Graham Williams

Iolo Williams

Roger Lovegrove

The rugged countryside of Wales has long been a destination for successive generations of naturalists, ornithologists, oologists and, latterly, birdwatchers. Since the pioneering days of Willoughby and Ray, Pennant and Edward Llwyd, a growing number of intrepid travellers have recorded the wildlife and other natural riches of the mountains and coastlines of Wales. Despite these beginnings and the more recent twentieth century vogue for birdwatching, no volume on the birds of Wales has been produced until now to serve the increasing need for scientifically valid information for conservation purposes. In the years that have passed since the first naturalists visited Wales, changes of unimaginable scale have taken place in the Welsh countryside which have had equally dramatic impacts on the native bird communities. A succession of bird species have either been eliminated deliberately by the hand of man - mainly birds of prey - or have been dispossessed by changes in land use, the spread of industrialisation, urbanisation and pollution, trends which continue today to the increasing detriment of even some of our most familiar countryside birds. Much fine habitat remains however, and new species have come in to colonise Wales and add to the magic of its countryside. This volume sets out for the first time the historical and current status of all the bird species found in Wales together with their present distribution. The three authors, all staff of the RSPB in Wales, have between them an accumulated experience of some 80 years of first-hand knowledge of birds in the Principality. Their knowledge and love of the birds and Wales itself makes this authoritative volume a landmark both in Welsh and ornithological publishing.

Birds in Wales

Mike Read

Colin Woolf

Red Kite Country is a celebration of the wildlife and landscape of Mid Wales. Through their superb photographs and beautiful watercolor paintings, Mike Read and Colin Woolf have captured the essence of this unspoiled area, bringing its many moods and seasons to life in a collection of stunning images. Their aim was to show the reader not only Mid Wales' large-scale scenic beauty but also the fascinating smaller details that are so often overlooked: this book will open your eyes to the hidden treasures of the Mid Wales countryside. Red Kite Country is the culmination of four years' work for Read and Woolf, who have spent many hours waiting patiently and observing their subjects, in many cases returning to a site several times in order to catch that perfect moment when the weather or light conditions were just right. The authors' love of their subjects--from delicate, humble mosses underfoot to the majestic Red Kite soaring overhead--is evident in the superb quality of the images. The text is light and easy to absorb, written to inform but also to provoke further thought and exploration. The precious environment of Mid Wales is under threat, and some important conservation issues are highlighted: the constantly changing landscape reflects the shifting patterns of farming, the increase in leisure pursuits, and growing demands for the supply of power. Described as "Wales' best-kept secret," Mid Wales remains undiscovered--an oasis of calm. Red Kite Country will convince you of its unique and outstanding beauty. It is lavishly illustrated with photographs, paintings, and sketches, and includes a whole section on the Red Kite, a rare native of Mid Wales. The printing and production of this book are of the highest quality, and great care has been taken to reproduce the images as faithfully as possible.

A Celebration of the Wildlife and Landscape of Mid Wales

Red Kite Country

TV naturalist Iolo Williams' guide to the UK's top 40 nature sites is fully illustrated by beautiful colour photographs of place and wildlife. The sites are spread across the country and in Wild Places Williams surveys the flora and fauna to be found there, and aims to encourage greater engagement with them at a time of environmental crisis.

Iolo Williams

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