RSPB Complete Birds Of Britain and Europe (1 Viewer)

[John Gibson2]

My wife can get the above Rob Hume title for £12 rather than the £25 published price. Has anybody out there read it and is it a good buy?
Thanks,
John Gibson

 

[Nightranger]

My wife can get the above Rob Hume title for £12 rather than the £25 published price. Has anybody out there read it and is it a good buy?
Thanks,
John Gibson

If it is the one I am thinking of, then I have the abridged pocket version and it was the first title I bought when I moved down here to temporarily replace my library. The illustrations are as good as the two Collins guides and the coffee table format is just as good. I think I am right in saying, the book has been released in three size formats; a true pocket guide, a trip reference (similar size to the Collins guide) and a coffee table/library oversize. There is not much difference in the content or quality except for the size issue.

Ian

 

[pduxon]

Ian

I'm puzzled because it contains photos rather than illustrations!! John will be getting the coffee table version.

 

[Nina P]

Are we talking about the new collins bird guide given on joining the RSPB lately? I joined last Saturday and got the 16.99 priced version and it's a super tome that is not too big, and gives plenty of information covering a large range of birds in a handy size with comparisons on the same page. I am well pleased with mine.

 

[pduxon]

Nope we are talking about this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...5064/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/202-2137582-1192664

there are 3 versions but the smaller pocket one is written by Jonathan Elphick & John Woodward.

Its a photoguide. The commonest 320 European birds get full page treatment with the next 276 getting a quarter page treatment. The Elphick & woodward gets only the first 320 birds.

Its a nice book but the drawback from a purely British perspective is that Rock Thrush gets a full page treatment whereas some birds you are more likely to see in the UK Mandarin, Rng NEcked Parakeet, Ferruginous Duck, Yellow Browed Warbler are the back and not in the small edition.

 

[John Gibson2]

Thanks for the replies and comments. Unexpectedly my wife was able to bring home a copy of the book on approval so I was able to read through it thoroughly. It is, as Pete says, a coffee table book, so not a handy field reference book. Nevertheless the information was detailed and well presented and the pictures accurately resembled the birds I have been fortunate to see, so far. I was even able to see a picture of the Lesser Scaup in the rarer birds section - something I hadn't found in my other reference books. (This is relevent to me because I have been to Scotney GP nearby several times, where it always seems to be raining, looking for a bird I have read about, having no idea what makes it different from the thousands of other birds there. Well now I have, but it's probably gone).
Anyway, I have now ordered it and at the price I am more than happy.
John Gibson

 

[Grousemore]

Well now I have, but it's probably gone).

It was still there yesterday, John...time for another search!

 

[Richard D]

Nope we are talking about this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...5064/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/202-2137582-1192664

there are 3 versions but the smaller pocket one is written by Jonathan Elphick & John Woodward.

Its a photoguide. The commonest 320 European birds get full page treatment with the next 276 getting a quarter page treatment. The Elphick & woodward gets only the first 320 birds.

Its a nice book but the drawback from a purely British perspective is that Rock Thrush gets a full page treatment whereas some birds you are more likely to see in the UK Mandarin, Rng NEcked Parakeet, Ferruginous Duck, Yellow Browed Warbler are the back and not in the small edition.

I've got the medium sized version and like it a lot. The information on plumage is not as detailed as Collins, and the limited treatment of Mandarin etc. is a drawback (although Collins is hardly great for Mandarin either!). Certainly the best photoguide I've seen.

Regards Richard

 

[Ruby]

I've got the RSPB Birds of Britain of Europe by Rob Hume, which looks pretty much identical, except for the word 'Complete' in the title and having a different cover photo. An earlier version I reckon....

I have the medium format one which is a nice book and one that I often refer to.

It wouldn't be my first choice to take out into the field though - I think you need a proper Field Guide to give you a chance of id-ing male and female birds in different seasonal plumages etc.

For birds like the Scotney Lesser Scaup - which is often a fair way off, and hardly stands out a mile from the Tufties and Pochards - a proper Field Guide is a big help I reckon.

I have the Collins one (Mullarney, Svensson et al) which stays permanently in my rucksack and this gets the thumbs up from me.....