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"Gedney shares his devotion to everyday Western birds in fifteen essays. Each essay illuminates the life of a single species and its relationship to humans, and how these species can help us understand birds in general"--
List of contents
ContentsPreface
Speakers1. The Brown Bird (California Towhee)
2. The Garden's Keeper (California Scrub-Jay)
3. I Can Hear When They Call (American Crow)
4. Waxwing Revelations (Cedar Waxwing)
Singers5. Dawn's Watcher (American Robin)
6. The Blessed Halo (House Finch)
7. This Goldfinch is Not Lesser (Lesser Goldfinch)
8. Devotion's Fruit (Mourning Dove)
9. The Dusky Demon (Northern Mockingbird)
10. Autumn Kings (Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows)
11. In the Darkness She Will Listen (Great Horned Owl)
Visions12. Light of the Oasis (Hooded Oriole)
13. The Beautiful Purifier (Turkey Vulture)
14. The View From Above (Red-tailed Hawk)
15. A Little Miracle (Anna's Hummingbird)
Tools for Learning the Birds
Acknowledgments
Notes
About the Author
About the author
Jack Gedney was born in California, bounced around the country in his youth, and returned to his home state to complete his education, studying literature and natural history at U.C. Berkeley. He is also the author of a compact field guide to the trees of the San Francisco Bay Area and co-owner of a wild bird feeding and nature shop in Novato, California.
Summary
A book to help the ordinary birdwatcher appreciate the fascinating songs, stories, and science of common birds.
"Grounded in science but watered by the heart of a poet, this intimate and personal look at the lives of the birds we see every day invites us to slow down and look again." —John Muir Laws
Jack Gedney’s studies of birds provide resonant, affirming answers to the questions: Who is this bird? In what way is it beautiful? Why does it matter? Masterfully linking an abundance of poetic references with up-to-date biological science, Gedney shares his devotion to everyday Western birds in fifteen essays. Each essay illuminates the life of a single species and its relationship to humans, and how these species can help us understand birds in general. A dedicated birdwatcher and teacher, Gedney finds wonder not only in the speed and glistening beauty of the Anna’s hummingbird, but also in her nest building. He acclaims the turkey vulture’s and red-tailed hawk’s roles in our ecosystem, and he venerates the inimitable California scrub jay’s work planting acorns. Knowing that we hear birds much more often than we see them, Gedney offers his expert’s ear to help us not only identify bird songs and calls but also understand what the birds are saying. The crowd at the suet feeder will never look quite the same again. Join Gedney in the enchanted world of these not-so-ordinary birds, each enlivened by a hand-drawn portrait by artist Anna Kus Park.
Foreword
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