A Season on the Wind

February 1, 2019
A naturalist and conservationist with a self-confessed obsession with bird migration shares his love and knowledge.Kaufman (Flights Against the Sunset: Stories that Reunited a Mother and Son, 2008, etc.), the creator of the Kaufman Field Guide series, focuses on the spring migration through the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area on the southwestern shore of Lake Erie. As the author notes, the boardwalk there, one of the most popular among North American birders, is the center of a 10-day bird festival in May that attracts bird lovers from across the country. Throughout the book, Kaufman displays his deep knowledge of birds, and his descriptions of them, from crows and warblers to bald eagles and waterfowl, are spot-on. The author is deeply concerned about the complex and varied threats to birds, especially the proliferation of wind turbines. He devotes a substantial portion of the text to discussions of the fight to keep wind farms out of the heart of his beloved marsh, a major stopover habitat in North America. He also explores the technological advances in tracking both migrating flocks and individual birds. Though he only focuses on one site in northern Ohio, Kaufman also makes broader points about weather, climate change, patterns of migration, and the awesome endurance of migrating birds and the hazards they face. The narrative also contains elements of memoir, similar to his early book, Kingbird Highway (1997), which followed his adventures as a teenage birder hitchhiking across the country finding and tallying birds. This book makes it clear that the author has retained his youthful enthusiasm. He thrills to be outdoors in all weather, hearing and seeing birds, rejoicing in their presence, and he allows readers to share both his joy and his concerns.Highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable for all lovers of nature books but will be of greatest interest to active birders.

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March 1, 2019

Naturalist Kaufman, originator of the "Kaufman Field Guide" series, is a lyrical and witty writer, and his latest is no exception. This fine title, unlike his others, focuses on a specific locality, northern Ohio, where concentrations of migrating birds in springtime comprise one of the greatest natural occurrences in the United States. Though it took a while for naturalists to realize this, now thousands of visitors come to the shores of Lake Erie to witness this event, especially in May. This season on the wind, relevant far beyond Ohio, is beautifully described--the personalities involved, its significant economic impact, and the conditions causing it to happen. Kaufman is still full of wonder, awe, and admiration for the birds, some flying thousands of miles across continents. He describes how they do this, and what lies ahead, many winging hundreds of miles more into Canadian wilderness, and does not shy away from controversy: habitat degradation, climate change, and the pros and cons of wind turbine farms. VERDICT With poetic chapter titles, and enhanced by 21 color photographs, especially of brilliant warblers, this highly recommended account makes for thoughtful reading for both experienced and novice birders.--Henry T. Armistead, formerly with Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2019
In his homage to our feathered friends, renowned naturalist Kaufman offers a holistic view of bird conservation in Northeast Ohio. This landscape?a key stopover site for millions of migrating birds?exemplifies how attempts to counter climate change can cause unintended, broad consequences. Kaufman details how his fellow ornithologists at Black Swamp Bird Observatory fought a proposed wind-turbine farm?a much-lauded clean energy source that, regrettably, poses a fatal threat to the millions of migrating birds passing over Lake Erie that are already burdened by unseasonable weather patterns, natural disasters, and habitat destruction during their astoundingly long journeys. Background on the history of birding and conservation in the area, alongside rich snapshots of numerous species, makes for a comprehensive study of these astounding animals. Passionate and descriptive, Kaufman successfully writes for both the advanced ornithologist and the casual birder seeking to learn more. A section on the observatory's 10-day birding festival seems somewhat self-serving, but when focused on the birds and the science and magic of migration, this book soars.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)