A short time in Albania 29th April - 4th May 2004

• Latin. A dead language you say. I agree, except in one key area: - bird names. So why did I spend a couple of happy days in Albanian wetlands speaking Latin? The European Commission, or more specifically a friend who works for the Delegation of the European Commission and knowing my interest in wildlife phoned up Taulant Bino, a man who has the privilege of being Albania's only professional ornithologist.....Robert Butlin reports

A short trip to Albania 28 May to 3 June 2003

• A University friend is now working for the European Commission in Tirana extended an invitation to me to travel to Albania to see him. This note is a short resumé of the bird life seen in Albania...Robert Butlin reports

Collins Bird Guide
Lars Svensson et al: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• Described by some as the best field guide in the world, and 15 years in the making. Has it been Worth the Wait?...Yes definately! If you buy just 1 book a year then make sure that its this one. Stunning drawings by the worlds finest bird illustrators..and it shows..check out the plates on tern, Skuas, and the Ducks...not forgetting the Finches and Crossbills.

The Complete Guide to the Birdlife of Britain & Europe
Rob Hume, Peter Hayman (Illustrator): Buy from Amazon.co.uk

• This is quite simply the best illustrated guide to Europe's birds that I have seen. Every bird is pictured at least five times (and sometimes twenty times) in varying poses within its habitat. Seeing the birds in context, really gives this book the edge.
  The text , written by an expert, is concise, thorough and up to date. Many of the recent splits are included. The likes of Yelkouan Shearwater and Southern Grey Shrike are illustrated superbly for perhaps the first time in any recent guide.
  More than a field guide, the book is coffee table size, and certainly deserves to be in the collection of every serious bird watcher.
  

• This guide to Albania and Kosovo gives advice on: security and travelling conditions, where to stay and eat, communications and health and local values and customs. It also features descriptions of places of historical and cultural interest and directs readers to areas of dramatic natural beauty. It includes explanations of the complex history and society of Albania and Kosovo from international authorities on the Balkan region.