Songbird Season


Book Description

The first blush of spring finds Melinda filled with great expectations and high-flying goals. The charming farm and its critters are finally hers forever, and new life is popping up in unexpected places. But as the songbirds return and the garden's soil is turned, not everything's coming up roses: A no-nonsense housing inspector claims her sweet deal with Horace could come at a high cost, and her latest idea to improve life in her rural community meets with skepticism from some of the locals. When Uncle Frank makes a shocking discovery in the town's archives, the fallout threatens to dim Prosper Hardware's bright future. As friendships are tested and family ties begin to fray, can Melinda restore the harmony in her life? Fifth in a series!




Harvest Season


Book Description

Melinda's return to rural Iowa has exceeded her expectations. But as the months roll by and the seasons change, she must choose between the security of her old life in the city or taking a chance on an uncertain future. Second in a series.




Backyard Bird Secrets for Every Season


Book Description

Birds follow a cycle that depends on the seasons: When caterpillars are at their peak in summer, bird nests are filled with hungry babies hollering for food; in winter, a high-fat menu at the feeder helps birds make it through the night. By taking advantage of these natural cycles to plan feeder offerings and garden beds, readers can turn their backyard into an irresistible haven for a colorful assortment of birds in all kinds of weather. Highlights of this captivating book include features such as: - comprehensive explanations of how seasonal changes like spring rains and winter winds affect bird habits and behaviors in the backyard - hints and tips for attracting birds by offering what they need in each season, such as crushed eggshells when mother birds need extra calcium for egg-laying - Snazziest Stars and Supporting Cast--which birds can be attracted in which seasons - Cheat Sheets for Migration--when to expect various migratory visitors - interesting insight into feeding routines, courtship and mating rituals, and nesting areas to create a hospitable habitat - Build or Buy--quick-and-easy birding projects As many as one in five Americans already consider themselves birders, and this spirited and fun guide will seduce many newcomers to bird watching's bountiful pleasures.




Firefly Season


Book Description

She has matrimony on her mind ... but not necessarily for herself. As summer slips in over the countryside, Melinda's focused on giving her farmhouse the facelift of a lifetime and planning Prosper's first Founders Day festival. Her to-do list gets longer when Horace's great-niece suddenly needs a wedding venue. Melinda and her friends vow to give Jen a celebration she will never forget ... but will Jen be the only one to make a commitment? Love may be in bloom, but things in Prosper aren't so simple and sweet. Auggie's grand plan to expand the co-op has many residents seeing red, and the stability of Prosper Hardware could hang in the balance. And when a beloved community member is sidelined, an unexpected visitor is determined to pick up the slack. Through it all, Melinda has to confront her past and consider her future. Can she make the right choices to secure the life she wants? Don't miss the final installment in this heartwarming series!




The Silent Songbird


Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author comes The Silent Songbird! Evangeline is gifted with a heavenly voice, but she is trapped in a sinister betrothal until she embarks on a daring escape and meets brave Westley le Wyse. Can he help her discover the freedom to sing again? Desperate to flee a political marriage to her cousin King Richard II’s closest advisor, Lord Shiveley—a man twice her age with shadowy motives—Evangeline runs away and joins a small band of servants journeying back to Glynval, their home village. Pretending to be mute, she gets to know Westley le Wyse, their handsome young leader, who is intrigued by the beautiful servant girl. But when the truth comes out, it may shatter any hope that love could grow between them. More than Evangeline’s future is at stake as she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue that threatens England’s monarchy.Should she give herself up to protect the only person who cares about her? If she does, who will save the king from a plot to steal his throne?




The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel)


Book Description

Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price. It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.







Silence of the Songbirds


Book Description

Wood thrush, Kentucky warbler, the Eastern kingbird-migratory songbirds are disappearing at a frightening rate. By some estimates, we may already have lost almost half of the songbirds that filled the skies only forty years ago. Renowned biologist Bridget Stutchbury convincingly argues that songbirds truly are the "canaries in the coal mine"-except the coal mine looks a lot like Earth and we are the hapless excavators. Following the birds on their six-thousand-mile migratory journey, Stutchbury leads us on an ecological field trip to explore firsthand the major threats to songbirds: pesticides, still a major concern decades after Rachel Carson first raised the alarm; the destruction of vital habitat, from the boreal forests of Canada to the diminishing continuous forests of the United States to the grasslands of Argentina; coffee plantations, which push birds out of their forest refuges so we can have our morning fix; the bright lights and structures in our cities, which prove a minefield for migrating birds; and global warming. We could well wake up in the near future and hear no songbirds singing. But we won't just be missing their cheery calls, we'll be missing a vital part of our ecosystem. Without songbirds, our forests would face uncontrolled insect infestations, and our trees, flowers, and gardens would lose a crucial element in their reproductive cycle. As Stutchbury shows, saving songbirds means protecting our ecosystem and ultimately ourselves.




Attracting Songbirds to Your Backyard


Book Description

The best ways to attract melodic birds, with insight into their rapidly changing habits The American robin and northern cardinal are two of the best-loved songbirds, but newer backyard arrivals, like rose-breasted grosbeaks and scarlet tanagers, quickly captivate with their vivid colors and unique songs. Bird lovers will learn to attract new visitors by offering treats that songbirds like best, such as soft, easy-to-peck foods that closely mimic caterpillars, their top food preference. And planting just a few carefree perennials and shrubs can provide opportunities for cover and nesting. Sally Roth's Attracting Songbirds to Your Backyard draws on the latest science and 50 years of observation to reveal these fascinating details: • In the wee hours, it's the robins that sing first, followed by the babble of house wrens and the whistle of cardinals • Some birds learn birdsongs throughout their lives, while others stop learning once they can mimic their parents' song • It's Dad, not Mom, who teaches the young birds to sing Simple tips, ideas, and recipes, as well as an understanding of why songbirds are coming from the treetops into the backyard, will help any bird enthusiast create a songbird sanctuary.




Songbird Behavior and Conservation in the Anthropocene


Book Description

Songbirds are often used as indicators of environmental health. From the canary in the coalmine, to shifts in demographics and population patterns, birds tell us when things are not well. More often than not, these observable trends are a result of adaptive behavior that has evolved over many generations. Understanding foundation concepts of songbird behavior, including the rate at which behavioral changes occur and the limits of plasticity, is a requirement for anyone interested in sustaining healthy songbird populations in the Anthropocene. Yet, our world is changing rapidly. Can songbirds adapt quickly enough to keep up? Observed declines in many species worldwide suggest that the answer is no. To avoid extinction for many species, our conservation strategies must be broader and more intentional. For example, are there ways to actively manage habitats so that vital cue-response systems are kept intact? Anthropogenic factors are also altering how birds select mates and habitats, sometimes in ways that decrease fitness. Can biologists actively manipulate behavior to mitigate these mismatches? The first goal of this book is to educate academics and managers alike about the foundational behaviors that drive songbird activity and demographic patterns. Topics such as migration, habitat selection, communication, etc., are explored by renown songbird biologist to bring the reader up to speed on the latest advancements in the field. However, each author is also versed in the principles of conservation. The second goal of this book is to explore the current issues that songbirds face in an increasingly anthropic world – and to discuss the role of behavior in the development of management solutions. By broadening our conservation toolkit, we can be more prepared to manage songbird populations and communities within the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene.




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