Morning all,

 Well, day 2 of the bluebirds and their staking out of the bluebird boxes, and the House Sparrows are already here and competing with them too. Not that they ever left. I think the bluebirds try and get an early start to out-compete the HOSP's, but not gonna happen. Best to be vigilant ("Mad-eye Moody"), ever vigilant! Put up multiple boxes, clean out the sparrow nests just as they begin, and keep after 'em. I also make use of a pellet gun, on occasion.

I gotta give a thumbs up to AMAZON. My wife placed an order on Tuesday evening, with free-shipping and the book was supposed to arrive today, but it came yesterday. AMAZing. So after some browsing last night, here are some preliminary thoughts on the new Crossley ID Guide:

This is NOT a field guide. Big and heavy, this is a desk reference, or a front-seat-of-the-car reference. I don't see many of us carrying it into the field, even with a cover with strap. It also isn't really a quick page turner, as the paper is rather thick; I kept trying to open pages that I thought were stuck together, only to find it was a single thick page. This happened numerous times.

Those who do not like or are un-willing to learn the Alpha Code (banders code) system will not like this book. Crossley makes full use of the codes for every species, written right after the full name of the species, and uses the codes when comparing other species in the write-ups. He explains his reasoning in the (short) introduction of the guide.  I kind of like it, as it is fun to try and work out the code if you don't know it already, and he does include a full code list in the back of the book. There are a few errors I've found already, but only minor, in regards to his use of codes. But for those willing to learn it, the Alpha Code system is a fine addition to a bird guide.

Then there are the "plates", which are digital manipulations of photographs, arranged like a museum diorama at the Smithsonian. You see big birds at the front, smaller ones at the rear, and all sizes in between, in scale and absolutely stunning! Looking at them in even medium light in my living room last night, many of them looked like paintings. This is part of his "system" for his new guide; showing birds as we see them in the field. His arrangements for some of the shorebirds and waterfowl are, to use his words, mind-blowing! Those familiar with birding locales in Cape May will certainly recognize many of the locations.

The text is minimal, and as he says at the very beginning of the Introduction, I DON'T LIKE TEXT. It is meant to complement the plates. This is similar to the big Sibley guide, I think, so not a problem. This in itself will make it useful for beginners, though they might be a bit overwhelmed by the many images of some species (Swainson's Hawk  and many of the gulls for instance).

The maps are rather small, but useful (some are really way too small), but as the plates are so large this was probably unavoidable. 

And the plates. Did I mention how they are really stunning works of art, how they invite you to stare, draw you into the page, make your jaw drop? Well they do, and a lot more. WOW!!!  He shows, through photos, certain aspects of a species behavior, certain looks they give in the field, certain wing angles in flight, that no other guide does. Unbelievable photos. Looking at the plate for Killdeer (p. 149), I discovered a nest with 4 eggs is visible in the gravel, something "hidden" and discoverable by the reader. I'm sure there are other discoveries to be made, and I look forward to finding them.



Well, those are just my initial thoughts. I give it a 4.5 star rating out of 5, but that could change (likely to go higher) as I give it some more time. I can't wait to try it in the field!

Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD