Galileo 7-21×40 Zoom Binocular
July 18, 2008
Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding
July 18, 2008
Customer Review: History That Won’t Put You To Sleep.
Scott Weidensaul’s brief history is engaging,stylish and personal.From the shotgun birders to dorky Miss Hathaway,to Roger Tory Peterson and his followers,surely NEVER dressed in white- you will find yourself turning pages to learn more.
Weidensaul does what many scientists aren’t able to do,and that is, turn his study and work into a work of Art as he sweeps us through centuries and personalities with grace and accuracy.His prose is always clear,but has music to it nevertheless.As always,he is the voice of reason as he shares with us his life and his research.
Painter Who Reads
Customer Review: For birders
A book for birders which will give a sense of the tradition now taken up by millions, but as Scott points out, probably with less skill than expensive equipment. Besides references to people with whom I have birded, I particularly liked his portrayal of the transition from shotgun ornithology to bird watching and the tension between the professionals and amateurs. The role of women in outlawing the massive slaughter of birds for their feathers or the pot has a lesson in it which I would love to see repeated. It is clear that learning to relate to nature can be stimulated through an interest in birds. The lives of people like Farley Mowat Born Naked: The Early Adventures of the Author of Never Cry Wolf and Bernd Heinrich The Snoring Bird: My Family’s Journey Through a Century of Biology were deeply influenced by childhood experiences of tracking birds to their nests. One wonders whether the new watchers with thousand dollar binoculars and two thousand dollar scopes so intimately connect to their subjects. A sociological examination of what nature means to the minions of bird watching would be revealing. It is interesting that Scott feels Ken Kaufman’s contributions to birding and other natural subjects are underappreciated.
This is a worthwhile book for birders and those interested in the history of American natural history. Charlie Fisher author of Dismantling Discontent: Buddha’s Way Through Darwin’s World.
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Binoculars, Sheltered Wings Audubon 8×40 Intrepid (M)
July 18, 2008
Precision ground, fully multi-coated lenses and high index BAK-4 prisms for excellent color fidelity and resolution, even in poor lighting conditions Long eye relief for comfortable viewing, even when wearing eyeglasses/sunglasses Buy from here…
Birds of Texas v3.9
July 18, 2008
Version 3.9 was released July 31, 2007. Birds of Texas v3.9 contains 486 species regularly seen in the state. This Windows CD-ROM includes color photos, songs for all species from the world-famous Cornell Lab of Ornithology, range maps, abundance maps, ID tips and more. The CD-ROM includes an ID Wizard to help you identify the birds, even if you do not know the bird’s name. Just enter colors, size, habitat and location. The ID Wizard will show you photos of all the birds that match your description. Petey the Parrot will pronounce each bird’s common and scientific name for you. Also included are over 300 quizzes, including Christmas Bird Count Quizzes for Amarillo, Austin, Big Bend National Park, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laguna Atascosa NWR, Rockport, Santa ANA NWR and San Antonio. There are also quizzes for birding hot spots such as Big Bend/Davis Mountains, Lower Rio Grande Valley and the Texas Coast. The CD-ROM lets you compare two birds side-by-side and shows you the similar species. With version 3.9, you can: Share Custom Lists with your friends Download songs and photos to an iPod for your own personal use Add your own comments and photos for each bird Identify birds by sound in the ID Wizard Use the new “Pick One” quiz — see four bird photos and pick the right one. And most important of all, The Birder’s Handbook is now included (a $20 value) System Requirements: Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Pentium 4 processor or equivalent; 512 MB RAM; CD-ROM drive; 1 Gig on hard drive; plus hardware and software required to support multimedia applications. Some features of this CD-ROM require an Internet connection.
Customer Review: Birds of Texas CD
Enjoy having this CD to identify and learn about our state birds. Buy from here…
Water Ballet – Swans – Wildlife Decor Art Print – License Plate Tag By Terry Isaac From Airstrike
July 18, 2008
Airstrike specializes in producing top quality custom decorative license plates, magnets and keychains from artwork by popular artists via a unique patented process. Buy from here…
Birds and Boys at Sedbergh: One Hundred Years of Watching and Recording Birds at Sedbergh School, Cumbria
July 15, 2008
Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds: Notes from a Northwest Year
July 15, 2008
This captivating book pays homage to the powerful sense of connection that we earthbound creatures have for those that soar. Lyanda Lynn Haupt, an ornithological researcher and birding teacher, beautifully describes the wide-eyed wonder found observing birds. She muses on the much-tarnished reputation of the starling, the sexed-up behavior of male woodpeckers that drives homeowners crazy, and the population explosion of crows in Northwest urban neighborhoods. This notable debut by a talented writer reveals a deft touch, sly humor, and an engaging ability to share her bountiful knowledge of things ornithological.
Customer Review: Birding Delights
In the final chapter of this sincere work, Lyanda Lynn Haupt slips in a quotation from Stephen Kellert that suggests her own aim in writing: “People will need to rekindle their capacity for experiencing wonder, inspiration, and joy from contact with the natural world”. Such delighted sentiment permeates the work as a whole. Haupt celebrates the varied reactions she and her friends and family have to a set of birds which are not the celebrities of the avian world: starlings, crows, cormorants. Her vignettes combine her knowledge of birds, of the birdwatching community, and her personal experiences. Her first chapter ends by saying, “Birds will give you a window, if you allow them”, and this book looks at the moment when the shutters swing open.
Her emphasis on human reaction to birds plays to her strengths as a writer. Some of her finest lines encapsulate the meaning of a visual impression while partially eliding the image itself: she writes of the snowy owl, after referring to the way every feature of its design is taken to an extreme (e.g., “impossibly sharp talons”), “They are all we can imagine them to be.” Haupt’s power and interest is less in physical description (although there are some vividly amusing analogies: the “scrunched” face of a Vaux’s Swift makes the species “a little avian Pekinese”). Instead, she concentrates on the kinds of emotion and thought which any individual bird encounter can touch off for a watcher.
The limits of human understanding-and the charms of those limits-plays into a larger theme of the book. Haupt declares her intent to steer a course between the Scylla of scientific arcana and cold observation and the Charybdis of “response-ists” who attempt to experience and enjoy a world untainted by human names and knowledge. At times she can drift to one side or the other-either in the form of occasionally rote descriptions of nesting habits or overly fanciful evocations of fairies-and the relative success of the passages where the two impulses are balanced prove her own point. She conveys her delight in the way the Varied Thrush produces its distinct song as gracefully as she does her experience of the song itself.
Ultimately, this book depends on an audience looking to evoke a joy previously experienced, to explore a familiar enchantment and comprehend it better. Haupt, as one who has worked to induce that joy in others, has an intelligent grasp of its workings and vagaries. Her book warmly invites others to share in her insights and, through them, re-experience their own delights.
Customer Review: Enchanting thoughts on another world
Human beings often think of the human world as the central point from which all earthly existence radiates, with birds and other animals mere background. Lyanda Lynn Haupt sweeps the reader effortlessly into another world– the world of birds. By bringing the daily habits, troubles and foibles of birds of the Pacific Northwest to light, and painting these birds in refreshing verbal watercolors, the author succeeds in showing humans that the bird world is not a backdrop to human existence but a whole other sphere of existence unto itself. She muses about the supernatural qualities of the hermit thrush’s song, the humorous (by human standards) mating dance of the blue grouse, the hyperactivity of the missile-like swift, even the dual nature of the lives of migratory birds who can be at home in two radically different places in the span of one year. Read this book and be drawn into a separate world of avian wonder! Buy from here…
The Easy Bird Guide: Eastern Region: A Quick Identification Guide for All Birders (Falcon Guide)
July 15, 2008
Customer Review: Like holding real live birds in your hand!
Someone gave me this book (THANK YOU FOREVER!). I have always wanted to hold a bird in my hands, and now it seems I truly can, since the illustrations are so beautul and detailed, they seem so real! And because the book is so cleverly organized, I can get to the information quickly before the birds hop or fly out of sight. For instance, Cardinals are listed under “Red Birds” duh, how simple can you get? “Beginner’s Luck” has me willing to try and identify more. And when the sun goes down, it makes great bedside reading because the information is so well-edited, it’s packed with details but not overwhelming. I recently ordered 16 as holiday gifts after testing my book out on both my 10-year-old-niece (who wants to be a veterinarian but she’s allergic to animals. Now she’ll be able to safely get up close and personal. One book is going to my 95-year-old neighbor whose wife just died and winter’s coming up. He’s got a bird feeder outside the window where he always sits, and he never had a bird guide, so this book can help him solve bird mysteries. The price value is just right for gift-giving, especially considering the ADDED VALUE of introducing bird-watching as a pastime for a lifetime – one that will connect people to the greater outdoors, which is so wonderful! Each book will go a long, long way. Mine already has a lot of miles on it, as it now goes everywhere with me. It’s my constant companion, just like the birds will now always be!
Customer Review: Wonderful Field Guide!
I recently got this book for my 16 year old who had expressed an interested
in bird watching. This is a wonderful beginning field guide. It’s very easy to use. But what impressed me most were the stunningly beautiful color illustrations by artist Pieter Prall. The pictures are just amazing and inspirational; we keep the book on the sill of our window that overlooks our wooded backyard. Now we actually look for birds to identify. I would highly recommend this book to young and old. It makes a great gift and is a real bargain for the price.
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Galileo 10-30 x 60 Zoom Binocular
July 15, 2008
The Galileo C-103060TP Zoom Binoculars go the extra mile… literally. Land ho! If Columbus would have had a pair of these on his ship, he just may have discovered America a little sooner. With just a push of a lever, you’ll go from 10x to 30x power for instant zooming. The 60 mm objective lens gets you in so close you’ll feel like you can reach out and touch the object. Table-top tripod and adapter are included for the ultimate in stability viewing. Discover these details: Zooms from 10x to 30x power; Fully-coated optics; 150 F.O.V. for full viewing; Water-resistant and rubber armored; Fold-down rubber eye-guards; Measures 3 3/4 x 9 3/4 x 8 3/4″, weighs 4 lbs. Includes carrying case and strap, len’s cleaning cloth, instructions and limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty. Perfect for watching the big game from the stands. Order Today! Galileo C-103060TP Zoom Binoculars
Customer Review: Not as expected
This Binocular is useful between 10-15x but after that the image quality will come done too much, also it has shaded exit pupil due to improper prism material, which in turns will decrease light coming inside, and since the coating is only fully the brightness will not be maximized, and after 20x hardly you can enjoy the image. Comparing with skymaster 10x-70 , I recommend the skymaster one which is lower in price higher in quality and it has multicoated lenses, and no shaded exit pupil, but not zoomed one . Buy from here…
Bushnell Hemisphere Travel Series 8-16×25 Compact Electronic Zoom Binocular
July 15, 2008
The Bushnell 8-16×25 Hemisphere Powerzoom Binoculars feature ultra-lightweight, compact designs that tuck away with ease, while packing big-time clarity and light transmission. Lighten up and introduce yourself to these little travelers. The Bushnell Hemisphere 8 – 16 x 25 Power-Zoom Binoculars offer some crisp, vibrant images sure to brighten your day. Thank fully Buy from here…
