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Photographing raptors can present unique challenges – where to find them, how to get them in good lighting, how to avoid scaring them off – you name it! However, it is possible to get incredible photos, like the crisp and captivating image of the Southwestern Red-tailed Hawk on the cover of the September issue. In Tools of the Trade, Mike Henry shares what he has learned about raptor photography, and how you can up your game, as well.
September’s Birding Interview is with Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club and many other novels and stories. Her most recent book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, is filled with journal entries and drawings of her backyard birds, and became an instant bestseller upon publication. In her interview, she talks about observing & drawing birds and how they bring her solace in grim times. She also talks about how Lyme disease has impacted her, and what steps birders should take to be aware of Lyme-disease-carrying ticks.
Lyme disease changed the course of another author’s life in this issue: Robert Bell, who retired prematurely in 2015 and found birding to be a path to mindfulness & joy even while dealing with chronic pain. Robert shares how birds have brought him joy and how he has become an advocate for conservation and birding at all ability levels.
Swamps and saltmarshes harbor special plants, birds, and other animals – but they also harbor special obstacles for the birder who wishes to explore them. Thankfully, experts Heather Hill and Alex Troutman have tips for how to bird them safely and respectfully, what species to look for, and what gear to carry.
Switching from wet swamps and marshes to the acorn granaries of Acorn Woodpeckers, Rick Wright brings us a new detail about these woodpeckers that blew my mind: how 17th century scholars read their acorn-hoarding as a religious allegory.
As always, the Book & Media Reviews take their full form online. Click here to open to the first page, and find:
- Julia DiGeronimo reviewing “Flight of the Godwit: Tracking Epic Shorebird Migrations” by Bruce M. Beehler
- Matt A. Hanson reviewing “The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne” by Chris Sweeney
- Melissa T. Yang reviewing “The Birding Dictionary: A Tongue-in-cheek Guide for People Who Find Themselves Obsessed, Against All Logic and Reason, with Birds” by Rosemary Mosco
There’s more where that came from – so open up the issue and enjoy!
