The Norfolk Bird Atlas: Summer and Winter Distributions 1999-2007
Moss Taylor and John H. Marchant
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This new county bird atlas presents a brand new overview of the avifauna of one of Britain’s premier bird counties. After an initial chapter describing the planning, organisation and methodology of the atlas fieldwork comes the main body of the book, detailing both the summer and winter distributions of Norfolk’s birds from 1999 to 2007. Each species text begins with two tables, the first showing the number of tetrads occupied, the seasonal distribution of occupation, mean counts per occupied tetrad, summed maximum counts and a population estimate. The second table provides a comparison with previous atlases to show range losses and gains.
After the tables comes an explanatory text for each species and the distribution maps themselves. All the texts are illustrated with either photographs or black-and-white sketches, usually both.
The maps are, of course, the ‘meat’ of the book and are attractively and clearly presented, making good use of colour. As appropriate, they show summer and winter distributions and changes since 1980-85. They are, however, reproduced a little smaller than I would have expected and perhaps lack the prominence they deserve in a bird atlas. Otherwise, the layouts are attractive and highly professional-looking and the quality of the accompanying artwork is generally high, featuring contributions from a wide variety of, mainly local, artists. Most of the photographs were contributed by well-known local photographer David Tipling. The commentary texts for each species are a delight to read, full of fascinating facts and interpretations, and skilfully avoid becoming formulaic.
After a third chapter listing additional species recorded during the atlas fieldwork (including escapes and non-established introductions), chapter four is a masterly overview of Norfolk habitats by Peter Lambley, detailing the county’s lesser-known inland habitats as well as the famous coastal strip.
For me, the fifth and final chapter is the most interesting. This is John Marchant’s insightful analysis of the data, describing the current composition of Norfolk’s avifauna, changes in the ranges and numbers of birds since previous atlases and, crucially, the implications of all this for future bird conservation in the county and beyond. Here can be found stark evidence of the declines of a long list of breeding species including Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor, Willow Tit Poecile montana, Tree Sparrow Passer montanus, Cuckoo Cuculus canorus, Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur and Spotted Flyctacher Muscicapa striata. By contrast, many others, such as Common Buzzard Buteo buteo, Hobby Falco subbuteo and Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla, are increasing, whilst as many as fourteen species, including Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus and Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata, are now breeding in the county for the first time. The chapter highlights the county’s national importance for a wide variety of reedbed, beach, heathland and farmland breeders as well as for wintering geese, swans, waders and winter passerines.
Published: Mar 2011
British Trust for Ornithology
Pages: 528
ISBN: 978-1906204822
Hardback
RRP: £45
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At £45.00, this not a cheap book but it is substantial, comprehensive, authoritative, well-written and well-designed, with very high production values. Incorporating the new BTO logo, the bright and attractive ‘house style’ now sets the standard for future atlases. Within its 528 pages lies a wealth of data on the fortunes of Norfolk’s birds. As Editor of the Norfolk Bird Report, I can already see that it will provide an invaluable complement to that annual publication, enabling its ad hoc ‘snapshot’ data to be set in the wider context of a professionally-conducted survey. In return, future Bird Reports will be able to provide ‘instant updates’ on some of the trends identified by the atlas.
Although ultimately a ‘scientific’ book, presenting and analysing data, this atlas is a thing of beauty too, a rich store of pleasing words and images as well as facts. As a fitting tribute to the herculean efforts of its authors, fieldworkers and all its contributors, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Andy Stoddart
January 2014
This book review originally appeared in British Birds who have kindly agreed for it to be used here.
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