3 comments about Hawks Aloft: The Story of Hawk Mountain.

1. A true conservation classic. Anyone who has visited Hawk Mountain will appreciate this book. The wholesale slaughter of the 20's and 30's of hawks passing over the Pennsylvania mountain is vividly described and will outrage any nature lover. Broun also poetically describes the beauty and solitude of life on the mountain in all seasons. Highly recommended! Stephen Rees. Abington, Pa.



2. A true conservation classic. Anyone who has visited Hawk Mountain will appreciate this book. The wholesale slaughter of the 20's and 30's of hawks passing over the Pennsylvania mountain is vividly described and will outrage any nature lover. Broun also poetically describes the beauty and solitude of life on the mountain in all seasons. Highly recommended! Stephen Rees. Abington, Pa.



3. Hawk Mountain is my favorite place in the entire world, and when I received my copy of this book, I immediately started reading. I couldn't put it down. The narrative is spellbinding; among his other many talents, Broun was an excellent writer. The photographs add an extra dimension to the story of the sanctuary and make the manuscript come alive. It was especially meaningful to me as someone who is so familiar with and fond of the place, but even someone who has never seen it can't fail to be moved by the passion and the conviction with which the sanctuary founders moved forward with their vision. Highly recommended.

No comments about The Calls Of Ducks And Geese.

1 comments about Bluebirds And Their Survival.

1. I'm glad that I made the choice to purchase this very good guide to bluebirds. I didn't know that much about bluebirds until I gleaned the very informative information in this book. If you have an interest in bluebirds and would like to attract them, then this book is for you. Bluebirds and Their Survival covers much ground: their prefered habitat, nest box choices, when and where to put the nest boxes out, feeding them, and potential predators. The book also tells you how to set up your own bluebird trail, how to photograph them, and also how to make different types of nesting structures. This guide has some very good photographs throughout too. The text is also easy to read. The author talks about some other guests that you may attract to your bluebird house or houses. Everything from the house wren to the house sparrow. I can understand that some people may not want other species of birds to use a house intended for bluebirds, but I don't think it's morally right to kill house sparrows that choose to do so. Just because they aren't a native species and aren't protected by law doesn't justify cruel behavior like that. Other than that, I definitely recommend this book. Even if you just want to learn a little about the life history of these pretty birds and not offer them housing or food, this is still a very good book. It should be all you need to get you on your way. Recommended.

1 comments about Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.

1. A large size and scale reference work about the avian life of our country. It does also include a section about the blow-ins and transients that appear from time to time, so that is helpful. Broken down by family, this reference book is an excellent guide, and has worked for me many times. Well worth it.

2 comments about Birds Of The Great Basin: A Natural History (Max C. Fleishmann Series in Great Basin Natural History).

1. Part of an outstanding natural history of the Great Basin series published by UNR. All are very good guides for the interested observer, but Ryser's book is the best in the series. It is written with an emphasis on behavior and adaptations to the stresses of living in the arid Basin. Too heavy for the field, and the detailed text does not lend itself to quick searches.



2. And, as one of the photographers who did "Watchable Birds of the Great Basin" (also available through Amazon), I should know. Much of my knowledge about the distribution and physiology of Great Basin birds, and of the history of ornithological discovery in the region, comes from this book.

   I was a fan years before I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Dewey, high atop the Goshute range on the Utah/Nevada border while volunteering for a raptor banding/migratory count project. In fact, she was largely responsible for encouraging me to pursue publishing my own writing and photography.

   So - full circle. This book has given me much over the years, my ace-in-the-hole when answering questions from Elderhostel participants in birding classes taught in the SE Oregon portion of the Basin, and at other times in the field.

   So it gives me pleasure to give something back, by recommending this book to those who are interested in the bird life of this region.

   And the rest of this series is good, too...

No comments about The Prairie Falcon (Corrie Herring Hooks Series).

1 comments about Parakeets for Dummies.

1. This book starts off with one of my pet peeves - giving the name American Parakeet to the sweet little Australian Budgie or Budgerigar. They are not American birds at all - although they certainly are one of many different parakeets.
   
   The author, Nikki Moustaki is very knowlegable about these wonderful birds. She gives excellent advice on deciding if a budgie is right for your home.
   
   Throughout the book, markings in the margins indicate interesting and helpful tips, warnings and reminders.
   
   The chapter "Polly Want a Cracker?" has excellent advice on feeding your budgie. Of course variety is essential and Nikki gives a great list of foods to provide interest and variety.
   
   The chapter "Come Here Often?" provides great information to help you understand common budgie behaviours, including some problem behaviours. The author also provides great taming and training advice here.
   
   It is obvious while reading this book that Nikki Moustaki loves these little birds. She talks about her own Parakeets/Budgies as examples, telling us what they enjoy. This is a great book for beginners and even experienced budgie owners may find information that they didn't know before.

No comments about Eleonora's Falcon: Adaptations to Prey and Habitat in a Social Raptor (Wildlife Behavior and Ecology series).

1 comments about Colorado Birds.

1. This wasn't what I expected, but worked well for me anyway. It's a little bigger than standard paper, but in a tri-fold and laminated. Easy to slide in a back pocket for later reference. The pictures are a bit small, making it somewhat difficult to distinguish between things, but it's good for a casual nature observer. I got it to get my kids aware of what they see when we're camping, and it's worked well for that.

No comments about Collins Discover Birdwatching (Collins Discover...).