Birdlands

Birdlands begins when young Jordie throws his cheese sandwich towards three scrawny birds on a station platform. In his mind, Jordie also gives names to the birds. From this moment, we enter the lives of the bird protagonists. Herman, formerly a leader of crows, maintains an air of authority despite his broken wing. Beaky is a jackdaw who finds it difficult to feed because of a twisted beak. He is weak with not enough strength for flight. Pidge the pigeon is afraid to fly after experiencing a traumatic event in the air. He also has difficulty in walking because of badly damaged feet. Jordie’s prize sandwich has been snatched away by more agile birds. Herman tells the other birds of a paradise described to him by his mother known as ‘dump’. Here, food is plentiful and birds are watched over by angels. Beaky and Pidge have few choices left in life and join Herman on his journey. Their journey is told by Anthony McGowan with his flair for wry humour, beautiful descriptions of landscapes and nature. The story is infused with a real love of the natural world as well as an acute observation of bird behaviour. The developing friendship is so well told, but the sense of dread builds as the birds encounter the perils of their trek.