For much of his life, the closest Bob Tarte got to a nature walk was the stroll from parking lot to picnic table on family outings. But then a chance sighting of a dazzling rose-breasted grosbeak in wife-to-be Linda’s backyard prompts a fascination with birds, which he had never cared about before in the least. Soon he is obsessed with spotting more and more of them—the rarer the better—and embarks on a bumpy journey to improve his bumbling birding skills. Along the way, Tarte offers readers a droll look at the pleasures and pitfalls he encounters, introduces a colorful cast of fellow birders from across the country, and travels to some of the premier birding sites in the Midwest, including Point Pelee, Magee Marsh, Tawas Point State Park, and even Muskegon Wastewater System. This funny, heartfelt memoir will appeal to birders of all skill levels as well as to anyone who knows and loves a birder.
Chapter 1. The Green Book and the Redhead
Chapter 3. A Song Soothes Mr. Crabby
Chapter 4. A Duck Out of Water
Chapter 8. A Crash Course in Warblers
Chapter 9. Learning from Babies
Chapter 10. Anything Can Show Up Anywhere
Chapter 12. Back to the Beginning
Chapter 13. The Redhead and the Redhead