20.5 - BIGGER IS BETTER – Bea's task: Spring Hobbies (Gardening and Birds)

[SRC Moderator, Moderator]

20.5 - BIGGER IS BETTER – Bea's task: Spring Hobbies (Gardening and Birds)

Spring. Music. Those two words bring to mind two of my favorite things that are becoming definite hobbies for me: gardening and birds. This task will celebrate the newness of the season, the delight in welcoming bird song and the fun of planting my vegetables with hopes of produce to come.

This is a one book task. Choose one option. Required: Note which option was chosen when posting.

Option 1: Gardening. For the first time, I am actually planning my vegetable garden, testing the soil, ordering plants and seeds and anxiously waiting for the growing season in SC to begin. It is important to me that I grow some of my own food and do it in a responsible manner (i.e., using pesticides that are not toxic to the environment and me, encouraging good insects, and rotating crops).

For this option, read a book, fiction or non-fiction, where gardening, "being green," (i.e., environmentally friendly) or homesteading is integral to the plot or subject. Ex: Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening; The Forgotten Garden; Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits Vegetables
Required: If it's not obvious from the book's description, explain how the book fits the task when you post.

You may find these lists to be helpful:
Gardens: Fact or Fiction
Best Sustainability Nonfiction
Best Permaculture & Homesteading Books

Option 2: I have begun to learn to identify birds that come to my feeders and to learn which foods attract which birds. I love to listen to the birds and would like to get to know who is who when I hear their songs.

For this option, read a book, fiction or nonfiction, with a bird on the cover. The image must be of a real and identifiable bird species (i.e., no silhouettes, birds in the distance or background, mythological, fictional, or stylized birds).
Required: Include the cover when you post.

For example:


These books would NOT work:


Some lists that might help:
For the Love of Birds
Books for Bird Lovers
Books About Birds

[Bea]

Approved:

- female frigatebird
- common crow
- enough identifiers if color(s) were known
- flamingo
- cardinal and flycatcher
- canary
- ravens (borderline)
- pigeons (borderline)
- turtle dove
- purple finch
- red-headed barbet
- pigeon
- Carolina warbler
- Marabou stork
- hawk (Sparrowhawk?)
- black-billed magpie
- penguin
- rooster
- mockingbird
- summer tanager
- owl
- vulture
- black swan
- owl
- hummingbird

Gardening, Ecology:
Elizabeth and Her German Garden : Content about land, crops, being good stewards of land.
The Murmur of Bees: Content about interaction of bees and land and family.
The Overstory: Content about saving forest.
The Year of the Flood: Contains content about gardening and preserving life.
The Victory Garden: Protagonist learns the power of healing with herbs.

[Bea]

Not Approved:

- stylized, not actual bird pic
- silhouette
- not enough of body seen to clearly identify as a crow (stocky body, stout bill and fan shaped tail)
- more of a drawing than an actual picture
- outline of a bird, but no clear identifiers
- not enough clear identifiers to determine bird species
- too small and distant to clearly identify
- mostly stylized wing...body not very visible
- silhouette
- unable to determine if hawk or eagle or another similar bird.
- artist drawings but not true representations

[SRC Moderator, Moderator]

This thread is now open!

[Joanne]

Would you accept this cover for opt 2-it is on one of the lists, but it may be questionable

[Zach]

Would either of these work for option 2?

or ?

[Kim]

Will this work for option 2?



Thank you.

[Amy W]

Does this work for Option 2? It’s not a photograph, but I can see feathers and the eye, and can clearly tell that it’s a crow. Thank you!

[Brooke]

Will this work for option 2?

[Val]

Would either of these work?

[Bea]

Joanne wrote: "Would you accept this cover for opt 2-it is on one of the lists, but it may be questionable

"

No, that is not an actual picture of an owl. Think of it this way, could a birder identify the type of owl it is?

[Bea]

Zach wrote: "Would either of these work for option 2?

or ?"

: No, this looks like a silhouette.

: Yes, this matches the Frigatebird identifiers for female.

[Bea]

Kim wrote: "Will this work for option 2?



Thank you."

Yes, it looks like the common crow.

[Bea]

Amy W wrote: "Does this work for Option 2? It’s not a photograph, but I can see feathers and the eye, and can clearly tell that it’s a crow. Thank you!"

Actually, it is not clear that it is a crow, although it is identified as such in the description. From the cover, you can see the stout bill but not the fan shape of the tail.

Both as well as a stocky body are identifiers that are needed to make the identification. Thus, this cover is not acceptable.

[Bea]

Brooke wrote: "Will this work for option 2?
"

Although I can not identify this bird without knowing its colors, there are potentially enough identifiers available...markings, bill shape, tail shape. I would accept this cover.

[Bea]

Valerie wrote: "Would either of these work?


"

- no, seems to be more of a drawing than an actual picture
- yes, definitely a flamingo

[Shelby]

Would either of these work?

- ravens
- pigeons

[Christine]

Would these birds be realistic enough for Option 2?



In the book's Reader Q&A section, one of the authors stated in response to a question, "The red one is a cardinal and the blue one is an Ultramarine Flycatcher, according to Greg Stadnyk who designed the cover." Thanks!

[Brooke]

Bea wrote: "Brooke wrote: "Will this work for option 2?
"

Although I can not identify this bird without knowing its colors, there are potentially enough identifiers availabl..."

Thank you, Bea!

[Joanne]

Would any of these work-Sorry Bea, I am not a birder and have no idea if one that is could identify these

[Andy]

Does this one work for Option 2? I think it looks like a pigeon and the word pigeon is in the title

Thanks,
Andy

[Amy W]

Bea wrote: "Amy W wrote: "Does this work for Option 2? It’s not a photograph, but I can see feathers and the eye, and can clearly tell that it’s a crow. Thank you!"

Actuall..."

Thanks for the clarification. I guess it was only clear to my non-birder’s eye! I’ll go back to the drawing board.

[Sue]

Will work for option 2?

Thanks

[Cathy]

Will this work for option 2?

[Bea]

Christine wrote: "Would these birds be realistic enough for Option 2?



In the book's Reader Q&A section, one of the authors stated in response to a question, "..."

Yes, both birds are clearly identifiable.

[Bea]

Andy wrote: "Does this one work for Option 2? I think it looks like a pigeon and the word pigeon is in the title

Thanks,
Andy"

Andy, the word in the title suggests what the bird might be, but there is not enough detail to determine if it is a pigeon. It could be a dove. Sorry. I can't accept this one.

[Bea]

Cathy wrote: "Will this work for option 2?
"

Cathy, a hawk is suggested in the title and the bill of the bird...but this is more of a drawing than a picture...and the wings and tail are not defined enough to identify a hawk from another bird of prey. Sorry. Not acceptable.

[Bea]

Sue wrote: "Will work for option 2?

Thanks"

Yes, canary.

[Bea]

@ Shelby and Joanne...I will get back to both of you later today after I have spent more time on your books.

[Trish]

Howdy.

Just wanted to confirm that you'd consider this an identifiable enough (I think its a turtle dove) for Option 2:


Or failing that, would you be happy for me to use it for Option 1

Thanks!

[Bea]

Shelby wrote: "Would either of these work?

- ravens
- pigeons"

These are borderline, but I have decided to accept both covers.

There is one bird on that shows a sturdy beak and a fan tail which are two requirements in determining a raven from a crow. Body size is appropriate.

Equally, there are 2 birds on that show the small head, fan tail and body size expected of a pigeon. Also the shading of the one bird lends itself to a pigeon.

[Bea]

Joanne wrote: "Would any of these work-Sorry Bea, I am not a birder and have no idea if one that is could identify these



"

- these birds might be identifiable but I could not find a species indigenous to Spain that matched them. I am torn about whether to accept this cover, but I am leaning to a no for now.

- not clearly identifiable although it might be a gull.

[Bea]

Trish wrote: "Howdy.

Just wanted to confirm that you'd consider this an identifiable enough (I think its a turtle dove) for Option 2:


Or failing that, would you be happy for me to..."

Trish, you may use this for either option. It is identifiable as a turtle dove.

[Ava Catherine]

Option 1: gardening
If the book has an mpg gardening, does it qualify?
Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Iconic Poet by Marta McDowell
Thank you in advance.

[Trish]

Bea wrote: "Trish, you may use this for either option. It is identifiable as a turtle dove."

Thanks, Bea!

[♞ Pat]

Yes or No for the bird task?

[Bea]

Connie (Ava Catherine) wrote: "Option 1: gardening
If the book has an mpg gardening, does it qualify?
Emily Dickinson's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Iconic Poet by [author:Marta McDowe..."

yes

[Bea]

♞ Pat wrote: "Yes or No for the bird task?




"

No.

[Aprilleigh]

How about ? They look like purple finches to me.

[Aprilleigh]

Or the parrot (no idea what kind) on ?

[Bea]

Aprilleigh wrote: "How about ? They look like purple finches to me."

I will accept it.

[Bea]

Aprilleigh wrote: "Or the parrot (no idea what kind) on ?"

It might be a red-headed barbet from costa rico. Accepted. Identified by color and bill.

[Simone]

Would this one work for the cover?



Looks like a photo to me and is clearly a pigeon, right?

[Simone]

Or is this one prominent enough on the cover?

[Simone]

Or how about this one?

[Bea]

Simone wrote: "Would this one work for the cover?



Looks like a photo to me and is clearly a pigeon, right?"

Simone, I am not sure it is a photo, but the size and shape of the bird's head and the coloring of the wing does lead me to accept that it is a pigeon. Approved.

[Bea]

Simone wrote: "Or is this one prominent enough on the cover?

"

I will accept this one as a Carolina Warbler.

[Bea]

Simone wrote: "Or how about this one?

"

Although there is not enough of the body to fully identify the bird, the head and neck match the descriptions of the Marabou Stork and there is a hint of the coloring of the chest and back which also matches. I will accept this one.

[Iulia]

Hi!
Does this work for cover?



The book's title translates to: The rider with a hawk.
Thanks!

[Andy]

Bea wrote: "Andy wrote: "Does this one work for Option 2? I think it looks like a pigeon and the word pigeon is in the title

Thanks,
Andy"

Andy, the word in the title..."

Thanks, I just had that one in my pile . And when I reread the task I realized you really wanted a photo , something showing a real bird.