I wish someone would write a book just like this for Pennsylvania. (And for all I know, maybe someone has. If so, let me know -- and I hope it's as good as this one!)

James D. Fair's 100 Great Wildlife Experiences: What to See & Where is written for folks living (or vacationing) in the British Isles, and it's a magnificent resource for anyone who enjoys seeing and interacting with the wilder sides of the world.

For the book, Fair counts down the Top 100 places in Britain to get up close to all kinds of wildlife. Many of the experiences involve birds -- kittiwakes and corncrakes, eider ducks and barnacle geese, great bustards and nesting kingfishers, puffins and kestrels, white-tailed eagles and more -- but there's a lot more of interest, too.

Chapters are just two pages for each entry (four pages for each of the top 10) and rank each experience based on how family friendly, budget friendly and amateur friendly they are. Fair also tells readers the best times of year for each experience, and gives a few tips on how to organize an encounter yourself.

Many of the descriptions are based on his own personal experiences, although in some cases he relies on reports from others. In short, readable nuggets he explains why each experience is worth the trip.

I mentioned several of the birds he discusses here. The book also has chapters on a host of fascinating land mammals (including Scottish wildcats, pine martens, whistling sika deer and greater horseshoe bats), coastal sea life (white-beaked dolphins, orcas and basking sharks), insects (dragonflies on Thursley Common, glow worms in Westbury-sub-Mendip and swallowtail butterflies on Strumpshaw Fen) and even some plantlife (such as wild garlic that blooms in Woodchester Park and the daffodil trail in Farndale). There are also some hands-on experiences included, such as fossil hunting and dissecting owl pellets.

All in all, it's a useful book, with information that's well presented and accompanied by gorgeous photos. If your stomping grounds include any portion of Britain, keep this on your bookshelf or, better yet, in your travel bag.