RSPB Spotlight: Hedgehogs is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos, and features succinct and detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist. Much loved ... but about to be lost? The Hedgehog regularly tops polls of the UK's favourite animal, yet numbers in our countryside have halved this century. Generations of children have been captivated by Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, though our complex and contradictory relationship with the Hedgehog is also characterised by persecution and death. This unmistakable, spiny mammal is a 'gardener's best friend', but one that we rarely see alive and in our midst. In Spotlight: Hedgehogs, James Lowen reveals what a Hedgehog is and how it lives, unveiling the secrets of its lifestyle, such as foraging and hibernating, rolling into a ball and building a nest. He also investigates the relationship between Hedgehogs and people - from film and fun to conservation and crisps - and offers practical advice on how to find, watch and help these charming animals in the wild.

The definitive photographic guide to the avifauna of Spain. Spain is recognised as one of Europe’s richest birdwatching destinations, one that offers a host of regional specialities. It includes famous birding hotspots such as the vast Coto Doñana wetlands, mountainous areas such as the Pyrenees and Picos de Europa, the Mediterranean oak forests of the south, the migration crossroads of the Strait of Gibraltar and the plains of Extremadura. Completely revised and updated, this new version of Birds of Spain provides photographic coverage of more than 320 species that regularly occur in the region, from the Hoopoe to the Golden Eagle. Concise text for each species includes information on identification, songs and calls, behaviour, distribution and habitat, with each photo having been carefully selected to aid identification. A guide to the best birdwatching sites in Spain is also included. Portable yet authoritative, this is the perfect companion for any wildlife-friendly visitor to this spectacular and bird-rich country.

Bradt's popular guidebook 52 Wildlife Weekends suggests inspiring itineraries for 52 unforgettable British wildlife-watching breaks, stretching from the Isles of Scilly to northern Scotland - each perfectly timed for every week of the year. Thoroughly updated to reflect Britain's ever-changing natural history, this second edition integrates the latest information on the country's most thrilling wildlife experiences, suggests new target species and showcases fabulous new locations. Written by an award-winning author and experienced naturalist James Lowen, 52 Wildlife Weekends remains the only guide to package Britain's nature-watching highlights into deftly timed, user-friendly holiday suggestions. Say it's February and you want to watching otters. Or May: time for spring flowers and bewitching butterflies. Or July, and you fancy marvelling at dragonflies. Or October: the height of bird migration. Whenever in the year you get a chance to escape, this book suggests 48 hours' worth of brilliant wildlife-watching - perfect for staycations, whether as a weekend or part of a longer holiday. 52 Wildlife Weekends suggests a year's worth of short breaks celebrating the full range of Britain's most exciting wildlife, from tiny silver-spotted skipper butterflies to gargantuan basking sharks, and from seabird skyscrapers to ostentatious orchids. Covering more than 40 counties or regions, this unique guide offers engaging descriptions, detailed directions (including grid references and postcodes), accommodation suggestions, and assessments of accessibility and (new for this edition) child-friendliness, plus 180 mouth-watering colour photographs. Find out how, where and when to track down such thrilling creatures as beavers and basking sharks, eagles and otters, dolphins and dragonflies, glow worms and grey seals. Why not open the New Year on a real-life wild goose chase in the Inner Hebrides? Or make a spring pilgrimage to Yorkshire see truly wild daffodils? Or experience underwater life by peering into rivers for rare fish in Powys, snorkelling in Dorset, or rock-pooling in Devon? Or gawp at starling murmurations, shape-shifting through the autumnal sky, in Suffolk or Somerset. Combining the very best of travel and wildlife guides, and covering both well-known spectacles and less familiar species, Bradt's 52 Wildlife Weekends has something for everyone - wildlife experts and novice ecotourist alike.

A complete beginner's guide to British moths. Moths are sometimes overlooked compared to the day-flying butterflies, however, many moths are even more colourful, accessible and fascinating. Britain and Ireland are home to an incredible array of moths, with more than 2,500 species known, and increasing numbers of people have discovered the joy in watching, catching and photographing this diverse group. But, where should you start in being able to identify them? British Moths: A Gateway Guide is a wonderful introduction to 350 species of the most common and eye-catching adult moths that you may encounter in the UK. Rather than being grouped in taxonomic order, species are organised by season, and similar-looking moths are placed alongside one another for ease of identification. Concise species accounts include information on key features, making it easy to distinguish between confusion species, seasonality, and when and where to see them; each account is also placed alongside photos that have been carefully chosen to aid identification with clearly-marked top tips. From the author of Much Ado About Mothing, this is the perfect companion for anyone wanting to learn more about these beautiful and remarkable creatures - from hawk-moths to tigers and ermines to emeralds.

James Lowen narrates a year-long quest to see Britain's rarest and more remarkable moths. Although mostly unseen by us, moths are everywhere. And their capacity to delight astounds. Inspired by a revelatory encounter with a Poplar Hawk-moth - a huge, velvety-winged wonder wrapped in silver - James Lowen embarks on a year-long quest to celebrate the joy of Britain's rarest and most remarkable moths. By hiking up mountains, wading through marshes and roaming by night amid ancient woodlands, James follows the trails of both Victorian collectors and present-day conservationists. Seeking to understand why they and many ordinary folk love what the general public purports to hate, his investigations reveal a heady world of criminality and controversy, derring-do and determination. From Cornwall to the Cairngorms, James explores British landscapes to coax these much-maligned creatures out from the cover of darkness and into the light. Moths are revealed to be attractive, astonishing and approachable; capable of migratory feats and camouflage mastery, moths have much to tell us on the state of the nation's wild and not-so-wild habitats. As a counterweight to his travels, James and his young daughter track the seasons through a kaleidoscope of moth species living innocently yet covertly in their suburban garden. Without even leaving home, they bond over a shared joy in the uncommon beauty of common creatures, for perhaps the greatest virtue of moths, we learn, is their accessibility. Moths may be everywhere, but above all, they are here. Quite unexpectedly, no animals may be better placed to inspire the environmentalists of the future.

This is a handy-sized photographic field guide that aims to help visitors to this remarkable part of the world - beginner or expert - identify with confidence any bird or marine mammal they encounter during their journey from the tip of South America to the Great White Continent. This title includes: stunning colour plates showing typical views of each species of bird and marine mammal, together with the few terrestrial plants likely to be encountered; approx. 350 photos, 35 illustrations and 2 maps; detailed species profiles covering key identification features and where to look, plus fascinating facts and other talking points; introductory chapters to the Antarctic environments, divided into sections covering the wildlife of each area by season; and, information on tourism and Antarctic cruising, focusing on how to get the most from your visit, how to get there and what to take with you. Separate sections for each of the three main segments of a typical tour (Beagle Channel, Drake Passage and the Antarctic Peninsula) show the animals most typical of each region. Readership: For new and seasoned visitors to the seventh Continent who want to get the most out of their wildlife experience and would like a pocket-sized memento of their trip of a lifetime.

An authoritative pocket guide on the birds of France With 85 million tourists in 2015, France is the largest tourist destination in the world. This new photographic guide for general wildlife-watchers by naturalist James Lowen and French photographer Aurelien Audevard covers the 300 birds most likely to be seen on any visit to the country. Full-colour photographs and concise text, covering essential information on identification, songs and calls, behaviour, distribution and habitat, guides accurate bird identification. Pocket-sized and portable, Birds of France is the perfect companion for any wildlife-watching tourist or traveller keen to recognise the birds that they see.

The Pantanal of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay is South America's Serengeti: its wetlands are the largest on earth (they're half the size of France) and, in the dry season, crocodiles and storks jostle to gobble the last of the dying fish. Here, the continent's largest cat, the jaguar, lives alongside giant otters, anacondas and the world's largest parrot. A comprehensive introduction to the best place to watch wildlife in South America, and beautifully illustrated throughout, Bradt's Pantanal Wildlife is the only portable book to cover all the main wildlife groups while focussing exclusively on the Pantanal. Bradt's fully illustrated wildlife guides focus on regions of the world particularly celebrated for their amazing and often unique species. With spectacular photography or exclusive watercolour drawings throughout, each visitors' guide provides an introduction to the region's principal flora and fauna alongside suggested wildlife itineraries, practical information on when to go and what to take and photography tips. Written in a deliberately engaging way, they offer something different from dry field guides, and will appeal to the interested layman as much as the wildlife devotee. Ideal as a lightweight companion to any wildlife trip they also make a handsome souvenir.

Badgers are elusive wanderers of the night and few mammals are as mysterious. Their nocturnal lifestyle means not many of us have ever glimpsed their monochrome form as they sniff and bustle their way through woodland or across pasture - yet most of us live far closer to a Badger group than we might think. In Spotlight: Badgers James Lowen explores all aspects of their lives including their communal living, feeding habits, as well as the major threats to and conservation support for Badgers. These iconic omnivores are widely represented in folklore and have permeated our popular culture. Generations of children have been entranced by Badger in Kenneth Grahame's book Wind in the Willows, however these determined yet mostly peaceful animals have also been loathed and persecuted for centuries. Badger baiting is thankfully now illegal, but the legal badger cull introduced in 2011 in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset remains in place following the 2015 general election. With so much politics surrounding Badgers in the UK, it's not easy to get unbiassed information. In RSPB Spotlight: Badgers James Lowen keeps a neutral tone on the debate about Badger culling. He describes the history, from the first Badger found to be infected with bTB in 1972 and the subsequent gassing of setts from 1975 to 1982. He also outlines the RSPB's stance on the Badger cull. As one of the UK's largest landowners, the RSPB oppose Badger culling on their land, in favour of vaccination, cattle testing, bio-security and movement controls. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviours of our favourite animals with eye-catching, colour photography and informative expert text.

Invite a kaleidoscopic collection of butterflies into your home with this beautifully designed book. The Butterfly Pavilion brings to life more than 50 beautiful butterflies with gorgeous archival illustrations. From the Malabar tree nymph to the tawny rajah, these fascinating creatures can be found everywhere from the tropical rainforest to your own back garden. The innovative paper design allows you to press each illustration out of the page, transforming your book into a work of art, the perfect gift for any nature lover. Award-winning nature writer James Lowen is the perfect guide to discovering and identifying these unique insects. To see how your Paperscapes book transforms, check out the video below (just above the reviews) or have a look at the Paperscapes author page.

Winner of the Travel Media Awards 'Travel Guide Book of the Year' award 2016. This original and colourful guide to British summer wildlife experiences is packaged into daily suggestions for what, when, where and how to see the best of British summer wildlife. For both the experienced wildlife tourist and the novice, the suggestions criss-cross England, Scotland and Wales, complete with inspiring itineraries, engaging descriptions, detailed directions and tips on how to find, identify and enjoy British animals, butterflies, birds and plants. Each entry gives an informative and inspiring suggestion focusing on up to four species, with full-colour photography and a helpful box covering practicalities such as grid references, useful websites, access arrangements to specific sites, flexibility details such as flight periods for butterflies or flowering weeks for orchids, and alternative sites to make viewing possible if you don't live near the suggested site but want to view the suggested species. From delicate orchids to gargantuan basking sharks, from seabird skyscrapers to ostentatious otters, this is the only guide of its type to offer full details of how to get the most out of British summer wildlife-watching.

Becoming a parent need to not put an end to wanderlust. That's the message in this new anthology from Bradt, the latest in a series of collections of real-life tales focusing on different aspects of travel. With contributions from a range of both well-known, professional travel writers and newer writers from the UK and North America, this engaging and entertaining compilation of 37 stories lifts the lid on the perils and joys of travelling with babies, toddlers and teenagers in locations spanning five continents. Contributors include renowned travel writer Dervla Murphy, National Geographic Traveller Editorial Director Maria Pieri, multi-award winning authors Adrian Phillips and Mike Unwin, and nature writers Amy-Jane Beer and Nicola Chester to name just a few. Potentially life-threatening situations, confessions of inept parenting and celebrations of derring-do are all part of the mix. There's plenty of adventurous travel, from trekking with toddlers in the Himalayas to sailing en famille across the Atlantic Ocean and the first circumnavigation of Mauritius by bicycle. Read how one mother threatens to dump her baby on jobsworth airport officials, how a father inadvertently takes his daughters to a brothel, and how one family turned up six hours early for a flight. and still managed to miss it. Join families paddling with crocodiles and getting their jeep stuck on a beach as the tide is coming in, or eleven-month-old Rory as he eats alongside marine iguanas and three-year-old Quin who befriends a family of cockroaches. At times comical, hair-raising or just plain fun, there are also magical moments with wild creatures or in wild places. For anyone who has ever travelled with children, or wondered what it must be like to head out into the unknown with little ones in tow, this is a captivating read.

This innovative new title from Bradt is the first of its type to focus specifically on the vast array of wildlife-watching opportunities found in Europe. Written by expert James Lowen, author of the best-selling 52 Wildlife Weekends: A Year of British Wildlife-Watching Breaks and award-winning A Summer of British Wildlife: 100 Great Days Out Watching Wildlife, this unique guide is packaged into 52 weekend-sized breaks highlighting the best of European wildlife including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, flora, butterflies, dragonflies and birds. We may think of snow-covered Antarctica, South American jungles or African savannahs as holding the world's most plenteous and special wildlife, yet Europe heaves with wildlife wonders year-round, many of which can be seen in a simple weekend break. This book suggests one wildlife-watching break, somewhere in Europe, for every weekend of the year. Want to see brown bears? Make for Finland or Slovenia. Fancy a crack at wolves? Hop on a flight to northern Spain or Italy's Abruzzo. If whales float your boat, a long weekend in Iceland, Ireland or the Bay of Biscay would suit. Orchid lovers can head to Corsica, Crete or the Costa del Sol in spring. Birdwatchers can flock to see migrating raptors in Gibraltar, great gatherings of cranes in central Spain, or vast flocks of seaduck in Arctic Norway. Then there's the wacky olm in Slovenia, cave salamanders in Sardinia and owl-flies in the Picos de Europa. Hungary's mayfly emergence is truly spectacular, as are Norway's musk oxen and Poland's bison. Stretching from the Arctic to its boundaries with Africa and Asia, Europe has enough exciting living creatures amid jaw-dropping landscapes to fill an entire lifetime of wildlife-watching. Ideal for both the experienced wildlife tourist and the novice and packed with stunning colour photos, Bradt's 52 European Wildlife Weekends shows when, where and how to see the most exciting wildlife, complete with inspiring itineraries, engaging descriptions, detailed directions and tips on how to find, identify and enjoy animals and plants. Each entry gives details on species of interest and the landscapes they inhabit, plus suggestions for extending your quick break into a longer visit. Winner of the British Guild of Travel Writers Adele Evans Award for Best Guidebook 2018.