New and Recent Titles

1) Conner, Richard N. et al.. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker: Surviving in a Fire-maintained Ecosystem. 2001 (reprinted 2011). University of Texas Press. Paperback: 363 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: Though small among its woodpecker relatives, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker poses a huge dilemma for its human neighbors. Uniquely adapted to live in the old-growth pine forests of the southeastern United States, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker has nearly disappeared as the forests have been cleared for agricultural, commercial, and residential uses over the last two centuries. Today, it waits at a crossroads. Scientific management practices could restore the woodpecker's habitat and population, but the imperative to convert old-growth forests to other uses remains.
     In this book, three of the leading experts on the Red-cockaded Woodpecker offer a comprehensive overview of all that is currently known about its biology and natural history and about the ecology of the fire-maintained forests it requires for survival. As the most visible endangered species in the Southeast, and the one whose conservation impacts the largest land area, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker holds a compelling interest not only for ornithologists, but also for wildlife managers, foresters, developers, environmentalists, and government officials. For all of these groups, this book will be the essential resource for learning more about the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and ensuring its survival.
RECOMMENDATION: A good technical overview on the species.
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker: Surviving in a Fire-Maintained Ecosystem (Corrie Herring Hooks Series)


2) Delacorte, Peter and Michael C. Witte. The Book of Terns (2nd edition). 2011. Ternaround Press. Paperback: about 100 pages. Price: $14.95 U.S.
SUMMARY: The Book of Terns, Michael C. Witte and Peter Delacorte’s brilliant, epic, and mind-boggling compendium of bad puns and great drawings, is back! Long available only in dusty used-bookstores and sleazy corners of the Internet, The Book of Terns reterns with a vengeance, with a spiffy new cover and several never-before-seen cartoons to accompany the old favorites.
RECOMMENDATION: For all birders! This book will tern heads! The book is available from this website: http://thebookofterns.com/ and from Buteo Books: http://www.buteobooks.com/product/13443.html

3) Gordon, David George. The Secret World of Slugs and Snails: Life in the Very Slow Lane. 2010. Sasquatch Books. Paperback: 150 pages. Price: $14.95 U.S.
SUMMARY: A preeminent expert on the small wonders of the natural world, David George Gordon playfully and thoughtfully sheds light on the fascinating lives of slugs and snails. Covering everything from snail sex to the manufacture of synthetic slug slime, Gordon takes us on a journey through the languid and magical world of these charismatic invertebrates. From essays like 'Grow Your Own Escargot' to indispensable gardening tips, this book is chock-full of information on the much-maligned mollusks. Whether removing non-native slugs from your garden or following a native snail as it meanders across the forest floor, you'll never look at these underdogs the same way again. The book was illustrated by Karen Luke Fildes.
RECOMMENDATION: A good introduction to these gastropods. I wish it had color illustrations of the different species though!