Armchair Birding: 100 Flying Birds: Photographing the Mechanics of Flight, by Peter Cavanagh
~ Anne Kilgannon
This is a BIG book in so many ways: its large and commodious size displays stunningly beautiful photographs, yes, of one hundred birds in flight, some with wingspans that might grace a small airplane. Cavanagh doesn’t neglect smaller birds though: the collection of hummingbirds in close-up portraits will give you freeze-frame glimpses impossible without the aid of his camera. Each image is a revelation, a vision that captures much more than the moment but is the very essence of the bird in motion.
Cavanagh writes that he selected these images for publication from his files of half a million photos; a process as joyful and painstaking as his efforts to be in the exact place to aim his camera as a bird lifts itself into flight. As he so aptly states, “Photographing birds in flight has been my consuming passion since I moved to the Pacific Northwest 12 years ago.” And he adds, “For me, there is no contest between a photograph of a stationary bird and one in flight—the flight shot is almost always the hands-down winner! The fragile span of outstretched wings and the arc of a graceful flight path are irresistibly beautiful… and also a greater challenge to capture—more patience and bodily exertion.” His dedication is evident on every page of this remarkable book.
He organizes this collection into eleven idiosyncratic categories of birds: from Eagles to Hummingbirds; then Gulls and Terns; Small Waterbirds; Large Waterbirds; Ducks, Geese and Swans; Raptors; Condors & Corvids; Cranes; Songbirds; finishing up with a selection of his personal favorites. (If I had to pick a favorite the puffin image is a “wow!”) Page after page, he helps us broaden our idea of what makes a bird. Gazing at his images, for instance, I especially noticed bird feet in a way that hadn’t impressed me before. And bird eyes that seemed to indelibly express their determination and personality in a new way for me. And, of course, the strength and sheer genius of their wing feather arrangements. Every bird photo was a master class in really seeing each bird, as if for the first time.
Cavanagh also gives us basic information for each bird: its scientific name, vital statistics of body size, wingspan, and weight, where he took the photograph, and very importantly, the conservation status and population size for their species. He traveled the world to bring these photos to us: South Africa, Central and South America, Japan, Europe, America, and as close as Lopez Island, where he now lives. Each photo is accompanied by a short essay, often describing his adventures getting into just the right place to see these birds. He is both humble about his accomplishments and exacting about what is involved in such precise work. He often includes instructions and suggestions for readers who are drawn to bird photography, describing his camera settings and some of the techniques he has discovered over his years of work. What comes through every remark and photo is his fascination with birds, his ever-fresh sense of wonder and deep caring for their lives and survival. His work is an urgent call for attention, for action to save these marvels of evolution and adaptation, these living works of art.
While not shy about declaring his joy in documenting the astonishing variety of bird life, Cavanagh states his mission as a plea to the rest of us: “While waiting impatiently for the next generation to usher in a more nature-friendly epoch, photographers can help accelerate awareness. We travel to places that most people only know from magazines or nature documentaries, and we bring back images that can awaken consciousnesses. … It is my hope that by capturing and sharing the ethereal beauty of bird flight, I may nudge some readers to take a more combative and evangelical stance on turning back the tide of the sixth extinction.” This book would make an unforgettable gift for the season. A gift that will captivate for months and years to come with the love of birds, the fascination of their beauty and sheer stunning variety, enhanced by the charming narrative that will draw in any reader. I highly recommend this work and thank my good friend Kathryn for her introduction to this book and birder-author extraordinaire! (And thanks to our local library that stocks this book!)
