Thanks to Santa's Christmas generosity, I'm currently reading Wild America by Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher, and I'm just loving every word of it. There are so many fascinating, beautiful, and moving passages, especially when RTP talks about spring peepers. Oh, how it made me long for spring!
I'll probably be putting little excerpts up on the blog from time to time, not just to highlight some of these great passages but also the "high technology" of the time and the hilariously over-the-top Britishness of James Fisher. What a hoot it must have been to watch these two guys--driving around in RTP's station wagon, loaded down with stuff--especially when I compare their high-dollar trip with hitchhiker Kenn Kaufman's in Kingbird Highway.
If you haven't read Wild America (or Scott Weidensaul's modern-day follow-up, Return to Wild America, which is next on my list) or Kingbird Highway, jump on Amazon and get ya a good deal. It's worth it.
5 comments:
One of my favs! I got RTP's new biography for Xmas.
That was my "spark" birding book growing up in the Midwest and longing to travel and see great birds.
I luvs me some Roger Tory! I had his guide to Western Birds when I was a sprout.
RTP is da bomb! Patrick--tell me how the biog is.
Dave--My first guide was a late 1940s edition of his field guide, which helped me learn about birds and helped me ID my spark bird, the American bittern. So I guess it was my spark birding book too, only I was about 40 at the time.
Matty boy--you never cease to amaze me, you renaissance man you.
Oh. Thanks for the reminder. I remember reading about Kingbird Highway . . . here . . . wasn't it? But I forgot to add it to my to-buy list. And now I've got two others to add. Thanks again!
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