Fulmarine Petrels DVD by Bob Flood and Ashley Fisher

Pelagic birding has to be one of the most exciting forms of birding around. It can also be one of the toughest and regrettably, for many of us, one of the least accessible. What better way, then, to 'get out there' than a DVD put together by two of the most experienced pelagic birders around? Bob Flood and Ashley Fisher, in their DVD Fulmarine Petrels, bring their years of at-sea experience and knowledge direct to our living rooms with 50 minutes of footage from around the world's oceans. As the title suggests, this DVD focuses on the Fulmarines, dealing with all seven species, from the gut-wrenchingly ugly giant petrels to the stunningly beautiful Snow Petrel. From a North Atlantic perspective, separation of Atlantic and Pacific Northern Fulmars is well covered and makes for fascinating watching.

The DVD starts with an overview and introduction to the Fulmarine petrels before moving on to the individual species accounts. It is narrated throughout, interspersed with distribution maps and still images to highlight key identification features. The narration is delivered at the perfect pace — not too slow as to drag, but with enough of a pause to allow the viewer to take in what they are being told without having to rewind and watch the footage over again.

The 40-page booklet accompanying the DVD reiterates the commentary and adds information on population, breeding, feeding, etc. It also contains a list of the clips that appear throughout the film, numbered to allow cross-referencing and — extremely helpfully — with a list of other species that appear in the background.

The introduction text states "[This] DVD collection of amateur video footage...". As someone who has previously attempted to film seabirds from a moving vessel, I can assure you that the video footage in this DVD is in no way, shape, or form amateur! It is well filmed, well put together, and does exactly the job it is intended to do — to showcase this fantastic group of birds. For anybody with even the remotest interest in pelagic birding, this DVD is a must. And with the promise of a second DVD, North Atlantic Seabirds: Storm-petrels & Bulwer's Petrel, to follow shortly, Fulmarine Petrels looks set to become the first in a series of superb pelagic birding DVDs that no seabirder should be without.