The Slender-billed Curlew has been on the almost extinct list for a long time now and when I picked up this book I was wondering how Clare was going to be able to write about something he hadn’t seen and is unlikely ever to see. What Clare has written is a homage to the bird through the eyes of those that have seen it and the work they have dedicated their life to in it’s honour….and as an added bonus there are plenty of trains.

Clare travels between Greece, Romania and Bulgaria to locate those bird watchers who have had confirmed sightings of this special Curlew. When he finds one he interrogates them about the time they saw it, how they got into birdwatching and about their life to date. From their words you can see their love of all birds come through and it’s not surprising that they have spent their life on conservation and have been on the frontline getting their governments to start protecting it’s wildlife and creating safe spaces for them.

I particularly enjoyed Claire’s descriptions of places and scenery as he travelled, I’ve not really read any good travel books for Romania or Bulgaria and this book gives you a good taster of what the country has to offer.

A wonderful homage to the Slender-billed Curlew and for those who care for it.

Blog Review: felcherman.wordpress.com/2020/12/12/orison-for-a-curlew-by-horatio-clare/