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A Patch Made in Heaven: A Year of Birdwatching in One Place
The popular view of birdwatchers (or "twitchers") is of people who rush madly from one end of the country to another to tick birds off their lists. But behind the headlines are an army of enthusiasts who do quite the reverse—they stay devotedly within a small local area, their Patch, and enthuse and obsess about the birds within it. They are every bit as committed and eccentric as their far-traveling counterparts. A Patch Made in Heaven is the diary of a wildlife-watching year in a single square kilometer of southern England. Written in wryly humorous style, it details the birds, the animals, and the human visitors that turn up and use this tiny parcel of land. It chronicles the delights, disappointments, and frustrations that go with dedicated "patch-watching," and also uncovers all sorts of unusual and unexpected details about what we might think are familiar British creatures. Although the book is set on one particular Patch, the real location is not revealed because most of its wildlife, and most of its events, can be witnessed anywhere by anyone, making A Patch Made in Heaven a great celebration of the British countryside and its wildlife.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Dominic Couzens
83 books16 followersDominic Couzens is an expert bird guide and author. He has published numerous books and articles on natural history, including for BBC Wildlife and Bird Watching, specialising in birds and mammals. His books include Extreme Birds, Atlas of Rare Birds, The Secret Lives of Garden Birds, and Top 100 Birding Sites of the World.
He travels widely for writing and speaking, and his website is www.birdwords.co.uk.
He travels widely for writing and speaking, and his website is www.birdwords.co.uk.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 6, 2021
Couzens has written her a book that is not ground-breaking but accurately reflects his highlights and low points of birdwatching at the same 'patch' over a number of years. The patch in question has had details modified so that it is not obvious as to its exact location, and leaves you to concentrate on the birds and other animals that he sees.
The book is split into 12 chapters, one per month. There are several sections in each chapter each corresponding to a specific day and date and are not strictly chronological. Couzens writes about the significant days when he has visited his patch that end up meaning something to him. In each of the sub chapter he writes about the birds and other fauna that he sees, he notes significant and rare birds and and reinforces the fact that when you visit these places some days you do not always get what you wish for.
The writing style is very amiable and easy to read. He has masses of energy and enthusiasm for the wildlife in general and birds in particular, and his writing comes across with that. What he highlights here is that the regular and consistent viewing of the same patch can reap benefits in terms of sightings of birds, and the seasonal pointers that pepper the book allow you to imagine the birds as they arrive and the weather conditions at the time.
I did enjoy this book, it It is not really long and I read it really quickly. His main aim of the book is to get you ,the reader, out there searching for birds and animals and keeping records. He does cover other issues, such as the the way that the seasons give structure to the year; he details the new arrivals and the unusual birds that he sees. He mentions things that strike him as being interesting, and he writes about the way that the birds on his patch have changed from years ago.
The book is split into 12 chapters, one per month. There are several sections in each chapter each corresponding to a specific day and date and are not strictly chronological. Couzens writes about the significant days when he has visited his patch that end up meaning something to him. In each of the sub chapter he writes about the birds and other fauna that he sees, he notes significant and rare birds and and reinforces the fact that when you visit these places some days you do not always get what you wish for.
The writing style is very amiable and easy to read. He has masses of energy and enthusiasm for the wildlife in general and birds in particular, and his writing comes across with that. What he highlights here is that the regular and consistent viewing of the same patch can reap benefits in terms of sightings of birds, and the seasonal pointers that pepper the book allow you to imagine the birds as they arrive and the weather conditions at the time.
I did enjoy this book, it It is not really long and I read it really quickly. His main aim of the book is to get you ,the reader, out there searching for birds and animals and keeping records. He does cover other issues, such as the the way that the seasons give structure to the year; he details the new arrivals and the unusual birds that he sees. He mentions things that strike him as being interesting, and he writes about the way that the birds on his patch have changed from years ago.
July 15, 2019
Brilliant book, epitomises the very spirit of having a place to call your own. It is so easy to lose yourself in the authors writing and even easier to engage with the books main topic.
Thoroughly enjoyed it
Thoroughly enjoyed it
November 18, 2018
Really enjoyed this book which maybe a little surprising as it is about bird watching. Absolutely amazed although slightly peeved that anyone could have such birding knowledge.
September 30, 2024
An OK read but feels over-written, with some big words squeezed in. Also a bit generalist for my liking. And I guessed the actual location of the mystery ‘Patch’ very quickly as it is a couple of miles from me.
March 15, 2016
A book detailing a year (plus highlights) in the authors bird watching "Patch", concentrating on the birding highlights rather than the area or patch as the author calls it.
For someone who is currently snatch reading - ie catching a few minutes here and there to read this sort of book, which is divided into short episodes of a few pages each, detailing a visit works well. In other words its written like diary entries each giving a short episode in the history of his visits.
The text is well written, descriptive and personal making it an interesting and light read.
For someone who is currently snatch reading - ie catching a few minutes here and there to read this sort of book, which is divided into short episodes of a few pages each, detailing a visit works well. In other words its written like diary entries each giving a short episode in the history of his visits.
The text is well written, descriptive and personal making it an interesting and light read.
January 17, 2013
A lovely gentle book about the highs and a few lows of patch-watching through the seasons. Observant with a sprinkling of dry humour, I really enjoyed the writer's style. I used to have a patch before moving house last year; I miss it and this book reminds me why it's high time I found a new one.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews