10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Here are ten titles (it could have been more) selected for their uniqueness, excellence in writing and research, and giftability. Lees and Gilroy delineate vagrancy status and trends for every bird family worldwide, highlighting examples, synthesizing research, and framing it all with their own thoughts and conclusions.

Sri Lanka 233

Sri Lanka Malaysia Birds Suriname 233

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Scientific research shows that many animals are very intelligent and have sensory and motor abilities that dwarf ours. Many animals also display wide-ranging emotions, including joy, happiness, empathy, compassion, grief, and even resentment and embarrassment. In many ways, human emotions are the gifts of our animal ancestors.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2022

This all came back to me as I read Learning the Birds: A Midlife Adventure because author Susan Fox Rogers was one of the two birders to find the Ames Henslow’s Sparrow. by Susan Fox Rogers. It’s the subject of the eleventh essay in this collection, almost smack in the middle of the 22 pieces that comprise the book.

Birds 264

Birds Sparrows Connecticut New York 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2016

Yes, it’s physically massive, exhaustively researched, rich with appendices and notes and maps and illustrations, and in every way the sort of thing that you look at and think “Wow, this author really, really cares about John James Audubon. Yes, even the title is bulky.

Emotional 142

Emotional Fox Sparrows Washington 142

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

The author, conservation biologist Caroline Fox, is observing the albatross’s shadow to the side of the boat. Fox notes the albatross in her “soaking-wet notebook” and watches it circle and fly back into the masking glare. Fox does an excellent job balancing these three elements, keeping the emphasis on the birds.

Fox 100

Fox Albatross Geese Bald Eagle 100