I would be the first to admit I have been hopeless about posting regularly but here is a little about my latest book, written with Sally Hughes. We had a great time researching and writing it and now hope everyone enjoys reading it. If people notice the nature around them, in parks or gardens, alongside canals or rivers, even in car parks and on pavements, we shall be happy.
Not everyone wants, or has the time, to don wellies and waterproofs and traipse miles across muddy fields in search of a lesser-spotted something but you really don’t need to. You can keep an eye out on your way home from work and visit the natural world without even stepping off the pavement. It is a common misconception that one needs to ‘go to the country’ to see wildlife. In many areas years of intensive farming have pushed animals, birds and wild plants out of their natural habitats but thanks to their adaptability and determination to survive, many are now thriving in towns and cities.
There is a wavy line between land which is considered urban and that which is regarded as rural. Between the two there is a no-man’s land of abandoned building sites, road and railway verges, even roundabouts, where nature is often happiest. Not everyone has a garden but almost everyone has access to a park, local garden, quiet footpath or waterway. Anyone can nature watch (or indeed listen) at any time, it requires no specialist kit and no physical abilities; go out with an open mind, ready to notice and appreciate anything you find.
This is not a field guide, more a starting point to awaken your curiosity and alert you to the possibilities on your doorstep. It is aimed at beginners and experts alike. You don’t need to be an expert to appreciate nature; a pretty pink flower is pretty whether or not you know its name and life cycle. For some people knowledge and a deeper understanding makes nature watching more fulfilling, for others just being there is enough. Neither way is better; it’s all about what you enjoy. Becoming a nature spotter is not all nerdish wellies and binoculars and sitting in a cold damp hide, it is also a great excuse for seasonal festivals and fairs: wassailing in January, a cherry festival picnic in April, a stroll through the Christmas lights trail in your local botanical gardens. Visit an urban farm or better still an urban vineyard, do some bird spotting from that trendy rooftop restaurant. Above all, this book is more about teaching you to notice, prompting you to look at the grand sweeps of the natural world or its minutest details and marvel at them. Go outside or look out of the window and prepare to be amazed.