<DIV><I>Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds</I> is a collection of seventeen thoughtful essays on birds capture the sense of wonder and connection people have for these marvelous creatures. Naturalist Lyanda Lynn Haupt, an ornithology teacher and researcher, examines the amazing talents and personalities of the most common of birds. She muses on the tarnished reputation of the starling, the sexed-up antics of male woodpeckers, and the mysterious behavior and startling population explosion of crows in her hometown. Through the eye and voice of this talented writer, birds provide a fascinating point of contact with the natural world at large. This book is nature writing at its best with compelling stories that hold readers' attention so closely they don't even realize how much they're learning.</div>