Hawks at a Distance

The field guide’s nineteen full-color portraits, 558 color photos, and 896 black-and-white images portray shapes and plumages for each species from all angles. Useful flight identification criteria are provided and the accompanying text discusses all aspects of in-flight hawk identification, including flight style and behavior. Concentrating on features that are genuinely observable at a distance, this concise and practical field guide is ideal for any aspiring or experienced hawk enthusiast.Some time ago I reviewed a book on seawatching… many of its reviewers had entirely missed the point criticizing the distant and fuzzy pictures it contained – that was the who reason for the book – an aid to ID at a distance in ‘real’ viewing conditions. This book has a similar remit – its there to help us identify north American raptors when they are soaring high in the sky. Fortunately you not only get a series of very small images – just what you’d see with your binoculars trained on the high flyer, but also a good close image too. Between the two you can see how the ID features are likely to seem in the field and learn how to do without the close up and make a pretty good stab at what that bird is kettling up to the heavens.

If it were easy there would be no need for this book of course. But fear not – there is plenty in this tome to help and its small enough to take with you on that migration watch or raptor hotspot. Now guys, how about one for the European, Asian or African species?

FatbirderBuy this book from www.nhbs.com