Getting your player ready...
Birdbrains tend to be bookworms, ever on the prowl for field guides or picture books to help them identify one more species for their life lists. “National Geographic Birding Essentials: All the Tools, Techniques, and Tips You Need to Begin and Become a Better Birder,” by Jonathan Alderfer and Jon Dunn, ($15.95, National Geographic Books) will help unify all those references. The chapters on fieldcraft and optics alone will have many a watcher soaring. But best of all, with its well-presented information from basic to advanced, it’s a good, concise reference for beginners and purists alike.
