlife buff.

Although this book initially appears a little dry, delve a little deeper and you will find a very thorough overview of the conservation of butterflies from both an historical and current viewpoint. It discusses conservation law and the actions of those who have a hand to play in the conservation of british butterflies. It also takes case histories of butterfly species (chapters on the Swallowtail, Large Copper & Large Blue) with critical comment on how (and why) their conservation was undertaken. Habitat management, nature reserves, butterfly law and useful appendices and bibliography are also included. It is a well researched work with good references. My criticism is the absence of photographs and any colour but to be fair they are not strictly required in a serious book of this type.

This is a very pricey book but has been beautifully written and has clear and colourful photos. A good book to have especially if you live in the Berks, Bucks, Oxon area.

Hamlyn Guide to Butterflies of the British Isles
by: J A Thomas
Hamlyn
ISBN: 0-600-57513-6
ú: 7.99

:** P:160 A guide pocket sized field guide which comes in a useful splashproof plastic jacket. Lots of facts on food plants, behaviour and ways of identifying butterflies.

Dig a Pond for Dragonflies

by: the British Dragonfly Society

This is a 10 page full colour booklet on what you need to do to attract dragonflies to an area. It is available from the BDS (see the BDS page for the address) for a donation (please send them at least ú1) plus an A4 SAE.

Dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland
by: C O Hammond
Harley Books
1977 revised 1983
ú: 11.95

Dragonflies
by: P Miller
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521 317657

Glow-worms
by: John Tyler
Tyler-Scagell ISBN: 0-9523526
ú: 5.00

:*** P:48 A short book but it would appear to be the only book on glow worms. Covers just about anything you might want to know about glow worms and is an interesting read. For information on how to order, see the Glow Worm page.

Collins Field Guide to Insects of Britain & Northern Europe
by: Michael Chinery
Collins
ISBN: 0-00-219918-1
ú: 14.99

:**** P:320 A very comprehensive guide. I have the hard back version which whilst being 'pocket sized', is actually quite heavy and bulky to actually fit in your pocket. There are 60 plates of superbly drawn insects and a good key for identification. There isn't really much more than the information necessary to identify the insects though.

Saving Butterflies - A Practical Guide to the Conservation of Butterflies
by: David Dunbar
Butterfly Conservation
ISBN: 0-9512452-9-5
ú:

:*** P:80 This book is designed for those that are involved in the management of butterfly sites and reserves and the book is very good for that purpose. There is some information for the casual reader or gardener.

Wildlife in General:

Where to go for Wildlife in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire
by: S Mitchell & G Young
BBONT
ISBN: 1-874357-04-8
ú: 7.95

:*** P:191 Another book for those that live in the above mentioned area. This is very interesting and covers about 80 local reserves in considerable detail with maps, drawings and information on what time of year to see wildlife. For details, contact BBONT.

Plants and Fungi:

Food for Free - see under General.

Field Guide to Mushrooms of Britain and Europe
by: H & R Grunert
Crowood
ISBN: 1-85223-592-6
ú: 8.99

:*** P:288 I like this book. It has very clear photos for identification and all dangerous, bad tasting and easily mis-identified fungi are marked.

The Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe
by: R & A Fitter and M Blamey
Collins
ISBN: 0-00-219715-4
ú: 9.99

:*** P:336 This has 1430 colour drawings and describes 1950 species. Identification is fairly easy altough the key is not terribly easy to use. It is well worth carrying on trips in to the country.

General:

Food for Free
by Richard Mabey
Collins
ISBN: 0-00-219865-7
ú 6.95

:** P:240 A great book if you are interested in finding out what you can eat from the countryside. Lots of historical and old wives' tales etc. The only problem is most wild plants need protecting rather than pulling up or they simply taste awful. Also covers fungi and shellfish. A good book though.

Magazines

BBC Wildlife Magazine has its own page.

Phone Services

Please note that 0891 numbers are charged at 39p per minute cheap rate and 49p per minute at all other times.

Butterfly Line: 0891 884505
Regular Updates and Latest News. All profits are used for the conservation of butterflies and their habitats.

Weathercall - information supplied by The Met Office
5 Day Forecasts by phone: 0891 772 2 + area number:
Fax helpline: 071 613 5000
Satellite Image by Fax: 0891 226 087
Click here to see a map of area numbers.

The Wildlife Trusts - Putting Wildlife on the Map
All calls generate revenue for your local Wildlife Trust
Up to Date Nature News and Sightings: 0891 505 5 + Area Number:
Forthcoming Events: 0891 505 6 + Area Number:
To phone in your wildlife news, phone: 01206 791330
Click here to see a map.

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