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What is your Favorite Birding Book?

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Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage SA678905000

What is your Favorite Birding Book?

The Sibley Guide to Birds

Way back in 2000 (when it was first published) I purchased National Audubon Society's The Sibley Guide to Birds because I felt my Peterson's Field Guide to Birds was a bit outdated (some of the "accidentals" in Peterson's were not listed as such in Sibley).  Okay, so my Peterson's Guide was about 20 years old at the time, but I just loved the pictures in The Sibley Guide to Birds!

While Peterson's Guide is great to take along birding--light weight and easy to flip through--Sibley's is the guide that is used at home.  We love it so much we have an upstairs copy (in the office) and a downstairs copy by the porch door (where we hang out watching the birds as time allows in the warmer weather).          

A few days ago Patricia Feager posted some great photos that she took at a local park in Flower Mound Texas about Seagulls and Ducks.  As I scrolled through her pictures, I thought "those are cool ducks--I wonder what they are."  Patricia mentioned that she really would like to know what the ducks with the blue-ish bills were.  So I grabbed my Sibley Guide and started looking.  I found that they were American Wigeons--so I let her know and asked her to put her post in the Birds group.  Well she was VERY appreciative (but didn't take my hint about the Birds group--even though I know she is a member).

Here are the next birds that I am hoping to see . . .

American Robin in Sibley Guide

So what is YOUR favorite Birding Book?

Posted by

 

Chris K. Canfield

REALTOR®, ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GREEN, MRP, SRES 

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

2890 E. Skyline Drive, #250

Tucson, Arizona  85718

 

 

Mary-kay Canfield and Chris Canfield ActiveRain ProfileE-mail Chris and Mary-kay Canfield

 

 

Comments(28)

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Gloria Todor
Premier Property Sales & Rentals - Springfield, PA
& Doug Durren (484) 431-3686 in SE PA

Chris, Sounds like a plan!

Yes, I do need more bird books....and a better camera!  Maybe next Christmas....

Gloria

Feb 22, 2011 02:20 PM
Toni Weidman
Sailwinds Realty - Trinity, FL
20+ Years Selling Homes in New Port Richey, FL

I still use my trusty Peterson's, Chris. Hadn't looked in years to see if there was anything newer so now I know and will go looking for one. The problem is that as a see a bird, I note the date and location in the book so I hate to quite using it.

Feb 23, 2011 12:01 AM
Rob Thomas
Prestige Homes of The Tri Cities, Inc. CALL....423-341-6954 - Bristol, TN
Bristol TN-VA & Tri Cities Agent, ABR, GRI, e-Pro

Chris...I'm sad to say I don't have one...I may go pick one up this week. Nice post!
Hope you have a great day!---Rob

Feb 23, 2011 01:27 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Chris, you do seem very knowledgeable on birds!     I have a small guide, but I don't get too many different birds in my yard.

Feb 23, 2011 02:03 AM
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Hi Gloria - The bird book can be helped along a little bit by going to your local library and giving Sibley's a test run!

Hi Toni - It was very tough to put down the Peterson's with all the notes written in it, and I still carry it when on nature walks; but I actually find it easier to identify birds with the Sibley Guide.

Feb 23, 2011 02:36 AM
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Hi Rob - You get to some great rural places in your travels--I can only imagine the bird life in those areas!  Happy birding!

Hi Joan - Are you using the right bird food or is your cat wondering around the yard too much?  : )  Be sure to feed the hummingbirds when the time comes (not commercially--use sugar water--1/3 cup sugar to 1 cup of water to start, then after you have attracted them you can cut down to 1/4 cup sugar).  The Denver area has fabulous hummingbirds!

Feb 23, 2011 02:39 AM
Anonymous
PetersonGuides.com

Chris, came across your blog by accident when searching Google. Thought your readers might be interested to know about an iPhone and iPad app my company just developed. We've licensed all of the Peterson Field Guides content and our first app, Peterson Birds of North America came out a couple of months ago to rave reviews.

 

The app has all of the birds in the latest edition of the PFG Birds of North America book, in addition to information from 7 other PFG guides. It also includes bird songs for most species, great search and index features, and the ability to record sightings and mark birds off a life list.

 

For folks who prefer guides like Sibley, National Geographic, and Audubon, they should know that all of these folks have iPhone guides available. However, none can compare to the Roger Tory Peterson classic. 

Feb 23, 2011 11:13 AM
#15
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Very interesting!  You are taking birding to a whole new level!  I can't imagine heading out into the wilderness equipped with my iPhone or iPad loaded with Peterson Field Guides, but I guess that is where we are headed!  Thanks for commenting--I will have to check this out!

Feb 23, 2011 12:20 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Chris,

I finally got it! Thank you! I added it to the Bird Group. One of my goals for 2011 was to work on problem solving. It tooke me longer than I thought, but I'm glad that I now know how to do it!

Thank you again for this great post and the kindness you exhibited by referencing me. Wishing you all of life's blessings and goodness.

Feb 24, 2011 10:59 AM
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Hi Patricia - You are very welcome--you deserved the shout out!  Glad that you were able to work it out!

Feb 24, 2011 11:29 AM
David Popoff
DMK Real Estate - Darien, CT
Realtor®,SRS, Green ~ Fairfield County, Ct

Chris, I haven't seen this book, I usually just go with the Audubon book series. Hope you remember to keep your bird feeder filled during these snowy days.

Feb 24, 2011 10:27 PM
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Hi David - The birds in my area are quite well fed thanks to me.  I think others have given up . . .

Feb 25, 2011 01:18 AM
Evelyn Kennedy
Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA
Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Chris:

I have IBirds on my IPad and IPhone.  Its a great tool.  I don't always have my Sibley's with me.  Sibley's is my favorite guide now.  I loved the National Geographics guide  which I used for many years before Sibley's came out.  I have also used Peterson's guides but the pictures in Sibley's are wonderful.

Feb 26, 2011 04:58 PM
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Hi Evelyn - Sibley's is a bit heavy to carry around on a birding hike, but it is a great reference at home!  Today I saw a Pileated Woodpecker in my yard, but it was too far away to photograph.  I'm bummed!

Feb 27, 2011 10:26 AM
Evelyn Kennedy
Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA
Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Chris:

Thanks for your comment on my last post.  Also thanks for associating with me.  If I don't see a Pileated woodpecker in Yosemite this year I'm heading for Connecticut.

Feb 27, 2011 03:48 PM
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Hi Evelyn - Yes, I see one about every other year here, so you won't have long to wait!  : )

Feb 27, 2011 03:55 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Chris,

The National Audubon Society's  Sibley Guide to Birds would also make great client gifts, stocking stuffers or gifts for friends. Thanks for the endorsement!

Feb 28, 2011 09:58 AM
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Hi Patricia - Another great gift is bird feeders! 

Feb 28, 2011 01:17 PM
Gloria Todor
Premier Property Sales & Rentals - Springfield, PA
& Doug Durren (484) 431-3686 in SE PA

Hi Chris,  Had to FEATURE this in the BIRDS Group.  Nice to get the word out about good books on our feathered friends!   That's great that the Peterson's Guide picked up your post!

How you doing up there with the snow?  Still a bit on the ground or almost gone?

Gloria

Feb 28, 2011 02:56 PM
Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

Hi Gloria - THANKS for the Feature!  The "snow" is still here (it is actually more like concrete).  One of these days spring will come!

Mar 01, 2011 07:58 AM
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