The Screaming Sky by Carles Foster

 

I noticed this book while browsing the tables in the Hillbillies Bookstore in Gairloch.  The author's name struck a cord and I remember reading 'Being a Beast' some years ago on the recommendation of a friend.  That was an extraordinary read about how he, by way of experiment lived as a badger.  I opened the book, read a few lines and went to the paying desk.

The writing was the main draw.  I just love and revel in good writing: for me it is reward enough in itself.  By the same token I have given up on books that are seemingly written without any inspiration of style; this may be quite apart from the interest in the content.

The author confesses to being obsessed with Swifts.  He travels the world at the drop of a hat to sit and watch Swifts in far flung places from southern Europe through central Africa to the far south of that continent.  I was not expecting to learn about Swifts but I did.  And I learned much about this incredible species in a very easy and enjoyable way.  Charles feeds the reader information about Swifts that he has gleaned through extensive reading of scientific papers but does so through the rich and enthralling narrative.

We learn a lot about the author's psyche and he comes across as a very emotional character with many vulnerabilities.  He clearly has a very keen intelligence and also has great self-awareness.  He walks a very fine line while speculating on what the birds may be feeling while managing to avoid the trap of anthropomorphism.  The text is amusing while the humour is light.

Current scientific tools such as geolocators and satellite trackers have given us a wealth of new and often unexpected information about many wild creatures in recent decades.  Despite this there is still much that is not understood when it comes to enigmatic and unusual species like the Swift.  Charles is clearly fascinated by these gaps in our knowledge and understanding and highlights these alongside the recent facts and hypotheses that have emerged.

These days I rarely gravitate towards the Nature Writing section in bookshops.  There's just something about the idea of reading about nature in that rather wooly way that I want to withdraw from;  rather I want to actually experienc nature in a very direct way.  It sometimes feels as if writers have a Nature Writing mission.  It did not feel this way with this book; I didn't feel as if I was being told about Nature: I felt as if the author was writing about his experiences and feelings - not so much for my benefit but more just to express his own enthusiasm, joy and ultimately his obsession.

This is a very special book written in a very special way about an even more special species of bird that has captured the imaginations of many of us.