TWENTY years and 3,000 miles separate Dave Robinson’s two books. But they both have one theme in common – a love of wildlife and particularly birds.

While working in Abu Dhabi in the Middle East, Dave and friend Adrian Chapman co-authored and took the photographs for their book The Birds of the Southern Gulf.

Now Dave, 64, and 18-year-old Hugo Aiken have combined to create another book, Nature in Northumberland’s Upper Coquetdale.

The book teems with the duo’s outstanding wildlife images and also serves as a guide to one of the most beautiful parts of the county.

Dave, who was born in Dunston in Gateshead, later lived in Newburn and Throckley in Newcastle, where his wife Moira grew up.

He worked as a engineer with Clarke Chapman in Gateshead and both he and Moira were voluntary wardens for Northumberland National Park.

In 1974 Dave left to work for Esso in Libya for six years, then the couple spent 10 years in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and five years in Abu Dhabi.

“I have been a bird watcher for as long as I can remember,” says Dave.

“Abu Dhabi is a busy migration area for birds and the species count is over 300.”

The Gulf birds book was a success, selling 15,000 copies.

Dave is now retired and the couple live at Holystone in Upper Coquetdale.

He decided that retirement opened the way for another book, this time on the wildlife of his home patch.

“But other things got in the way, such as building our house, and the book project went on the back burner,” says Dave.