In association with NHBS, Wildlife Watch - the Wildlife Trusts‘ young members magazine - has been running a competition to win NHBS Educational Rock Pooling Kits. 

The task was to choose a shore creature and imagine a rock pool that would be ideally suited to its needs – and to draw it! There are five winners and their drawings suggest that there are plenty of inspired creative young minds out there with a passion for wildlife and environment.

Well done to the winners who should have received their rock pooling kits this week – you can see their creations here:

http://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/Design-your-own-rock-pool

More NHBS Educational Kits:

Starter Butterfly Kit
Advanced Butterfly Kit
Educational Bug Hunting Kit
Advanced Bug Hunting Kit
Educational Pond Dipping Kit

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From the Bat Conservation Trust website:

The Bat Conservation Trust encourages people working with bats, or those who might come into contact with bats or their roosts during their daily lives, to follow good practice.

We have worked with organisations and individuals across many sectors to develop a range of guidance to help you conduct your business or perform your work with consideration for bats.

Bat Surveys: Good Practice Guidelines, 2nd Ed.

Following feedback from experts in the field and authored by professionals, the Bat Conservation Trust has updated and revised the “Bat Surveys: Good Practice Guidelines“. In line with the latest evidence and best practice the second edition features new chapters and content, with revised advice and guidance. This is the essential reference and guide for anyone involved in professional bat work.

BCT Members receive a 20% discount: please quote your membership number when ordering (in the ‘comments’ field when ordering online), and the discount will be applied when we process your order. Please disregard the full amount quoted in your shopping basket and automated order confirmation. If you are not a BCT member, click on the following link to join online now and claim your discount. 

Join the Bat Conservation Trust today

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1. Artificial accommodation designed for bats

The Habibat is a large bat box made of insulating concrete with an internal roost space, which can be incorporated into the fabric of a building as it is built or renovated. Its single chamber is internally divided by inverted V wedges to increase surfaces for bats to roost against and to allow them to move around.

2. Habibat boxes can be faced to match the building

Two stock colours: Staffordshire Smooth Red, and Staffordshire Smooth Blue brick, are complemented by thousands of bespoke colours of facing brick, stone, granite, masonry, slate, terracotta, tile and timber finishes.

3. Habibat is a unique partnership with the Bat Conservation Trust

The Bat Conservation Trust will be collating information on the use and installation and of Habibat boxes. In addition, the Trust has contributed to the design of the box, and a number of Habibat variants will be tried and tested to continue the development of the product.

4. Habibat is a versatile bat box system

We can supply quotes for joining multiple Habibat boxes or other bespoke requirements.

5. Habibat is made to standard brick dimensions

Habibat is simple to incorporate into walls as it has the same footprint as a standard UK brick (215mm wide x 103mm deep) and can be matched in height with six courses of bricks.

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Review published in the Gorilla Journal 43, December 2011 

Primates of West Africa: A Field Guide and Natural History

John F Oates

Published by Conservation International

This field guide introduces the primates of West Africa in much more detail than other field guides. The species/subspecies are not only described (and shown in drawings by Stephen D. Nash as well as photos), but their behaviour and ecology are also explained. But it is not just a field guide, it contains much more information for people interested in West African primates; the appendix introduces important sites for primate conservation and observation (also with respect to tourism), also illustrated with photos, and finally, 52 pages with references suggest material for further reading.

Angela Meder

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New Naturalist Volume 119: Scotland

Peter Friend

Reviewer: S.W. Mott from the United Kingdom

One-word summary: “Readable”

“The latest volume in this series has been written by Peter Friend and is a review of the rocks and landscapes of Scotland. Collins make it clear that the book is about the rocks, earth history and landscapes of Scotland. The book does not set out to be a comprehensive, all-inclusive survey of Scotland’s natural history – an impossible task to achieve in a single volume. Indeed, for fuller accounts of Scotland’s flora and fauna, weather, environments and habitats, one must refer to earlier volumes in the series – such as Vol 76 The Hebrides, Vol 88 Loch Lomondside, Vol 101 Galloway and the Borders [ed: all unfortunately out of print] and the earlier, now out of date, volumes on Shetland and Orkney. New Naturalist Vol 119 provides a more than adequate overview of the landscapes that shape Scotland and its natural history.

For the geologist there are more detailed and scientific texts available, including the British Geological Survey (BGS) Regional Guides and material from the Geological Society and Scottish Museums. However, where this New Naturalist volume scores is in its organisation, presentation, and collation of material from a variety of sources in a fresh and compelling way. It has been thoroughly researched and meticulously brought together. Peter Friend uses the same format and scaffolding for this new volume as he used in his earlier New Naturalist, Vol 108 Southern England. He makes good use of modern computerised technology to provide effective diagrams, sections and maps to explain the geology and geomorphological processes. No diagram or text figure is too small to read; the aerial photos are carefully selected and add substantially to the understanding of the features described.

The first five chapters are about geological processes and landform development. Chapters 2 and 3 borrow heavily from Vol 108 Southern England. And why not? Processes don’t change north of the border, and Peter Friend applies them to the Scottish setting. The remainder of the book divides Scotland into regions and each chapter follows the same pattern with the sub-headings ‘Stories from the Bedrock’ and ‘Making the Landscape’. This chapter structure works well and is consistently applied, making the book stand out among others by presenting the current state of knowledge and understanding in a logical, approachable and co-ordinated way. The photographs are excellent throughout, add greatly to understanding and their reproduction seems accurate and sharp.

Some assumptions are made – such as of the reader’s familiarity with earth science terminology, although much is explained in the text and the diagrams help enormously. However, I do wonder if a small glossary of earth science terms could have been provided. I also found Dr Friend’s use of the geological stratigraphic term “tertiary ” in its volcanic province context both inconsistent and slightly dated: the Tertiary Volcanic Province is now known as the Palaeogene Volcanic District. Confusingly for the non-geologist reader, Dr Friend refers in “Further Reading” to the BGS Regional Guide “Palaeogene Volcanic Districts of Scotland” by Henry Emeleus; yet in the text, he more often refers to these districts as “Tertiary”. Anyone unaware that these terms are almost synonymous and that Palaeogene is the preferred term, will be at a loss. Indeed, in the Foreword to the BGS Regional Guide, published in 2005, it states “The term ‘tertiary’ is no longer approved”.

As a geologist wanting an overview and a compilation of both geological and geomorphological material, I shall be using this New Naturalist whenever I need to obtain a wider view of Scotland’s complicated earth history or an idea of the surface landscape features of a particular region within the country.

Dr Friend has provided us with a sound piece of writing, imaginatively produced and thoughfully presented. Vol 119 Scotland is a worthy addition to the this long running series.”

Share your views with NHBS customers around the world – click here to create a product review

Customer reviews can be read in the ‘Reviews’ tab on each product page and a selection of reviews appears here on the Hoopoe

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New books in stock 

The best of the new arrivals:

Snails on Rocky Sea Shores

John Crothers

Number 30 in the Naturalists’ Handbooks series. The British and Irish coastlines are covered in this key to the common species. Habitats and ecology are considered along with accessible techniques useful to anyone interested in the study of these fascinating invertebrates. Clearly illustrated throughout with photographs, maps and diagrams.

Extinct Birds

Julian P. Hume and Michael Walters

This Poyser monograph detailing the avian extinctions of the last 700 years is a vital resource for the serious ornithologist as well as the interested amateur. The historical range is fascinating; in the Plovers section, for instance, the Madagascar Lapwing – which disappeared around the 14th century due to habitat aridification, and is known only from subfossil records – rubs shoulders with the Javan Lapwing, which is assumed extinct having not been recorded since 1940 – although an unconfirmed report is given from 2002. Thorough and informative.

RSPB Birds: Their Hidden World

Peter Holden

Handy compact guide to the intricacies of avian behaviour, focusing on the usual categorisations of territory, breeding, songs, migration, feeding etc. but incorporating the lesser-known facts and interesting discoveries made through recent scientific investigations. Peter Holden worked for the RSPB for over 40 years and is the author of 9 books, including the RSPB Handbook of British Birds – a bestseller now in its third edition, and the acclaimed RSPB Handbook of Garden Wildlife.

77 Years: The History and Evolution of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums 1935-2012

Laura Penn, Markus Gusset and Gerald Dick

Of interest to anyone associated or involved with zoos and aquariums, or the history of wildlife conservation in general. Tells the story of WAZA, and the key individuals and events involved since its establishment in 1935, through archival material that goes back to the 1930s, giving insight into the various historical contingencies and political and industrial factors that have affected the development of the organisation.

Wildlife Equipment Highlights 

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

NHBS are now selling high quality affordable spotting scopes. The first addition to our new range is the Hawke Nature spotting scope with fully multi-coated optics providing crisp, bright images and available with either 20-60x or 24-72x magnification. The Nature family of spotting scopes is designed to deliver years of functional use for the budget-minded consumer. Both Nature spotting scopes are waterproof and come as a complete kit with a hard storage case, soft carry pouch and fully adjustable aluminium tripod.

The Gowlland range of Hand Lenses are another great new addition to our range. With a standard lens and plastic body these affordable lenses are perfect for school groups.

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Since the last time we posted on the subject, a lot has happened in the world of book series. Just recently, some wonderful new monograph series have been announced, filling gaps in the literature. Here are the highlights:

The Spiders of Europe, a Synthesis of Data, published by the Société Linnéenne de Lyon in four volumes, is a welcome new overview of current knowledge about the European spiders, with the first volume, Atypidae to Theridiidae, available now.

The Flora of Nepal is an ambitious project coordinated by the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. The publication of ten volumes of the Flora of Nepal is planned, Volume 3: Magnoliaceae to Roseaceae being available now.

The Fauna of Suriname is being developed by a number of agencies in Suriname and the Netherlands, with the first two volumes on Freshwater Fishes of Suriname and Amphibians of Suriname due this spring.

Sedges receive treatment in the new series Carex Europaea, with the first volume, The Genus Carex L. (Cyperaceae) in Europe, 1: Accepted names, hybrids, synonyms, distribution, chromosome numbers, available now.

You can set up a standing order with NHBS for these, and any other series, that we list on nhbs.com.

Look out next month for Part 2 of our Series Update which will look at ongoing series which have recently been resurrected, with new volumes published after a long break in publication.

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New books in stock this week

The best of the new arrivals from the last seven days:

Avian Architecture: How Birds Design, Engineer and Build

Peter Goodfellow

A beautifully designed and fascinating book which documents in clear detail many examples of bird nesting styles, with full-colour illustrations and text describing technical details about construction means and methods, and further detail about such things as the purposes of adornment, and defence structures built into nests. Case studies illustrate the nest-building process, and the chapters are ordered around different nest types, eg Aquatic, Domed, Hanging etc.

The Ecology of Snow and Ice Environments

Johanna Laybourn-Parry, Martyn Tranter and Andrew J Hodson

New volume summarizing the state of research into these environments, looking at their function as indicators of climate change, their biological and ecological importance, and the service provided by glacial systems as an environmental analogue for astrobiologists studying eg. the evidence of life on Mars or the moons of Jupiter. As such the material is presented in terms accessible to the environmental scientist getting to grips with the biology, and vice versa.

Two reprints of essential conservation handbooks:

Herpetofauna Workers Manual

Edited by Tony Gent and Steve Gibson

Bird Monitoring Methods: A Manual of Techniques for Key UK Species

Gillian Gilbert, David W Gibbons and Julianne Evans

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.

eTrex 10

Garmin’s long awaited replacement for the eTrex H, the eTrex 10 retains the core functionality, rugged construction, affordability and long battery life that made eTrex H the most dependable GPS device available. The perfect tool for most basic GIS projects, from mapping nature reserves to geocaching.

Browse our range of landscape survey equipment 

Paramo Unisex Torres Jacket

Ethically produced, with a lifetime warranty, and designed by outdoors people, the Paramo Torres Jacket provides fast block insulation and water repellency in extreme or prolonged cold and wet. Packs down small when not needed.

Browse our range of Paramo clothing

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New books in stock this week

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

Bird Sense: What it’s Like to be a Bird

Tim Birkhead

The author of The Wisdom of Birds returns with this thought-provoking exploration of the subjective sense experience of birds. The premise is that there is much more to being inside a bird’s head than at first we may assume. The chapters journey through the different senses, revealing the fascinating insights that surround each through generous reference to the history of avian scientific investigation. Birkhead shows by implication that the sensory life of birds has a rich diversity and specificity which may make many readers revisit the question of what it’s like to be a bird.

Atlas of Highland Land Mammals

Edited by Ro Scott

The second publication that we have stocked from the Highland Biological Recording Group, the previous being Highland Bumblebees. The area in question corresponds to the administrative area covered by the Highland Council and accounts for one third of the land mass of Scotland. Drawing upon data from previous surveys by HBRC of specific species, plus the results of mammal recording over the last 12 years from 1999 to 2010, this is a summary of the appearance, behaviour and location, ecology and conservation status and history/management history  of 37 species. Illustrated with clear distribution maps and four colour plates.

Survival of the Beautiful

David Rothenberg

Explores the evolutionary nature of beauty, and beauty in nature, taking on the challenge that led to Darwin’s pronouncement that “The peacock’s tail makes me sick!” Rothenberg’s investigations roam through a world of natural and artistic phenomena, from Bowerbirds and their elaborate nest-building to attract a mate, to abstract art and its demolition of the traditional pursuit and exaltation of beauty in art – and his observations about the interplay of beauty, art and culture interrogate the capacity of Darwin’s concept of sexual selection to fully explain the sense of the aesthetic and its appearance in the evolutionary history of animals and humans. Rothenberg is currently collaborating with researchers from CUNY, NYU, and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology on the quantification of the musicality of nightingale songs.

Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Insects

Jon F Harrison, Arthur H Woods and Stephen P Roberts

Volume 3 in the Ecological and Environmental Physiology Series from Oxford University Press.
From the publisher’s description:
“Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Insects presents a current and comprehensive overview of how the key physiological traits of insects respond to environmental variation. It forges conceptual links from molecular biology through organismal function to population and community ecology. As with other books in the Series, the emphasis is on the unique physiological characteristics of the insects, but with applications to questions of broad relevance in physiological ecology. As an aid to new researchers on insects, it also includes introductory chapters on the basics and techniques of insect physiology ecology.”

The Sounding of the Whale

D. Graham Burnett

A majestic and sweeping history of the development of the relationship between science and the whale in the twentieth century, drawing in the implications and side-stories from the whaling trade, politics, environmental activism and cultural perceptions. The author is professor of history and history of science at Princeton University, joint editor of Cabinet magazine, and author of four books, including Trying Leviathan, which won the New York City Book Award in 2007.

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.

Elekon Bat Scanner Bat Detector

The most advanced heterodyne-only detector on the market. Just turn on the device and listen. The ultrasonic sounds are automatically transformed into the audible range without the need for any adjustments, whilst the large LCD screen provides an immediate display of the peak frequency.

Browse our range of bat detection equipment

Cluson CB2 Clubman Deluxe Li-Ion 9.2Ah High-Power Lamp/Torch

All the great features of the CB2 combined with the reduced size and weight but increased battery life of a Lithium Ion battery. The 12V 9.2Ah version can now produce the high beam for 2.25 hours continuously on a single charge whilst the 12V 18.4Ah version will run for 4 hours. The total weight of the CB2 has also been reduced considerably with the 12V 9.2Ah version now at 1.65kg and the 12V 18.4Ah version at 2.2kg whilst the size of the units has been reduced by approximately 30%.

Browse our range of lamps and torches

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New books in stock this week

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

Fern 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: 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

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: 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 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

BirdMIKE

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

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