Berkshire's Birdscapes 1947-2022
- Berkshire’s Birdscapes: 1947-2022 by Renton Righelato.
- Berkshire Ornithological Club, 2022. 32 pages, colour illustrations.
- ISBN: 9780952929734. Pbk, £5.
Written by late county stalwart Renton Righelato, Berkshire's Birdscapes: 1947-2022 was published last year [2022] to celebrate the Berkshire Ornithological Club's 75th anniversary and serves of a review of the important habitats – and the birds that use them – in the Royal County during that timeframe.
Naturally, losses and declines dominated this charming, informative booklet – BTO data makes for rather grim reading; indeed, this pessimism is the typical narrative when you talk to any older birder. New colonists are often forgotten in such discourse, but Righelato's upbeat tone means they are celebrated in Berkshire's Birdscapes. In fact, no fewer than 32 new breeding species have been recorded in the county since the club's formation. These are outlined in the 'winners and losers' section and include plenty of new breeders that aren't strictly the result of climate change, including Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Long-eared Owl and Raven.
This section is preceded by an introduction to Berkshire's avian habitats and then a focus on three significant ones: the downs, heaths and woods and river valleys. This specific look at habitats is peppered with well chosen photos, each of which help bring the habitat in question to life. The downs section is particularly eye-catching and, while the abundance graphs of most species are gloomy, there are good news stories as well, not least the increase in Eurasian Stone-curlew.
It's clear from Righelato's writing that he had a deep knowledge of his county. His passion comes across clearly and I found it most encouraging that there are still 'local legends' like this, who find immense fascination and joy with what, to many birders, may seem a relatively unattractive landlocked county (no offence, Berkshire birders!). Sadly, Righelato passed away in November 2021, not long before the release of Berkshire's Birdscapes. With this publication he leaves a fine legacy.
