UNTIL the united Berlin gained a reputation as a “swinging” city, Germany was not on most people’s must-visit holiday destination list and certainly not for birdwatchers and nature lovers. Many are belatedly realising what they’ve been missing.

What’s unique about Roger White’s books — this one’s a follow-up to his birdwatching guide to Brandenburg and Berlin — is that they cover most of what used to be the German Democratic Republic. This one covers a landscape in western Europe.

The retreat of the ice age left the area to the north-east of Berlin right up to the Baltic coast littered with glacially-formed lakes, with sandy shores fringed by mixed, dense forest rich in wildlife and game.

The GDR, like much of eastern Europe, used very few pesticides or artificial fertiliser on a mass scale and its agriculture was much less intensive than in the West. All this resulted in the retention of a more varied plant and animal life.

It’s not that eastern Germany has large numbers of exotic bird species not seen further west but it does have high densities, more like those to be seen in the British countryside 50 or more years ago. But, situated at the easternmost edge of western Europe it does also have several birds not or rarely seen any further west, like the red-breasted flycatcher, the lesser spotted eagle, the thrush nightingale and barred and greenish warbler.

Its lakes and surrounding countryside hold good numbers of sea eagles, ospreys, marsh harriers and honey buzzards. Birds now rare or absent from Britain are quite common — red-backed shrike, golden oriole, crested, penduline and bearded tits, hawfinch and many others. Even the centre of Berlin has nightingales serenading during summer.

Since unification, which devastated GDR industry and agriculture and forced thousands to leave their homes to seek work in the West, the area is very underpopulated, with tranquil villages and quiet country roads — ideal for those who love walking, cycling and nature.

Well-written and beautifully illustrated, with clear maps and instructions on how to reach the most important sites, it is a handy guide even if you’re not a keen birdwatcher.

Review by John Green