Hi S, good to hear from you but not to know you have been under the weather so much! Looked up Jim Crumley, very prolific author & worth knowing about as I too have enjoyed Mike Tomkies works! Take care & hope you can soon take advantage of warmer weather to come, I know how much I'm looking forward to getting out & around!

Hi Pete, sorry the cold wet weather has been hampering your outdoor adventures and health but thanks for the thumbs up on this book and also books by Mike Tomkies, always better to have a browse through recommended literature rather than struggle through a huge list of titles and coming out with the wrong choice at the end ! Keep calm, carry on reading ..... when not birding !

Hello Pete, good to hear from you again. Nothing like a good read especially when the books are good! Hopefully over the next few weeks the weather will get a bit warmer for you to be able to get out and about. Not today, the forecast for us in snow and hail into the evening, lovely!!

Too true Hazel,live birding must get priority !! I really got into Mike Tomkies after we met him near Loch Shield,a very quiet man but his dedication to wild life was mind blowing and inspired us to do similar,on a much smaller scale, near home with raptor surveys. A little bit of this may have resulted in a few of my health problems but worth every minute and we can still get out on a smaller scale.. In my opinion Jim Crumley is on par with Tomkies but a different approach and a strong feeling of history,another of my interests. Great that you are getting to the Moss regularly,we are determined to make it this spring but in the meantime we are really evloying your reports

Hi Pete, hope you get to L.Moss this springtime and can revisit this wonderful reserve - not to mention the cafe !
As you say meeting and reading about people like Mike Tomkies, etc., can really inspire you and birding adventures do wonders for our well-being - often saved me on stressful occasions from sending for the men in white coats LOL
I have to say that many of you on this forum have also been an inspiration since I joined several years back I knew very little about birds/wildlife or even photography (some say I still don't LOL ) but this community has brought so many interesting reports, knowledge and fun to keep me calm and carry on birding ;)        I recently read on a much lighter note   " How to Be a (Bad) Birdwatcher"  by Simon Barnes  !

 

A little while back there was an interview on Winter Watch with Chris Packham interviewing a guy about the mental relief both of them had got through bird watching. I can really understand where they were coming from after having read Chris Packham's book "fingers in the sparkle jar". I now see that the other interviewee's book is in print so may be worth a look for some people. It is "bird therapy by Joe Harkness.