Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching: Eastern Waterbirds in Flight

Seawatching is the exacting act of identifying waterbirds in flight. Since more than a hundred different species can fly past an observation point, often at great speed or in tightly packed, mixed-species flocks, identification of these distant shapes can be a mystery. The distinctive qualities of f [...]
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Seawatching is the exacting act of identifying waterbirds in flight. Since more than a hundred different species can fly past an observation point, often at great speed or in tightly packed, mixed-species flocks, identification of these distant shapes can be a mystery. The distinctive qualities of flying waterbirds that are the keys to the mystery, be it wingbeat cadence, individual structure, flock shape and behavior, or subtle flashes of color, are revealed in this guide. Though commonly called seawatching, this on-the-fly observation is by no means restricted to the coast. There are impressive waterbird migrations on the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, and inland lakes and rivers. Nor is it restricted to migrating waterfowl, as the principles of flight identification apply as effectively to ducks flushed off a pond as to distant migrating flocks. Just as "Hawks in Flight" and "The Shorebird Guide" broke new ground, "Seawatching" provides cutting-edge techniques and pushes the new trend in bird identification even further.