Comments on: It’s fall. Time to start hoarding bird books. https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/ Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:37:23 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.6 By: Daniel J. Andrews https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/#comment-509190 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:37:23 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/#comment-509190 Picked up NG’s bird guide, 6th edition. Looked at Crossley again. Undecided still, then saw they include the four letter codes for each bird, and that tipped the balance in their favour as I’m always trying to track down those codes either online or on my portable hard drive for birds when I have to work in new regions.

]]> By: Daniel J. Andrews https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/#comment-509189 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:25:30 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/#comment-509189 I keep seeing the Crossley book in the bookstore, leafing through it, and putting it back down again. It just hasn’t sold itself to me yet (unlike Kaufman’s book on Advanced Birding–1st and 2nd editions are both worth having, and Hawks at a Distance). Given your review, I’ll look at it again with your points in mind.

One particular bird book I like is Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion. What a wealth of knowledge on those small details that help in identifying birds. In addition to the details regarding plumage, it provides details regarding behaviour (active, sluggish, flits wings, sits and stares at undersides of leaves before hopping, etc).

There are no pictures, it is just over 700 pages with the Index, and not a pocket book or field guide–it is meant to be read before going bird-watching. I used it extensively for this last fall migration, making notes on warblers and birds coming in from the arctic (longspurs, pipits, shorebirds). I considered it so valuable I brought it along despite weight limitations imposed on our personal gear by the helicopter pilots–I reduced weight by leaving my old tripod at home and buying a light-weight carbon-fiber tripod so I was still under the weight limit.

]]> By: Russell https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/#comment-509188 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:30:11 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/#comment-509188 Time to watch for kettles of hawks, migrating from up north. 😉

]]> By: Mu https://gregladen.com/blog/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/#comment-509187 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:23:24 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/10/24/its-fall-time-to-start-hoardin/#comment-509187 This one got me started Raptors of New Mexico. Unfortunately the turkey vulture is still the only one I can identify without fail.

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