Halcyon River Diaries

by Philippa Forrester, Charlie Hamilton James

A mayfly dances above honey-gold water in the evening sunshine; a kingfisher plunges into the sparkling depths to emerge with a struggling minnow in its orange beak; an otter slips silently through reeds; a family of moorhens paddles to its night-time lodgings. Here is the perfect, idyllic scene of a British river in summertime captured with love and astonishing skill by two of the leading wildlife filmmakers of our age. "Halcyon River Diaries" was commissioned following the phenomenally successful and award-winning "My Halcyon River" an intimate portrait of a secret world along a river in Britain, where otters hunt on the midnight current, mink lie in wait to ambush unwary victims and gleaming kingfishers pierce the water to spear their prey. Deemed as one of the most beautiful films at the Wildscreen festival, 2004, "My Halcyon River" was the winner of the Kodak Cinematography Award. "Halcyon River Diaries" is an evocative look at the wildlife of a typical English river, through the eyes of Philippa and Charlie's family, including their three young sons Fred, Gus and Arthur, who live beside it. Over the period of a year we experience life on the river following the same group of animal characters as they navigate the seasons, as well as seeing how Philippa and Charlie's passion for the river extends into every part of their family life.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2010

About the author

Philippa has been a well known TV and radio presenter and producer working primarily for the BBC for many years. She has always had a passion for the natural world and competed a part time degree in Ecology and Conservation while working on TV. She spent seven years living in Jackson hole Wyoming where she remotely completed a masters degree in writing and has continued to write, mainly about the natural world, for both adults and children

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wondered whether I might not bother with this book given that the same experiences have produced a TV series and two other books. However I am very glad I didn't dismiss it as it was not at all what I expected with interesting sections on where to see particular species around the country, recipes and insight into the mechanics of producing wildlife programmes - all interspersed with the challenges of child-rearing and engaging children with nature. The strands about mink and signal crayfish were especially good - the realities of conservation work, certainly not all cute and fluffy.