The Delightful Horror of Family Birding. Eli J. Knapp

      

       Praise for The Delightful Horror of Family Birding

      “Eli Knapp’s essays capture the special, quirky, inquisitive nature of bird watchers. Whether he’s teaching his sometimes-receptive college students about birds or mixing birds and nature into a family outing, he weaves engaging tales of these experiences, leaving the reader wanting more of his well-told stories. He’s at the head of the class among the new generation of nature writers.”

       —Bill Thompson III, editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest

      “I have a secret crush on Eli Knapp. Although I have never met him, he is truly charming, and through his stories, I feel like I know him—and I adore him. He is a masterful storyteller—self-depricating, witty, and always eager to learn life lessons from his experiences. His stories are fun, funny, moving, clever, and always full of birds! It is a brighter day when I receive a new story by Eli Knapp and get to spend a few minutes in his life.”

       —Dawn Hewitt, managing editor of Bird Watcher’s Digest

      “Eli Knapp’s engaging stories surge from a deep spring of humor and insight into nature (both human and wild). His curiosity and sense of wonder will send you eagerly outdoors, binoculars in hand and family in tow, to see what the birds are doing. Light-hearted and astute, witty and wise, these charming essays reveal the joyful possibilities of a meaningful connection with the wild world.”

       —Julie Hammonds, writer and birder

      “Eli J. Knapp lets nature lead him and thereby—in this important collection of essays—he leads us to deeper perceptions of the bounty of nature. Humorous, a little irreverent. You learn about birds without even knowing.”

       —Peter Kahn, author of The Human Relationship with Nature

      “An engaging and witty self-portrait of one man’s amiable obsession—and an honest exploration of how he attempts to transmit this passion to his children and his students. A very fun read—and you’ll learn a good deal of bird biology along the way.”

       —Thomas Lowe Fleischner, Executive Director of the Natural History Institute and editor of Nature, Love, Medicine

      “In this collection of short, smart, humorous, easily digestible essays, birds are the stars of the show and also the vehicle Knapp uses to share wisdom, inspiration, and awe.”

       —Melanie Bishop, author of My So-Called Ruined Life

      The DELIGHTFUL HORROR OF Family Birding

      SHARING NATURE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION

      The DELIGHTFUL HORROR OF Family Birding

      SHARING NATURE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION

      By Eli J. Knapp

      Illustrations by John Rhett

      TORREY HOUSE PRESS

      SALT LAKE CITY • TORREY

      First Torrey House Press Edition, October 2018

      Copyright © 2018 by Eli J. Knapp

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or retransmitted in any form or by any means without the written consent of the publisher.

      Published by Torrey House Press

      Salt Lake City, Utah

       www.torreyhouse.org

      International Standard Book Number: 978-1-937226-91-6

      E-book ISBN: 978-1-937226-92-3

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2018932506

      Illustrations by John Rhett

      Cover design by Kathleen Metcalf

      Interior design by Rachel Davis

      Distributed to the trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution

       To Linda

       Contents

       Introduction

       PART I: THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES

       1 • The Only Things to Fear

       2 • One Short of a Parliament

       3 • Nothing to Sneeze At

       4 • A Flicker of Life

       5 • Birders Can’t Ride Shotgun

       6 • Chomping at Nature’s Bit

       7 • The Birds and the Bees

       8 • Searching for a Landscape Identity

       9 • The Nature of Nature

       10 • The Delightful Horror of Family Birding

       PART II: THE SKY IS OUR CLASSROOM

       11 • The Grand Titmouse

       12 • Absurd Bird Words

       13 • Sole Recipients of Grace

       14 • Film Fallout

       15 • A Golden Opportunity

       16 • Little Pink Bundles

       17 • The Deontological Birder

       18 • Serendipitous Birding

       19 • Please Disturb

       20 • Dutch Blitz Birding

       PART III: CHICKEN SOUP FOR AN OUTDOOR-LOVER’S SOUL

       21 • The Bird Portal