Estuary Birds of Britain and Ireland (Poyser Monographs) (UK Edition)

Estuaries are rightly of great interest and concern to thebirdwatcher. Most teem with thousands of waders, geese, ducks,gulls and other species that use them at times throughout the year;they are also among the last of the wild places left in Britain andEurope. The 'Birds of Estuaries Enquiry' (sponsored by the NatureConservancy Council and organised by the BTO, RSPB and the WildfowlTrust) spanned six years, and Tony Prater's report now provides adetailed insight into the birds which use and, in many cases,depend on this special habitat.Of great interest to birdwatchers, the book also will be essentialreading for professional conservationists and all involved in theplanning and use of estuaries. It assesses the importance of eachestuary and the distribution and numbers of all species generallypresent, and by setting this in an international frameworkdemonstrates the remarkable importance of the estuaries aroundthese islands. Threats to the fabric of the landscape and itswildlife abound, and estuaries are not exempt. Barrage schemes,industrial and agricultural reclamations and many other pressuresexist and are the subject of chapters which survey the situation,now and in the future.The text is graced by John Busby's accomplished and evocativedrawings and there are numerous maps and diagrams as well asphotographs of typical estuaries. Jacket illustration by JohnBusby