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Under The Microscope

A FIELD GUIDE TO NEW ZEALAND BIRDS, by Geoff Moon; Reed Books, 1992; 256 pages; $34.95

Great! Finally I get a chance to figure out which birds are what in the back yard. Even if you never get out to the field, this field guide will prove handy for settling arguments and making you feel just a tad closer to the avian wildlife around you.

Some form of simple flow-chart would've been nice for beginners, otherwise you have to patiently search through the whole book on the chance of spotting your prey. But then Geoff Moon's wonderful photos make flicking through this book a delight, clearly capturing the birds at their most recognisable.

The book is arranged in genus order, and the index of common names at the back helps find the right sections for your birds if you're not aware of their classification. I was surprised the Maori names aren't included in the common index, but at least they do appear in the individual entries. It'll make tracking down the National Radio birds more difficult though.

Perhaps I can do that by figuring out what the birds are saying. I'm intrigued at the attempts to represent bird sounds. Does the male tomtit really say "yodi-yodi-yodi", or the takahe "klomph"? It's a shame the magpie's voice is described only as "a melodious warble of flute-like notes" -- I thought Denis Glover's "quardle-oodle-ardle-wardle-doodle" was the last word on magpie speech.

As a hardback, this volume should stand up well to field use, and the one-page introduction on birdwatching equipment makes me keen to get out there and try some serious spotting. Now is that a white heron or a little egret occasionally seen on the canal? I'll take this book with me next time I'm down there.

Vicki Hyde, NZSM