The Naturalist's Bedside Book

"The secret life of woods and fields is brought together in The Naturalist's Bedside Book, that delightful collection of BB essays on the seasons of the British countryside. This book was first published in 1980 and is now redesigned and back in print for a new generation to dip into. As he moves from winter through to spring, summer and autumn, BB covers such topics as: * fighting starlings and where to site tit boxes * how to identify old nests in winter hedgerows * BB's pet rook Percy, an injured fledgling * separating a clinging, amorous frog from a carp * what makes a good taxidermist * albino birds and mammals * the perfume of the balsam poplar * how to keep horse flies and midges at bay * a search for the eggs of the purple emperor butterfly * the 15-year-old hand-reared goldfinch * a perfect field pond * autumn deer ruts * long-eared owls mobbed by jays Illustrated with 20 of his beautiful scraper-board illustrations, this new edition is in an improved, larger print and contains the addition of a BB illustration of the Bowcase Stone. "