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Tales of a Low-Rent Birder
by Pete Dunne (Foreword: Roger Tory Peterson) (Illustrator: David Sibley)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: University of Texas Press (1994)
ISBN: 0292715749
EAN: 9780292715745
Dewy Decimal #: 598.0723474998
Paperback: 173 pages
SKU: BX013-060920002
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Clean and shiny. Light cover crease and name whiteout inside o/wise very minor wear. Spine uncreased, pgs crisp, clean, tight, unmarked. No remainder mark.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
"In these tales about birds, birding, and birders, Dunne has captured many of the feelings that make birding special.... Almost any ornithologist or naturalist would enjoy this book." —Auk "His sketchbook tales . . . are lively and brimming with wit, satire, and sensitivity." —New Jersey Audubon "The observation of birds can be many things—science, an art, an esthetic experience, a game or sport, indeed anything you choose to make it. To Pete Dunne it is all these things.... Although he can match his extremely sharp eyes and trained ears with anyone... he never loses his sense of fun.... Read what he has to say about birds and the birders who pursue them with such passion." —From the foreword by Roger Tory Peterson Tales of a Low-Rent Birder is a collection of nineteen essays and sketches written between 1977 and 1985. It was originally published in 1986.
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Customer Reviews
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Being a Birder
Rating  (3)
Date: 2002-03-10
11 out of 12 customers found this reveiw helpful
Birders are an odd, if endearing lot, and nowhere is this more apparent (and freely admitted) than in Pete Dunne's Tales of a Low-rent Birder. Since my interest in birding is only casual, the stories that took birding propensities to extremes, such as the hypothetical SVAT team (think SWAT for birds) composed of 4 quirky members who can't agree on anything and spend their lives tracking down bird sightings, and The Legend of Jesse Mew, a play on the guru followed by his adoring disciples thing, were a bit much for me. However, his story of finding, following and eventually pulling on a kit string that wound its way across a bird sanctuary (and thereby causing the entire bird population to take wing when the kite rose into the air) was amusing, as was his story of birding with Roger Tory Peterson. I also enjoyed his attempt to see the world through a peregrine falcon's eyes in "Peregrine Going South for the First Time," and his brief profiles of 4 birders who, though very different people, all share the ability to "see" as told in "A Gift of Vision." However, none of these stories really hit home for me, meaning I didn't find myself reading eagerly with great interest (as I did with Kingbird Highway by Kenn Kaufman, or The Rites of Autumn by Dano O'Brien), or wishing for more once a story ended. In fact I kept putting the book aside with a feeling of vague dissatisfaction. Avid birders may have another story to tell, but for me this book was a disappointment.
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Passionate account by lively birdwatcher!
Rating  (5)
Date: 2000-06-29
10 out of 15 customers found this reveiw helpful
An original writing style and a true love of birds and birdwatching make this one a standout. With sections on eagles, hawks, bluebills and even birdwatchers themselves, this one is a delight for the fellow birdlover.
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