B is for Bufflehead
Flying through the ABC’s with fun feathered friends
by Steve Hutchcraft
B is for Bufflehead is one of the most beautifully photographed ABC books that I have had the pleasure of reading. The facts and stellar photography make this a book any birder would love to have on their bookshelf. The book is easy to read and would appeal to almost any age child or adult. It is suitable for any classroom library or home school collection.
There were several birds in the book that I had never heard of before and several birds that I have on my list of favorite birds. One of my favorites is the Scaled Quail which are all over my neighborhood in the spring and fall here in NM. The photo below comes from the top of my husband’s truck box where this quail preened and strutted as he watched himself in the back window of the truck. Scaled quail are so named for the scale like feathers on their breast. Their females lay up to 14 eggs at a time.
Scaled Quail picture courtesy of Paige Bacon
Another bird that makes my favorite list is the Rufous Hummingbird. Every year since I have come to New Mexico, I have enjoyed the annual summer visits of the Rufous Hummingbird on its annual migration of 3900 miles which is the longest in the bird world.
A bird that I had not heard of before, the Crested Caracara (aka the Mexican Eagle), I learned has a less than regal habit of flipping cow patties in its search for dinner of beetles.
Mr. Hutchcraft created B is for Bufflehead in part as a way to teach his daughter about nature and as a way to use his gift for photography. He traveled around the country getting photographs for this book. He and his wife chose birds who had fun facts to share or had funny names and also birds that are in North America. I think he truly succeeded in creating a book that is not only factual and fun to read but inspiring to future generations and newbie birders like myself.
B is for Bufflehead
B is for Bufflehead was provided by NetGalley and PhotoHutch in exchange for my review. I did not receive any compensation for my review other than access to the book in e-book format.
I am an artist, art educator, mom, cook, book lover, pet parent, runner, and backpacker. I can be found online at http://briarroseartstudio.blogspot.com, http://pinterest.com/scottishroseart/, and
http://scottishroseartstudiollc.tumblr.com
I love discovering new birds. I take lots of pictures of the birds as they migrate through my yard. Some are very interesting.