The Glitter in the Green

I have seen hummingbirds twice in my lifetime - once in a car park on the Californian coast and once in a hotel garden in Las Vegas! This author has travelled throughout the Americas and has sought out many (not all) species of hummingbird in a multitude of environments including some which are as extraordinary as they are unlikely.

The narrative starts in Alaska. Who knew there were hummingbirds in Alaska! And it ends at the other end of the Americas in Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. In between the author visits multiple locations, treks up mountains, avoids civil unrest and gradually fulfills his quest to see as many hummingbirds as possible. Of course he sees other birds and animals too - in fact, there is a description of an encounter with a bear early in the Alaska section.

I found the book to be part natural history memoir, part travelogue and with a good amount of history thrown into the mix. The historical facts which are shared are quite shocking in part - not least the numbers of birds killed for early museum displays, private collections or fashion. There are also many ecological observations ranging from deforestation to the use of neonicotinoids, overpopulation and of course climate change. Somehow the author has brought all of these things together in a book which reads well, is engaging, educational and as mesmerising as the birds he describes.

I actually considered stopping reading before I got to the half way point and waiting for the hardback to be published. I was fortunate enough to have a review copy of the e-book courtesy of the publishers Bloomsbury and NetGalley. But I craved some photographs to go alongside the narrative and in this respect I suspect the hardback will be better than the e-book version. But I couldn't wait! I did, however, find the author's own website and there is a gallery of hummingbird photos there.

This book is highly recommended to anyone who loves natural history and travel. It is fabulous! Thankyou to NetGalley for an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

The Glitter in the Green is a beautiful adventure about one man's quests to seek out hummingbirds across the world.

The book is sectioned into chapters that relate to a different place, and the stories, experiences, and of course hummingbirds, that the author sees.

I was totally engrossed in this story and it took me to an awesome place where I often felt as if I was seeing through the very eyes of the writer. He writes incredibly vividly, describing the birds in their immaculate and fantastic plumage.

I also loved learning about hummingbirds themselves, how fast their hearts beat and the incredible biology of how their feeding works.

Overall, this book was an absolute joy for me to read and took me to another world filled with nature and beautiful birds. I would really recommend to anyone just seeking a bit of escape right now, and especially to anyone interested in the natural world.