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The first edition of The Peregrine Falcon was widely recognised as a classic of its kind, documenting not only the species' biology but also the sad tale of its decline due to the impact of pesticides. This extensively revised and enlarged second edition takes full account of important new developments in the story of this bird during the intervening 12 years. It reports one of the few notable successes in wildlife conservation: the full restoration of British and Irish Peregrine populations, and their appreciable recovery in other countries where numbers had also been greatly reduced by the impact of organochlorine pesticides. The pattern of increase in Britain has been extremely varied, fr...
Another volume in the widely-read New Naturalist series, this book is an in-depth study of the natural developments and history of Galloway and surrounding areas.
feeding habits, association with other animals, and breeding. The Raven is one of the most spectacular and romantic of British birds, but relatively neglected in the modern literature of ornithology. Derek Ratcliffe here presents a thorough summary of our knowledge of its natural history, emphasizing the long association of the bird with humankind. The place of the Raven in myth, legend and history is long established, and this book describes the bird's fall from grace as a valued scavenger in medieval cities to a persecuted outcast in the modern wilds. The previous wide occurrence of Ravens is reviewed against the relationships between their present distribution, status and habitat requirem...
Derek Ratcliffe was arguably the most outstanding field biologist and conservationist of the 20th century. This book explores the breadth, quality and legacy of Derek's work and has many personal reminiscences. The 30 contributors provide fascinating insights to a remarkable person, and events and issues which have shaped wild nature as we see it today. Each part ends with an article written by Derek. Derek was passionate about nature and used his huge knowledge of nature to good effect. He possessed an intense curiosity which drove him to understand and protect nature. His interests ranged from birds, butterflies and dragonflies, and mountain flora and vegetation to the ecology and biogeogr...
Cumbria, or the habitat of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands, is the Lakeland area treated by author Derek Ratcliffe. The region of the Lake District has modest hills compared to the great mountain ranges of continental Europe. Yet they remain for many naturalists the best and most alluring part of Lakeland, with the most glamorous fauna, and a flora fascinating in the story of the past that it tells. New Naturalist Lakeland aims to tell the story of the whole region from the perspective of its natural history, and from the personal viewpoint of the author. There is an emphasis on the northern half of the region where the author grew up, but this counterbalances the p...
Cumbria, or the habitat of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire north of the sands, is the Lakeland area treated by author Derek Ratcliffe in this latest volume in the New Naturalist series.
The first comprehensive, single book on plant communities in the British uplands, providing concise descriptions of all currently recognised British upland vegetation types. The book brings together all of the upland communities described in the National Vegetation Classification.
This 1977 book analyses and describes the wild flora and fauna of Britain and identifies important sites that exemplify this rich heritage.
This stunning new Poyser title looks at the flora and fauna of Lapland - that area of northern Europe and northwestern Russia which lies within the Arctic circle. After general introductions, the book examines the Lapland ecosystems and species by habitat type, with one chapter dealing with freshwater habitats, another with open tundra and so on. The history of natural history study in the region, and the conservation issues affecting it today, are also discussed. The book is illustrated throughout with a wealth of the author's own colour photographs, and there are also some line drawings and a number of maps and other figures to illustrate key points. This is a wonderfully evocative book which creates a vivid sense of place for one of the planet's last wildernesses, and will appeal to anyone who loves wildlife and wild places. "A rare window onto one of Europe's most unspoiled areas, by the outstanding British field naturalist of the late 20th century." The Independent "An informative and easy-to-read text on a part of the natural world unfamiliar to many. It is a fascinating, enjoyable book." Wildlife Activist, Summer 2006
'Essential reading for anybody who cares about the future’ Henry Marsh, *New Statesman Books of the Year* A radical examination of Britain's relationship with the land by one of our greatest nature writers. **SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT GOLDEN BEER BOOK PRIZE 2019** The British love their countryside more than almost any other nation, yet they live in one of the most denatured landscapes on Earth. From the flatlands of Norfolk to the tundra-like expanse of the Flow Country in northern Scotland, Mark Cocker sets out on a personal quest through the British countryside attempting to solve this puzzle. Radical, provocative and original, Our Place tackles some of the central issues of our time whilst mapping out a future in which this overcrowded island of ours could be a place fit not just for human occupants but also for its billions of wild citizens. ‘A tour de force... By turns hopeful, melancholy, humorous and heartfelt’ BBC Wildlife Book of the Month