Available from the Sailing Centre or Mike Wakeman (when on site) at £3.00 each.
Also available are many reports from the 80's & 90's at £1.00 each.
Breeding Birds of the Malvern Hills
Dr Ian Duncan
Pre-publication Offer
The Malvern Hills and its associated Commons are still rich in breeding birds, reflecting their range of habitats from acid grassland to ancient woodland. For over 20 years a group of dedicated birdwatchers have conducted an annual survey of the breeding birds of the area. This book documents the population changes of 82 breeding species and assesses their status with respect to the local and national trends.
For each species there is an account of its population status, breeding season details, arrival and departure dates for summer visitors, habitat, historical records for the last 150 years, survey results 1986-2007, and comments on population changes. For around 50 species there are distribution and abundance maps with numerous charts showing the population changes from 1986-2007. Information is also provided on changes in the diversity of breeding species and on former breeding species.
This hardback book of 170 pages is profusely illustrated with line drawings, colour illustrations and colour photographs by local artists and photographers.
This work clearly demonstrates what can be achieved by a group of local birdwatchers. All the participants in this project have given their time freely and the profits from the sale of this book will be used to support and encourage wildlife recording in the Malvern Hills.
Publication April 2008
Special Pre-publication Price £19.99 + £5.00 postage
Full retail price £24.99 plus £5.00 postage
Offer closes 30 September 2008
To obtain a copy at the pre-publication price, please send your name and address to
If you wish to collect your book from the Conservator’s office, please enclose a cheque for £19.99, otherwise please enclose a cheque for £24.99.
Cheques should be made payable to the Malvern Hills Conservators
Malvern Area Bird Report - 2007
The bird report for January to December 2007 of birds recorded in the Malvern area is now available.
Copies can be purchased from the Malvern Hills Conservators, the Tourist Information Office, Beacon Books and the Map Shop in Upton-upon-Severn. Price £4.00
Contributors to the Report, members of the Yahoo Group and e-mail list, can obtain copies of the report at the reduced price of £2.50 from the editor: Christine Johnson - Telephone 01684 562818
Birds and Moths 2007 DVD
A collection of video and stills taken over the year in Worcestershire, the Midlands, Devon and North Norfolk.
The subjects are mostly locally interesting birds with a few nationally scarce species and one or two common ones for good measure. A selection of photos of the more striking macro moths seen over a years trapping are also included.
The Disc is a Pal DVD. With full menus allowing selction of individual species. Running time is 40 minutes. Not all birds have video and the video quality varies. There is no soundtrack.Price only £5 (+60p postage)
Local birder Oliver Wadsworth has put together a DVD that includes both video footage and still images of birds and moths that he encountered during 2007. Many of the subjects were obtained within Worcestershire and includes video footage of Turnstone, Common Scoter and Scaup at Grimley along with Garganey, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper and Bar-tailed Godwit at Upton Warren. For anyone who saw the Wilson’s Phalarope at the latter site then the footage that Oliver obtained will provide a fitting momento to what was undoubtedly the bird of the year. Also featured, for the gull enthusiasts amongst us, is some record footage of an adult Caspian Gull at Throckmorton and a second-winter Glaucous Gull at Bartley Reservoir.
There is also some excellent images of birds obtained on an autumn trip to Norfolk, including a superb image of an unusually showy Barred Warbler and some equally good video footage of a juvenile Common Rosefinch.
If you enjoy moths, then there are some stunning images of these beautiful creatures, but if like me, you know next to nothing about them then this could well be a good introduction to getting hooked.
However, the star of the show has to be the adult Pomarine Skua at Chasewater in November. Oliver managed to obtain some stunning video of this confiding individual, so much so that it is worth the purchase price just for this! But be warned, you may not want to view one of the clips while eating!
Although there is no narration the DVD comes complete with a full index of the species included, allowing easy access to your favourite clips while the total running time is 40 minutes. For just £5 (+ 60p p+p) this DVD represents excellent value for money and is available directly from Oliver.
Brian Stretch, February 2008
DVDs by Steve Seal
Diary of a Warwickshire Birder 2007
Warwickshire Birding 2006
Warwickshire Birding 2005
£6 (+ 60p P+P) (available Jan 1st)
£5 (+ 60p P+P)
£5 (+ 60p P+P)
To place an order or for any queries please contact Steve at:
Warwickshire birder Steve Seal has compiled a DVD of birds he saw locally and nationally during 2007. Naturally there is an emphasis on birds that occurred in Warkwickshire with Draycote Water featuring prominently and an impressive list of species filmed here include Great Skua, Black-throated Diver, Grey Phalarope, Leach’s Petrel, Snow Bunting and Lesser Scaup. Other county highlights include the Greenland White-fronted Goose at Lea Marston, Grey Phalarope at Shustoke along with some excellent footage of a Great White Egret filmed at a private site.
Ring Ouzels on Bredon Hill are the sole representatives from Worcestershire while there is good coverage of rarities that occurred elsewhere in the Midlands, from the remarkable arrival of 17 Glossy Ibises at Frampton, Gloucestershire to the confiding juvenile Long-tailed Skua near Nottingham. Further afield the Pacific Diver in Yorkshire, White-billed Diver in Cornwall and Wilson’s Phalarope in Cambridgeshire are all well worth a look.
Brief but informative narration is provided by Bob Duckhouse with the total running time being 41 minutes. This DVD includes excellent footage of many of the highlights of 2007 and serves as a great reminder for those lucky enough to have seen them. It is available directly from Steve for just £6 (+ 60p p+p).
