I received an early copy of this book via NetGalley. What follows is my opinion.

This book is written with whimsy and a bit of cheek. It feels very much like a love letter to birds.

I love the author's way of writing, which includes scientific facts and descriptions, as well as both anecdotes and poetry. And the artwork is beautiful. My guess is it's probably even more affecting in the printed copy of the book. I had an e-copy.

The author doesn't shy away from describing some of the harsher realities of life with birds. For example, the author provides a very vivid description of the eating habits of Kestrals. She wrote about the bird's predilection for beginning their meal by ripping out a mouse's innards, throwing them up and around with their beak before eating them like spaghetti. (Her words are better than mine. Read it.) Oh, and don't forget the bit about the "marinara sauce" running down from the bird's beak. Clearly, the Kestral is a messy eater. Very descriptive. Of course, then Haupt aptly reminds readers that "beauty is always complicated," which I appreciated because we don't hate lions for being carnivores, so why should we judge the Kestral for its dining choices.

I also appreciated learning about the many name changes that are happening due to cultural and societal movements, as well as the many changes, sometimes back and forth, of what groups certain birds belong to and whether they need to be separated into further categories or sub-categories. These are the sort of things I hadn't thought about before reading this book. I'm not a birder. When I was a child, I loved "birding," and my friend and I would take binoculars, along with a notebook, and head into the forest to see what sorts of birds we might find. Unfortunately, for me, sometime during early adolescence, I packed away my fascination for bird watching.

I'm in my 50s now, and I live at the edge of a forest. While I'm unable to trek outside, I get to hear the many birds outside my door. I get to watch them go about their days. I love listening to their birdsong, which does change from waking to sleeping. Of course, as a non-birder, I have no idea who is making what sound. I mention this because it's another thing I find impressive with the author and the many people who've made studying birds their life's work. To be able to identify different species not only by their appearance and behaviour, but also by their vocalizations is truly amazing. I find the topic of bird language intriguing.

This book covers a lot of things that interest me where birds are concerned. At one point, the author talks about an experience with an owl where they sat watching one another one night, and it sounded almost spiritual in essence. I've had similar experiences, so it's wonderful to know I'm not alone and I haven't imagined them.

Another super fascinating tidbit was when the author was in Africa thinking she was seeing a western meadowlark, when it was actually a yellow-throated longclaw. The similarities, she said, could be explained by "convergent evolution, where two unrelated organisms evolve similar morphological solutions to their shared life circumstances." This was something else I didn't know before reading this book.

Among the Birds is a treasure trove. Yes, it only covers a certain number of birds from one geographical region, but the way the author writes about birds, well it feels like a love letter to all feather-winged beings.

The author talks about the historical changes to the landscape and how these have impacted different species, from migratory patterns to potential extinction. While she doesn't belabor the topic of conservationism, she addresses it when the facts provide clear reason to do so, reminding readers that our actions impact more than just ourselves. I appreciated her take on conservation efforts and both their positive and negative repercussions, some intended, some not. There are many examples of good-intentioned humans attempting to "fix" wildlife "issues," but instead, making things worse in a completely different way. The snowbirds were a great example of this, I think. Again, fascinating.

The saddest example of human "management" practices where wildlife is concerned is with the story Haupt shares about the cormorants. It's tragic, disheartening, as well as maddening.

There's a point in the book where Haupt talks about her friend Heather not wanting to learn the differences between different kinds of gulls, as she said hybridization makes it a pointless endeavour. I am a "Heather," but not just with gulls. I can't imagine being able to identify distinctions within a species. Like the chickadee. I'm not sure I knew before reading this book that there are different kinds of chickadees. Seems like a lapse in my education.

On that note, did you know there's no bird called a seagull? There are different kinds of gulls, but none are called a seagull. I didn't know that. What about the fact that a loon can't walk on land? It flops around on its belly like a seal when on land, and it can't fly well. I love loons, but I did not know these facts. Of course, I am familiar with the loon's elegant movements in and on the water. I didn't know where the loon got its name, but I do now, and you will, too, if you read the book.

If it isn't clear yet, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It gave me an opportunity to step into the birding world without having to leave my home. It also gave me a better glimpse into the varied worlds of many different bird species, once again igniting my thirst for knowledge when it comes to our avian friends.

This book is an absolute delight!

It's one thing to be knowledgeable about a subject, and it's another thing entirely to be able to share that knowledge in a way that is accessible, entertaining, and downright charming. This author nails it!

As a Midwesterner, there were many overlaps in the birds discussed in this book and the population of my own back yard, but also several species with which I was not familiar. It was a lot of fun to have a sense of familiarity while learning something new, and I hope people outside of the Cascadia region will pick up this book to enjoy the same. It definitely encouraged me to give more attention and thought to the “ordinary” songbirds I see every day.

The art is gorgeous and provided the perfect backdrop for these essays. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it inspires me to be intentional and pay more attention to the birds all around me!

Among the Birds: Field Notes from Cascadia is a beautiful collection of essays that celebrates the birds of the Pacific Northwest while encouraging readers to slow down and notice the wildlife around them. Lyanda Lynn Haupt introduces more than 70 species, including Anna's Hummingbird, the American Dipper, Steller's Jay, and the Black Oystercatcher, weaving together natural history, personal observations, and conservation with Justin Gibbens' detailed illustrations.

This isn't a traditional field guide. It feels more like taking a quiet walk with an experienced naturalist who notices details that many of us would otherwise miss. Haupt's writing invites curiosity without ever feeling academic, making it just as enjoyable for casual backyard birdwatchers as dedicated birders. I finished the book wanting to spend more time outside paying closer attention to the birds in my own neighborhood. My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy.

I wouldn't consider myself a "birder" and I never thought I'll ever be one, but I proudly pretended to be one over the course of a couple hours.

This book stands as a profoundly sentimental introduction to the world we share with many flying-creatures, but most people never stop to wonder about.

The beginning introduces a brief historical introduction and while the book maintains sprinkling in little fun facts, it does turn towards a more based on the life-of-the-author style presentation. I see the appeal of this approach and think a lot of people will connect with it, but I seem to fall on the nerdy side that felt the need to open Wikipedia from time to time when some species felt like they didn't get the same attention as others.

I was overall satisfied, but I still wished to see a little more about the historical journey of each species.

The illustrations are nothing short of incredible and it does not shock me that the illustrator is a "birder" himself. I have a great admiration for the precision and attention to detail in the entire book, not to mention the art style that is so graceful and seems to have been mastered with a specific "bird-purpose" . As someone who likes to pick up a paintbrush from time to time I found it inspirational, especially when the illustrations interacted with the text.

In addition, one of the many side quests that I felt I needed to accomplish, started by the curiosity from this book, was to see what are the names of these birds in my native language. I found a significant gap of knowledge from Google Translate and would really like to see the Romanian community of birders figure it out.

Being a casual birder, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author starts with interesting insights and tidbits about birds of the Pacific Northwest. Through the rest of the book there are around seventy birds with essays describing each bird and their unique characteristics. The illustrations are beautiful and full of color. The only thing I would suggest would be to make the background of the cover in color rather than white, to make it more eye-catching.

I had no clue what to expect going into this because this isn’t my usual genre. I figured I would give it a try and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Learning about all the different species was interesting and the personal stories along side the illustrations made the book fly by. I highly suggest checking this out if you’re a birder or if you enjoy taking in nature and want a closer look at the creatures we all see flying by us daily but hardly notice. ( Probably just me ) It was fun to learn about their appearances and habits.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Such a charming book on birds. My family is always bird watching and my daughter is always sketching birds, so I thought this book was not only informative but lovely. I understand the authors frustration with having to narrow down the amount of birds to include! The bird doodles are so whimsical. The writing style was easy to understand and follow. Even included my husbands favorite, The Rufous Hummingbird! This would be perfect for a school project/essay.

this was a stunningly beautiful book. every bird represented here is accompanied by stunning artwork in watercolors, and every bird gets their own unique view by the author. this isn't a book about facts, it isn't a book about scientific names and habitats. it is an exploration into the emotions each bird brings out in the world around it. the personalities and behaviors of the birds as they are witnessed and a very funny poem about geese. this is a book that exalts the birds of the world, brings them to lie, and highlights all that makes them wonderful, as well as several very charming anecdotes by the author. if you love birds, then this is absolutely a must read, and i cannot wait for the book to release, so i can read it again through the audiobook, because i think Christine Williams has such a soothing voice, it'll lend itself so very well to the book.

Thank you to Mountaineers Books | Skipstone and Netgalley for this ARC

Beautiful book with gorgeous illustrations, I loved it! The writing style was witty and engaging- makes me wish this book had more pictures.

An enchanting collection of short vignettes on seventy of the bird species found in Cascadia.

Haupt’s enthusiasm and love for birds is infectious and endearing, as she shares the joy of observing both the more common, often underappreciated birds, as well as the more difficult to spot rare or seasonal birds. Her tone throughout is very charming- like having a conversation with a friend, or your favorite teacher.

I’ve never been to Cascadia, and greatly enjoyed getting to know new bird species-as well as spotting some familiar-ish ones. Regional “cousins” of the songbirds, ducks, cranes and swallows that brighten my day when I catch sight of them on a walk. Haupt is very proud of those species that are native to her region, which I found very charming- and a feeling I definitely relate to when it comes to my local wildlife.

From her many years as a bird-watcher, a rehabber and naturalist, Haupt has a lot of insight to share: into their songs, their personalities, habitats, nest building habits and feeding strategies. And also, heartbreakingly- which birds are endangered by human activity.

This book serves as a reminder that appreciating nature connects us to our surroundings and deepens our understanding of ourself, it grounds us in the moment and it is vitally important that we do everything we can to preserve our wondrous natural world.
The book is further elevated by incredibly charming illustrations by Justin Gibbens, which show both the bird’s beauty as well as their character. I have fourteen (14!) chapters bookmarked because I thought “Oh, this is definitely the best illustration so far” only to find another favorite a few pages later. I just went through it again, and I think the Canada Jay is my favorite, though there is some very strong competition.

I loved this book, though I do have to say that I think this is best enjoyed in short, bite sized chunks, a few chapters at a time. Read all at once, some of the observations can feel a little repetitive, e.g. the numerous anecdotes about correcting a layperson’s misidentification (always in a gentle, kind tone, not the snobbery of some bird watchers).

A very big thank you to NetGalley and Mountaneers Books for the ARC!

While I am not an avid birder (yet), I still appreciate the beauty and wonder that are birds. They vary in size, color, species, and location. The birds contained within this specific book are mainly found in the Pacific Northwest, around Cascadia. The author does a great job describing the Eastern counterparts of the Western birds she included in the text, which are much appreciated by those of us who have not yet been to the West Coast. The author gives captivating, informative, and sometimes comical descriptions of the lovely avians that were chosen to grace the pages, and the illustrator does a wonderful job portraying her written descriptions. He literally brings them to life for the reader. I truly enjoyed reading this book, and I loved learning new things about such magnificent creatures!