All Posts

I don’t normally post about things unrelated to bird books and other media. But sometimes an occasion or opportunity pops up that I just have to mention (like the recently created 10,000 Birds Conservation Club). This is such opportunity – after all, what birder wouldn’t want a free trip to Peru?

Gunnar Engblom of Kolibri Expeditions is indeed giving away multiple free birding trips to Peru. One of the reasons is obvious, he wants to generate publicity so that his trips fill up. But it goes much beyond that. The two itineraries included in this promotion (one to Manu, universally regarded as one of the best birding spots on the planet) were designed to bring eco-tourism to the native communities. Thus, the group stays in locally run lodges to promote a sustainable alternative to logging, mining, and oil exploitation. So, not only will you be seeing some fantastic birds, you will be helping to preserve their habitat at the same time.

So what do you need to do? Easy:

1. Sign up for the Kolibri Expeditions email newsletter.
2. Tell people about the contest. Blog about it (like I’m doing here), tweet it, post it on facebook, digg it, email your birding buddies, anything.

That’s basically it. But check out Gunnar’s post to get all the details:

Free Birding Trips to Peru

And even if you don’t participate (and why wouldn’t you?), check out Gunnar’s excellent blog. But then again, maybe you shouldn’t. Seeing all of those wonderful Peruvian birds is bound to change your mind and make you want to get to Peru as soon as possible!

I got a little behind with this. So here’s a nice, big list of bird book reviews from other sites.

If you’re reading this, I assume that you enjoy reading about birds. I certainly do, it’s why I started this site. But underlying that is a basic enjoyment of birds themselves. They bring alot of joy into my life. But the sad fact is that they’re in trouble. If we want to have birds around for ourselves and our children, then we need to actually do something.

But what can I do, you may be asking? There are specific things you can do, as well as great organizations you can join. And everyone who loves birds should do those things. But it can be hard to see how personal actions like recycling, and joining large conservation groups actually helps. It would be great if there was something we could do that has a tangible, demonstrative benefit for birds that really need our help.

The guys at the 10,000 Birds blog have created just such a thing – the 10,000 Birds Conservation Club. It costs $25 US (or the equivalent in another currency) per year, and that entire amount (minus necessary expenses – the founders aren’t keeping a dime for themselves) goes toward the conservation of threatened birds. The members can even help direct where the money is spent!

And if that wasn’t enough, they have also lined up some great giveaways available only to Conservation Club members. The first such giveaway is a set of all three Sound Approach books. All three are fantastic books that any birder would love. Honestly, if I didn’t already have them, I would have joined just to enter this contest!

And there will be more giveaways throughout the year. But it’s worth joining just for the fact that you know that your money is going directly to help threatened species, and that you will have a voice in how it is actually spent. I’ve already joined, and if you enjoy having birds around, you should consider it as well.

Some of you may have seen a cryptic post earlier today titled “Books for Beginning Birders”, but containing only some text saying “coming soon…”. Sorry about that, I was trying to get a shell of a page up quickly, and, well…it’s been a long day.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that it has been updated, and should be correct now. So, if you haven’t seen it, here are some Books for Beginning Birders.

When I got into birding, I jumped in with both feet. I wanted to find out what this birding thing was all about. But how? What comes after the binoculars and field guide?

As with most any pursuit, birders need knowledge and desire to progress beyond beginner status. The desire is the “easy” part – you have to want to get better, and be willing to put in the work to do so (and it does take work). But how do you get the knowledge? There is no substitute for field experience. But even so, you can only progress so far and so fast on your own. The help of a more experienced birder is crucial. Unfortunately, they’re not always around every time you need them! Thank goodness for the collected experience and wisdom available in books. Here are a few selections that will greatly aid beginners (or anyone, for that matter) in their quest to become a better birder.

• Pete Dunne on Bird Watching: The How-to, Where-to, and When-to of Birding
  Pete Dunne

  After binoculars and field guide, this is the next thing every prospective birder should have. Dunne provides many tips and suggestions, but more than anything else, he clearly introduces what this birding thing is all about, from birdfeeding to pelagic trips. As a bonus, you get all of this with the author’s trademark wit and humor. This is more than a treasure trove of information from one of our foremost birders, it’s also a fun read.

• The Complete Birder: A Guide to Better Birding
  Jack Connor

  Even though this is older and out-of-print, it’s worth tracking down. There is a little overlap with the other books, but also provides an overview of birding seasons and some difficult families like warblers and gulls. Personal anecdotes and lively writing keep this interesting.

• National Geographic Birding Essentials
  Jonathan Alderfer and Jon L. Dunn

  This covers more technical, but still crucial, topics than Dunne and Connor, such as the parts of a bird and molt. It is profusely illustrated with great color photos to exemplify the concepts.

• Sibley’s Birding Basics
  David Allen Sibley

  This is a great guide, but contrary to the title, I think intermediate and even advanced birders will get more out of this than beginners. If the rest of these books haven’t satiated your desire for birding know-how, then turn here next.

• Good Birders Don’t Wear White: 50 Tips From North America’s Top Birders
  Lisa White

  There are some good, helpful tips here. But the scattershot approach means that it isn’t very comprehensive. It’s worth a read, but preferably after one of the prior books. (Full Review)

• Birding
  Joseph Forshaw, Steve Howell, Terence Lindsey, Rich Stallcup

  I found a prior edition of this in a bookstore’s bargain book section just after I started birding. It was surprisingly helpful. The introduction to birding, including the tools and other items you will need, is really good. Not as in-depth as some of these other books, but I found myself referring to it often.

• Birding Lite: A Humorous How-to Guide for All Who Enjoy Watching Birds
  Stan Dryden

  A good option for those who are curious about bird watching or just getting into it. They will find the information required to get started presented in a fun, though shallow, manner. But if you’re already sure that birding is for you, then one of these other options will be more helpful, particularly Dunne or National Geographic. (Full Review)

For the most part, these books won’t help you identify a particular bird. But they will give you a firm foundation to make quicker and more accurate identifications. What’s more, they will help you better enjoy and get more out of the pursuit of bird watching.

My wife and I enjoy visiting the US National Parks. She enjoys photographing the outdoors, and the parks are a great place for that. And for me there are always birds. And as anyone who’s watched the Ken Burns’ documentary knows, the parks are just fantastic places.

When looking at a map of the parks across the country, it’s hard to avoid noticing the area of the Colorado Plateau, the region encompassing southern Utah, northern Arizona, and western Colorado. It stands out because there are seven national parks there, relatively close to each other. Proceeding counter-clockwise from the south, as we would be visiting them, they are Grand Canyon in Arizona; Mesa Verde in southwest Colorado; and Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion in Utah. Collectively, this route is known as the Grand Circle.