Bad Birdwatcher's Companion

by Simon Barnes

Few books are more intimidating than a conventional field guide. There are simply too many birds in them. This book introduces the reader to Britain's most obvious birds. But it does more than it also explains them. It explains the way that different birds do different things, eat different food, sing different songs and live different lives, and it explains why they are different. If you are a would-be birdwatcher but don't know where to start, A Bad Field Guide is for you. It will help you understand but far more important, it will help you begin to understand birds. Robin...But have you ever wondered what a red breast means to a robin? A red breast is not just the way a human can recognise a robin when it comes a-calling, when it sits on a spade or a Christmas card. The red breast is not just a bit of chance colouration. the red breast is the core of the robin's being. The red breast is the love, the honour and the glory of a robin. Have you noticed that a robin positively flaunts it? It is as if he is telling the for God's sake, I'm a robin!

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Birds, Audiobook, Natural History, Humor, Science

281 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon Barnes shows you the fifty birds you can (yes, you can...anyone can) see around Great Britain. He does it in a manner that leads you into wanting to go out on your own and take a look. It's easy, he tells us. You simply look around. And look at what you can see.

I can't see these birds simply because I live in America. Would Simon Barnes please travel over here and make a book for us?

[Fern A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this as an audiobook thinking it might help me deal with insomnia but it proved a bit too interesting! Barnes looks at the 50 most common birds in the UK detailing where to find them, what they look like, what they sound like and some general information. A gentle and at times fairly humorous read. Beware if you listen with pets in the vicinity the bird sounds may confuse them. My dog has spent the day frequently searching for birds trapped in the house!

[Shalini · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to 50 common bird species for everyone living in these isles- should be a primary school textbook/audiobook.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant birding book by Barnes!

Much like The Meaning of Birds, Simon Barnes has crafted a wonderfully poetic book about birds and perfectly encapsulates why he, I and others adore them. Putting 50 British birds under the microscope, from pigeons to peregrines, each chapter tells us pertinent information about each avian including identifying markers, historical facts and reasons why we should seek out and appreciate each and every species.

Barnes love for our feathered friends is obvious here and his passion for birdwatching is infectious, constantly telling us why birds are brilliant and the hope and joy they bring to both individuals and the planet. Each bird's personality is described appreciatively, turning them from simply interesting creatures to observe to characters in a drama being played out in the country's sky, fields and waterways. It was a delight today to sit in my mum's garden and watch the roguish sparrows, resourceful blue tits and vainglorious goldfinches sharing the birdfeeders.

Each chapter also contains the songs and calls of all the featured birds, alongside encouragement to use your ears to listen out for and identify birds you'd never otherwise know were there. It's early days for me, but to be able to identify jackdaws, crows, sparrows and wrens solely from their calls has opened up a whole new aspect of the natural world for me.

Barnes recommends looking and listening to birds to not only improve your perception of the natural world, but also your appreciation of it. I would recommend listening to this if you have any interest in birds. Its pithy, entertaining and loving commentary on a wide variety of common birds makes the world a much more fascinating and comforting place.

[Scott Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. So informative but also very funny. I also enjoyed the art illustrations as well.

[Morwenna Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth listening to the audio book. Absolutely delightful

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contained interesting facts about birds but I found the order didn’t flow so well and I would have liked better pictures of the birds. It was sometimes hard to work out what a bird looked like from the sketch so I had to look it up.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not passionate about birds but this audiobook was delightful to listen to, complete with bird cries, chirps, tweets, songs etc, some classical music and funny descriptions of the birds of the UK in a wonderful British accent. This was a great escape from angry political arguments online all day!!

[Jenny Mitcham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been trying to learn more about birds this year and am a bit slow. I'd like to be able to recognise more of them and learn their songs. I'm still rubbish at it but I think this book has helped a bit. I'm able to have a better guess at telling the difference between swifts/swallows/martins or different birds of prey. It is nicely written and doesn't take itself too seriously.

[Annie Donette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a field guide. This is an anti- field guide. In a field guide, you find facts and figures accompanied by detailed drawings with labelled ‘scapulae’ and ‘tertiaries’. Here, you find fifty love letters to Britain’s most obvious birds from someone who knows, respects and serves them well.

There are no colour pictures and no diagrams. Instead, Simon Barnes expertly uses words to paint a vibrant portrait of each bird’s appearance, characteristics, habits and history. In each case he does so with admiration, celebration and care. Compellingly, he also meditates on each bird’s relationship to humankind.

Complementing the text are Peter Partington’s simple monochrome caricatures. Partington is somehow able to capture the essence of each bird’s personality in a few effortless strokes, not dissimilarly (although stylistically disparate) to Matt Sewell’s work.

We all have field guides, and now we can use them with a deeper understanding of the hows and whys of our beloved birds. The facts are included in ‘The Companion’, but we’re so much more likely to remember them through the stories and contexts that Barnes provides. As someone familiar with at least forty of the fifty birds included, I learnt something new about every single one.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a follow-up covering 50 more of our little mates.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this sitting on the terrace overlooking the back garden listening to the odd pigeon, the odd blackbird and a crowd of sparrows. Thanks4that Simon.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really delightful.

[Ailsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book, with interesting information, charming observations, detailed descriptions, and even a little poetic musing about fifty birds you can find in Britain. I listened to the audiobook, which I wouldn't really recommend, especially as the physical book is illustrated - the chapters are short enough that you can't listen to many at once without getting tired of the format, but I think it would keep its delight as a coffee table book that you browsed occasionally. I laughed, I smiled, and I learned some new things, as well as just enjoying the sound design of all the different bird calls in the recording. I would note, though, that this is very much an introduction. I've only been interested in birding for about a year, but still, I knew already 90% of what was shared in this book, which meant I couldn't enjoy it as much. But it is so charming - it's a lovely book, and I'm very glad it exists. I am now proudly calling myself a bad birdwatcher!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have bought one or two bird identification books in my time but this is the only one I have read. How wonderful to have such a book that is designed to be read rather than picked through like a dictionary and what a joy it is! Full of facts, very practical, but most of all fun. This is the intro everyone who doesn’t know where to begin needs when they are sat by a bird feeder, spy a big bird of prey while on the motorway or are confronted with an unknown beautiful feathered “present” their cat has brought them. It gives you enough info, hints and encouragement to keep looking and relish in what you see. I doubt I’ll remember how to identify the 50 birds referred to in this book, but it certainly has stripped away some of the mystery, made the more accessible and made the thought of looking in a field guide less intimidating. What a joy 🥰

[Cathy Kristiansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another "anything-will-do" emergency audiobook to stem boredom while dog walking, but it turned out to be a hoot! The British are very good at turning training books/shows into such amusing productions that anyone can enjoy them, even those uninterested in the underlying topic -- just look at Barbara Woodhouse and her dog training and Fawlty Towers which set out to show how NOT to run a hotel. Anyway, this book covers 50 noteworthy birds in Britain in a fast-paced, amusing and educative way. Having lived in Britain once, I'm familiar with many of the birds, but this quirky, light-hearted and gently humorous book has something for non-Brits and non-birdwatchers alike. And of course, it's a book that must be heard, given the song samples.

[Karen Soole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to be able to identify more birds, so I listened to the audible version of this - I'm afraid I will always be a bad bird watcher, but my daily walks with my dog take me to an estuary full of wonderful birds. The audible version is a delight, complete with the sound of each bird. I got the book, too, so I could read it and refer to it over again - it would have been even better if the pictures were in colour! I have been inspired to go early one spring morning to the nearby Leighton Moss and listen
out for the boom of the Bittern apparently the loudest bird in the UK and very rare. A whole new world has opened up!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable book, entertaining and informative and a great starting point for any budding birdwatchers.

This book picks out the 50 most common or easily recognised birds in Britain and gives tips on how to spot them and where to find them. It takes a lot of the fear out of the topic and brings it down to a manageable scale from which to start.

[Jason Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I listened to the audiobook. Was a library-recommended book, but is completely British-based, so many of the birds are not in the U.S. Also in written form, is most likely an actual field guide, which is awkward in audiobook.

[Dodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like birds you will like this book. I got this book as an audio book so I got to hear the sound of each bird. The author is humorous too. A good reference book for birds. I got the audio book from the library.

[Graham Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that hit the spot with my limited knowledge of the more popular birds. Some really good tips in there that make me think I could rival Bill Oddie one day, although I’m not going to invest in the beige suits that he wears

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As someone who has just got into bird watching it’s the perfect blend of humour and fact and it had me laughing and also agreeing at some of the colloquial descriptions.

Ordering the first book now lol

[Helen Burkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, charming and has birds singing their songs

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely recommend the audio book since he has the bird calls to go along with the birds.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook. Excellent.

[Andrew Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful, informative, easy read. I was not aware of the wide variety of birdlife in the UK.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and informative little audiobook! I enjoyed it.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love his descriptions of birds.

[Liz Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book to dip into , really enjoyed it. Easy and accessible read.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glorious as an audiobook, complete with bird song and classical music ❤️

[Jaimella Shaikh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a field guide - it's a collection of warm and witty essays about the '50 most obvious birds' and their effect on the human spirit. Barnes starts with the birds you are most likely to see - those that live in the garden or city, but also includes a few rare 'pilgrimage birds' such as the bittern and peregrine falcon, and gives tips on where you might see them.

Barnes is adept at summing up a birds essence in a few words: 'sparrow hawks have their being in suddenness'. He gives each bird it's own personality , but this is not a sentimental book. 'Nature is not nice' - in Barnes's book it is red in beak and claw.

Barnes's easygoing prose is complemented by beautifully observed illustrations by Peter Partington. Barnes encourages the reader to 'acquire the habit of looking' so that we too can experience a 'feeling of privilege', a 'lift of the heart' when we see a bird.