Feathers and Eggshells
The Bird Journal of a Young London Girl
Natalie Lawrence, Brambleby Books, 2014
The author already had a passion for wild birds as a teenager. Here she takes us on an extended tour of her favourite bird watching area - Hampstead Heath in London, a haven for wildlife. From the mating dance of the Great Crested Grebe to the delicacy of the Treecreeper's beak, she reveals the beauty and diversity of the local bird life using her own drawings and photographs, prose and poetry.
This is a jewel of a book, the kind of small volume that all bird lovers will surely wish to own, indeed treasure. It reveals a wealth of beautiful things, and as such, is an inspiration for young and old alike.
Feathers and Eggshells was a book which came about when I met the Nicola Loxdale of Brambleby Books while being interviewed by Steve Backshall for the opening of National Insect Week at the Natural History Museum in London. We took a project that I had put together for Hampstead Heath’s Springett Prize and turned it into a book to inspire children with a passion for birds.
Reviews of Feathers and Eggshells
'This book sees Natalie's skills blossoming. It reveals a strong artistic streak that enables her to depict in illustrations, photographs and poetry what she sees with imagination and clarity. Most of all, it is a love affair with the place and the wildlife that have enchanted her since she was a child. I hope you too will be inspired by the heartfelt passion of Feathers and Eggshells.'
Derek Niemann
RSPB
'I absolutely loved everything about this book and only wish that it had been around to inspire me as a young teenager.'
Jenny Steel
Ecologist and writer
