Page 36 - Oundle Life July 2023

BOOK REVIEW
Call of the Kingfisher
A beautifully observed book that reminds us of the magic and importance of connecting with nature, Call of the Kingfisher is an enchanting love letter to a short stretch of river and all the wild things that live there, especially the kingfishers.
A composer and wildlife
recordist, Nick Penny has
walked the footpath by the
River Nene near his home at
Oundle for four decades. But
a chance encounter with a
kingfisher on New Year’s Day
inspires him to observe the
waterway and woods nearby
more closely. The more he looks and listens, the more he sees and hears a fresh.
In Call of the Kingfisher, he relates a year
by the river interweaving his own deepening connection with the wildlife on his doorstep with explorations of local history and landscape. From the precious song of nightingales to recording the dawn chorus among the bluebells, Nick introduces the concept of soundscapes
and soundwalks reflecting on the importance
of birdsong when so much of modern life is affected by noise pollution. He visits Roman and Bronze Age sites, watermills and centuries-old
stone churches, and rediscovers the work of inspirational nature writers and conservationists over the centuries – from Gilbert White and John Clare to Dame Miriam Rothschild and Sir Peter Scott (who developed his love for nature while at Oundle School).
Written with a musician’s ear, this is an insightful, lyrical book about what can be seen and heard when we approach nature with patience and curiosity. It celebrates people who have used that focus to help preserve wildlife and pass on their knowledge to future
generations. Above all, Call of the Kingfisher is an invitation to appreciate the beauty of nature, even in the most ordinary places, and to use our ears as much as our eyes when we experience the natural world.
The book includes a QR code that gives access to high-quality wildlife recordings made by the author along the River Nene.
Nick Penny (nickpenny.com)
Published by Bradt Guides 13th July 2023 | Paperback Original £9.99
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