Small-headed Flycatcher. Seen Yesterday. He Didn't Leave His Name.: and other stories [Paperback]

Pete Dunne (Author), Louise Zemaitis (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1998

Pete Dunne has been watching birds since he was seven years old. But not just watching-deeply absorbing every nuance of color, markings, shape, flight, and song; all the subtle clues that can identify a bird barely glimpsed among the highest branches in fading twilight. With the same skill, he has been observing and writing about birding and birders for over twenty years, using humor, sentiment, occasional sarcasm, and unashamed passion for his chosen profession to explore why birdwatching is so irresistibly compelling to so many people. This book brings together thirty-two vintage essays that Dunne originally wrote for publications such as "American Birds", "Bird Watcher's Digest", "Birder's World", "Birding", "Living Bird", the New Jersey edition of the "Sunday New York Times", "WildBird", and "Wild Bird News". Encounters with birds rare and common is their shared theme, through which Dunne weaves stories of his family and friends, reflections on the cycles of nature, and portraits of unforgettable birders whose paths have crossed his, ranging from Roger Tory Peterson to a life-battered friend who finds solace in birding. A cliff-hanger story of the bird that got away gives this book its title. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Pete Dunne is Director of the New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory in Cape May Point, New Jersey, and consultant to the Peterson birding field guide series. His previous essay collections include "Tales of a Low-Rent Birder", "More Tales of a Low-Rent Birder", and "Before the Echo".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Friends and relatives, birds and birders, life as he sees it?Dunne covers all these topics, moving easily from humor and poignance to reflective wisdom in these 30-odd essays and stories gathered from such magazines as Audubon, American Birds and Bird Watcher's Digest. Both novice and full-fledged birders will get that special insiders' glow from reading essays like "Getting a Leg Up on Bird-Sighting Sheets," in which Dunne parallels the behavior of his dog, Moose, with that of dedicated birders: Moose sniffs, ponders, then makes his mark. Birders check the bird-sighting lists, review the good birds listed, then "raid a pen and sprinkle the page with hot new entries." Dunne is as well attuned to people as he is to birds. He understands when his brother, Mike, eschews the sport after observing the obsessive rituals of birding enthusiasts. He appreciates his wife's West-of-the-Rockies sensibilities: "To her mind, every day she wakes in the East is a day begun with compromise." Many times Dunne mentions the solace people find in nature when all else fails, while several essays outline the development of Dunne's attitude toward nature and its exigencies. He struggles with the concept of nature as "a regular killing field" and concludes, "I have chosen instead to accept life's pattern as it has evolved and hope, even if I sometimes find it hard to believe, that there is a reason." His book should not be hidden in the birding section of bookstores, for these stories show us that Dunne is as striking a storyteller as he is a naturalist. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Mr. Dunne . . . is one of the country's most-respected birders, a self-taught authority whose exuberant, almost-poetic approach to the pastime has won him many followers among the growing legions of birders. (Wall Street Journal )

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1st Edition. edition (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292716001
• ISBN-13: 978-0292716001
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

PETE DUNNE is the author of many books, including Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, Pete Dunne on Bird Watching, and most recently Prairie Spring, the first in a four-book series on the seasons. He is the vice president of the New Jersey Audubon Society and director of its Cape May Bird Observatory.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy read and great essays!, April 6, 2001

By 

Debra L Cerda (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Small-headed Flycatcher. Seen Yesterday. He Didn't Leave His Name.: and other stories (Paperback)

This is a wonderful collection of essays which appeal to both birders and naturalists alike. The essays are short enough for a quick read, but the messages last a lot longer. Some of the birding terms and names may be difficult to understand if you are not an avid bird watcher, (I am a beginner) but do not let that sway you from reading this book. As a biologist first and a naturalist second, some of the essays helped me to find a better balance between scientific research, habitat management, and conservation. As the writer states, the styles and topics vary between different essays. Some are heart-wrenching, and some are funny. Would make a great gift, but after reading one of the essays, you may hestitate ever giving a bird-related item to a seasoned birder again! Much better than a salt and pepper holder shaped like birds.

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Book, August 1, 2008

By 

Charles Hagan "u4icstargazer" (Shenandoah Valley) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Small-headed Flycatcher. Seen Yesterday. He Didn't Leave His Name.: and other stories (Paperback)

A most enjoyable collection by one of our most capable birding authors. Hugely entertaining and delightfully educational, this is birding at its best. The title story is, in my opinion, quite simply the best fictional short story about birding ever written.