Galapagos Diary : A complete guide to the archipelago's birdlife

Mysterious, remote, and home to many strange and marvellous creatures, the Galapagos archipelago is a bird watchers'' paradise.

Here one can find penguins on the Equator, the flightless cormorant, the renowned finches who played a role in Charles Darwin''s theories of evolution, and many other species, some found nowhere else in the world. In Galapagos Diary, renowned illustrator Hermann Heinzel pairs with wildlife photographer Barnaby Hall to capture in words and images the stunning birds and other wildlife of the Galapagos Islands.

The first half of the book provides an overall tour of the islands, describing in words, illustrations, and photographs the range of habitats and wildlife to be found there. The authors highlight the strange behaviour and breeding strategies of the archipelago''s land and sea birds with alluring and often amusing images.

The second half of the book is a detailed field guide with sketches as well as finished paintings, photographs, and maps.Galapagos Diary contains vibrant images and informative text on every page, along with detailed and highly descriptive field notes, moving this volume beyond conventional field guides. Hermann Heinzel''s enthusiasm and skill shine through in these beautifully written notes on all the Galapagos birds including the extremely rare and endangered Dark-rumped Petrel and the Mangrove Finch.

Concluding the book is a checklist of all the birds so that bird watchers and natural history enthusiasts visiting this magnificent island archipelago can record their personal observations. Armchair naturalists alike will thrill to the vivid illustrations of the unusual creatures the inhabit these islands, and to the engaging and insightful text that transports us to the Galapagos, once known as the ''Enchanted Isles.''