With Spring on the way, excitement about migration is here, so I'm going to do the "Question" thing, and ask, what is your favorite book about birds? Here are my top few...
Of course I have not read all the bird books... My all time favorite, "Last of the Curlews," by Fred Bodsworth. The writing is sublime, the story is a page-turner; leaves one with hope... The latest I've read and couldn't put down, "Feathers," by Thor Hanson. Absolutely fascinating from first to last word. I want more! "Wild America," by R.T. Peterson and James Fisher. A journal of an American and British birders' trip around No. America in the 50's. Wild! I re-read it every so often. Great for beginning birders and just about everyone else. The newer "Return to Wild America," by Scott Weidensaul is just as hard to put down.' About song and other fascinating topics: Donald Kroodsma's, "The Singing Life of Birds." A very cool series, also older, is Edwin Way Teale's "Seasons" 4-book cycle, beginning with "North with the Spring." Just phen-omenal (get it? phenology...) A page-turner on I.D., Peter Dunne's "Field Guide Companion." Another about migration, a favorite topic: "Songbird Journeys," by Miyoko Chu. 2-book set (they come separately but if you travel in the U.S. at all you need both): Olin Sewall Petingill, Jr's A Guide to Birdfinding East and West. Highly researched info is by state and then habitat, including bird lists for each type of habitat in the area. Almost as old as Peterson's and Teale's but the birding locations mentioned have hardly changed so the bird lists should still be good unless climate change has taken hold of the area... Another by Olin Sewall Petingill, Jr.: "The Bird Watcher's America," a greater introduction to birding is still not to be found, in my opinion. Compilation of introductions by great birders and naturalists from around No. America, speaking about their favorite habitat. A bit large in size for a backpack but... has been squirreled away on MANY vacations, trips to BWCA, etc. Open it to any page and feel the love. Best about saving birds and nature in general, "101 Ways to Help Birds," by Laura Erickson, Duluth birder extraordinaire. For anyone who is writing about/researching birds, John K. Terres' "Encyclopedia of North American Birds." There are quite a few on my shelf that I have not finished so I can't review them, yet... Holly Peirson Columbus, SE Anoka Co. ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
