Bill Oddie's Gripping Yarns : Tales of Birds and Birding

by Oddie, Bill

• ISBN13: 9780713652680
• ISBN10: 0713652683
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-05-01
• Publisher: A & C Black

Summary

Over 60 of Bill Oddie's tales of the ups, downs, highs, lows, and thrills and spills of birding, from nefarious childhood 'egging' to fully fledged twitching.

Table of Contents

Introduction
LOOKING BACK
I was a juvenile egg robber. Confessions of a pre-teen oologist	11	(5)
`You are old, Father William'. Those were the days	16	(3)
Deeds of darkness. A September night and some strange goings-on	19	(2)
RARITIES AND TWITCHING
PG tips. A confession	21	(4)
The big dipper. What is it about Shetland in spring?	25	(3)
Making a spectacled of myself? The art of losing a bird with bad grace	28	(3)
Picture this. Some funny goings-on in the Netherlands	31	(3)
Alive and ticking. Why you can't count a dead bird	34	(3)
The one that got away. Sometimes birds that `don't seem right' come back to haunt you	37	(3)
A sting in the Bluetail. Why do twitchers twitch?	40	(3)
Do the right thing. Put it on the pager...or not?	43	(4)
Value for money. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust	47	(3)
Birdlines. What do you want to hear?	50	(3)
Little oik, more like! Ticked off...at last	53	(2)
THE BEST AND THE WORST
Flamborough, October 1988. A cure for the wintertime blues	55	(3)
Grow your own! Lundy, October 1984	58	(3)
Three of a kind. A hat-trick of Sprossers...in one week	61	(3)
Strangers in the night. Fireworks of a different kind	64	(3)
Fairytail birding. Holy Island, October 1994	67	(3)
``So what's your favourite bird?'' Shreveport, Louisiana, spring 1964	70	(3)
Forgettable... That's what they are	73	(3)
Simply the worst. A birding holiday in hell	76	(3)
RINGING AND TRAPPING
A masochist's day trip. Getting spat at...in the interests of science	79	(3)
Getting it taped. Is it really cricket in the ringers' nets?	82	(4)
LOCAL PATCH
The joys of birding. In search of peace and quiet	86	(2)
Flaming June. The answer is blowing in the wind. Or is it?	88	(3)
The one rare man. Decisions, decisions	91	(3)
Vive la difference. Common, but fascinating	94	(3)
Is it me who's falling apart? When `wet' doesn't actually mean damp	97	(2)
READERS LETTERS
Is anybody there? Please write and let me know	99	(3)
Correspondence closed. At least one mystery cleared up	102	(4)
Dear Bill. From fan mail to fantails	106	(2)
Some you win. What really turns me on	108	(3)
BIRDING ABROAD
Tour of duty. Overseas birding has its drawbacks	111	(3)
Got is sussed... not. The great wheatear controversy continues	114	(3)
Accentor-ate the positive. Barcelona, spring 1962	117	(3)
Holiday blues. Morocco at its worst...and best	120	(3)
Holiday special. Portugal	123	(3)
A shaggy dog story. Taking the woof with the smooth	126	(3)
Have I got smews for you! Holland in winter	129	(3)
Owl quest. I've started so I'll Finnish	132	(3)
The American way. You never forget the first time	135	(3)
A tale of two Godwits. Everyone's a winner...it just depends where you are	138	(3)
Let's pish again... Like we did last autumn	141	(3)
Dude birding. Arizona in April	144	(3)
Black Gold. The increasing price of Oilbirds	147	(2)
BIRDS AND WORK
Rare birds going cheap. On getting ticks for free	149	(4)
Capper caper. How can you miss it?	153	(3)
Telly twitching. Shetland delivers	156	(3)
Friend or foe? What a wondrous piece of work is man	159	(3)
Over the rainbow. Beginning to see the light	162	(4)
On the slide. Don't trust the Trust!	166	(3)
BIRD RACING
Confession time. Fair play on bird race days...or is it?	169	(3)
Birdwatch bird race. Edited high---and low---lights	172	(3)
Hong Kong bird race. April, 1990	175	(8)
BITS AND PIECES
The good hide guide. The pros and cons of birding from a box	183	(3)
Love it or hate it. Seawatching	186	(3)
Out for the count. Playing the numbers game	189	(3)
Life on Mars. Diets for birders	192	(3)
Owed to a Nightingale. Syllables for songwriters	195	(3)
Now you see it... The case of the disappearing lough	198	(3)
In your dreams. Nocturnal fantasies	201