The Splendor Of Birds

An elegant collection of the best artwork and photography from the National Geographic archives depicting the magnificence of birds. Bird, nature, and art lovers alike will treasure this sumptuous visual celebration of the colors, forms, and behaviors of the winged wonders who share our world as they have been explored, displayed, and revealed throughout the years by National Geographic. The book moves chronologically so readers witness the tremendous growth in our knowledge of birds over the last 130 years, as well as the new frontiers in technology and observation--from luminous vintage paintings and classic black and white photographs to state-of-the art high-speed and telephoto camera shots that reveal moments rarely seen and sights invisible to the human eye. The wide diversity of pictures captures beloved songbirds outside the kitchen window, theatrical courtship dance of birds of paradise, tender moments inside a tern's nest, or the vivid flash of a hummingbird's flight. Readers will delight in seeing iconic species from around the world through the eyes of acclaimed National Geographic wildlife photographers such as Chris Johns, Frans Lanting, Joel Sartore, and Tim Laman and reading excerpted passages from Arthur A. Allen, Roger Tory Peterson, Douglas Chadwick, Jane Goodall, and other great explorers. Exquisitely produced and expertly curated, this visual treasury displays as never before the irresistible beauty, grace, and intelligence of our feathered friends.

Engineered by evolution to thrive in the wild A tiny textbook to learn on your own How Birds Work goes beyond the typical field guide to show us not only what birds look like but why. Why do many owls have asymmetrical ear openings? (Hint: It helps them pinpoint prey; see page 40.) And why does the Grey Heron rest on one leg at a time? (Hint: Not because it’s tired; see page 66!) Birds boast a spectacular array of adaptations suited to their incredibly diverse diets and habitats. In this in-depth handbook, discover the ways they’re even more astounding than you know—inside and out. Detailed analysis and illustrations illuminate: Skeleton Muscles Circulation Digestion Respiration Reproduction Feathers Colors and Patterns And much, much more!

‘Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside.’—The Guardian ‘Gow has a fire in his belly. We need more like him.’—BBC Wildlife magazine Birds, Beasts and Bedlam recounts the adventures of farmer-turned-rewilder Derek Gow, who is saving Britain’s much-loved but dangerously threatened species, from the water vole to beaver, wildcat to white stork, and tree frog to glow worm. Derek tells us all about the realities of rewilding; how he reared delicate roe deer and a sofa-loving wild boar piglet, moved a raging bison bull across the country, got bitten by a Scottish wildcat, returned honking skeins of graylag geese to the land and water that was once theirs, and restored the white stork to the Knepp Estate with Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree. Derek’s first book, Bringing Back the Beaver, was a riotously funny and subversive account of his single-handed reintroduction of the beaver in Britain. Birds, Beasts and Bedlam, a natural successor to Gerald Durrell’s A Zoo in My Luggage, tells the story of Derek’s rewilding journey and his work to save many more species by transforming his Devon farm into a wildlife breeding center. He now houses beavers, white storks, water voles, lynx, wildcats, and harvest mice, with the aim of releasing them into the wild one day. Tearing down fences literally and metaphorically, Derek Gow is the one person with the character and strength of will to defy authority, bend the rules—and save our wildlife. ‘The radical rewilder.’—The Times ‘Derek Gow wants his farm to be a breeding colony, a seedbed for a denuded island.’—The New Yorker

This is one of a series of picture books for seniors withno text, specifically formatted for those who enjoy looking through a book yet struggle with reading. If your loved one is offended by being given children's book and finds heavy, hard-cover books difficult to hold, this is the answer. With the goal of providing visually appealing books that boost self-esteem and pride in book ownership, there are no words on the cover or inside that mention this is geared for seniors, adults with reading troubles, Alzheimer's patients or other. With the needs of the senior in mind, this picture book of birds is a square 8.5 x 8.5 soft cover book (perfect for holding) with vivid, full-color photographs, located only on the right side (to provide visual stimulation without causing one to feel overwhelmed). Each gorgeous high quality (300 DPI) photo was carefully selected to be evoke beauty, calm, joy and a sense of wonder. Photos of delightful birds in their natural habitats from around the world provide a unique scene on the turn of every page. Unlike bird guidebooks and others that fill the page with descriptions that can snag up a senior who has trouble with reading, this book focuses only on the photos themselves. With 45 large photos (93 total page count) in bright, vivid full-color, a senior will find joy in 'reading' this book over and over. Please note: The only script is that which must be legally included: Title page (that does not mention this is for seniors), copyright and ISBN. The final page lists photo/artist credits. This is a Level 1 book. If you are looking for picture books for seniors that do include some captions, please look to Emma Rose Sparrow's Level 2 books. For short story books with 1 to 3 photos per chapter, look to her Level 3 books.

Photography: Birds explains how to photograph birds--whether in your backyard or at a birding destination--detailing unique issues that confront photographers of all levels and providing the best guidance for capturing the beauty and splendor of our feathered friends. Gerrit Vyn, an award-winning bird photographer, videographer, and sound recorder, has become renowned for his ability to capture birds, especially for the prestigious Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In this new guide, he reveals his methods and shares how to photograph birds based on location, behavior, identification, and storytelling. Vyn details the range of technical considerations, giving clear instruction and advice, as well as the creative decisions a photographer must make on lighting, framing, timing, and motion. He also discusses situations unique to bird photographers: dealing with habituated or tame birds, approaching feeders, utilizing blinds, and more. Once captured, digital images can be digitally refined, so Vyn delves into the procedures that elevate an image from mundane to striking, using Adobe Lightroom. Throughout, Vyn emphasizes an ethical approach to observing and interacting with the birds around us.

Captivating views of birdlife In photographs that surprise with their eye-catching composition and amaze with their detail, The Art of Birds captures the beauty of birds as most people never see them. Jim Miller focuses his camera lens on distinctive and spectacular species found in the wetlands and along the shorelines of Florida and the southeast, portraying their behaviors in their natural habitats. Ranging from striking portraits to high speed stop-action shots, the images showcase the splendor of large birds such as the anhinga, great blue heron, sandhill crane, snowy egret, osprey, and flamingo. They also depict the charm of smaller species including the ruddy turnstone, boat-tailed grackle, and the least bittern. Many of the photographs display brilliant plumage up close. Others show aspects of bird life related to courting, feeding, and flying. Accompanying the images are descriptions of the species by early naturalists and ornithologists, from William Bartram to John James Audubon to Arthur Cleveland Bent. The excerpts from their narratives and journals reveal bird populations and environments that we can only imagine today, providing an homage to Old Florida through the perspectives of some of its most astute and eloquent chroniclers. Miller's captivating photography encourages viewers to marvel at the elegant combination of form and function in bird species, perfected by processes of adaptation and selection over millions of years. The Art of Birds celebrates the creativity of nature, the joy of observation, and the richness of birdlife.

He collected beautiful things. Rare things. Ripped them out of their natural environment and preserved them in all of their dead splendor. The problem was I wasn't beautiful. I was all of the hideous and ugly realities of the world packaged into one broken human being. He came to kill me. That was his business. Death. He ripped me out of my natural environment, the prison I'd created, and locked me away with all of his beautiful dead things. I hated him. I still hate him. But if I was given the choice and the ability to leave this cage, come back to life, I'd stay dead. In all of my hideous splendor. Because my murderer can only possess dead things. And I can only be possessed by someone more broken and ugly than me.

Splendid sourcebook, with 60 distinctive designs, includes carefully rendered illustrations of red-winged blackbird, indigo bunting, northern cardinal, black-capped chickadee, passenger pigeon, and many more. All are depicted in characteristic poses and positions amid natural surroundings. Identifying captions.