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Field Notes Quarterly

For the introductory edition of Field Notes Quarterly, we’re featuring the bird that inspired Reveille in Birdland. This Bewick’s wren and its mate built their nest in a wicker basket we used as a mailbox.

Field Notes 1.1 August 2026

Announcing the publication of Reveille in Birdland

Dear friends, bird-lovers and readers,

I hope this summer finds you well-rested, but also slightly restless and needing something new to read: A book that is intelligent and relevant, but also funny and different than most anything you’ve read before.

As noted in the subject line, Reveille in Birdland is now available from Amazon as a paperback and also in a kindle edition, and I’m hoping you’ll give it a try and/or tell your friends and relatives about it.

What to tell them? It’s an adventure story about a Bewick’s wren named Buick who receives a message on the tweeter telling him it’s his job to find out what has happened to 3 billion missing birds. Buick rises to the occasion. He crosses the continent, interviewing birds of the species most impacted. There are also challenges along the way, particularly from an ambitious ornithologist who sees Buick as her yellow-brick road to career success.

There’s lots of entertainment packed into this story: myths, legends, puzzles, magic, and jokes. You’ll find out what birds find funny about humans, as well as what kind of scientific research they hate the most. And who is that avian super-celebrity, lurking in the wings…?

I was surprised today, when I realized it has been just shy of one year since I last wrote about the birds I’ve been seeing and photographing. Back at <msheldon.com> you can find a new portfolio of birds in Florida, taken this past winter. Ellie and I also took a trip to eastern Oregon’s Malheur NWR during the breeding/fledging season. We had aw-shucks views of Sandhill Crane chicks, and also tiny grebes being ferried around on their parents’ backs. Finally, there are images of beautiful birds taken on Whidbey and other locations in western Washington.

You’ll find the navigation on the site is a bit different than before. I’ve added a section called “Reveille in Birdland’s Birds” before the usual location-focused portfolios. It’s still under construction, but I didn’t want to put off telling you about Reveille any longer than I already have.

Thanks for your interest, friendship, and support. I look forward to hearing from you!

Michael
PS. It is my intention to send a note like this quarterly. If you’d prefer not to receive it again, just say so and I’ll take you off the list.

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