For many, birdwatching is a green use of leisure time, with
increasing appeal as they potter into retirement. But some start
young, watching birds with obsessional and lifelong devotion. Mark
Cocker, a member of this clannish fraternity and a regular Guardian
Country Diarist, weaves autobiography, anecdote, fact and
reflection in a winning attempt to capture the appeal and the lore
of this popular pursuit. He writes well, with refreshing erudition
- for example, the school of birding that subscribes to the art of
'jizz' (recognizing a bird at long distance by its essential
character rather than by checking off ID features) is related to
Gerard Manley Hopkins 'inscape', the 'isness' of things. Birders
who work like this are the 'Zen masters' of their craft. An
amiable, nostalgic account, tinged with good-humoured irony. But
anyone unable to name the birds that settle in their garden will
find it about as useful as a freemason's handbook. (Kirkus UK)
Since 1972 Mark Cocker has been a member of a community of obsessional people, almost all male, who sacrifice most of their spare time, a good deal of money, sometimes their chances of a partner or family, even occasionally their lives, for birds. Birders is the story of this community, of its characters, its rules, its equipment (only a certain type of notebook will do), and its adventures - often hilariously funny, Birders is also a work of love - the story of what birds can do to the human heart.
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