Lynn E. Barber,Thomas R. Dunlap
One woman . . . one year . . . 723 species of birds. . .,Â Â ,In 2008, Lynn Barber's passion for birding led her to drive, fly, sail, walk, stalk, and sit in search of birds in twenty-five states and three provinces. TravelingÂ more thanÂ 175,000 miles, she set a twenty-first century record at the time, second to only one other person in history.,Â ,Â ,Over 272 days, Barber observed 723 species of birds in North America north of Mexico, recording a remarkable 333 new species in January but, with the dwindling returns typical to Big Year birding, only eight in December, a month that found her crisscrossing the continent from Texas to Newfoundland, from Washington to Ontario. In the months between, she felt every extreme of climate, well-being, and emotion. But, whether finally spotting an elusive Blue Bunting or seeing three species of eiders in a single day, she was also challenged, inspired, and rewarded by nearly every experience.,Â ,Barber's journal from her American Birding Association-sanctioned Big YearÂ covers theÂ highlights of her treksÂ to forests, canyons, mountain ranges, deserts, oceans, lakes, and numerous spots in between.Â Â Written in the informal style of a diary, it captures the detail, humor, challenges, and fun of a good adventure travelogue and also conveys the remarkable diversity of North American birds and habitat. For actual or would-be â€œtravel birders,â€ Lynn Barberâ€™s ,Extreme Birder, provides a fascinating, binoculars-eye view of one of the best-loved pastimes of nature lovers everywhere.,"Lynn Barber challenges a traditionally male-dominated pursuit--the birding big year--and is successful beyond her wildest dreams. She is an inspiration for all who love adventure, nature, and birds."--Lynn Hassler, author, ,Birds of the American Southwest
Animals,Birds,Nonfiction
Extreme Birder: One Woman's Big Year