If you're a fan of Simon Barnes' writing ('How to Be a Bad Birdwatcher' and 'A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion') then you won't want to miss his latest article Bad Birdwatching - Just Look Out the Window (published at the Times Online). For anyone unfamiliar with Simon Barnes' writing, he single-handedly dispelled the myth that to be a birdwatcher requires some ethereal level of ornithological expertise:

"How do you become a bad birdwatcher? Look out of the window. See a bird. Feel a moment’s of pleasure in the sight: feel your heart take wing with the bird: and you are a birdwatcher. Fully qualified. The rest is only a matter of degree." ~ Simon Barnes

His second book, 'A Bad Birdwatcher’s Companion', has recently been released in audio format and includes clips of bird songs to help you learn to recognize the calls of each species discussed in the book. Audio excerpts from the book are available at the Times Online website:

• The Robin
• The Blackbird
• The Wren
• The Chaffinch
• The Thrush