Wild Air: In Search of Birdsong

by James Macdonald Lockhart

A book about birds, birdsong and the countryside they inhabit, from the critically acclaimed author of Raptor.

In Wild Air, James Macdonald Lockhart sets out to write about a series of birds as though he has his granny’s role of listening to birds’ songs and calls and relaying what she heard to her aged and by then quite deaf father – the famous naturalist Seton Gordon. From a nightjar’s strange churring song on a heath in the south of England, to a lapwing displaying over the machair in the Outer Hebrides, he writes about eight different birds who he has spent most time with, returned to most often and relays what he hears.
The eight species are all representative of a different habitat. Nightjars on a lowland heath; shearwaters on a mountain overlooking the sea; dippers on a river; skylarks in farmland; ravens in woodland; divers on a loch; lapwings on the coast; and nightingales in dense scrub. Not all of the birds are songbirds in the traditional sense, though each possesses its own distinctive music. That music can vary from the strange, as in the weird gurgling sound a shearwater makes inside its burrow, to the joyous exuberance of the skylark’s song. Sometimes, he hears a lot, and sees little (shearwaters in the pitch dark); sometimes he sees a lot, but hears little (black-throated divers on their loch). But in every case the sounds the birds make become an introduction to their lives – an audible introduction to the birds and the places they are found.

Genres: Nature, Science, Birds, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

James Macdonald Lockhart is a literary agent with Antony Harwood Limited as well as an associate editor with and regular contributor to Archipelago magazine. Raptor is his first book and the recipient of the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Aware for Non-Fiction. He lives in Whichford, United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous. We are taken to the birds and made to look and listen to them, while Macdonald Lockhart gives us relevant cultural and historical context for our relationship with each bird, and tiny glimpses of his personal experience. A bit of a missed opportunity not to include actual recordings of birdsong in the audiobook, but I'll have to track down a physical copy so I can re-read it and see the illustrations for myself. Very similar in style to my beloved David George Haskell. Bernd Heinrich is referenced in the crows and ravens section, and he's also a wonderful, if much less poetic, resource.

[Kay D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than a book about birdsong.

I found this to be a beautiful read. There is a lot of content, focussing mainly on song but also other aspects of each bird (it covers seven species in separate chapters) - behaviour, habitat, status, and some wonderful stories and anecdotes. Among my favourites were the dipper that moved the ice crystals and the ravens protecting their nest from surveyors. The species it covers are all completely different - from those that are known for their song (nightingale) to those whose sound is less known (eg Manx shearwater). It starts with the nightjar, which got me interested straight away as it's one of my favourite birds - the first time I ever heard / saw them was very special, and this brought it all back.

The way the sounds the birds make are described wonderfully, as in not just the sound itself but the exepriences of hearing them, and I found I could relate to a lot of what the author wrote, which added to the enjoyment. I've been watching and surveying birds for a long time and while a lot of the things described were familiar to me, I loved reading them from another person's perspective and I learnt a lot. The writing never got heavy or boring - there is plenty of humour in here as well. I would say it helps if you are familiar with the birds' songs in order to get the most out of the writing - if not, listen to recordings as you go.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in birds and who wants to learn more about them than what the field guides tell you. I would love it if the author wrote more books like this - there are plenty more birds on the British list to get through!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alycia bought us this book after all the birding we did in Scotland in September. It profiles 8 birds: nightjar, shearwater, dipper, skylark, raven, black-throated diver, lapwing, nightingale. All the birds live in different habitats and the book describes the author's seeking them out and observing their birdsong, mating habits, nests, etc. It was quite an interesting read but the information just doesn't stay with me.

[Taff Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually enjoy books like this and indeed I enjoyed Wild Air very much too. Trouble is, I find them all a bit formulaic- some delightful description of locations, flight, effect on the writer, embellished with quotes from other ornithologists and writers with some account of how and why the species is in decline. Each bird celebrated here was well conjured and I will think of these descriptions when I next encounter each one in my own walking.

[Diana Laffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful descriptions of all aspects of birds: anatomy, breeding, flight, plumage and, above all, song. But in the end the book highlights the limitations of words- however lyrical and evocative Lockhart’s prose. The book had lovely illustrations at the start of chapters but so few. And in the end you have to hear the call of the Black Throated Diver to understand its eerie power.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟🌟

[Kristina the Book Forager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild Air, written by James Macdonald Lockhart, was a delight to read. As someone who loves birdwatching and painting birds, I found this book packed with peculiar and fascinating information that inspired me with many ideas for my artwork. Each chapter delves deep into the world of one bird, and I loved how the author painted a vivid picture of the surroundings where he observed these birds. The way he writes is simply beautiful! The facts on the history of skylarks were particularly intriguing, and I feel like I learned a lot. I would like to express my gratitude to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. It was truly a treat for both the soul and mind!