If you're planning a bird watching holiday in Scotland, or you're standing at your kitchen window in Kilmarnock gazing out on a winter scene, this is an excellent book to have within easy reach. It's also, hopefully, something which will stimulate your interest - bird watching is therapeutic, relaxing, and a good means to exercise mind and body.


Excellent pocket guide   December 15, 2004
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

One of the excellent Collins range of books on the flora and fauna of the British Isles (see also Michael Scott's "Scottish Wild Flowers"), this is a beautifully illustrated and well-organised pocket book, identifying some 180 or more birds found in Scotland. Organised around the habitats frequented by the birds, and therefore offering the best probability of spotting them, the full-colour illustrations are graced with pen portraits of each bird - even their Gaelic names are offered. Places to visit are recommended, presenting you with a stimulus to get out and look rather than wait for something to fly your way.

If you're planning a bird watching holiday in Scotland, or you're standing at your kitchen window in Kilmarnock gazing out on a winter scene, this is an excellent book to have within easy reach. It's also, hopefully, something which will stimulate your interest - bird watching is therapeutic, relaxing, and a good means to exercise mind and body.


Excellent little guide   December 7, 2004
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

One of the excellent Collins range of books on the flora and fauna of the British Isles (see also Michael Scott's "Scottish Wild Flowers"), this is a beautifully illustrated and well-organised pocket book, identifying some 180 or more birds found in Scotland. Organised around the habitats frequented by the birds, and therefore offering the best probability of spotting them, the full-colour illustrations are graced with pen portraits of each bird - even their Gaelic names are offered. Places to visit are recommended, presenting you with a stimulus to get out and look rather than wait for something to fly your way.

If you're planning a bird watching holiday in Scotland, or you're standing at your kitchen window in Kilmarnock gazing out on a winter scene, this is an excellent book to have within easy reach. It's also, hopefully, something which will stimulate your interest - bird watching is therapeutic, relaxing, and a good means to exercise mind and body.


A handy pocket guide   April 18, 2001
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I used the book recently on a trip to the Western Scottish Isles. It's a very handy size to fit the pocket and the text is well written. Overall the book is a useful addition to my field guide collection but I did find some problems in using it, mainly due to the fact that the birds are listed by habitat and not in the usual manner by species. This led to some shuffling through pages when a bird turned up out of its usual habitat or overflying. It's a nice idea, and maybe with usage one would get used to it but it does run against the tide of normal field guide practice. The other omission is lack of dispersal maps for each species. Although general areas are described in the text an at-a-glance reference would have been valuable. It's easy to criticise a publication but all-in-all this is a good little book for those who like to watch and identify birds but who do not want to get too deeply into the subject.