White Admiral 70 - Reviews: Crow Country & Explore Wild Essex

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Transactions out soon in 2012 with conference talks

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Book Reviews:

CROW COUNTRY
by Mark Cocker

Published by Jonathan Cape, 2007. £16.99. 216 pages, hardback. ISBN: 9780224076012

‘Crow Country’ is a monograph on the roosting behaviour of rooks. I bought it on the strength of an excellent review by Peter Marren in British Wildlife, and was not disappointed. It is a ‘nature book’ rather than a natural history text, with a lot of reflection on how nature impacts on the writer and his emotions. There are a few systematic observations, but no hard data, or figures or illustrations. However, it is not devoid of theories or records but they are presented anecdotally. Plausible and interesting but untested theories are put forward to explain the survival advantage of roosting behaviour in rooks. I can see why Peter Marren was engrossed by this book – I turned the pages as if it were a good novel.

David Walker

EXPLORE WILD ESSEX
by Tony Gunton

Published (2008) jointly by the Essex Wildlife Trust and Lopinga Books. £14-95. 272 pages. ISBN 978-0-9530362-6-4.
(Post free from www.lopinga.com/essex or 23 Tye Green, CB10 2XE and on sale at EWT visitor centres)

Any members making sorties over the border into Essex would be well advised to be accompanied by Explore Wild Essex by Tony Gunton. All the important information – map reference, area, a clear coloured map, status, nearest station or bus route., opening times, ownership, description of the habitat and species of special note - are included for over 260 sites, including all nature reserves managed by EWT, London WT, National Trust, RSPB and the Woodland Trust within Essex and east London. See www.lopinga.com for other titles in the Nature of Essex series. The tops of the pages are colour coded according to the regions which are listed, with their sites, in a useful ‘Quick Guide of Where and When’ to go. An index of sites has a key to facilities so at a glance one can see which sites have disabled access, which can be reached by public transport, etc. Excellent colour photographs throughout add to the attractiveness of this beautifully presented, comprehensive book.

Norma Chapman