THE BIRDS OF SUFFOLK’ by Steve Piotrowski
reviewed by Derek Moore
‘PROVISIONAL ATLAS OF THE BRITISH AQUATIC BUGS’ by Thomas Huxley
reviewed by Adrian Chalkley
With its neighbour Norfolk the county of Suffolk is justifiably considered by many to be one of the best areas in the United Kingdom for birds. In recent years the interest in the study of birds at all levels has increased dramatically and it is not unusual for many bird watchers to arrange to work in Suffolk or at least come to the area to enjoy their retirement.
This 
increased
activity has thus greatly increased the amount of data and sight records for
the county. A more modern avifauna is therefore long overdue. The author has
been an enthusiastic. indeed single minded and passionate, student of the birds
of Suffolk and it is fitting that he should bring this work to completion after
12, years in the melting pot.
Credit should also be given to
the many observers who have submitted their records and reports over the years
and to those who have assisted Steve in making this possible. The book is an
enjoyable read, not only for the detailed sections on individual species, but
also for the thorough chapters on habitat, climate and conservation. My only
criticism is that the chapter contributed by Mick Wright is not referenced so the
plethora of studies and surveys mentioned will be hard to find for the
researcher. I am sure this will be corrected in a reprint or new edition.
The
species accounts are well written and contain so much information. The maps and
bar charts are very useful but designed so they do not dominate the text as in
many other avifaunas. The many line drawings interspersed in the text are attractive
and are a credit to the many artists contributing. I am especially pleased with
the inclusion of so much information on exotic species whether they are
purposefully introduced or have escaped from collections. Many counties ignored
the recording of such species in the past so we have little past data on the
colonisation of species such as Ring-necked Parakeet, Egyptian Goose or, more
recently, Ruddy Duck.
The colour photographs contribute much to the book and I
commend the practice of linking habitats to relevant species. The shots of most
of the species and habitats are first class but modesty prevents me saying much
about the rest. The cover illustrations by Brian Small are outstanding and
their prominence is fitting for somebody now established as an outstanding
British ornithologist.
In an age where there has been so much destruction of
habitat and where many of those species connected with modern farming are in
decline it is gratifying at least to see that more species are found in the
county than for some time. One assumes that the overall density is lower but
what joy to see the return of the Dartford Warbler to the coastal heaths. It is
some recompense to those of us who have witnessed the extinction of Wryneck and
Red backed Shrike as breeding birds in Suffolk within our life.
The Birds of Suffolk is an outstanding work and comes at a time when the thirst of knowledge for the birds
of the county is higher than ever. At £40 it might seem expensive. especially
with so many books appearing every week. If you live or visit Suffolk for
your birding, or like me, you are currently in exile you cannot do without it.
Derek Moore OBE
The study of the aquatic bugs in Britain is
marked by relatively few landmark publications. The first influential modern
volume, as in several disciplines, was in the Wayside and Woodland
series, Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles by South wood and Leston
(1959) which remains a very useful work containing excellent observational
notes and details. It is still a sought after volume on the second hand market
and has recently been released in electronic form on CD ROM. However, the
information it contains on distribution is sometimes sparse, referring to old
data and lacking any maps.
The Freshwater Biological Association key to the group,
first published in 1956, revised in 1965 and then extensively rewritten in
1989, made the study of aquatic bugs much easier. However the author, Alan
Savage, was rightly careful about distributions, merely dividing up the country
into eight broad regions and using a system of increasing sized dots to show
relative abundance within them. Doubtless the FBA keys have stimulated
naturalists other than myself, for over the last few years a group of recorders
has grown up who, first with John Blackburn as National Co-ordinator and then
Thomas Huxley, who from 1999 gradually amassed the set of data from which this first
Atlas has been assembled.
This atlas contains the first 10km grid square maps
of Aquatic Bugs in the British Isles. It enables recorders here in Suffolk to
place our species within a national context for the first time. It is also
fascinating to find that, having previously only known of a handful of other
enthusiasts, over 500 people have contributed records for the atlas.
The result
is an extremely readable publication with a clear and up to date checklist of
the 61 species covered, and also the ‘stop press’ explanation of the 62nd species,
found in 2001 and awaiting formal confirmation of admission to the list. There
is also a page of very clear line drawings by the author of all the eleven families.
This illustrates, I feel, both a criticism and one of the strengths of the book.
The criticism is that, whilst the drawings are accurate and helpful, they have been
reproduced at a size that does not do them justice. This is a pity for by
putting them on at least a page of their own without surrounding text would
have enlarged them sufficiently to be of more use to recorders new to the
group. The same criticism can also be applied to the reproduction of other
drawings and even the maps themselves. Whilst the amount of white space on the
page makes for a very uncluttered layout I prefer slightly larger maps and line
drawings. Some, for example the drawings of Gerris gibbifer, are frankly
just too small.
Nevertheless, one of the strengths of the atlas, referred to
above, is the degree of help included for all who study aquatic bugs. The
inclusion of ‘Helpful hints’ on identification, both in the field and the lab,
tips about collecting, and habitat makes this an essential read that will
spread good practice. At the end of the atlas a range of appendices give
details of the coverage in each vice-county for each species. This enables an
alternative view of the presence or absence of species from neighbouring counties,
as well as giving species counts for each county in tabular form. Suggestions
for improvements to recording are given their own appendix and this forms a
most interesting discussion in its own right. It will serve to take the recording
of the aquatic bugs forward in the next few years and makes me look forward to
the publication of the second edition. I would then heartily recommend the
publication to the specialist and would-be specialist alike.
Copies of the Atlas may be obtained from:,
CEH Publication Sales,
CEH Monks Wood.
Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambs. PE28 2LS,
Tel: 01487 772400,
Price £8 including p&p,
Additional Information:
Thomas Huxley has now stood down as National Organiser
for Britain; records for the Aquatic Bug recording scheme should now be sent
to:
Sheila Brooke, 18 Park Hill, Toddington, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU5 6AW.
E-mail: brooke.aquahet@btopenworld.com,
References
Southwood T.R.E. & Leston D. (1959). Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles;, London, Frederick Warne.
The CD ROM e-book version of Southwood & Leston may be obtained from:
Pisces, Conservation www.pisces-conservation.com
Savage A. A. (1989 b). Adults of the British Aquatic Hemiptera Heteroptera; 128. Ambleside, Freshwater Biological Association. Scientific Publication No. 50
Distribution map for Velia
caprai showing Suffolk records received up to March 2003
The distribution map above is for a common aquatic bug, the Water Cricket, Velia caprai, in Suffolk, which illustrates a common distribution in the South and West of our county. The National Atlas shows it to be present in West Norfolk
too. Are the North and East of both counties merely under-recorded? Or is Velia scarce in the East? More records would be very welcome.
Adrian Chalkley, Freshwater Invertebrate recorder,
© 2003 Suffolk Naturalists' Society