If you’ve done something really, really bad and you wish to atone for your sins there are several things you can do: you could wear a hair shirt for a month, you could walk naked through Canterbury on a market day whilst self-flagellating and proclaiming your sins or you could read this book. In retrospect I think I would have preferred to have suffered the walk of shame, at least that would have been a more interesting way to spend my time. There have been several books about twitching in Britain in the past, some interesting and exciting, others so full of inaccuracies that they were better off in the fiction section. And, I must admit, I do like reading tales of twitching; as someone who used to be an active twitcher, I understand the thrill of seeing something new, the logistics of getting there and the obsession required to reach the far-flung corners of Britain (and, in this case, Ireland) at the drop of a hat. I am also fascinated by the characters involved – some are great bird-finders; some rely on the next piece of rare-bird news to plan their day; some are from well-paid jobs with understanding bosses; some have understanding partners and supportive friends; while for others there’s an element of ‘sneaking in’ the twitching between other aspects of their life. Many of the people and places named in this book are familiar to me from my days living in the UK. Garry Bagnell looks for a shorelark at Great Yarmouth. Unsuccessful sightings are known as 'dips'. Photograph: Andrew Testa/The Washington Post

Twitching by Numbers: twenty-four years of chasing uncommon birds round Britain and Eire by Garry Bagnell is self printed. I had by no means heard of a foam get together till I learn this e-book – perhaps I ought to get out extra, or perhaps not. Innuendo and/or explicit images were also a mainstay of the Carry On and Confessions of movies that were popular in the 1980s and before. Encountering rare birds is amazing, I’ll never forget coming across a grounded little auk in a public park and if I ever look out at my mum’s bird table and see a rose coloured starling I’d probably be at serious risk of cardiac arrest from excitement. But instead of seeing something that’s wandered on to your local patch you travel hundreds of miles to see it then I feel that the experience is a bit devalued. All the same twitching is a far less damaging way to be obsessive about birds than standing in a butt and try to shoot as many as possible that have been driven towards you by a bored teenager looking for beer money. KEEN birder Gary Bagnell has pledged to rewrite sections of his first book after it came under fire on social media.But mostly, and overwhelmingly, this is a book about twitching – the fieldsport of rushing around trying to see rare birds to add to your lifelong list of wild birds seen in Britain and Ireland. Like most sports, twitching will seem entirely pointless to the vast majority of people. Who cares that Scotland beat England at rugby recently? Quite a few, including me. And who cares that Garry Bagnell has seen 553 bird species in Britain and Ireland (which puts him way behind Steve Gantlett on an estimated 590 species)? Quite a few people and they are mostly men. Do I care? Not deeply, but I am certainly interested in this book because it is a very clear description of the fieldsport of twitching from the viewpoint of a keen exponent. The cover? Gives a good idea of what the book contains. The book is illustrated by the author and, although infinitely better than I could do myself, the illustrations are all quite good, but not tip top. The Ovenbird gives a fair idea of the quality of illustrations. I’d give it 6/10. I had never heard of a foam party until I read this book – maybe I should get out more, or maybe not. The desk close to the again of this e-book which lists the High 10 listers in Britain and Eire in 1987 and now (two names seem in each lists) is fascinating. You’d have been on the prime of the record in 1987, apart Ron Johns, in the event you had seen a paltry (I jest!) 463 species whereas now Steve Gantlett’s estimated 590 species leads all of them. Twitching is a lifetime marathon and because the writer factors out you’ll must spend 4 a long time at it, and pretty obsessively at it, to face any probability of a prime 10 rating. All of the names within the two lists are males – who may have guessed?

He hasn’t wasted a second of his life because he is also an authority on aircraft and a county standard chess player I met an individual at work who introduced me into his hardcore world of Birdwatching called "Twitching". I'm blown away with how popular my book is and I've had over 50 people sending me private/public messages of how much they have enjoyed the book so far. Here are some of public messages.A term coined in the 1960s to describe the jaw-rattling sound of chasing after rare birds on rumbling motorbikes, "twitchers" are narrowly defined as bird-watchers willing to drop everything to chase a sighting. More broadly, it includes those who see a bird within a few days of an urgent bulletin. Birdspotter This author has written a brutally honest and in-depth account of his life and hobby. This version, dubbed the '18+ edition' in some quarters, is compulsive reading from the start. We are talking about a book written by Gary Bagnell, not Shakespeare or Jane Austen, although it is clear those who are "unhappy" appear to have read the publication from cover to cover - surely a cure for insomnia This book (and I use the term book loosely) should have been allowed to fail as it’s contents clearly deserves. Unfortunately the continuing observations (this post included) draws attention to a publication which rightly should to be consigned to the bin of history ASAP. However principally, and overwhelmingly, it is a e-book about twitching – the fieldsport of speeding round attempting to see uncommon birds so as to add to your lifelong record of untamed birds seen in Britain and Eire. Like most sports activities, twitching will appear completely pointless to the overwhelming majority of individuals. Who cares that Scotland beat England at rugby just lately? Fairly a couple of, together with me. And who cares that Garry Bagnell has seen 553 hen species in Britain and Eire (which places him approach behind Steve Gantlett on an estimated 590 species)? Fairly a couple of folks and they’re principally males. Do I care? Not deeply, however I’m definitely on this e-book as a result of it’s a very clear description of the fieldsport of twitching from the perspective of a eager exponent.

Peter Just finished reading. This book provides a fascinating detailed insight into the life of one the UK's top Twitchers covering the years from 1999 upto the present date covering over 200 twitches over this period and the stories behind each one. The passion that Garry has for his love of his family and twitching are second to none. It also contains some fantastic illustrations all done by the author. An easy reading style that is hard to put down. A top read for anyone interestedin birds , and will certainly help to motivate aspiring list keepers. Fantastic. The book takes you through the various twitching adventures in the British Isles and aspects of my private life. There are 640 different bird species that been recorded in a wild state in Britain and Ireland. I've categorised these species into rarity value and my book describes the adventures of seeing 218 of them. 57 of these are so rare that it would take anywhere from 10 years to eternity to repeat. In other countries, the world of birdwatching may be a largely gentle place ruled by calm, binocular-toting souls who patiently wait for their reward. But in Britain, it can be a truly savage domain, a nest of intrigue, fierce rivalries and legal disputes. Fluttering somewhere between sport and passion, it can leave in its path a grim tableau of ruined marriages, traffic chaos and pride, both wounded and stoked.Perhaps he ought to publish two editions - the revised sanitised version and the original, the latter to contain a warning on the cover that some of its content may cause offence to certain readers. This is simply a religion. Belief systems, priests telling everyone what to say or think, salvation by doing and saying the right things, all heading towards utopia (which we never seem to arrive at!). In the wake of the uproar, Mr Bagnell (55), an accountant, of Southwater in West Sussex, has both apologised for any upset he has caused and indicated that he now intends to rewrite his book, self-censoring the sections that have caused such offence.