In the birding world, spring migration is like the Super Bowl, World Cup, The Coney Island Power Eating Championships, and the Swamp Buggy Racing World Title rolled into one. Kenn Kaufman, legendary birder, naturalist and author of the cult-classic “Kingbird Highway,” returns with “A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration.”
How often do you hear anyone say “Geez, can’t wait to go to Ohio.”
Answer: never. Unless you adhere to the saga of our feathered friends, and then you know that northwestern Ohio during spring migration is the Shangri-La of the birding world. Millions of birds, mid-migration voyage come down to the ground. What was once a massive swamp area provides both protection and fodder for birds on their routes north. This book is a history lesson, and story of progress vs protection and an explanation of something called “The Biggest Week in American Birding,” something I am hoping to hit before our species kills everything off. In my opinion, the truth about birds and conservation, or migration for that matter, is a tough sell to the average person. They just don’t care. If you pit warbler migration against the new series on Netflix, the birds don’t stand a chance. But for those curious souls, well, this book is a must.
Comments 7
An interesting topic, something about nature, and that has always interested me. I have a question, does the book touch on the subject of migration in general or does it focus only on the region in the US?
Never thought I would consider birding as a subject of interest to me, but a recent trip to Hawaii has made me think of it a bit more. I had also watched a Masterclass featuring Werner Herzog, and he recommends reading “The Peregrine” by J.A. Baker for his students as a means of teaching storying telling and feeling more in tune with how they create and build their story. I may consider looking into more of these soon.
Author
Hawaii is all the rage for birding. and what you see now might not be there much longer. They are losing species at a rapid rate.
I have been visiting Dan’s blog for years, a determined Inspector Clousseau-like (sp?) figure waiting to catch him in a falsehood. Victory is mine. My friend Kate said those exact words when she wanted out of Seattle. If Dan hires a good legal mind (hello Chuck!), he might be able to get me on the technicality of Geez. (That said, I would still rate the Shifter site as 99.67543% reliable.
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You only caught me on ONE thing? Keep looking.
Living within a short drive to NW Ohio, I have yet another reason to explore the land which most Americans fly over.
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See you there…