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52 Wildlife Weekends: A Year of British Wildlife-Watching Breaks
Bradt’s popular guidebook 52 Wildlife Weekends suggests inspiring itineraries for 52 unforgettable wildlife-watching breaks covering the whole of Britain, from southwest England to northern Scotland – each perfectly timed for every week of the year. Thoroughly updated to reflect Britain’s ever-changing natural history, this second edition integrates the latest information on the country’s most thrilling wildlife experiences, suggests new target species and showcases fabulous new locations.
Written by award-winning author and experienced naturalist James Lowen, 52 Wildlife Weekends is an ideal guide for exploring the wild side of Britain, perfect for anyone who loves the great outdoors and wants to integrate wildlife into a wider sightseeing holiday. Say it’s February and you want to watching otters. Or time for spring flowers and bewitching butterflies. Or July, and you fancy marvelling at dragonflies. Or the height of bird migration.
52 Wildlife Weekends suggests a year’s worth of short breaks that celebrate the full range of Britain's most exciting wildlife, from tiny silver-spotted skipper butterflies to gargantuan basking sharks, and from seabird skyscrapers to ostentatious orchids. Covering more than 40 counties or regions, this unique guide offers engaging descriptions, detailed directions (including grid references and postcodes), accommodation suggestions, and assessments of accessibility and (new for this edition) child-friendliness, plus 180 mouth-watering colour photographs. Wherever and whenever you travel to Britain, there’s a wildlife-rich idea for you.
Find out how, where and when to track down such thrilling creatures as beavers and basking sharks, eagles and otters, dolphins and dragonflies, glow worms and grey seals. Why not open the New Year on a real-life wild goose chase in the Inner Hebrides? Or make a spring pilgrimage to Yorkshire to see truly wild daffodils? Or experience underwater life by peering into rivers for rare fish in Powys, snorkelling in Dorset, or rock-pooling in Devon? Or gawp at starling murmurations, shape-shifting through the autumnal sky, in Suffolk or Somerset.
Combining the very best of travel and wildlife guides, and covering both well-known spectacles and less familiar species, Bradt’s 52 Wildlife Weekends has something for everyone – wildlife experts and novice ecotourists alike.
Written by award-winning author and experienced naturalist James Lowen, 52 Wildlife Weekends is an ideal guide for exploring the wild side of Britain, perfect for anyone who loves the great outdoors and wants to integrate wildlife into a wider sightseeing holiday. Say it’s February and you want to watching otters. Or time for spring flowers and bewitching butterflies. Or July, and you fancy marvelling at dragonflies. Or the height of bird migration.
52 Wildlife Weekends suggests a year’s worth of short breaks that celebrate the full range of Britain's most exciting wildlife, from tiny silver-spotted skipper butterflies to gargantuan basking sharks, and from seabird skyscrapers to ostentatious orchids. Covering more than 40 counties or regions, this unique guide offers engaging descriptions, detailed directions (including grid references and postcodes), accommodation suggestions, and assessments of accessibility and (new for this edition) child-friendliness, plus 180 mouth-watering colour photographs. Wherever and whenever you travel to Britain, there’s a wildlife-rich idea for you.
Find out how, where and when to track down such thrilling creatures as beavers and basking sharks, eagles and otters, dolphins and dragonflies, glow worms and grey seals. Why not open the New Year on a real-life wild goose chase in the Inner Hebrides? Or make a spring pilgrimage to Yorkshire to see truly wild daffodils? Or experience underwater life by peering into rivers for rare fish in Powys, snorkelling in Dorset, or rock-pooling in Devon? Or gawp at starling murmurations, shape-shifting through the autumnal sky, in Suffolk or Somerset.
Combining the very best of travel and wildlife guides, and covering both well-known spectacles and less familiar species, Bradt’s 52 Wildlife Weekends has something for everyone – wildlife experts and novice ecotourists alike.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 5, 2019
There have been innumerable guides giving descriptions of walks in Britain, including lots concentrating on wildlife. This well produced, sturdy and handsome book by James Lowen, does something a little different, with suggestions on how to spend 52 weekends watching the best of GB wildlife.
The sites are invariably interesting, the photographs beautiful and the writing, despite the relatively small amount of space the author allows himself, inspirational.
It's not always made immediately clear how likely it is to see the special species described...eg Weekend 24 is headlined "Glamorgan for Fen Orchid..." and there's a big photo of the target plant but reading the walk description carefully... "a 99% decline since 1980...some are off limits..." gives a more realistic appraisal of success than the strapline. This is commendable, as the hopeful weekend naturalist may have travelled a great distance in the hope of spotting the orchid and deserves a fair and realistic estimate of how easy the search will be. Most if not all the site descriptions do give clear appraisals of the chance of success.
There is always a danger in site guides like this that vulnerable species or areas will be too publicised, the only entry I found a bit dubious from this respect was weekend 46 where the wildlife-watcher is advised to drive up and down a raod at night as the best chance to see Wildcats. This seems a bit dangerous for the animal but undoubtedly would give just about the only chance of seeing one without joining a guided walk.
Some of the weekends involve a bit of travelling between two or more rather distant places (eg Walk 7)but I can honestly say that virtually every suggested short break would be a memorable and really rewarding experience.
Well researched and presented this collection of magical weekends would be perfect if only the author would have provided maps for each of the sites. Without them the portable, sturdy format is a bit wasted. Even so, very highly recommended.
The sites are invariably interesting, the photographs beautiful and the writing, despite the relatively small amount of space the author allows himself, inspirational.
It's not always made immediately clear how likely it is to see the special species described...eg Weekend 24 is headlined "Glamorgan for Fen Orchid..." and there's a big photo of the target plant but reading the walk description carefully... "a 99% decline since 1980...some are off limits..." gives a more realistic appraisal of success than the strapline. This is commendable, as the hopeful weekend naturalist may have travelled a great distance in the hope of spotting the orchid and deserves a fair and realistic estimate of how easy the search will be. Most if not all the site descriptions do give clear appraisals of the chance of success.
There is always a danger in site guides like this that vulnerable species or areas will be too publicised, the only entry I found a bit dubious from this respect was weekend 46 where the wildlife-watcher is advised to drive up and down a raod at night as the best chance to see Wildcats. This seems a bit dangerous for the animal but undoubtedly would give just about the only chance of seeing one without joining a guided walk.
Some of the weekends involve a bit of travelling between two or more rather distant places (eg Walk 7)but I can honestly say that virtually every suggested short break would be a memorable and really rewarding experience.
Well researched and presented this collection of magical weekends would be perfect if only the author would have provided maps for each of the sites. Without them the portable, sturdy format is a bit wasted. Even so, very highly recommended.
January 19, 2021
This book is a rare treat; a site guide with an engaging nature essay writing style. Prepare for an exhilarating gallop across Britain in search of nature. Britain is a large island which is surprisingly varied in its underlying geology, plant communities and the various animals that live in a complex matrix of habitats. Admittedly it will not have the overwhelming diversity of species of a tropical rainforest or the megafauna of Africa. But for anyone with an interest in nature, for a number of reasons including the availability of literature, a fantastic network of nature reserves connected with public transport and a variety of local and national nature groups, it is one of the best places in the world to develop field skills as a naturalist. Whether you want to become a better naturalist or simply enjoy some spectacular and beautiful wildlife, this book’s infectious enthusiasm will fire your desire to explore Britain’s wildlife.
James Lowen is an experienced wildlife guide and photographer whose interest spans a number of taxonomic groups from plants to mammals. He also has a strong technical grasp of his subject matter and knows how to convey it in a manner where his enthusiasm shines through. Most site guides are dry, but not in this book where the accounts are spirited and evocative enough to be an armchair read. Each of the wildlife watching weekends is a readable essay with key information skilfully inserted not to detract from the flow of the essay with a page on practicalities at the end to provide the key logistics.
The front sections include a numbered map with the locations described. It also has summary to flag which weekend accounts are best for birds, large land mammals, orchids, etc. The end sections have a more detailed summary which also allows you to identify sites that are good for a combination; for example birds and mammals, birds and butterflies etc. The end sections have an index for target species and useful websites. It also has advertisements which will help those who prefer an organised wildlife break.
Whether what fires your imagination is dolphins, badgers, slipper orchids, purple emperors or golden-ringed dragonflies, this book will help you to find it and inspire an exploration of Britain with fresh
eyes.
James Lowen is an experienced wildlife guide and photographer whose interest spans a number of taxonomic groups from plants to mammals. He also has a strong technical grasp of his subject matter and knows how to convey it in a manner where his enthusiasm shines through. Most site guides are dry, but not in this book where the accounts are spirited and evocative enough to be an armchair read. Each of the wildlife watching weekends is a readable essay with key information skilfully inserted not to detract from the flow of the essay with a page on practicalities at the end to provide the key logistics.
The front sections include a numbered map with the locations described. It also has summary to flag which weekend accounts are best for birds, large land mammals, orchids, etc. The end sections have a more detailed summary which also allows you to identify sites that are good for a combination; for example birds and mammals, birds and butterflies etc. The end sections have an index for target species and useful websites. It also has advertisements which will help those who prefer an organised wildlife break.
Whether what fires your imagination is dolphins, badgers, slipper orchids, purple emperors or golden-ringed dragonflies, this book will help you to find it and inspire an exploration of Britain with fresh
eyes.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews