The Birds of Leicestershire and Rutland

This long-awaited avifauna provides a definitive review of birds in Leicestershire and Rutland, and includes 30 years of records from Rutland Water, home of the British Birdwatching Fair and an outstanding inland nature reserve. Tim Appleton MBE, co-founder of the British Birdwatching Fair

Leicestershire and Rutland is one of the most exciting inland areas for birdwatchers in Britain, with a range of woodland and riverine habitats and some of England's most important reservoirs, including the largest, Rutland Water. This massive lake---now designated a Ramsar Special Protection Area-holds some 10,000 wintering birds of a wide variety of species each year, and has an impressive rarity list. Rutland Water is the site of the successful reintroduction of breeding Ospreys to England, and is also the home of the British Birdwatching Fair, one of the most important events in the ornithological calendar, which has led to Rutland becoming an unlikely hub of global ornithology.

The Birds of Leicestershire and Rutland is the definitive review of the birds of the two counties from the 19th century to the present day. Following on from the 1978 avifauna, since when there have been significant changes in agricultural practice and climate along with the development of Rutland Water, this book looks at the fortunes of every species on the county lists, based predominantly on records kept since the inception of the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society (LROS) in 1941. The superb line drawings and photographs that illustrate the book have all been contributed by talented local artists and photographers, while clear distribution maps dovetail with the thorough text to give a detailed picture of the distribution of each species.

This magnificent book provides an essential reference for anybody who has enjoyed visiting this bird-rich corner of central England.

The Birds of Leicestershire and Rutland has been written on behalf of the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society. This book represents the Society's first avifauna of the two counties since 1978.

Rob Fray was first recognised as a talented observer when he won Young Ornithologist of the Year in 1984 and 1985. He has combined the arduous tasks of being County Recorder and compiling the Annual Report, in which he published a pilot study of the breeding birds of Leicester's green spaces. Rob is a former Chairman of the LROS.
Roger Davis is a former County Recorder and editor of the Annual Report, and was involved in setting up the LROS Records Committee.
Dave Gamble has served as Wildfowl Count Organiser and as a member of the Records Committee; Dave's many articles in the Annual Report include an important summary of introduced geese surveys.
Andrew Harrop's intensive fieldwork during the 1990s led to five taxa being added to the county list. His work as Secretary of the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee has helped to keep local ornithology in step with taxonomic developments.
Steve Lister joined the Records Committee in 1993, and is now the County Recorder. His interests include finding scarce birds in Leicestershire and Rutland, visible migration and ring-reading.