10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2020

The new hot novelist Jenny Offill was quoted in the Times magazine recently about her first book: “If someone had described this novel to me, I would never have read it.”. Good as that line is, it would be wrong to use it in a review of Accidentals , the new novel by Susan M. Gaines, notwithstanding that the story (1) takes place in the Uruguay of 1999, with plenty of commentary on the Uruguayan political scene of that time, (2) is narrated by a bird illustrator who identifies the birds he sees

Uruguay 153

Uruguay 2001 Bald Eagle Science 153

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2020

It’s not like civilization as we know it is coming to an end. At least, I hope it isn’t. Yet. But many of the perks of First-World civilization may be hard to come by for a while. Yeah, I’ve birded in the developed world. Not all that much, at least in recent years, but I’ve done it. I know all about your fancy Interpretive Centers, pre-built observation blinds and platforms, and wooden marsh walkways.

Birds 130

Birds Abandon Abandoning Abandonment 130