HI:
After reading the e-mails about your favorite top bird books, I was
beginning to think of this as a popularity contest and nothing more. Then
I got an e-mail from a well known field guide author expressing the same
reservations I had. I have now realized that this isn't what I wanted to
write about, so PLEASE NO MORE BIRD BOOK LISTS. Instead I was thinking
about doing a History of the Field Guide. I have been wondering how much
the avaerage birder understand this topic. I know everyone is going to
Peterson did the first field guide, end of story. But I've got a feeling
there's more to it than that. For example what did United Kingdom birders
use as a field guide before the first peterson guide came out in the
1950's? I assume there were birders in the UK prior to the 1950's. Any
comments?

sincerely
--
Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way!"