Packed with natural history facts, folklore and literary appearances for more than 70 of Britain's birds. A fascinating and charming guide that will make a perfect gift for anyone who loves birds and natural Britain. Did you know that according to legend blackbirds were originally white? Or that the number of times you hear a cuckoo determines how many children you'll have? Or that woodpeckers have special shock absorbers built into their beaks? Or that in 1958 a puffin was blown inland and knocked a man off his bicycle near Bromley?
There are 40 beautiful custom illustrations in the book too, which will help beginners to identify the birds.
Jo Woolf is a writer with a particular interest in landscape, wildlife and nature. She is also fascinated by ancient sites, and the stories and legends connected with them. Her book, Britain's Trees: A Treasury of Traditions, Superstitions, Remedies and Literature, was published by The National Trust in March 2020.
In 2015, Jo was invited to become a Writer in Residence at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. In this role she investigates the lives and experiences of explorers past and present; her first book about explorers, The Great Horizon, was published in 2017. She contributes articles to the RSGS' newsletter and blog and is also an Honorary Fellow of the Society.
Jo lives in Argyll with her husband Colin, a wildlife artist. In her blog, The Hazel Tree, she writes about the special and little-known places close to her home on the west coast.