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Going Wild: Adventures with Birds in the Suburban Wilderness
Armchair travelers can journey with author and naturalist Robert Winkler as he experiences amazing wildlife encounters—all within reach of his own backyard. An avid nature writer with field experience spanning more than 25 years, Winkler writes about his beloved New England, where he has logged more than 20,000 miles on foot exploring the woods, fields, and shores he knows so well.
This beautifully lyrical book describes Winkler's firsthand encounters with goshawks, copperheads, flying squirrels, Kinglets, Chickadees, Nuthatches, and other birds and animals as he travels into areas many may have overlooked or forgotten. Winkler weaves anecdotes and stories about his own life into each chapter—how he discovered nature, why he watches birds, and why his suburban surroundings have held his interest. To quote the author: ''Living in society's overpopulated, paved-over world—with all its rules, regulations, and traffic jams—I think we envy the birds' wild freedom. We want that freedom and wildness for ourselves. And so we birders watch, listen to, identify, count, list, house, feed, and photograph birds.'' Going Wild is an irresistible invitation to follow in Winkler's footsteps and revel in the wonders on our own doorsteps.
This beautifully lyrical book describes Winkler's firsthand encounters with goshawks, copperheads, flying squirrels, Kinglets, Chickadees, Nuthatches, and other birds and animals as he travels into areas many may have overlooked or forgotten. Winkler weaves anecdotes and stories about his own life into each chapter—how he discovered nature, why he watches birds, and why his suburban surroundings have held his interest. To quote the author: ''Living in society's overpopulated, paved-over world—with all its rules, regulations, and traffic jams—I think we envy the birds' wild freedom. We want that freedom and wildness for ourselves. And so we birders watch, listen to, identify, count, list, house, feed, and photograph birds.'' Going Wild is an irresistible invitation to follow in Winkler's footsteps and revel in the wonders on our own doorsteps.
- GenresBirds
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Robert Winkler
1 book1 followerRobert Winkler is an author and editor, a photographer, and a naturalist living in the Shepaug-Bantam River Valley of Washington, CT, a small town in the Litchfield Hills. Raised in Queens, NY, he settled in Connecticut after attending Clark University, where he majored in English and philosophy.
He began his career writing training films and videos for the military and businesses, while contributing photography articles and nature essays to The New York Times and others. For Travel & Leisure magazine, he was The Traveling Photographer columnist.
With over 40 years of field experience as a naturalist, Winkler has been a consulting writer for International Masters (a publisher of wildlife natural histories), and he contributed to Connecticut ornithology with his Checklist: Birds of Sherwood Island State Park.
In 2003, he wrote “Going Wild: Adventures with Birds in the Suburban Wilderness,” National Geographic's first literary book on birds. For his entire career, he has kept a hand in the business world, most recently as a consulting editor to an IT research firm.
Winkler moved to Washington in 2011, naming his home Chipmunk Hollow, where he has taken many of the photos on his website (see URL below). His specialties are wildlife, landscapes, nature close-ups, and documentary photography. He signed with Getty Images in 2020 as an exclusive photography contributor.
His photo credits include The Washington Post, USA Today, The New York Times, NBC News, Fox News, New York Post, Yahoo News, BuzzFeed, Hunker, Time, People, National Geographic News, Reader’s Digest, Parade, Martha Stewart, Elle, Country Living, Southern Living, Travel & Leisure, Birds & Blooms, CT Insider, Connecticut Public Television, Connecticut Magazine, Hallmark Calendars, trade and scholarly books, and publications (online and print) across the world.
Winkler's photographs are available for editorial and commercial use from Getty Images. His website: https://www.robwinklerphoto.com
He began his career writing training films and videos for the military and businesses, while contributing photography articles and nature essays to The New York Times and others. For Travel & Leisure magazine, he was The Traveling Photographer columnist.
With over 40 years of field experience as a naturalist, Winkler has been a consulting writer for International Masters (a publisher of wildlife natural histories), and he contributed to Connecticut ornithology with his Checklist: Birds of Sherwood Island State Park.
In 2003, he wrote “Going Wild: Adventures with Birds in the Suburban Wilderness,” National Geographic's first literary book on birds. For his entire career, he has kept a hand in the business world, most recently as a consulting editor to an IT research firm.
Winkler moved to Washington in 2011, naming his home Chipmunk Hollow, where he has taken many of the photos on his website (see URL below). His specialties are wildlife, landscapes, nature close-ups, and documentary photography. He signed with Getty Images in 2020 as an exclusive photography contributor.
His photo credits include The Washington Post, USA Today, The New York Times, NBC News, Fox News, New York Post, Yahoo News, BuzzFeed, Hunker, Time, People, National Geographic News, Reader’s Digest, Parade, Martha Stewart, Elle, Country Living, Southern Living, Travel & Leisure, Birds & Blooms, CT Insider, Connecticut Public Television, Connecticut Magazine, Hallmark Calendars, trade and scholarly books, and publications (online and print) across the world.
Winkler's photographs are available for editorial and commercial use from Getty Images. His website: https://www.robwinklerphoto.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 20, 2018
This National Geographic publication was a pleasant surprise that I didn't know I owned. I think my kids must have given it to me for Christmas sometime in the distant past when I still fancied that I might be a bird watcher someday. Robert Winkler is bird-watching on steroids - he is so dedicated! And this book - about bird-watching in Connecticut - makes it an achievable dream. He's not rushing off to Costa Rica or some inaccessible island in the South Pacific - he's bird-watching right out his own backdoor. And in small nature preserves, wildlife sanctuaries, and neighborhoods all over the state of Connecticut. He writes well, he's interesting and informative, super well versed in his subject, and seemingly a lovely and humble human being.
Nature writing can be tricky. I read a lot of nature books and memoirs mostly about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park and authors can be so self-righteous I often want to slap them! Robert Winkler just wants us to know how much he loves birds and how easy it is for us to love them too. Great book! So glad I found it on my shelves!
Nature writing can be tricky. I read a lot of nature books and memoirs mostly about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park and authors can be so self-righteous I often want to slap them! Robert Winkler just wants us to know how much he loves birds and how easy it is for us to love them too. Great book! So glad I found it on my shelves!
August 24, 2020
Another one off the shelf. Quarantine has made me very interested in my local wildlife, I've added a second bird feeder, and have the app to ID the birds that visit. We also have had many visitors from the forest this year - coyotes, foxes, a turkey, and a pair of eagles in a nearby park. So, a book promising adventures in the suburban wilderness seemed perfect for my life right now. Sorry, but it wasn't for me. It offered few tips I found useful, nor any tales that I found interesting. I don't know what the author was going for, but it seemed a rather dull ramble. I was hoping to hear how to increase my suburban wildlife, or how to see and appreciate more of it. Perhaps I didn't skim far enough, but blah.
May 25, 2020
The idea of bird watching has some appeal for me, although I worry that it could end up being boring. This book is a nudge toward the boring side. Long lists of birds, without much said about them. Too many nuthatches and tufted titmouses (titmice?) and not enough about the more interesting birds that he’s seen. His experiences being dive-bombed by goshawks sounded exciting, but there was too little of that sort of adventure. The biggest plus is Winkler’s valid point that many people can experience birds and other wildlife within a relatively short distance from their home.
August 25, 2016
After reading the intro and a couple of the first few essays I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue. But the book isn't long so why not read it all? Just as I finished I felt satisfied to have done so.
I'm not a birder, nor want to be one, but I would like to appreciate the birds flying around a little more. This book helps with that, and attempts to bring the wild into suburbia. The author says he lives in a densely populated area, yet he goes for 90 minute wild walks locally every day. He seeks out these wilderness places to walk, enjoys nature and particularly looks for birds. He also lives on the edge of undeveloped land, so that helps too.
The chapter on owning and maintaining a bird feeder was of particular interest, mainly because so many people have them. There's another chapter about the numbers, keeping lists, going out for big count days. Another enjoyable chapter was about owls, and one about other animals such as foxes, squirrels and coyotes. Did I learn much about specific birds? Well...maybe a little about hawks and owls, but overall not really, not specifically enough to where I would be able to identify or pick out a type of bird. This isn't that type of book. Maybe it is a book for the bird loving folk, but I got something out of it too.
I'm not a birder, nor want to be one, but I would like to appreciate the birds flying around a little more. This book helps with that, and attempts to bring the wild into suburbia. The author says he lives in a densely populated area, yet he goes for 90 minute wild walks locally every day. He seeks out these wilderness places to walk, enjoys nature and particularly looks for birds. He also lives on the edge of undeveloped land, so that helps too.
The chapter on owning and maintaining a bird feeder was of particular interest, mainly because so many people have them. There's another chapter about the numbers, keeping lists, going out for big count days. Another enjoyable chapter was about owls, and one about other animals such as foxes, squirrels and coyotes. Did I learn much about specific birds? Well...maybe a little about hawks and owls, but overall not really, not specifically enough to where I would be able to identify or pick out a type of bird. This isn't that type of book. Maybe it is a book for the bird loving folk, but I got something out of it too.
September 3, 2016
This is the account of a man very in tune with nature, but written in an enjoyable way. He makes nature sound accessible to the common man, not just those privileged few who can afford safari's, or even a trip to Yellowstone in these modern days of low wages. No, what Robert has is an openness to appreciate that nature surrounds us. We have altered it in our cities and suburbs, but there is still life to be found here. He drives home this point time and again. All we need to do is open our front door and our senses to the struggle for life that happens all around us.
March 9, 2008
How can a book about bird-watching be this entertaining? The author has a unique method of taking the reader out into the winter to watch along with him. And he has such compassion for these beautiful creatures. There were times when I actually cried. WOW!
August 5, 2011
A fine collection of stories about birds and suburban wildlife.
February 15, 2014
It is amazing what you can observe in your own neighborhood.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews