Rating: 
Summary: personal portrait of migratory birds'long journeys
Review: As I write this there is a northern oriole singing in the woods behind my house. Yesterday, when I was reading out back, a ruby-throated hummingbird appeared seemingly out of nowhere to feed at a deep pink and purple fushia plant hanging on my patio. Where did these birds that grace our land in spring and summer come from, what journeys did they need to take to get here, and why did they travel 1000s of miles to spend time here -- these are just a few of the questions that Scott Weidensaul answers in Living on the Wind. The reader learns not only the theories of migration, why birds migrate when they do and why they go where they go, SW also describes in heartfelt detail the struggles the bird researchers endure as they track birds in our hemisphere and try to save these beautiful and ethereal creatures from rampant defoliation in our hemisphere. SW is a bird-bander and expert on raptors and he comes well-prepared to write this very personal story of the unbelievably long journeys of a variety of birds as they fly from the Arctic to the tip of S. America and beyond. He traveled to Jamaica, Mexico, Argentina, Alaska and many other birding hot spots to best tell the story of migrating birds and those who follow their flight patterns. Anyone who is fascinated by birds and nature, and who cares about our environment's affect on birds and other living beings will greatly enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Must-read for Birders
Review: Birders will love this book! First, it contains solid information on the vast movement of life about the face of our planet. Second, it provides useful information on where to be and when to be there to experience "fallout" and "kettles of hawks" and other exotic aspects of the hobby. Third, it documents the pure pleasures of our hobby from the standpoint of someone who does it extremely well. This book is not an academic exercise nearly so much as it is a celebration of beauty and wonder - which is, after all, why most of us enjoy birding. With Roger Tory Peterson gone, birding needs another hero. I am not suggesting that anyone will ever fill those shoes, but Mr. Weidensaul deserves your attention. This book will expand your awareness and make you a better birder.
Rating:
Summary: Must-read for Birders
Review: Birders will love this book! First, it contains solid information on the vast movement of life about the face of our planet. Second, it provides useful information on where to be and when to be there to experience "fallout" and "kettles of hawks" and other exotic aspects of the hobby. Third, it documents the pure pleasures of our hobby from the standpoint of someone who does it extremely well. This book is not an academic exercise nearly so much as it is a celebration of beauty and wonder - which is, after all, why most of us enjoy birding. With Roger Tory Peterson gone, birding needs another hero. I am not suggesting that anyone will ever fill those shoes, but Mr. Weidensaul deserves your attention. This book will expand your awareness and make you a better birder.
Rating:
Summary: Good read for anyone with an interest in birds
Review: I am a birder, and familiar with many of the topics in the book. There were still things that were new to me: the incredible numbers of hawks that migrate through Vera Cruz, the new wintering areas developing (rufous hummers in the US souteast), the different factors causing the irruption of northern birds, and the serious problem of the expanding US goose populations. Most anyone with an interest in science and the natural world would be curious about the annual migration of birds, and the number of mysteries solved and still unsolved. The only suggestion I would have is that illustrations would have been nice for readers who were not familiar with the birds. I guess they will need to buy a good field guide from Amazon, so they can see what these birds look like.
Rating:
Summary: Good read for anyone with an interest in birds
Review: I am a birder, and familiar with many of the topics in the book. There were still things that were new to me: the incredible numbers of hawks that migrate through Vera Cruz, the new wintering areas developing (rufous hummers in the US souteast), the different factors causing the irruption of northern birds, and the serious problem of the expanding US goose populations. Most anyone with an interest in science and the natural world would be curious about the annual migration of birds, and the number of mysteries solved and still unsolved. The only suggestion I would have is that illustrations would have been nice for readers who were not familiar with the birds. I guess they will need to buy a good field guide from Amazon, so they can see what these birds look like.
Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy birds or natural science, read this great book!
Review: I have been a birdwatcher for 39 years, and rarely have I encountered a book that I enjoyed as much as this. Unlike another reviewer, I learned a great deal about migration from reading this book--though, truth to tell, the book is as much about population dynamics among Western Hemisphere birds as it is about migration. One of the particular insights I gained from the book is a better realization of the somewhat parochial viewpoint many of us birdwatchers in North America take, considering migrants who spend only a brief part of the year breeding here to be "our birds," when they spend most of their lives either in Latin America or migrating between the two continents. The author has an unusually captivating writing style and most of the book was hard for me to put down; he reminds me of some of the best nature writers I have encountered--Hal Borland, John Burroughs, Loren Eiseley, Pete Dunn, and Thoreau. One of the book's particular strengths is its focus on certain critical locales as well as individual species; the general observations have much more meaning because of these case examples. While the book is most likely to be appreciated best by veteran birdwatchers, I do feel that almost anyone with a natural history bent can find some enjoyment in it. Among the few shortcomings of the book are the lack of illustrations for those unfamiliar with the individual species--something that can be remedied by referring to a field guide as one reads it--as well as the paucity of really good maps. (There are a few scattered maps, but the text makes repeated reference to sites in the Western Hemisphere--especially outside the U.S. and Canada--about whose location I had no idea. Because many of them are obscure places, a general purpose atlas is unlikely to be much help.) As a final strength of the book, I should point out its beautiful dust jacket, with embossed bird silhouettes atop a topographical map of the hemisphere, as well as the handsome typesetting job. In other words, it is a book to be appreciated for more than just its content.
Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy birds or natural science, read this great book!
Review: I have been a birdwatcher for 39 years, and rarely have I encountered a book that I enjoyed as much as this. Unlike another reviewer, I learned a great deal about migration from reading this book--though, truth to tell, the book is as much about population dynamics among Western Hemisphere birds as it is about migration. One of the particular insights I gained from the book is a better realization of the somewhat parochial viewpoint many of us birdwatchers in North America take, considering migrants who spend only a brief part of the year breeding here to be "our birds," when they spend most of their lives either in Latin America or migrating between the two continents. The author has an unusually captivating writing style and most of the book was hard for me to put down; he reminds me of some of the best nature writers I have encountered--Hal Borland, John Burroughs, Loren Eiseley, Pete Dunn, and Thoreau. One of the book's particular strengths is its focus on certain critical locales as well as individual species; the general observations have much more meaning because of these case examples. While the book is most likely to be appreciated best by veteran birdwatchers, I do feel that almost anyone with a natural history bent can find some enjoyment in it. Among the few shortcomings of the book are the lack of illustrations for those unfamiliar with the individual species--something that can be remedied by referring to a field guide as one reads it--as well as the paucity of really good maps. (There are a few scattered maps, but the text makes repeated reference to sites in the Western Hemisphere--especially outside the U.S. and Canada--about whose location I had no idea. Because many of them are obscure places, a general purpose atlas is unlikely to be much help.) As a final strength of the book, I should point out its beautiful dust jacket, with embossed bird silhouettes atop a topographical map of the hemisphere, as well as the handsome typesetting job. In other words, it is a book to be appreciated for more than just its content.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful piece of writing/natural science.
Review: I have other things to do besides write free book reviews but this book is so good, I hope my remarks will help bring it to others. It is so well written it ranks among the best. I can't add to the remarks on the back of the dj by Leonard Nathan. If you are a fan of good natural history writing, or birds or have a friend who is, this would make a perfect gift.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely magnetic!
Review: I know more about broomsticks than I do about birds and I cannot begin to guess what compelled me to start this book. I could not put the book down. Weidensaul masters magnetic prose into a compelling drama about, to me, an unseen world. I was completely drawn in to this wide-ranging and erudite account of bird migration. I have subsequently purchased binoculars and bought a bird guide and can't wait for spring.
Rating: 
Summary: Bird Watching
Review: If you are interested in a personal account of the author's bird watching, banding, and discussions of ecology, this is a fine book. If you are interested in the hows and whys of bird migration, however, you could do just as well by glancing in an encyclopedia. The mystery of migration gets short shrift and most of what remains are the author's ramblings about his own experiences. Nice title though.
|
