OLD BIRD BOOKS

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

RE: OLD BIRD BOOKS

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

The quest is finally over I now have a complete set of reports many thanks to all those who have helped.

Bolton lads and lassie picked up The Natural History of Bolton an excellent little book the bird section has recorder John Wood and John Cooper, but the book itself has no date of publishing can anyone shed any light on it
keep birding.

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Paul Heaton wrote:

Paul Heaton wrote:

Back on the search again for old reports, to complete the set I only need the following,

1978, 1980, and 1994, so if you have a spare copy of these please let me know.

I have the following spare. 1979 (2copies) 1983(4) 1984 (2) 1985(2) 1986(2)
1993.
also have copy of breeding birds in Greater Manchester.
keep birding.

-- Edited by Paul Heaton at 10:20, 2008-05-11

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Cheers steve, swaps sound like a great idea far better than that cash stuff,

keep birding

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Hi Paul

Am pretty sure I've got a spare 1994. I'll check it out and, if I have, I'll do you a swap>

Steve

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Paul Heaton wrote:

Back on the search again for old reports, to complete the set I only need the following,

1978, 1980, and 1994, so if you have a spare copy of these please let me know.

I have the following spare. 1979 (2copies) 1983(4) 1984 (2) 1985(2) 1986(2)
1987 1993.
also have copy of breeding birds in Greater Manchester.
keep birding.

-- Edited by Paul Heaton at 10:20, 2008-05-11

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

An excellent offer of £20 I am currently giving away to steve a 1972 and 1981 report for nothing because he needs them to complete a set, now am I mad.

would be prepared to offer you a resonable amount for the lot but only need 1978 and 1980, so would suggest you cash in on your good fortune, please send me a private message to discuss.
cheers

cnwtwitchy · Status: Offline

Due to a house move I am looking to sell a number of bird reports I have gathered over the years.

I have:

Birds in Greater Manchester Bird Reports

1977 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86

I have had an offer of £20 for reports 78 and 81. If possible I would prefer to sell the lot as a set. Please let me know if you are interested and what you would offer.

I also have Cheshire Bird Reports 1981 to 2006 (excl 1985) for sale.

Many thanks

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Back on the search again for old reports, to complete the set I only need the following,

1978, 1980, and 1994, so if you have a spare copy of these please let me know.

I have the following spare. 1976 1977, 1979 (2copies) 1983(4) 1984 (2) 1985(3) 1986(2)
1987 1989 1993.
also have copy of breeding birds in Greater Manchester.
keep birding.

-- Edited by Paul Heaton at 10:20, 2008-05-11

Alan Rowley · Status: Offline

For years after Astley flashes were filled in, a variety of different waders used to turn up on migration to visit what by this time in the early 70's, were nothing more than damp fields. I often wondered if they had a map in their DNA (called em genes back then) of the feeding places on their migration route and couldn't prevent themselves dropping in.

Pete Lane · Status: Offline

Thank's for the info Judith sad to hear about Dave Holden as we were workmates at the old Turners Asbestos company. (I know wern't we lucky!) and he introduced me to the other lads, I lost touch when I changed jobs in December 1962.
Gordon Follows went to work for ICI in the North East and I have found references to him on the web. He has written a number of reports on bird ringing at least one of them quite recent, he was a really bright lad and the unofficial leader of the group.

Judith Smith · Status: Offline

Dave Holden died a few years back. Gordon Follows - I think he is still alive and living Southport way??? Gordon Yates - still a contributor to the bird report and checks out some Barn Owls for me, lives in Rochdale but at this time of year likely to be in Islay or even further north - check out his website via Google. It's excellent. I remember Bill Grant and the Red House where he and his brother lived. It's in my mind that he was attacked by burglars, and possibly had to go into care. The Red House is used as a store by the local shoot nowadays.

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

roy still visits penny almost weekly-normally out with his dog!!

Pete Lane · Status: Offline

Round about 1960/61 I along with a group of excellent young birders were given the use of a hut on the moss by an old gamekeeper called Bill Grant (if my memory serves me right). This we fitted out with bunks and spent most weekends there. I was (and still am) a novice, but the others Gordon Follows, Roy Rhodes, Dave Holden, Gordon Yates and very often Frank Horrocks (although I don't remember Frank sleeping there) plus a few others whose names I can't remember, were all pretty competent. We did some colour ringing and various other things but I can still remember everyone being really sad that the flash was filled in.
The moss was an amazing place in those day's and we had the run of all of it. I particularly remember nightjars as being a normal occurance and all 5 species of owl.
Is there anyone out there who remembers this hut at Bill Grant's p[lace??? Apart from seeing Roy Rhodes a few years ago, I have lost touch with everyone.

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

As a lot of you know frank was my mentor realy,and great friend,daupt these days if a 13 year old would be allowed to have a 60 year old friend but i did,and frank taught me to ignore chasing raraties,and concentrate on a local patch,which to me was the penny flash,and still is.He told me of the demise of astley flash,he reconed it was better than penny as disturbance from shooters was less,he told me even when there was only a small pool left 40 feet across,it still had dunlin,sanderling,curlew sand,redshank,spotted redshank,and greenshank.all of which were uncommon anywere else.

i too have 2 copies of the birds of pennington flash

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 21:34, 2008-04-25

Judith Smith · Status: Offline

Astley Flash was destroyed to make way for the Astley Colliery (whose headgear etc was retained and is now a museum) and is under what is now Astley Tip. The late great Frank Horrocks used to tell me about it, and in these days, it would hopefully not have been allowed to happen...
Paul H - we did talk about reprinting the old bird reports if there was enough interest - I have the complete set of course. Two copies of Birds of Pennington Flash are sitting on my shelf...

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

Thanks Ian.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Online

As far as I'm aware it was situated in the area which is now fields to the east of the colliery which still stands in Astley Village.

Dave Thacker · Status: Offline

I have took delivery today of the Manchester Ornithological Society Bird Report for 1959 which I won on Ebay last week.

In the foreword it mentions a sad event from the ornithological point of view of the draining of Astley Flash and that the large area of drained mud was especially attractive to waders,but it is unlikely that conditions will ever be as favourable again. When I read the report it included birds such as Garganey, Shellduck, Shoveler, Water Rail, Oystercatcher, Ringed, Grey and Golden Plover, Turnstone, Whimbrel, BT Godwits, Greenshank, Knot, Dunlin, Ruff, Black terns and a Rock pipit all visiting the flash area.

I`m interested to know where in Astley was the flash situated until its demise in 1959.Has anyone got any ideas?

Also it mentions that there was at least 4 Nightjars in Astley on the 26 May in that year, its a shame that they don`t turn up on the mosses nowadays, well unless it is in a RSPCA van like last August

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

THE HASTING RARITIES........

Bristow and the Hasting rarities Affair by Dr James Harrison excellent book explains it all

also British Birds Agust 1962 and After Hasting October 1962.

keep birding.

Steve Barber · Status: Offline

Sorry to hear you drew a blank. At least now he knows what you're looking for he might turn one up somewhere.

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Cheers steve very difficult person to get hold of this guy, had to send a good old fashion letter, only to get a reply today to say he had 1950 and 1952 but no 1951?

so still chasing the 1951 report

Steve Barber · Status: Offline

Try birdjournals.com. He's showing Cornwall Reports 1949-1952 for sale. Good luck.

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

If anyone can help I am after some old reports for Cornwall to be exact the 1951 report and the 1944 tried the internet e-bay etc so if you have know of any one who might have these please let me know
cheers.
keep birding

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Nice to see the book back where it belongs in Gm, well Mark good investment.

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

Oh yes!! Do you want to borrow it-for a small charge of course!!

Got to get my money back somehow

Dean Macdonald · Status: Offline

Penny book went for £18.89 anyone on here get it?

Cheers Dean.

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

I just got my copy in near mint condition yesterday by return of post from HJ Books which, although having a Cumbria address on the webiste, actually came from Stockport and was wrapped in two bits of corrugated card and my own local paper the South Manchester Reporter. It was interesting to note that up to the point of publication no Brent Geese had been recorded at the Flash so that makes last week extra special. I shall study with interest.

One further observation - is it compulsory for all local bird reports and publications to be A5? They certainly seem to be.

Dean Macdonald · Status: Offline

The Pennington book is gonna end up an expensive buy. Just checked and the bidding is up to £18.89 with 3 days to go.

I guess we're all bidding against each other here

Dean.

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Tim Wilcox wrote:

Apologies for duplicate post re. mags - I thought it hadn't gone through

I found a copy of 'Birds of Pennington Flash' in seconds and ordered it for £5.00 plus UK postage from a bookseller in Cumbria.

If you want to find old books don't bother with e-bay the place to go is

abebooks.co.uk or abebooks.com

It is a link site for secondhand booksellers aroung the world (like Gemm for old records) - if someone's got it you'll find it and often get some real bargains as you can sort by price and you'll be surprised where things wash up. I got a copy of H.E. Bates' 'Through the Woods' from Germany!

as tim said abebooks is a great site for old books,you can narrow the searches down to uk,1st editions,signed copies.ive had loads of books from the site and all arrive within a couple of days,and your supporting small independent bookshops around the uk.

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Apologies for duplicate post re. mags - I thought it hadn't gone through

I found a copy of 'Birds of Pennington Flash' in seconds and ordered it for £5.00 plus UK postage from a bookseller in Cumbria.

If you want to find old books don't bother with e-bay the place to go is

abebooks.co.uk or abebooks.com

It is a link site for secondhand booksellers aroung the world (like Gemm for old records) - if someone's got it you'll find it and often get some real bargains as you can sort by price and you'll be surprised where things wash up. I got a copy of H.E. Bates' 'Through the Woods' from Germany!

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Not old books but old magazines:

Bird Watching (not Birdwatch) March 2002 - August 2005 complete and
Aug 2000, Nov 2000-Jan 2001, Apr-May 2001,Oct 2001,Jan 2002

Any or all FREE to anyone who wants them and can collect from Fallowfield

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

As for Birds of Pennington flash now heres a rare book indeed, the last one I know of went for £18 on e-bay, My copy has been on the shelf for many a year and still is a great read.

There is not another copy I know of anywhere, so lets hope it comes back to GM.

paul/dean
The reason birds of pennington flash is so rare is that as far as im aware,and i am a good friend of the auther,there was only ever one pressing and if i remember correctly,there were only ever 1000 copies printed.they were mainly sold at the then flash visitors centre,by my partner sue,who was then in charge of the visitors centre at penny,which was sited where the swings are now

this is over 20 years ago.the rest were sold at leigh ornithological meetings,with the odd one turning up in various local bookshops

also as a side note patrick baglee who did the illustrations was about 15 years old when he did them.

cheers john

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 08:13, 2008-03-28

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 08:15, 2008-03-28

Dean Macdonald · Status: Offline

Have you got this one Paul?
British Birds by Rev. F.O. Morris. Illustrated by A.F. Lydon. Engraved by Benjamin Fawcett.
A selection from the original work edited and with an introduction by Tony Soper.

The edition i have was published in 1987.

He was born in 1810. Lot's of very discriptive text and some wonderfully disproportionate illustrations.

I picked it up in a book shop in Keswick about 15 yrs ago.

Cheers Dean.

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Things appear to be hotting up in the bookworld

Mr Woosey you appear to have got yourself A nice little bit of bedtime reading and yes i have all those as well, and as you say the plates are fantastic, you paid the right amount.

As for Birds of Pennington flash now heres a rare book indeed, the last one I know of went for £18 on e-bay, My copy has been on the shelf for many a year and still is a great read.

There is not another copy I know of anywhere, so lets hope it comes back to GM.

I am afraid I am off out of the county now for a week, family holiday up top in scotland.
so good reading and
KEEP BIRDING

Dean Macdonald · Status: Offline

Mark Evans wrote:

just been scanning ebay and came across the book "birds and birdwatching at pennington flash" by j.d.wilson -1985. its currently at £2.50 if anyone's interested

Can't find it any chance of a link to the page?

Forget that I've found it.

-- Edited by Dean Macdonald at 22:49, 2008-03-27

JOHN TYMON · Status: Offline

Mark Evans wrote:

just been scanning ebay and came across the book "birds and birdwatching at pennington flash" by j.d.wilson -1985. its currently at £2.50 if anyone's interested

a fine book by an old friend,also superb illustrations by one of the old flash A-TEAM paddy bagglee,who now is a world renowned graphic designer/artist,who lectures all over the world,and has published his own books.well worth a bid

Ian Woosey · Status: Offline

Mr Heaton,

Inspired by our chat yesterday, and spending the day in Kendal and Windermere today, I did some mooching in some second-hand bookshops and charity shops, picking up the following bargains ;

`Birds Of Coast And Sea` - Campbell (ill. Watson) 1st ed 1977 - £3.50

`The Shell Bird Book` - Fisher. rpr 1973 - £2

`The RSPB Book Of British Birds` - Holden & Sharrock (ill. Burn) 1st ed 1982 - £1.50

All books are hardback, and in very fine condition. The latter is very basic, though has some good plates, but the illustrations in the `Coast and Sea` by Raymond Watson are absolutely outstanding.

Ast geet any of these, and what would be your valuations ?

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

'Bird Watching' magazine (not 'Birdwatch')

Issues Aug 2000, Nov 2000 - Jan 2001, April - May 2001, Oct 2001, Jan 2002 and
March 2002 - Aug 2005 complete

FREE to anyone who wants them and can collect from Fallowfield

Mark Evans · Status: Offline

just been scanning ebay and came across the book "birds and birdwatching at pennington flash" by j.d.wilson -1985. its currently at £2.50 if anyone's interested

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Indeed! I believe he lost his left eye in a Tawny Owl attack

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

One for all you photographers out there who think its hard to get a picture of the Long-eared Owl.
try reading An Eye for a Bird... Eric Hosking, the man carried plate cameras into the field
excellent for anyone interested in photography and ornithology.
keep birding

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Judith Smith wrote:

GM atlas - always looking for people to help write it, or just collect breeding records for it!

Now heres a real challenge, Is anyone working on this,: with the experienced birders we have at the present surely we could produce the definitive Greater Manchester Bird Guide,

would be happy to get involved
keep birding

Judith Smith · Status: Offline

GM atlas - always looking for people to help write it, or just collect breeding records for it!

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Getting back on line with this thread

just finished Seventy years of bird watching H.G.Alexander an excellent book,a founder of the local patch work and record keeper.
keep birding
ps judith I am looking forward to a new manchester bird book in any form

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

If anyone still wants a copy of Breeding Birds in Greater Manchester (the old atlas, published 1984) I have a few copies which I am holding for the Manchester Ornithological Soc.

Yours for £2.50 (inc postage).

Steve

Judith Smith · Status: Offline

David is not on email...I am waiting to hear from him by post if he wants a printout for the areas of interest to him - I'll be happy to send him anything else if you pop it in the post to me or send it as an email attachment ( will print it out)

W.r.t. the new breeding atlas, this is in conjunction with the national atlas (exchange of data with BTO). At present, it hasn't been decided if we will include winter. It's really a question of workload.

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Apologies I see trailing down this thread that there is to be a new book of Breeding Birds of GM but could it be all birds including winter, passage and rarities?

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Judith

Do you want to send me David Tomlinson's e-mail and I'll send him the little piece I did for the Didsbury/Fletcher Moss civic magazine (or whatever it was - I forget) and any other info on what is going on there now. The gallery ran, and still technically looks after the Old Rectory at Fletcher Moss and we probably have all Fletcher Moss's books in our library so I will look for this.

It will be great to see a Birds of Didsbury book. I just ordered 'Birds in Greater Manchester' on the net from about 1984 I think - a snip at £2.50! Any plans for a new publication for GM? I also just bought the superb Birds of Lancashire and North Merseyside on a trip to Martin Mere (twitching that Night Heron at Mere Sands Wood) and thought to myself 'Manchester needs one too'!

Tim

Paul Heaton · Status: Offline

Judith an excellent early book for birding in manchester is BIRDS BY LAND AND SEA by John Maclair Boraston which is a record of daily observations in and around STRETFORD between Sept 1902 and Sept 1903 I tried to copy this in 2002-2003 but was unable to locate the corn crake curlew spotted flycatcher nightjar and ring ousel that appeared to be common 100 years ago
I wonder waht will go missing in the next 100 years................... besides me

keep birding