STEVE WEST 2004. Where the birds are in northeast Spain.

DB 28 (1) 2006
Privately published; e-mail westvidal@teleline.es,
website http://geocities.com/westvidal. 269 pp. ISBN
84-609-1599-9. GBP 19.99.

In the past decade, many 'Where to find birds in...'
books have been published, dealing with whole continents(!),
countries or regions. Most of these books
describe the various birding sites, and list the most interesting
species for each site; through a species index,
one can find the sites where the target species of a birding
trip can be expected. However, the approach taken
by Steve West in this book on north-eastern Spain
(covering the regions Aragón and Catalunya) is the complete
opposite. As the title already suggests, the species
come first. And this is exactly what most birders are
looking for in 'Where to ...' books. The book gives a systematic
species account as the starting point, for each
species listing and discussing the most important sites
where it can be seen. Where appropriate, information is
given on roads to be taken and on exact spots from
where to concentrate the search. Obviously, the species
account does not cover all species but is limited to 114
key species of this great birding region.
The book also gives a list of suggested (rural) accommodations,
selected on the basis of their location and setting,
good food, friendly service, well-kept rooms and
value for money. Highly recommended. ANDRÉ J VAN LOON