Birdwatching with Your Eyes Closed

Simon Barnes is the author of many wild volumes, including the bestselling Bad Birdwatcher trilogy, Rewild Yourself, On The Marsh, The History of the World in 100 Animals, and The History of the World in 100 Plants. He is a council member of World Land Trust, trustee of Conservation South Luangwa and patron of Save the Rhino. In 2014, he was awarded the Rothschild Medal for services to conservation. He lives in Norfolk with his family and horses, where he manages several acres for wildlife. He was the Chief Sports Writer for The Times until 2014, having worked for the paper for 30 years.

• First Winter1 Muzak to my ears3 Songs of life and death5 Robin8 Double figures12 A place of my own16 Wren19 Talking birds22 Pee-oo!26 How to see round corners28 Dunnock31 Time and space33 Birdsong to save your life37 Long-tailed tit40 First Spring45 How to make spring last longer47 Great tit50 Keeping it simple52 Song thrush54 Get a load of that repertoire58 Chaffinch62 Saying your own name64 Blue tit67 Great spotted woodpecker69 How we stole the music72 Blackbird76 When the singing began80 Greenfinch84 How I invented music86 Skylark89 A breath of fresh air92 Blithe spirit94 Chiffchaff99 Crisis relocation102 Cuckoo106 Last cuckoo?109 Swallow111 Vertebrate chauvinism114 Pigeons117 Why warblers122 Blackcap126 Demise of the willow wren129 Willow warbler133 First Year Birdlistening137 Turn on, tune in139 Seagulls142 Herring gull144 Swift147 And now your free gift150 Seaside waders154 Hello158 Crows161 Bleeding obvious165 Two more crows169 World Cup birding172 Freshwater birds175 But does it really count?178 Geese183 Song of the butterfly186 Birds of prey188 Silence191 Owls195 Winter thrushes199 Second Spring203 Birds and Venice205 Mistle thrush209 Starling212 Learning curve215 Mozart's starling218 Goldcrest221 Green woodpecker223 Portrait of the artist225 Goldfinch231 Yellowhammer234 The rhythmician236 Nuthatch239 Coal tit241 Rhythm section243 Pied wagtail246 Meadow pipit248 Peasant and phartridge250 Be happy!252 House martin254 Garden warbler256 Whitethroat258 Nightingale260 Heartache265 Sweet music270

Most of us can see, but not everyone looks. Most of us can hear, but not everyone listens. This book will help you do both. And, above all, it will tell you how to enjoy.