The Condor's Feather

Michael Webster

From Shelf: Best Natural History Books 2022

A compelling, escapist, wildlife lover's adventure in South America - an incredible account of exploration, conservation and self-discovery set in among breathtaking landscapes; from glaciers to deserts, rain forests to mountain ranges.

'A thrilling, deeply emotional and authentic bird-lover's travelogue.' James Lowen, author of Much Ado About Mothing 'One spring morning, as the cuckoos were arriving in England, we departed. At Tilbury Docks we slowly edged our Toyota camper into a shipping container and, like a heron scooping a frog from a marsh, our container was hoisted high over the dockside. Inside was everything we needed, our new life bound for South America.' After a vicious attack left Michael Webster in treatment for years, it was only his love of nature - in particular birds - that truly healed. Repaying this debt to nature, he and his wife embarked on their trip of a lifetime, travelling through South America; immersed in the wild, following and filming birds. For over four years Michael and Paula travelled the length of the Andes, the greatest mountain chain on Earth. From penguins in Patagonia, up beyond the hummingbirds of the equator, to the flamingos of the Caribbean. They endured dust storms, thundering gales, icy mountain tops and skin-searing heat, and tested the limits of their physical and mental strength as they lived wild, month after month, camping under galaxies of diamond stars. The Condor's Feather is testament to the possibility of new adventures, new friendships and new hope.