While Flocks Last

by Charlie Elder

Armed with a field guide and a half-decent pair of binoculars, Charlie Elder travels the length and breadth of the British Isles to spot forty bird species in serious decline - the UK's Red List. He looks at why their numbers have fallen, what efforts are being made to encourage their recoveries and meets experts and enthusiasts who are working to make a difference.

He also examines just why birds matter in the first place and considers the role of the birdwatcher - one species that is certainly not in decline.

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

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Alex Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and amusing - made me dig out my binoculars and plan a few bird watching trips.

[Zoe Crighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's quite difficult not to turn green with envy whilst reading about Charlie Elder's year-long pursuit of attempting to see 40 of Britain's rarest breeding birds - all red listed species - and successfully doing so. As he proclaims time and time again, Elder is by no means a dedicated 'twitcher' - in fact, he even abandoned the hobby for 20 years to focus on his career - and it's a refreshing stance to take for a book centred on the most extreme British twitching endeavour in existence. Elder liberally (perhaps not always) darts from Devon to Yorkshire to Cley to Orkney to the Cairngorms in the hopes of glimpsing a 'little brown job' or other. And amazingly, he does it! All 40 species (as of 2008) are one way or another painstakingly sought out and ticked off. His feats include the Wryneck, Scottish Crossbill, Aquatic Warbler (!!) and Corncrake to name a few. It may be easy to say 'what luck!' but in all honesty, the lengths the author goes to are beyond extraordinary - and certainly beyond that of the casual birder. With that in mind, 'While Flocks Last' is a delightful read to be enjoyed by twitchers/casual birdwatchers alike - the readability is surprisingly fluid and Elder writes with a witty charm that captures the reader off guard often. To my surprise, I found myself chuckling at his interspersed anecdotes and asides.

Technically speaking, species-specific information is rather thin on the ground; I found the lack of scientific rigour wanting and honestly, there could have been a little more attributed to the birds he mentions besides their appearance and occasional nesting habits. Having said that, Elder is by all means a layman - but be advised, this book is about the journey, and not the birds. Another aspect I found mildly irritating was the author's amicable stance on intensively managed grouse moors and the effect they have on birds of prey. I certainly wasn't expecting an up in arms attack launch on the subject, but a rather vanilla aside seemed ironic - especially owing to the fact that one of the birds of prey on his list was the ruthlessly persecuted Hen Harrier. Though 'While Flocks Last' is undoubtedly a product of its time, I certainly hope the author feels a darn sight stronger about the subject these days given the needless plight of so many gorgeous raptors and predators who, after all, are only acting according to their nature - punishable by death, apparently. The troubling segment below, though insignificant, stuck with me:

'I have never shot at a game bird, not even in self-defence. But I have nothing against those who do, and would far rather eat a pheasant, grouse or partridge that had enjoyed the freedom of the outdoors before meeting its end than a battery farmed chicken. More than that, it seems obvious that those who have a personal or financial interest in shooting will do everything they can to ensure there is plenty of game about, and are often best placed to make sure there is.' - oh, they certainly do everything then can.. Even if it's illegal. Hmm.

[Kelly Mander · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect book for my birdwatching level. I would call myself an intermediate birdwatcher but by no means a 'drop-everything-and-travel-to-norfolk-to-see-a-rare-warbler' twitcher. Charlie Elder does take you on a fun and honest journey where he begins by being thrilled to spot and identify something like a curlew (one of the more common birds for those not of the ornithological persuasion) to tramping up mountains and stomping through marshes to see real rares! There are some laughs in the book too. My only criticism is the rather sudden ending to the book. He sees his last red list bird and on the next page the book has ended. I don't know how to avoid this but then I'm not a writer. You definitely need to know a bit about British birds to share in the joy of his sightings, but you certainly don't need to be an expert.

[Juliet Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Charlie Elder decides to travel the UK in an attempt to find all the 40 birds that were then (2009) on the Red List of Birds of special conservation concern (the number of birds on the list now is 73). He travels from Devon to Shetland, calling at many places in between. He meets conservation experts along the way and visits nature reserves which are making important efforts to conserve the red listed (and other) species. He sees, eventually, all 40 of the target birds, some birds taking a lot of determined effort to find and others popping up almost unexpectedly.

Elder had been interested in birds when he was young, but had lost interest for many years:

"In the period I had turned a blind eye to birds, many had suffered catastrophic declines. I felt guilty for not having cared more and ashamed at never having made the time to see them"

is by no means an expert, so he doesn't expect the reader to be familiar with the birds. His enthusiasm is infectious and he shares interesting observations about the birds' behaviour and lifestyles. He notes in many cases the factors that are having a negative impact on the birds populations, such as habitat degradation, changing farming practices and climate change. Oddly though, he has little negative to say about grouse moor management, though the shooting of raptors on these moors is the main driving force behind the decline of the red-listed hen harrier (which features in this book).

Elder doesn't just talk about the birds and his travels, but discusses why it is important to conserve birds, focussing on the enjoyment they bring and their place in folklore and culture.

This is a very readable book, informative without being academic. It is (for me) let down by the humour, which is often cringe-worthy and facetious.

[Alec · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 stars: This book really engaged and developed my interest and excitement for birds, and I distinctly felt second-hand relief, joy, and awe as he progressed through the Red List, with some additional unexpected surprises along the way. It showed me that it isn't about degrees or the most flash equipment, anyone can be a birdwatcher!

While reading this, I found myself rooting out an old, shabby pair of binoculars and taking them with me on a bike ride into the countryside. I may not have seen twite, or cuckoos, or anything of the like, but I really appreciated having my senses heightened to the beauty of nature and stopped for a quick close-up every now and then. I love to think of the amount of people that have had similar experiences reading this book, and the knock on effect this may have had, both in terms of people becoming more appreciative of the birds we're lucky enough to, for now, still have around, enriching our lives, as well as hopefully being more aware and pro-active in regards to conservation work.

Although I enjoyed and feel positively influenced by this book, there were some aspects to the writing/narrational style that I didn't completely love. I also think this book could really have benefitted by some reference photos/illustrations at the middle or end of the book as although I enjoyed hearing about these birds, unless I'd googled each one as I'd gone along, (which personally would have detracted from the reading experience,) I have no visual association with each of these birds/stories of birdwatching.

Overall though, an enjoyable read. I hope to keep a firm hold on the ornothological excitement it helped nurture in me!

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! Charlie has a fantastic way of describing his adventures so vividly, and his stories made me laugh out loud, which is so rare for books!

[Connor Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Charlie Elder, I really like his writing style and the content for this book was really great!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book manages to be both interesting and funny while confronting a subject that is very serious: that of our declining bird populations. Normally when something is advertised as being funny I find that it is far from it. This book is a pleasant exception. I really enjoyed the author's sense of humour; I found myself laughing aloud on many occasions. Being a garden birdwatcher, I have only seen a handful of Red List birds. So I learnt a few things about the diverse needs of the birds on the list. The vivid descriptions of the various reserves and habitats that the author visited made me want to visit them myself one day.

I'm struggling to find any negatives. If I'm being picky I'd say I wasn't too impressed by the way he used a lot of fuel repeatedly travelling up and down the UK in a rather haphazard manner. Can't be too good for the environment. Also he had access to places that a normal person like myself wouldn't have; it helps to have contacts in all the major conservation organisations.

Overall it's a five star book for the wit and charm of the writing, as well as the interesting subject matter. I really hope the author writes some more books in the near future.

[Davidg · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertains look back across a year spent hunting down all the birds on the UK red list that year. What makes it more fun is that Elder is not a dedicated twitcher, just someone who has been interested in birds for much of his life without it ever being a major obsession. This means that, like many of us, he can't tell one warbler from another, doesn't recognise most bird calls and generally needs to look things up in bird books. All of the are generally frowned on in most hides full of twitchers.

Along with his humorous journey there is much more serious stuff about the impact we are having on our native birds and nature generally. The serious and funny sides of the book do not always sit perfectly together, but it still an entertains and thought provoking read.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my Lord. what a fantastic read. A real inspiration to drive you out onto the hills or cliffs or forests or heathland. Made me jealous on the one hand that he had the time and resources to traipse around the UK in search of birds on the red list but on the other hand i was hugely grateful for his wit and enthusiasm. Made me want to rush all over the country trying to see these wonderful creatures; some of which I have seen but most I have, as of yet, not. watch this space. If you love birds and birdwatching you really must read this book. Its fabulous.

[Peter Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books such as this can be very hit and miss. However, Charlie Elder really hits the mark because he can really write. His biggest assets in getting the very serious message of the book across are his self-depricating humour and his journalistic writing style. This gives the book a nice pace and stops it feeling like a lecture. I laughed out loud on several occasions.

A thoroughly entertaining read with an important message about nature conservation.

[Robert C Mayho · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very amusing and arresting account of his quest to see every bird on the British "red" or endangered list...within a 12 month period. The birds are the stars however and some his writing is a little pedestrian.

[Amanda H-M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, informative without being too preachy as well as well written.