A birdsong expert's poignant and beautifully illustrated memoir of a bicycle journey across America with his son
Join birdsong expert Donald Kroodsma on a ten-week, ten-state bicycle journey as he travels with his son from the Atlantic to the Pacific, lingering and listening to our continent sing as no one has before. On remote country roads, over terrain vast and spectacular, from dawn to dusk and sometimes through the night, you will gain a deep appreciation for the natural symphony of birdsong many of us take for granted. Come along and marvel at how expressive these creatures are as Kroodsma leads you west across nearly five thousand miles—at a leisurely pace that enables a deep listen.
Listening to a Continent Sing is also a guided tour through the history of a young nation and the geology of an ancient landscape, and an invitation to set aside the bustle of everyday life to follow one's dreams. It is a celebration of flowers and trees, rocks and rivers, mountains and prairies, clouds and sky, headwinds and calm, and of local voices and the people you will meet along the way. It is also the story of a father and son deepening their bond as they travel the slow road together from coast to coast.
Beautifully illustrated throughout with drawings of birds and scenes and featuring QR codes that link to audio birdsong, this poignant and insightful book takes you on a travel adventure unlike any other—accompanied on every leg of your journey by birdsong.
Listening to a Continent Sing
Birdsong by Bicycle from the Atlantic to the Pacific
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 3, 2016 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781400880324
- File size: 30159 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781400880324
- File size: 30159 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 1, 2016
A celebrated ornithologist chronicles his 10-week, cross-country cycling/birding trip with his 24-year-old son.Most nights, Kroodsma (Emeritus, Ornithology/Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst; Birdsong by the Seasons: A Year of Listening to Birds, 2009, etc.) and David camped out, rising before dawn to record the bird chorus that greeted them each morning. The author, then 56, describes them as pioneers, and their focus was bird songs and calls, which provide "a window into their minds." Although his 35-year scientific career had focused on songbirds, this trip was a first. "No one before [had] experienced the continent," as they would. Traveling from Yorktown, Virginia, to Newport, Oregon, father and son enjoyed the peaceful countryside, took pleasure in meeting friendly local people and fellow cyclers along the way, and inspected the historic Civil War battle sites they passed through on their 10-state journey. Despite the strains and sprains of the unaccustomed physical exertion--particularly for the author--they averaged 100 miles or more each day, and they toughened up physically as they went along. Kroodsma evokes the profound pleasure of rising before dawn to listen to the morning songs of the birds and ending the day with their evening choruses. As the pair travel through different parts of the country, the author explains the subtle differences between songbirds of the same species. His special scientific interest is how these relate to the ways in which different species master their special repertoire--e.g. songs passed on genetically, learned from their fathers, or picked up from neighboring birds. Kroodsma's verbal descriptions of the bird songs and their calls accompany the text, but they are also available as online recordings. An informative exploration of the subtleties of bird songs, which experienced birders will appreciate, and a helpful guide for newbies but likely of less interest to general readers.COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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