Birding with Amy Tan

Bestselling author Amy Tan shares her love of birds, observation, and drawing in a unique book featuring the birds who flock to the feeders in her yard.  She observes finches and sparrows, warblers and hummingbirds, jays and hawks. Tan documents more than 65 bird species throughout the seasons and over the course of six years between 2016 and 2022.  She draws what she sees and is a talented and thoughtful artist. 

The Backyard Bird Chronicles is set up like a journal, documenting the author's early birding days and progressing through novice attempts at attracting birds with the wrong types of birdfeeders and feed, to eventually provide thousands of meal worms, spicy suet and other feed to the birds in her yard. There is a lot of joy in the care and observation and worry and sadness. Not only is the author observing, documenting and drawing, but she is in touch with other birders, naturalist groups and birding professionals. The facts peppered throughout the books are fascinating and heartbreaking. Only 30% of baby songbirds make it through their first year. Migration is another dangerous time. Wildfires and climate changes also affect bird populations. The chronicles include observations of injured birds and sick birds. The author describes removing the feed and feeders regularly to protect the birds from spreading disease. Cleaning and disinfecting the feeders takes many hours. I'm not sure how much time and money are spent purchasing and maintaining the feeders - Tan jokes that she's using the money she would have spent on college tuition if she'd had children and grandchildren. What this means to me is that it's a lot.  

Amy Tan's California home and yard provide exceptional natural protection for birds and unique spaces for feeders. Her home is set high, overlooking San Francisco Bay, with lush plants and trees. There are multiple porches, patios, bi-fold glass doors that open part of the house up when the weather calls for it, and a natural rooftop succulent garden. The extraordinary park-like setting provides the perfect space for birds to rest, nest, play, bathe and eat. If you enjoy birds, nature journals, and art in a smart, witty, "learning from a friend" kind of way, you will enjoy this book.