African bird book with a difference

Having made 3 serious visits to Tanzania there will be much about our birds in this fascinating book by Martin Woodcock.

We have many of our own stories about Martin that bring back wonderful memories. The photograph shows him "working" in Minziro FR in July 87 when he should have been concentrating on greenbuls and illadopsis for the Birds of Africa. As you can see he did not ignore the trogons (and the kingfishers, owls, sunbirds, thrushes, warblers etc) we were catching at the time.

Liz often recalls Martin watching a Forest Batis for the first time in her garden in Mufindi. He looked at this bird in the canopy for only a few minutes and then sketched it and, with water colours, produced an instant field painting. Later that same morning Liz caught this bird. With bird in hand to compare, Martins picture was feather perfect, quite astonishing.

(PUSH THE BOOK AND OPEN FOR ORDERS!)
Martin might not mention in this book that he sings choral music in his spare time. Around the camp fire on the Zambian border (11 species of sunbird in camp) in November 1990 we got a little tired of our great friend Billy Cooper as his Scottish laments degenerated as the beer flowed so Martin, to great amusement, sang the Birds of Africa.......

and of course behind every great man there is always a special lady, Barbara we hug you.

Neil