[Mark Newsome]

A new county avifauna has just been published, covering County Durham (VC66, between Tyne and Tees).

The book has been completed as part of a non-profit making project - the "Birds of Durham Heritage Project". The project’s aim was to 'bring the wildlife of today to the people of tomorrow' and consisted of public lectures and guided walks, a suite of online resources and the erection of a series of interpretation panels at the sites of some of the most significant historical ornithological events in the county (eg the Bishop Middleham Bee-eaters, the Hartlepool Dusky Thrush, the first UK Great Reed Warbler at Swalwell - the stories of the birds and the people involved). The book itself was the final piece of the jigsaw and commemorates 60 years since the publication of the last county avifauna by George Temperley.

The whole project was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and was led by the Durham Bird Club with additional support from a number of partner organisations (Teesmouth Bird Club, Durham Wildlife Trust, Natural History Society of Northumbria and Durham Upland Bird Study Group). All profits made through the book will go back into bird/people related heritage and conservation projects within the county.

The book itself contains 1020 pages of text, 64 colour pages and covers 350 years of ornithology in the county (from 1661 to the end of 2011). There are full accounts for the 386 species recorded in the county along with line drawings of each, 110 charts and graphs of occurrence patterns, plus 5 opening chapters on the county itself and its ornithological history. The colour photos feature 120 species and 14 habitat shots, plus there are an additional 56 black and white photos scattered through the book.

The price is a bargain £30, plus £10 postage and packing. If you are a member of one of the partner organisations, the price is just £25 (plus P&P). More detail is held on the Durham Bird Club website: http://www.durhambirdclub.org/, including any dates when the book may be available for picking up at sites within the county to avoid postage costs.
For ordering by post, an order form is available online: http://www.durhambirdclub.org/articl...order-form.pdf.

The initial print run is of 1200 copies, so you may have to be quick to get a copy!

[missel-bird]

This is a very impressive publication - though you might need to strengthen your bookshelves!

[John Cantelo]

As a matter of interest does it have maps (deriving from the current BTO Atlas) showing distribution by tetrad? If so the authors must have moved pretty darn quickly!

[Mark Newsome]

Originally Posted by John Cantelo

As a matter of interest does it have maps (deriving from the current BTO Atlas) showing distribution by tetrad? If so the authors must have moved pretty darn quickly!

No John, it doesn't incorporate final Atlas-type maps. The text has been finalised over the last 18 months and authors used available raw Atlas data in helping define range and status, but it wasn't intended to be an Atlas type publication; more a historical reference. The page count ended up being much more than originally intended; if we had tried to get Atlas maps in as well, the size would have become unmanageable!

As the project was governed by Heritage Lottery funding/deadlines, waiting for Atlas data to do a fully comprehensive book wasn't really an option.

Mark

[John Knifton]

I fully agree. My copy arrived in Nottingham yesterday, and I was very impressed indeed. Have no fears about the packaging. The £10 cost is not a rip-off, and the whole thing is extremely robust. It has clearly stood up well to the Post Office Penalty Shoot Out competition, and the book was in pristine condition. It is so large that you do wonder about the best way to read it. So far, I am using a large cushion on my lap and this has been quite successful.

Congratulations to all concerned. This is a real triumph. Which county will be the next to take the plunge ? Hopefully, Cornwall ?

[keith]

It's an excellent book, a bit disappointed that I had to take a bird off my British List because of it though, I thought the Washington Ferrugious Duck was genuine, apparently it was a hybrid, bugger!, still congratulations all round, a monumental book.