Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Very expert, but very florid and dramatic November 24, 2008
There is no doubt whatsoever that this man knows his birds. However, the language in which the information is presented is so florid and over dramatic, it seems (to me) to show a very strange, and anthropomorphic, view of nature. For example; his description of a Sparrowhawk (with it's 'psychotic stare') - making a kill - the chase 'running its sickening course'. I feel strongly that we humans interpret animal activity far too much in human terms (often with moral overtones) and it distracts from real understanding; this kind of dramatization just compounds the confusion. Maybe he (or the publishers) feels that people do need this kind of presentation to maintain their interest in wildlife (a misplaced intention to 'popularise') - I don't feel that, and in fact I think it is misguided. Surely we are now grown up enough to see nature (moving and beautiful) simply as it is and we should not need it presented to us as a soap opera - with goodies and baddies and human style domestic tiffs. Shame, because the man clearly is very expert - and I would unreservedly recommend the only other book which I have read by him: 'Bird Migration'
 Light reading and unsentimental approach July 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm not quite as stunned as the other reviewers of this book. It's in A4 format and contains a series of short articles (one to two pages long) about individual bird's behaviours divided into the months of the year. Photographs and paintings by Peter Partington are liberally scattered throughout.
Couzens has a very unsentimental, striking approach. He compares the strife at the bird table in winter, as different individuals establish a pecking order, to desperate refugees fighting over humanitarian food drops. That Robin perching on your spade couldn't care less about you as a gardener- to the bird you're a substitute for a wild boar, disturbing the ground and bringing to light food.
Ultimately though it's a book to dip into as a pleasant read. It lacks real factual depth. whereas I agree with the other reviewers that it is a very pleasant book, it's not one that I wished to keep to read again.
 An excellent book September 3, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is a great read; the text is easy to read and is written in an engrossing style by the author. The illustrations really capture what the page is talking about. I can't see how anyone would not learn something about garden birds after reading this. It has made me watch my garden birds more closely. A highly recommended read.
Getting to know them... June 12, 2007
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I am thoroughly enjoying the information provided by this book, which is very well-written and clearly based on a great deal of personal bird-watching experiences. The illustrations are also of a very high quality, the drawings are superb! While I consider myself as quite knowledgeable with regard to birds, I have already learnt some new facts which I have not found in other books, and am now getting to know birds intimately! Great book!
superb November 19, 2005
72 out of 73 found this review helpful
I get a lot of various species of bird in my garden and after spending years watching them, and their mannerisms, I treated myself to this book.
I have read it a few times, and now read each months section as we go into a new month. It has helped me understand the mannerisms of the birds and their reasoning for doing what they do. It's certainly given me a better understanding of the birds and what to look for, and has helped me to attract more birds into the garden.
A pleasure to read and extremely informative. If you enjoy our feathered friends in your garden, then this is a must for you. I'm now ordering more for christmas gifts.
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