Synopses & Reviews
This readable, friendly guide is intended for bird watchers and nonand#8211;bird watchers alikeand#8212;for anyone who wants to enjoy nature right in his or her own backyard. and#160; The longtime editor of Bird Watcherand#8217;s Digest and author of numerous books on birds, Bill Thompson IIIand#160; has been feeding and watching birds forand#160;forty years. He has tried everything, and here he shares what heand#8217;s learned so that readers can avoid mistakes and skip right to successful bird feeding. He also debunks common myths about bird feeding: Does feeding birds stop them from migrating? Will birds starve if you leave your feeders empty after the birds have come to rely on them? and#160; In an easygoing and lighthearted style, seven chapters cover all the elements needed to attract birds to a backyard (food, water, shelter) and address special cases and problems (keeping bees out of the hummingbird feeder, preventing birds from flying into windows,and#160;and much more). The final chapter profiles theand#160;130 species that are most common at backyard feeders. No separate field guide is needed; itand#8217;s all right hereand#8212;everything a beginner needs to know to attract birds and then figure out what kind they are.
Synopsis
A field guide to 300 of theand#160;most common birds of North America for kids ages 8 and up.
Synopsis
With
The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of Eastern Northern America, Bill Thompson helped spawn a new generation of bird watchers and created the perfect field guide for children and beginning birders alike. Now, he is expanding the scope of that guide to cover the entirety of North America (US and Canada).
The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of North America includes entries on 300 of the most common birds on the continent, and each entry is loaded with color photographs, drawings, range maps, an easy-to-use checklist, and fun facts. Unlike adult field guides, which can sometimes be overwhelming, this provides just the right combination of information and entertainment.
As with the eastern guide, The Young Birder's Guide to Birds of North America was created with help from kids: Bill's own son and daughter, and their elementary school classes, helped with photo selection and with creating the Wow! facts. Kid-tested, kid-approved!
Synopsis
Covering 300 of the most common birds in all of the United States and Canada,
The Young Birderand#8217;s Guide to Birds of North America is loaded with color photographs, drawings showing typical behaviors, range maps, an easy-to-use checklist, fun facts, and authoritative information about each bird, its vocalizations, and its habitat.
While other field guides might overwhelm kids who are new to birding, The Young Birderand#8217;s Guide to Birds of North America was created with help from kids. Bill Thompsonand#8217;s own son and daughter and their elementary school classes helped select the content. Kid tested, kid approved!
Synopsis
Second in a three-bookand#160;series on watching birds in the backyard: backyard bird ID, bird feeding, hummingbirds, bluebirds, bird houses, gardening for birds, etc.
Synopsis
Hummingbirds and butterflies are some of the most beautiful visitors to a backyard, but they can also be some of the most elusive. This second collaboration between the Peterson Field Guide series and Bird Watcherandrsquo;s Digest includes tips on how to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to backyardsandmdash;and how to identify them once theyandrsquo;ve arrived. Bill Thompson III and Connie Toops have decades of firsthand experience and have written the book in a fun, lighthearted style, providing both amateur and veteran nature watchers with need-to-know information, including where hummingbirds and butterflies live, what they eat, and the best garden plants to attract them. The species profiles of the 15 most common hummingbirds and 40 most common butterflies serve as a field guide, showing ranges, identifying marks, and preferred habitats. Full-color photographs and detailed drawings make attracting, identifying, and feeding these colorful creatures a snap.
About the Author
BILL THOMPSON III is the editor of Bird Watcherand#8217;s Digest and the author of many books about birds. He lives in Ohio with his wife, the author and illustrator Julie Zickefoose, and their two children. CONNIE TOOPSandnbsp;is a nature writer and photographer with more than thirty years of experience documenting natural history subjects. She is the author/principal photographer of nine nature books and frequently travels the country speaking on birding, wildlife gardening, and nature photography subjects.
Table of Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xv
HUMMINGBIRDS
Chapter 1: What Is a Hummingbird?
Hummingbird Life History 5
Did You Know? 11
Myths Debunked 12
Chapter 2: Watching Hummingbirds
Finding Hummingbirds 17
Hummingbird Anatomy 19
Identifying Hummingbirds 19
Hummingbird Behavior 24
Chapter 3: Attracting and Feeding
Hummingbirds
Flowers versus Feeders 27
C hoosing a Feeder 31
Feeder Placement 33
General Feeding Rules 35
Ten Tips for Attracting Hummingbirds 36
Chapter 4: Plants for Hummingbirds
Planning Your Hummingbird Habitat 40
Bird-friendly Plants 50
Chapter 5: A Hummer Garden Plan
Regional Plant Lists 65
Plants for Container Gardens 86
Seasonal Progression of Blossoms 87
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting 88
Chapter 7: Hummingbird Species Profiles
Identifying Hummingbirds 98
Species Profiles 102
BUTTERFLIES
Chapter 8: What Is a Butterfly?
Butterfly Biology 120
Butterfly Life History 123
Did You Know? 132
Myths Debunked 133
Chapter 9: Watching Butterflies
Finding Butterflies 136
Identifying Butterflies 140
Butterfly Behavior 144
Chapter 10: Attracting and Feeding
Butterflies
Habitat Requirements 147
Chapter 11: Plants for Butterflies
Planning Your Butterfly Habitat 156
Butterfly-friendly Plants 160
Healthy Backyard Ecosystems 166
Container Gardens 167
Chapter 12: A Butterfly Garden Plan
Regional Plant Lists 170
Plants for Special Interest Gardens 206
Seasonal Progression of Blossoms 210
Chapter 13: Troubleshooting and FAQs
Predators 211
Hazards 214
Butterfly Conservation 218
Frequently Asked Questions 219
Chapter 14: Butterfly Species Profiles
Kindred Butterflies 223
Species Profiles 226
Appendix 1
Photographing Hummingbirds 268
Appendix 2
Photographing Butterflies 271
Resources 276
Photography and Illustration Credits 280
Index 281