Synopsis
This book, and its companion Kitchen Table Bird Book, have been published for birdwatchers who want to know more about birds of the Great Lakes region than is found in standard field guides. Two excellent general guides have long been available - Peterson's Field Guide to birds East of the Rockies, and the Golden Press Birds of North America - and by working with one or another or both there isn't one single feathered flying body anywhere in our region that's safe from rapid identification. But by their very nature, these field guides are only aimed at providing identification. They have space for only the briefest bits of information about each bird. Peterson depicts more than 1000 birds in the 136 color plates of his book, while the Golden Press contains even more because it covers birds on both sides of the Rockies. There simply isn't room in those books for more than a few words about each bird, plus a small drawing. They are comprehensive, solid reference works, but they include hundreds of birds most of us will never see. This book, and its Kitchen Table companion, march to a different ruffed grouse. They were written to give readers a lot more information about a lot fewer birds - but the birds they do list are those you are most likely to meet in the Great Lakes region without fanatic chase. We make no apologies for not including all birds that flap and flit through our region. Together, our two books will introduce you to only about 150 birds. But if you meet and know 90 percent of these, you will find yourself in company with the top 10 percent of those who consider themselves active birdwatchers. And you'll know a lot more about each bird than you'll learn from the field guides, useful as they are.
About the Author
When we asked John Gillette for a biography, he sent us the following summary on a ragged slip of paper, ""John W. Gillette, Berrien Springs. University of Michigan AB in English. 23 years as banker in Niles. Now publisher of Journal Era, a weekly newspaper in central Berrien County. For the past 11 years ye and his wife Patricia have published books, mostly on Michigan history, under Hardscrabble imprint. Past president Historical Society of Michigan. Member advisory board of Michigan Chapter of Nature Conservancy. Has written for various magazines and newspapers over the years. Lifelong birdwatcher. Is not a very good typist."" These study credentials give you a brief view of the man who wrote this boo, but they fail to include a sense of his personal warmth, direct approach to relationships, and insightful nature. Level-headed and light humored, John Gillette had a wide circle of friends working in many fields of endeavors - a measure of his rich awareness of the world around him. Sadly, shortly after he completed the final essays included in this book, John Gillette died, a deep and sad loss for all who knew him. On hearing the news, we took a poll of all who worked on this project and we agreed unanimously: This book is dedicated to his memory. David Mohrhardt has been a wildlife artist from grade school days, he has a drawing and painting passion that has never dwindled, and in fact seems to intensify as his life progresses. He holds a degree in biology from Michigan State University, and while there spent most of his free hours in the university's natural history museum sketching and painting wildlife. He later worked as a staff member in the same museum, and in succeeding years worked for the Kalamazoo Nature Center, and Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Montana State University, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. He holds a string of awards and honors for his painting and has a long history of group and one-man shows. He and his wife Anna live in Berrien Springs, where they are now in their proud grand-parenting time.
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