One Wild Bird at a Time

January 1, 2016
An eminent biologist shares the joys of bird-watching and how observing the anomalous behaviors of individual birds has guided his research. Heinrich (Emeritus, Biology/Univ. of Vermont; The Homing Instinct: Meaning and Mystery in Animal Migration, 2014, etc.) smoothly describes how studying the daily lives of birds in their natural environments allows him to experience their world vicariously. Now retired and living in a cabin in the Maine woods, he devotes himself to closely observing "his avian neighbors, visitors, and vagrants, and keep[ing] daily records throughout spring, summer, fall, and winter." Every year, he welcomes a pair of broad-wing hawks who feast at a vernal pond populated by frogs, spring peepers, and salamanders while refurbishing their old nest. Unusually, they provide a fern cover on the nest, which they update on a daily basis after their chicks hatch. Heinrich also includes anecdotes from an earlier time when he still lived in Vermont. Awakened one morning by the loud drumming of a male woodpecker on a nearby apple tree, the author wondered if perhaps he was seeking to attract a female. Surprisingly, when a female was drawn to the sound, he stopped drumming and flew away. The same behavior was repeated the following day. The author's observations led him to conclude that the bird's drumming was not part of a mating ritual but rather a noisy advertisement of his nest-building skills. Vireos nesting near his cabin allowed him to observe how they deliberately reduced the number of eggs they were hatching to accommodate the reduced food supply after an unseasonal freeze. Heinrich explains that bird-watching has been an important part of his life since he was a boy on his family's farm. When he was 6, they moved from Germany to Maine. Finding familiar birds nesting "immediately made this place our home," he writes. An engaging memoir of the opportunities for doing scientific research without leaving one's own backyard.

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March 15, 2016
The prolific Heinrich (The Homing Instinct, 2014) returns with another title to delight his bird-loving readership, this time focusing on the lives of common birds largely visible near his cabin in the Maine woods. By turning his lens to individual crows, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees, he gives readers a peek into the tiny lives that flourish around us yet are often missed in the busyness of daily life. This is Heinrich at his scientific best, referencing diary entries, making careful daily observations, asking questions about the tiniest of behavioral changes among his subjects. He also shines as an avid birder. His sheer delight over the call of the barred owl ( The owl is here! ) and affection for the hidden nesting trait of the tricky chickadees are infectious. Heinrich shares a wealth of information in such a genial manner that learning comes as effortlessly as watching congregants at a backyard bird feeder. With numerous illustrations, Heinrich proves again why he is the companion of choice for those who appreciate the feathered members of our world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)