Contents
Prologue ◦ 3
1 The Start of a Big Day ◦ 9
2 July ◦ 13
3 Ravensnest ◦ 17
4 Signs of Spring ◦ 22
5 Those Wonderful Wood Warblers ◦ 26
6 On Newfane Hill ◦ 30
7 Trash and Birdwatching ◦ 34
8 Backyard Peyton Place ◦ 38
9 My Favorite Birds ◦ 42
10 When Birds Darkened the Sky ◦ 46
11 Why I Capitalize Bird Names ◦ 50
12 Birding the Town of Stratton ◦ 55
13 Not Cute ◦ 59
14 What Is a Raptor? ◦ 63
15 Whatever You Call Them ◦ 67
16 The Dirty Secret of Chasing Birds ◦ 71
17 Black Scoter Visits Newfane ◦ 75
18 Hawk Folk Names ◦ 79
19 Tale of the Tailfeathers ◦ 83
20 Kinglet Versus Winter’s Worst ◦ 88
21 Vermont’s Elusive Bicknell’s Thrush ◦ 93
22 A Neighborhood Dispute ◦ 97
23 How to Keep Squirrels Out of Bird Feeders ◦ 101
24 The Life List Hits a Milestone ◦ 105
25 Sex in Winter ◦ 109
26 On the Trail to Stratton Mountain ◦ 113
27 The Next Generation ◦ 117
28 Zucchinis Don’t Have Feathers ◦ 121
29 In a Race for Life ◦ 125
30 What I Have in Common with Roger Tory Peterson ◦ 129
31 Swan Song ◦ 133
32 Bird Names ◦ 138
33 Gulls at the Treatment Plant ◦ 143
34 How to See More Birds on a Bird Walk ◦ 147
35 Bobolink ◦ 151
36 “GISS” ◦ 155
37 Continuing with “Giss” ◦ 159
38 Survival ◦ 163
39 Shotgun Ornithology ◦ 167
40 Open Water ◦ 172
41 Common Raven ◦ 176
42 Tough City Birds ◦ 180
43 What Name ◦ 185
44 Winter to Spring ◦ 189
45 The Saga of Nene ◦ 193
46 In Summer’s Heat ◦ 198
47 Aristotle ◦ 202
48 How Bicknell Got His Own Thrush ◦ 211
49 Raven ◦ 216
50 When the Birds Were Silent ◦ 200
51 Wise Guys and Thieves ◦ 224
52 The Big Day’s Best Bird ◦ 229
Chapter Notes ◦ 233
Selected Resources ◦ 237
Read a Sample Chapter
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2 July ◦ 13
3 Ravensnest ◦ 17
4 Signs of Spring ◦ 22
5 Those Wonderful Wood Warblers ◦ 26
6 On Newfane Hill ◦ 30
7 Trash and Birdwatching ◦ 34
8 Backyard Peyton Place ◦ 38
9 My Favorite Birds ◦ 42
10 When Birds Darkened the Sky ◦ 46
11 Why I Capitalize Bird Names ◦ 50
12 Birding the Town of Stratton ◦ 55
13 Not Cute ◦ 59
14 What Is a Raptor? ◦ 63
15 Whatever You Call Them ◦ 67
16 The Dirty Secret of Chasing Birds ◦ 71
17 Black Scoter Visits Newfane ◦ 75
18 Hawk Folk Names ◦ 79
19 Tale of the Tailfeathers ◦ 83
20 Kinglet Versus Winter’s Worst ◦ 88
21 Vermont’s Elusive Bicknell’s Thrush ◦ 93
22 A Neighborhood Dispute ◦ 97
23 How to Keep Squirrels Out of Bird Feeders ◦ 101
24 The Life List Hits a Milestone ◦ 105
25 Sex in Winter ◦ 109
26 On the Trail to Stratton Mountain ◦ 113
27 The Next Generation ◦ 117
28 Zucchinis Don’t Have Feathers ◦ 121
29 In a Race for Life ◦ 125
30 What I Have in Common with Roger Tory Peterson ◦ 129
31 Swan Song ◦ 133
32 Bird Names ◦ 138
33 Gulls at the Treatment Plant ◦ 143
34 How to See More Birds on a Bird Walk ◦ 147
35 Bobolink ◦ 151
36 “GISS” ◦ 155
37 Continuing with “Giss” ◦ 159
38 Survival ◦ 163
39 Shotgun Ornithology ◦ 167
40 Open Water ◦ 172
41 Common Raven ◦ 176
42 Tough City Birds ◦ 180
43 What Name ◦ 185
44 Winter to Spring ◦ 189
45 The Saga of Nene ◦ 193
46 In Summer’s Heat ◦ 198
47 Aristotle ◦ 202
48 How Bicknell Got His Own Thrush ◦ 211
49 Raven ◦ 216
50 When the Birds Were Silent ◦ 200
51 Wise Guys and Thieves ◦ 224
52 The Big Day’s Best Bird ◦ 229
Chapter Notes ◦ 233
Selected Resources ◦ 237
Read a Sample Chapter
Return Home
