Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex

Matt Phelps and I have spent the last 18 or so months writing the new Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex, which will be published by Bloomsbury early next year. You can pre-order a copy here (please do!).

It was great fun writing the book, a title which I have had various editions of since I was a young child. In fact, I have each previous edition on my bookshelf – but the last one (the fourth) was published as long ago as 2009. As a result, and given we couldn't recycle copy from the previous edition, there was lots of work for Matt and I to do to get the text up to date. At times it was quite arduous and it took up a hell of a lot of both of our free time – but it feels great to have got it finished and I look forward to having a copy in my hands! 

There are lots of new sites featured – and species too, including locales for some birds not previously made public. I had great fun visiting every featured site in Surrey during the research process, including far-flung corners of the county I'd not previously visited, as well as sites I'd not been to for years.

Finally, it goes without saying that I'm hugely indebted to the people who helped me out, be it with proofing sections or answering questions, all of whom are credited in the book.