Sunday, 25 January 2026

Raymond Sheppard and Birds of Meadow and Stream by Elizabeth Gould

Birds of Meadow and Stream

We've been looking at Elizabeth Gould's 'bird' books starting with My Little Book of Birds (1952). Birds of Meadow and Stream (1950) is the second book in the Blackie and Son series (all 4 of which make up the 1952 book) we see birds in their natural environment plus the occasional look at their eggs. As I've already stated the size of these books (7.5 x 5.5 inches) means some of the art is not as clear as it could be, but I would love to see any originals of these pieces!.

The cover shows five species of bird unlikely to be together in one spot but beautifully illustrative of the book's content.

 BIRDS OF MEADOW AND STREAM 

Skylark

Cuckoo

Lapwing

Spotted Flycatcher

Pied Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

The Dipper

The Moorhen

The Coot

Kingfisher

Little Grebe

Heron
It's interesting to me to note that of all 64 images produced for this series, this Heron image is the only one which has two parts - adding to the page drama.

Sand Martin

Reed Warbler

 

Sedge Warbler

Notice the signature mark - for bookbinding identification - "G. 462" as this is the last page of 16. 

NEXT: We look at Birds of Moorland, Hill and Sea

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