The Gull Next Door, by Marianne Taylor, is a book written from the heart of an author who has grown up around gulls and continues to get a great deal of pleasure from watching these resourceful birds wherever they occur, especially within the UK. Rather than a detailed examination on gull identification this is the author’s attempt to impart her love of this much-maligned group of birds to the reader through a variety of interesting facts, anecdotes and personal observations. Dealing with all of the species of gulls regularly seen in Britain as well as the rarities the author also examines interesting aspects of the ecology of gulls and their lifestyle, the often fragile relationship between gulls and humans, gulls in literature and art as well as the phenomenon of larophilia. Written in a conversational and easy-to-read style The Gull Next Door is one of those books that is interesting, enlightening, at times making the reader smile and the author’s enthusiasm for these birds is definitely infectious through these pages. This is an enjoyable book that gull experts and novices can enjoy, but most of all it is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves birds and is curious to learn more from an author who is easy to relate to and has a passion in the subject matter.

The author, Marianne Taylor, grew up in the British coastal town of Hastings and has lived in several other towns close to the sea so throughout the book she draws upon her experiences with gulls to illustrate her point with personal observations and charming anecdotes.  The fact that she acknowledges that she is a keen enthusiast rather than an expert makes the writing in The Gull Next Door all the more relatable and enjoyable to read. While this is one of those books that feels like the reader is sitting next to the author, listening to her over a cup of tea, the book starts with a factual rundown of Britain’s gull species, familiarising the reader with the characters that can be found around the coasts of the UK, pointing out the differences in the way they look and behave.

While this section contains a smattering of identification tips the author creates an irresistible scene in which we meet each of the various gull species, often telling the tale of how she personally first encountered the species in question or a typically impressive situation in which these birds are seen. Rather than being a dry section of the book stuffed with facts, readers will feel like they are being introduced to the UK’s gulls, getting to know them through familiarity. This level of detail is not always applied to the more seldom seen gull species of Britain but they are rare after all and the amount of coverage they receive reflects the frequency in which they are likely to be encountered and, of course, inevitably takes us to the landfill site, as any aspiring gull rarity-finder will always be drawn towards.

While all birders like to see new birds those who are real bird lovers, rather than just listers, like to watch birds in action and observe how they behave and, indeed, enjoy learning about complex and interesting aspects of bird ecology. A chapter devoted to the natural (and unnatural) history of gulls satisfies the genuine bird enthusiast packed with interesting facts covering breeding behaviour, habitat choice, feeding and the colonisation of inland areas. In the true tradition of the best of teachers readers are led towards areas of further learning such as online gull-ringing groups and other areas of research so that gull enthusiasts old and new can explore more  aspects of these fascinating birds’ lives. Once again this is all achieved by using a style that rather than being instructional comes across as having a long conversation about gulls, learning ever more remarkable things about them.

Sections of this book on gulls in art and literature as well as the relationship between humans and gulls both delve into how these birds have been perceived through the years and what they have represented, culminating in tackling the question of gull attacks. Ever-increasing numbers of people have developed a strong dislike of gulls at their most adaptive, displaying their skills of survival by stealing food from humans, particularly at seaside locations, and the author makes a good case for admiring them and living alongside gulls rather than trying to drive them away. This is where the author’s love of the subject matter really comes through and how readers react will affirm whether they are potential larophiles or larophobes.

The seemingly ubiquitous Herring Gull gets a chapter all of its own but it is the chapter on larophiles and the extremes they go to when watching gulls and observing aspects of their lives such as moult details which will bring a smile to most readers’ mouths. Whether you are someone who struggles to see the attraction in gulls or someone already in a love affair with them, here is where a chuckle is drawn when examining the more eccentric side of birding comes to the fore.

This is a book I enjoyed reading, it combines information with personal stories and some fascinating facts, an easy-to-read exploration of British gulls that is written to enthuse any birder who wants to do more than just tick birds off of a list. Particularly those birders who find gulls an intimidating group to learn about in the field will find this a book to give them a renewed enthusiasm while those who already enjoy gulls will be encouraged to learn even more. The only thing that left me a little disappointed was that The Gull Next Door could have easily been longer without feeling like a chore to read. Indeed, it seems a little more slender than most books in this genre and I was left wanting more, not always a bad feeling for an author to create but in this instance I think a little more content could have easily enthralled this reader at least.

The addition of a postscript allows the author to discuss some gull-related news stories from a time presumably after the main body of the book had already been written. It contains some interesting discussion of whether a gull could carry off a small dog and consume it as well as some personal observations. This would have been a great ending if it were not for a few unnecessary paragraphs that make reference to the 2020 covid-19 crisis which will unfortunately date the book when it could have and should have been timeless. In fairness to Marianne Taylor little could she have known at the time of writing how tired of covid-19 dominating our lives we would become.

Overall this is a really enjoyable book which imparts well a keen amateur enthusiast’s love of gulls. I would recommend it to all birders who really enjoy birds and learning about all aspects of them, but it should not be confused as a book in which to learn intricate details of gull taxonomy and plumage.

Buy The Gull Next Door by Marianne Taylor

Score: 8.5/10