[TN-Bird] Mary Zimmerman's essay on bird guides
- From: EGLEAVES@xxxxxxx
- To: TN-BIRD@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2006 22:15:11 EDT
TN-BIRDers:
I think many of us can identify with Mary Zimmerman's ruminations on her
bird guides, which herewith I send to the list with her permission.
Ed Gleaves
Nashville, TN
==============================================
I think my use of field guides has evolved as I have evolved as a birder.
But of course, field guides were evolving during that time as well. My first
field guide was, of course, Peterson's. But it was an edition before off-set
printing made it easy and economical to have colored illustrations on every
page. Illustrations were grouped together at various points in the book and
most
were black and white. When I went to college I found Golden Guides and that
became my main guide due to the color illustrations. This was at a time when
I couldn't really call myself a birder. I didn't know anyone else who was
even remotely interested in birds and so I didn't really know where or, more
importantly, when to go look for birds. I merely always had my binoculars and
field guide with me when I went for a walk in the woods.
At one point I went on a real "birding" outing with a friend of a friend. It
really opened my eyes to a whole new world. About that time I moved to
Chattanooga and started taking classes with Daniel Jacobson and Joe Stone. I
bought a new edition of Peterson and used both it and the Golden Guide, though
Peterson gradually won out. When I moved to Nashville and began birding with
Michael, I resisted buying National Geographic because I felt I didn't need
another guide. However, as my birding skills increased by birding with Michael
and so many other "real" birders, I found that I was constantly seeking out
someone with a National Geo after I had consulted my two guides. After I
finally
bought one for myself, it became my primary guide. I continued to carry my
other two "old faithfuls" and consulted all three for a while. One big
improvement in National Geo over Peterson, and the reason I had continued to
carry
the Golden Guide, was the placement of the range maps on the page next to the
descriptions. Since National Geo also included the maps with the description,
the Golden Guide was the first of the two "old faithfuls" to be left at
home. I continued to carry Peterson with me for a long time, but eventually
used
only the National Geo. The first National Geo I bought was the 2nd Edition. I
purchased the 3rd, but didn't like it as much and left it at home on field
trips.
One of the reasons I had resisted the National Geo was the illustrations. I
don't know if it was just that I had become so accustomed to Peterson's or
what, but National Geo's just didn't look right. I still feel that Peterson's
illustrations are more life-like, but the essential details are in National
Geo. This fact was particularly brought home to me in a class Michael taught
using skins. In trying to sort out skins of fall warblers, the National Geo
won out over Peterson. Had Sibley never come out I would probably still be
using the National Geo. However, I almost exclusively use Sibley now. The
large
format one, not the smaller regionals. I purchased the first edition, but the
colors were terrible. That copy was badly damaged when the airlines left it
my luggage in the rain and they replaced it. By that time the colors had been
corrected. I now keep the water damaged book in the car to consult on field
trips.
When I travel, I take only Sibley. I have both the smaller regional editions
but don't like them as well, and rarely use them. Perhaps it's just my age
and eyesight! What I particularly like about Sibley is the arrangement. I like
how he has small illustrations of the entire group (i.e. owls, hawks,
flycatchers) at the beginning of each section. I felt all along he should have
included page numbers there and was glad to see that he had with the regional
editions. I really like that he devotes a page or a half page to each species.
This allows for many more views, thus more detail, of each species. I also
like that, when he does place two species on a page, he uses columns, so that
similar poses of the two species are side-by-side, making comparison easy.
When the book is opened flat, you have several similar species arranged
side-by-side, with similar poses also side-by-side. As in National Geo, the
drawings
aren't as natural looking as Peterson, but again, the details are what count.
At least at the stage of birding I'm at now, when I'm paying more attention
to minute details than I use to do.
As to Kaufman's and All the Birds, they came after my use of field guides
had changed. I don't use field guides as much or in the same way as I used to
use them. I rarely carry one now when birding locally. If there is some detail
I need to look at I have Sibley in the car, or someone usually has a guide
with them. Even traveling, I do most of my studying at home, or in the motel
and don't usually feel the need to consult a guide in the field. Of course
I've done little traveling and all in the states, where even birds I've never
seen are familiar because I've seen them in field guides for years. This is
another reason why I like national guides over "East" or "West" guides, you
become acquainted with birds from outside your range and thus are more likely
to
be able to ID an accidental.
However, I have become a "collector" of field guides and have both Kaufman's
and All the Birds. I am impressed by both. If I were a beginning birder, and
therefore constantly consulting guides, I suspect that I would use either,
or both, of them more than Sibley. Primarily do to the size, but also because
they seem a little less intimidating to a beginner. I think too much detail
can be overwhelming to someone just learning. I have always worked on the
premise that you should consult as many books as possible. I think this is
particularly true in the beginning. Each guide has its good points and bad
points.
Some would say guides such as Kaufman's and All the Birds are not any good,
that even beginners should use guides with enough details to be able to
separate difficult species. I disagree. First you have to get the person
"hooked".
Once the person has birding in his blood, he'll seek out the more detailed
guides on his own. I don't think a beginning birder is really going to be able
to sort out a Least from a Western Sandpiper, or a Willow from an Alder
Flycatcher. Don't scare him from birding by insisting that he should be able
to
ID them. Either Kaufman or All the Birds will get him where he needs to be.
When it gets to the point that he is not satisfied with the "peep" or "empid"
ID, he'll turn to National Geo or Sibley.
As to other, invaluable, aids - first and foremost - fellow birders. When
Phillip and I went to Arizona, we spent one day with a woman that Frank Fekel
knew from NJ. She had moved to AZ about 2 yrs before and had been an avid
birder before moving. We found the tips she gave us on how she learned to
separate different species of one genus, such as myiarchus or empidonax
flycatchers,
were more helpful than any of the field guides. She also gave valuable tips
on what types of habitat to look for specific species. So my final advice,
consult every field guide you can get your hands on, but don't forget your
fellow birders.
Hope I didn't get too long-winded - Mary
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