This captivating book pays homage to the powerful sense of connection that we earthbound creatures have for those that soar. Lyanda Lynn Haupt, an ornithological researcher and birding teacher, beautifully describes the wide-eyed wonder found observing birds. She muses on the much-tarnished reputation of the starling, the sexed-up behavior of male woodpeckers that drives homeowners crazy, and the population explosion of crows in Northwest urban neighborhoods. This notable debut by a talented writer reveals a deft touch, sly humor, and an engaging ability to share her bountiful knowledge of things ornithological. Some birdwatchers will hop the red-eye to Costa Rica if a rare species is reported to be in residence. Lyanda Lynn Haupt, a naturalist who has herself traveled the globe in search of avian prizes, makes the argument for sticking close to home. In and around her Seattle environs, she finds a Dunlin with one eye, American Crows just fooling around, Starlings with their tarnished reputations, and a Snowy Owl perched and inscrutable. Wherever they are found, birds inspire their watchers. The authors encounters with Varied Thrushes, Woodpeckers, and Winter Wrens bring forth wonderful ruminations on song and sound, our place in nature, and notions of enchantment in forested places. The birds themselves have stories to tell: perched in a cedar and fir forest, the Swainson's Thrush has arrived from the tropics to remind us of a world much wider than our own; the Vaux Swift, so perfectly oriented to flight, somehow quickens its earthbound observers. Lyanda Lynn Haupt knows her orinthology, but she brings more than that to the page. She shares the inspiration that watching birds engenders, and she does so with grace, wit, and substance. Seattleite Lyanda Lynn Haupt, formerly education director of the Seattle Audubon Society, has worked in raptor rehabilitation in Vermont and seabird research in the remote tropical Pacific. Her writing has appeared in Open Spaces , Wild Earth Journal , Conservation Biology Journal , Birdwatcher's Digest , and The Prairie Naturalist . "Birds will give you a window, if you allow them. They will show you secrets from another world -- fresh vision that, though it is avian, can accompany you home and alter your life. They will do this for you even if you don't know their names -- though such knowing is a thoughtful gesture. They will do this for you if you watch them." Used Book in Good Condition