Binge Birding: Twenty Days with Binoculars

by Nancy Grant

Enjoy the thrill of discovery in this well-paced travel adventure that’s like going birding with a friend When journalist and field naturalist Nancy Grant packed her SUV with a basket of maps and field guides to head south to explore the Texas Gulf Coast she had a simple plan. Look for birds everywhere. And she found them—more than 150 species—singing, soaring, hunting for food, searching for mates, and raising youngsters. Grant’s easy-going conversational style, with plenty of quirky travel anecdotes, blends in-depth natural history insights with vivid on-the-scene reporting. Grant admits with charming directness her own struggles to memorize field marks and songs, and the satisfaction of getting it right. Birders of all experience levels will enjoy coming along for the ride.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 24, 2021

About the author

My career as a freelance journalist began in 1986, and it's based on my natural curiosity. I always have a question!

How does that work? What’s new, what’s different? Why is that important?

I started with magazine articles, interviewing people, researching facts and analyzing information, asking more questions--then writing about what I discovered to help readers understand new ideas. Soon I added photography to the mix, then books, then public speaking.

My studies as a field naturalist began with questions, too. What’s the name of that bird, flower, butterfly, tree, beetle, moth? The answer to one question soon leads to another. Why is it here? What’s it doing? How does it live?

Read along with me, and discover new ideas!

Reviews

[Thomas P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was very good. It read at a good pace, as the author goes on a bird watching driving trip from Louisville, Kentucky to Texas. She goes into lots of detail with regard to her trip, especially of course, in describing the different types of birds she encounters and photographs. But she also describes very well the various wildlife areas she goes to, the other birders she encounters, as well as the various non-chain type restaurants she explores. I bird watch and photograph birds myself, but I learned a few things about some birds I had never known before I read this book. Birders should read this book, sure, but so should anyone else that likes a good road trip type book. I wish though, that the author had included some photographs of her trip, but other than that, I would recommend "Binge Birding" to anyone

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid birder myself, i can relate to Nancy.

Her way with words is really interesting, and I really like the way she describes the birds. I would 100% recommend this book to anyone.

[John Geary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not every book you read about travel is strictly just about travel. Take this book, for example: it’s about travel – but travel with a specific purpose, as the author does a 20-day road trip along the Texas coast with the intent of seeing as many different kinds of birds as she can.
I enjoyed it because I can relate to this kind of travel. While not every birder is necessary a traveller, the same can be said that not every traveller is a birder. This book would probably appeal more to birdwatchers than it would the general traveler; if you’re really not into birds, you might find it a little repetitive as she describes the various birds she sees. For me, it’s similar to many other trips I’ve taken in other parts of the world.
It also gives you a different look at the state of Texas; we often associate Texas with cowboys and the wild west and cattle ranches and that sort of thing – but along the Gulf coast it’s quite a different place.
This is another book I would really give 3.5 stars too if I had the ability to do so in Goodreads rating system. It’s better than 3, not quite a 4.

[Mary Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, but I rounded up. Definitely a niche book for the birding community. The author gives us a LOT of detail about her 20 day road trip, including how she packs and repacks her car and when she eats MnMs, but she has a lovely enthusiasm for exploration that drew me in. I can certainly identify with all the nitty gritty that is involved with a self-planned trip--trying to track down a tasty lunch, the difficulty finding some obscure birding locations, losing your reading glasses SOMEWHERE in the car, etc. But you just never know what wonderful birds you might see when you get out there and risk the unknown. And yes, every birder has to deal with some disappointment and frustration and wind and rain and car trouble along the way. But oh! Least Grebes! American Bitterns! Sandhill Cranes! Blue-winged Warblers! GET OUT THERE AND BIRD!

[Nancy Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I like--I wrote it!
But plenty of other readers throughout the US and Canada are enjoying it, too.
Whether you're just getting interested in birds, or if you're already an experienced observer, you'll find fresh ideas about how to explore habitats in all seasons.

[Deborah J. Kainauskas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of most interest to birders. The author gives alot of detail, at times almost too much about the music she listens too (definitely not my taste) and other mundane details. I did enjoy the detailed descriptions of the birds and the places she went to.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. Like listening to a friend tell you about her birding trip along the coast. Some of the stops I was familiar with, like Goose Island State Park, while many others were new to me. The style is breezy and companionable. And 170 species is a great trip list!

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is literally a play by play of Nancy Grant's trip. Some of it was interesting but overall it was kind of dry.