Bird Studies at Old Cape May [Paperback]

Witmer Stone (Author), Roger Tory Peterson (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

800 drawings 5 x 8 A birding classic back in print Detailed descriptions of some 350 birds Introduction by Roger Tory Peterson In the early 1900s, ornithologist Witmer Stone spent years observing and recording the bird life in and around Cape May, New Jersey, one of the premier birding spots in the country. The details of his observations, first published in 1937 by the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and long out of print, are republished here for the first time in one volume. Where the birds live, their habits and behavior, physical descriptions, what they eat, when they migrate, and how population status has shifted-all described in vivid detail. A unique look at how birding in Cape May has changed, and how it's stayed the same. With line drawings by Earl Poole and others. Witmer Stone, a founding member of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, served as president of the American Ornithologists' Union, vice president of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and editor of The Auk.

Product Details

• Paperback: 992 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811731510
• ISBN-13: 978-0811731515
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,716,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars W. Stone's Study Still Fascinating After All These Years, October 11, 2003

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This review is from: Bird Studies at Old Cape May (Paperback)

First published by the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club in 1937, "Bird Studies at Old Cape May" is ornithologist Witmer Stone's exhaustive study of the bird life in Cape May County and along the New Jersey coast between 1920 and 1930. 374 species of bird are described: 318 from Cape May County, primarily from the area stretching from the town of Cape May along the shore to Cape May Point, and 56 species from further north along the New Jersey coast. The book opens with several introductions from previous publications, including one written by Roger Tory Peterson for the 1964 edition. The introductions are followed by short chapters describing the bird life in different geographic areas of Cape May County -sea, meadows, islands,woodland, farmland- as well as history of previous bird life at the Cape, descriptions of bird migrations, and summaries of bird occurrences by month. The bulk of the book consists of descriptions of each of the 374 species observed. For each species, there is a physical description, information on the occurrence and history of the bird in this region, and stories of Stone's personal experiences with the species as well as those of other birders of his acquaintance. Some entries are less than a page in length, while others are up to 12 pages, but the average length for each species is a few pages. There are short introductory essays before the sections on ducks, hawks, and shore birds.

This is an absolutely fascinating study of the birds of the New Jersey shore. Bird enthusiasts who have been to Cape May will find engaging and still relevant descriptions of birds which continue to be found there. And it is most interesting to learn the history of these species before much of Cape May's wetlands were filled in, along with the histories of some species which are no longer found in the area. Reading "Bird Studies at Old Cape May" 65 years after its original publication, it is in some ways more informative than it was in 1937. It allows us to observe, for even longer than Witmer Stone did, how and why Cape May changed and its bird population along with it. 941 pages is a lot of information to absorb, but I've found it a very pleasant book to pick up now and then and read the entries for a few species at a time. The order of the book is a mystery to me, but there is an index.