Although I’ve long been a bit doubtful about American books that propose to teach one how to be a better bird watcher (aside from the fact that there are simply too many species across the U.S. to be mastered without years of time afield, too often backyard species are downplayed while the hair-splitting required for many gulls, shorebirds, and other confusion species is overly belabored), George Armistead’s and Brian Sullivan’s Better Birding; Tips, Tools, and Concepts for the Field caught my eye.