Rediscovering purpose
THIS quaint book is a pleasant blend of information, stories and practical advice, aimed at helping you, the birder, get the most out of your time in the field. With a strong nostalgic theme throughout, including plenty of reflections and references to traditional birding practices, Rob Hume shares his many decades of field experience with the goal of making the reader appreciate birds that bit more by paying greater attention to details and polishing their birding techniques.
The book is greatly enriched by the author’s numerous sketches, both old and new. Sketching birds in the field is rather a dying art in 2024, understandably so given the proliferation of cheap, highquality cameras, and the emphasis on such a skill could perhaps seem dated – but it is presented in a passionate way and may make you think twice about packing a pencil and paper next time you go birding.
Basics, such as methods and equipment, are covered, as well as discussions about different elements of birding, such as seawatching and studying raptors, as well as twitching, identification, famous reserves and so on. Throughout, the importance of thoughtful birding is stressed – take your time with it and enjoy it, says Hume, which is particularly poignant in the era of instant gratification through social media, a time in which it occasionally seems like some birders are only interested in Facebook and X likes and not the birds themselves.
The diary entries take you on a journey through time, not just to a different era of birding but to an almost alternate British countryside, such has been the extent of the changes since the author first took up the hobby. Hume has been a major figure in British birding throughout recent decades and Purposeful Birdwatching comes loaded with knowledge and experience as a result. It’s worth picking up.