|
|
|
The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters With North America's Most Iconic Birds
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.
Price: $15.45
[Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Korea Calling: The Essential Handbook for Teaching English and Living in South Korea
Korea Calling is a convenient guide for potential English teachers in South Korea. Separated in three sections: 1)Getting a Job 2) Teaching English to Koreans; and 3) Surviving Korean Culture, the book is easy to use and very thorough. The Teaching section itself is a "greatest hits" of teaching ideas for the classroom, time-tested methods for teaching English to the Korean Market..
Price: $13.49
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Birds of South America: Non-Passerines: Rheas to Woodpeckers (Princeton Illustrated Checklists)
Here in an easy-to-use format is the first guide to the nearly 1,300 species of non-passerine South American birds. It complements Robert Ridgly and Guy Tudor's large reference volumes on the passerines (1,800 species), which will soon be available in a single-volume field guide format. One of things that makes this book special is its use of masterful and alluring illustrations; most neotropical birders will want the book for the illustrations alone. The text concentrates on the key identification features of each species and follows the layout of other books in this series. The book may be used in conjunction with regional and country field guides. - First guide to nearly 1,300 species
- Easy-to-use format
- Complements volumes on passerine birds
- Contains key identification features
- More than 150 color illustrations
- More than 1,270 maps
.
Price: $18.78
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Headaches: And Other Answers to Bird Questions You Know You Want to Ask
In 1983, Mike O'Connor opened the Bird Watcher's General Store on Cape Cod, which might well have been the first store devoted solely to birding in the United States. Since that time he has answered thousands of questions about birds, both at his store and while walking down the aisles of the supermarket. The questions have ranged from inquiries about individual species ("Are flamingos really real?") to what and when to feed birds ("Should I bring in my feeders for the summer?") to the down-and-dirty specifics of backyard birding ("Why are the birds dropping poop in my pool?"). Answering the questions has been easy; keeping a straight face has been hard. Finally, it occurred to O'Connor that if he answered these questions in print, he might be able to buy groceries in peace. Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Headaches? is the solution for the beginning birder who already has a book that explains the slight variation between Common Ground-Doves and Ruddy Ground-Doves but who is really much more interested in why birds sing at 4:30 A.M. instead of 7:00 A.M., or whether it's okay to feed bread to birds, or how birds rediscover your feeders so quickly when you've just filled them after a long vacation. Or, for that matter, whether flamingos are really real. "Mike O'Connor knows birds—I mean, REALLY knows them. He has been answering questions about birds for years, and he can deliver the straight scoop with a hilarious twist that makes it unforgettable. Reading this book is almost as fun as bird watching, and that's saying a lot!" —Kenn Kaufman, author of the Kaufman Field Guide to the Birds of North America "O'Connor's book delightfully answers almost any question one could ask about birds. I am impelled to declare that the Chesworth pen and ink drawings add a sprinkling of 'salt' to O'Connor's bird tales. This is a fun book to read, whether nibbled at a bit at a time, or in one large clump." —New Hampshire Union Leader "This is quite possibly the funniest bird book ever written. O'Connor has broken the mold of straight-laced bird books." —WildBird Mike O'Connor is the owner of the Bird Watcher's General Store on Cape Cod. His column, Ask the Bird Folks, appears in The Cape Codder, and his writing has been included in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2004. He lives in Orleans, Massachusetts..
Price: $2.68
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
The Owl And the Woodpecker
|
|
Ivorybill Hunters: The Search for Proof in a Flooded Wilderness
The last documented sighting of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker--one of the rarest and most intriguing animals in the world--was noted over 50 years ago. Long thought to be extinct, the 2005 announcement of a sighting in Arkansas sparked tremendous enthusiasm and hope that this species could yet be saved. But the subsequent failure of a massive search to relocate Ivorybills in Arkansas made hope for the species' revival short-lived. Here, noted ornithologist Geoffrey Hill tells the story of how he and two of his colleagues stumbled upon what may be a breeding population of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in the swamps of northern Florida. He relates their laborious attempts to document irrefutable evidence for the existence of this shy, elusive bird following the failure of a much larger research team to definitively prove the bird's existence. Hill tells of his travails both in and out of the vast swamp wilderness, pulling back the curtain to reveal the little-seen political maneuvering that is part of all modern science. He explains how he and his group decided who to exclude or include as their findings came in, and why they felt the need to keep their search a secret. Hill returns repeatedly to how expectations can guide observations, and how tempting it is to oversell evidence in the face of the struggle between an overwhelming desire to find the bird and the need to retain integrity and objectivity. Written like a good detective story, Ivorybill Hunters also delves into the science behind the rediscovery of a species, explaining how professional ornithologists follow up on a sight record of a rare bird, and how this differs from the public's perception of how scientists actually work. Hill notes the growing role of amateurs in documenting bird activity and discusses how the community of birders and nature lovers can see, enjoy, and help preserve these birds. Ivorybill Hunters will prove a fascinating read for those with an interest in natural history, adventure, environmental conservation, and science, as well as the more than forty-six million Americans who now call themselves birdwatchers..
Price: $16.35
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Stalking the Ghost Bird: The Elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Louisiana
When a kayaker thought he spotted an ivory-billed woodpecker in 2004, the birding community took notice. Two birders traveled to the bayou where the sighting occurred, well aware that the last confirmed sighting of an ivory-bill had taken place over sixty years ago. Both men caught a glimpse of the bird, and a team began to search the surrounding swamplands. Even after long hours of surveillance and multiple sightings, the scientists cautiously refused to disclose their rediscovery of the extinct bird until they captured it on film. At last, armed with a short video and sound clip, they published their findings in Science, triggering a frenzy of media coverage and sparking a controversy among birders and scientists who continue to disagree about whether the bird really still exists. In Stalking the Ghost Bird, Michael K. Steinberg engages the lengthy debate over the ivory-bill's status by examining the reported sightings and extensive efforts to find the rare bird in Louisiana. Louisiana has long been at the center of the ivory-bill's story. John James Audubon wrote about the bird and its habitat during his stay in St. Francisville, and scientists James Tanner and George Lowery studied the ivory-bill in Louisiana in the 1930s and 1940s. More recently, bird experts have conducted targeted searches in Louisiana. Steinberg discusses these and other scientific expeditions, and he catalogs reported ivory-bill sightings since the 1950s, using a detailed timeline that includes both dates and specific locations. Interviews with conservation officials, ornithologists, and native Louisianans illuminate the ongoing controversy and explore why the ivory-bill, more than any other bird, arouses so much attention. Steinberg meets elderly residents of the Atchafalaya Basin who saw the ivory-bill while hunting in the 1930s and even ate the bird-which they called the "forest turkey"-during hard times. He paddles into Two O'Clock Bayou with one wildlife professor and travels to a cypress-filled wildlife refuge with the director of Louisiana's Nature Conservancy. His interviews illustrate how expert opinions vary, as well as how much local non-experts know. Steinberg also explores in detail the human impact on both the ivory-bill and its bottomland forest habitat, explains how forest-management practices in the South may pose problems for an ivory-bill recovery, and outlines where future searches for the bird should take place. In this absorbing study, Steinberg turns his lifelong interest in the majestic ivory-billed woodpecker into a tale that encapsulates both the mystery and intrigue surrounding the legendary bird and our fascination with it..
Price: $14.00
[Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
Woodpeckers of North America
A comprehensive, profusely illustrated natural history of all 28 North American species of woodpeckers. The distinctive behavior and sound of woodpeckers make them easy to hear and interesting to watch. Woodpeckers of North America specifically covers all species of woodpeckers found in the United States, Canada and northern Mexico. Woodpeckers are renowned for their cavity-excavating abilities. Although trees and telephone poles are the choice of most woodpeckers, desert dwellers frequently excavate nests in cacti. While all eat insects, many drink tree sap, eat acorns, and consume other surprising foods. Woodpeckers are distinguished by several anatomical features, including: - short legs and long toes to assist in climbing
- a head built to withstand repeated hammering
- a long, straight bill designed for chopping wood
- a long tongue with a barbed end to extract hidden prey
- nostrils covered with feathers to keep them free of wood debris.
100 color photographs capture the intriguing woodpeckers in their natural environments. Woodpeckers of North America is a handy, well-written reference covering the biology and environment of these fascinating birds. (200603).
Price: $23.44
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird (The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (Awards))
The tragedy of extinction is explained through the dramatic story of a legendary bird, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, and of those who tried to possess it, paint it, shoot it, sell it, and, in a last-ditch effort, save it. A powerful saga that sweeps through two hundred years of history, it introduces artists like John James Audubon, bird collectors like William Brewster, and finally a new breed of scientist in Cornell's Arthur A. "Doc" Allen and his young ornithology student, James Tanner, whose quest to save the Ivory-bill culminates in one of the first great conservation showdowns in U.S. history, an early round in what is now a worldwide effort to save species. As hope for the Ivory-bill fades in the United States, the bird is last spotted in Cuba in 1987, and Cuban scientists join in the race to save it.
All this, plus Mr. Hoose's wonderful story-telling skills, comes together to give us what David Allen Sibley, author of The Sibley Guide to Birds calls "the most thorough and readable account to date of the personalities, fashions, economics, and politics that combined to bring about the demise of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker."
.
Price: $3.98
[ Notify me when price goes down.]
|
|
|
|
|