The County Avifaunas are a growing series giving full details of thestatus and range of every species recorded in the county in question.Each title covers all species on the county list, with a detailedbreakdown of rarity records, and each has introductory sectionsdescribing the county's general ecology, climate, weather patterns, itsornithological history and conservation record.Essex is of national and international importance to many migrating andwintering wildfowl and waders, which can be found on the estuaries.Further inland, the Lea Valley harbours important populations ofseveral species within the complex of reservoirs and gravel-pits.Elsewhere, the diverse habits of woodland and parkland, heaths andcommons, agricultural land and urban areas mean that at all times ofyear there is the opportunity to see upwards of 100 species in a daywith little effort. This book analyses and summarises all the datacollated and documented over the last 200 years and includes availablerecords to the end of 2004. Introductory chapters discuss the geologyand habitats of Essex and the amazing fossil bird record. Theindividual accounts provide an up-to-date status of each species andpatterns of occurrence within Essex. A distribution map is included formost breeding species. A breakdown and analysis are provided for allcounty rarities. Superb line drawings and photographs illustratethe book, all by talented local artists and photographers. This book isan essential reference for anybody who has watched birds in thisamazing county.