Gardening for Bumblebees by Dave Goulson  produced by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, School of Biological and Environment Sciences, University of Sterling, FK9 4LA

This booklet is only available from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust through their website at www.bumblebeeconservation.org.  It contains excellent information about how to attract bumblebees to your garden by growing the flowers they feed on (both wildflowers and garden flowers), providing nest sites for them and creating a wildflower meadow in your garden.  The information about their preferred flowers plus excellent pictures and details about the decline of bumblebees in our countryside all helps us to better understand their requirements and hopefully help them in our own gardens.  Highly recommended.

Orchids of Britain and Ireland - a Field and Site Guide by Anne and Simon Harrap  A & C Black 2009 ISBN 978-14081-0571-9 £24.99

If you have ever seen a military orchid, a monkey orchid or even a damp meadow dotted with common spotted orchids, and felt an absolute thrill - this book should be in your collection.  Orchids are amongst the most wonderful and exotic plants in our native flora and many people seek them out.  I still remember exactly where and when I saw my first lizard orchid and the railway embankment where the scent of a butterfly orchid led me to its precise location.  If you have any interest in these plants this book a must have.  The second edition of this wonderful volume has stunning photos of every orchid in the UK and Ireland, close ups of individual flowers to aid identification, details of habitat, flowering period, conservation and for the more botanically minded, hybrids and subspecies.  This isn't just a field guide - it is a complete volume on these most of glorious plants. Highly recommended.

The Wisdom of Birds - an Illustrated History of Ornithology by Tim Birkhead  Bloomsbury Publishing plc 2008 £25  ISBN 978 0 7475 9256 3

This is an extraordinary book.  If you are one of the many people interested in birds and birdwatching and want to find out more about these extraordinary creatures, this book will take you on a journey to discover how we know what we know about them.  Tim Birkhead is Professor of Behavioural Ecology at Sheffield University, but don't let that put you off.  This book, in spite of its author's impressive and perhaps daunting scientific credentials, is truely readable.  Professor Birkhead is a natural communicator and has written a book packed with information that comprises a history of ornithological scientific research, folklore and myth all adding up to a mine of information about how this knowledge was obtained.  With chapters on instinct, migration, breeding, song and the role of the field scientist, there is much to read, understand and learn.  With beautiful illustrations from centuries past (I especially like the half reptile, half cockerel painting from 1600!) this is a book brimming over with fascinating knowledge.Highly recommended.

British Butterflies and Moths - A photographic guide by Chris Manley. A C & Black 2008  £24.99 Softback ISBN 978-07136-86364  

A new book on moths and butterflies is always an exciting prospect, especially when it contains beautiful, quality images.  This book contains stunning photographs of 850 macromoths, 74 butterflies and 500 micromoths, plus many wonderful pictures of caterpillars, eggs and pupae.  The author (a sculptor by profession as well as a photographer) says that the book 'aims to convey the beauty and fascination of moths to a new audience' and he most certainly succeeds admirably.  The information on each species is sparse, but there are many other books providing that kind of detail.  This book aims to provide sufficient information to identify almost any macromoth or butterfly recorded in Britain.  In fact the information is more than sufficient, giving details of size, distribution. habitat and flight period, plus larval food plant.  There is also a short section explaining the rather confusing classification of butterflies and moths, their distinguishing features, anatomy and life cycles.  This book must have been a labour of love and will be spending very little time on my bookshelf as it will be in constant use - if not for identification purpose, then simply for the joy of the images of these wonderful insects. Highly recommended.

If you have a hankering to visit a warm and beautiful tropical country in the near future, and want to see an amazing range of colourful and fascinating wildlife, look no further than Costa Rica.  Adrian Hepworth is a professional photographer and zoologist who moved to Central America ten years ago and now works as a a freelance wildlife photographer.  His photos are stunning but it has to be said he has wonderful material to work with.  Costa Rica has an amazing range of habitats from cloud forest to mangrove swamps with the richest wildlife imaginable - in fact it has a higher density of animals and plants than any other country in the world. An estimated 350,000 species of insect live in Costa Rica, plus 240 species of mammal and 860 species of bird although it is less that half the size of England.  Of the 174 species of amphibian, 36 are found no where else in the world.  If you are planning to visit Costa Rica (or simply take an armchair visit as I just have) this book will thrill you from start to finish.  A perfect large coffee table book but full of facts and information too. Recommended.

France is just a stone's throw away from our shores, yet much of its wildlife is very different from our own.  More than 12 million British people visit this popular holiday destination every year and many are no doubt perplexed by the wonderful range of mammals, birds and insects they see on their travels.  This fabulous coffee table sized book, written and illustrated by Bob Gibbons, one of the UK's most renowned wildlife photographers and a natural history tour guide, should be the first stop for anyone interested in wildlife who is planning to visit France in the near future.  The photos are all taken with an artist's eye as well as being an identification tool.  The chapter on invertebrates, with stunning pictures of moths, butterflies, dragonflies and beetles is superb and the landscape photos are dazzling. Even if you don't have plans to visit France in the near future this wonderful book could change your mind!  Recommended.

All About Garden Wildlife by David Chandler.  New Holland Publishers UK Ltd 2008  £4.99  ISBN 978 1 84773 052 7

New Holland have produced a series of four excellent books on garden wildlife for children, packed with information and excellent illustrations, all in an easy to read and understand format.   The pages are attractively laid out with sections on where and when to see the creatures illustrated.  The text is very readable and designed to introduce the fascinating world of natural history for 8 to 12 year olds.  I especially liked the ‘Did you know’ sections with just the sort of facts children love (this beetle can bite – the bite can hurt and might even bleed!).  My own interest in natural history blossomed as soon as I could read and these books will certainly open up the world of wildlife to today’s children.  All about Bugs, Butterflies and Birds are also available.  Recommended.

RSPB Handbook of Garden Wildlife by Peter Holden and Geoffrey Abbott    Christopher Helm 2008  ISBN 978 0 7138 8860 3  £9.99

There has been a spate of guides to garden wildlife in the last few months and this could be one to add to your Christmas list.  Illustrated throughout with high quality glossy photographs, there are sections on everything from birds and mammals to dragonflies and moths.  A small selection of the plants you are likely to come across in your garden is also included, but this is very confusing and unnecessary.  There is also some information on how to create a wildlife garden, its management and a guide to monthly wildlife highlights.  By and large the addition information in this book is extremely limited but the identification section is colourful and attractive.  If you are a beginner to gardening for wildlife and need a handy book to identify a bird, butterfly or other creepy crawly this could be the book to get you started. Highly recommended.

Gardening for Birdwatchers by Mike Toms and Ian And Barley Wilson  British Trust for Ornithology 2008   ISBN 978-1-906204-30-3    £ 9.99

Buy a book from the British Trust for Ornithology and you know you will be getting something excellent.  Written by experts but always wonderfully readable, all BTO books are packed with great photos, good, accurate and interesting information, and this book is no exception.  In spite of the title this isn’t just about the birds in your garden.  It includes information on attracting all sorts of wildlife from bumblebees to moths.  Several planting plans are included with lists of wildlife friendly plants, plus information on creating ponds and meadows.  However, as you would expect, birds are featured heavily with details about how to attract more species to your garden by providing natural berries and seeds, nest sites and roosting places plus there are sections on how and why birds use our gardens, An excellent book for any one interested in the birds or any of the wildlife in their garden.  Highly recommended.

Best Birdwatching Sites In North Wales by Alan Davies and Owen Roberts.  Buckingham Press Ltd 2007.  ISBN 978-0-955933-94-0 Paperback £15.95

Wandering though our glorious local countryside enjoying wildlife and scenery is a wonderful, relaxing pastime, but occasionally it’s good to take a trip to a site where you can be assured of something special.  This book, the latest in a series including guides to Norfolk and the Scottish Highlands, lists almost sixty areas in North Wales that are renowned for their bird fauna.  The information is comprehensive indicating whether the site is accessible by car, where the nearest shops, toilets and cafes are located and the best times to visit, as well as the more obvious information of species likely to be seen and a wealth of excellent background information.  A detailed site map, suitability for wheelchairs and detailed background information are all included.  You can also gen up on ‘birdspeak’ terms such as fence-hopper (a bird that has escaped from captivity), check out Welsh bird names and record what you have seen in the list at the back.  An excellent guide for beginner or enthusiast. Recommended.

Nature by Night – a Guide to Observation and Identification by Vincent Albouy   New Holland Publishers UK Ltd 2008  ISBN 978 1 84773 114 2 Softback with colour illustrations  £14.99  

Most people who are interested in wildlife find themselves out in the hours of darkness at some time, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the night.  The obvious things that attract our attention are the bats, owls and moths but so much more is happening between dusk and dawn.  This new paperback book is the first to be published that devotes itself to the watching and identification of nocturnal wildlife.  But before you rush out and buy this wonderful little book, be aware that it covers Britain and Europe – there are precious few brown bears in the UK!  In spite of that it is absolutely fascinating and has wonderful quirky illustrations, full of character, of everything we associate with the night time including some moth species, mammals, birds and amphibians.  There is also a specific chapter on flowers that attract nocturnal insects.  This two part book has general information about watching wildlife at night and a beautifully illustrated identification guide.  Highly recommended.