One of my favourite moments in travel, surprisingly, comes long before the actual trip. There are few things as exhilarating as a new field guide. The day before yesterday the Collin’s Bird Guide (to the birds of Britain and Europe. Isn’t Britain in Europe?) arrived courtesy of my friend Charlie, the world famous host of Charlie’s Bird Blog.
Typically, I go through a guide for a new country or region at least three times before a trip. First read through I skim through it, looking at all the birds, all the plates and maps, and glancing over some descriptions. The second time (which I am just about to start), I get a little more systematic, looking over the maps and paying attention to the birds that I’m likely to see. And thirdly, I study those birds I’m likely to see, paying more attention to the descriptions and field marks. All of this has the effect of building the anticipation (as if it was needed for this trip) of the upcoming visit.
Now some people I know, confess to a Field Guide addiction, even as they are eschewing the 12 step program and help. I have no such addiction. I can put this down anytime I want, just not right now, maybe later.
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ha! Can you spell d-e-n-i-a-l? LOL! Clare’s hooked and we all know it.. but that’s ok. You’re in good company 🙂
Heaven forbid that I start to collect field guides from other countries.. noooooo no no.. I have no room!
and OMG,I just noticed something.. I just ordered that Mary Oliver read on your sidebar a couple weeks ago.. *gulp* (hangs head and swears I will NOT go to amazon.com tonight. Tomorrow.. maybe) 😉
So, I guess that’s your favorite… obsession? (Now you have me singing that song!)
If you get to Germany and find what the real name is for bird-that-likes-to-walk-in-the-road, let me know what it is. 🙂
Rurality,
It’s good for relieving my…. Tension! And I’m confused, what is the bird-that-likes-to-walk-in-the-road, although if I make it Germany I’m lost.
Cindy, No I swear, I can put this down anytime I want, anytime, just not right now. And field guides to other countries are the greatest. You have to get the Birds of Colombia I mean 1700 species, something like 150 species of Hummingbirds… there’s always space.
Rocky Horror and field guides, this is just too good…
My wife just bought me the Collins Guide for Valentine’s Day. Clearly, she really does love me. I feel the same way you do about prepping for travel. Not only is the pre-trip ornithological review fun in its own right, but it makes your time in the field that much more enjoyable.
That’s just what I do before I travel, except that it’s mostly insects and amphbians and reptiles. I just love field guides. Can’t have too many! (-:
I agree… can’t have too many guides. The plates in the Collins guide are in-cre-di-ble. Is there a difference between the guide you got and this one? http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Europe-Killian-Mullarney/dp/0691050546/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3650134-3201443?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174928750&sr=8-1
Mike, yeah, who would have thought Rocky Horror and field guides could find some common ground. And clearly she does love you, you are a lucky man.
Bev,
I clearly don’t have enough other guides. I have a couple guides to Herps, one from Manitoba, some butterfly guides for the tropics, and a great guide/key to north american insects that I never take out anymore.
Patrick,
I don’t know if that is the same guide or not, clearly it has the same authors. I suspect it is the same as a quick look “inside” on Amazon shows the same table of contents. Charlie of Charlie’s Bird Blog would no doubt know.
Yes, it is the same book, and a great one, too.
How about giving a few details of the bird-that-likes-to-walk-in-the-road, so a German birder might help out?
Jochen,
I unfortunately don’t know what Rurality is talking about, but would love to know. Karen????
Well, one small bird that likes to walk along the roads is the White Wagtail, as a guess?
You’ll see it, Clare, it is common!
If there’s anything you’re curious about regarding birding in Central Europe, just ask!
Sorry, sorry, I’m late getting back here. When I went to Germany several years ago, I was just getting interested in birds, so I really didn’t know how to identify them at all. But we walked on country roads a lot, and there was always this same little bird that walked on the road! This was in the north of Germany.
We went to a bookstore and thumbed through a field guide, but I was just so clueless about identifying birds back then.
I just had a look at the White Wagtail, and I don’t think that was him… I think I would have remembered all that black… but I can’t be sure. 🙂 Clearly I need to plan another trip to Europe, right?!