Bird Life
The Extraordinary World of Ordinary Birds
$27.94
- Paperback
416 pages
- Release Date
18 August 2026
Summary
An enchanting and fascinating work of classic nature writing about Britain’s ordinary garden birds, told by the brilliant, unconventional woman who opened her doors to them.
Enchanting and fascinating, discover the extraordinary world of Britain’s ordinary garden birds, related.
In the late 1930s, Len Howard packed up her life in London, bought a plot of land in Sussex and built herself a little house there. This was to be Bird Cottage, a place where the doors of the house wer…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781784879365 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1784879363 |
| Author: | Len Howard |
| Publisher: | Vintage Publishing |
| Imprint: | Vintage Classics |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 416 |
| Release Date: | 18 August 2026 |
| Weight: | 348g |
| Dimensions: | 197mm x 127mm x 29mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
Original and detailed… The book is full of original observations and is a valuable addition to bird behaviour * Guardian *Miss Howard’s book of bird observation is the most remarkable I have ever read * Spectator *An unforgettable contribution to ornithological literature * Sphere *Howard seems to have stood on the brink of communication with a wild bird, something till now hardly conceivable…awe-inspiring * Observer *
About The Author
Len Howard
Len Howard (1894-1973) was a British naturalist and musician best known for her studies of birds, published as Birds as Individuals (1952) and Living with Birds (1956).
In her early life, Howard pursued a career in music in London, giving music lessons, organising concerts for the children of the poor, and playing the viola professionally in an orchestra under Malcolm Sargent.
In 1938, she purchased a plot of land outside the village of Ditchling, Sussex, and built the house she called Bird Cottage. There she developed an intimate and unusual relationship with the wild birds in the area, providing food (including her own war rations), chasing away predators, tending to damaged nests, and allowing the birds to fly and roost throughout her home. Her musical training gave her a unique insight into the diverse character of birdsong.
Howard died at Bird Cottage in 1973.
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