An ardent natural history enthusiast with a background and advanced degrees in both education and business, John now makes his living as a professional writer, reviewer, photographer, and consultant.
Birds sing, bees buzz, frogs croak; everything in nature produces some form of noise – even the planet itself. Not surprisingly, humans, great imitators that we are, have incorporated many of these sounds into our own collection of noises; particularly in the music we have made throughout our history.
Jean Craighead George has requested to be made part of the recent electronics rights dispute between HarperCollins and Open Road Integrated Media over the latter’s publication of Ms. George’s 1972 novel Julie of the Wolves as an electronic book.
Princeton University Press has recently released the new second edition of Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp, and Tim Inskipp’s Birds of India.
I’ll be honest – I’m not entirely sure that Tovar Cerulli’s newly released book The Mindful Carnivore; A Vegetarian’s Hunt for Sustenance truly falls under the overall purview of The Well-read Naturalist; but then again, I’m not entirely sure that it doesn’t.
“If you wish to know, seek first to understand.” When the statue of Kenn Kaufman is finally unveiled in the (alas, still yet to be built) Birding Hall of Fame, these words should be inscribed in bold letters across the front of the pedestal upon which it stands.
Following upon the success of Bo Beolens, Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson’s delightfully enlightening The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals, Johns Hopkins University Press has recently released The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles by the same three authors.
That birds were once ruthlessly hunted for their feathers is a well known fact. However what still to this day remains largely unexplored are the individual motivations, thoughts, and feelings about it of the individuals most intimately involved in it: the plume hunters themselves.
Although Glynis Ridley’s The Discovery of Jeanne Baret; A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe was released by Random House back in December of 2010, it escaped our attention at the time.
Erythemis collocata (female) 1 on Flickr.
Erythemis collocata (Common: Western Pondhawk), female. July 9, 2011, Sauvie Island, Oregon.
The Kaufman Field Guide to Advanced Birding
“If you wish to know, seek first to understand.” When the statue of Kenn Kaufman is finally unveiled in the (alas, still yet to be built) Birding Hall of Fame, these words should be inscribed in bold letters across the front of the pedestal upon which it stands.
Birdwatching With Your Eyes Closed
With the publication of Birdwatching With Your Eyes Closed; An Introduction to Birdsong, Simon Barnes brings his unique combination of professional experience and amateur enthusiasm to a very wide potential readership; one that includes not only bird watchers of all levels of experience but those who don’t necessarily even consider themselves bird watchers as well.
Birds of Europe, Second Edition
The new (second) edition of the Birds of Europe is a must have guide for anyone interested in the birdlife of this geographic area.
Well-read Naturalist Book and Optic Reviews in New Bird Watcher’s Digest
The November / December 2011 edition of Bird Watcher’s Digest is now available and contains not one but two Well-read Naturalist produced book reviews as well as a “Well-equipped Birder” review.
The Peregrine, The Hill of Summer, and Diaries
Should you wish to identify a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) you would most certainly consult a field guide. Should you wish to know a bit more about what ornithologists have discovered concerning this species, a life history or ornithological monograph about them would be your best bet. However if you wish to discover what makes [...]
Leupold Katmai Binocular to be Discontinued
Perhaps the most unfortunate news discovered at the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada was that of the discontinuation of the Katmai binocular by the American optical firm Leupold.
New Discovery: Minox Pocket Tripod
As an enthusiastic user and proponent of the Minox MS 8×25 Makroskop since its introduction, I have long maintained that it doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as it deserves by the vast majority of bird watching, hunting, or general outdoor journalists.
FLASH! Filson / Le Chameau Wellies to be Produced
Well-informed hunters, bird watchers, and all others who pursue an activity requiring prolonged plodding over wet or muddy terrain know the value of a well-designed, soundly-constructed Wellington boot.
Meopta MeoPix iScoping Adapter Demonstrated at 2012 SHOT Show
While news of the Meopta MeoPix iScoping Adapter for the iPhone 4 and 4S has already been published in The Well-read Naturalist, actual images recorded through the scope have not yet been – until now.
FLASH! New Nikon EDG VR Fieldscope Unveiled
Nikon has unveiled its latest addition to both its spotting scope line-up as well as its premium-level EDG product family: The EDG VR 85 Fieldscope.
Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content.
