that a person like Mr. Hiscano is out there documenting the last few wild places in New Jersey. He's a modern day Thoreau using the lens instead of pen and paper to capture something more than just pretty images. Instead of producing just another coffee-table paperweight, Mr. Hiscano's startling photographs display the few remaining natural treasures of this State and seem to ask the viewer what have you or what will you do to help preserve and protect these sites for future generations.

Amazing photographs wrapped with interesting narrative. Dwight Hiscano's passion for the Garden State and the great outdoors is evident in New Jersey, The Natural State. The book, in my opinion, ranks at the top for "coffee table"-types for a few reasons: fellow New Jerseyans will enjoy the memories these photographs renew...Summers down the shore, Autumn hikes through birch forests, backpacking the Highlands; those who appreciate the art of photography will find that the images deliver a powerful emotional punch considering the bad rap that NJ endures; lastly, the reader learns about the geography and natural habitat of the Garden State through Mr. Hiscano's interesting and frank narrative. You will not put it down!

I am lucky to know Dwight Hiscano personaly for more than 10 years. He is the fine man and exceptional photographer. Everybody who comes to my house and sees Dwight's prints on my walls is asking "Where did you get those images?". Being a professional graphic designer myself I know great photography when I see it. Dwight Hiscano is definitely one of the best nature photographers of our days. If you appreciate nature and interested in photography it's the book to have.

A superbly written, thoroughly enjoyable account of birding in the United States. Birders will recognize many of the places which they have visited, and will learn of new spots to see in their own "feather quests". A must read!

Pete Dunne and his wife Linda are lucky enough to take a whole year off to go birding. And we are lucky enough to come along with them in this part travel book, part bird life list. They start in his boyhood home of Whippany, New Jersey, and criss-cross North America in search of birds. They travel from the tip of the USA at the Everglades to the top of the continent at the Artic Refuge in Alaska. Not only do they write about the birds they see and hear but they also take a look at the many differnent types of people who bird. And it is all done in a comic style but with serious overtones concerning the environment, pollution, and urban sprawl. It makes you want to dust off your binos, find your bird book, and head out into the fields and forests. There is nothing more stirring then seeing a new bird for the first time. In reading this book, all the birds seem to be your first one.

Pete Dunne does a wonderful job introducing the reader to the world of birding. He starts with the basics: field guides and binoculars, and explains how to choose among the various ones out there (there are so many that a beginner can easily become overwhelmed). As a beginner, I know that he saved me a lot of time and money on these two issues alone. Dunne then moves on to more advanced topics, such as basic birding techniques, where to go birding, and birding organizations. Inspirational anecdotes from his experience and other birders are peppered throughout, easing the reader into a specialized field while maintaining that natural curiousity about birds that all of us have.

A good book to start your field and in hand bird identification specialty book shelf.

The pictures of birds flying over head are much improved over the paperback Peterson series book "Hawks" by Clark and Wheeler.

This is the best photographic guide to north american raptors available. The photos are very clear so you can see details on plumage. It also includes multiple photos of the species that have morphs, which is very helpful in the field. This is not a book I would recommend if you are using it for written reference. But I give it 5 stars for a field reference guide!

This is simply the best field guide for North American diurnal raptors that I have seen. Unlike some other photgraphic guides, it provides several images of each species in poses that one is likely to see in the field: perched and soaring from above and the side (showing field marks of top of wing and tail). It shows several examples of different morphs and ages for most birds. This is critical in understanding the variability in markings within a species. In addition, it has a section on field identification problems, detailing differences between similar looking birds. To my knowledge, there is no substitute.

However, the paperback version is somewhat cheaply produced. The publisher should improve the binding and the quality of paper for this book. Try not to get it wet.

Disappointing. Many pictures are dark and/or fuzzy. I find that hard to distinguish features of different hawks.

HAWKS IN FLIGHT by Peter Dunne is a useful book because it includes many photos and drawings of various species of Raptors in flight. When you see a Raptor, you generally have no way to identify it except by it's flight profile. Feather markings simply cannot be seen when a bird is sailing on a current of air or scuttling after prey. Once in a while I've surprised a hawk at rest, but generally it is well hidden in the leaves of a tree and takes off before I can get a good look. Even the Cooper's Hawk I see on my morning commute along the parkway is usually sitting back on a branch waiting for road kill (he is one fat lazy bird).

The photos in HAWKS IN FLIGHT show the birds as seen from the side flying close to the ground and as well as overhead. The book also includes drawings showing birds that resemble each other juxtaposed side by side as they would never appear in nature. Some of the photos are not very clear and the drawings are darker than I like, but no less a birder than Roger Tory Petersen recommended this book which nicely complements his own books.

Although the title includes the reference to hawks, the chapters cover Buteos, Accipiters, Falcons, Kites, Harriers, Eagles, Ospreys, and Vultures. The chapter on Accipiters covers the Cooper's Hawk, the hawk I see by the roadside in Washington DC. We also see Falcons chasing our song birds. A whole lot of back-stabbing goes on in this town.

There is no other guide which even approaches Hawks in Flight for thoroughness, clarity, and utility. Anyone who seriously pursues the sport of hawk watching must have this book.

For those just starting out in hawk watching, and for general use by even the most serious hawk watchers, I strongly recommend another work by Dunne et al., Hawk Watch: A Guide for Beginners, which is a large-format condensed version of Hawks in Flight. this book does focus exclusively on eastern species, however. Having both books is ideal.

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.

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.

This is a wonderful collection of essays which appeal to both birders and naturalists alike. The essays are short enough for a quick read, but the messages last a lot longer. Some of the birding terms and names may be difficult to understand if you are not an avid bird watcher, (I am a beginner) but do not let that sway you from reading this book. As a biologist first and a naturalist second, some of the essays helped me to find a better balance between scientific research, habitat management, and conservation. As the writer states, the styles and topics vary between different essays. Some are heart-wrenching, and some are funny. Would make a great gift, but after reading one of the essays, you may hestitate ever giving a bird-related item to a seasoned birder again! Much better than a salt and pepper holder shaped like birds.