Wild Hares and Hummingbirds: The Natural History of an English Village

by Stephen Moss

Naturalist and author Stephen Moss lives in one of the longest villages in England - Mark, on the Somerset Levels. This watery wonderland is steeped in it is the land of King Arthur, where King Alfred burnt the cakes and where the last battle was fought on English soil.This ancient country parish, dating from before the Domesday Book, has been reclaimed from the sea over many centuries. Today the landscape bears witness to its eventful past, and is criss-crossed with watery ditches and broad droves, down which livestock was once taken to market. These are now home to a rich selection of resident and visiting rooks and roe deer; sparrows and snowdrops; buzzards, badgers and butterflies. Amongst these natural wonders are the 'wild hares and hummingbirds' of the book's one of our most iconic mammals, the brown hare; and a scarce and spectacular visitor, the hummingbird hawk-moth.As the year unfolds, Stephen Moss creates an intimate account of the natural history of his parish. He witnesses the landscape as it passes from deep snow to spring blossom, through the heat haze of summer to the chill winds of autumn; from the first hazel catkins to the swallows returning from Africa; the sounds of the dawn chorus to the nocturnal mysteries of moths.But this is not simply the story of one small corner of the West Country; it also serves as a microcosm of Britain's wider countryside. At a time of uncertainty - as our landscape and wildlife face some of the greatest changes in recorded history - it reveals the plants and animals that will adapt and thrive, and those that may struggle, and even disappear from our lives.This is a very personal celebration of why the natural world matters to all of us, wherever we live. Wild Hares and Hummingbirds is nature-writing at its finest, expressed through the natural history of one very special place.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Natural History, History, Birds, Animals, Science Nature

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Stephen Moss is a naturalist, broadcaster, television producer and author. In a distinguished career at the BBC Natural History Unit his credits included Springwatch, Birds Britannia and The Nature of Britain. His books include The Robin: A Biography, A Bird in the Bush, The Bumper Book of Nature, Wild Hares and Hummingbirds and Wild Kingdom. He is also Senior Lecturer in Nature and Travel Writing at Bath Spa University. Originally from London, he lives with his family on the Somerset Levels, and is President of the Somerset Wildlife Trust. He is a regular contributor to the Guardian.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

England doesn’t have any hummingbirds, but it does have hummingbird hawkmoths, which explains the title. In the tradition of Gilbert White, Moss writes a month-by-month tribute to what he regularly sees on his home turf of Mark, Somerset. As I did with Mark Cocker’s Claxton, I picked up the book partway – at the month in which I started reading it – and when I reached the end, returned to the beginning and read up to my starting point. Controversial, I know, but that July to June timeline worked fine: it gave me familiar glimpses of what’s going on with English nature now, followed by an accelerated preview of what I have to look forward to in the coming months.

Moss is primarily a birder, so he focuses on bird life, but also notes what’s happening with weather, trees, fungi, and so on. In the central and probably best chapter, on June, he maximizes wildlife-watching opportunities: going eel fishing, running a moth trap, listening for bats, and looking out for unfamiliar plants. My minor annoyances with the book were the too-frequent references to “the parish,” which makes the book’s concerns seem parochial rather than microcosmic, and the common use of semicolons where commas and dashes would be preferable. But if you’re fond of modern nature writing, and have some familiarity with (or at least interest in) the English countryside, I highly recommend this as a peaceful, observant read. Plus, Harry Brockway’s black-and-white engravings heading each chapter are exquisite.

Favorite lines:

“Being in one place is also the best way to understand the passing of the seasons: not the great shifts between winter and spring, summer and autumn, which we all notice; but the tiny, subtle changes that occur almost imperceptibly, from week to week, and day to day, throughout the year.”

“For me, one of the greatest pleasures of living in the English countryside is the way we ourselves become part of the natural cycle of the seasons.”


Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in a row I've read which has the author spending a year exploring and learning about where they live. The first book was Meadowland by John Lewis-Stempel where each character was a month and the book was based in his meadow. Wild Hares and Hummingbirds is done on a bigger scale, this time a whole village and it's surrounding area. The nicest thing about Moss's book is he is still learning about nature, discovering new things all the time and getting help when needed. When he does get help he includes the reader on that learning experience, one of the best parts of the book was training on foraging for mushrooms, this is something I've always wanted to do, instead of using the eat and see what happens technique.

The village he lives in, Mark (bizarre name for a village) comes across as being very idyllic and supplies Moss with a number of places to explore, bridges, churchyards, meadows and woods. The range of animals his sees is incredible, makes what you see in Basingstoke very dull, and his knowledge of birds is fantastic, I'm so jealous that he is able to name a bird so quickly.

The one thing I'm going to try and remember from this book is Teasels, we get them in Basingstoke and I've always wondered what they are, whether they were related to thistles or not, now I know all about them and can tell my kids next time we spot one.

Great book, full of knowledge and fun to read.

Blog review is here> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2018...

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this over the course of the year; it sets itself up to work rather well like that. The 'chapters' are the months of the year, with some lovely woodcut illustrations to mark each one; each chapter consists of roughly 8-12 mini essays about things spotted on walks or activities undertaken, such as using moth traps.

I do have some familiarity with Mark village, and the Somerset levels, so this did make me want to go down there again, there are some truly beautiful places, and the landscape, though not far away, is just different enough that the wildlife there can be rather different to what I am more used to here in the Cotswolds.

I will re-read this straight through at some point.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this month-by-month visit to the British countryside. It so made me wish I had a little cottage somewhere in an English village. The title illustrations for each month by Harry Brockway were wonderful as well.

[Anwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A personal account of life in a country village, seen from a wildlife point of view. Although a good book, Moss does not write as easily as, say, Macfarlane and his ackground as a townie shows. In many ways, the yearly round of country life remains novel, worthy of comment, rather than being the familiar markers that they are, comfortable as an old coat, and just as comforting. A nice light read to while away winter evenings.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written book about a year in an English villiage and the wildlife he encounters month by month.

[Jane Wilson-Howarth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this book. I believe this was because it felt like Moss has a tick-list approach to natural history. He likes to put names to species, add them to his list and move on to looking for others. He is clearly very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about birds but didn't really fire me with his passion. And some of the background on the animals was awfully trivial and generally well know by anyone with half an eye on the natural environment. It was also a rather negative book - repeatedly mentioning the decline of this and that species, and while this is something we all mourn I needed some joy too. For that you'll need to go to the wonderful Michael McCarthy's Moth Snowstorm or the Running Hare. I was also felt a little mislead by the title too. Moss doesn't seem that interested in hares - he's a birder principally.
Finally he came across as a bit of a townie and I was unsurprised he'd moved to Somerset from London - with his five children. I picture him loading the family up into the SUV and going off to the Mendips (locals call it Mendip) to criticize the blot on the landscape that is the M5, that fecund townie like him use often while burning the planet.
Didn't finish it!

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book for Christmas 2023 primarily because the book illustrations were done by the brilliant Harry Brockway. However, rather than just look at the illistrations, I thought I ought to read the book as well. I enjoyed the book and was intrigued to discover such a rich and diverse natural history which normally slides by un-noticed as I'm driving up and down the M5 motorway. As with the last book I read by Kevin Parr, this book has made me want to explore this part of the UK.

The book moves along at a pace and I liked being able to track the narrative across maps and get some oreientation around the area. I liked the emphasis on enjoy and explore whats local and value it. Quite often (always difficult in these types of books) I felt somewhat that there was a conveyor belt of natural history characters that had to introduced in sequence. Frequently, I found a section I was really interested in and wanted to learn more (such as the section on Swifts) but the narrative has to quickly move on to the next character or weather type. But reading that swifts may not land for up to 4 years and travel a million miles in their lifetime is mindblowing.

As a more general comment - I have a growing frustration with the tone of this and many other recent british natural history books I've read. As there feels to be an almost a resigned acceptance that the sights and spectacles we may have seen a kids are in decline and we can expect some of them to disappear completley (very soon). Those of us of a certian age may have had to good fortune to see flocks of house sparrows, gardens full of starlings, cuckoos and hedghogs everywhere. But our kids, based on the current trajectory, will not. I would just like to read a few books that convey the anger and guilt that our generation should feel about such things happening. Its a little like Monty Don saying gardens and gardeners will need to adapt to climate change, no they don't they should be demanding we fix the planet.

[Sue Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild Hares and Hummingbirds is a delightful book written by naturalist Stephen Moss providing a record of Nature through each month of the year. Set in and around a village on the Somerset Levels with illustrations by Harry Brockway, this book is a testament to the 'striking works of Nature' found throughout the year on the author's home patch.

The book's title, Wild Hares and Hummingbirds, relates to brief encounters with the mystical wild Hare and the aerobatic Hummingbird Hawkmoth which Stephen describes as an 'extraordinary creature with mid-air manoevers that match, and perhaps even surpass, those of its avian namesake.'

Wild Hares and Hummingbirds records the comings and goings of Nature in a quiet country parish in the West Country of the British Isles, halfway between the Mendip and Polden Hills. It's a misty, marshy land in a broad area of low-lying farmland with five rivers and views of the Cheddar Gorge to the north and Glastonbury Tor to the south. Steeped in history 'this is a place of wide, open skies, warm Summers and chilly Winters, and above all, water'.

I love following Nature through the seasons in the woodlands, moorlands, heaths, lanes and fields of my local rural town in South Devon. This book holds a particular interest for me being a record of Nature as it unfolds in the adjacent county of (formally named) Avon where Somerset resides. It contains close and detailed observations that only a seasoned naturalist could provide. As such, this book will be a helpful and insightful companion for the coming year.

If you are unfamiliar with the English countryside and the quintissential villages situated in this lovely part of the world, you will be enchanted by the vision of patchwork fields, winding country lanes, rivers, marshes and tracts of farmland stretching out as far as the eye can see. As Stephen describes so well, 'the small fields, with their watery boundaries, creates a unique environment, full of nooks and crannies where plants and animals thrive.'

There is a chapter for each month of the year starting in January. It begins in a frozen, wintery landscape bereft of wildlife as Nature sleeps, and certain birds and butterflies enjoy their Winter in the warm climes of the Mediterranean, Africa and beyond. The seasons unfold in a symphony orchestrated by the comings and goings of Nature in its natural environment.

It is a comfort to know that Nature continues its beautiful dance, its ebb and flow, in tandem with the seasons. It proves the resilience of the natural world despite the fact that 'every scrap of land has been ploughed, planted with crops or sprayed with pesticides.'

In January, for example, we learn about animals and creatures in hibernation and where certain birds and butterflies have flown to enjoy warmer weather overseas through the Winter season. We learn about blue-black Rooks already inspecting last year's nests and the complex symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae. We learn about the the telltale trails of Badgers, Foxes, Voles and Mice as they scrurry through the long grass with Toads, Slow-Worms and Grass Snakes residing in hidden corners.

It is true that 'a single place can provide a multitude of experiences: from the commonplace to the unusual, and the whole spectrum in between.' As I walk along the same paths through the year in my own rural area, I agree that being in one place is the best way to understand the passing of the seasons where we notice the 'tiny, subtle changes that occur almost imperceptibly, from week to week, and day to day, throughout the year.'

On the eve of the first day of the New Year following the Winter Solstice as the light returns to lengthen our days, Steven makes the point that 'the casual observer may be forgiven for wondering where all the natural life has gone.' All the more reason to go outside and enjoy the magnificence of the English countryside in it's sleeping state of calm. Observing Nature helps us to look outwards and ground us during the coldest months of the year.

We can all find solace in the continuity of the wildlife calendar as we watch out for birds that stay with us throughout Winter such as Robins, Blackbirds, Rooks, Wrens, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, House Sparrows, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Tawny Owls and Magpies. Wrapping up well and going for a walk in the wind and rain serves to revitalise us after the Yuletide festivities and invigorate us at the start of a brand New Year.

Enjoy this tranquil time of year as we look forward to the Spring Equinox when Swallows and Swifts return from Africa, Red Admiral Butterflies return from the Mediterranean and the first singers of the dawn chorus pipe up an hour before sunrise in March through to May in the Spring.

[R.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the diary of one man's year in the countryside of southwest England. Having moved from the city five years prior, he is both able to be a part of the rural natural world's daily motions, and see the beauty in every bit. It is normal for a person to become so acclimated to a place that they accept everything as normal, and thereby lose their sense of wonder when it comes to the nature that surrounds them. But in Moss' case, the more he acclimates, the more complexities of the world are revealed to him, and thus the more his amazement grows. A reverent joy is on each page of this book: joy taken in the ordinary happenings of his countryside, joy in how it all comes together in one wheel of life itself. Month by month, he leads us through different places and to different seasonal faunal activities, and by the end we feel sad to say goodbye, but know that the little world of Mark, England, will be just as beautiful in our absence as when we explored it through these pages.

For now, at least; for it is a surety that one day everything will change in response to climate shifts, as Moss briefly touches upon near the end. Some animals will migrate, many will eventually fade, and what we know as the English countryside will be irrevocably changed forever.

In that sense, this book will become a remembrance of a special, simple place in an era when it was still what we thought it to be. But though it may become a eulogy one day, it will always be--at it is today, when the natural world of Mark is still what exists within these pages--a wondering, tender, and utterly delighted celebration.

A note: the only detraction I found in the book was the proliferation of commas. His writing has a wonderful, natural flow to it, but his use of unnecessary commas interrupts it to no end. While this issue exists in the whole of the book, the material itself--along with the other facets of his writing abilities--still warranted five stars.

[Juliet Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subtitled 'the natural history of an English village' this is a diary of nature observations in a small area of England.

Stephen Moss lives in a small village in Somerset, in the south-west of England. This book is his closely observed diary of nature through the seasons of one year. (The hummingbirds of the title refer to humming bird hawk moths, which are increasingly found in the UK).

The book is full of beautifully observed scenes, many of them focussed on birds. The dunnock is introduced as "the wallflower of garden birds" before describing its surprisingly colourful mating habits, described here as:

"one of the most extraordinary displays of behaviour in the whole of the bird world, involving more extra-marital affairs than a TV soap opera."

The old-fashioned feel of a nature rich country parish is undercut by occasional notes on the decline of species:

"Some may wonder why it matters that lapwings, and many other once common farmland birds, have declined. But as well as the loss to our natural heritage, lapwings are also part of our cultural inheritance. And just as, in the words of John Donne 'any man's death diminishes me', so the loss of the lapwing, the skylark and many other familiar birds of the British countryside diminishes us too".

Books like this are vital. Full of loving detail about nature, writing like this can inspire people to learn more about nature. And the more you learn about nature, the more you love it and want to protect it.

[banana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Favourite book of the year so far. Incredibly relaxing and informative. Yes, as others have said, some readers may prefer more information on each of the species mentioned, but I believe this book provided a nice, short, and sweet overview of the species mentioned, and the reader can easily google the species if they want more information.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wundervoll und wirklich meditativ geschrieben, und dabei auch noch unglaublich informativ! Bei den Eigennamen der Vögel, Insekten und Pflanzen bin ich zwar an die Grenzen meines englischen Vokabulars gestoßen, aber das Internet weiß alles. Ich bin verliebt in dieses Buch!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself submerged into the sense of place. It was a wonderful walk through the seasons of the Somerset levels. I enjoyed learning about the wildlife found there and I yearned to be walking those same paths.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected to like this book, but I found the writing style skittish and jumpy and just couldn't get into it enough to find it a pleasurable read.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply one of the best nature books I've read. A year on Stephen's local patch will make you want to get out and discover yours!

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable reread which retains its 4 stars from the first read.

Moss spends a year studying the nature in and around his home village, charting the seasonal changes. He encourages us to look at even the 'common' wildlife around us with new eyes, appreciating its complexity and beauty. Harry Brockway provides twelve stunning scraperboard illustrations which really encapsulate each month.

There are only two minor quibbles that prevent this from being a 5 star read. One is that Moss's fatalistic attitude towards dwindling wildlife populations. He spends a lot of time moaning about it, but seems to accept it as inevitable. The other is the way he constantly blames agriculture for the decline, without really considering whether any other factors might be involved - for example, he blames the use of pesticides and herbicides for the decline in insect life since the 70s, yet chemical use was surely far more widespread in the 70s than it is now. I would have appreciated a wider and less blinkered approach - especially as, if we're told it's all the farmers' fault it means we don't have to spend any time considering what impact our own actions are having on the world around us!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and gentle nature diary of one year in the village of Mark in the Somerset Levels. The author, Stephen Moss, naturalist, birder, writer and one of my favourite BBC broadcasters, moved with his family from London to Somerset for a better quality of life. He documents, in the tradition of Gilbert White, the changing of the seasons, charting the arrival, emergence, departure and fortunes of various birds, butterflies, moths and other fauna and flora in his adopted village. Vividly descriptive and informative he can’t help but reveal his passion for nature and his deep connection to the natural world and its wonders. But we are also given the wider view and shown how the events of this small corner of the countryside have much to tell us about the state of Britain's countryside in general and elsewhere on the planet and gives some idea as to which creatures are already the winners or losers in climate change. An engaging and informative read, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love natural history writing and this is a very enjoyable gentle view of the Somerset Levels over the course of one year through the eyes of the writer. Maybe not born and bred country but has the eye to see and learn.

Originally tempted by the title Wild Hares and Hummingbirds - or to be more precise the Hummingbird part (Hummingbirds in Somerset?), but for the answer to that you'll have to read the book. And as with all good writes the sources of inspiration receive a suitable acknowledgement at the end.

If you like nature writing and English countryside then you'll love this!

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the title, Moss' shows a clear bias towards birds in his book. There's nothing wrong with that, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a wee bit disappointing for only getting a single passage on hares.

Moss captures the rustic beauty of a quintessential English countryside. His prose is a poetic comfort to read and a refreshing blend of both science and anecdote. The book is divided into twelve chapters corresponding to each month of the year, and the observations held within. The end result is a book that every fan of nature writing should have on their shelf.

[Bookhuw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entry level wildlife reading, making for comforting if not especially profound reading. I couldn't help wondering how different this book would have been had it covered the winter of 2014, when Mark and the surrounds were hit by floods.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strangely disappointing. This book makes all the right noises and should be really enjoyable, but left me with the impression of being written by a 'townie' (albeit a reasonably knowledgeable, observant one), without the insights of a countryman.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and a vibe. This book strangely made me feel homesick despite the fact that I literally live in England. And no, I'm not even British. There are also beautiful pictures dedicated to each month of the year.

[David Cooke]

Didn't finish it.

[Vik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully descriptive book, that is also informative. A book I shall keep on my bookshelf and refer to again month by month.

[Mark Greco · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very engaging and evocative book.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book ... It is a through the seasons view of an area around a Somerset village ... Much from a family perspective ...

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine evocation of a year in the life of one parish on the Somerset Levels, especially its wildlife.