A Life in the Trees

by Declan Murphy, Killian Mullarney, Flemming Christoffersen

A personal account of the Great Spotted Woodpecker in Ireland

Genres: Nature

194 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Brian Gormley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.6/5 - A lovely book. The writing flows, it’s a quick read, and the authors fascination with birds and wildlife is contagious. Declan Murphy had me on the first page, when he talked of growing up with David Attenborough, Gerald Durrell, Eamonn De Buitlear and Gerrit Van Gelderen - their work had a huge impact on my younger years also.
Like the author, I felt slightly cheated as a young Irish birdwatcher that the UK had so many more exotic bird species than Ireland - Nuthatches, Bittern, Avocet and, most of all, Woodpeckers. The arrival of the Great Spotted Woodpecker in Ireland is a great story, which is covered summarily early in the book. More enjoyable is his account of two seasons watching a pair of Woodpeckers, and the challenges they have raising their chicks. Be prepared! Nature can be brutal, and it’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride at times! (But I won’t spoil the story by giving more detail). I’m deeply impressed (and a bit envious) with Mr Murphy’s commitment and the time he was able to spend in his hide. On another note, his description of his over-enthusiastic efforts to build a large timber hide gave me a good belly-laugh. A great read - highly recommended!
Post-script: At a recent second-hand book sale in our school a parent turned around to me laughing and waving a copy of “A Life in the Trees”.
“How many people would be interested, not just in Woodpeckers, but Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and not just Great Spotted Woodpeckers, but only the ones in Wicklow. The Venn diagram for that group must be tiny!” he chuckled.
I responded quite huffily that there were lots of people who would be interested in that book, and I knew that because I had donated the book as I been gifted it several times! He had the good grace to blush and then bought the book!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! The quiet and persistent and genuine passion for our world, nature and especially these Great Spotted Woodpeckers is evident. It is not floridly obvious but rather quietly and honestly related on every single page of this lovely volume. It has spurred me on to go out and seek these beautiful birds in my locality. There is a piece of me that wants to just ask the author precisely whede to look and listen but his book has reminded me that the particular joy of birdwatching is, often, that solitary and unconfirmed, but truthful, sighting of the right bird in the right place at the right time...or at least two of those!!

[Michael Layden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a nice book that brought me back to places where I've felt sublime wonder over the years.
I have been fortunate that several of my mentors and family had deep reverence for nature and I got to see the flora and fauna of the irish countryside with people who really cared about it.
Many of my fondest memories are little vinettes of wildlife in beautiful places.
Often when I'm walking nowadays the mind will be busy and I just don't pay enough attention to what is around me. This book is a reminder to me of the absolute joy of being part of nature and just observing.
I had a glimpse of a bird which looked like a woodpecker in Union woods last year and it made me look at the current situation with Woodpeckers in Ireland . So when I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to get it. I definitely will be visiting union woods over the next month or so to see if I can hear or see if there is one around there.
A reminder that staring up at clouds is really what we all need.

[Adrian Fingleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a NICE book. It is, to be fair, a bit one-dimensional, and if you're not interested in woodpeckers, it may not be for you. I have never seen one (yet) in the wild, though I have heard one 'drumming'. So I get the authors excitement and dedication to the cause. In a wider context, there is some lovely writing about how the changing seasons reflect in the deciduous woods where most of the action takes place, and the author's passion for nature is clear all the way through. I did learn quite a lot about woodpecker behaviour from the book, and perhaps it will help me in due course to actually get to observe one. It's great that woodpeckers have now re-established themselves in parts of Ireland, and any book like this that helps foster an understanding of how much nature can reward our attention is valuable.

[Nixu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always had an interest in birds and before I moved to a more rural area recently, I picked this book up, thinking that I wouldn't be ever seeing a great spotted woodpecker. However when I moved and set up a small bird feeding station, a male Great Spotted Woodpecker became a frequent visitor. So, I decided to finally read it to learn more about the Great Spotted Woodpecker.

I loved this book a lot. It was a nice, simple and quick read but as someone who has always had an interest in birds, I find myself relating to the author a lot especially in the introduction to this novel. Due to personal circumstances, I haven't been able to go birdwatching for a while and this has inspired me to continue the hobby again.

[Shamey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining book on woodpeckers and the authors extraordinary adventures, insights, observations and shared high and low emotions living with these birds and amongst natures wonders and elements. His quirky nature is at one with his surroundings. Had some good laughs reading this and also learned much on these birds and nature. And the one key trait...jump 100% into whatever you believe in and leave your mark.