Tweets-

I just finished "Redtails in Love", by Marie Winn, which I picked up used
for $6.00. (published in 1998 it's still available new for $13 in ppbk)
It was an entertaining, interesting and informative read...a bit
anthropormorphic in places, but, nonetheless, well worth the effort. Winn
captures the desperation, hope and out and out delight some New Yorkers
have with the Central Park environ.

The book contains a map of Central Park, a list of plants, some of which
are edible and she tells how the plant aficionados cook and eat them,
a section of Migrating Hawks, complete with commentary on the
frequency of appearance of the 16 species sighted..a section on Damsels
and Dragonflies, another section on Butterflies, and a very thorough
listing of bird species sighted...all this in an Appendix she calls
A Wildlife Almanac.

the book contains some interesting information that was news to me.

"The park's unofficial bird census undertaken in 1896 listed 121
species. By 1996 the total had more than doubled---275 species on
the list of "Birds of Central Park" published that year." the Central
Park regulars often have Warbler days in double digits and into the
20's.. she comments that Central Park, because of the variation in
species, is the 14th best place to go birding in the USA..(I'm don't
remember how she arrived at that figure)

I like the entertainment aspect of this read. It's an urban Natural
History, and nicely written. It was a perfect night table book and
I'm now off to the used book store and see what I can find to replace
it.

Tom


Tom Foote footet at elwha.evergreen.edu
Lab II
The Evergreen State College (360) 866-6000 x6118
Olympia, WA 98505