CONTENTS

      INTRODUCTION

      PART 1 GETTING STARTED

      WHY WATCH WILDLIFE?

      WATCHING WILDLIFE IN YOUR GARDEN

      WILDLIFE BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE

      KEEPING A RECORD

      BASIC EQUIPMENT

      BASIC FIELDCRAFT

      GETTING HELP

      FAMILY WILDLIFE WATCHING

      PART 2 THE WILDLIFE YEAR

      USING THIS SECTION

      JANUARY

      FEBRUARY

      MARCH

      APRIL

      MAY

      JUNE

      JULY

      AUGUST

      SEPTEMBER

      OCTOBER

      NOVEMBER

      DECEMBER

      PART 3 BRANCHING OUT

      ADVANCED EQUIPMENT

      JOINING UP

      MAKE SPACE FOR NATURE

      READING LIST

       INDEX

      Acknowledgements

       Copyright

      About the Publisher

       B

      Introduction

      If you have bought or been given this book, and watched the television series that accompanies it, the chances are you already have an interest in wildlife. You may feed birds in your garden or notice the local fox as you come home late at night. You may enjoy country walks or take the children to the seaside and explore rock pools on the beach. You may even be knowledgeable about one particular group – such as birds, butterflies or wild flowers.

      Or you may be a complete beginner, feeling completely out of your depth when faced with field guides, optical equipment and mysterious terms such as ‘fieldcraft’ or ‘jizz’. Like learning to cook or becoming a gardener, finding out about wildlife can seem quite daunting – perhaps even impossible! But just as novices become great cooks, or discover that they have green fingers, after a bit of practice you will soon realise that you know a lot more than you think about the world of wildlife.

      If you still need convincing, then here are a few reasons why watching wildlife will improve your life …

      So hopefully you’re now convinced that it’s worth making a bit of an effort to find out more and enjoy the rewards this will bring. That’s where this book comes in. How to Watch Wildlife is packed with advice, practical information, hints and tips – everything you need to know.

      The book is in three parts

      Part 1 – Getting Started deals with the basic things you need to know when you begin to take an interest in wildlife. This includes what equipment you will need; where and when to go; how to track down different creatures; how to identify what you see; and how to get the best possible views without disturbing the wildlife.

      Part 2 – The Wildlife Year is a monthly guide to the very best of Britain’s wildlife. There are sections on what is happening at each particular time of year; places to visit around the country; how to see a particular wild creature, from badgers to golden eagles, otters to orchids, and red squirrels to kingfishers; and things to do each month.

      Part 3 – Branching Out covers more advanced aspects of wildlife watching, including equipment such as telescopes; how to get involved with other enthusiasts through clubs and wildlife holidays; and more specialised pursuits, such as wildlife photography.

      The aim of this book is to take the mystery out of the whole business of watching wildlife. As the old saying goes, it’s not rocket science. So take a look through the following pages; then go out and have a go yourself. You really will enjoy it!

       B

      Part 1:

       B

      Why watch wildlife?

       Because it is … (tick whichever of the following words apply): enjoyable, relaxing, therapeutic, calming, exciting, challenging, fascinating, mystifying, satisfying, solitary, sociable, amusing, dramatic, important …

      Hang on. I could argue that all the above adjectives apply but … important? Is it really? This is the kind of question I’m frequently asked, especially when I’m attending a wildlife event. Inevitably, I will be interviewed by the ‘media’ – newspapers, radio, TV – and almost as inevitably the reporter will ask me: ‘So, Mr Oddie, why is (whatever the thing is) important?’ This may seem like a harmless and, indeed, supportive enquiry, but all too