North on the Wing

December 1, 2017

What ornithologist Beehler describes as the mere retracing of a classic 1947 account of the spring bird migration northward through the United States becomes a travelog liberally spiced with bird watching, natural history, political commentary, and U.S. history. Its focus is Beehler's bird-watching pursuit from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada's Boreal forest; 37 species of colorful warblers. Other topics that affect bird populations regularly enrich the narrative: unique state parks and feral cats, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' attempts to control the course of the Mississippi River. After three months of camping, hiking, biking, bird-watching, and musing about an array of subjects, Beehler checks off the last of the 37 warblers on his list in New York's Adirondacks: the blackpoll warbler. VERDICT This debut will satisfy a variety of readers; those interested in bird-watching, natural and American history, and travelogs will find Beehler's story especially appealing.--Mark Jones, Mercantile Lib., Cincinnati

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2017
A nature-memoir homage to Edwin Way Teale's classic North with the Spring (1951), an account of a 17,000-mile journey following the migration of birds from Florida to New England.Beehler (Lost Worlds: Adventures in the Tropical Rainforest, 2008, etc.), an ornithologist with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, was first introduced to Teale's account by his mother, who spent her free time "prowling the local library in search of nature in the written word and bringing her discoveries home to share with us." Here, the author chronicles his similar journey, tracking the spring migration of songbirds from the coast of Texas up the Mississippi Valley into Canada and then down into the Adirondacks. A lifelong bird-watcher, the author records the species he saw at each stop along the way as well as notable flora and other fauna. Beehler is keen to know what efforts are being made to preserve and restore bird habitats, and he reports on his many conversations with those who are making it happen, exploring their work and the problems they face. The author is ever the lecturer, providing information on local history, culture, and geography and instructing readers on the major flyways of North America, the skills migrating birds employ to find their way, and the techniques of bird banding. To enhance this rather didactic work, each chapter opens with a black-and-white rendering of a bird along with a brief quote from Teale or another naturalist, and a few black-and-white photographs, mostly of warblers, are scattered in the text. Beehler occasionally introduces a personal note with what appear to be excerpts from his daily journal of his travels, which includes such details as how he got to a campsite, what the weather was like, and what he wore or ate.Slow going for general readers but a valuable source of information for songbird lovers and dedicated bird-watchers.

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December 1, 2017
Inspired by the travelogues of naturalist Edwin Teale, ornithologist Beehler decided to embark on a variation of Teale's 1951 migration study and follow modern-day songbirds, starting in the southern U.S. and traveling along the Mississippi up to northern Ontario. Beehler was also determined to learn about field biologists studying migratory birds on his route and how groups are working to restore migratory habitats. This was a more structured scientific journey than Teale's, although Beehler relished camping and brought along a kayak and bicycle to supplement his local forays. He focuses heavily on the presence of various warblers, a small songbird easily overlooked by casual birders, and imparts everything from the most basic facts of migration to the more curious, such as songbird fall-outs, which occur when weather can cause thousands of birds to literally fall out of the skyand survive! As conservationists discuss how modern forestry must include active disturbance, Beehler expands on the complex work necessary to preserve migratory patterns. A charming and enjoyable sojourn in the company of a witty and knowledgeable guide.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)