Author completes trilogy documenting the wildlife spotted in Christchurch Park, Ipswich over the past 50 years

Reg Snook's illustration of the Chinese mandarin duck

Portrait of the Birds was written and illustrated by Ipswich artist Reg Snook and catalogues the 110 different species of bird that have been spotted in the park over the past 50 years.

“Every year we gain a new species and we lose a species, it’s an evolving thing”, he said.

Out of all his sightings, Mr Snook said there were two that were special.

The first was the subject of his second book, Mabel the tawny owl, and the second was the chinese-originating mandarin duck.

Reg Snook's illustration of Mabel the tawny owl

Portrait of the Birds was written along with Philip Murphy, who Mr Snook met in 1973 when they became founding members of the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group.

“The point of us doing the book is to preserve the notes we have made over the past 50 years, it would be a tragedy if they just disappeared”, Mr Snook said.

The book is available from the Reg Driver Visitor Centre in the park and all proceeds go to The Friends of Christchurch Park.

Reg Snook at Christchurch Park