BookReview
TV's Iolo Williams picks some of his favourite nature spots
WILD PLACES UK – THE UK’S TOP 40 NATURE SITES IOLO WILLIAMS, SERIN, £19.99
This is a follow-up to Iolo’s last book - Wild Places: Wales' Top 40 Nature Sites – where he covered some of the top Welsh places in which to see wildlife.
So, don’t worry, the new book is not 39 sites in Wales and one in Scotland ( he is passionate about his home nation). The map shows a wide distribution around the UK and yes, before you ask, there are a few in Wales!
As Iolo says in his introduction, it is hard to pick 40 sites out of hundreds that could be covered, and some you may not agree with, as we all have our own favourites.
The book starts in the north, with Shetland, misses out Orkney, and has several around Speyside where Iolo guides for the Grant Arms Hotel and where his latest Springwatch reports come from. The community wood at Anagach is also a favourite of mine, and hopefully the people of Grantown appreciate having such a wood for the town. Balranald is one of those reserves where you can have a bucketful of birds depending on the weather, as it has amazing seawatching in May, when the Long-tailed and Pomarine Skuas pass by on a south-west wind; so it’s good to see both featured.
Iolo writes about Mull as a single location, not picking out individual sites to view. The island is full of wildlife, with the seas brimming with cetaceans, and even the smaller islands around its edge vary in habitat from grasslands to seabird colonies; not to mention the many eagles and amazing geology!
Islay does not get the same treatment, with Loch Gruinart the chosen location, but seabird colonies are well covered, with St Kilda, Bass Rock, Farne Islands, Bempton, Rathlin Island and his own Skomer and Skokholm all featured. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust manage three locations, and, of course, RSPB reserves feature within its pages.
Both the Yorkshire Dales Limestone area and Upper Teesdale are included for their plantlife, along with the Lizard Peninsula, Ballaurgh Curragh and parts of the write-ups of many other wildlife sites. Most habitats are catered for by one location or another, and all are covered with photos of the habitat, along with a favourite bird or animal species found on it.
Each entry includes a survey of what is to be found there, a brief description of the facilities, and directions to reach the site. Iolo's many fans will love having this book in their collection.