Humans have always felt a particular fascination and affinity for birds. With this anthology of notable writings on bird fact and lore, celebrated naturalist John Hay pays eloquent homage to these winged creatures who "come out of a great past to tell us where we are."Here is Alexander Skutch applauding the deft acrobatics of the hummingbird and Richard Nelson describing the wild and beautiful voice of the loon and what it means to the Koyukon people. Annie Dillard ponders the phenomenon of bird songs and asks, "If the lyrics are simply 'mine, mine, mine,' then why the extravagance of the score?"From Henry David Thoreau on the lisping tinkle of chickadees to Joseph Wood Krutch on the Arizona road runner and Edward O. Wilson's awed description of the spinning upside-down courtship dance of the New Guinea bird of paradise, these writings bring alive not only the dramatically exotic but also the gently prosaic aspects of bird life. They comprise a literary survey, from the classic to the contemporary, of our very best writing about birds and call us, dedicated birders and armchair naturalists alike, to marvel at the earth around us and at our winged companions in this "great house of birds." Read Less