1) Lovitch, Derek J.. Brandeis University Press. Paperback: 482 pages. Price: $35.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: An invaluable site guide for New England birders, now available in a new updated edition.
With over 470 species of birds recorded, Maine offers an abundance of birding opportunities for people of all levels of interest and experience, from those looking beyond their backyards for the first time to knowledgeable visitors looking to plug a hole in their list of sightings. The state’s wealth of undeveloped land and its extensive coastline, countless islands, and varied habitat combine to host an impressive diversity of birds at all times of the year. Birders travel to Maine from near and far to seek hard-to-find species, from the only Atlantic puffins breeding in the United States on offshore islands to Bicknell’s thrushes high in the mountains.
2) Goodfellow, Peter. 29.95 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: The essential illustrated guide to how birds design and build their nests—now fully revised and expanded.
Birds
are the most consistently inventive builders, and their nests set the
bar for functional design in nature. Describing how birds design,
engineer, and build their nests, Avian Architecture
deconstructs all types of nests found around the world using
architectural blueprints and detailed descriptions of the construction
processes and engineering techniques birds use.
This
spectacularly illustrated book features more than 300 full-color images
and more than 40 case studies that profile key species worldwide. Each
chapter covers a different type of nest, from tunnel nests and mound
nests to floating nests, hanging nests, woven nests, and even
multiple-nest avian cities. Other kinds of avian construction—such as
bowers and food stores—are also featured.
Now with more case
studies and an updated foreword, this revised and expanded edition
includes intricate step-by-step sequences, visual spreads on
nest-building materials and methods, and insightful commentary by a
leading expert.
Pálsson vividly recounts how British ornithologists
John Wolley and Alfred Newton set out for Iceland to collect specimens
only to discover that the Great Auks were already gone. At the time, the
Victorian world viewed extinction as an impossibility or trivialized it
as a natural phenomenon. Pálsson chronicles how Wolley and Newton
documented the fate of the last birds through interviews with the men
who killed them, and how the naturalists’ Icelandic journey opened their
eyes to the disappearance of species as a subject of scientific
concern—and as something that could be caused by humans.
Blending
a richly evocative narrative with rare, unpublished material as well as
insights from ornithology, anthropology, and Pálsson’s own North
Atlantic travels, The Last of Its Kind reveals how the saga of the Great Auk opens a window onto the human causes of mass extinction.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the Great Auk and/or bird extinctions.
4) McCune, Bruce and Linda Geiser. Oregon State University Press. Paperback: 549 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A key component in healthy ecosystems, lichens can be found in
almost any natural habitat in the Pacific Northwest. This comprehensive
guide to the region’s macrolichens is intended for use by beginners as
well as specialists: weekend naturalists will be able to identify
specimens and recognize the great diversity of lichens, while
lichenologists and mycologists will gain greater knowledge of the
distribution and abundance of various species.
This updated third edition of Macrolichens of the Pacific Northwest
includes 95 additional species and an expanded introduction. It
features keys to 109 genera and 681 species of Oregon and Washington
macrolichens—all the macrolichens known or expected to occur in the two
states. The keys also provide excellent coverage for lichens of Idaho
and Montana, inland to the Continental Divide. Color photographs and
detailed descriptions emphasize lichens prevalent in forested
ecosystems.
The illustrated glossary and introductory material
cover the terminology needed to identify macrolichens and provide
information on collection and handling. The biology, ecology, and
air-quality sensitivity of lichens are discussed; regional air-quality
sensitivities are provided for nearly 200 species.
Macrolichens of the Pacific Northwest
will prove invaluable to anyone seeking to identify lichens or to
better understand these organisms and their vital role in the natural
world.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the lichens of the region!
5) Timber Press. Paperback: 455 pages. Price: $34.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A comprehensive guide to the most common weeds
of the Pacific Northwest, with essential information on their
management and eradication.
Weeds are everywhere.
They crowd out valuable agricultural crops, compete with the tomatoes
and beans in your vegetable garden, spread rampantly along roadsides,
and pop up from the tiniest cracks in sidewalks. In order to manage
them, we must first learn how to identify them.
Weeds of the Pacific Northwest is
a guide to identifying, controlling, and eradicating over 300 species
of weeds that gardeners and homeowners are likely to encounter in
Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Though
they can all cause trouble, each weed is different. The hundreds of
user-friendly photographs and detailed descriptions of each species here
ensure that you can spot and treat any weed in your path. As the
experts behind this book demonstrate, some plants can be killed by
eating them, some by digging, some by smothering, and some only by the
judicious application of chemical herbicides—and it is very important
for you and your neighbors to know and understand the differences.
RECOMMENDATION: This book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the weeds of the region!
6) Williams, Kevin et al.. 35.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: An authoritative, marvelously illustrated field guide to the velvet ants of North America.
7) English, Neil. 32.99 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Binoculars are life enhancing instruments, uniquely capable of bringing the intricacies of nature into sharp focus. Whether it be birds, majestic lakes and seas, alpine vistas, wild animals or exploring the glories of the night sky, anyone interested in buying binoculars today will be faced with a bewildering number of different models to choose from!
This book walks the reader through the fascinating world of binoculars, past and present, while exploring all of the main binocular types, their desirable features, how to test out and narrow down the choices a prospective customer should make, as well as looking at some of the best and most-sought-after binoculars money can buy. Uniquely experienced writer and binocular enthusiast, Dr. Neil English, takes the pain out of narrowing down the search for your ideal binocular, whether your budget is $50 or $5,000. Dr. English explores many of the timeless beauties of the binocular world, crafted by top European and Japanese manufacturers, such as Swarovski, Zeiss, Nikon, Leica and others. Sumptuously illustrated throughout with full color images, Choosing & Using Binoculars decodes all the technical jargon without sacrificing accuracy and presents the world’s best compendium of binocular literature for the birder, hunter, inveterate traveler, nature enthusiast and star gazer. Don’t leave home without it!
RECOMMENDATION: Due to size limitations, not all binocular models that birders use are listed in this book, but your average birder should find some good information here.
8) Varichon, Anne. 55.00 U.S.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A beautifully illustrated history of the many inventive, poetic, and alluring ways in which color swatches have been selected and staged.
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