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This may be of interest to anyone in the Atlanta area at the end of this month. John Yow, the author of The Armchair Birder, will be discussing his book. I’ve been curious about the book since it was listed on Amazon, so I’m hoping to be able to make it to the presentation.

Here’s the press release:

A Saturday for the Birds: Author Presentation & Nature Walk
Saturday, March 28, 2009, 10:00 am—1:00 pm
Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center
2020 Clean Water Drive
Buford, Ga. 30519
For directions visit www.gwinnettEHC.org or call 770.904.3500

Bird lovers, take heart! Come hear author John Yow discuss his new book, The Armchair Birder, and participate in a bird walk on the GEHC campus lead by Jim Wilson, author of Common Birds of Atlanta. The morning will also feature the Center’s presentation of “Birds in the Backyard.”

Books available for purchase from Eagle Eye Book Shop. This is a free event. Center admission is extra. Presented by the Gwinnett County Public Library and the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center.

About the Authors:

John Yow is a freelance writer based in Acworth, Georgia, and former senior editor at Longstreet Press in Atlanta. Jim Wilson has been a researcher and teacher at Emory University. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Audubon Society for eight years, including a stint of service as President. He later became the first staff person for this society as the Important Bird Areas Program Coordinator.

Princeton has just published a wonderful Encyclopedia of Birds. I just wanted everyone to be aware that it appears to be a softcover version of the 2003 Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds.

I do not know if it has been updated in any way, but from a quick glance it looks the same. I think it’s safe to say that if you already have the Firefly edition, then you can skip the new one. But if you don’t, then go for the Princeton, unless you have a strong preference for hardcover binding or you can find the Firefly for significantly less.

Either way you go, this encyclopedia is fantastic!

The only thing better than bird books is cheap bird books! Here are some bargains I’ve found on Amazon. FYI: some of these are remaindered, so there may be a sticker on the cover, or a black mark on the bottom. I’ve bought remaindered books from Amazon before, though, and these have yet to be a problem.

• Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America – $10.49
  This is a great deal on the new, combined Peterson guide.
• Pete Dunne on Bird Watching: The How-to, Where-to, and When-to of Birding – $4.80
  Still one of, if not the, best book on birding.
• The Sibley Guide to Birds – $17.99
  Half-off the best North American field guide.
• To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession – $4.99
• Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons In the Lives of Migratory Birds – $5.58
• The Backyard Bird Lover’s Field Guide: Secrets to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Birds of Your Region – $8.00
• Fifty Places to Go Birding Before You Die – $4.99

I’ve just become aware of another bird book site – Avian Books. There is a ton of reviews, as well as lists of books by geographic region. The owner’s goal is to list and review all of his 1,200+ bird books. And I thought I had alot!

Another fantastic resource is the Tigrina Times, the online magazine of the Cape May Bird Observatory. There is a regular column by Pete Dunne (!), ID-related articles by Michael O’Brien, and fieldcraft tips from Don Freiday. Plus, there are regular book reviews. How can you not love all that?

Finally, on a non-book related note, The Binocular Site has created a list of birding sites. It is definitely a work in progress, but it has great potential.

More reviews! And there was much rejoicing.