Birdwatching Books - Page 3

Sibley: The Birder's Year 2009 Daily Boxed Calendar (Calendar)

David Allen Sibley

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• Size: 6.5x9
• Science

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Editorial Review:

Hailed as a modern-day John James Audubon, David Allen Sibley has quickly become one of North America's most famous bird illustrators. Each day will feature reproductions of his finely detailed species portraits along with a range map, wingspans and common and Latin names. A must for Birders!

Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds

Bernd Heinrich

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harper Perennial Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $5.00

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Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Nature Writing

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

3 - 2 - 1 .... 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I agree with most reviewers that this book fascinates the reader with interesting science and anecdotes about ravens. There are countless facts and amusing information provided about the intelligence, behavior and antics of both wild and tame ravens. One of the more humorous sections was on vocal communication, particulary mimicking. Heinrich provides descriptions of captive ravens making perfect renditions of radio static, toilets flushing and a motorcycle being revved up. There was also a scientist in a national park who distictly heard several times: "Three, two, one, bcccchhhh", sounding as if coming from a speaker. This was acually a raven who was sufficiently impressed with the park rangers conducting avalanche control to repeat the count-down and sound of the explosion. Hilarious...
The experiments and observations the author describes of wild ravens in the forests of Maine, Alaska,the western states & elsewhere are also superbly written and provide insights into the interactions and cooperation of ravens with large (and dangerous) predators including Man.

Editorial Review:

Heinrich involves us in his quest to get inside the mind of the raven. But as animals can only be spied on by getting quite close, Heinrich adopts ravens, thereby becoming a "raven father," as well as observing them in their natural habitat. He studies their daily routines, and in the process, paints a vivid picture of the ravens' world. At the heart of this book are Heinrich's love and respect for these complex and engaging creatures, and through his keen observation and analysis, we become their intimates too.

Heinrich's passion for ravens has led him around the world in his research. Mind of the Raven follows an exotic journey—from New England to Germany, and from Montana to Baffin Island in the high Arctic—offering dazzling accounts of how science works in the field, filtered through the eyes of a passionate observer of nature. Each new discovery and insight into raven behavior is thrilling to read, at once lyrical and scientific.

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians

NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Knopf Amazon Marketplace: 83 new & used starting at $5.71

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Why are some frogs able to freeze solid and still survive? How can secretions from amphibians offer scientists clues for treating human ailments? What allows reptiles and amphibians to regenerate their limbs? Reptiles & Amphibians, an exciting new Explore Your World™ handbook, incorporates the Discovery Channel's unique authoritative approach and acclaimed visuals to answer these and other questions in a captivating blend of information and entertainment.

Reptiles & Amphibians features:
¸ Background information on evolution, anatomy, physiology, habitats, and life cycles of a range of reptile and amphibian families.
¸ A detailed look at how reptiles and amphibians survive-how they eat, move around, defend themselves, and combat temperature extremes.
¸ Examinations of metamorphosis, growth and longevity, and vocalization techniques.
¸ Practical advice on how to responsibly study reptiles and amphibians in the wild or care for them as pets.
¸ An identification guide to more than 160 of the most fascinating herpetological species from around the world, organized by environment.
¸ More than 300 full-color photos and illustrations.

Bird Songs 2009 Wall Calendar

Les Beletsky

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Llc - Model: 3845676-4195073 Amazon Marketplace: 20 new & used starting at $11.48

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Editorial Review:

From the creators of the best-selling book Bird Songs, this wall calendar features illustrations of North American birds, with an attached sound device so bird lovers actually hear each bird's call. Includes a fold-out regional bird chart.

Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America

Kenn Kaufman

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $2.35

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 55 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great as a second field guide 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I love the Peterson field guide and thats the one I always bring out into the field. That being said, the Kaufman is a great guide I'll bring in addition to the Peterson. Sibley is great also but the large book is better as a home reference. The field Sibley is too think for my liking too. I hadn't found a photo field guide I liked until the Kaufman. All of the colors are accurate and I like how the birds are grouped together. My only complaint is that the arrows that point out differences between the sexes and important identifying marks aren't always the best. For example, the Kaufman guide only points out that Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers have white outer tail feathers. It doesn't point out that the male gnatcather has a black line above his eyes. And the photo doesn't really accentuate the line either. The Peterson guide clearly has this distinguishing mark and its pointed out on the photo. The description in the Kaufman guide does say that there is this black "eyebrow" line on the males but a beginning birder may easily miss this. I do like that with photos, the proportions of the birds won't be slightly distorted like they can be in illustrations. Overall this is a great guide but shouldn't be the only guide you bring into the field. Especially for beginners, an illustrated guide will have more identifying marks pointed out.

Editorial Review:

In 2000 Houghton Mifflin first published the Kaufman Focus Guide to the Birds of North America. Critically acclaimed for its innovative design, the Kaufman guide began introducing a new generation to birding. In 2005, this new Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America is now the most up-to-date field guide, including dozens of changes by the American Ornithologists' Union in official names of birds; the addition of new species to reflect the latest scientific discoveries; and dozens of updated range maps. Additional information helps beginning birdwatchers get started, all in the same compact format that has made this guide the easiest to use for fast identification in the field.

Stokes Hummingbird Book : The Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Hummingbirds

Donald Stokes, Lillian Stokes

Amazon Price: $11.19 List Price: $13.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Stokes Amazon Marketplace: 140 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A BOOK WELL WORTH OWNING - VERY HELPFUL! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This work, like most of those by Donald and Lillian Stokes is well written, informative, useful and simply a joy to read. The subject here, of course, is Hummingbirds. The authors also do give us several very nice pages (6) addressing orioles, a common visitor to feeders. The photographs in this book are quite good and the authors actually tell and show us their technique of photographing these amazing creatures.

Probably the most important chapter in this work is the one covering the types, maintenance and placement of the hummingbird feeder. Some of the other subjects well covered are creating Hummingbird habitat, Hummingbird gardening, nesting habits, flight behavior, amazing facts, Hummingbird myths and very importantly, the identification of these little creatures which are found here in North America. Each species is given due coverage and no area of the country is left out. I enjoyed the section devoted to the various kinds of flowers which are Hummingbird friendly. The Stokes have given us specific information here, seldom found in other volumes.

As to the identification of the various species found here, the authors have given us a great over view of the eight major species, their range, habits, migration patterns and some wonderful photographs to help in identification. The hardcore birder will of course want additional field guides, as several species, usually found in small pockets along our southern border are not covered. This is not major flaw though, as most individuals that are very much into the hobby of birding, already have a trunk full of guides. The authors have also included a very nice section on other resources, books, videos, companies that provide feeders, etc.

All in all, this is a very nice book to own and certainly one that you will want to add to your collection

Editorial Review:

Copiously illustrated with maps, line drawings, and full-color photographs, each of these large-format (8 1/2 x 10 7/8) paperback books contains the essential information that backyard nature enthusiasts want and need -- to attract, identify, and understand birds and butterflies, and to grow and identify beautiful wildflowers at home.

The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters With North America's Most Iconic Birds

Paul Bannick

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Every wild place and urban area in North America hosts an owl or a woodpecker species, while healthy natural places often boast representatives of both. The diversity of these two families of birds, and the ways in which they define and enrich the ecosystems they inhabit, are the subject of this vivid new book by photographer and naturalist Paul Bannick.

The Owl and the Woodpecker showcases a sense of these birds' natural rhythms, as well as the integral spirit of our wild places. Based on hundreds of hours in the field photographing these fascinating and wily birds, Bannick evokes all 41 North American species of owls and woodpeckers, across 11 key habitats. And by revealing the impact of two of our most iconic birds, Bannick has created a wholly unique approach to birding and conservation. * Perfect holiday book for all bird-watchers * An in-depth look at two of our most iconic--and important--bird species * Great for photography lovers, conservationists, and backyard enthusiasts alike * Includes a foreword by award-winning artist and writer Tony Angell

That Quail, Robert

Margaret A. Stranger

List Price: $25.95 By: Buccaneer Books Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $7.91

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Enduring Story of Robert the Quail 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

An elderly woman friend recommended that I read the small little book "That Quail Robert" when I was still a very young man. On hearing the title, I thought, "No way. For old ladies only." A few months later I read it, and the deep fondness I had for this lovely true tale was instantly indelible. Many times I've read it since and frequently give it as a gift to friends. This is a small book with a gentle story which fills one with delight.

A Great & Touching Classic 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this as a birthday gift because it is one of my favorite animal stories. So touching and endearing. It is still one of the best (along with my all-time-favorite, The Cat Who Went to Heaven). For a lovely, quick read, if you haven't yet picked it up, do so. You won't be disappointed. And for animal lovers, Wow!

Charming little book about a a charming little quail 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an adorable book, almost as much a nature study as narrative, about Robert the Quail and the two families who fostered him. The focus is on Robert, with only enough background on the families to make you glad that they found him. The quirks, the idiosyncrasies, the challenges -- all here. But oh! how I would have enjoyed better illustrations!

Editorial Review:

The perennially bestselling and acclaimed classic of the little bird who preferred human companionship to other quail.

Waterfowl Identification: The Lemaster Method

Richard Lemaster

List Price: $15.95 By: Contemporary Books Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $78.73

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very good waterfowl ID book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is great for a quick initial ID on a duck or other waterfowl that you're not quite sure about.

Handy booklet for ID'ing all types of North American ducks 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This booklet contains pictures of the male and female of virtually every duck species found in North America to assist the duck hunter (and others) in identifying the ducks from a distance while in flight. Everyone knows what a mallard drake or a wood duck look like, but it isn't always so easy to identify some of the other, less common, types. Each of approximately 30 species is contained on two pages, the males on the left and the females on the right. There are close-ups of the heads and the bills, as well as pictures of the birds in flight from the side and text descriptions of identifying features. There are occasionally multiple images of the head if the colors change during the season (or there are significant differences between juvenile and mature ducks). There are also schematic drawings of the wings if different between male and female. Finally, there are also descriptions of how high each species tends to fly, and whether they fly in small or large flocks. The last few pages contain info about the feet and some general discussion of geese and other waterfowl (loons, etc.). My copy of this book is on a plastic ring binder, but you can also buy paperback and hardback bound versions as well. I agree with some of the other reviews that there could have been more info in this booklet (such as where and when the ducks are typically found in the US and Canada), but I wouldn't let this prevent anyone from buying this. For a newbie waterfowler, this little booklet would be a great asset and I highly recommend it. Even a seasoned waterfowler is likely to learn some new things.

Editorial Review:

Waterfowl Identification is a Stackpole Books publication.

The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time

Jonathan Weiner

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Professional Science -> Evolution -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 73 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Beak of the Finch 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Brilliant writing and organization shows that evolution can occur in as short a time frame as two years. Never boring. The non-scientist will find this book of our changing world a good read.

Repetitive, Incorrect, and Trying too Hard 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 20 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the worst books I've ever read. I strongly recommend against reading it, especially for the science folks or lay people who are not stupid. That was a joke; in my opinion, no one on Earth who is actually interested enough to read a book on this topic will be such a poor thinker that a book in this style is appropriate for them.

Specifically, this book is:

* Repetitive -- on the same page, the author will often have multiple paragraphs saying exactly the same thing; within these paragraphs, sentences repeat each other as well. If this sounds outlandish, it is. The author was either talking down to the audience, trying to fill space, trying to explain the content to his own dense self, or some combination.

* Incorrect -- in the world of science writing for lay people, some simplification of the material is necessary and of course good (so lay people can access the material!). But this book presents material in such a warped, compressed manner as to be simply WRONG. For example, the author explains that researchers created and validated a predictive computer model using the same set of field data. That would be like a person who had seen one screw that tightened when turned clockwise, developing a prediction that all screws tighten by clockwise motion, and then testing the prediction by trying it out on the same screw. Clearly that is not something Harvard researchers were doing.

* Trying to hard -- it does not let the awesomeness of evolutionary study stand for itself. It has to develop drama by telling stories only in little broken bits, it constantly restates things (in what I took to be an attempt to find a particular phrasing that struck a given reader as poignant), etc.

In summary, it was an awful read. It was too bad that it did indeed explore some of the coolest evolutionary biology around, but in such a terrible fashion.

Editorial Review:

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

On a desert island in the heart of the Galapagos archipelago, where Darwin received his first inklings of the theory of evolution, two scientists, Peter and Rosemary Grant, have spent twenty years proving that Darwin did not know the strength of his own theory.  For among the finches of Daphne Major, natural selection is neither rare nor slow: it is taking place by the hour, and we can watch.

In this dramatic story of groundbreaking scientific research, Jonathan Weiner follows these scientists as they watch Darwin's finches and come up with a new understanding of life itself.  The Beak of the Finch is an elegantly written and compelling masterpiece of theory and explication in the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould.