BOOKLIST
“Ornithologist Beehler indulges his lifelong interest in shorebirds in this briskly intelligent natural history of the Hudsonian Godwit and fellow shorebirds he deems ‘the Magnificent Seven.’ Backed by artist Alan Messer’s sublime illustrations…Beehler’s narrative is a detailed portrait of the birds who captivate him and a deep immersion into their immensely busy lives. All the while, he chronicles the activities of the birds he is committed to studying, revealing the countless things that make them special. A most worthy addition to any bird-watching and nature collection.”
COOL GREEN SCIENCE, the conservation science blog of The Nature Conservancy
“This book is an entertaining travelogue, as Beehler travels the backroads of rural America and wildernesses of Alaska and Canada as he follows different stages of the migration for godwits and other birds. He possesses a birder’s enthusiasm for finding new species with a scientist’s interest in understanding these birds and their needs. Interspersed with the travel is natural history information on these birds’ remarkable journeys.”
AMERICAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION
“Beehler found the perfect balance between scientific analysis and general observations, which resulted in an informative and enjoyable book with multiple layers.”
FATHER-SON BIRDING
“The more we encounter and learn about these birds, the more we love them—and that same kind of passion radiates from Beehler’s words as he sets out on his own journeys to observe and learn more about these birds…I highly recommend this intriguing book that is not only a valuable educational document, but a labor of love with which many of us can relate.”
10,000 BIRDS
“Beehler’s literary talents encompass both popular science and travel evocation, sometimes combining both. His descriptions of prairies, boreal spruce forests, open tundra, and boggy bogs are defined by the birds he sees and hears and framed by his knowledge of environmental ecosystems. His language is simple, often graceful, and always calm, even when he’s caught in a life-threatening supercell in Great Salt Plains State Park, Oklahoma…There is a lot here. But Beehler’s main goal seems to be to share the joy of the birding road, and in that he has masterfully succeeded.”
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