This arrived today - a month early!
Yours truly with his new companion.So, while I've managed to get extremely lazy already with posting updates on here, I still couldn't resist showing this beauty off before Mel arrives home! (Of course I'm talking about the artistic masterpiece in my humble paws and not myself) I take my invisible hat off to Amazon (US) - I ordered online in the early hours of June 26th and the estimated arrival date they gave was 6th August - so international delivery in just 11 days was both fantastic and unexpected.
First impressions? WOW
Well, when you receive a book containing 1,792 illustrations of birds for the country you're living in, and with 45 years in the making of it, would you start from the beginning and read what the authors have to say? Out of respect the answer should be yes, but I couldn't help myself and jumped right in looking for some of the local species that I know and love. The drawings are superb, and I think both those and the accompanying descriptions will help no end in the identifications for this pair of new birders.
One thing I'm really not sure about though, is the descriptions of bird's calls. For example, for the bananaquit is: 'VOICE Song a variable series of high, thin, sizzling phrases, for example: "szzzzewy-szewy-szewy szzz." Calls high, thin "tsit" and "tseep" notes.' I can connect to everything but the "szzz" parts, which have me somewhat confused! I'll have to go and listen again to them asap. Identifying birds via sounds is my weakest point.
One thing's for sure - it's going to be fun increasing my knowledge of Peruvian birds with this travelling companion!
Until next time - the part time blogger
(aka Tommy)
First impressions? WOW
Well, when you receive a book containing 1,792 illustrations of birds for the country you're living in, and with 45 years in the making of it, would you start from the beginning and read what the authors have to say? Out of respect the answer should be yes, but I couldn't help myself and jumped right in looking for some of the local species that I know and love. The drawings are superb, and I think both those and the accompanying descriptions will help no end in the identifications for this pair of new birders.
One thing I'm really not sure about though, is the descriptions of bird's calls. For example, for the bananaquit is: 'VOICE Song a variable series of high, thin, sizzling phrases, for example: "szzzzewy-szewy-szewy szzz." Calls high, thin "tsit" and "tseep" notes.' I can connect to everything but the "szzz" parts, which have me somewhat confused! I'll have to go and listen again to them asap. Identifying birds via sounds is my weakest point.
One thing's for sure - it's going to be fun increasing my knowledge of Peruvian birds with this travelling companion!
Until next time - the part time blogger
(aka Tommy)
