Just in time for shopping this weekend, these good gifts were reported by a dozen fellow birders, shared in the spirit of the season.
Frank Berdan BOOKS - NONFICTION “The Life of Birds” [a hard-copy supplement to Attenborough's Life of Birds DVD series] – Julie O’Connor “Bringing Nature Home (Updated & Expanded),” Douglas W. Tallamy, [landscaping with native plants] - Chuck and Mary Ann Kjos “A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and Their Quest to See It All” ($20) - tinkermn Two by and about former Minnesotan Phoebe Snetsinger - “Birding on Borrowed Time” ($20) - “Life List (A Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds)” $26 - K. Mattsson BOOKS - FICTION Bob White Birder Murder mysteries: The Boreal Owl Murder, and Murder on Warbler Weekend - Jan Dunlap PHOTO/OPTICS A monocular - Gail Wieberdink window mount for a scope/binoculars – Julie O’Connor Cleaning solution, brush, and microfiber cloths in kits, e.g.: http://www.eagleoptics.com/binocular-accessories/vortex/vortex-fog-free-lens-cleaning-system http://www.eagleoptics.com/binocular-accessories/zeiss/zeiss-lens-cleaner-spray-bottle http://www.eagleoptics.com/binocular-accessories/eagle-optics/eagle-optics-lens-cleaning-pen http://www.eagleoptics.com/binocular-accessories/zeiss/zeiss-portable-lens-care-system-59304 - Erik Bruhnke ORGANIZATIONS Raptor Center: Memberships and bird release - www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu - Curt Rawn Bell Museum of Natural History - http://www.bellmuseum.org/membership.html Hawk Ridge - Adopt a Raptor http://www.hawkridg e.org/support/ adopt_raptor. html. [by Monday, December 14, delivery of packet by Christmas] – Memberships: http://www.hawkridg e.org/support/ member.html - Julie O’Connor Federal Duck Stamp - www.fws.gov/duckstamps/Stamps.htm - Jim Williams GASOLINE Gift Cards! - Alex Watson FEEDING SUPPLIES Bird seed, such as sunflower seed, niger seed, mixed seed, suets, peanuts or ingredients for our homemade suet - Paul & Koni Fank … gift certificates for seed/suet – Julie O’Connor BOARD GAMES Birdopoly http://www.amazon.com/Late-Sky-4099563-Bird-Opoly/dp/B0006I3L5W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1260151196&sr=8-1-catcorr the Great North American Bird Watching Trivia Board Game http://www.amazon.com/Great-North-American-Watching-Trivia/dp/B00005LBUC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1260151196&sr=8-3-catcorr - Erik Bruhnke ID – general field guides - the two best for addressing difficult IDs per Kim Eckert: Sibley Guide to Birds (this guide mostly superior to Geographic, especially in its accurate and numerous illustrations; text and captions may be too limited for beginners, and many range maps inaccurate) National Geographic Society's Field Guide to the Birds of North America (many illustrations – e.g., hawks and sparrows – still need improvement) ID - GULLS "Gulls of the Americas" by Howell and Dunn is unquestionably the best choice. - Peder Svingen ID – OTHER – see also http://mbwbirds.com/Journals.html) - Kim Eckert: Waterfowl: An Identification Guide by Madge and Burn Seabirds: An Identification Guide by Harrison (dated guide includes loons, grebes, phalaropes, jaegers, gulls, and terns; Harrison's Seabirds of the World: A Photographic Guide also available) Hawks of North America by Clark and Wheeler, 2nd ed Hawks from Every Angle; How to Identify Raptors in Flight by Liguori (new guide to 19 species, with 370 photos) The Shorebird Guide by O'Brien, Crossley, and Karlson; or Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide by Paulson (fewer photos, less text, but more user- friendly than preceding guide) Terns of Europe and North America by Olsen and Larsson Warblers of North America by Dunn and Garrett The Sparrows of the United States and Canada by Rising; and • Sparrows of the United States and Canada: The Photographic Guide by Beadle and Rising (recommended supplement) CD audio guide to birdwatching: John Feith's "Who Cooks for Poor Sam Peabody" - http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Song-Ear-Training-Guide/dp/0975443402/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260150863&sr=8-2 - Erik Bruhnke CD "Diversity of Animal Sounds" http://store.onlinenaturemall.com/sounds-cornelllab.html#paging - Adele Binning ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
