Nate Swick

Nate Swick gives you all the information you need to become a good birder. It’s also a good refresher for experienced birders, and even they might pick up useful tips. I did.

Concise, intelligent, articulate, readable, practical, accurate and attractive are qualities that give “Birding for the Curious” five stars. Although Swick lives in North Carolina, his advice applies to the entire United States. In addition to excellent information in “Birding for the Curious,” the many watercolor illustrations by Robert Brandt added significantly to my reading pleasure.

I am in the ranks of experienced birders, having purchased a Kowa spotting scope and Leica binoculars, having a sector in the Christmas Bird Count, having listed 1,128 birds on eBird, and having made several domestic and international trips primarily for birding. Yet I enjoyed reading Swick’s book and intend to share it with new birder friends.

The birding calendar is a good summary of where to look and what to see during the changing seasons. Using eBird, as Swick suggests, there are good birds to find at all times, just in different places: mudflats, lakes, ponds, seashore, fields, forests, mountains, thickets, fields, landfills, and your own backyard.

Here's a useful tip I picked up: Swick includes guidance on feeding birds, including a suet recipe. I have my own recipes from Wild Bird Magazine and routinely make suet. Swick suggests using empty commercial suet containers as molds for homemade suet. Since cutting the suet into square that fit the feeder is the most time-consuming part of making suet, I ordered 2 dozen commercial suet blocks to be fed to the birds and containers to be used as molds. Great idea!

Swick’s last chapter, “Why Birds? A Redux,” is inspirational. Birders are watchers, record-keepers, observers and witnesses to changes in wild places to wild things. Birders become involved in changes to our environment and in the need for conservation. Those who love birds and birding must be concerned about their welfare. Species disappear every day. See what is outside while you can.… (mais)