I believe that if I were to breakdown the elements of my bird education so far, it might go something like this: Observation of birds 50%, reading books 20%, Internet resources 10%, information from other birders 10%, videos & movies 10%. Education aside, I love watching birds. For me identification is important, but I just love watching birds.
I go all over now, but the truth be known, I am a devoted and fanatic backyard birder. These days, I am trying to coax my crows to come closer to my deck with peanuts. Meanwhile, I have an adorable Carolina wren that can hammer with delight one-half-peanut into pieces for a treat. He loves ’em and comes right up to me to get his peanut.
I like to read and watch movies, and I have discovered some really great bird books and movies. I am still expanding my lists, but here are ones that I recommend in the order in which I read or viewed them. My apologies if left out your favorite book or movie that should be listed. If so, please email me your suggestions or just leave a comment here.
These links provided below are almost all Amazon simply because I do most of my shopping on Amazon. Obviously most all of the items below are available on other sites and in regular stores, too
The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar
Small-Headed Flycatcher. Seen Yesterday. He Didn’t’ Leave His Name
Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion
I am a big fan of Pete Dunne; most of the above books are his. He is a terrific writer, and we go birding together from time to time.
Movies. There is one series that is an absolute must see, The Life of Birds. It is a BBC ten-part series with David Attenborough. It is also on Netflix.
Here are some other of my favorite movies:
Birders: The Central Park Effect
A Birder’s Guide to Everything
Please send me your recommendations for books and movies!
