18 February 2009

Have you ever thought of visiting a birdwatching site in Devon or Cornwall with which you are unfamiliar and wondered exactly where to go, the best conditions to visit in and what you might see? If so, the answers to these questions will soon be available in the fully revised, 5th edition of Dave Norman and Vic Tucker’s Where to Watch Birds in Devon and Cornwall.

Dave and Vic have been active birdwatchers since the mid-1960s and have seen many changes in the two counties’ birds and habitats since those early days. Apart from many thousands of hours in the field, they have been involved at various stages in DBWPS records committees, and Vic most recently in reserve management and development. In years past, as the popularity of birdwatching began to grow, with more widespread access to good field guides and optics, the pair were being asked with increasing frequency about localities to visit.

In 1982 they approached Christopher Helm, who at that time was publishing ground-breaking bird books, about producing a guide to fill an evident gap in the bird book market. The first trial chapter was Dave’s home patch of Torbay, and they were surprised and delighted when the draft was returned with enthusiastic comments from the publishers.

Following their first pilot edition, the concept became firmly established and the Helm ‘Where to Watch’ series now includes dozens of titles, each produced by experienced local birders, covering UK counties, continental European countries and various other parts of the world.

Dave and Vic have continued to revise and enlarge the coverage afforded Devon and Cornwall, to reflect changes both in bird distribution and new areas where birdwatching discoveries were being made. Increased study of gull roosts, for instance, and offshore boat trips to see petrels and shearwaters have brought radical shifts in our appreciation of where certain species can occur. The new guide’s coverage reflects new protected areas and access points, as well as exciting and exotic occurrences, but also the extra effort now needed to find once-familiar species such as Cuckoo.

They have been helped greatly over the years by many birders across the two counties who have contributed knowledge and ideas, often walking their local sites with the authors to ensure an accurate appreciation of the layout. Past contributors to artwork and maps have included international seabird expert Peter Harrison, and Steve Bird who now leads the successful Birdseekers tour company.

Each new edition has thus been a labour of love taking a couple of years to achieve. One of Dave and Vic’s biggest rewards at the end of each edition has been to meet people out in the field using the book and to see the pleasure generated by their being able to see a different range of species in new surroundings. Rather than wait for the bird information lines to churn out news of someone else’s sightings, they hope that observers will be encouraged to get out and try promising areas for themselves.

Inevitably the authors have had to weigh birdwatcher access against the interests of the birds, and a number of sensitive breeding sites or areas with limited access have continued to be omitted. Nevertheless, they have taken the opportunity in the 5th edition to fill in some gaps where there was less focus by birdwatchers in past years, for example the Axe Estuary and district, some sectors of the Taw/Torridge Estuary and parts of the Lizard peninsula and south Cornwall coast.

They have also responded to requests by observers in the field to provide more information on sought-after species that are a particular feature of our region, including elusive residents like Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

In addition, a new chapter has been introduced that answers frequently asked questions, such as “Where might I see a Puffin from mainland Devon?” or “Where is the best chance of finding Snow Bunting?”

Copies of the new Where to Watch Birds in Devon and Cornwall (price £16.99) will be available from around Easter onwards, obtainable from bookshops or direct from the two authors – autographed if so desired. Dave and Vic hope it will prove an asset to DBWPS members who have not tried it before.

If you have a crumpled old edition, maybe it’s time to exchange it for a brand new one!

The 5th Edition of Where to Watch Birds in Devon and Cornwall will be published around Easter time.