North on the Wing: Travels with the Songbird Migration of Spring

by Bruce M. Beehler

The story of an ornithologist's journey to trace the spring migration of songbirds from the southern border of the United States through the heartland and into Canada.

In late March 2015, ornithologist Bruce M. Beehler set off on a solo four-month trek to track songbird migration and the northward progress of spring through America. Traveling via car, canoe, and bike and on foot, Beehler followed woodland warblers and other Neotropical songbird species from the southern border of Texas, where the birds first arrive after their winter sojourns in South America and the Caribbean, northward through the Mississippi drainage to its headwaters in Minnesota and onward to their nesting grounds in the north woods of Ontario. In North on the Wing , Beehler describes both the epic migration of songbirds across the country and the gradual dawning of springtime through the U.S. heartland--the blossoming of wildflowers, the chorusing of frogs, the leafing out of forest canopies--and also tells the stories of the people and institutions dedicated to studying and conserving the critical habitats and processes of spring songbird migration. Inspired in part by Edwin Way Teale's landmark 1951 book North with the Spring , this book--part travelogue, part field journal, and part environmental and cultural history--is a fascinating first-hand account of a once-in-a-lifetime journey. It engages readers in the wonders of spring migration and serves as a call for the need to conserve, restore, and expand bird habitats to preserve them for future generations of both birds and humans.

Genres: Birds, Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Ornithology, Audiobook, Travel

256 pages, Hardcover

First published February 6, 2018

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Beehler, an ornithologist at the end of his career, sets off on a trek to follow the songbird migration of spring north. During his journey, he camps in a tent, rides a bike or kayaks through the woods and prairie, and takes a close look at all the great birding spots of America and Canada. It's a wonderful adventure for those of us who would never be able to take ourselves. Anyone who loves birding or even nature should pick up this book.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the tradition of Edwin Way Teale’s North with the Spring, Bruce Beehler followed the spring songbird migration from the southern United States all the way into Canada, using his experiences along the way to tell the story of this remarkable natural phenomenon. He skillfully combined natural and cultural history with beautiful descriptions of both birds and places and, although I think the book would have benefitted from some colour illustrations, I certainly couldn’t find fault with the text. North on the Wing: Travels with the Songbird Migration of Spring is filled with thoughtful touches that I, as a reader, really appreciate, including the provision of phonetic spellings for some of the trickier place names. I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that Beehler was brutally honest about aspects of American history that other authors would have either glossed over or ignored entirely. In a book focused on birds, it would have been all too easy to skip over the truth behind place names like Trails of Tears State Forest or the difficulties faced by indigenous people on reservations in Canada. He didn’t and the book is far richer for it.

It would be impossible to write about migratory songbirds well without talking about the many threats they’re facing. Beehler did a good job of being realistic without being fatalistic, although I think he was occasionally a little too charitable towards the corporations involved in bird conservation along his route. While understandable (one of them, Georgia-Pacific, actually provided significant funding for his trip), I don’t think they deserve excessive praise for doing the bare minimum. I was much more interested in the non-profit organisations and intrepid individuals doing even more impressive work against even steeper odds.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been birding for many years and am familiar with most of the warbler species and many of the places the author discussed in his account of his travels. It is an extended journey I would love to take, but probably will never have the opportunity to do, so I enjoyed going on the road through reading about his experiences.

I had intended to read this during spring migration, which is the time period that the author’s journey takes place. From March until July he attempts to document as many warblers as he can, beginning in the Texas Gulf and heading north towards Ontario. Instead, I found myself picking the book up here and there and in between other books, or whenever I felt the need to connect with the birding world. It’s that kind of book. You don’t need to read it quickly, but rather savor the journey.

Besides discussing each of the warblers (accompanied by a cute illustration), the author talks about migration in general; the relationship between birds, the environment, and things that affect bird populations; a little history; and it’s also a bit of a travel diary of his experiences along the way.

This is an easy read that anyone can enjoy. It is not heavy on technical or scientific information, but it is definitely aimed at those interested in nature and birds.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was splendid. I am all about birds since the Sibley book. This scientist ornithologist guy drove from Louisiana to Canada and back down the East Coast to follow the migratory songbirds. I learned a lot about birds about which I confess to being woefully ignorant. I thought these little birds wintered in, like. FL. NO!!! They fly across the Gulf of Mexico to South America! These tiny fragile things! This guy is my hero bc a) he says things like 'a Web Finched Quail woke me with its distinctive chim chim cheree.' Fresh out of sleep and he knows the bird by its song! Plus he capitalizes every plant, bird, etc. Even Poison Ivy gets the respect of capitalization. Plus he literally spent weeks alone, driving and camping. Occasionally he ate in town, or worked with colleagues at one stop or another, but there is no implication that he missed company, or even particularly wanted it. The wilderness, his work/passion, and himself were enough. More- it was pleasure. For those of us aging alone, it is heartening.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content was great and the road trip sounds heavenly, but the writing style felt like a slog for me. Every. piece. of. wildlife. he encounters is described and noted in lists. Just paragraphs of lists in some places. This is a field trip memoir, I get it. I know that's just how a field journal reads, but I think it could have been translated into prose a little more effectively. You see an new warbler, include a picture rather than writing out every field mark on the bird. And there *are* some pictures in the book, but they're in black and white?? Except for the image of the Black and white warbler, that was wholly disappointing. Blackburnian warbler, Northern Parula, Cerulean warbler, Rose-breasted grosbeak, all in grayscale?? What a missed opportunity. The pictures almost might as well not have been there at all.
It's not the content, it's the execution.
I'd still love to go on this trip.

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Bruce Beehler clearly loves nature, birds, butterflies, trees, seasons etc. It was a very interesting saga of his trip following warbler migration from their landing back in North America and working their way north to Canada, the Adirondacks etc. His trip was fun to follow - southern red-neck towns with diners, Midwest places, Indian territory in Canada etc. He threw in lots of interesting facts about conservation, bird research, threats to the environment and parts of the country. I especially enjoyed this because Bruce grew up in Baltimore and was a good buddy of my brother.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a nice book. This was not just a wrote description of the birds the author saw. It was filled with cultural info about where he was going. It also talked about different groups of birders and researchers he spoke with. There is useful info for birding the regions and specific spots that he visits. It is all woven into a narrative about traveling north with migrants to their breeding grounds then experiencing the season as it progressed and he finished up his list of seeing every warbler in the eastern US on its breeding ground. If you like memoirs, nature, birds, any of that, I highly recommend this. Really smooth read, I can't recommend this enough.

[Madelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Beehler documents his four month adventure following the migration of songbirds, especially warblers, from the Mississippi Valley north to Canada. He drives a car, bikes, hikes, kayaks and camps as he identifies many species of bird both by sight and by ear. He also calls on all of us to be good stewards of the earth as changing climates threaten many species of songbirds and their numbers are dwindling. As an avid backyard birder, I appreciated his care for the environment and the birds that depend upon it for their lives.

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hard book to review. It's great, of course. In many ways. The author took us on his travels all the way up the Mississippi River and onto the Jack Pine barrens of Ontario. On the way he set out to visit every wood warbler in its nesting habitat, and I believe he succeeded.

But as he said,
I have come for songbirds, but I'll encounter much more.

And he did--habitat, bird banders, old-growth forest fragments and all the second-and-third growth in between. He'll see animals, butterflies, flowers, and a whole heck of a lot of birds. It's a marvelous book.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one of my favorite reads, of this year. Beehler has a way with descriptive writing that brings to life what he is describing. I loved the black and white illustrations, the personal journal notes, the references for further research, the cultural notes along with all the information about the bird species, their habitats and migration trails. A wonderful addition to any ornithology enthusiasts library.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooo glad I read this book. Many of the birds he finds along the way were familiar to me. But I also looked up and listened to the ones I wasn't familiar with (thanks Merlin Bird ID app for helping with that!). If you like birds, or books about how nature is affected by changes in the world around us, this would be a great read.

[Sue Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Account of Bruce Beehler's travels through Texas, Louisiana, the Mississippi flyway, Ontario, Michigan and northern New York to locate all 32 wood warblers in nesting habitat. Fascinating description of his trip and the habits and sightings of many birds, not just warblers. Learned about some fun productive spots to bird in the coming years. Listened as a CD.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being a birder, many of the birds described in this book are not familiar to me. Still, the journey to observe birds in their natural habitats, and the description of these habitats is compelling enough for me to want to know more. The terrain that Beehler covered is varied and his descriptions of the seasons and the landscapes make me want to go camping. Moose flies? Yikes!

[Michelle Bizzell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this mega road trip takes place in many Southern bottomland forests very similar to where I go to enjoy nature. I enjoyed getting a new perspective on this familiar territory the most, but found the nature books plus road trip model to be enjoyable and fast paced. Without being a capital B Bird Watcher, however, I felt that a certain joy in this book was lost on me. 🐦

[Lauren Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this... My issues are that it read more like a list of species spotted and the small bits of conservation biology were simple things that are already known. I think it took me about 2 years to actually finish this book as I kept picking it up and putting it down... It didn't live up to its fullest potential...

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece of nature writing, following migrating songbirds from their southern hemisphere wintering grounds to their breeding grounds in N. America. Along the way he records observations of other natural wonders, other creatures, Indian tribes, the politics of natural resources and more.
Well done, without grinding too many axes.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a great blend of history, travel log, ecology, and obviously birding. Most of the birds discussed in this books were not from my geographic region but it was still interesting. The maps on the front and back coverlet pages were helpful.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the prose doesn't exactly sparkle, this is chock full of ornithology, observations, history, and a deep knowledge base that Beehler shares with us as he follows the migratory route north. So jealous of all the birds he got to see! Dare I ever go to Texas?

[Nick Haeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great camping book with little vignettes about the natural history of the central US and Canada. The author stops by some of my favorite places in the midwest and writes thought provoking stories about conservation, birds, and other wildlife

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

NF
230 pages

Take the journey. Enjoy!