ON WATCHING BIRDS

by Lawrence Kilham ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1988

A serious and inspiring attempt by a lifelong bird-watcher and scientist to sum up his experiences and explain his philosophy. The point is neither the breathless listing of species of the competitive amateur nor the overly quantified ""graphs and charts"" approach of the professional ornithologist, but the patient, careful observation of individual birds ""with empathy, as consciously thinking, sentient beings, not too different from ourselves."" Kilham, a renowed virologist whose studies of woodpeckers and crows have won him international respect among ornithologists, recounts dozens of incidents from his experiences watching birds around the globe (though mostly in the eastern US) to show how even the most common birds (nuthatches, robins) make fascinating objects of study. Always keeping in mind the practical restrictions facing the amateur, he convincingly and at times amusingly demonstrates that one need not go far afield or be a trained scientist to make important discoveries. ""How much I enjoyed,"" he writes during a description of some cranes in Florida, ""going nowhere and doing nothing, but being watchful, just letting things happen."" Neither poetic nor didactic in his aims as a writer, Kilham concentrates his considerable powers on the subject at hand, producing a remarkably cogent, beautiful work that is sure to be a classic in its field.

Pub Date: July 1, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Chelsea Green

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1988

Categories: NONFICTION