Birdwatching with Your Eyes Closed

"Most of us can see, but not everyone looks. Most of us can hear, but not everyone listens. This book will help you do both. And, above all, it will tell you how to enjoy." Bill Oddie

"He'll tune your ears to winter's lonely voices - robins, wrens, long-tailed tits - before preparing you for the exultant sounds of spring." The Times

Learning to identify birdsong is not just a way to become a better bird-spotter. It is tuning in: a way of hearing the soundtrack of Planet Earth...

Why do birds sing? What are they trying to say?

Birdsong is not just about natural history. It is also about our history. We got melody from birds as we got rhythm from the womb.

This vital book, with an accompanying podcast available online, takes you from winter into deepest spring, teaching you how to recognise song after song as the chorus swells. Beginning with the thin, soft song of the robin and ending with the life-affirming melody of nightingales. Along the way, you will learn the science of birdsong the difference between song and call, the physiology of songbirds, what birdsong tells us about evolution, and indeed the very beginnings of life itself.

The aim is to give you a flying start in birdsong so that, after reading this book, you'll be listening to order, not chaos, to Bach, not white noise. You will be more aware of the wild world, and better able to understand it.

Accompanying podcast link provided in the book

“Most of us can see, but not everyone looks. Most of us can hear, but not everyone listens. This book will help you do both. And, above all, it will tell you how to enjoy. - Bill Oddie A gem... All day, I've been fighting the urge to drop everything so I can devour this eloquent book in one siting... exquisite - The Guardian He'll tune your ears to winter's lonely voices - robins, wrens, long-tailed tits - before preparing you for the exultant sounds of spring - The Times Become a bird listener, says Barnes, and tune in to the special podcast of airborne song that comes free with this book, and you will better understand the lives of birds and identify the wild notes that first inspired human music. A delight. - Iain Finlayson, Saga A beguiling love song to our feathered friends. Brilliant. - Rosemary Goring, Glasgow Herald An excellent book from the irrepressible Simon Barnes... a must-buy for any birdwatcher. - The Times Do you struggle with identifying birds by song? Yes? Good! Then there's a delightful journey, just waiting for you thanks to this book... This spring should be a special one for you. - Birds Magazine He'll tune your ears to winter's lonely voices - robins, wrens, long-tailed tits - before preparing you for the exultant sounds of spring - The Times This is very good indeed. Barnes's approach is humorous, chatty and pragmatic... He can't do the listening for you, but boy, does he help you sharpen your ears - Irish Times”

Most of us can see, but not everyone looks. Most of us can hear, but not everyone listens. This book will help you do both. And, above all, it will tell you how to enjoy.
A gem... All day, I've been fighting the urge to drop everything so I can devour this eloquent book in one siting... exquisite. The Guardian
He'll tune your ears to winter's lonely voices - robins, wrens, long-tailed tits - before preparing you for the exultant sounds of spring. The Times
Become a bird listener, says Barnes, and tune in to the special podcast of airborne song that comes free with this book, and you will better understand the lives of birds and identify the wild notes that first inspired human music. A delight.
A beguiling love song to our feathered friends. Brilliant. Glasgow Herald
An excellent book from the irrepressible Simon Barnes... a must-buy for any birdwatcher. The Times
Do you struggle with identifying birds by song? Yes? Good! Then there's a delightful journey, just waiting for you thanks to this book... This spring should be a special one for you. Birds Magazine
He'll tune your ears to winter's lonely voices - robins, wrens, long-tailed tits - before preparing you for the exultant sounds of spring. The Times
This is very good indeed. Barnes's approach is humorous, chatty and pragmatic... He can't do the listening for you, but boy, does he help you sharpen your ears. Irish Times

Simon Barnes is the author of many wild volumes, including the bestselling Bad Birdwatcher trilogy, Rewild Yourself, On The Marsh, The History of the World in 100 Animals, and The History of the World in 100 Plants. He is a council member of World Land Trust, trustee of Conservation South Luangwa and patron of Save the Rhino. In 2014, he was awarded the Rothschild Medal for services to conservation. He lives in Norfolk with his family and horses, where he manages several acres for wildlife. He was the Chief Sports Writer for The Times until 2014, having worked for the paper for 30 years.

Learning birdsong is not just a way to become a better bird-spotter. It is tuning in: a way of hearing the soundtrack of the planet earth. Why do birds sing? What are they trying to say? Birdsong is not just about natural history. It is also about our history. We got melody from the birds as we got rhythm from the womb. This vital book - with a free podcast - takes you from winter into deepest spring, teaching you to how recognise song after song as the chorus swells. You start with robin, and end up listening to nightingales. Along the way, you will learn something of the science of birdsong - the difference between song and call, the physiology of songbirds, what birdsong tells us about evolution, and indeed the very beginnings of life itself. The aim is to give you a flying start in birdsong so that, after reading this book, you'll be listening to order, not chaos, to Bach, not white noise. You will be more aware of the wild world, and better able to understand it.

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