A Passion for Birds
I turned the page. [...] “I have amazing news for you – and indeed for every bird-lover in the country,” he whispered. [...] It was my first day at Junior school and I had picked a book from the library shelves to read. An adventure story about Bee-eaters. It was September 1957.
Fast forward around six decades and from Bath to North Wales ...
Idly browsing books at an Antiques Fair last year, I came across a book that nagged at my memory. It couldn’t be could it! The self same book. Well probably not exactly the same book but - Hooray Hurrah!
found again
a long-lost book
my childhood
[...] “As I suspected, the birds you saw and which I have been watching for fifteen minutes are Bee-eater.” [...]
I have never, ever, seen a Bee-eater 1. But it was these birds or at least this story about them that kindled a lifelong passion for birds. The book was ‘The Fourth Key’ the last of the Michael and Mary stories 2 by Malcolm Saville.
Like many of his stories, this one had a basis in fact. For he describes in his foreword how three friends came across Bee-eaters “a mile or two from the South Downs” in Sussex at the end of July 1955: It was hard to keep the birds from being worried by enthusiastic bird-watchers during the next few weeks, and although the secret was fairly well kept volunteers helped to keep curious crowds away from the nesting-sites until the baby birds had flown.
While the book was the beginning of a lifelong (selfish) passion for birds, my new-found passion, of writing haiku about them, is perhaps, really the beginning - of something I was always meant to do. I’m only sorry (well a little bit) that it’s taken so long ...
Though one day I’d still love to see a Bee-eater!
Author Notes
Leonard Malcolm Saville (1901-1982) was an English author born in Hastings, Sussex. He is best known for the Lone Pine series of children’s books, many of which are set in Shropshire. His work emphasises location, and the books including many vivid descriptions of English countryside, villages and sometimes towns.
Footnotes
- There’s hope yet - last year a flock of 13 colourful Bee-eaters were spotted on the Llyn Peninsula - only a short drive from home
- Michael and Mary live with their widowed mother and her brother. It is set in Sussex where the family have moved. They befriend a lonely young girl, help to protect a rare nesting pair of birds, and discover hidden treasure.
This haiku was inspired in part by a recent blog post by Colin Blundell in which he wrote … “I must have read Living by Zen by DT Suzuki before – it has the usual neat pencil underlinings. I found it in the remotest dark corner of a bookcase in a passageway under which moths have a permanent hidey-hole. I determined to rescue it and give it renewed attention so it wouldn’t feel neglected. I’m like that about books! They have a life of their own.”
https://colinblundell.com/2021/02/19/living-by-zen/
Here is a variation of my haiku …
leafing thro’
a half-remembered book
my childhood
As a devout bird watcher, this book must have been a real find for you. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. Sounds like a good one
It was a lovely adventure book for young kids which I enjoyed at the time and loved reading it again – all these years later
Sounds like a great series! When I discovered my passion for birds, I felt that I’d uncovered my true self. Also, I’m so grateful that you write haiku!
Thank you for your kind words, Cathy. I was so into this book that I didn’t hear the headmistress come into the room – so I got into trouble for not paying attention! It’s great that you also have a passion for birds. And that you continue to like my haiku! Best Wishes 😊
I read those Malcolm Saville Lone Pine books too. I remember lapwings featuring somewhere, but not bee-eaters.
Thanks Josie, yes I remember the Lone Pine Series, mostly set in Shropshire I think but the action does move to different parts of England including Sussex, Dartmoor, Suffolk, Yorkshire and London. I particularly remember ‘The Gay Dolphin’ set in Rye. The one about Bee-eater was part of a separate series for younger children.
The Gay Dolphin Adventure on Children’s Hour! Before your time I imagine, Clive! It was a long series by which was captivated
Only just before my time Colin! There were some great radio shows broadcast back then (and no TV!).
Now I don’t remember those books Clive but my favourite Manchester aunt used to visit us here in NI and it was because of her that I found a love of birds. I give thanks to all the birds who sing every day, who I may never see, but who lift my spirits with their songs.
Oh absolutely Ashley we would all be a lot worse off without them. Thanks 😊
What a wonderful, happy discovery! Some years ago I discovered a childhood book that I had been trying to identify for years and remember the thrill of finding the elusive author. It is amazing the impact these early loves have. I have never read him, but will now seek him out. I am very glad too that you have now turned to haiku. I love how the weight of “my childhood” falls on the last line.
Thanks Deborah, I don’t know which came first birds or books but just as I can spend hours watching birds I can get lost for even longer in a good book especially if it’s about birds! I never really had the eye or patience for painting but I’m loving writing haiku. Glad you found your elusive childhood book too 😊
Ah Clive, I very recently tracked down this book. It’s set in my old stomping ground and I used to love Malcolm Saville’s Lone Pine books as a child. But what had me seeking this one out was the bee-eaters. I have been lucky enough to see them in S Africa; beautiful birds!
Glad you were able to find it Sandra. I spent years and years sporadically looking for it. Not helped by not knowing the name of the author or the title or even the story except that it was about bee-eaters. I had more or less given up hope of ever finding it – until there it was amongst a load of other books I was just idly browsing … . It must have been awesome to see them. Did you see Rollers and Hoopoe too …
These books must have passed me by and such a shame as they sound right up my street plus the fact some of them are apparently set in parts of Shropshire I’ve come to know such as Long Mynd and the Stiperstones, also Suffolk and Sussex! I was very much a Blyton girl in my day, amongst other 1950s and 60s books inherited from older siblings, and I always loved a good outdoorsy adventure story. I also love reminiscing about the way some of those early stories coloured my imagination, very-much impacting the person I am now, as you say. The artwork on some of them can take you straight back there, into the very feeling of picking a book up and getting lost inside its pages. What a great stroke of luck coming across that book.
Thanks Helen, he was a contemporary of Enid Blyton, I suppose – they certainly knew each other. His books tended to have a greater ‘sense of place’ in their settings – and perhaps more historically accurate. I loved them because of this – they were somehow more ‘real’. However I also grew up with the Famous Five and Secret Seven and, rather embarrassingly at the time, also read Mallory Towers. Eileen Soper, who did the illustrations for the Blyton books is one of my favourite artists – I must write a post about her!
What a connection! I loved the Lone Pine series but do not remember this one. We see bee eaters at certain times on our finca in Spain, usually end of summer as they gather together and feed up before their African journey. But nowadays their nests seem few as once it used to be common along the road banks. I found some old Animals magazines I used to cut up and use pictures from. So much has changed on our watch for wildlife.
Thanks Georgina, this one was for younger kids as far as I remember. But at seven years old he captured my imagination and so did the bee-eaters. It’s sad (and shameful) that we have lost so many birds and animals because of our (human) needs (or should that be greed!).
Oh, I so loved Malcolm Saville books – at least the ones that were set on home turf in Shropshire. That image posted now feels like a perfect piece of time-travelling. Ah! A la recherche…
Oh yes, I had so many adventures with them; and then again when my kids were growing up. He made places so real. Now where did I put that last book of his I was reading …
It’s lovely to get those reminders of warm times from childhood. As for time not spent writing haiku, I’m a believer that we do things when we’re meant to do them.
I seem to be thinking more and more about my childhood during lockdown, or perhaps it’s an age thing. No matter I’m enjoying it although I really would like to go back and revisit some of my old haunts. And you’re right I couldn’t have written the haiku before – though I think they’ve always been there waiting. Thank you.