Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to British Birds

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The US National Book Award winning novelist has written a number of birding related articles for The New Yorker, although this writer seems to be annoyed that he is the ‘public face of birding’ in their opinion. Bill Oddie

Bailey takes us on a journey around the British Isles, zooming in on those birds that enthuse him the most. Whether it's what they eat, where they fly to or how they communicate, these birds are always fascinating, and he introduces us to their weird and wonderful ways in a manner that is always entertaining. IMDB used to credit Bill as being in this film, and many people seem to be under the impression that he appeared as a zombie – probably confusing him with one of the two bald, beard-sporting zombie twins that feature prominently. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright confirm on the DVD commentary that he was unfortunately busy with other commitments at the time, so could not have a role. When herons are spooked they have a habit of vomiting as a defence. Half-digested pieces of eel and water vole skull on your head is not a good look. Just so you know.'Bailey has been performing regularly in New Zealand since 1996 on his Space Jam tour. In the more than 20 years since, he has returned often, performing Bewilderness; Part Troll; Tinselworm; Dandelion Mind; Qualmpeddler; Limboland. He was last here for hissold-out 2016 tour Larks in Transit. He is having his picture taken in his garden, which is half zen-style light grey gravel and half astroturf. Visible through a circular partition – a Japanese moon gate, as Bailey explains – is a shed with a recording studio in it. More intriguingly, on one side of the garden is another narrow shed, its contents shielded from view by silver foil and bubble wrap. I remain a big fan of The Clash, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads David Byrne of course..I was a hopeless devotee of Chrissie Hynde for many years – I do like a bit of twiddly but followed by something loud, like the Queens of the Stone Age, or Sugar..then quiet again with Yo La Tengo and a smidgen of Javanese Gamelan…then wistful with Beth Orton…then off again with the Chilli Peppers… In the car CD at the moment is PJ Harvey, Snow Patrol and The Streets…Top Geeza! My most recent gig I attended was Kraftwerk which was magnificent.” I think they stay hidden unless you attempt to rescue a goose and then they springinto action, 'right, take him down'." olin muidugi sunnitud võtma ette eestikeelsete linnunimede andmebaasi ja endale tabeli tegema, sest ega ma ikka ei teadnud küll, et bittern on hüüp ja dipper vesipapp, näiteks. siin sain ka selgust, mis vahe on viul, tuuletallajal, kalakotkal, rabapistrikul ja puna-harksabal (klge, Eestis vist ei ole puna-harksaba? elus pole enne kuulnud seda nime. jääb mulle seega igaveseks meelde kui sõna, mille õppisin enne ära kõmri kui eesti keeles. barcud coch, pole tänu väärt). enne olid nad kõik mu jaoks ühed kullid kõik.

Yes. Last year I walked The Ridgeway, which is the oldest road in Europe. It runs from near Tring in Hertfordshire down to the Avebury stone circle. It’s brilliant and has become one of my favourite routes. I often go up there now on the train to do a couple of sections. Weirdly I didn't watch the match because I was at the zookeeper's symposium. We were out on the terrace of the Palace of Westminster, watching a cormorant eating an eel –an extraordinary sight.It was all very nice and civilised butevery time England scored you could hear the muffled cry somewhere."I've seen kiwi, wonderful birds, I love keas –they're probably my favourite bird in the whole word, so gorgeous and cheeky. There is a falcon Iwant to try and see and various other beautiful looking things. I'll be on the lookout," he says.

Yes, the Baileys are registered, accredited members of the British and Irish Association of Zookeepers and Aquariums. I have been tempted to just sit down and, in my kids terminology, 'drill it out', but instead I have restricted myself to two birds a night and I am enjoying it all the more for it. In 2020, Strictly Come Dancing called. Partnered with Oti Mabuse, Bailey might not have looked like a traditional dancer, but made up for it with enthusiasm and, as the competition wore on, increasingly impressive routines. The BBC One Saturday night audience discovered what Bailey fans have always known; that beneath his somewhat shambolic exterior, there is a virtuoso with a perfect sense of rhythm and timing. This is a beginners guide more than anything else, Bill recommends starting bird-watching by try to find a pigeon, so if you know anybody showing an interest in birds then this will be a great gift for them. My youngest daughter is going to read this next and I think she’ll enjoy it mainly because of the interesting gruesome facts included, a bit like the horrible histories books. Premiership Rugby Union: Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs, 2.30pm, ITV1/TNT Sports 1 The fifth round of fixtures, at Franklin’s Gardens.

And the supposedly famous birders I’m not sure about…

I'm always worrying about the bears. They just stand around going, 'Look at that hairy bloke staring at us.'" Bailey himself has stayed remarkably clear of censure, impressive in a career of more than 30 years, perhaps because his default mode is silliness. Which isn’t to say he’s not political. As a life-long Labour voter, he says he is more optimistic about Keir Starmer than he was about his predecessor. Politics is so difficult, particularly now, and really you want someone who is competent and disinterested, a dedicated public servant who’s acting for the good of the people of Britain,” he adds. “ I don’t recognise the Tories now. At least you used to know who stood for what. They were a bit more frugal and you could trust them. That seems to have gone out of the window. Even Thatcher liked Europe. They’re a very strange lot.” As the son of a doctor and a nurse, he is amazed by the nurse strikes. “It’s extraordinary the nurses have been put in this position,” he says. “The fact they’re there is proof of how intransigent the government is. My mum was an NHS nurse. It’s a tough job. They should be paid a fair wage.”