Wildfowling is the most romantic, exciting and challenging of all the field sports. All wildfowlers have a little poetry in their souls. The majority of fowlers are thoroughgoing individualists. A typical wildfowler is a true hunter, bred and born - a lone wolf pitting his wits and knowledge against the wiles of some of the wariest and fastest birds on earth. Taking all this into account it is no surprise that wildfowling has fascinated a great many well known writers as well as inspiring many lesser known and even amateur writers to write with brilliance and passion about their sport. In this book I have attempted to select a number of gems and rarities of fowling literature from famous writers as well as including notes, articles and snippets from less well known, but nevertheless, enthusiastic scribes. This anthology will, I hope, help preserve some of the more obscure wildfowling tales for gunners of the future. Several of the post war wildfowling stories include those of writers who contributed to now defunct sporting periodicals of that era. Their stories I consider masterpieces of the genre and have been included for the benefit of future generations. In some cases it has been impossible to communicate with them or their relatives, who may contact the publishers if they so wish.

Originally published in the early 1900's, this book is now rare and much sought after in its first edition. READ COUNTRY BOOKS have republished it using the original text with its numerous vintage black and white photos. Four hundred and fifteen pages contain twenty eight detailed articles by well known Cockers and Game Fowl breeders of that era, most notably C.A. Finsterbusch, G.W. Means and D.H. Pierce. Contents Include: - Wisconsins Red Shufflers. - Blue Boones. - Grey Tormentors. - The Miner Blues. - Clairbornes. - Sid Taylors. - Black Roundheads. - Rhett Morgan Fowl. - Walker Mugwumps. - Gregory Tassels. - Red Cubans. - French and Belgian Cocks. - The Asil. - Mahoney Gulls. - Volunteers. - Malay Fowl. - Fardowns. - Grimme Fowl. - Hammond Gordons. - John Stone Fowl. - Cocks and Cockers in South America. - Secret Ways of Nature. - Steel Fighters. - English Game Fowl. - Alabama Roundheads. - Methods of Conditioning Cocks. - Experience in Breeding. Nursing Cocks. Assembled in these chapters is much comprehensive information on Game Fowl Strains, History, Records, Breeding and Fighting Tips, and many Rare Vintage Photos. This is a fascinating read for all Game Fowl enthusiasts and historians, but also contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Many of the earliest sporting books, particularly those dating back to the 1800s, are now extremely scarce and very expensive. READ COUNTRY BOOKS are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Ideal for outdoor and nature enthusiasts, these pocket-sized, folding guides feature wildlife from a variety of places in the United States and abroad. Inside, more than 140 familiar species of flora and fauna are highlighted, and maps of prominent state-wide botanical sanctuaries are included. Filled with valuable information, these portable handbooks are presented in a simplified format that will interest beginners and experts alike.

This is the most complete and authoritative reference book about the birds of North America -- up to date and in field-guide format.

The Birder's Handbook is the first of its kind: a portable library of fascinating information not included in your identification guide. For each of the 646 species of birds that breed in North America, The Birder's Handbook will tell you at a glance:

* Where the bird nests, and which sex(es) build(s) the nest;
* How many eggs the bird lays, what they look like, which patent incubates and for how long, and how the young are cared for;
* Food preferences and foraging habits.

You will also find information about displays and mating, wintering, conservation status, and much more. In addition, The Birder's Handbook contains some 250 short essays covering all aspects of avian natural history.

Let's face it-all birds are fascinating, wonderful, idiotic jerks-no matter where in the world they reside. Following in the footsteps of the bestselling book The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America, this hilarious sequel ventures beyond to identify the stupidest birds around the world. Featuring birds from North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, author Matt Kracht identifies the dumb birds that manage to live all over the freaking place with snarky, yet accurate, names and humorous, anger-filled drawings. This guide book details exactly how much these morons suck with facts about each bird's (annoying) call, its (stupid) migratory pattern, and its (downright tacky) markings. Complete with a matching game, bird descriptor checklist, tips on how to identify a bird (you can tell a lot by looking into a bird's eyes, for example), this profanity-laden book offers a balance of fact and wit that will appeal to hardcore birders and casual bird lovers (and haters) alike. A MUST-HAVE: A must-have sequel to the bestselling parody book The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America. UNIQUE & LAUGH-OUT-LOUD FUNNY: This is a great coffee table or bar top conversation-starting book. And a bonus, while the content is humorous, it is practical and useful! A GREAT PRESENT: This is the perfect gift for the bird lovers and haters in your life. It also makes a great Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthday, retirement, or gag gift. Perfect for: Birdwatching and nature enthusiasts Armchair birders (or nonbirders) Someone who needs a quirky gift for an animal lover friend People with serious birders in their lives who want something lighthearted

In an attempt to standardize elements of the station routine, the book describes the procedures used in passerine and wader ringing stations. It offers a comparative analysis of versatile evaluation techniques such as measurements, orientation experiments and monitoring. The authors meticulously analyze different methods used to track birds, including catching passerines with mist-nets in land and wetland habitat, as well as the use of the Heligoland trap. The monograph, as a successful bid to establish a bird station routine that is favourable to both birds and ringers, will benefit all professional and amateur ringers.

"An utter delight" - Jennifer Tetlow. In the Encounters in the Wild series, renowned nature writer Jim Crumley gets up close and personal with British wildlife - here, the kingfisher. With his inimitable passion and vision, Jim relives memorable encounters with some of our best-loved native species, offering intimate insights into their extraordinary lives.

"An utter delight" - Jennifer Tetlow. In the Encounters in the Wild series, renowned nature writer Jim Crumley gets up close and personal with British wildlife - here, the skylark. With his inimitable passion and vision, Jim relives memorable encounters with some of our best-loved native species, offering intimate insights into their extraordinary lives.

RSPB Spotlight: Eagles is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist. Eagles are among the most impressive hunters of the animal world. Their predatory prowess and flying skills have imbued them with a romance and mystique that runs deep in our culture and has elevated them to emblems of freedom and power across the globe. At the same time, however, people have long seen eagles as competitors. Reviled by farmers and gamekeepers as snatchers of livestock, many species have been driven into decline by persecution and disturbance. Two species of eagle occur in Britain - among 60 worldwide - and are the focus of this book. The regal Golden Eagle is the definitive 'true' eagle and occurs in wilderness areas across the northern hemisphere; the even larger White-tailed Eagle, reintroduced to the UK after historic extinction, belongs to the separate 'sea eagles' genus. These two spectacular birds are both very rare - confined largely to the remote Scottish Highlands - and a sighting of either is one of the UK's most exciting and sought-after wildlife experiences. This highly readable study looks separately at both UK eagles, exploring how each is adapted as an apex predator in its own environment, and explores the relationship between the two. Separate chapters cover all aspects of the birds' biology and lifestyle, from defending their vast territories to raising their young. Fascinating secrets are revealed, including the brutal truth behind 'Cain and Abel' syndrome. The book also takes a look at other eagles around the world, placing the two UK species within this broader context. Finally, it examines the complex relationship that humans have enjoyed with eagles since time immemorial, spanning both culture and conservation, and offers expert tips on where and how you can watch these magnificent birds for yourself. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviours of our favourite animals with eye-catching, colour photography and informative expert text.

Originally published in 1972 this important falconry book is probably one of the best of its kind. The author was a respected falconer of many years experience and his sheer pleasure in the sport shines through his writing. Contents Include: The Mews - Weathering Enclosure, Bath, Blocks - Bells, Jesses, Clip Swivels, Lures, Hoods, Whistle - Hack Hut and Hack Ground - Eyasses, Treatment before Hack - Hack, its Advantages and Disadvantages - Eyasses compared with Passgers and Haggards - Food - Hooding and Manning - Taming - Flying to Lure and Use of the Lure - Hawking - Homing - The Moult - Health - Miscellany - The Gyrfalcon

Contents Include: Ash, Common - Ash, Mountain - Beech - Blackberry - Blackthorn - Bluebottle - Bramble - Broom - Buckwheat - Burdock - Campions - Canary Seed - Charlock - Chickweed - Chickweed, Mouse Ear - Cleavers - Coltsfoot - Cornflower - Corn Spurrey - Cress - Dandelion - Dewberry - Dock, Broad-Leaved - Dock, Curled - Docken - Elder - Figwort - Flax - Gold of Pleasure - Goose grass - Grass, Annual Meadow - Grass, Canary - Grass, Rye - Groundsel - Hardheads - Hawkbit, Autumnal - Hawksbeard, Smooth - Hawkweed, Mouse-Ear - Haws- Hawthorn - Heather - Hemp - Hips - Holly - Honeysuckle - Inga -Ivy - Knapweed, Black - Knapweed, Greater - Knotgrass - Lettuce - Ling - Linseed - Mawseed - Meadowsweet - Millet - Mistletoe - Mountain Ash - Mouse-Ear - Mustard - Niger - Nipplewort - Persicaria - Plantain, Greater - Plantain, Ribwort - Poppy, Corn - Privet - Queen of the Meadows - Radish - Ragwort - Rape - Rat's Tail - Redshank - Ribwort - Rose - Rowan - Rye Grass - Sesame - Shepherd's Purse - Sloe - Snowberry - Snow thistle - Spurrey, Corn - Sunflower - Teazle, Wild - Thistle, Scotch - Thistle, Spear - Watercress - Way bread - Wintercress

The ultimate guide to all South African bird species: Pictorial, factual and audible! Sappi Birds of South Africa with Callfinder is for everyone and is especially useful for tour guides, trainers and game rangers. Quick, easy and accurate identification through shapefinder, dualadex and callfinder. Birds can easily be found with the unique Shapefinder. Birds grouped together according to shape, aiding in quick and effortless comparison and identification. A bilingual index of all the birds listed by their common group names, such as duck or sparrow and the relevant page numbers. The Callfinder (R) is battery operated an easy to use. It doesn't depend on internet or network coverage and has no complicated menus or operating instructions. New printing technology has been used to print an invisible grid over every photo. The eye of the Callfinder (R) reads the grid and recalls the bird's call from its internal memory card. For the first time bird calls can be heard from the pages of a field guide. The text does not merely describe what can be seen in the photographs, but also offers a wealth of extraordinary facts. New updated distribution maps. Species can quickly be compared with the help of icons illustrating normal habitat, nest position, relative size and social behaviour. More than 800 quality full colour photographs by renowned photographers. Bird species are uniquely grouped together according to four behaviour groups: Waterbirds, Raptors, Veld Landscape and Bush Landscape birds. Grouping is then further broken down into the birds' external shapes ensuring that similar looking birds are close to each other thus assisting in comparing different species.

Contents Include: Housing and Feeding The Goldfinch The Bullfinch The Linnet The Greenfinch The Chaffinch The Bramble finch The Siskin The Redpoll The Twite The Hawfinch The Yellow Bunting The Corn Bunting The Cirl Bunting The Reed Bunting Breeding Softbills The Magpie, Jay and Jackdaw The Song Thrush The Blackbird The Starling The Smaller Softbills Hints on Hand-Rearing Ringing Young Birds Standards and Scales of PointsKeywords: Reed Bunting Cirl Bunting Yellow Bunting Song Thrush Magpie Jay Jackdaw Bullfinch Siskin Linnet Goldfinch Bramble Starling Blackbird Finch Scales Birds

Contents Include: The Cages Considered Perches and other Fitments The Bird Room The Bath First Principles in Mating Building the Home The First Egg Commencement of Incubation Egg Food At Close of Incubation Feeding the Young Canaries Plucking the Young Young about to eave the Nest Preparing for the Second and Third Nests The Young when Weaned The Moult Moulting Cages Training for ShowKeywords: Egg Food Incubation Bird Room First Principles Moulting Eave Perches Canaries Commencement

Birds of Texas has something for anyone with an interest in birds, from the casual backyard observer to the keen naturalist. Full page accounts w. color illustraions and maps for 401 birds Quick Reference Guide and much more

The bald eagle is regal but fearless, a bird you're not inclined to argue with. For centuries, Americans have celebrated it as "majestic" and "noble" yet savaged the living bird behind their national symbol as a malicious predator of livestock and, falsely, a snatcher of babies. Taking us from before the United States' founding through inconceivable resurgences of this enduring all-American species, Jack E. Davis contrasts the age when native peoples lived beside it peacefully with that when others, whether through hunting bounties or DDT pesticides, twice pushed Haliaeetus leucocephalus to the brink of extinction. Filled with spectacular stories of Founding Fathers, rapacious hunters, heroic bird rescuers and the lives of bald eagles themselves-monogamous creatures, considered among the animal world's finest parents-The Bald Eagle is a much-awaited cultural and natural history that demonstrates how this bird's wondrous journey may provide inspiration today, as we grapple with environmental peril on a larger scale.