I’ve been on the birdwatching scene for a few years now and still count myself as a complete novice. It’s a hobby where you’re always learning and always have something to learn. Nature will always continue to show you new and mind blowing things and the sense of awe, wonder and excitement I don’t think ever leaves you. And the book manages to capture all of that!

Hamza’s enthusiasm becomes your enthusiasm as you read on through his own experiences of becoming passionate about the natural world. Through his progression to become a videographer and more, he shares his expertise, drops knowledge bombs and entertains you along the way.

It’s a perfect book to be your companion through your explorations into the environment and will teach you an awful lot, whether you’re a novice or an experienced twitcher.

I love the focuses on the different birds, with pages dedicated to each which will have you feeling confident to go out and discover them for yourself. From where you’d expect to find them, to what they look like and super interesting information and tidbits about each bird. I also loved the ‘three words to describe the bird’ feature, which always managed to be perfect and utterly spot on!

I have an ebook copy of this but it’s definitely has merit as a book to have as a physical, throw it in your birding bag with your snacks and have it with you on the run.

This was a great read and one I really enjoyed. Greatly written, super informative and an essential for every nature lover!

I really enjoyed this book! I love birdwatching and know the birds in my garden well, but I want to get better at ID elsewhere. It was great to read about how Hamza's love for birds and nature developed. I liked that there were a few pages on each bird that he chose to write about. It was useful to have the book divided into sections of the habitat, such as coasts, heathland etc. I would definitely recommend getting this for a beginner birdwatcher!

So enjoyed this book, its a book that sets you thinking and makes you want to see and learn more. So well written and could relate to most of this story, the beautifully illustrated guide is a pleasure to look at. Have seen Hamza on TV and enjoyed his birds of prey documentary.
My thanks as always to Netgalley for the read and to Octopus Publishing, Gaia

Absolutely charming and informative book about how to birdwatch. All the instructions and descriptions are clear, and Hamza Yassin makes watching birds fun and very accessible. A must for anyone who is interested, or could be interested in nature.

Would recommend it to anyone.

With thanks to NetGalley and Gaia for an ARC.

Combine Hamza’s clear passion for birds and conservation, with a friendly and engaging writing style, and you have this book. The sheer happiness and positivity, humour and knowledge, make this a great book for people of all ages - and if you’re looking to get into bird watching but are daunted by the thought of getting started, this will give you a great introduction.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

A joyous read. Hamza's love of birds shines through every page.
The first chapter deals with Hamza's arrival in the U.K. and his schooling and university life, and he reveals how he initially got into birding.
The sections are then divided into habitats eg coast, moor and mountain.
Each bird chosen from that habitat is given its scientific name, whether it is easy to spot or not, given a three word description, such as slow, floating glider for the Red Kite and following this, many interesting facts.
I was fascinated to read that the colour of the eyes of owls can tell you what time of day they hunt.
A delightful little book, handy to have in a pocket on a day out.
Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.

This is a wonderful book written with passion and heart
Hamza Yassin has become a familiar television favourite as his film making of wildlife is widely seen.
This book is a brilliant introduction and guide to being a birdwatcher.
It is written in such a down to earth manner and friendly voice that it cold be used by anyone from eight to eighty.
The first section provides a back drop to Hamza's life and his introduction to wildlife photography and 'being a birder'; this is followed by ideas and advice for equipment and how to begin your bird watching journey- it is written in such a humble and enticing manner that it makes you want to run out a buy binoculars.
The majority of the book explores 50 birds - divided into sections identifying the locations such as woodland, coastal etc where specific types of birds maybe found accompanied with plenty of concise information as to how to spot each species.
A winning book that is a joy to read and full great information for being a birder