Comedy and violence co-exist happily in this delightful first novel about a group of weekend bird watchers who themselves become the objects of scrutiny.

Written in the form of bird Watchers’ journals, the characters are introduced individually, their distinctive features listed as if they too are birds. Their colourful plumage, raucous behaviour, underlying tendencies towards violence, their abnormalities, eccentricities and even their mating habits are all recorded.