In this Book
- Extreme Birder: One Woman's Big Year
- Book
- 2011
- Published by: Texas A&M University Press
summary
One woman . . . one year . . . 723 species of birds. . .
In 2008, Lynn Barber's passion for birding led her to drive, fly, sail, walk, stalk, and sit in search of birds in twenty-five states and three provinces. Traveling more than 175,000 miles, she set a twenty-first century record at the time, second to only one other person in history.
Over 272 days, Barber observed 723 species of birds in North America north of Mexico, recording a remarkable 333 new species in January but, with the dwindling returns typical to Big Year birding, only eight in December, a month that found her crisscrossing the continent from Texas to Newfoundland, from Washington to Ontario. In the months between, she felt every extreme of climate, well-being, and emotion. But, whether finally spotting an elusive Blue Bunting or seeing three species of eiders in a single day, she was also challenged, inspired, and rewarded by nearly every experience.
Barber's journal from her American Birding Association-sanctioned Big Year covers the highlights of her treks to forests, canyons, mountain ranges, deserts, oceans, lakes, and numerous spots in between. Written in the informal style of a diary, it captures the detail, humor, challenges, and fun of a good adventure travelogue and also conveys the remarkable diversity of North American birds and habitat. For actual or would-be “travel birders,” Lynn Barber’s Extreme Birder provides a fascinating, binoculars-eye view of one of the best-loved pastimes of nature lovers everywhere.
"Lynn Barber challenges a traditionally male-dominated pursuit--the birding big year--and is successful beyond her wildest dreams. She is an inspiration for all who love adventure, nature, and birds."--Lynn Hassler, author, Birds of the American Southwest
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- ABA Checklist and Checklist Codes
- pp. xv-xvi
- March: March Madness and More
- pp. 41-59
- May: Warbler Waves and I Go North
- pp. 84-103
- June: Alaskan Adventures
- pp. 104-126
- July: Maine Meandering and Nevada Nemesis
- pp. 127-148
- August: Spotted Owls and St. Paul Sandpipers
- pp. 149-168
- September: Southwest Specialties
- pp. 169-185
- October: The 700 Club
- pp. 186-204
- ABA Birds Seen in Taxonomic Order
- pp. 247-258
- Birding areas through my big year
- pp. 263-264
Additional Information
ISBN
9781603446723
Related ISBN(s)
9781603442619
MARC Record
OCLC
742517357
Pages
288
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No