Brimming with stories, wisdom, and expert knowledge, this delightful book gives enthusiasts a peek into the private worlds of eleven North American birds: swallows, blue jays, chickadees, song sparrows, house sparrows, phoebes, mockingbirds, crows, red-winged blackbirds, robins, and hummingbirds. Calvin Simonds shows you how to really observe these birds -- how to interpret the caws of crows, recognize blue jays from their facial markings, understand the flight patterns of swallows. You'll...

When New and Selected Poems, Volume One was originally published in 1992, Mary Oliver was awarded the National Book Award. In the fourteen years since its initial appearance it has become one of the best-selling volumes of poetry in the country. This collection features thirty poems published only in this volume as well as selections from the poet's first eight books.Mary Oliver's perceptive, brilliantly crafted poems about the natural landscape and the fundamental questio...

In an effort to make sense of the deaths in quick succession of several loved ones, Kathleen Dean Moore turned to the comfort of the wild, making a series of solitary excursions into ancient forests, wild rivers, remote deserts, and windswept islands to learn what the environment could teach her in her time of pain. This book is the record of her experiences. It’s a stunning collection of carefully observed accounts of her life—tracking otters on the beach, cooking breakfast in the desert,...

When award-winning writer and biologist Bernd Heinrich became the unwitting -- but doting -- foster parent of an adorable gosling named Peep, he was drawn into her world. And so, with a scientist's training and a nature lover's boundless enthusiasm, he set out to understand the travails and triumphs of the Canada geese living in the beaver bog adjacent to his home. In The Geese of Beaver Bog, Heinrich takes his readers through mud, icy waters, and overgrown sedge hummocks to unravel the my...

Get ready to squirm!Did you know there are spiders that look just like bird poop? Cockroaches that can be directed by remote control? And snakes that fart to scare away predators? These are just a few of the bizarrly engrossing, disgusting, and squirm-inducing facts about animals you can use to entertain and gross-out friends and parents.

Good friends come in all shapes and sizes!Unlikely Friendships, the runaway New York Times bestseller with a compelling message of hope and friendship and differences overcome, is rewritten just for younger readers. This hardcover chapter book for children ages seven and up collects five heartwarming true stories of animal friendship: Koko the gorilla and her favorite kittens, a dog who swims with dolphins, a zebra who cares for a young gazelle, a baby warthog who...

Copiously illustrated with maps, line drawings, and full-color photographs, this large format paperback book contains the essential information that backyard nature enthusiasts want and need to select feeders and understand the basics of birdfeeding.Now you can start to enjoy the birds at your feeder more than you ever have before! This book will help you in three important ways:You can attract more birds by following our easy method ...

Unique encounters with wild birds from the acclaimed scientist and "a dedicated watcher happy to knock down the fourth wall of zoology" ( The Wall Street Journal ).In his modern classics One Man's Owl and Mind of the Raven, Bernd Heinrich has written memorably about his relationships with wild ravens and a great horned owl. In One Wild Bird at a Time, Heinrich returns to his gre...

Imagine yourself lying in your bed. The morning sun is just peeking through your window. Along with the sun, you hear the melodious song of birds chirping their "good mornings" to each other --- and to you! Have you ever wondered what those birds looked like? Why they are close enough for you to hear? What interesting characteristics they have about them??Bird watching is a sport that has been around for years. In fact, today, bird watching is the second fastest growing hobby in America, b...

Learn the how’s and why’s of bird behavior, from flirtatious mating practices and gorgeous birdsong to flying south for the winter. In this lively reference book, Laura Erickson addresses hundreds of real-life questions sent in to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world’s foremost authority on birds. With expert advice on bird watching techniques and equipment, feeding and housing birds, protecting habitats, and much more, Erickson guides you through the intricacies of the avian world wi...

Can the love reserved for family and friends be extended to a place? "Luminous essays" on nature and environmental stewardship ( Booklist).Named one of the Top Ten Northwest Books of the Year by the OregonianIn this book, acclaimed author Kathleen Dean Moore, a winner of the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award for Holdfast, reflects on how deeply the environment is entrenched in the human spirit, despite the notion that nature and hum...

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.