Brad

I’d like to thank Princeton Press for sending out a new batch of birding books for my review. The first of these is Nigel Cleere’s Nightjars, Potoos, Frogmouths, Oilbird and Owlet-nighjars of the World. That title normally gets abbreviated to Nightjars of the World. I found this beautiful, full-sized, hard-cover book to be a wonderful addition to my library. Nightjars are among the most elusive targets for the bird watcher. In addition to being master of camouflage, they are generally nocturnal. While we might hear the call of the Whip-poor-will in the moonlit night, finding them and getting a good look at them is another matter altogether. Nightjars of the World uses more than 580 photos of the various species of Nightjars from around the world to let the reader get to know the entire order of Caprimulgiformes. By the way, did you know that the nightjar is the origin of the legend of the chupacabra, or mysterious goat sucker? You can read my full review of Nightjars of the World at this link or click the link below to find it at Amazon.com.

I was lucky enough to be invited by the Jamaica Tourist Board to visit the island and see the amazing bird watching opportunities that Jamaica has to offer. Jamaica has 28 endemic bird species (species that live only in Jamaica) and it is possible to see them all in one trip with a knowledgeable local guide. I missed a couple of them, but the trip was meant to be an overview to get me to see a number of different birding locations in Jamaica rather than personally get me to see as many birds as possible.
I, along with five other journalists who focus on bird watching topics, was put up at two of Jamaica’s finest eco-friendly hotels/ lodges during my stay. Both offer great food and accomodations while maintaining environmentally sound business practices. I enjoyed both Hotel Mocking Bird Hill and Forres Park very much. We were able to find unique birds on the grounds of both places and both were within relatively easy driving distance of some of Jamaica’s top birding habitats (for the experienced local drivers that were provided to us).
Click this link to read more about the bird watching vacation in Jamaica or click here if you just want to see the pictures from the Jamaica trip.

As you may know, I write a column on birdwatching for the Manchester, NH edition of Examiner.com. As a part of that column, I regularly go out into the field and take pictures of birds and various birdwatching locations around New England. I have the opportunity to hang around with many excellent bird photographers (of which I am not one). However, despite my ordinary point and shoot, autofocus digital camera and lack of formal training and experience, I and my readers enjoy the bird photogrpahs that I do take and publish. There are a few basic tips that can help anyone take better bird and wildlife photographs and that is the topic of my latest Manchester Bird Watching Examiner article, called Bird Watching 101: How to Take Better Bird Photos. If you’ve ever wanted to improve your nature and wildlife photography, this article is a good place to start for those just starting out and with only a basic digital camera.

Nature photogrpahy and wildlife photography in particular, is a great family activity that is enjoyable, educational, and eart-friendly. Whether you are going on a birdwatching vacation or just snapping some pics of the birds at your backyard feeder, use these simple tips to get better pics.