How & why did our most acclaimed birdwatchers take up birding? What were their early experiences of nature? How have their professional birding careers developed? What motivates them & drives their passion for wildlife? How many birds have they seen? Mark Avery & Keith Betton passionate birdwatchers & conservationists interview members of the birdwatching community to answer these & many other questions about the lives of famous birdwatchers They take you behind the scenes & behind the binoculars of a diverse range of birding & wildlife personalities Behind the Binoculars
Includes:: interviews with Chris Packham Phil Hollom Stuart Winter Lee Evans Steve Gantlett Mark Cocker Ian Wallace Andy Clements Mike Clarke Debbie Pain Keith Betton Roger Riddington Ian Newton Steph Tyler Mark Avery Stephen Moss Alan Davies & Ruth Miller Rebecca Nason & Robert Gillmor Editorial reviews" The real common thread however is a love of birds & a determination to make a life devoted in some way to their enjoyment study or conservation All the interviewees have found the same early fascination but have then moulded it according to their talents circumstances & opportunities to make a genuine & lasting contribution Birds it would seem can take you anywhere" --Andy Stoddart Rare Bird Alert" The variety of personalities interviewed in this book demonstrates nicely that there are many different kinds of birdwatcher each engaging with our birds in a different way
- & so there s bound to be something that chimes with anyone reading it I was fascinated by what initially sparked each person s interest in birds & lit a fire that lasted a lifetime
- it seemed to me that in all cases they were young & like us all at that age had very dry tinder! --Debbie Todd BTO About Birds