Product Review: The Crossley ID Guide: Britain and Ireland
by Richard Crossley & Dominic
Couzens
This is a companion volume to the recently published Guide of North
American Eastern Birds, encompassing the author's visionary approach to creating
a digital montage of photographs against a backdrop of natural surroundings.
Targetted predominately at mainstream birdwatchers with beginner to moderate
experience, this new volume is another user-friendly guide to the Birds of
Britain and Ireland. It is truly unlike any guide you have seen before for the
region, containing not single images but a montage of life-like scenes, some
images close and others distant, attempting to replicate a field-like experience
and enabling the browser to perhaps gain a grip on aspects of a bird's size,
shape and structure, with an array of plumages and behavioural traits to be
displayed to their ultimate effect - a very interesting way of approaching the
subject. This time too, unlike the Eastern Birds edition, this is compact,
lightweight and field-usable. The highly visual approach innovated by Richard
Crossley emphasizes shape, size, and habitat through carefully designed scenes
in which multiple birds of different sexes, ages and plumages interact with
realistic habitats - the author's goal to create imagery that replicates what we
see in life - a unique approach. At first glance, pages appear cluttered and
infathomable - often overwhelming in structure and appearance - but once
absorbed, take on a new meaning. The quality of individual insertions is
impressive and of great value, with no less than 330 different species covered.
I particularly enjoyed the Corncrake, Golden Pheasant and Nightjar insertions -
true to form - whilst the number of individual Greenshank on display was quite
mind-blowing. It seems that Richard has tried to cram all of his personal
photograph collection into one book.
On the downside, the accompanying text is brief and scant but to give due,
it concentrates on key features and cuts through the irrelevant. A lot of UK
vagrants fail to feature as well, so if American Black Scoters or White-winged
Scoters are your forte, you need to look elsewhere. Canada Geese get little
treatment too, yet the White-fronted complex and Brant get full coverage and
represent some of the best and most informative plates in the book. Great too to
see both first-winter and adult winter Black Guillemots side-by-side but
surprised at the exclusion of Pallid Swift.
Although clearly directed at the more novice birdwatchers amongst us, I see
much merit and use for this within the more experienced members of the community
- well worth keeping a copy in the car and well worthy of perusal. Overall, a
thoroughly recommended purchase and at just £16.95 per copy, a steal.