Nigel Redman

The hippie trail - a gentle, hallucinogen-powered bus-bound trundle through western Asia from Istanbul to Kathmandu - came into being in the early 1970s. Back then this was an intrepid trip into the almost completely unknown, through places that are largely off-limits to travellers today, such as Iran and Afghanistan, that broadened already-mellowed minds to a backdrop of The Who, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd. The birds of this region were similarly largely unknown, but all this was to change following an epic trip in 1978 by a band of birding hippies, which heralded the beginning of large-scale bird trips to Asia and beyond. Nigel Redman, a young, bored accountant with a lifelong passion for birds, decided to jack it all in and head off on this adventure to birding nirvana. Magic Bustard is the story of that ground-breaking trip, comparing the habitats, people, places and birds of the 1970s with current observations as Nigel revisits old haunts along the trail, from the famous 'Pudding Shop' where the journey began right across to the final destination and gateway to the world of Himalayan endemics, Kathmandu in Nepal. Part-travelogue, part-memoir, the book delivers a commentary on the incredible changes that have been wrought on the region and its birds in the 40 years since that first trip, with bizarre ground jays, sensational sandgrouse, bounteous buntings, and yes, even a magic bustard or two on the way. Of appeal to birders, hippies, ex-hippies, and above all people who enjoy a good travel yarn, Magic Bustard is both an enjoyable testament to the awakening of the possibilities of travel in the postwar era, and a fun travelogue packed with drugs, casual sex and scarce endemic plovers. Groovy.

A fully revised and updated new edition of the acclaimed field guide to the birds of northeast Africa Birds of the Horn of Africa is widely regarded as the best field guide to the more than 1,000 species of resident, migrant, and vagrant birds found in northeast Africa--and it just got even better. Now fully revised and expanded, this comprehensive, easy-to-use guide has been updated with the latest information on distribution, identification, and taxonomy. New vagrants to the region have been added; color plates, illustrations, and distribution maps have been thoroughly updated and improved; and much more--making this still the must-have guide for birders, naturalists, and travelers in the region. Covers Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and the Socotra archipelagoFeatures more than 2,600 illustrations on 213 stunning color platesProvides a color distribution map for every speciesDetailed species accounts on facing pages describe key identification features, similar species, geographical variation, habitat, status, and voiceIncludes a glossary, identification tips, and information about habitatsKey identification features are shown more prominently in the textNow includes an annotated distributional checklist by country and a comparison table for large white-headed gulls

The definitive guide to the birds of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia The Horn of Africa has the highest endemism of any region in Africa, and around 70 species are found nowhere else in the world. Many of these are confined to the isolated highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea, but a large number of larks and other grassland birds specialise in the arid parts of Somalia and adjoining eastern Ethiopia. The region is also an important migration route and wintering site for many Palearctic birds. This book is the perfect guide to the birds of the region; it also includes the remote Yemeni archipelago of Socotra in its coverage, which boasts a suite of endemics. More than 200 magnificent plates by John Gale and Brian Small illustrate every species that has ever occurred in the region. Succinct text covers the key identification criteria., with special attention is paid to the voices of the species, and more than 1000 accurate colour distribution maps are included. This comprehensive field guide is an essential companion for any birdwatcher visiting the Horn of Africa.

This guide covers the very best birding sites in Britain. In a format familiar to readers of this popular series, each site is considered in terms of 'Habitat', Access' and 'Birds', allowing birders of all levels to plan successful birding trips anywhere in Britain, and to maximise the chances of getting the best out of each site and each region. The book includes detailed maps of the larger sites, plus general maps of the regions covered, and it is illustrated with attractive line drawings. This book has been extensively revised, with several new sites added for this edition, together with information on disabled access for most sites. Praise for the 1st edition: "There could be no better guide than this book" Chris Packham "Highly recommended...the best guide of its kind" RSPB Birds "Don't leave home without it" Birding