I have to admit I hated this book and tossed it into my “not wanted on voyage” pile.
I couldn’t finish it. The author captures wild birds and keeps them inside to “study” them, he disturbs their nests, he is so intrusive it made me quite ill. The worst kind of nature writing, matched only by the people who capture butterflies and pierce them with pins so they can keep them on a bit of cardboard in a drawer. ( )

Great book for wild bird lovers. ( )

Portraits of individual lives

I found the chapter about the crows to be the most interesting. Who knew that crows could be (have been) pets? ( )

This one was such a perfect fit for me, in my fledgling “birding” life and I was lucky to find it as an Audible Daily Deal.
Each of these chapters, most take place at the author's remote Maine cabin, are portrait's of a particular bird or a group of birds. The first one involves a family of northern flickers, that have taken up residence, inside the walls of his cabin.
We then move onto owls, woodcocks, phoebes, vireos and others.
There is some humor here, but Heinrich's deep passion and painstaking drive to observe and understand the lives of our feathered friends, is evident on every page. This may not be of interest to all readers but if you appreciate nature, the great outdoors and an intimate look at birds, give this wonderful book a try.
It looks like he has written many other books and I will be seeking these out, as well. ( )