Chasing Birds across Texas: A Birding Big Year (Volume 35)

Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series

by Mark T. Adams, Kelly B. Bryan (Illustrations), Brush Freeman (Foreword)

On the morning of January 1, 2000, Mark T. Adams started counting birds. His goal was to find the largest possible number of species in one year in Texas, an undertaking known in birding parlance as a Big Year. By the evening of December 31, he had tied the record of 489 species seen or heard within the state’s borders in a single calendar year. Traveling 30,000 miles across Texas by car and 18,000 miles by plane, Adams alone saw 92 percent of all bird species reported in the state in 2000.

In Chasing Birds across Texas, Adams invites birders and others with a broad interest in the outdoors to join him in exploring Texas’ varied habitats on his quest for birds—from the upper coast to the lower coast; into the Hill Country, the Panhandle, and the Chihuahuan Desert; and up the Davis, Chisos, and Guadalupe Mountains. As he happily celebrates the bounty of the Valley’s spring migration or desperately searches for a Panhandle rarity, we watch him grow as a naturalist, exult in the Texas landscape, and benefit from the company of some of the world’s best birders.

Informative, inspiring, and great fun, Chasing Birds across Texas conveys as perhaps no other bird book can the humor, obsession, dedication, and adventure that are all part of the sport of birding.

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds, Nature, Natural History

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've recently starting birding a lot, and ran across this book while looking for something else at my public library. I'd read Noah Strycker's Birding Without Borders a few years ago (and seen the film The Big Year), so I was familiar with the idea of seeing as many birds as possible in a specified geographic area within a specified time period. But this one covered my home state, and I just had to give it a try.

Glad I did! Adams' passion is infectious. I was surprised to learn that his home during his Texas Big Year was in the Davis Mountains -- not exactly in the center of the state -- making his efforts all the more impressive. Using vacation time, work travel and the hospitality of friends in the birding community, he spends the year 2000 running around the state, trying to see as many birds as possible.

Today, I have apps on my phone that can help me identify birds using the photos I've taken with it. They can also identify the birds around me just through the phone's mic. They're not 100% reliable, but they do help quite a bit. Adams was relying on his own identification skills (newly honed yet extensive), list servs, and phone calls from fellow enthusiasts. No GPS, no cell phones -- just wheels on the ground, boots on the trail, and eyes on birds. It's amazing how many birds he was able to see. Spoiler alert: 489.

Despite being a bit dated in methodology, the spirit and drive to complete this self-imposed challenge shine through. I will say, that although he names and thanks the many, many people who put him up, guided him to hotspots and accompanied him through some rough conditions, these people's personalities don't always come through -- they were all a bit flat. But then, this book was really all about the birds.

I was please to learn that some of his favorite birding spots are places I was familiar with, especially Pine Canyon in Big Bend National Park. I haven't been there since I've been involved in birding. And now I can't wait to go back. Also, I may have a trip planned to the Davis Mountains in the next year...

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Texan and a birder I found this book delightful. Mark did a "Big Year" in Texas which is to say he dedicated a year to seeing as many different birds in Texas as he could. It takes place in the year 2000 and his home base was in the Davis Mountains. As much as I like birding I'm not sure I am ready to drive to Lubbock for the day to bird! And this was before we had cell phone aps like eBird and Merlin to help identify what we are looking at. A great read especially if you are familiar or want to become familiar with Texas birding.

[Dorothy Timm · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you live in Texas, and/or are an avid birder, you'll no doubt find this book a very interesting read. If not, you'll mist likely be bored. Fortunately I fall into both categories-from Texas and an avid birder, so I really enjoyed this book.

[Christian Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was just starting out birding and living in Texas. The gripping adventure and exposure to new birds got me psyched to bird more and was inspirational and a foundation to my birding journey. Any birder, especially a Texas birder, should read this.

[Jean Morehouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and entertaining for a birder.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book only three stars because I liked it but didn't find it riveting. Adams was very successful in describing his Big Year without being terribly repetitive and was excellent at explaining to newbies birding issues like lumping and splitting. I really admired his record-keeping, not only of the birds but also of the names of the folks he met and the places that he visited. This book ought to be on the list of anyone planning to bird in Texas.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st read: August 2007
2nd read: May 2010