Tales from the Wood – The Diary of a Badger Watching Man

I picked up a book in a charity shop the other day (I’m a cheapskate!) and I’d wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in the same sort of things as me.

The book is Simon King’s Wildguide, published by the BBC in 1994.  This is the same Simon King off the TV, the star of Springwatch and similar.

Now I’m not as a rule impressed by people just because they’re celebrities, and normally I stay clear of TV tie-in books as they are usually nice and glossy but light on content, but this one really is excellent.  It is basically a practical guide to observing, photographing and filming British Wildlife.  It’s packed full of useful information, from how to camouflage yourself with mud (and why you shouldn’t go to the shops afterwards) to equipment and techniques.

The book covers a wide range of species, from mammals to birds, with details of how to find, track and watch them.  All of these are brought to life with refreshingly honest stories and examples.

You can get it from Amazon at an exorbitant price, or check out your local library, but it’s worth the effort to track down a copy if you can get it at a decent price.  It’s certainly earned a place on my crowded bookshelves.