Whether or not the commonly used bird watching term “giss” actually has its origins in an old British military acronym for General Impression Size and Shape (GISS) is a question perhaps best left to the etymologists.
John E. Riutta
About John E. Riutta
Posts by John E. Riutta, MA, MBA, FLS, MemRES:
The Bird Watching Answer Book
Bird watching is one of those pastimes that can be learnt in five minutes but takes a lifetime to master (if even then). While it essentially requires only one book to practice – a field guide to the birds of the area in which one intends to watch birds – seemingly countless volumes have been […]
A Pensive Fortnight
…the past fortnight has rather been one that has found me contemplating the future – what I am doing now, what I have done in the past, and what I might be doing in the days to come…
National Book Awards Results for 2009
Last night in New York, the National Book Foundation announced the recipients of their 2009 awards.