The Meaning of Geese: A Thousand Miles in Search of Home

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A magisterial diary for bird lovers.’ Observer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Telegraph As seen on BBC Winterwatch 2023‘Honest, human and heart-grabbing. I loved this book so much.’ Sophie Pavelle, author of... He grew up immersed in the wildlife of north Norfolk and has worked in wildlife and conservation all his life, as a naturalist, tour guide, writer and broadcaster. He is president of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society and an ambassador for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. The Meaning of Geese is an intimate study of the intriguing lives of these under-appreciated birds, as well as a window into the inner workings of a naturalist's obsession.' Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell There is plenty of accurate observation from the naturalist but above all his deep love of nature in general and wild geese in particular comes through a gentle and accessible style. It is prose at its best, not florid and fancy but concise and poetic for all that.

The Meaning of Geese - BirdGuides

Acheson grew up here, in a village called Little Snoring. As a boy, he was obsessed with wild animals and inspired to love geese by a teacher, Dave Horsley, who led his school’s bird club. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience – the local community. Sometimes their numbers swell and there could be thousands swirling, clamouring and swooping down to seashore roosts or food-rich fields. Lots of us birders have talked about our move towards staying local or travelling by land or not twitching.” Twitching – rushing to photograph whatever rare bird flits into Britain – seems to be a dirty word. “No it isn’t,” says Acheson, “because I respect that for some people that’s a way of appreciating nature. For me, I’d rather have a relationship with a place and the things that live in it.” Instead he followed flights of geese, by bicycle across Norfolk and through sightings from fellow naturalists, around the world.Personally, I can’t get so worked up about some of the other geese wandering around in this area – the Egyptian Geese, Canada Geese and even all those Greylag Geese, and the more than just occasional Barnacle Geese these days. But for lovers of geese this is a book for them. The world is a jigsaw of understanding,” says Acheson. “You need the first pieces put there for you to start seeing a pattern, and he gave us those pieces. What lives in this landscape? What noise does it make? Where does it come from? He peopled the landscape with what belongs there in an osmotic way. It was so gentle.” During his first degree he spent a year in southern France, on the bank of the Rhône, where greater flamingos, little bustards and pin-tailed sandgrouse became his friends. As he finished his MSc, he went to Bolivia to volunteer for three months on a study of migrant birds. He came home ten years later, having worked in conservation, sustainable development and ecotourism the length and breadth of Bolivia, across South America, and in Australia and India. It’s not just about cycling around North Norfolk as the author brings in characters from the past and interviews some characters from the present too. There is a mix of history, landscape, biology, conservation along with the geese and the cycling. Through geese, we hear about farming practices and farmers, climate change and quite a lot about fellow wildlife enthusiasts of various types. I enjoyed it and I think so will many of the readers of this blog. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us

The Meaning of Geese by Nick Acheson | Waterstones

British Trust for Ornithology, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, Tel: +44 (0)1842 750050 Fax: +44 (0)1842 750030 As our skies emptied of human traffic with flights grounded around the world, tens of thousands of geese still swirled and clamoured over NorfolkFrom 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery. Shipments to the USA & Canada: