Customer Reviews

Foghorn Outdoors: California Wildlife

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Last weekend my wife and I were hiking near Green Valley Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. With sunset just an hour away, we were hurrying along the trail but rounding a corner we stopped dead in our tracks. Not 30 yards from us was a bobcat which of course took off in the opposite direction as soon as we saw it. Wildlife encounters like these are treasured moments and we feel blessed to have experienced so many of them.

You can share such experiences too with a little time, a lot of luck, and simply by knowing where and when to go in California's wildlands. This book by Tom Steinstra can help with the third part of that formula. This book discusses 85 different types of wildlife commonly found (or in the case of Bigfoot, occasionally reported) in California. Far more animals than that are described, however, as you will find multiple species under the headings "duck," "deer," "elk," and so forth. Steinstra's descriptions are divided into two parts. The first consists of his own personal observations and the second are loosely classified as "biologists' notes." I found both sections informative and Paul Johnson's illustrations nicely complement the text.

On the whole, this is an excellent reference source. You can find out a lot about California's wildlife and where you can go to see such animals. But references sources usually are not all that fun to read. The reason this book merits 5 stars is that it is an exception to the rule. Steinstra is simply a terrific writer. Who else would think to remark, under biologists' notes for chipmunks, that their predators include "cats, dogs, weasels, hawks, owls, snakes, and many boys." Or again, where else would you find out about the social importance of crawdads for scaring your parents silly. A good reference book is useful. A well written one is a gem. Buy this book and enjoy.