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Fiction Books on Birds (1 Viewer)

I like reading fiction about burds.

I like Kes.
And Lord of the Rings has flying creatures.
I also found this book on birds.
Politics of Birds – The Parliament of Rooks and Owls
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08272TP2G
A short story based on a land or birds who have a parliament.

What fictional birds books have you read?
 
Beak of the Moon by Philip Temple - about New Zealand Keas.
Each Day a Small Victory by Chips Hardy - called a Pulp Fiction version of Watership Down
There was a thread recently about such books.
 
"Adventure Lit their Star" by journalist Kenneth Allsop - about the Little Ringed Plover
"Great Northern?" by Arthur Ransome, the last of his Swallows and Amazons children's books.

Both involved dastardly deeds by egg collectors.
 
I remember as a boy reading a book called Krark: the story of a Carrion Crow by Kenneth Richmond. It was the story of the crow's life, written from the point of view of the crow. I think there was also another book about a kestrel. I thoroughly enjoyed them as a child, although I'm not sure they would stand up to re-reading as an adult.

More recently, I read The Birdwatcher by William Shaw. It's a crime/suspense novel set against the backdrop of Dungeness and the central police officer is a birder.

Malcolm
 
It's not a book about birds but it is about birders - or rather twitchers: Cris Freddi Pelican Blood. I was reluctant to read it as I'm a self-confessed cultural snob but it is a very well written book with deep insights into obsession. Apparently the film rights have been bought. Do be warned that is is described as 'foul-mouthed but lyrical'.
 
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I recall one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five books heavily featuring the tantalising glimpse of a putative Great Auk
 
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach is more of an allegorical celebration of flying than a book about birds (RB was a fairly celebrated pilot), but the more spiritual may "get it". Bill Oddie apparently didn't: "Anyway, Jonathan Livingstone what gull?" in BOLBBB - but he'd read it and seen the movie, according to his account, a movie I didn't know existed. I recommend it, anyway.

Nearer to the truth Henry Williamson's Two Rivers natural history novels include Chakchek the Peregrine, which is typical evocative Williamson writing (cf Tarka the Otter and Salar the Salmon) but also details the brutal attitude of the time towards creatures with sharp teeth and talons. Not perhaps for the faint-hearted.

Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose is another good read with some nature fact to back up another rather spooky storyline. A good writer whose work my mind persists in confusing with that of Roald Dahl, and if you wonder why, read Manxmouse.

More obliquely, Kehaar the Black-headed Gull plays an important (and profane) role in Richard Adams's marvellous Watership Down: and these days at last I too can discriminate between the songs of Blackcap and Garden Warbler (well, two out of three times), so there. If you haven't read it - or for that matter walked on the Down - get on with it.

John
 
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More obliquely, Kehaar the Black-headed Gull plays an important (and profane) role in Richard Adams's marvellous Watership Down: and these days at last I too can discriminate between the songs of Blackcap and Garden Warbler (well, two out of three times), so there. If you haven't read it - or for that matter walked on the Down - get on with it.

John
I always assumed it was a Herring Gull - no idea if rightly or not (think I read it when I was in primary school or possibly early in secondary school, so a while ago!) Presumed so because normally a Herring Gull would be a threat to bunnies and cats (BH not), but because it was injured initially it panned out differently?

???
 
Can't leave Arthur Ransome's Coot Club and Great Northern off of the list.
No indeed, though Dick's field sketch of the GND would mean an automatic rejection from a committee I think! Coot Club is terrific and don't leave out The Big Six in which George Owdon gets his come-uppance.

John
I always assumed it was a Herring Gull - no idea if rightly or not (think I read it when I was in primary school or possibly early in secondary school, so a while ago!) Presumed so because normally a Herring Gull would be a threat to bunnies and cats (BH not), but because it was injured initially it panned out differently?

???

I can't do better than quote Richard Adams's description from when Bigwig and Silver first find Kehaar injured:

"The white part of its back, which they had glimpsed through the grass, was in fact only the shoulders and neck. The lower back was light grey and so were the wings, which tapered to long, black-tipped primaries folded together over the tail. The head was very dark brown - almost black - in such sharp contrast to the white neck that the bird looked as though it were wearing a kind of hood. The one dark-red leg that they could see ended in a webbed foot and three powerful, taloned toes."

On the Berkshire Downs, a BHG beyond a doubt I believe.

You'd better hope Mr Babbs doesn't see this because you are not going to gain points for reading comprehension! :ROFLMAO:

John
 
Well that's pretty unequivocal ;-) Knowledge, memory, assumption (and how was it portrayed in the film?) and a long tome ago, so not sure if I can still be made to do penance?


I still think he may have been better to go for Herring in the book though - a normal BH Gull would be no match for even the usual aggressive bun?, let alone dogs, cats or evil super-bunnies??!
 
No indeed, though Dick's field sketch of the GND would mean an automatic rejection from a committee I think! Coot Club is terrific and don't leave out The Big Six in which George Owdon gets his come-uppance.

John


I can't do better than quote Richard Adams's description from when Bigwig and Silver first find Kehaar injured:

"The white part of its back, which they had glimpsed through the grass, was in fact only the shoulders and neck. The lower back was light grey and so were the wings, which tapered to long, black-tipped primaries folded together over the tail. The head was very dark brown - almost black - in such sharp contrast to the white neck that the bird looked as though it were wearing a kind of hood. The one dark-red leg that they could see ended in a webbed foot and three powerful, taloned toes."

On the Berkshire Downs, a BHG beyond a doubt I believe.

You'd better hope Mr Babbs doesn't see this because you are not going to gain points for reading comprehension! :ROFLMAO:

John
I was surprised this year to find out that S & A, Coot Club and the Big six are also movies.
 

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