NHBS Weekly Digest: ferns, tigers, butterflies, Copernicus, Stealth and the BirdMIKE

New books in stock this week

Looking at the very best of the new arrivals from the last seven days:

Fern Fever jacket imageFern Fever: The Story of Pteridomania

Sarah Whittingham

This wonderful book tells the story of the nineteenth century obsession with ferns, the infinitely various manifestations of which – in the ferneries, the pottery, sculpture and paintings, albums and frontispieces and other curiosities of the day – are amply illustrated throughout.

An unmissable addition to the literature on botanical history.

The Tiger jacket imageThe Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival 

John Vaillant

Astonishing true story about a tracker and leader of a tiger conservation unit, Yuri Trush, who discovers that the tiger which has been creating terror in a remote Russian village is attacking not at random but seemingly by design. Trush must stop the tiger from pursuing its ‘vendetta’ before anyone else comes to harm.

The narrative of his pursuit takes the reader deep into the Siberian winter, where animals and humans struggle to survive – and through this Vaillant weaves fascinating threads of the history of the natives and settlers, conservationists and poachers who have been at odds over the status of the Siberian tiger.

Butterflies of Europe and the Mediterranean Area jacket imageButterflies of Europe and the Mediterranean Area

Vadim V Tshikolovets

A classic example of a work born of the passion and dedicated research of a true enthusiast, this volume, which covers 700 species, is the result of contributions from about 100 lepidopterists, combined with the rich knowledge and field experience of the author – known for his book series on the butterflies of Palearctic Asia.

The extensive geographical range should be of interest to butterfly fanatics and entomologists who may wish for a single volume as they travel Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor and the Near East in search of their subjects. The detailed species descriptions are accompanied by full colour photographs of butterflies in situ, collection specimens, and butterfly habitats.

A More Perfect Heaven jacket imageA More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionised the Cosmos

Dava Sobel

Sobel is famous for her international bestseller, Longitude, which was integral to the massive popularisation of the history of science over the last two decades. Her new book tells the story of the historical moment in which humanity found that it was no longer at the centre of the cosmos. In the early 1,500s Copernicus was developing his theory that placed the Sun at the centre of the universe, and the narrative explores the fateful collaboration between Copernicus and a young German mathematician, Georg Joachim Rheticus, which resulted in the publication of the infamous book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres).

Wildlife Equipment Highlights 

Our weekly suggestions to help you get kitted out for conservation field work, wildlife watching, travel and photography, selected from our range of over 2,000 equipment items.

Stealth Gear Two Man Chair HideStealth Gear Two Man Chair Hide

Spacious enough for two photographers with tripods to work comfortably together, this is one of our most popular chair hides. The Camo-Tree camouflage pattern is designed for the UK countryside and is effective all year round.

Browse our range of hides and camouflage

 

BirdMIKEBirdMIKE

With spring fast approaching, it’s time to start learning or refreshing your bird call identification skills before the summer migrants start to arrive. The BirdMIKE  pack contains all you need to develop a sound knowledge of common British birdsong, without the use of a computer.

Browse our range of sound recording equipment

 

NHBS Weekly Digest: Birds of the Indian Subcontinent, Carnivore Ecology and Conservation, Pond Dipping Net, Stealth Gear

Looking at the very best of the new arrivals from the last seven days…

New Books

Birds of the Indian Subcontinent jacket imageBirds of the Indian Subcontinent

Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp

New second edition of the ground-breaking 1998 original, featuring the usual quality of plates and information associated with the Helm Field Guides.

Covers India, Pakistian, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. Updated with new species and some newly painted plates.

 

Carnivore Ecology and Conservation jacket imageCarnivore Ecology and Conservation

Edited by Luigi Boitani and Roger A Powell

From the Techniques in Ecology and Conservation series, this is a practical guide to the methods and processes involved in the study and conservation of all the world’s carnivore species, with particular emphasis on the human/carnivore interface. The book provides information on the diversity of practical considerations for field research and technical considerations for accurate analysis and modelling.

 

A Natural History of Belize jacket imageA Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest

Samuel Bridgewater

As well as being a unique and richly illustrated portrait of this fascinating country, A Natural History of Belize provides a lens through which the reader is introduced to questions regarding the debates around rainforests and their ecology and conservation.

The Maya Forest is an important regional biodiversity hot spot and provides some of the last regional habitats fo the jaguar, the scarlet macaw, Baird’s tapir, and Morelet’s crocodile.

 

Scotland jacket imageScotland

Peter Friend

Volume 119 in the New Naturalist Series takes the reader on a journey around the landscape of Scotland. Friend explores the incredible diversity of the country, region by region, looking at how it formed over the ages.

Illustrated with photographs, and maps and diagrams created using the latest computer imaging technology.

 

Adventures Among Ants jacket imageAdventures Among Ants: A Global Safari with a Cast of Trillions
Mark W. Moffett

Moffett recaps his exploration around the world of the lives of ants, recounting stories of their behaviour on the human scale – looking at ants in terms of various familiar roles like warriors, builders, big-game hunters, and slave owners. These tales demonstrate the incredibly complex ways in which ants have evolved to flourish and dominate the ecosystems in which they live.

 

New Wildlife Equipment

 

Pond Net - Complete Net Bag, Frame And PolePond Net – Complete Net Bag, Frame And Pole

A high quality new pond dipping net designed to be affordable enough for non-professionals but robust enough to be used year after year by school children and other such demanding users.

Browse all Nets

Stealth Gear Extreme Photographers Jacket2

Stealth Gear Extreme Photographers Jacket2

The latest version of the ultimate wildlife photographers jacket – plenty of space for lenses and batteries in the ample pockets.

Browse all Hides, Camouflage and Clothing

Reefs and Mangroves Essential for Economic Growth in Dominican Republic

News from BirdLife International

A new report has been published which provides an analysis of the value of mangroves and coral reefs to the tourism and fisheries industry in the Dominican Republic.

Coastal Capital: Valuing Coastal Ecosystems in the Dominican Republic, released yesterday by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Reef Check-Dominican Republic also looks at economic benefits of the Dominican Republic’s Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve a popular and lucrative tourist destination.

photo: Yolanda León (Hawkbill juvenile at Jaragua-Barhoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve, Dominican Republic)

Read the full story

Visit the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Biosphere Reserve website – a project run by Grupo Jaragua, the BirdLife Partner in the Dominican Republic.

Visit the BirdLife Caribbean homepage

Buy the World Atlas of Mangroves at NHBS

photo: Ciro Albano; www.nebrazilbirding.com

Plus – good news! – click on the photo  for some more good news about rare birds from BirdLife International

Donation of ibis gives Middle East’s rarest bird renewed hope of survival

Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita

Andy Hultberg; www.rarebirdsyearbook.com

News from BirdLife International

Until recently it was thought that this bird, so significant that it was once represented by its own heiroglyph, was extinct in the wild.

Then in 2002 a population was found in Syria – but last year that amounted to only three individuals raising one juvenile.

Now a unique effort is being made to bring this fascinating species back from the brink…

Read the full story at BirdLife International

Follow the progress of the birds at www.rspb.org.uk

New BirdLife International publication: Important Bird Areas of the Americas available to order from NHBS

New from Nicholas Stern, author of The Economics of Climate Change

Check out this interesting interview with Nicholas Stern in The Guardian newspaper, discussing his new book A Blueprint for a Safer Planet: How to Manage Climate Change and Create a New Era of Progress and Prosperity. As Stern states:

“We’re the first generation that has had the power to destroy the planet. Ignoring that risk can only be described as reckless.”

A Blueprint for a Safer Planet: How to Manage Climate Change and Create a New Era of Progress and ProsperityStern has become a global authority on climate change since the publication of his report The Economics of Climate Change. This report, commissioned by the UK Government, suggests that if we don’t invest 1% of global GDP in tackling climate change per annum, the eventual cost to society will be 20% of global GDP.

Order a copy of A Blueprint for a Safer Planet today

Browse our full range of books on Climate Change

Big Garden Birdwatch & Birdwatchingwatching

Radio 4’s Today Programme featured the new birding travelogue Birdwatchingwatching this morning. You can listen to the piece again online here.

This weekend is the 30th Big Garden Birdwatch – the world’s biggest bird survey. This annual event provides invaluable information on species abundance accross the country and is easy for anyone to take part in. All you need to do is record the species you see in your garden for one hour.

Find out more on the RSPB’s website.

To find out more about monitoring bird populations you might be interested in the BTO’s new book about the history of ringing: Bird Ringing: A Concise Guide. For more in-depth information on techniques, see Bird Monitoring Methods and Bird Census Techniques.

8 Natural Areas Awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status

UNESCO 8 natural areas have just been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status. These are the most up to date books on these area’s flora & fauna.

Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems (France)
Reef and Shore Fishes of the South Pacific: New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands
Les Gorgones des Recifs Coralliens de Nouvelle-Caledonie – Coral Reef Gorgonians of New Caledonia
Lonely Planet Travel Guides: Vanuatu & New Caledonia

Surtsey (Iceland)
Surtsey: Ecosystem Formed
Plants and Animals of Iceland

Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
The Birds of Kazakhstan

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Mexico)
Nomads of the Wind: The Migration of the Monarch Butterfly and Other Wonders of the Butterfly World
The Monarch Butterfly: Biology and Conservation
Collins Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Central America

Mount Sanqingshan National Park (China)
Wild China DVD
A Guide to the Mammals of China
Wildlife Conservation in China: Preserving the Habitat of China’s Wild West

Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)
Socotra: A Natural History of the Islands and their People

Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona (Switzerland)
No books that we can find. Any suggestions?

Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Canada)
Nothing specifically on this, although Fossil Ecosystems of North America: A Guide to the Sites and their Extraordinary Biotas is a thorough introduction to fossil hotspots.

Top 10 New Species Announced

Top 10 SpeciesThe International Institute for Species Exploration have issued their list of the Top 10 new species described in 2007. We offer a warm welcome to these species as they leave the masses of what is not known and join the slightly more ordered ranks of the known:

  • Sleeper ray Electrolux addisoni
  • 75 million year old Giant Duck-billed dinosaur Gryposaurus monumentensis
  • Pink millipede Desmoxytes purpurosea
  • Frog Philautus maia
  • Highly venomous snake Oxyuranus temporalis
  • Fruit bat Styloctenium mindorensis
  • Fungi from Silwood Park campus (Imperial College, UK) Xerocomus silwoodensis
  • Lethal box jellyfish Malo kingi
  • Rhinoceros beetles Megaceras briansaltini
  • Michelin Man plant Tecticornia bibenda

The International Institute for Species Exploration have also released the State of Observed Species Report (SOS) for 2006 listing 16,969 new species. 53% of these are not surprisingly insects, though the list includes 185 new mammal and 37 new bird species.  The SOS report is issued annually on 23rd of May to conincide with the birthday of Linnaeus – it can be downloaded here.

Sustaining LifeSustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiveristy offers, in the words of Al Gore: “The most complete and powerful argument I have seen for the importance of preserving biodiversity“. Includes a foreword by EO Wilson and a prologue by Kofi Annan.