Lev Parikian is a writer, birdwatcher and conductor. He is the author of Taking Flight, shortlisted for the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize, Into the Tangled Bank, longlisted for the Wainwright Prize, Light Rains Sometimes Fall and Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? He lives in South London with his family, who are getting used to his increasing enthusiasm for nature. He lives in south London and spends more time than he’s prepared to admit watching swifts.