Ken Hall has lived near Bristol from shortly after graduating from its university. He has thoroughly explored the surrounding areas over many years, and has taken part in many nationally- and locally-organised surveys of the birds of the region. These include the BTO's Breeding Bird Atlases, their local offshoots for Somerset and for Avon, and surveys of some of the Somerset Wildlife Trust's reserves on the Mendip Hills. A member of the Bristol Ornithological Club since its foundation, he has served on its Committee for long periods, including having held the post of Chairman, and is also one of the team that compiles the Avon Bird Report.In addition to these more local birding activities, he has travelled widely in the Americas, Africa and Europe, with a particular interest in the birds of Spain and France, and has led privately-organised trips to both countries on several occasions. He is the representative in the UK, on a voluntary basis, for the LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux), the RSPB's equivalent in France.

All three counties' best birding spots get excellent coverage, with detailed descriptions of each site... There's lots of practical information as well as birding content. There are clear but very useful maps, too, making it an invaluable resource for anyone birdwatching in these counties.

• Key to SitesIntroductionUsing this Book1 Exmoor2 Porlock, Hurlstone Point & Minehead#3 Dunster Forest & Croydon HIll4 Dunster Beach5 Wimbleball Lake6 Clatworthy Reservoir7 Langford Heathfield8 The Blackdown Hills9 The Quantok Hills10 Chard Reservoir11 Sutton Bingham Reservoir12 Ashford Reservoir13 Steart Marshes & Bridgwater Bay14 Durleigh Reservoir15 Bridgwater Brickpits16 The Somerset Levelsa) West Sedgemoor, Curry & Aller Moorsb) Wet Moor & Witcombe Bottomc) Central Levels, including Greylake, King's Sedge Moor & Great Breach Woodd) Ham Wall & the Avalon Marshese) Westhay, Tealham and Tadham Moors17 Berrow18 Brean Down19 The Axe Estuary20 Steep Holm21 Cheddar Reservoir22 The Mendip HIlls23 Torr Reservoir24 Orchardleigh Lake & Rodden NR25 Chew Valley Lake26 Litton Reservoirs27 Compton Dando Area28 Blagdon Lake29 Barrow Gurney Reservoirs30 Goblin Combe31 Backwell Lake32 Sand Point33 Clevedon/Yeo Estuary34 Gordano Valley & Portbury Wharf35 Leigh Woods & the Avon Gorge36 City of Bristol37 Marshfield38 Severnside39 Lower Woods, with Inglestone and Chipping Sodbury Commons40 Oldbury-on-Severn41 The West Bank of the Severn42 The Forest of Dean & the Wye Valleya) The Forest of Deanb) Tidenham Chasec) The Wye Valley & Symonds Yat43 Walmore Common44 Highnam Woods45 May Hill & Newent Woods46 Slimbridge & the New Grounds47 Frampton-on-Severn48 Ashleworth Ham & Coombe Hill Canal49 The Severn & Avon Valleys50 The Central Cotsworld Scarp51 Pittville Park52 Cleeve Hill & Common53 Guilting Wood54 Bourton Pits55 Chedworth & Withington Woods56 Cirencester Park, Overly, Oakley & Hailey Woods57 The Cotswold Scarp South58 The Cotswold Water Park59 Blakehill Farm60 Woodlands west of Swindon61 Coate Water62 Other sights in and around Swindon63 Marlborough & Fyfield Downs64 The Kennet Valley east of Marlborough65 Savernake Forest66 Wilton Water & Jone's Mill67 Collingbourne & Coldridge Woods68 West Woods69 Bowood & Spye Parks70 Corsham Lake71 The By Brook72 Woodlands near Trowbridge & Westbury73 Westbury Ponds74 Smallbrook Meadows75 Shearwater Lake & Woods & Southleigh Wood76 Woodlands of the Somerset/Wiltshire border77 Salisbury Plain Army Ranges78 Langford Lakes79 Grovely and Great Ridge Woods80 Fonthill Lake81 The Avon south of Salisbury82 Bentley Wood & Blackmoor Copse83 Woodlands fringing the New ForestList of Organisations, with Abbreviations Used in the TextKey to Map SymbolsCode of Conduct for BirdwatchersAcknowledgements