This book will not make you an expert on dragonflies. It does give you sufficient information on them to help understand what you see when you view them in the field. And it helps you identify the most common ones in the USA and Canada.

A few pages in the front of the book give brief background information on dragonflies, and on equipment and strategies for observing them in the field. Then you go to page after page of species descriptions. Important identification information is given for each species, and at least one (sometimes more when appropriate) photo. The photos are usually of good quality both as photos and as identification aids.

A key in the inside cover of the book helps you pick out characteristics of a dragonfly you are observing, and the key then points you to the appropriate pages in the book using a color tab system.

I compared copies in hand of this book, and its chief competitor, DRAGONFLIES THROUGH BINOCULARS. I felt this book would be more useful in the field, so I ordered this one from Amazon.com, not the binoculars book. That's the best testimony I can give. I've since read and begun to use the book, and I am happy with my choice.

Only downside to this book is that it may tempt you to order one of the larger, more in-depth books on dragonflies, which are quite expensive!

Clear and beautiful photos with helpful information make it easy to ID dragonflies. If you want to use it as field guide or as picture book this is the one to have.

Maybe I first noticed Dragonflies one of those summers I attended Girl Scout camp and I saw a pretty blue-winged insect shimmering over the lake where we went for our daily swim. Or maybe I saw my first fly when I sat on a creek bank waiting for the catfish to bite. I saw them so often when I was a child growing up in the rural South and Midwest, that I took them for granted. Not until the great Henry Mitchell, a local gardener and columnist with the Washington Post (and author of many books on gardening) wrote about his horse troughs and Dragonfiles did I sit up and say, "You mean there's more than one kind??"

Mr. Mitchell taught me that Dragonfiles can drown in deep water if they try to take a drink, and that Dragonflies, Damselflies and Butterflies all need shallow water. That's why you see them hovering over mud puddles and why every bird bath needs a shallow spot. In Mr. Mitchell's garden, the Dragonflies drank from the leaves on his water lillies. If you plant water lillies, you will see a Dragonfly or two or three.

The BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO DRAGONFLIES is destined to help me help my granddaughters develop an appreciation of Dragonfiles and Damselflies. According to authors Nikula, Sones, and Stokes, the major differences between the two are wing shapes, wing positions, eye positions, overall appearance and flight style. Some of the photos even depict Dragonflies that might be confused with Butterflies. We are going to learn about: 'Cruisers', 'Spiketails', 'Clubtails', 'Petaltails'
and a whole lot more. Seems that pretty neon blue insect I've seen hovering over the pond may be a 'Pond Damsel.'

Each of the illustrated "Identification" pages in DRAGONFLIES contains a photograph and text description of the fly and a map of Northern America depicting the range of the insect in question. Each map shows the entire country plus Canada. The pages of the book are color coded by family type so you can link the Dragonfly or Damselfly to it's family. Get this book and enjoy the summer fun.

The Stokes have put out several books on birds, and definitely know their stuff. It shows in this book, which has just about everything you could ask for.

One section goes over the different types of feeders, and the various seeds that birds enjoy. Hummingbirds get their own special mention, as do squirrel baffle techniques. There's even a section on bird behavior - what to watch for, what certain things mean.

Then the book goes into the common birds found at backyard feeders. There are lovely photos of each bird, a map showing where they tend to live, how to tell them from other similar birds, how they act, what they eat, and much more.

This book is perfect for anyone who is thinking about putting up a bird feeder or another bird feeder like myself. The first section in this book deals with the different kinds of feeders, how to attract the bird, and troubleshooting problems. Following that section is a part on bird behavior. Finally, their is a long section of birds. For each bird, the Stokes identify what they eat and like. In the back of the book there is a list of resources for bird feeders and supplies. Finally, the last few pages show how to keep a bird feeder journal. I very well rounded informative book. I would recommend it to anyone who's feeding feathered friends.

I HAVE A BIRD FEEDER OUTSIDE MY OFFICE WINDOW-THIS BOOK IS EASY AND ADDS TO THE NATURAL INTEREST OF THE ACTIVITY OUT THERE- IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY SERIOUS FOR THE BIRDS__LIFE AND DEATH_AND THEY HAVE A SOCIAL ORDER__BUT IT ALL SEEMS TO WORK AND THIS BOOK HELPS TO DEEPEN THE OBSERVATION

This is just one of the many popular bird books written by Donald & Lillian Stokes. The "Stokes Bluebird Book The Complete Guide To Attracting Bluebirds," in my opinion is one of the top Bluebird books now available. This page size glossy book, of 96 pages, has a as many color photos as it does pages.

The written material is both easy to read and understand. And will be as interesting, and as educating for the beginner as it will be to the expert. The photos not only are exceptionally beautiful, but help to visually explain what has been written.

The book is broken down into three sections. The Stokes write about the three types of Bluebirds. Then how you can attract the Bluebird by improving their habitat. And of course the best basic materials used with the Bluebirds in mind. Learn also about those birds who compete with the Bluebird, and also their predators. Then learn of the many areas of a Bluebird's behavior, like the how and the when of their breeding.

If you want an easy to read book with all the Bluebird basics, plus the beauty of large, clear, up close Bluebird and other photos. This is a book you will want to add to your library.

excellent compilation of techniques for successful bluebird watching,raisingand conservation

As a teacher, I was especially thrilled to share the collection of famous bluebird songs, poems and quotes in one of this book's chapters with my students. The photographs are outstanding. Most of all, this book is a wonderful comprehensive collection of bluebird information: from learning more about this gentle creature to building boxes and monitoring them. There is also a helpful Bluebird Nest Recording Chart for nest-monitoring enthusiasts. The authors not only share their knowledge but also their love for the "bird that carries the sky on his back."

An outstanding reference. I especially enjoyed the "honey glazed ruby-throated dessert".

A great book for anyone who wants to attract and feed hummingbirds, it's packed with all the basic information you'll need, starting with choosing the right feeder for your area, the sugar solution to put in it, and the maintenance and cleaning of it, which the Stokes say: "We can't emphasize enough how important it is to take feeder maintenance seriously", as any mold or bacteria can be "risking the health, and possibly the lives", of these jeweled wonders of the bird family...and they show you the easy steps to be taken to keep the feeders clean.

There are also 6 pages on orioles, who can be seen sometimes at hummer feeders. It gives a "quick guide" to 8 species of these beautiful birds, with lovely photos to help identification. It also shows how one can set up feeders specifically for orioles, and the sugar solution to use, which is slightly different from that of the hummer mixture.

Chapters on the "Hummingbird Habitat" and "Gardening", give you a list of plants and flowers that hummers like the most, by geographical region. "Amazing Facts" truly is amazing. Among the many fascinating things you'll learn is that their heart can beat 1,260 times per minute, but can sometimes slow down to 50 beats per minute at night to conserve energy. There are other chapters on "Myths", "Baby Hummingbirds", and "Photographing Hummingbirds".

Nearly half the book is devoted to the identification of the different species, with photos, maps, behaviour patterns, and much more. Once you've identified your visitors, you'll get to know the idiosyncrasies of the species, and it's sure to add to the joy and delight of watching these miraculous little creatures.

I was so impressed with the depth of the study, and the over-all content of this book, and yet it is very comprehensive. I am a new Hummer-lover, and I definitely recommend this colorful book to the newcomer because it is so thorough. I was able to easily identify the species that visit my deck every morning, and discover the variety of flowers they prefer, and even predict their behavior. This book is a veritible wealth of information on common and rare Hummers that has made me appreciate these beautiful and delicate little creatures even more that I did before! What an awesome Creator we have!

My husband and I invested in a Purple Martin House, but didn't have a clue how to entice them to our back yard! I have several of the Stokes bird books and have always found them informative, easy to use, and excellent photography. I found all of this to be true in their Purple Martin Book.The book starts with Purple Martin basics, how to attract, and something I hadn't even thought of, when to expect their arrival. Each section of their breeding range has a different date, the Gulf Coast being approximately Feb. 1st, so I need to get ready in a hurry! Also covered, is their behavior, selecting housing, egg laying to leaving the nest. Dealing with predators and parasites. I don't think there was a "stone uncovered"!If you just enjoy learning about birds, this book is a joy. For me, I am hoping in a few short weeks, I'll be a Purple Martin landlord!

Educate yourself before you buy a Purple Martin house. Reading this book is a great beginning. Many houses sold are not suitable and you will end up with a sparrow house. The Stokes have thorough information and nice photographs in their book. I also recommend you join the PMCA (Purple Martin Conservation Association), Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, PA, 16444 if you are serious about being a martin landlord.

Feeding wild birds has always brought me pleasure. When I decided I would like to attract a colony of purple martins to my backyard I thought it would simply be a matter of buying a martin house and enjoying the birds once they moved in. I soon found out that becoming a purple martin landlord is a bit more complicated. This book provided a wealth of information about all aspects of attracting and keeping purple martins. From the book, beginners to this hobby learn about various housing types, placement of houses, as well as when and how to successfully attract martins. This book is beautifully illustrated with full color photographs of adult martins and nestlings.I think this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in keeping purple martins as a hobby.

This is by far the most detailed and enjoyable to read feild guide to amphibians and reptiles we could find. However, it does not include as many different species as some do, but it has much more information per species. I wish Thomas Tyning would write more nature books.

I have read many books on the flora native to the Eastern US and I would rank this book as one of the best. The book gives excellent descriptions of many interesting items and details, almost as if the author were writing a biography. After reading about each plant I felt compelled to go look at it growing in the wild and sure enough - the book was right!

This book is not about antiscientism, it is about accountibality of science funding. There are several economical myths related to the state policy of basic science funding. Two of them : "..basic research is performed without thought of practical ends" and "...basic research is the pacemaker of technological progress" as well as famous Baconian "linear model",( a sequence extending from basic science to technology: basic science - applied research - development - production and operations) are dramatically reevaluated and critizied in the reviewing book. The most important implications of agruments presented in this well written book are: a) Basic science must be accountable as any other state funding activities and based on "informed judgments of research promise and social need"; b) Progress of science and technology have "semiautonomous trajectories", therefore state investment in basic research does not provide progress in the technology and economical growth. It looks like it is a good time "to end" so-called "endless frontiers" of unaccountable spending of taxpayer's money for funding useless basic science research. Everybody who is interested in the basic science funding policy must read this excellent book. It demonstrates a difference between the economical reality and propaganda of illusions.

Don and Lillian Stokes have taken one of the most difficult-to-identify groups of birds and made the task of differentiating them exponentially easier. Birders of all levels will appreciate this user-friendly, pocket sized book. Stokes Beginner's Guide To Shorebirds is a visually stunning book packed with spectacular photos of all the important shorebird plumages. Characteristic of all of Stokes books, the presentation is logical, clear, and straightforward, with information covering all North American breeding shorebirds.

The easy-to-use color tab system, which groups shorebirds by size and bill length, makes it simple to look up and identify a shorebird. The learning pages with photographic comparison of similar species, helpful comparative silhouettes, and revolutionary method of identification by shape, all will give birders a firm grasp of learning shorebirds.

In addition, the amount of information is impressive, including superb migration maps that show where and when each species can be expected during spring and fall migrations. No previous book has ever graphically shown these birds' migration paths; instead, until now the only way to get this information would have been to wade through countless publications and laboriously extract the relevant details. The Stokes Beginner's Guide to Shorebirds shows me, at a glance, which shorebirds pass through my area and when I should see them.

Beginners will now have an excellent tool to help them begin to master this exciting group of birds. Intermediate and advanced birders will use the beautiful photos of all important plumages, extensive information, and innovative maps to add to their knowledge of shorebirds. Anyone with even a passing interest in shorebirds will want to own this impressive book.

This is an adequate resource for a novice birdwatcher and it is well-organized. However, after testing this book in 3 Western wildlife refuges, I've decided that I would like more information on the behaviors and habits of each bird. I am by no means a "bird geek," but am simply seeking to know more about the natural world as I hike or row through it. The book provides little more than just name, rank, and serial number. Also, although the photography is mostly sharp and useful, some of the seagoing bird photographs are blurred and grainy, resembling a Bigfoot photo. I have been looking for the ultimate guide to Western birds but I'm going to keep looking.

Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region is a very impressive and helpful bird identification tool. This happens to be a field guide that I feel confident using whenever I go birdwatching. I find that aspect to be the most important of any field guide--whether it's good enough to actually be trusted out in the field. This bird identification guide contains over 900 full color photographs. Also, all of the information pertaining to the particular species of bird is on the same page: this includes the color photograph, range map, and detailed text information (behavior, voice, feeding, nesting, and habitat for example). Having all of the information on one page is always very important. The book also contains quick alphabetical indexes inside the front and back covers that happen to be very useful for quick reference. The guide has a color tab index to bird groups, a quick guide to the most common backyard and feeder birds (good for beginners), and learning pages, too. I find the color photographs in this field guide to be clear, crisp, and very good. The guide also includes idenification symbols on the pages of particular birds that use feeders or birdhouses. A glossary of terms is included, too, along with a page that points out the names of the anatomical parts of a bird. Donald and Lillian Stokes have done an admirable job of putting this guide together. It's one of my favorite bird identification tools. I recommend it.

This book provides bird watchers with an excellent guide to almost every bird found in the Eastern half of the US. The quick index and color tabs make finding the right page easy for most birders, and the introduction provides the information an inexperienced birder needs to learn how to use this book. The photographs are mostly excellent and show most of the important field marks. Immature, female, and non-breeding season plummage pictures are provided for many birds, and a wonderful description of the bird's plummage is always included. The maps, although sometimes inaccurate (as I've found with most guides) are easy to read. The addition of shading for migration routes would help, but could be confusing for some birders. The learning pages provide an excellent comparison of similar species; especially useful for sparrows and warblers. I would reccomend purchasing Peterson's guide in addition to this, but if you can only buy one, this is the one I'd buy. Keep in mind that every person is different, and will benifit from different organizations of species. Purchase the book you think will suit your preferences best.