An environmentalist and photographer from Hackbridge has collected scores of photographs, drawings and information on the birds for a new book, The Birds of Beddington Farmlands.

Peter Alfrey, 38, has worked with the Beddington Farmlands Bird Group and bird experts Brian Milne and Derek Coleman to compile the book to be published this January.

The collection includes an introduction on the history of bird life on the farmlands together with photographs, drawings and information on each species.

Mr Alfrey said: “All the photographs and artwork have been taken on the farmlands by local people. It was one of the main things I wanted to achieve in the book.

“I didn't want it just to be bland science - it does have factual informational but it is also a colourful and nice looking book. There is plenty of creativity in there.”

Mr Alfrey, the book's primary author, started collecting information for the book in 2002. He has spent eight years sifting through data collected by Beddington birding enthusiasts, the Surrey Bird Report and the London Natural History Society.

He said: “I decided to write the book because, as the reserve is being developed over the next few years, I think it is really important to get a base line of the bird life over there so we know what birds we have got and how they have responded in the past and the historical context.

“It has taken a very long time but it's been worth putting that amount of effort in. I think it looks really good.”

Mr Alfrey began visiting the farmlands as a young boy and now lives in a flat overlooking it. He is heavily involved in plans to develop the farmlands into a nature reserve.

If everything goes to plan the farmlands should be fully opened as a reserve in 2023. Parts of it should be open to the public within the next few years.

For more information about the book and the farmlands visit Mr Alfrey's blog at peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.com.