Almost wordless: The Spirea burst into bloom earlier this week. I grew this one from a cutting off another shrub in the backyard – it is now 20 years old!
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Celebrate Birds
Today is International Migratory Bird Day, an annual event that highlights and celebrates the migration of nearly 350 species of migratory birds between nesting habitats in North America and non-breeding grounds in Latin America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Environment for the Americas invites us to join their celebration of the importance of stopover sites and their habitats:
Whether you learn about a stopover site near your home, visit one far away, or create a safe place for birds in your backyard, your support can mean a safe journey for a migratory bird. Join the celebration!
Focal Species
This year’s banner features several focal species that could use our help. I have had the pleasure of seeing most of these birds and have featured several of them on Weekend Birding.
One of the most fascinating is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Despite their size, they migrate from the Eastern US to Central America, and to get there they must fly across the Gulf of Mexico; an amazing feat for this tiny bird.
Make Your Yard A Stopover Site
Migrating birds need shelter, food, water, and a safe haven. Make your yard a place where they can have these needs met, and you will be richly rewarded with their presence.
- Plant native vegetation for cover and as a source of insects, seeds and fruits, and provide fresh water. Encourage your neighbors to do the same.
- If feeders are put out for migrating hummingbirds, make sure the feeders are kept clean and the sugar water is changed regularly. Hummingbirds will continue their migration when they need to, so don’t worry about how long to leave the feeders out.
- Your yard will become part of a network of sites that help support these amazing migrants as they travel between their breeding and wintering grounds.
If you build it, they will come!
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Almost wordless: So happy to see spring wildflowers popping up in the woods.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2017 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Welcome to Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia of To Be Continued, a place where readers share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week.
After several years of being on tour with different blogs as the monthly host, the Mailbox Monday Blog is now the permanent home for the meme.
Nothing in my physical mailbox last week, but I did receive a few new audio books.
With nicer weather and more time outdoors, I can listen while I garden. I’m hoping to finally get some veggies planted next week. We had another frost warning last night, so all planting has been on hold.
Audio Downloads
You Were Here by Gian Sardar from Penguin Audio.
Readers of Kate Atkinson will delight in this suspenseful and romantic debut novel about a woman haunted by nightmares and her grandmother’s role in a doomed love triangle almost seventy years before.
Chemistry by Weike Wang from Random House Audio.
A luminous coming-of-age novel about a young female scientist who must recalibrate her life when her academic career goes off track.
The Physics of Everyday Things by James Kakalios from Random House Audio.
Physics professor, bestselling author, and dynamic storyteller James Kakalios reveals the mind-bending science behind the seemingly basic things that keep our daily lives running, from our smart phones and digital clouds to x-ray machines and hybrid vehicles.
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A Rapid Review
The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal about Being Human
Publisher: Tantor Audio | January 2017
Format: Audio CD: 8½ hours | Rating: 4 stars
Audio Listening Level: Easy – Intermediate
Drawing deep from personal experience, cutting-edge science, and colorful history, Noah Strycker spins captivating stories about the birds in our midst and shares the startlingly intimate coexistence of birds and humans.
What’s it about . . .
The book is divided into 3 Parts – Body, Mind, Spirit – and contains essays on thirteen different species of birds. For each bird, the author highlights a feature that is similar between avian and human behavior: Parrots that can dance, self-awareness in Magpies, cooperative nesting in Fairy Wrens, and pecking orders in chickens to name a few.
What did I think . . .
I love birds and have been watching and observing them in the wild for many years. Just the ability to fly makes them amazing creatures, but they have many other attributes. Some species can navigate their way across water or continents, you can take them far from home and they can find their way back, some are self-aware, and many are highly intelligent.
As a longtime birder, I was already aware of many amazing bird qualities, but there was still much to learn. In addition to facts and information on bird behavior, the author included his own experiences and short stories from a lifetime of observing birds.
This book will appeal to birders old and new, and even those remotely interested in birds.
Audio production . . .
The audio production was narrated by Paul Boehmer. His pleasant voice and good pacing made for easy listening.
This is the type of book that is made for audio. I often recommend non-fiction to new listeners, and this is no exception. With thirteen separate, engaging essays, the listener can find convenient points to stop and start, or listen in the car over a period of time.
Audio Sample . . .
Audio sample on the publisher’s site.
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Source: Review copy provided by Tantor Audio.
© 2017 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Almost wordless: I’ve had this feeder for many years and the robins have always ignored it. They would poke around on the ground under it, but until this guy showed up, I never saw one that would sit in it and eat!
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2017 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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A Rapid Review
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press| Macmillan Audio | May 2017
Format: Audio 9½ hours | 352 pages | Rating: 4 stars
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Set to the soundtrack of our lives, The Best of Adam Sharp follows along with emotion and humor as one man looks back on his past and decides if having a second chance is worth the risk.
What’s it about . . .
Adam is an IT Consultant and Musician (and music trivia expert) living in the UK with his partner, Claire. Seemingly out of nowhere, Adam receives an email from Angelina, an actress he had a relationship with 20 years earlier while working as a consultant in Australia. She is the one that got away, his soulmate, and he never forgot about her.
After a series of flirty emails, Angelina says she wants to see him again and invites Adam to visit her in France where she lives with her husband. Adam doesn’t know what to expect, but it doesn’t take him long to decide to make the trip. And besides, things aren’t going very well with Claire anyway.
What did I think . . .
The first half of the book was cute and quirky as we get the details on how Adam and Angelina met and their ensuing romance. The second half got a little weird as I struggled to figure out what Angelina wanted and why was Adam going along with this.
I enjoyed the writing and the many musical references from the past and felt that the book was aimed at the over forty, nostalgic for the past crowd. I couldn’t relate to Angelina, but I found Adam charming, and it was interesting to read a romance from a male perspective. While the story had humor and appeal, it was not a comedy like The Rosie Project, but still likable in its own way.
Audio production
I switched between print and audio. The narration was performed by David Barker using a British accent and a smooth, flowing pace to bring the character of Adam to life. The story is easy to follow and a pleasant listen. A good choice for both new and experienced listeners.
Audio Sample:
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Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
© 2017 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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