A Story We Had To Share

Thanks for putting this up as a new post. My most-abused bird book is a bird-finding guide, not a field guide, but this inspires me to do a post about it on my blog. Bob’s line about “the presence of the original owner” is wonderful.

The most unusual bird book I own in the “abused” category is a copy of Portraits of New England Birds (which collects the plates by Fuertes and Brooks that illustrated Forbush’s Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States). The back few pages are filled with seasonal observations from a past owner going from 1949-1957. It was as if the writer had wanted a notebook, but entered (his? her?) notes on the blank pages between the plates instead for some reason. I’ve seen field guides with scribbled notations any number of times, but big “coffee-table” books of this sort with marginalia seem to be much less common.

While not an abused field guide anecdote, still one worth sharing. In July, 2004 I was in an antique store in Dorchester County, Maryland with a large used book section. I found a © 1970 Birds of Europe by Bertel Bruun with color illustrations by Arthur Singer hardcover field guide with dust jacket in excellent condition. On the inside cover was a beautiful library plate with Lazuli Buntings and the names of the field guides’ previous owners. Further page turning revealed that the field guide was also their life list with the date and place of the many birds seen printed by a tidy hand. What a treasure! I snapped it up. I think I paid no more than $5.00. I occurred to me with some sadness that the prior field guide owners were probably no longer alive and their field guide/life list had ended up for sale in the antique store via some estate settlement. The reason I think this is because there is no way any birder would have ever parted with such a record of travel and birds while their was still breath in their body. Now I treasure it for them.

I haven’t opened the field guide pictured in many years, and never owned it, but I remember it because that was likely the very first bird guide I ever picked up. Between its cover were the first illustrations and descriptions I’d ever seen for many birds. How could I have conceived that I would see far more of nearly all of these creatures than I could possibly begin to recall? The book must have been in the library at my elementary school. I remember especially the Osprey. I seem to recall there’s a boat in a hazy background (and, now, I’m just not sure of that). The artwork suggested the haunts and lifestyle of the bird well. The old “eastern” bias also first came to my vague attention; there were summary comments such as, “The Steller’s Jay of the West is similar but…”. I think the Golden Nature Guide series overall has probably been one of the most formative “gateways” for young minds. It is likely that the moment I began poring through that particular book, my life had changed forever, and I could have no idea.

Thanks so much for re-posting my comment about the British field guide. If I had known that it would receive this kind of attention, I would have proofed it better. Since I have no shame, I might as well take this opportunity to note that I’m the author of the pet bird books “Enslaved by Ducks” and “Fowl Weather,” and that I have the luxury of a professional proofreader in those instances.

Bob,

The fact that you wrote your comments in a casual style without over-thinking how you wanted to express your thoughts is what made them appealing enough to feature. Glad to see that you “found” your way back to BirdFellow.com again. We welcome your visits and contributions.

Dave Irons
Content Editor BirdFellow.com

My Golden Guide was originally owned by my great-grandmother. I don’t know how much she used it, but it’s the only thing I own that belonged to her and it is a treasured possession.

I promised you I would visit your website and found it so very intriguing. It brought to mind my very first large bird book given to me by my grandmother at least 62 years ago. Since then we have moved many times, now I must unearth that precious book, I only hope it is still packed away somewhere. My hubby and I have two small bird books which we use as source guides for the many birds we have seen all across our wonderful USA. Bird Fellow is fantastic.