Ken Hall has lived near Bristol from shortly after graduating from its university. He has thoroughly explored the surrounding areas over many years, and has taken part in many nationally- and locally-organised surveys of the birds of the region. These include the BTO's Breeding Bird Atlases, their local offshoots for Somerset and for Avon, and surveys of some of the Somerset Wildlife Trust's reserves on the Mendip Hills. A member of the Bristol Ornithological Club since its foundation, he has served on its Committee for long periods, including having held the post of Chairman, and is also one of the team that compiles the Avon Bird Report.

In addition to these more local birding activities, he has travelled widely in the Americas, Africa and Europe, with a particular interest in the birds of Spain and France, and has led privately-organised trips to both countries on several occasions. He is the representative in the UK, on a voluntary basis, for the LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux), the RSPB's equivalent in France.

Contains updated text and dozens of fully revised maps to the main sites

Key to SitesIntroductionUsing this Book

1 Exmoor
2 Porlock, Hurlstone Point & Minehead#
3 Dunster Forest & Croydon HIll
4 Dunster Beach
5 Wimbleball Lake
6 Clatworthy Reservoir
7 Langford Heathfield
8 The Blackdown Hills
9 The Quantok Hills
10 Chard Reservoir
11 Sutton Bingham Reservoir
12 Ashford Reservoir
13 Steart Marshes & Bridgwater Bay
14 Durleigh Reservoir
15 Bridgwater Brickpits
16 The Somerset Levels
a) West Sedgemoor, Curry & Aller Moors
b) Wet Moor & Witcombe Bottom
c) Central Levels, including Greylake, King's Sedge Moor & Great Breach Wood
d) Ham Wall & the Avalon Marshes
e) Westhay, Tealham and Tadham Moors
17 Berrow
18 Brean Down
19 The Axe Estuary
20 Steep Holm
21 Cheddar Reservoir
22 The Mendip HIlls
23 Torr Reservoir
24 Orchardleigh Lake & Rodden NR
25 Chew Valley Lake
26 Litton Reservoirs
27 Compton Dando Area
28 Blagdon Lake
29 Barrow Gurney Reservoirs
30 Goblin Combe
31 Backwell Lake
32 Sand Point
33 Clevedon/Yeo Estuary
34 Gordano Valley & Portbury Wharf
35 Leigh Woods & the Avon Gorge
36 City of Bristol
37 Marshfield
38 Severnside
39 Lower Woods, with Inglestone and Chipping Sodbury Commons
40 Oldbury-on-Severn
41 The West Bank of the Severn
42 The Forest of Dean & the Wye Valley
a) The Forest of Dean
b) Tidenham Chase
c) The Wye Valley & Symonds Yat
43 Walmore Common
44 Highnam Woods
45 May Hill & Newent Woods
46 Slimbridge & the New Grounds
47 Frampton-on-Severn
48 Ashleworth Ham & Coombe Hill Canal
49 The Severn & Avon Valleys
50 The Central Cotsworld Scarp
51 Pittville Park
52 Cleeve Hill & Common
53 Guilting Wood
54 Bourton Pits
55 Chedworth & Withington Woods
56 Cirencester Park, Overly, Oakley & Hailey Woods
57 The Cotswold Scarp South
58 The Cotswold Water Park
59 Blakehill Farm
60 Woodlands west of Swindon
61 Coate Water
62 Other sights in and around Swindon
63 Marlborough & Fyfield Downs
64 The Kennet Valley east of Marlborough
65 Savernake Forest
66 Wilton Water & Jone's Mill
67 Collingbourne & Coldridge Woods
68 West Woods
69 Bowood & Spye Parks
70 Corsham Lake
71 The By Brook
72 Woodlands near Trowbridge & Westbury
73 Westbury Ponds
74 Smallbrook Meadows
75 Shearwater Lake & Woods & Southleigh Wood
76 Woodlands of the Somerset/Wiltshire border
77 Salisbury Plain Army Ranges
78 Langford Lakes
79 Grovely and Great Ridge Woods
80 Fonthill Lake
81 The Avon south of Salisbury
82 Bentley Wood & Blackmoor Copse
83 Woodlands fringing the New Forest

List of Organisations, with Abbreviations Used in the TextKey to Map SymbolsCode of Conduct for BirdwatchersAcknowledgements