Spectacular Britain: A spotter's guide to the UK's most amazing natural phenomena

by Kevin Sene

Overview

From the Northern Lights to whirling coastal birds, and sunken villages to the annual deer rut, the UK is home to some of the world's finest natural spectacles. With this guide and a little luck, you too can experience the magic of seeing something truly extraordinary.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: THE OWPG OUTDOOR BOOK AWARDS

Start planning your spectacular year with the help of this practical guide to the UK's most magical natural phenomena. This guide shows you when and where to go, and how to maximise your chances of a sighting, as well as explaining why these amazing spectacles occur in the first place.

Sections cover:

- Space: meteor showers, eclipses and supermoons, Northern Lights

- Weather: hidden currents, mountain waves, named winds

- Tides: tidal bores, tidal races, low tide walks

- Land: autumn colours, wildflower displays, rutting deer

- Rivers and lakes: salmon runs, sunken villages, waterfall wonders

- Coast: wheeling waterbirds, seabird cities, seal pups

Each spectacle is graded according to how easy it is to spot, and the author gives expert tips on achieving the best sighting. Scientific insights describe the astronomical, meteorological and ecological causes of events, which are brought to life through the stories of the people who know them best, from the glider pilots who ride mountain waves to the King's Guides who help people navigate the dangerous sands of Morecombe Bay.

This is your starting point for some truly phenomenal adventures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781844866342
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Kevin Sene is a keen hillwalker and photographer based in Edinburgh with a scientific background in water and climate. He has written three scientific books on the links between climate, floods and water resources and guides on the Mersey Estuary, tidal bores and the Cumbria and Lake District coast. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Meteorological Society and is an Honorary Researcher at Lancaster University. He has worked and travelled extensively in Europe, Africa and Asia.

His website is:

www.meteowriter.com

Table of Contents

Introduction

Space

1 Meteor showers

2 Eclipses and supermoons

3 Northern Lights

Weather

4 Hidden currents

5 Mountain waves

6 Named winds

Tides

7 Tidal bores

8 Tidal races

9 Low tide walks

Land

10 Autumn colours

11 Wildflower displays

12 Rutting deer

Rivers and lakes

13 Salmon runs

14 Sunken villages

15 Waterfall wonders

Coast

16 Whirling waterbirds

17 Seabird cities

18 Seal pups

Spectacle sighting record

Index

Further reading

Acknowledgements

Credits

Editorial Reviews

This practical guide features more than 20 natural spectacles around the UK with expert tips on how to achieve the best sightings, and insight into the astronomical, meteorological and ecological causes of events.” —The Nothern Echo

“Lakes and mountains may be the first features people think of when naming Cumbria's natural phenomena, but author and photographer Kevin Sene can offer many more.” —Cumbria Life

“This fascinating and well-designed book focuses on twenty amazing British natural phenomena … Very enjoyable.” —Scottish Field

From the Publisher