Bobb and "Hawks At A Distance"...

Bobb and Bobbette learning...for a change...

I finally found Bobb and my new book, "Hawks At A Distance" by Jerry Liguori. After seeing those two wild little chippers studying so hard, I didn't have the heart to take it away.

As you know, chipmunks are small and close to the ground. As you also know, Hawks are a little larger and normally very high up. This book is perfect for Bobb as a tool for self preservation! Instead of waiting until the last minute for the unknown large feathered thing to swoop in and almost nab him, he can study this fine tome and get a big head start.

If you put yourself in Bobb's shoes and watch some raptors flying off in the distance, you'll understand how important a guide like this is. It teaches you how to better differentiate similar birds in the distance apart by the way they're shaped as well as how their flight styles differ. This is definitely a book to study and not to take in the field. The text describes the main traits of each raptor in bold text, such as with the Golden Eagle: "large, dark bird...extremely long, somewhat broad wings...dihedral when soaring, slightly bowed when gliding...slow moving and steady."

There is an outstanding glossary of terms in the front to make you familiar with the descriptions you'll read. I also learned that Bobb is a better reader than I thought. Bobbette enjoyed the photos throughout the book. And they are, indeed, excellent! There is one large photo at the beginning of each raptors section, followed by descriptions and then numerous very small photos to give you a feeling of what you'll see when viewing raptors out in the field. Towards the back of the book you will find black and white photos of each bird flying at different angles.

Bobb and I found this book to be very concise and easy to follow and will be an invaluable tool if you are a hawk watcher...or just a chipmunk trying to stay alive!

Princeton Press has a wonderful selection of field guides and more!