A great DVD of where and when to birdwatch in England (DVD Guide to Birdwatching in England (DVD))

Member Name: markos9

Product:	DVD Guide to Birdwatching in England (DVD)
Date:	25/10/09 (58 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Unusual format showing some wonderful wildlife spectacles.

Disadvantages: Occasional colour fringing from the camera lens is evident.

Despite being one of the most crowded countries in Europe, England is a great place for birds. Its varied landscape encompassing mountainous areas, grassland, heathland, ancient woodland, and of course, hundreds of miles of rocky and sandy coast make England suitable for the over 200 species of birds that winter or breed here.

With so many birds and habitats, it's no surprise that birdwatching is a growing hobby in this country. The RSPB alone has over one million members indicating the interest and fondness we have for our birds.

To help birdwatchers find and identify the many species that live in England, there are many DVDs to choose from. Most are of two types: either they are identification guides, showing each bird in turn and highlighting its identifying features, or they're site guides showing the best places to go, how to get there, and where to stop to maximise the chances of a special avian encounter.

'Birdwatching in England' is different. This DVD takes as its focus, the months of the year and the wide variety of wildlife spectacles that can be enjoyed at different times. The DVD is separated into 12 chapters, one for each month of the year, and showcases a special area which is at its best for that month.

This unusual, interesting approach, gives the birdwatcher an idea of what to look for in each month. Vast flocks of wintering waders, hundreds of thousands of breeding seabirds in summer, and rare migrants in spring and autumn mean that there's always something special to see no matter what the season.

Narrated and produced by birding expert Paul Doherty, the DVD runs for 1 hour 53 minutes and features a staggering 167 species of bird as well as mammals such as red dear and grey seal, as well as many special insects.

The format for each month is the same. The author visits the site for a whole day's birdwatching. From dawn to dusk, he highlights the special birds and animals that can be seen, helping with identification, particularly the birds' calls.

Doherty is clearly an expert cameraman. I know from experience how difficult it is to spot woodland birds such as nightingales (can't see the birds for the trees!), but Doherty has managed to get excellent footage of some very difficult to see woodland birds, as well as other rarely seen species such as nightjar and bittern.

This DVD can be watched just as a wildlife film. The footage not only shows the birds, but catches their behaviour perfectly; seeing mating terns, the spectacular food pass of the marsh harrier, and puffins feeding their young gives the impression that the viewer is getting a special insight into the birds' lives.

Despite the excellent filming, there are a couple of minor problems with the DVD. Firstly, whilst Doherty is an accomplished cameraman and birder, he's no David Attenborough. His narration, whilst interesting, is delivered in a flat, wooden manner that could be improved on (he does actually state in the introduction that the narration can be turned off so that only the natural sounds can be heard, however).

The other problem is the quality of the camera lens used. The film is high quality, with good colour reproduction, but on occasion, coloured fringes at edges of high contrast are evident (such as tree branches against the sky). This is never intrusive, however, and it just shows that Doherty does not have the hundreds of thousands of pounds to spend on camera equipment that the BBC has.

As a keen birdwatcher, I thoroughly enjoyed this DVD. Watching May's chapter at Minsmere in Suffolk, with purple herons, little gulls, bitterns, avocets, marsh harriers, and little terns all on show had me wishing for the Doctor's TARDIS to take me there right now!

This DVD will undoubtedly give the birdwatcher some great ideas for days out and can be highly recommended.

The full list of sites covered is:

January - Poole Harbour
February - Martin Mere
March - Upper Teesdale
April - Leighton Moss
May - Minsmere
June - New Forest
July - Farne Islands
August - Rutland Water
September - Spurn Head
October - Scilly Isles
November - Arundel and Pulborough
December - Holy Island

The DVD is available from Amazon for £20.95, but is much cheaper (£12.95) direct from the manufacturer at www.birdvideodvd.com

Summary: Excellent guide to birdwatching in England.