Gods of the Morning: A Bird's-Eye View of a Changing World

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Animals
Cover of the book Gods of the Morning: A Bird's-Eye View of a Changing World by John Lister-Kaye, Pegasus Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Lister-Kaye ISBN: 9781605987972
Publisher: Pegasus Books Publication: August 15, 2015
Imprint: Pegasus Books Language: English
Author: John Lister-Kaye
ISBN: 9781605987972
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publication: August 15, 2015
Imprint: Pegasus Books
Language: English

A celebration of birds that reflects a year in the wild, revealing how these amazing creatures embody our changing world, by one of Britain's foremost naturalists.

Gods of the Morning follows the year through the turning of the seasons at Aigas, the Highlands estate John Lister-Kaye has transformed into a world-renowned wildlife center. John's affection, wisdom and lyricism sings off every page, bringing the natural world around him to life: from the rookery filled with twenty-nine nests and distinct bird calls to descriptions of the winter morning light, from the wood mice and the squirrels preparing for winter to tracking a fox's path through the snow. In particular it brings John's lifelong love of birds—his gods of the morning—to the fore.

In the Highland glens, bird numbers plummet as their food supplies—natural fruits and every kind of creeping, crawling, slithering or flying bug—begin to disappear. Not just the swallows and house martins have vanished from round the houses. Gone are the insect snatching wheatears, whinchats and stonechats from the hills, and redstarts and flycatchers have fled the woods. Pied wagtails no longer flicker across the lawns and sandpipers and grey wagtails have deserted the river banks. Farmland and hedgerow species have vanished in the night: the linnets, yellowhammers, and all the warblers have decamped from the thickets.

By the first frosts the hills will have emptied down to a few hardy stalwarts such as the golden eagles, the raven and the irrepressible hooded crows. Silence settles across the land. The few species that are left frequent a changed world. Soon only the buzzards and wood pigeons will hang on in the woods and the coniferous forests will be host to flocks of chaffinches, tits, siskins, and crossbills passing through.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A celebration of birds that reflects a year in the wild, revealing how these amazing creatures embody our changing world, by one of Britain's foremost naturalists.

Gods of the Morning follows the year through the turning of the seasons at Aigas, the Highlands estate John Lister-Kaye has transformed into a world-renowned wildlife center. John's affection, wisdom and lyricism sings off every page, bringing the natural world around him to life: from the rookery filled with twenty-nine nests and distinct bird calls to descriptions of the winter morning light, from the wood mice and the squirrels preparing for winter to tracking a fox's path through the snow. In particular it brings John's lifelong love of birds—his gods of the morning—to the fore.

In the Highland glens, bird numbers plummet as their food supplies—natural fruits and every kind of creeping, crawling, slithering or flying bug—begin to disappear. Not just the swallows and house martins have vanished from round the houses. Gone are the insect snatching wheatears, whinchats and stonechats from the hills, and redstarts and flycatchers have fled the woods. Pied wagtails no longer flicker across the lawns and sandpipers and grey wagtails have deserted the river banks. Farmland and hedgerow species have vanished in the night: the linnets, yellowhammers, and all the warblers have decamped from the thickets.

By the first frosts the hills will have emptied down to a few hardy stalwarts such as the golden eagles, the raven and the irrepressible hooded crows. Silence settles across the land. The few species that are left frequent a changed world. Soon only the buzzards and wood pigeons will hang on in the woods and the coniferous forests will be host to flocks of chaffinches, tits, siskins, and crossbills passing through.

More books from Pegasus Books

Cover of the book City of Mirrors by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner?: A Story of Women and Economics by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Sonata: A Memoir of Pain and the Piano by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Never Coming Back by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Assassin of Shadows: A Novel by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Hair: A Human History by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book The Black Prince: England's Greatest Medieval Warrior by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Crawl of Fame: Julie Moss and the Fifteen Feet that Created an Ironman Triathlon Legend by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Death and the Olive Grove by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book The Brontës by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book The Last White Rose: The Secret Wars of the Tudors by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Frankenstein: How A Monster Became an Icon: The Science and Enduring Allure of Mary Shelley's Creation by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book Sean Connery: A Biography by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book The Gospel of Mary: A Celtic Adventure (Sister Deirdre Mysteries) by John Lister-Kaye
Cover of the book The Accidental Homo Sapiens: Genetics, Behavior, and Free Will by John Lister-Kaye
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy