Book Description
Many raptors, the hawks, eagles, and falcons of the world, migrate over long distances, often in impressively large numbers. Many avoid crossing wide expanses of water and follow "flyways" to optimize soaring potential. Atmospheric conditions and landscape features, including waterways and mountain ranges, funnel these birds into predictable bottlenecks through which thousands of daytime birds of prey may pass in a short time. Birders and ornithologists also congregate at these locations to observe the river of raptors passing overhead (as did hunters in the United States in the past and in some countries even today). Keith L. Bildstein has studied migrating raptors on four continents and directs the conservation science program at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Pennsylvania, the world's first refuge for migratory birds of prey. In this book, he details the stories and successes of twelve of the world's most important raptor-viewing spots, among them Cape May Point, New Jersey; Veracruz, Mexico; Kéköldi, Costa Rica; the Strait of Gibralter, Spain; and Elat, Israel. During peak migration, when the weather is right, the skies at these sites, as at Hawk Mountain, can fill with thousands of birds in a single field of view.
Bildstein, whose knowledge of the phenomenon of raptor migration is comprehensive, provides an accessible account of the history, ecology, geography, science, and conservation aspects surrounding the migration of approximately two hundred species of raptors between their summer breeding sites and their wintering grounds. He summarizes current knowledge about how the birds' bodies handle the demands of long-distance migration and how they know where to go. Migrating Raptors of the World also includes the ecological and conservation stories of several intriguing raptor migrants, including the Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Western Honey Buzzard, Northern Harrier, Grey-faced Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, and Amur Falcon.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive writing on raptor migration.......2007-08-01
One of the criticisms of science is that scientists are 'preaching to the choir', that is, there is difficulty in passing scientific findings outside of the scientific community and into the general public where important on-the-ground decisions are made. In this book, Keith demonstrates the ability to take the vast body of scientific literature, as it pertains to raptors, and organize it in a way which allows the reader to feel at ease with the subject matter. A true eloquence is evident considering it was all done without the need to 'dumb down' the science which remains the foundation of the book. Each chapter, heavily cited, will be entertaining and educational to anyone interested in raptors and their conservation.
Migrating Raptors of the World.......2007-01-09
In his role as Sarkis Acopian Director of Conservation Science at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Keith Bildstein has arguably studied raptors on a more global scale than any person alive, both in person and in the literature. He has put this experience to good effect in this excellent synthesis of the research on raptor migration ecology around the world. The inclusion of information from the tropics, Asia, Australia, Africa, and South America make this book a big advancement over its predecessors. Bildstein's concise and precise text uses words economically to explain scientific phenomena and details of raptor biology clearly in a way that is accessible to amateur ornithologists and conservationists, while still being of interest and value to professionals. The references alone form a valuable body of work for anyone doing research in the field. And the migration life histories of eight species are unique and interesting, showing how individual species apply the general ecological principles of migration ecology in varying ways. Every hawkwatcher and raptor researcher will definitely want to add this to their libraries; birders and naturalists of all interests will be enriched in their understanding of the natural world by this book; and ecologists and conservationists of all stripes should own this work since it is about some of the sentinel species of earth's environment. I give it my highest recommendation and it would make a great Christmas gift for any of the above.
Good read.......2006-10-31
To me, one of the most boring topics to read about is bird migration. This topic puts me to sleep, it is that boring. This book, however, is interesting. The information is presented in a very easy manner to understand and it makes the topic of migration interesting. This book sites particular species as they migrate and provides theories and other information about the reasons for migration. Very good and informative.
Book Description
Featuring dozens of wildlife patterns for scroll saw woodworking, this book goes beyond other pattern books by providing instructions for altering patterns so carvers can create a unique piece of art every time. Also included are helpful instructions on the basics of scroll saw woodcutting, as well as more difficult techniques like converting a traditional fretwork woodworking into a 3-D relief or fashioning a shadow box pattern. Among the 91 exciting patterns provided are eagles, owls, cougars, bobcats, wolves, bears, and whales. Tips on how to build a display for newly completed pieces are also included.
Customer Reviews:
Query.......2005-03-04
I happened on this book but haven't read it. My brother's name was mentioned in the book and I would like to hear from those who might have known him and what part he played: Mebane G. Stafford, who had 3 tours in VN, retired as a Col, now deceased.
Marian Stafford
mariana600@yahoo.com
Excellent; the truth.......2002-09-06
This is the real truth about the Phoenix Program. The anti-war left has tried for years, with some success, to discredit it with disinformation. This is a well-written, accurate history of what really happened and is convincingly documented. And real -- I know, I was there (June 1968-June 1969)
changing attitudes.......2000-12-15
That is the title of chapter 25. Moyar tries to create the impression that loss of support for the viet cong ipso facto meant increased support for the government of South Vietnam by the peasants in the villages. I don't buy it. The peasants in many areas were fed up with the war and wanted little or nothing to do with either side. They would have been happy to have seen a coalition government that would have stopped the fighting. But the last thing in the world that Thieu would agree to was something like that. In many areas the armed viet forces on both sides reached accomodations. To some this might have looked like the Government of Vietnam was coming out on top but the people in the area knew otherwise. When Diem was in power he brought about much the same situation in the countryside where for several years he with seeming ease rounded up most of the communists, to the point where the Americans believed the communist problem was solved. But it wasn't.
Big Thumbs Up.......2000-08-18
This book contains an unbelievable amount of facts about the Phoenix Program. The author was able to interview many participants, including Vietnamese. Since some are now dead, including William Colby, and others will be soon, this is likely to be the last history of Phoenix to draw on first hand accounts. Also very interesting was the author's use of captured Viet Cong documents, which indicate that Phoenix was highly effective. The author has a keen understanding of the people on the Vietnamese side, both participants and bystanders, which is refreshing after you read the hundreds of books in which the Vietnamese are treated as minor actors in the drama- with the possible exception of the Viet Cong. In addition, a lot of the antiwar dogma concerning Phoenix is systematically destroyed. I hope that Moyar and other historical pioneers like B.G. Burkett (Stolen Valor) and Samuel Zaffiri (Westmoreland) write some more books on Vietnam.
An honest and accurate book about the Phoenix program.......1999-10-02
I'm glad to see someone has finally written an accurate, dispassionate account of the Phoenix program and the Vietnam war. As a Phoenix advisor in late 1967 and 1968, I can say from personal experience that Mr. Moyar gets just about everything right in his account of that period. I can only assume from the extent of his research that the rest of the information is just as correct. His descriptions of the attitudes and motivations of the Vietnamese civilians, government officials and military validate many of my own observations and confirm many of my suspicions. I just wish I had known then what I know now.
Reading this book and the reviews about it prompted me to hunt down a copy of Douglas Valentine's book about Phoenix for comparison. I shouldn't have bothered. Clearly Mr. Valentine hasn't heard that old joke about the difference between a fairy tale and a war story. Phoenix and the Birds of Prey does a much better job of presenting the facts.
If I have any criticism of Phoenix and the Birds of Prey, it is that I felt Mr. Moyar applied some of his conclusions about the Phoenix program a little too broadly to all participants. Every district operation was different in some ways depending on the tactical situation, the capabilities of the advisor, and the involvement of the Vietnamese counterparts. But I suppose that is to be expected because he is taking a broad look at the overall program.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a serious student of the Vietnam war or guerrilla conflicts in general. It should be required reading for all of our military Special Ops people. I would especially recommend the book to all my fellow Vietnam veterans.
As for the anti-war types who have been yelling about the Phoenix program for the last 30 years, they're going to have to find a new horse to ride because that one won't run anymore.
Book Description
The newest addition to the highly regarded Helm Identification Series, which includes Seabirds ("unparalleled achievement," "best bird guide of any kind or of any generation," "sets the standard of excellence") and Shorebirds ("a superb guide," "a landmark volume"). One of the most eagerly awaited bird books in recent decades, Raptors is the first complete identification guide to all the birds of prey of the world. Each of the 313 species is described thoroughly and accurately, and every plumage and variation is shown in more than two thousand color illustrations plus hundreds of black-and-white drawings. Both large-scale and small-scale range maps show in detail where each species has been found. Like all the other identification guides in the Helm series including Seabirds, Shorebirds, Warblers of the Americas, Waterfowl, Woodpeckers, and Sparrows and Buntings Raptors is the definitive book on its subject. The birds of prey are arguably the most fascinating group of birds for birders and nonbirders alike, and Raptors will be an essential reference for anyone with an interest in birds.
Customer Reviews:
Buono (quasi).......2007-03-21
La sovracopertina del libro si presenta parzialmente rovinata perché il libro non è stato imballato in modo adeguato. L'orribile ordine di spedizione è stato INCOLLATO sulla sovracopertina e le tracce sono andate via solo con molta fatica (e parzialmente rovinando la sovracopertina).
Per il resto, il volume è in ottime condizioni.
Beautifully done.......2006-11-06
This book contains some beautiful illustrations and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in raptors.
T.T.......2005-12-02
This book is the ultimate book on all birds of prey. There is no other book that can eclipse the effort the two authors put into this book. The Helm field guide series( which this book belongs) is the most through study of any bird gruop. This book has exhausting information from description, feeding habits, to population and movements(migration habits). This book might be exspensive, but it is worth every penny. Raptors are among the most challenging bird groups to study, and this book is need to indentify them accurately. Also, if you like studying Gulls, the book "Gulls of North America, Europe, Asia" is another good book to buy. It's said that gulls are the most challenging bird groups to identify. Buy this book with this one, and you will have a less of a hard time indentifying this two of the most difficult bird groups.
The Eagle Has Landed.......2005-02-25
I have about 1000 books on Birds and Natural History and recently added this gem to my collection.Trying to write a review on this volume is akin to trying to do one on the Bible.One could easily write 25 pages and the surface wouldn't even be scratched.
First of all, this is not the type of book one buys for a Field Guide.It covers all the 313 species of raptors scattered all over the world.That's why you'll see reviews from different countries because it is as useful to someone living in Australia as to someone in Iceland.Obviously ,it wouldn't be carried around in the field for the purpose of identifying a raptor soaring overhead.It is really an Encyclopedia for the world's raptors.When looked at that way, it is a superb book.In one book, you can look up any raptor and see excellent illustrations,descriptions,distribution,behaviour,etc.,plus a myriad of references if you want more information.With nearly 1000 pages,one might ask "What more is there to write?"Well,lots ,this book averages out to about 3 pages for each bird.Heck,for some of these birds it woud be easy to find a shelf full of books.
Living here in Toronto,over the past 18 years I have seen 22 of these species locally, and several of them only once or twice.Those being,Black Vulture,Swallow-tailed Kite,Mississippi Kite,Swainson's Hawk,Ferruginious Hawk and Prairie Falcon.On top of that,8 more elsewhere in North America.That leaves only Hook-billed Kite,that I have much hope for seeing in North America,and at that my hopes are very slim.Then again,who knows,maybe the Red -footed Falcon that showed up in the Eastern US might appear again.
However,all these other birds exist and even if I can't travel the world to see them ,it is still nice to have a book to read up on any one of them when one appears in a novel or other literature.
The Golden Eagle on the cover is an excellent choice for us here,as it is the favorite raptor seen regularly at our watches in southern Ontario.To top it off ,on the back cover there is an illustration showing what one can see at a Hawk Watch.It was on April 15,1994 that I saw an, extremely rare for here, Swallow-tailed Kite soar past in a kettle like this.Of course they are much more common in Florida where we were entertained by several last April.
Well,that's my review;Ilove this book and would highly recommend it for anyone who is "into" Birding.It would be an excellent special gift to buy for any friend who is a Birder for a birthday,Xmas,or any occasion,you can't go wrong.
As to the reviewer who lamented that owls were not included;the terms, Birds of Prey,Raptors,Hawks,Predators,etc., do get used loosely;particularly by non-experts.I once heard Roger Tory Peterson reply to the question,"What makes an excellent Birder?"He replied,"A good Birder is someone who likes birds.An excllent Birder is someone who likes birds a whole lot." It was he who did so much to make Birding popular and easy for so many people ,"novices" to "experts".
If you get too uptight over it all,just remember:
IF YOU WANT TO SOAR
WITH THE EAGLES
IN THE MORNING--
YOU CAN'T HOOT
WITH THE OWLS
AT NIGHT!
i
The Best One For Such Magnificent Bird Group.......2005-02-08
One of the best and authorative book ever since publish on the Raptors of the world. Covering 313 species of the raptors across the world. It has vast bibilography and information on each species like habitat, ecology, behaviour etc. The book contains a wealth of detailed information on identification and distribution, with a full description of each species, including reference to all recognized races.Habitat and range for all species, together with information on movements and breeding behavior, are also covered. The depictions differentiate adults, immatures, and most of the distinctive races.The detailed and accurate text and spectacular color illustrations will make this book indispensable to all ornithologists and birders. This will be, undoubtedly, the standard work on thrushes for many years to come.
* Comprehensive identification guide to all 313 species of raptors throughout the world
* Detailed text covering identification, description, geographical variation, voice, status and distribution, movements, habitat, behavior, and measurements
* Each of the 313 species is described thoroughly and accurately, and every plumage and variation is shown in more than two thousand color illustrations plus hundreds of black-and-white drawings. Both large-scale and small-scale range maps show in detail where each species has been found.
ONE OF THE MUST HAVE EDITION FOR SERIOUS BIRDERS ACROSS THE WORLD FOR SUCH A DIFFICULT GROUP OF BIRDS.
Book Description
Birdwatching is growing in popularity, and there are no birds more spectacular and captivating than the great raptors and the other birds of prey. Gorgeous, accurate illustrations accompany the text which provides an excellent introduction to the bio-logical nature of the animals, including descriptions of eating, mating, and migra-tory patterns. Birds of Prey of the World makes an impassioned plea for their conservation, giving this book a valuable and timely message.
Average customer rating:
|
BIRDS OF PREY (Birds of the World Series)
John P.S. Mackenzie
Manufacturer: Key Porter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Ornithology
| Zoology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1550138030 |
Book Description
BIRDS OF PREY, captures the beauty of these magnificent birds in over 130 superb full color photographs
Customer Reviews:
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-04-02
Luther used to be a football-playing party animal, making bad choices and stealing just to impress his snobby friends from Heartland, Montana. Not anymore, though.
Luther now spends all of his time at the bird vet's house, where he cleans poop, feeds the birds, and flies them -- all under the supervision of the owner, Kay.
When school bully, Warren Juddson, finds out Luther quit the football team to work with the crazy bird lady, temperatures rise and words fly. When the whole team turns against him and maybe even his step-father, as well, Luther has no other place to turn but to the new girl, Alex.
Alex teaches Luther all about the forest fires nearby and how to ride a horse, but when the out-of-control fires get the best of him and his town, he has to choose what to save first: Alex and her belongings, Kay and her bird, his house, or himself. Luther makes a heroic attempt that could change his life forever.
This amazing book by Sneed B. Collard III will grab readers with its stunning real-life topic. A great read!
Reviewed by: Holly
Average customer rating:
- Summer Hawk
- Summer Hawk Takes Flight
- A favorite
- once a class assignment, now a favorite
- Rather abstract and wandering
|
Summer Hawk
Deborah Savage
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Fiction
| Birds
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
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Country Life
| Where We Live
| People & Places
| Children's Books
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Fiction
| Nature
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
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Being a Teen
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ASIN: 039591163X |
Book Description
M. Taylor Armstrong-Brown. It's a good name for a journalist. When Taylor moves to the remote town of Hunter's Gap from Philadelphia, she copes by being an impartial observer. She plans on biding her time until she can escape to prep school and college. But, unexpectedly, Taylor finds herself rescuing an orphaned baby hawk and getting to know a boy she'd never imagined being friends with. When she meets the woman who runs the nearby raptor rehabilitation center, Taylor's journalistic reserve begins to break down. As the hawk heals and grows stronger, Taylor is drawn closer to the boy she'd considered a redneck - and to the passionate "Hawk Lady," whose many secrets awaken deeper emotions in Taylor than she understands. Words begin flowing from her pen, but they are not the objective notes of a news reporter. They are the stirrings of a heart taking wing.
Customer Reviews:
Summer Hawk.......2005-11-21
I think that this Summer Hawk, by Deborah Savage, was extremely well written. From the very start, the book captures and pulls you in.
The main character, M. Taylor Armstrong-Brown, is like any normal teenage girl. She isn't that close to her parents, going to move soon, and has to choose what school she really wants to go to. At the beginning, Taylor thought that she wanted to be a reporter. But to get into this school that she really wanted to, she needed a good grade in English. Unfortunately, she got a C. That wasn't going to get Taylor into the school. But her teacher would raise her grade if she wrote an essay for the paper during her summer. At first, Taylor didn't know what to write about. Then she finds a baby hawk stranded in a tree. Taylor then rushes back to get help, and she meets a quiet boy named Rail, who she used to call `a red neck'. Rail and Taylor together rescue the baby hawk and bring her to the `hawk lady', Rhainnon Jefferies. While Rail helped the hawk, Taylor was recording down everything for her essay. Soon Taylor finds that her world has turned upside down and what she no longer wanted what she used to. She then has to discover what she really wants inside.
I think that this book was made for teenagers, about that same age as Taylor herself. At that age, most people can connect to what is happening to Taylor, one of the reasons this book draws you in. Taylor seems just like any average teenage girl and is so realistic that everything that happens to her is believable. It makes you think that you aren't the only one with problems, and that everyone has them too.
The best part of this book was around then end because Taylor finally figures out what she really wants. Finally she has friends and her mom understands her, and she gets to stay in Hunter's Cap like she wants. Finally Taylor finds the peace that you get when everything is perfect.
This is an excellent book. Once you start reading it, there is no way you can put it down. I recommend this book to all teenagers and even young teens. You won't regret it!
Summer Hawk Takes Flight.......2005-10-03
Quite like a thunderstorm, a tornado, or a hawk's plunge, Summer Hawk by Deborah Savage captures readers from the instant their eyes hit the page.
A teen novel, at first it seems as if Melissa T. Armstrong-Brown's problems are that of every other teen; she's having a bit of trouble at school, she's getting ready to move, and her parents seem distant, or apart from her. It seems as if the novel is going to be ordinary - just like any other teen romance. However, Taylor soon comes across a baby hawk, and from there many different people tie into her life; the quiet boy Rail Bogart, the mysterious "hawk lady" Dr. Rhiannon Jeffries, children from her school, and many more. Taylor's life is suddenly turned upside down with all of these new discoveries, and in them, she has yet to discover herself.
What makes this novel fit the teenage audience the most would have to be that - in watching Taylor discover herself - readers get sucked into her. By the time a reader reaches the fourth chapter, their emotions are bound to Taylor's, and - before they realize what is happening, they are whisked away to that windswept hilling, seeing themselves lay out before them. At least, I'm aware that it happened to me.
The best chapter would have to be the very last chapter - Chapter 19. In this chapter, you see that things are finally going right for Taylor. She finally found herself, she gets over the intense anger that had been locked up inside of her soul, and she is around those she loves. I won't spill what else happens in this chapter - for I want you to read the book - but this book is finally when Taylor - and the reader - feels fine.
This book is excellent. Whether you are a teenager that the directed audience waits for, or an adult looking for a young read, this book will never cease to amaze you. Summer Hawk is certainly a desiring read that - like a windswept hill on a summer's day with a red-tail gliding above you - you will never want to leave.
A favorite.......2005-08-22
I first read this book in my early teens, and enjoyed it so much that I read it completely through in one sitting. I love the style, love the characters, and most of all, love having a book that has left a lot out to make it a better book. As I read the previous reviews, I was surprised. There are more than a few unfavorable ones, which really did catch me off guard. Since I haven't read the book in a while, I sat back and thought about the comments and complaints, trying to receive them with an open mind. As it is, I still can't agree. The book is a favorite 'mood' book for me. When its raining outside and I've finished writing one of my own stories, I love to pick it up and re-read the descriptions of the hawk lady (whose name actually inspired me to research the mythology of the goddess Rhiannon)and Taylor's father. In danger of rambling on I have just one last opinion to give-that as a daughter of a separated, and now divoreced mother, I feel a slight connection to Taylor, and maybe this is why I enjoyed the book so much. It helped me to understand myself.
Oh, and the fact that I am also a female called Taylor didn't hurt things either!
once a class assignment, now a favorite.......2003-12-18
I have had the unexpected pleasure to have Ms. Savage as my professor for a college class. In that regard, my own personal opinion of the book is also judged by how I have come to know the writer. I could go on and on where and how she came up with ideas, but that is not what you want to really know.
In the very beginning I found Taylor to be snobby concerning her views of other classmates and somewhat selfish in trems of her mother,she is a typical teenager. One of the best aspects of the book is how easy it is to watch Taylor progress into a deeper understanding about friendships, family and relationships others have around her. The witness of growth as a reader is easy to relate because there has been a time in all of our lives where we too have gained a new self-awareness. I love the end because there is no happily ever after, just continuing change, which is what life is really about.
I think that the goal of any writer is to ensure that there is something worth writing about. It doesn't matter what age you are when you this book, it is just about understanding yourself a little bit more. I love this book and I think that if you give it half a chance and an open mind you will too.
Rather abstract and wandering.......1999-10-10
This is the first book by Savage I have read. Much of this book is rather poetic and ethereal, which appeals to me. Overall though, Savage's hinting at things and heavy innuendos were unfulfilling and confusing, rather than suspenseful. The stereotyping of the community was a bit heavyhanded as well.
Character developement was fairly good, but I wondered about what would happen to a number of the supporting cast. Mom's character is never fully understood. If Melissa was so supportive of her mom, how come we never got to know her?
I enjoy much about this book, I don't think I'd recommend it. It's a vague read.
Books:
- National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition (National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America)
- National Wildlife Federation Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Backyard Wildlife (National Wildlife Federation)
- North Carolina Birds
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!, The
- Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!, The
- Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!, The
- Projects for the Birder's Garden: Over 100 Easy Things That You can Make to Turn Your Yard and Garden into a Bird-Friendly Haven
- Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
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