6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A trip through the wilderness, February 1, 2005
This review is from: Going Wild: Adventures with Birds in the Suburban Wilderness (Paperback)
Going Wild is a fascinating and detailed account of one man`s birdwatching forays into the suburban wilderness. The narrative ranges from anecdotes about him being attacked by Northern Goshawks, to the story of when he lost the power to his home due to a squirrel electrocuting itself on his power line - these tales can bring a tear to your eye, or have you laughing out loud.
With Robert Winkler, National Geographic, have found a genuine birder with an obvious talent for writing - you can tell he has a deep passion for the wilds of his native Connecticut home, and for all of nature`s finery. His writing displays beautiful style and is clearly heartfelt - a treatment which does justice to the subject matter.
My only gripe [and this is purely jealousy on my part] is about his different opinion to mine on what constitutes a suburban area! The forested mountains and lakes of his stories are hardly the same as my own suburban patch, which is surrounded by industrial units and housing!
Whether you are American, British, or any other nationality, this book will translate to your own experiences, the species and locations involved will likely differ, but the stories hold true no matter what. I can give no better plaudit than saying I will recommend this book to all my birdwatching compatriots, and anyone else who harbours the slightest feeling for the natural world.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A whimsical yet educational gathering of birding wisdom and lore which makes for light, delightful reading, November 7, 2005
This review is from: Going Wild: Adventures with Birds in the Suburban Wilderness (Paperback)
Robert Winkler's Going Wild: Adventures With Birds In The Suburban Wilderness presents the experiences of a veteran birder and nature writer who observes literally hundreds of birds from within a few miles of his suburban Connecticut home. Funny encounters, intriguing observations and natural history blend in a whimsical yet educational gathering of birding wisdom and lore which makes for light, delightful reading.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Birding is all about., December 8, 2005
This review is from: Going Wild: Adventures with Birds in the Suburban Wilderness (Paperback)
This is an excellent book describing what birding is all about;well written by someone who has , if they pick it up in their youth, maintains the interest the rest of their life.Winkler is very typical, even though hardly any two birders are identical and all alter the area of their interest as the years go on.He talks mainly about his birding experiences in the general area around where he lives in Connecticut;but it reflects the same things a birder partakes in no matter where he/she lives in North America.If Winkler were to relocate to Key West,Tucson,San Francisco,Detroit,Denver,Vancouver,Halifax or where I live,Toronto,he would be able to pick up his birding in a very short time.I guess it's a bit like fishing;where there's water,there's fish;and where there is outdoors there's birds and all that nature provides along with it. I also believe that it is the great variety of activities that come under the umberella of Birding that makes it so attractive.Winkler touches on a lot of these things and there are many more.Just to name a few; many birders "get into"..banding,club activities,Hawk Watching,photography,drawing,listing (building the greatest list of species you can in an area,town,county,state,your own property,from your car,country,life or year,winter list-total species from Dec 1-Feb 28,..it is up to the individual to choose and make the rules.
That is the whole idea of a Rare Bird;a new one for your list.
So you can see volumes could be written;but this book gives a person a real smattering of this hobby,sport,activity,interest,pastime, or as some might call it an obsession or madness.
There is another aspect of birding that probably transends all this is the friends one makes.As a matter of fact,birders often meet another birder in the field and strike up an acquaintace immediately.They enjoy sharing what they know or have found.
Winkler also shows that along with birds there is the great experience of being outside and enjoying all the other nature and animals that go along with it.If one travels ,you will encounter all kinds of interesting and wildly different areas.What comes to mind is being in a small boat out in the Gulf Stream,on the trails in the mountains of Yosemite,walking along the banks of the river at Niagara Falls in the winter,in the heat of the desert in Arizona with the snakes tarantulas and lizards,in the Everglades or your own local spot as Winkler talks about.What he really does is show that the enjoyment can come wherever one lives.
Overall, this is a book every person will enjoy whether you have been into it for a number of years or just thinking about it.
His experiences are just like any other birder who has been doing it for years.It is all there ,just for the taking.
The only shortcoming of this book is there was no photo of the author.You can read all the description of a bird you want,but nothing compares to a picture.Come to think about it,looking at birders is great sport when the birding gets slow.
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