Synopses & Reviews
The world's most famous bird watcher recounts his travels in pursuit of birds.
A decade after the death of Roger Tory Peterson, his unique perspective on birding comes to life in these highly personal narratives. Here he relates his adventures during a lifetime of traveling the world to observe and record nature. Peterson's sense of adventure and curiousity could not be extinguished. While in his eighties, as one essay relates, his boat capsized in freezing water off the coast of Maine as he was filming a documentary. In another essay we watch his tiny rowboat get caught in an angry sea off the coast of Argentina. Then there is what Peterson called his most exciting bird experience: searching for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
Though Peterson was widely known for his illustrations, this collection reminds us of his accomplishments as a phtographer, for Peterson was nearly as passionate about photography as he was about painting. The essays, photographs, and illustrations included here were carefully selected by Bill Thompson III, the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest, which ran Peterson's column, "All Things Reconsidered," during the last twelve years of his life.
Review
This selection of small gems ... displays many of Peterson's little-known interests as well as fascinating descriptions of birding adventures.
[Peterson] displays an elegant and precise writing style....this collection overall stands as a tribute to the joy he experienced through birding.
Review
'Birdwatchers will love the book and non-birdwatchers who read it will want to join the ranks of birders.'
Review
These narratives, which cover much more than just birding, are rich, absorbing, and of great general interest. Highly recommended.
Library Journal
This selection of small gems ... displays many of Peterson's little-known interests as well as fascinating descriptions of birding adventures.
[Peterson] displays an elegant and precise writing style....this collection overall stands as a tribute to the joy he experienced through birding.
Publishers Weekly
Birdwatchers will love the book and non-birdwatchers who read it will want to join the ranks of birders.
Booklist, ALA
Synopsis
Roger Tory Petersonand#8217;s unique perspective on birding comes to life in these highly personal narratives. Here he relates his adventures during a lifetime of birding and traveling the world to observe and record nature. Though Peterson was widely known for his illustrations, this collection reminds us to reconsider his accomplishments as a photographer, for Peterson was nearly as passionate about photography as he was about painting. The essays and photographs included here were carefully selected by Bill Thompson III, the editor of Bird Watcherand#8217;s Digest, which ran the column and#147;All Things Reconsideredand#8221; during the last twelve years of Petersonand#8217;s life.
Synopsis
Ten years after Roger Tory Peterson's death, his unique perspective on birding comes to life in these highly personal narratives. Here he relates his adventures during a lifetime of birding and traveling the world to observe and record nature. Whether itis in writing about the time when his boat capsized in freezing water off the coast of Maine while he, then in his eighties, was filming a documentary, or about his experiences searching for the ivory-billed woodpecker, Peterson's sense of adventure and curiosity cannot be extinguished. The accomplished illustrator and writer was nearly as passionate about photography as he was about painting, and each essay is illustrated with Peterson's own photographs. The essays included here were carefully selected by Bill Thompson III, the editor of Bird Watcher's Digest, in which the columns originally appeared.--Publisher description.The personal narratives and essays of the late naturalist record his adventures over the course of a lifetime of birding and his experiences traveling the world to observe and record the natural world.
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.Roger Tory Peterson, one of the world's greatest naturalists, received every major award for ornithology, natural science, and conservation as well as numerous honorary degrees, medals, and citations, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Peterson Identification System has been called the greatest invention since binoculars. These editions include updated material by Michael O'Brien, Paul Lehman, Bill Thompson III, Michael DiGiorgio, Larry Rosche, and Jeffrey A. Gordon.
Table of Contents
Introduction ix On Audubon and Those Confusing Warblers 1 What Are You Really? 10 A Letter to Lars Jonsson (After the 1984 Birdathon) 20 Return to the Pribilofs 26 and#147;Bwana Ndegeand#8221;and#151;Return to Kenya 38 Ruffs and Reeves 49 Vulture Vigils on Five Continents 54 Return to the Serengeti 65 Floridaand#8217;s Hot Spots 74 The Maine Story 83 The Peregrine Story 92 A Night in a Channel Lighthouse 100 Orgy on Delaware Bay 106 Finding the Ivory-billed Woodpecker 115 Broley, the Eagle Man 125 The Cattle Egret 135 High Seas in a Rowboat 146 Deceiving the Experts 155 Memories of Sir Peter Scott 164 A Bar in Botswana 169 Immortal Audubon 175 Capsized by a Rogue Wave 184 Memories of Manhattan 192 Ecotourismand#151;The New Buzzword 201 Long After Columbus 207 Memories of Ludlow Griscom 216 The Festival of the Cranes 222 Introduced Species 227 Seventy Years Behind the Camera 236 Extinction Is Forever 243 RTPand#8217;s Perspective: Birding Today 247 Wings Behind the Once Iron Curtain 254 Heath Hens and Attwaterand#8217;s 260 The Roger Tory Peterson Institute 267 The Legend of Lars-Eric Lindblad 272 An Update from the Cedars 280 Tornadoes of Tree Swallows 288 Isla Raza 292 Ghosts in the Bronx 298 A Short History of Hawk Mountain 305 American Wildlife Painting 317 My Evolution as a Bird Artist 324 Index 330