The Backyard Bird Chronicles

by Amy Tan

A gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight.

Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.

In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Memoir, Birds, Animals, Science, Audiobook

6 pages, Audible Audio

First published April 23, 2024

About the author

Amy Tan (Chinese: 譚恩美; pinyin: Tán Ēnměi; born February 19, 1952) is an American writer whose novels include The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Saving Fish From Drowing, and The Valley of Amazement. She is the author of two memoirs, The Opposite of Fate and Where the Past Begins. Her two children’s books are The Chinese Siamese Cat and The Moon Lady. She is also the co-screenwriter of the film adaptation of The Joy Luck, the librettist of the opera The Bonesetter’s Daughter, and the creative consultant to the PBS animated series Sagwa the Chinese Chinese Cat.

Tan is an instructor with MasterClass on writing, memory and imagination. She is featured in the American Masters documentary Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters and recently received the National Humanities Medal. She serves on the board of American Bird Conservancy.

Her forthcoming book The Backyard Bird Chronicles began as a journal in 2016, when she turned to nature for calm. She also began taking drawing classes with John Muir Laws (The Laws Guide to Nature Journaling and Drawing, and The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds). During the pandemic shutdown, she drew birds only in her backyard, documenting behaviors she found puzzling. Over time she identified 64 species of birds that have visited her backyard in Marin County. By 2022, she had more than nine journals of sketches and notes, which her editor at Knopf suggested she publish. The book, which will be released in April 2024, has already received high praise:

“Much of great writing comes from great interest, and in The Backyard Bird Chronicles, Amy Tan shows us how the world fascinates her, especially the birds. The result is both unexpected and spectacular.”
—Ann Patchett, author of These Precious Days

“What an enchanting and illuminating book! How lucky for us that Amy Tan has turned her genius, her deep empathy and insight, her keen eye for what is telling, to birds. Every page of these chronicles radiates warm curiosity, wonder, and delight.”
—Jennifer Ackerman, The Genius of Birds

“This is one of the most infectious and convincing books about nature I’ve read. For the bird-watcher, the would-be bird-watcher, or for the bird-watching skeptic, this offers great delight and unexpected intrigue. Through Tan’s ecstatic eyes, what could be a dry treatise on ornithological happenings becomes something far more fun and much more profound. It’s really a book about seeing.”
—Dave Eggers, author of Ungrateful Mammals

“Anybody even mildly interested in birds, or thinking about getting interested in birds (which are, after all, the indicator genus for the health of the planet), will want this book perched on their shelf, if only for the gift of Amy Tan’s eye and the example she gives us of how to pay attention. What a treasure.”
—Robert Hass, Pulitzer Prize-Winning author of Summer Snow: New Poems

“Backyard Bird Chronicles is fun reading. It shows how we can become engaged emotionally, literally and artistically with the natural world—to joyfully learn about the most accessible and yet wild animals, the often rare and beautiful birds that choose to come and live near and sometimes with us.”
—Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven

“With this book as your guide, embark into the bird world Amy Tan. This is an intimate view, a sort-of love affair with the birds and their behavior, that Amy has come to know over several years. Within the leafy universe of her own backyard, she has quietly beheld, patiently observed, and taken in-depth notations of an extensive array of bird species. In colorful detail, she describes various bird’s behavior, while capturing their beauty in exquisitely rendered illustrations. Species include fearsome predators and watchful prey, long distance migrants and hometown residents. Through her unique insight and gift as an author and

Reviews

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

go birds!

i am a fan of all kinds — the philadelphia eagles, the little guys that hop around the edges of city sidewalks, the vibrant flyers — but this book put me to shame.

it is a peaceful, kind, lovely read, made up of short entries full of observations and stunning illustrations. it also contains many references to the 2016-2020 sociopolitical climate, some sly and some less so, which makes it a bit less of a charming escape than it may seem initially.

but it doesn't have to be that to be very good.

bottom line: very pleasant indeed.

[Tim Null · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to live in a world where song birds visit me and my family in our yard and enjoy the beauty of my wife's garden.

Most of the following birds have visited both my yard and the yard of Amy Tan.

Crows and large pigeons are the only birds I don't welcome in my yard because my generosity has limits.

CORVIDS
American Crow
California Scrub Jay

DOVES & PIGEONS
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove

FINCHES
American Goldfinch
House Finch
Lesser Finch
Purple Finch

RAPTORS
Cooper's Hawk

SPARROWS
California Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Golden-crowned Sparrow
House Sparrow*
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
White-crowned Sparrow

THRUSHES
American Robin

WARBLERS
Wilson's Warbler

WOODPECKERS
Downy Woodpecker

OTHER SONGBIRDS
Anna's Hummingbird
Brewer's Blackbird*
Bushtit
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
European Starling
Hooded Oriole*
Hutton's Vireo
Northern Mockingbird*
Oak Titmouse

*Birds in my yard only
Brewer's Blackbird
Hooded Oriole
House Sparrow
Northern Mockingbird

25 April 2024

[Kerrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Amy Tan, I knew I would enjoy her journal entries about the birds in her backyard. I found her keen observations to be both entertaining and educational. I didn't know what a gifted artist she is. Her artwork adds a unique dimension to the stories, enhancing the reader's experience.

It is difficult to rate a book that covers a specific subject. If you are wild about wild birds then The Backyard Bird Chronicles is clearly a 5-star read. You should buy copies for yourself and your enthusiastic wild bird-loving friends. If you are only mildly curious about wild birds, it is more of a 3 to 4-star read.

PS. I use a free app called Merlin. It is a great way to identify bird songs and calls.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. What an enjoyable read. Being a backyard birder myself I could relate to every entry in her journal. The wonder and awe she felt every time she discovered a new bird and her sadness over the the losses was felt through every page. The drawings are truly beautiful and I'm sure in color they are spectacular. What a lovely book.

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf for an e-arc.

Publication 4/23/2024

[Dee (on Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sweet stars - My AAPI month read. Lovely and inspiring with amazing illustrations from Tan - was incredible how they improved over the course of the book - Brava! 🐦🪺🐦‍⬛

[Diane Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew Amy Tan was such an artist? Plus an obsessive bird watcher in her California backyard. Just a note: she never said how much, but she must spend at least several hundred dollars a month keeping them supplied with seed, suet and mealworms. This book is a journal of her drawings and observations over the course of several years, and a treat for other birdwatchers. I'm more of a casual watcher of the two feeders outside my porch, and it's enjoyable to see them come at different times of day.

This would make an excellent gift for anyone who loves birds. It uses high quality paper because of the artwork, but is one that birders would return to often.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in the day, 2001, the daughters took a Nature Journaling course at the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge. They had a basic introduction to keeping a nature journal and then went on a walk with a ranger/artist who guided them through some basic identifications and observations. She asked them to go out at least twice a week, even if just in their own backyards, to add a few pages. They met once a week for 8 weeks and the daughters filled their pages and continued on for another year on their own. Eventually this enthusiasm gave way to other things. Those journals still reside in their box of special books that they want to hold onto.

I so appreciate what Tan has collected here in her notes and her drawings. She is a talented artist by the way. I have been a birder since 1992 when I hung my first bird feeder. I love watching the birds and it is one of the few times I am compelled to effortless stillness. It has been a joy to spend a little bit of time each day amidst the pages of this lovely, both in content and the actual high quality of the physical, book.

This was a gift from my youngest last Christmas. She and I are both delighted that I finally made time for it. ☺️

[Vanessa M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like backyard birding? Do you like drawing? Do you like drawing birds? Do you like the novelist Amy Tan's books? Well if you answered yes to one or more of these questions you my friend are in for a treat if you read The Backyard Bird Chronicles. Ms. Tan discovered her love of birds in 2016 and began keeping a journal/sketchbook detailing her fun and sometimes sad adventures with the birds in her area (Sausalito, CA, U.S.A.). Tan brings her spirit of sensitivity and drive of protection/conservation to the pages as she deftly draws and narrates her observations of what is happening in her backyard.

I laughed a whole lot as I could relate to her feelings about the sweetness and intelligence of birds. I cried a little too as sometimes our feathered friends suffer injury, disease and death--she rightly includes those details too.

Her drawings are very moving and helpful. She shows skill and great care with each line and with each shade.

I feel like Amy Tan would be a great birdy friend to have. She's no doubt an excellent carer of birds and I think her book will entice others to look out and to look up for these fascinating avian wonders.

Ok, well I'd better end this review here and get outside to put out some dried mealworms and bird jelly for my catbirds. They are my "babies." 🥰

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spring is in the air. The groundhog not withstanding, I tend to think spring is on its way when geese congregate in my neighborhood as a stop on their migration route north to spend the summer months in Canada. Our backyard is also home to a bluejay and a cardinal who is “not welcome” (sports joke) as well as many other animals. The geese are my favorite. My mom thought that spring began when she saw the first Robin red breast of the season, but for me it’s the geese. One year an injured goose could not join its flock on the journey north and decided to make our front yard its base. My son put out water and food for it and slowly “Swaggy Bob” regained the strength in his wing. One day he got up and flew away, and months later he came back. I know that geese mate for life, and every year around this time I notice two geese apart from the rest who stop on my block. Is it Swaggy Bob and Swaggy Bobette? I would like to think so. I have never been much of a nature lover. My vacations must be either near a beach or a city that has sports; however, I do enjoy watching animals and birds. I mean my house is home to sixteen cats so obviously I get along with other living things well enough to be their mom. Birds, well, I don’t think they would do so well in my house although the cats love staring at them out the window. They are indoor cats, birds move, it is instant television for them.

Amy Tan has been one of my favorite authors since middle school. She is one of the generation of authors that my mom read at the time, and, because I thought that the equivalent of ya literature at the time was juvenile, I simply shared books with her. Amy Tan was one of my favorites. I loved her story of mothers and daughters in her now modern classic The Joy Luck Club and then savored her epic Bone Setter’s Daughter. My relationship reading Amy Tan has now endured for over thirty years. Last year, Tan published a book about her experience bird watching. When my mom asked me what I am reading for women’s history month, I told her that I am including a book that Amy Tan wrote and illustrated about her time bird watching. My parents do go to a bird sanctuary a few times a winter. There are herons and species of ducks who hang out in their winter community. My mom was surprised that Amy Tan had turned to birding. Truthfully, so am I; however, I know that people are multifaceted. They have lives away from their professions. That is why I enjoy reading memoirs. In 2016, a year I will never forget as long as I live, Amy Tan needed a project other than writing and started attending classes with John Muir Laws to learn how to sketch birds. She was hooked and began to keep a journal and sketch book of all the birds she encountered in a place where she would not have to travel far: her backyard. Always the creative mind, Tan entitled her findings The Backyard Bird Chronicles. The book is a result of the fruit of her labor.

Amy Tan and her husband Lou DeMattei live in a house meant for birding in Sausalito, California. The backyard is home to countless trees, and the house overlooks the San Francisco Bay. This backyard is on the migration route for a myriad of species of birds as well as the year round denizens. There are crows and a great horned owl as well as scrub jays, finches, warblers, hummingbirds, and countless others. As a cat parent, we spend hundreds of dollars a month to feed our brood. Amy Tan never had children and currently has two small dogs. Since becoming a full time birder, she purchases more food and product for her outdoor conservatory than I do for my cats. There are hummingbird feeders and decals on her windows to prevent crashes. There is suet for the migratory birds, seeds, and meal worms. The younger birds are pickier eaters and will only eat live meal worms, that she keeps in containers in her refrigerator. The older birds will eat the dried variety that cost less. That made me chuckle a bit. Tan’s observations are only of the birds that came to feed on her deck. In the summer she opened her dining room doors all the way, and she had a front row seat to the birds and some like the Anna’s hummingbirds even ate from her hands. She did not include the birds in the trees or at ground level because of the sheer number who came to the deck. That is for another time, and she is excited to further observe the owls in the trees and quails on the ground.

When Amy Tan began her birding journey she only sketched rudimentarily. Her early renderings looked like comics and gradually became more realistic. Over the six year period that Tan kept her journal, she also observed avian behavior and grew closer to her backyard residents. She questioned if certain species exhibited higher order thinking and were smarter than humans. I would not go that far, but crows are considered to be intelligent beings. Tan’s drawings of them show them with a purplish hue that looks almost majestic. Some of the migratory species knew just where to go on their route-Tan’s deck. They associated her turning on her bathroom light with the coming of food in the near future. Some would even tap their beaks on the window to signal to Tan that their food dishes needed a refill. My cats exhibit similar behavior in terms of food. I am still not sure if this is higher order intelligence or learned behavior, although I think my cats are brilliant. Tan grew to show love toward her birds beyond being a backyard observer of them. She grew close to the birding community that she met at her sketch classes and attended monthly field trips to observe birds in various locations. After a few years, her sketches became worthy of inclusion in a book, and her bird observations grew more astute. Amy Tan grew from an author who happens to bird watch to a bird watcher who is also a prolific writer. This book meshed her two passions together.

I might not live in a climate like California where I can watch birds on a daily basis. I am grateful for the visitors to my yard and watch from afar the ones who decide to visit. Amy Tan has become a bird watcher extraordinaire. She cultivated a new passion later in her life and uses her creative juices to sketch and care for the avians who call her backyard home. I do miss Amy Tan the prolific writer although at her age I am not holding my breath for another novel. The Backyard Bird Chronicles is the fruits of Tan’s newfound love as a birder. In addition to illustrating the journal, the book is printed on soft, mesh paper that is perfect for avid bird watchers to take on their field trips to observe birds away from their own backyards. Field trips are fun, but there is no better place to observe wildlife than one’s own backyard. I enjoy watching the geese, blue jays, wrens, sparrows, and the cardinals who enjoy congregating in my yard. I would gladly feed them, but there are also deer, squirrels, and a groundhog family, and occasional opossums and raccoons, not to mention the feral cats - not mine- who pass through. Amy Tan is a legitimate birder. I prefer to view most birds from afar and enjoyed her journal that teaches us to respect other living things that call our outdoor spaces their homes.

4 stars

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

As it turns out, I like birding more than I like reading about birding.

[JanB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a diary of sorts, chronicling a year in Amy Tan’s life with what is going on outside her window at her bird feeders. The tone is light, and the humor delightful, although she can turn thoughtful and philosophical at times.

The stunning illustrations are by Amy Tan herself (is there anything she can’t do?) so I recommend it in hardback.

It’s a gentle, peaceful little book, delightful whether you are into birds or not. I listened to parts of it with the hardback copy at hand to see the illustrations.

The bird world is one of infinite variety, each with their own quirks and personalities. I’m not a serious birder, but my husband and I have what we call a little bird oasis that provides us (and our grandchildren) with much joy. But it can’t hold a candle to Amy Tan’s lush California bird paradise. I loved this glimpse into her life and thoughts.

It’s a lovely book for bird lovers, and even for the bird-curious, and a reminder to look for the beauty and wonder that we can find in nature.

* I received a digital review copy via Netgalley but I highly recommend this one in hardback. The audio is read by the author herself, and has a PDF copy of the illustrations.

[Cathrine ☯️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ 🐦‍⬛🦉🐦 🐿️
Amy Tan, author, bird lover, talented artist. She also has a wonderful sense of humor.
I thoroughly enjoyed her artwork and journal observations about birds at her backyard feeders.
We share in the delight, and sometimes sadness, that welcoming wildlife into our yard brings.
I loved her justification for the money she spends. Not having had children (like myself), she argues that the money saved on child-rearing and college tuition more than compensates for all the thousands of live mealworms and fancy bird-feeders purchased.
No doubt there are persons who would refer to us as crazy childless bird ladies with no direct stake in America.
If you share in this passion, treat yourself, or someone you know, to this beautifully illustrated edition.

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan is a book I wanted to enjoy. The idea of following birds in her own backyard sounded peaceful and charming. And it is… for a while. The sketches are lovely, and there are definitely moments where you feel connected to nature through her observations. But after a few entries, it all starts to feel repetitive. I appreciate her passion and attention to detail it’s just that unless you’re deeply into birdwatching or journaling, it might not hold your attention. Which it did not mine. It’s one of those books that’s good in theory, and I respect what she did with it, but it ended up being a bit of a slog for me. I’m glad I gave it a shot.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Tan is not only a very good author, she is also a very good artist! As a child she had always been interested in drawing but it wasn’t until she was sixty four that she began taking drawing classes. She then became interested in nature journaling. She is a devoted and, as she states, an obsessive bird watcher and has now been able to combine her love of that with drawing and journaling.

Amy’s home in California has glass around three sides. This enables her to seriously observe and draw the many birds that fly to her feeders and water saucers. Her lush yard with its flowers, bushes, trees, and also fruit trees attracts many species of birds. As she writes in The Backyard Bird Chronicles, “My backyard, it turns out, is a paradise for many birds”. Since 2016 when she could identify three species of birds in her yard, she now has identified sixty three (and expects more!).

The Backyard Bird Chronicles is a compilation of entries from her nature journals and includes beautiful drawings and sketches of the many birds she has seen. It contains a wealth of information about birds, their habits, their songs, and characteristics as well as information about the types of seeds and other things that birds eat. Some of the entries are quite humorous too!

This is a wonderful, beautifully illustrated, and very interesting book!! It encourages the reader to take the time to appreciate the wonder and beauty of the world around us.
Anyone interested in birds would enjoy reading and learning about them from this book!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for bird lovers. Amy Tan writes a one year journal, complete with her own illustrations of the birds that come to her backyard. These are common west coast birds. As a very beginner in terms of birding, I felt I learned a lot. Like Amy, I’m not one that traipses off to watch birds elsewhere. But the ones who come to my feeders provide me with hours of joy.
I’m on the east coast, so quite a few of the birds don’t habitate anywhere near me. But there were enough of the same species or slightly different ones that it still provided lots of pertinent data. Plus, it was just enjoyable reading.
This isn’t a book to be rushed through. I found it best to savor just a few pages a day.

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renowned American ornithologist David Allen Sibley in his preface to Amy Tan's 2024 The Backyard Bird Chronicles points out that Tan's text basically shows a collection of thoughtfully emotional, sometimes quirky (as well as of course lovingly personal) observations about and regarding birds, nothing more, nothing less, but indeed totally, utterly magically delightful. And yes, Amy Tan with The Backyard Bird Chronicles shows that for Tan, her California backyard is truly and hugely paradisal, is like a proverbial Biblical Eden, with many trees and shrubs, with oaks, periwinkle vines, birches, Japanese maples, fuchsia plants and so on and so on, and that she to date has observed and journaled about more than sixty different species of birds that have come visiting multiple feeders (with Amy Tan's findings and observations in and for The Backyard Bird Chronicles being featured gloriously approachably as dated journal entries and accompanied by Tan's own artwork, by aesthetically gorgeous colour sketches).

Thus Amy Tan with The Backyard Bird Chronicles, she shares with her readers the unique behaviours of various birds and other wildlife she has observed on her California property (including discussing diverse birdsongs and that birds obviously also like us humans have conversations, that they talk, that they gossip and chat with one another), noting and discussing observed migration patterns, how different bird species take turns visiting her feeders, that birds collectively watch out for and protect each other from cats, hawks and other predators, focussing on and discussing gawky fledglings shakily taking their first steps and maiden flights. And I definitely also do very much appreciate Tan admitting in The Backyard Bird Chronicles how she often struggles with wanting to interfere regarding birds facing natural and even not so natural dangers, facing threats from weather, predators and the like, but knowing she should not and generally will not (and which is also something I have always struggled with as well regarding my home and my backyard, so much so that I actually only rarely now make use of my bird feeders as I do tend to wonder if feeding backyard birds is something that looks compassionate but it actually not all that healthy and maybe even potentially dangerous for birds).

Five stars for The Backyard Bird Chronicles, highly recommend (and I have not only enjoyed reading about how much Amy Tan obviously adores birds but also getting a textual and visual portrait of avian California and of Tan's lovely property).

[Matt (Fully supports developing sentient AGI) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of us take for granted the tiny flying dinosaurs we see every day, sometimes in our own backyards. It's because birds are wildly successful in evolutionary terms. Abundant and prolific living everywhere on earth in wildly varied forms. We've always seen them. But Amy Tan really sees them. With a delightful curiosity and a caring, sensitive nature, she lets us into her world with charming observations and insights about her journey.

It's extraordinary when a generous, talented author opens their personal passions to the world, like Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. In The Backyard Bird Chronicles Amy Tan reveals her birding journals and illustrations. Her love for the birds she enticed into her backyard is obvious and the knowledge, experience, and talent on display is impressive. She carefully shaped her backyard into a habitat appealing to the widest variety of the indigenous birds. Also, just FYI, she keeps up to 20,000 live mealworms in her refrigerator. I would love to visit and see.

[Betsy Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful journal of thoughts and observations by Amy Tan, who also is a fabulous illustrator. The book is beautifully written and published (thick paper, suitable for color plates) and $35, which is cheap for a book with this kind of art. (I read a library copy.)

Finally I get this birder thing. Amy Tan chronicles not only the "bird community" in her lush backyard, but her own mind chatter—and she is self-revealing in that way that I'm guessing most people will relate to: all of our judgments and worries, etc. The entries range from informative to funny to sad and even heart-breaking (it is a rough world in the wild, even in the well-tended world of backyard birdfeeders) to inventive (a wonderful "live commentary" of "The Windowsill Wars" for bird food). And I so admire her care for all living creatures—from the birds to the live mealworms she feeds them. She roots for life but has the ability or tolerance to watch death.

I live in NYC, right off Central Park, and for most of my decades here I had dogs (my last girl died a couple of years ago), so I was well acquainted with the human "bird community" in Central Park's woodland area, The Ramble. [If this sounds familiar, it is because the well-publicized horrific racist incident with one of the long-time birders, Christian Cooper, was in the north end of the area.] Historically, the birders are not fond of the dog people who chronically break the leash laws in the Ramble. And the dog people, who are there year round no matter the weather, are not that fond of the birders who tend to travel in massive aggressive herds, moving like a seasonal invasive species oblivious to anything or anyone on the ground who is not a bird. There are obnoxious birder guides who show off by blasting their bird calls through the serenity to impress the people who've paid to go on their tours. In short, there is obnoxious behavior on both sides of this birder/dog people history. But after reading Amy Tan's book, I finally get it: the birds are just like us—complicated, scrappy, territorial, with bullies and submissives, predators and prey. Maybe I'll even take my binoculars there myself now that I'm solo. (N.B. The solo birders are no problem—some became my friends over the years. Christian Cooper was not a herd-group birder, and the woman who falsely accused him was a newbie dog person—Ramble etiquette is, when caught off leash, to say "Sorry" and leash up—no big deal.)

At the beginning of the book, Amy Tan writes about how she was taught to "become the bird" by her drawing instructor, and she does—struggling to understand how they recognize individuals and why they do what they do and if they can change their habits . . . which brings me to:

Some thoughts on energetic and telepathic communication that Amy Tan never mentions.

In my years of watching birders in the Ramble so obsessed with peering through binoculars and camera lenses, I often had a fantasy. Or an idea for a cartoon: what if somehow what they saw were birds staring back at them through tiny binoculars?

The thought amused me and still does, and, often while reading this book, I found myself envisioning this.

Amy Tan is mostly focused on common human senses of sight and sound in her musing about why birds react the way they do—even wondering why they are fine when she's looking at them naked-eyed through her glass doors, but the instant she picks up her binoculars, they take off. She posits that it is because she looks scary.

This brings me to a New York City anecdote:

Many decades ago when I was in my early twenties and lived in my same top-floor walkup apartment with found furniture and uncovered windows, I began getting a series of bizarre phone calls. They started with hang-ups and eventually progressed to a creepy woman's voice saying there was a peeping Tom in the neighborhood and I was giving him the wrong idea by . . . and then she described what I'd been wearing the previous night alone on my couch reading.

I was freaked out but also very angry. I did a number of things, including covering my windows at night and getting hanging plants to obscure them during the daytime. But the thing that finally ended this debacle once and for all was when I looked back.

Every morning I sat in what I call my "big chair" in my living room and drank my coffee. It was a ritual I loved, early early, alone, as I stared out the window at the morning light coming in. But this one morning I'd prepared the night before. As I calmly gazed out the window, bare-eyed, enjoying my coffee, I suddenly spotted what I was looking for: a man two blocks north hanging out his high-rise window, brazenly aiming a telescope at me. Without drama, I set down my coffee cup, casually pulled my own pre-set binoculars out from the side table, put them to my eyes and looked back.

The man's telepathic shock ("oh my god!") and horror were audible and palpable—an energetic jolt as strong as lightning, without the sting, traveled from him to me as he pulled back inside his apartment so violently that he hit his head on his own window.

I was never bothered again.

Energy and telepathy are the language I am positive birds (and all animals) use and react to. When somebody is watching you, it can be felt. If it is invasive, it has a definite quality. Why is it so hard for humans to realize that when they peer at another being, they are also being perceived? And why do people miss that animals only resort to pantomiming what they need (Amy Tan describes the repetitive behavior of birds who want her to fill her empty feeders as a possible sign of higher intelligence) after they have sent clear telepathic demands only to realize we are deaf?

How do I know this? I lived with dogs for decades and they taught me: one look and I knew what they wanted: to go out, water, for me to get out of their spot, etc. It was as clear to me as speech, and they had some confusion with other humans who didn't hear them. Since my last dog died, I've babysat for a neighbor's dog, and he does the same thing. One look, and I know what he wants. He has impeccable telepathy and canine manners and seems relieved that I hear him. We all could. We just need to think to wonder and listen a little harder.*

*I "brazenly" took a deep dive into all this in my new novel Cats on a Pole

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing I want to say is that this author is a great artist. I loved all of her delightful artwork. It’s mostly of the birds she sees but she covers various subjects. The art definitely helps make the book special.

I was excited because the author is local to me so the birds she observes are also mostly my local birds. While a body of water separates our dwellings we are only several miles apart as the crow flies. I’m envious of her backyard and of her views. I can understand why she’s so fascinated by the birds and the habitat she can view from her house and from her backyard.

There were times when reading that things dragged a bit for me and times when I was riveted by her story and by the accounts of the birds and other wildlife about which she writes. At times I was bored but most of the time I remained interested.

I will say though that reading these journal entries of someone else made me want to see the birds for myself, made me want to get outside and see the birds and other wildlife and plants and nature firsthand. I often just wanted to be outside and seeing birds for myself.

The knowledge she’s accumulated is truly impressive and so viewing the birds through her eyes had its advantages. I wouldn’t know what I was looking at most of the time were I bird watching on my own.

I probably shouldn’t have been surprised but I was shocked at how few of the birds were unfamiliar to me. I grew up mostly with robins and hummingbirds near to where I lived at the time, a few miles further away and many decades away from where I am now and from the author’s current location.

She can be very funny. There is lots of humor in the book. Her life and the lives of the birds make for a worthy narrative.

I started reading the eBook and audio book simultaneously but quickly gave up the audiobook. I’m glad I listened to it for a while. I enjoyed being able to hear what the author’s voice sounded like so I also listened to her acknowledgments at the end. The audiobook didn’t work for a couple of reasons. One is that it was read way too slowly, even when I listened in 1.45 time, but the main reason is that for all her drawings there is a note to go to a different page to read about them and that meant having to stop the audio anyway to go do that.

The book also wasn’t conducive to reading as a story. These are daily dairy entries and read as such. Yes, they tell a story but it was easy to read one bit at a time and there was not much flow to the narrative.

I immensely enjoyed reading about her younger years in the Forword. I enjoyed reading about how the covid lockdown period was for her and think that she was really lucky to have spent that time as she did.

I love bird watching online. My favorite birds are Jackie and Shadow, the resident eagles of Bear Valley/Lake and their eaglets when they have them. This book has me yearning to do a better job of noticing the local birds I can see in person.

3-1/2 stars

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy Tan writes about birds seen in her backyard in a journal format. She is a talented artist, and includes color sketches of many of the species. At the end of the book, she lists every species she has identified. This book may be of special interest to those who enjoy birdwatching as a hobby, but possibly less interesting to the general reader. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Desiree Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE GOOD:
Very sweet. Addictive, at first. Amy learned how to draw birds so she could sketch those in her backyard! She got quite good at it, and many of her sketches are included in the book. Her enthusiasm is very contagious. She writes about, and draws, over 60 species that visited her yard.

THE BAD:
The book is a bit long (288 pages) and can get repetitive, as the same birds are discussed multiple times.

CONCLUSION:
A lovely coffee table book, or gift for a bird-living friend - especially those who are fans of Ms. Tan or who are California-based birders, as she is.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read any of Amy Tan's books, but this was a joy! Beautifully illustrated with her own notebook sketches and observations, witty, curious, and empathetic to our feathered friends. I am fairly new to backyard bird feeding, and now the Merlin bird app used on walks along canal and in the woods, so even though she lives in California I learned a great deal. This is worth a slow look even if you aren't a serious birder!

[Lisa Rosenfeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too long and as an avid birdwatcher I found it a bit boring. I enjoyed the forward and preface more than the actual book which is written like a diary of her daily bird watching. Her drawings are beautiful.

[India M. Clamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The birds visiting Amy’s yard could be likened to the colorful characters in her novels. Birds like people collide, interact and travel in a curious linear manner. Amy Tan's "The Backyard Bird Chronicles" is #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. Her chronicle illuminates the connections mirrored in birds and human life by pulling back a shroud to show the divinity in inherent in small things.

“Birds made sense to me, a lot more sense than the tangled and ephemeral web of middle school alliances.”
—David Allen Sibley

Notice the sketches of birds by Amy Tan. She commandeers art and nature to bring her waves of calm and tranquility. Each bird she studied most auspiciously. Sketches are descriptive and done by hand. Though initially Amy was discouraged to pursue art, she somehow found it again and this book is a cumulative account of this colorful feathered journey. Superb.

[Amanda Auchenpaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wouldn’t have been picked up if the author wasn’t already popular. It’s simply an account of a wealthy person watching birds at her extremely fancy house in California. The fact that this woman was spending hundreds of dollars JUST on live mealworms EVERY MONTH for a while there just reeks of privilege without acknowledging that.


I’m also concerned about why she seems to get so many sick and injured birds??? Like, I haven’t seen any sick/injured birds in the many years I’ve been a backyard birder. Is California okay???

That being said, I learned a couple little things here and there and there was once or twice that my eyes got a bit misty about these injured birds. And there aren’t enough books about birds that walk the line between purely informational and more artistic. Plus I’m glad it’s giving more attention to backyard birding as a valid alternative (or addition!) to birding away from home. So I appreciate that about this book, and hope it can pave the way for others like it. I think this book would appeal more to those who aren’t birders or who are very new birders because it does give some insight into how and why to observe them. But for someone who has been birding for as long or longer than the author, it falls a bit flat.

Edited to add: I listened to the audiobook so I’m not sure how much of the value of this book lies in the illustrations. I recognize that may have significantly affected the way I feel about the book!

[JoJo_theDodo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I lost my Mom a few years ago and this book reminded me of some of the joys she loved in life. She loved birds and she loved to draw.
I read the book while listening to the audiobook and it was nice to see her drawings while listening to her describing the experiences. I teared up a few times at the emotion that came across in the authors voice. It was refreshing to experience the empathy and love for nature that this author shared in her journaling.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best friend and birding buddy brought this book to my attention. She has rarely steered me astray and this book was no exception. It is exactly what it says on the tin: chronicles of Amy Tan's backyard birds. It is the nature journal of a very obsessed woman.

I admire people who keep nature journals. I have intermittently kept a personal journal but have had only a couple of abortive attempts at a birding journal. I just didn't have enough bandwidth for anything like what Ms. Tan has produced. My attempts ended up being mere lists of birds seen on a particular day or trip. Tan, being a professional writer, produces a vastly superior product.

I envy Tan's talent for drawing her backyard birds, as well as the backyard that supports her endeavors. California has much different birds and climate than Calgary. Her illustrations are beautiful and she tells us that drawing birds made sure that she really noticed their details. It was a pleasure to see her progress from the beginner state to more experienced birder. We are none of us born knowing these things, so we are familiar with the learning process. Most birders think fondly of those early years and the excitement of each new bird, what Tan calls New Bird Tachycardia.

I was dismayed by her tale of being talked down to by someone that she refers to as a Poobah. We've all run across one—someone who has forgotten what it's like to be an enthusiastic neophyte or who is insecure and needs to feel superior to others. Tan seems to shrug this off and continues her joyous bird studies. There are probably more poobahs out there who would critique her for anthropomorphism and/or for bird feeding (I've observed both). Tan is aware of her tendency to think up stories about the birds' lives, but I found her concern for them to be charming. (She says a couple of times that she's glad she's not a scientist.) She also is finicky about the cleanliness of her feeders and bird baths. If she sees a sick bird, she takes down all the feeders for cleaning until it's safe to reopen the restaurant. She admits to spending extravagantly on feed, especially mealworms. It sounds to me like she is hurting no birds and derives a great deal of pleasure from her hobby. Having spent a fair amount of cash on sunflower seeds myself, I would never criticize.

In short, Ms. Tan makes me wish for a yard where I could study my own local birds in depth every day. It has allowed her to get a feel for behaviour and for the rhythm of the seasons of which I am quite jealous. It is a beautiful book, which I recommend to those who also love their yard birds and/or journaling about their observations.

[JoyReaderGirl1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renowned bestselling author of “The Joy Luck Club” (among numerous other novels), Amy Tan, is also an exceptional artist and amateur ornithologist who demonstrates her prowess for both in her nonfiction book, “Backyard Bird Chronicles,” that is awe-inspiring in its beautifully illustrated and sensitively rendered full-color avian artwork; poetically crafted educational text; and humorously annotated and depicted quick sketches of daily habits of birds around her home.

The daughter of an ornithologist, Tan notes that her father encouraged her and her brother to observe, study, classify and draw birds from the time they were toddlers capable of drawing and writing. Drawing is an activity that Tan states that she has always enjoyed, but never took lessons for until she was in her early sixties.

From the exquisitely detailed artworks presented in “Chronicles,” Tan demonstrates her rare gift as a nature artist with bird portraits to rival those of great American Naturalist John J. Audubon. Tan’s details of bird feathering, ruffling crests, eye contact, and color patterns is stunning.

She also shares how she and her husband, Lou, created a nature habitat in their backyard specifically to attract a large variety of bird visitors. Tan provides instructions on feeding and watering birds; offers ideas for making homemade bird baths and hummingbird feeders; suggests bird box ideas and much, much more.

This is a treasure for every BIRDER friend and family member! Amy Tan is one of my all-time favorite authors. Now, she is one of my favorite artists and naturalists.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author and Artist Amy Tan, and Publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

[Parker Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The urge to spend all of my money on new bird feeders for the backyard is only getting worse

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a birder, but I’m married to one. This was quite interesting and conversational in nature. She’s a little obsessive but I’ve seen this before with the birder I know.