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There are some absolutely gorgeous photos of birds in Scott Leslie’s Woodland Birds of North America. The book, which is billed on the cover as “A guide to observation, understanding, and conservation,” has at least two pictures of almost every one of the nearly 100 species described in it (nearly 200 pictures altogether). It is [...]

Kenn Kaufman is a birding celebrity. He is well-known not only for his field guides but also for his North American Big Year, famously described in his memoir, Kingbird Highway, in which he describes his hitchhiking, cat-food eating, country-criss-crossing attempt at breaking the Big Year record (he did, but another birder beat the record by [...]

Any author who attests that “birdwatching is the real national pastime,” American or otherwise, deserves attention. Jonathan Rosen, in actually making a compelling case for his electrifying assertion, demands respect. Too many books in the birding genre focus naturally on the innumerable hows of technique, craft, and field ornithology. Rosen’s mighty The Life of the [...]

That time of year has come when raptors are on the wing and a young man’s thoughts turn to… Osprey? It’s true. Come September, the denizens of Seattle aren’t the only ones watching seahawks. Nature lovers around the world turn out in hordes to observe the osprey’s southerly migration. However, none have pursued this peregrination [...]

Season 10 of The Simpsons has come out on DVD and of course I picked up a copy as soon as I noticed. No show on television has ever held my attention and devotion as The Simpsons has and I even saw their silver screen debut on its opening weekend. But why am I blogging [...]

Mike O’Connor is a syndicated avian expert and owner of the popular Bird Watcher’s General Store in Cape Cod. He’s also a very funny and informative writer, as indicated by his charming book, Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches? And Other Answers to Bird Questions You Know You Want to Ask. Mr. O’Connor estimates that he’s [...]

I’ve spent quite a few hours lately reading and paging through my recently arrived field guide, Birds of Europe. With a planned trip to Germany in October I want to be prepared to identify everything I see and hear…which isn’t too likely but I can dream, can’t I? Having never birded outside of the U.S. [...]

This seems an optimal time to repost last year’s birdPod review for three important reasons: 1. They’ve renamed this wondrous device the birdJam; 2. Spring is the ideal season to invest in such a handy tool for birdsong identification; and 3. I’ve joined their affiliate program and thus will benefit from purchases made through my [...]

Reading a book is usually the closest we’ll ever come to interacting with its author. The experience of reading some books is akin to meeting a new friend; other times, it’s like becoming reacquainted with an old one. Many publications take a didactic tone, seeming to the reader a professor by proxy. More regrettable texts, [...]

There’s more to bird watching than watching birds. Attempting to bird by eye alone is like driving home with only half your gears: even if you get where you’re going, the trip is going to take a lot more time than it has to. Knowledge of bird song makes birding more complete. It also makes [...]

Don’t you just love Julie Zickefoose? If your answer is “no” it probably means that you’re not acquainted with Julie Zickefoose, haven’t read any of her books or articles, seen her artwork, heard her lectures or monthly National Public Radio spots, or even read her eponymous blog. Your loss. Ms. Zickefoose is a naturalist’s naturalist, [...]