An exquisitely illustrated oneofakind celebration of the hidden beauty of nature and the ingenuity of birdsSusan Ogilvy started painting bird nests almost by accident. One day while tidying up her garden after a storm she found a chaffinch nest a strange sodden lump on the grass under a fir tree. She carried it inside and placed it on a newspaper over the next few hours as the water drained out of it the sodden lump blossomed into a mossy jewel. She was amazed and dropped everything to make a painting of the nest at exact life size.This was the start of an obsession Ogilvy has since painted more than fifty bird nests from life each time marvelling at its ingenious construction. Every species of bird has its own vernacular but sources its materials most commonly twigs roots grasses reeds leaves moss lichen hair feathers and cobwebs less usually mattress stuffing and string according to local availability. Ogilvy would of course never disturb nesting birds instead she relies upon serendipity which is why all her nests have either been abandoned after fulfilling their purpose or displaced by strong winds.Although Nests showcases the specimens she has found near her homes in Somerset and on the Isle of Arran its subject matter is by no means only British since these same birds can be found all over Europe Scandinavia and as far afield as Russia Turkey and North Africa. This wondrous book is all the more special for its rarity. Few modern books exist specifically on the subject of bird nests the most recent among the authors reference works was published in 1932. Exquisitely designed and packaged Nests will be an essential addition to the libraries of all nature lovers.