The Armchair Birder Goes Coastal - by John Yow (Paperback)

About the Book

Armchair Birder Goes Coastal: The Secret Lives of Birds of the Southeastern Shore

Book Synopsis

With his distinctively witty, anecdotal, and disarming voice, John Yow now journeys to the shore and shares his encounters with some of the most familiar and beloved coastal birds. Out of his travels -- from North Carolina's Outer Banks, down the Atlantic coast, and westward along the Gulf of Mexico -- come colorful accounts of twenty-eight species, from ubiquitous beach birds like sanderlings and laughing gulls to wonders of nature like roseate spoonbills and the American avocets. Along the way, Yow delves deeply into the birds' habits and behaviors, experiencing and relating the fascination that leads many an amateur naturalist to become the most unusual of species -- a birder.

Seasonally organized chapters explore the improbable, the wonderful, and the amusing aspects of these birds' lives. Yow embellishes his observations with field notes, anecdotes, and stories from some of America's finest naturalists -- including John James Audubon, Arthur Cleveland Bent, Rachel Carson, and Peter Matthiessen. Combining the endless fascination of bird life with the pleasure of good reading, The Armchair Birder Goes Coastal is the perfect companion for any nature lover's next trip to the beach.

Review Quotes

Audubon Editors' Choice

"Entertaining . . . . A good read, this title is appropriate for generalists interested in natural history, the wildlife of the southeastern U.S. shore, and birders." -- Library Journal

"In this informative, chatty, anecdotal and eminently readable tome, Yow takes us season by season into the watery environment enjoyed by its feathered denizens." -- The Rocky Mount Telegram

"Infusing stories, observations, and musings, Yow makes it easy to learn about these fascinating birds. This book might well lead 'armchair birders' to become active birders, and eventually, conservationists." -- Janet Lembke, author of Why the Cat Purrs: How We Relate to Other Species and Why It Matters

"This book can be very funny, but it's way more. . . . [Yow's] well-chosen quotes from the masters add a smart heft to his clear and often fascinating narrative. His writing is as important as his watching. . . . This book has plucked me from my backyard perch . . . and dropped me into an oceanside beach chair to marvel." -- Clyde Edgerton, Garden & Gun

"Through enchanting descriptions and personal anecdotes, Yow makes characters -- the villainous ruddy turnstone, the "drunken" reddish egret -- out of his subjects, carefully highlighting each species' subtleties." -- Audubon Editors' Choice

"Witty, irreverent, and perennially entertaining, The Armchair Birder Goes Coastal is -- like its author John Yow -- a great companion for a ramble along the beach or into the tidal marsh. Yow mixes science, history, culture and his own experiences as an 'idiosyncratic' birder to create a delightfully readable peek into the lives of the Southeast's most familiar water birds." -- Scott Weidensaul, author of Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding

"You don't have to go coastal to fall in love with this literary compendium of birding, easily as "charming, witty, anecdotal, [and] readable" as its forefathers." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Yow ventures from his porch to take readers hunting for shorebirds . . . . [with] his folksy, humorous, and erudite style." -- Publishers Weekly

"[Yow] allows readers to share his discoveries and enjoy the surprises that each bird can bring. . . . [and this book] will help them gain a new appreciation for the unique characteristics that set shorebirds apart and make them so enticing to birders." -- About.com