Animal Husbandry, Field Guides - Birds, Pet Birds
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Overview
"Dangerous" birds can be as plain as sparrows or as light and elusive as hummingbirds, so long as they catch hold of human fascination and never let go. In this brilliant book, Janet Lembke visits some of these dangerous birds, letting us share in her love and knowledge of birds and the unique sense of wonder they inspire. "Watching birds," she says, is one way. . .of contemplating what it is to be alive." Earthy, practical, and humor filled, these pieces are as varied as the feathered species that blow over Lembke's watery front yard, the Lower Neuse River. "A Bird in the Hand" speaks of the kingfisher, and the author's rare, ultimately fruitless try at a rescue of a wounded bird. "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Grackle" looks at. . .just that. In the title piece, Lembke faces off with a local shooter, and eater, of songbirds. Dangerous Birds offers some of today's best writing and thinking about the natural world.Nature writer Janet Lembke claims "dangerous" birds can be as plain as sparrows or as light and elusive as hummingbirds, so long as they catch hold of a human being's fascination and never let go. In a brilliant work, Janet visits some of these "dangerous" birds, letting readers share her love and knowledge of them and the unique sense of wonder they inspire.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Readers who enjoyed Lembke's River Time and Looking for Eagles will welcome another visit to coastal North Carolina. The title essay invokes birds of myth and film, brought to Lembke's mind by her discovery that one of her neighbors shot robins for the table, while another waged a vendetta against bluejays. With her Doberman, Sally, Lembke watches birds along the Lower Meuse River and in the piney woods nearby; a huge brushpile proves especially rewarding for fall migrants. One essay chronicles a field trip to look for the declining red-cockaded woodpecker, a victim of Hurricane Hugo. Lembke offers ``Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Grackle,'' tries to rescue an injured kingfisher and describes the ethical dilemma when a rat snake approaches a flycatcher's nest. Her ``dangerous birds'' are wholly captivating. (Oct.)Library Journal
As she did in Looking for Eagles ( LJ 9/1/90), Lembke writes perceptively about her animal (mostly avian) and human neighbors in North Carolina's Neuse River delta and Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Although some of her essays are predominantly descriptive, most ponder serious issues of what she calls ``ecological morality.'' The title essay is an ironic and disturbing account of Lembke's discovery that a close friend happily, if illegally, shoots and eats robins; the final essay, ``A Place in the Brushpile,'' is an especially thought-provoking meditation on humanity's place in the natural world. Sensitive, wise, and literate, Lembke is one of today's finest nature writers; this book is highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.-- Paul B. Cors, Univ. of Wyoming Lib., LaramieBook Details
Published
December 1, 1992
Publisher
The Lyons Press
Pages
192
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9781558211902