Pine Martens (second edition)
Described by some as ’the Pine Marten Bible’, this acclaimed book delivers comprehensive, up to date information on pine martens in an entertainingly light-hearted style. Via a quirky blend of humour and science we are led through the species’ ‘Horrendous History’ in Britain and Ireland towards a cautiously optimistic concluding chapter on ‘Pine martens, forestry and climate breakdown’. We learn about the pine marten’s ten close relatives within the ‘Martes Complex' (including the troublesome stone marten that destroys car components in Continetal Europe); we delve into the species’ ecology and behaviour - with details presented clearly in boxed sections, charts and tables - and gain insights into its interactions with humans and other animals, including its emerging role in grey squirrel control. Drawing upon three decades of involvement with this charming mammal in Britain and Ireland, as well as his many international contacts, Johnny Birks provides personal insights into the challenges of studying and conserving pine martens across their Eurasian range: from designing den boxes to satisfy the exacting requirements of breeding females, through the technicolour world of scat surveys and the secrets they reveal, to the hope provided by pine marten recovery supported by translocations and reintroductions. The book is enriched by Antony Griffiths' drawings and cheeky cartoons, and by Terry Whittaker’s remarkable photographs.
Johnny Birks has extensively updated his acclaimed and comprehensive study of pine martens. With numbers now recovering after a close brush with extinction, the pine marten lifts our spirits by bucking the trend of nature loss in Britain and Ireland. In his entertainingly light-hearted style, Johnny describes in detail what is now known about pine marten ecology and behaviour and explores the different forces that drove its decline and recent recovery. He reports on research and conservation action from these islands and across its Eurasian range and tells heart-warming tales of people’s encounters as they learn to appreciate the pine marten’s impish charms and tolerate its mischief.
Johnny Birks has been actively involved in pine marten research and conservation for more than thirty years. Although now supposed to be retired, he stills travels northward and westward each year to study pine martens.
“Well, when it arrived for review I looked at the cover and thought ‘That is nice’. I then began to read the book, and it is quite simply super. The pencil drawings are beautiful, the cartoons are cheesily amusing as you would expect, Terry Whittaker’s photographs are splendid, and the montage of pine marten scats is ‘art house’ sublime…
“…For the very many people who have an interest in pine martens, this is the book for you. If you are a mammalogist or natural historian then it is also a must-read. For the loves of lost species or rewilders it is just great. If you simply want a wry, wildlife yarn as you sit on a wet day next to the Aga with your cocoa as the rain smacks like grapeshot off your window panes, then, yes, buy it – it will make you feel even cosier.”
Derek Gow, British Wildlife journal, Vol 29, Number 5, June 2018
ISBN 978 0 90548397 9
Publisher Whittet Books
Author Johnny Birks
Illustrator Antony Griffiths
Photographer Terry Whittaker
Format 210mm x 148mm Hardback
Extent 216 pages