The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds
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- Author：Jon Dunn
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Summary
An acclaimed natural history writer follows the trail of the remarkable hummingbird all over the world。
Hummingbirds are a glittering， sparkling collective of over three hundred wildly variable species。 For centuries， they have been revered by indigenous Americans， coveted by European collectors， and admired worldwide for their unsurpassed metallic plumage and immense character。 Yet they exist on a knife-edge， fighting for survival in boreal woodlands， dripping cloud forests， and subpolar islands。 They are， perhaps， the ultimate embodiment of evolution's power to carve a niche for a delicate creature in even the harshest of places。
Traveling the full length of the hummingbirds' range， from the cusp of the Arctic Circle to near-Antarctic islands， acclaimed nature writer Jon Dunn encounters birders， scientists， and storytellers in his quest to find these beguiling creatures， immersing us in the world of one of Earth's most charismatic bird families。
Hummingbirds are a glittering， sparkling collective of over three hundred wildly variable species。 For centuries， they have been revered by indigenous Americans， coveted by European collectors， and admired worldwide for their unsurpassed metallic plumage and immense character。 Yet they exist on a knife-edge， fighting for survival in boreal woodlands， dripping cloud forests， and subpolar islands。 They are， perhaps， the ultimate embodiment of evolution's power to carve a niche for a delicate creature in even the harshest of places。
Traveling the full length of the hummingbirds' range， from the cusp of the Arctic Circle to near-Antarctic islands， acclaimed nature writer Jon Dunn encounters birders， scientists， and storytellers in his quest to find these beguiling creatures， immersing us in the world of one of Earth's most charismatic bird families。
Reviews
Creative Warrior
，
Hi there！ I've seen your work and I'd like to commend you for having such talent and imagination。 Your works of art shouldn't be limited and should be recognized by many。 Maybe you'd like to check out N0velStar and consider joining their competition。 Hi there！ I've seen your work and I'd like to commend you for having such talent and imagination。 Your works of art shouldn't be limited and should be recognized by many。 Maybe you'd like to check out N0velStar and consider joining their competition。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
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For non-birders， this maybe be TMI （too much information）， but if you are fascinated by these tiniest of birds， you’ll appreciated Dunn’s look at the hummingbird。 Dunn， a natural-history writer， set off to see hummingbirds in the America’s。 Starting off in Cordova， Alaska where he looked for the rufous hummingbird， he made his way south to tierra del Fuego in search of the green-backed firecrown。 As he goes he tells how the “glitter in green” has been threatened because of their beauty。 As far b For non-birders， this maybe be TMI （too much information）， but if you are fascinated by these tiniest of birds， you’ll appreciated Dunn’s look at the hummingbird。 Dunn， a natural-history writer， set off to see hummingbirds in the America’s。 Starting off in Cordova， Alaska where he looked for the rufous hummingbird， he made his way south to tierra del Fuego in search of the green-backed firecrown。 As he goes he tells how the “glitter in green” has been threatened because of their beauty。 As far back as the Aztecs， their feathers were used in clothing and pictures。 And as climate change impacts the birds， he worries about their future。 。。。more
Julie Stielstra
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* Thanks to NetGalley for an advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review。*Jon Dunn， British birder， writer， naturalist， and photographer， grew up on the side of the world where there are no hummingbirds – except dead ones in the hummingbird cabinet in London’s Natural History Museum。 “Dipped in rainbows，” they mesmerized him and he was well and truly hooked。 His first sight of a live hummer， in Arizona’s Madera Canyon， was literally magnificent: big， bold， dark， glowing， its wings issuing a * Thanks to NetGalley for an advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review。*Jon Dunn， British birder， writer， naturalist， and photographer， grew up on the side of the world where there are no hummingbirds – except dead ones in the hummingbird cabinet in London’s Natural History Museum。 “Dipped in rainbows，” they mesmerized him and he was well and truly hooked。 His first sight of a live hummer， in Arizona’s Madera Canyon， was literally magnificent: big， bold， dark， glowing， its wings issuing a “sonorous buzz” – it was a Magnificent （now called a Rivoli’s） hummingbird。 And so he plans a journey， from the northernmost tip to the southernmost extreme of hummingbird territory， from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego， to see as many hummers as he can， in all their haunts and habitats， from deserts to glaciers to jungles。 And lucky us: we get to go with him。Dunn is a genial， dedicated （obsessed？）， and infinitely knowledgeable guide。 He will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about these physiological miracles （a hummer can require 4000 calories an hour to nourish a heart that beats 1200 times a minute， and that climate change is affecting their ranges to the extent that an Anna’s hummingbird has been seen feeding in Alaska in January）。 He will tell you about the historical naturalists who studied， identified， named， and killed them in vast numbers。 There are elaborate images in art museums like the portrait of Christ made entirely of hummingbird feathers; tiny desiccated chuparosas are sold by the packet as love charms in a foul， stinking Mexican wildlife market as bad as anything in Wuhan， China。 Darwin， Dickens， Edward Lear （The Owl and the Pussycat man， who was also a fine bird painter）， Fidel Castro， Teddy Roosevelt， Gerald Durrell， David Attenborough – all make cameo appearances。 If there’s a hummingbird connection， Dunn has found it。 There’s even a flight in a rickety plane over the famous Peruvian Nazca glyph of a hummingbird， and speculation about what precise species it may be。 The place of hummingbirds in history， folklore， poetry， fashion， art… it’s all here， enthusiastically described and you can’t help but be charmed。And then， of course， the birds themselves。 Dunn has to dig deep to find the words to describe them: emerald， sapphire， ruby， topaz; shimmer， sparkle， blaze， flame， glow。 The names alone （largely thanks to John Gould， an otherwise thoroughly unpleasant man） are something out of fairy tales: Fiery Topaz， Velvet Purple Coronet， the particularly ferocious Black Jacobin， Green-Throated Mango， Tourmaline Sunangel， Festive Coquette， Sapphire-vented Puffleg… What this book desperately needs is pictures。 Dunn is a fine photographer; I would have hoped some of these creatures would have shown their faces in the pages， but I had to settle for Googling。 And I promise you， every image for every one of these wondrous names will make you gasp， smile， and say， “wow！” Dunn must be an affable fellow， and I assume he must speak good Spanish， for he engages a cast of guides， drivers， lodgekeepers， and locals in his quest who are dedicated and generous。 He discusses the protections afforded birds in areas threatened by development （Brazil is a horrifying example） or climate change， and asks （pre-Covid！）: “Were the ecotourism to dry up， what would happen to the Marvelous Spatuletail？” What， indeed？ Huembo Lodge’s Facebook page says they are open with all “biosecurity protocols” for Covid in place – let us hope for the best。 Not a field guide， not an ornithological treatise。 History， adventure travel， quest， obsession， with effusive language to share the wonderment of these tiny， hovering， fierce， glorious birds。 One evening， Dunn lingers in a clearing high in the Ecuadorean forest。 His fellow birders have returned to the lodge。 There is a “deep throbbing hum” in the shadows。 A waft of air brushes his cheek， and a dark hummingbird is hovering inches from his face。 The bird shifts to face him， and the inky plumage suddenly turns to an “overpowering imperial purple，” and the late light “exploded into myriad sparks… coruscating… glittering。” He and the bird “share some sort of communion，” the bird deliberately looking him in the eye。 Dunn’s first Velvet-Purple Coronet， and his desire to share that moment with us makes this book a lovely and endearing pleasure。juliestielstra。com 。。。more
Amelia
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“The periodic appearance of a dragonfly in the garden airspace brought sharp perspective— considerably larger than the Bee Hummingbirds， its appearance caused alarm amongst them and， in a chorus of shrill squeaks， the tiny birds fled for cover。”This brilliant book is both a celebration of hummingbirds and the author’s personal quest to see as many species as possible， beginning in Alaska， working south through central and southern America， and finishing up at the southernmost tip of Argentina。 H “The periodic appearance of a dragonfly in the garden airspace brought sharp perspective— considerably larger than the Bee Hummingbirds， its appearance caused alarm amongst them and， in a chorus of shrill squeaks， the tiny birds fled for cover。”This brilliant book is both a celebration of hummingbirds and the author’s personal quest to see as many species as possible， beginning in Alaska， working south through central and southern America， and finishing up at the southernmost tip of Argentina。 He does this over several trips and， rather than doing a “big year” style dash， he takes the time to go in search of endemic and rare species as well as looking for hummingbirds in their northernmost and southernmost ranges。Each chapter focuses on a different place and includes a potted history of a rare or hard-to-find species， as well as stories about hummingbird collectors， other hummingbird enthusiasts， and hummingbirds in culture。 We also hear about the author's own activities， his encounters with the hummingbirds and other wildlife， and often a humorous anecdote or two， usually at his own expense。 His enthusiasm shines through at all times as he lovingly describes each bird， and he has some really heart-warming experiences with them。 He does， understandably， value rarity， but his main focus is on the beauty of the birds and their amazing characteristics。This was a really enjoyable and informative read， and made me wish hummingbirds were in my country！ The writing style is very approachable and although it will especially appeal to bird lovers， I think a casual reader would enjoy it too。I’d like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance review copy。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kim
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Though they are tiny， hummingbirds are among the most fascinating of birds thanks to their colorful plumage and their singular flying skills。 Their ability to hover in front of flowers is unmatched in the skies and their wings can beat up to hundreds of times per second， creating the humming sound that gives them their name。 Some species have ranges that span thousands of miles， while others exist within in small ecological niches on a single island or across a few mountains。 They have been part Though they are tiny， hummingbirds are among the most fascinating of birds thanks to their colorful plumage and their singular flying skills。 Their ability to hover in front of flowers is unmatched in the skies and their wings can beat up to hundreds of times per second， creating the humming sound that gives them their name。 Some species have ranges that span thousands of miles， while others exist within in small ecological niches on a single island or across a few mountains。 They have been part of the cultures of the Americas for millennia and have faced threats from collectors and fashionistas across the centuries。 But while these beautiful birds are beloved by ornithologists and bird enthusiasts around the world， they are threatened across the board thanks to wildlife trafficking， habit destruction， invasive species， and climate change。 We may love these birds， but they are in grave danger of disappearing forever。In his new book， The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds， photographer and wildlife enthusiast Jon Dunn sets out from his home in the Shetland Islands off the northern coast of Scotland on an epic journey that will take him from subarctic Alaska to the southern reaches of South America。 His goal？ To see as many hummingbird species as he can and learn about the birds， the cultural history that revolves around them， and what their future may entail。 Along the way， he encounters other more dangerous animals such as bears and mountain lions， and has a run-in with the world’s most dangerous creature: angry humans。 Dunn encounters wonderful people， too。 Friendly people who give him good advice and who are willing to spend hours driving a random bird enthusiast into the wilderness so he can see a handful of hummingbirds， or who fell in love with hummingbirds themselves by sheer chance and then turned their homes into a refuge for these tiny， beautiful birds。But The Glitter in the Green is more than just one man listing the countries he traveled to and the birds he saw there。 Dunn delves into the history of the lands he visits as it pertains to hummingbirds。 Along the Mexican border he sees a wildlife market where dead hummingbirds are sold for folk remedies and love potions。 In central America， he describes how the hummingbirds were seen as fierce little warriors by the Aztecs， who associated them with war gods in spite of their small size。 Farther along in his expedition， Dunn details the exploits of English naturalists and collectors who raced to find the strangest， rarest， or most beautiful hummingbirds– and then kill them so they could ship them back to their museums。 There are accounts of made-up hummingbirds that ornithologists believed were real， and real hummingbirds that were thought to be made-up until they were spotted in the wild。 There is a vast array of hummingbird species， and scientists are still trying to figure out how many there are and how they are related to each other。 And the sad truth is that we may never know how many different kinds of hummingbirds exist– or have existed– because some populations are so small and so dependent on a tiny ecological zone that， once that zone is destroyed， we will never know that a particular little bird existed。There is some hope for some species of hummingbirds， however。 As awareness of them as a precious and lovable creature grows， and as ecotourism expands in countries like Colombia and Brazil， pockets of protected areas will grow。 But whether those pockets will allow hummingbirds to thrive or even survive at all is up for debate， and in some regions， such as the tiny Robinson Crusoe Island off the coast of Chile， it is unlikely that the local hummingbirds will exist in another twenty years， no matter what lengths the local people will go to to help protect them。 Dunn may revel in the beauty of a place or wax rhapsodic about the shimmering colors of hummingbird wings， but such descriptions of lovely places and wonderful people can’t quite balance out the elegiac parts。 When he began his journey， Alaska’s forests were on fire; wildlife trafficking in Mexico was unabated; political unrest was threatening to destabilize Bolivia; a right-wing president was abandoning policies designed to protect indigenous people and hundreds of thousands of square miles of untouched rain forest in Brazil。The Glitter in the Green is more than just a book about hummingbirds， attractive as they are。 It’s a compelling and elegantly written cultural history， a travelogue， and a stark reminder that humanity has a complex relationship with the natural world and that all too often， we end up destroying the things we say we love。Thank you to NetGalley and Basic Books for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest opinion。 This did not affect my opinion。 。。。more
Cynthia
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The Glitter in the Green is a beguiling title to a book on author and naturalist Jon Dunn's obsession with hummingbirds。 As a boy Dunn became entranced with these tiny colorful birds， which were not present in his native England。 He has made it his passion and his quest to study the birds in their native habitat。 His adventure starts in Alaska， and eventually leads them all over the world。I admire people who have a passion， and hummingbirds are a beautiful obsession。 The book is part travelogue The Glitter in the Green is a beguiling title to a book on author and naturalist Jon Dunn's obsession with hummingbirds。 As a boy Dunn became entranced with these tiny colorful birds， which were not present in his native England。 He has made it his passion and his quest to study the birds in their native habitat。 His adventure starts in Alaska， and eventually leads them all over the world。I admire people who have a passion， and hummingbirds are a beautiful obsession。 The book is part travelogue and part nature and conservation tome。 Following Dunn on his many adventures made me envy his life！ He includes some interesting obscure facts， for example: he discusses a connection to hummingbirds and James Bond。 Curious？ You'll have to read the book to find out！Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher and Jon Dunn for allowing me to read this ARC。 I found it interesting and entertaining。 I would rate it 4。5。 。。。more
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 The Glitter in the Green is a layman accessible cautionary tale of conservation by Jon Dunn。 Due out 20th April 2021 from Hachette on their Basic Books imprint， it's 352 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。 This Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 The Glitter in the Green is a layman accessible cautionary tale of conservation by Jon Dunn。 Due out 20th April 2021 from Hachette on their Basic Books imprint， it's 352 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。 This is a wonderfully descriptive book and will be especially relevant for birders。 The author describes ten different destinations and their related hummingbird species and his descriptions of the terrain， the travels， the people he meets along the way， and the birds and other wildlife， are full of enthusiasm and beauty and very often pathos。 The habitat is shrinking， the weather patterns are becoming more hostile， and introduced species are destroying indigenous species at a catastrophic rate。Even though there's a pervasive sadness and quiet desperation written into the narrative， I found it a compelling and important read。 I would recommend it for readers of nature and conservancy writing， fans of Rachel Carson， John Muir， David Attenborough， and related writers。 In some ways it also reminded me of Douglas Adams and Mark Cawardine's Last Chance to See。Five stars。Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
David Wineberg
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Obsessions can make for fascinating books。 In Jon Dunn’s The Glitter in the Green， his obsession with hummingbirds takes him from his native and hummingbirdless Shetland Islands to the Americas， where literally thousands of hummingbird species are hanging on。 It is a great trip， with history， folk tales and biology percolating throughout。 There’s even the occasional dash of danger。 But not from the hummingbirds。Hummingbirds are a western hemisphere phenomenon。 They live from the farthest reaches Obsessions can make for fascinating books。 In Jon Dunn’s The Glitter in the Green， his obsession with hummingbirds takes him from his native and hummingbirdless Shetland Islands to the Americas， where literally thousands of hummingbird species are hanging on。 It is a great trip， with history， folk tales and biology percolating throughout。 There’s even the occasional dash of danger。 But not from the hummingbirds。Hummingbirds are a western hemisphere phenomenon。 They live from the farthest reaches of Alaska to the tip of South America at Tierra del Fuego， up mountains and down at sea level， and Dunn booked himself a top to bottom trip to see the rarest of the rare， and if possible， photograph them。 This is far better than what his predecessor obsessives used to do， which was kill them， stuff them and collect their dead bodies in their homes。 Hummingbirds have been a horrifically big industry。 Hundreds of thousands of tiny hummingbird bodies have gone into women’s hats， for example， and they are still sold as pendants and amulets promising health and happiness to wearers。 It got to the point where fraudsters made up their own species。 They pieced together feathers and skins from different birds， and sold them as new or （extremely） rare species。 Some of the best museums in the world fell for it。 If destroying their habitats weren’t enough， poisoning them with neonicotinoid pesticides and children shooting them with slingshots have made it a miracle they’re around at all。 Cats， a billion strong around the world， love to snatch the life from them， because they are too tame and trusting。 Rats invade their tiny nests。 Agriculture reduces their living space。 But plumage hunters have nearly done them in。 A hundred fifty years ago， Lord Strathmore noted: “The activities of the plumage hunters have cut the number of species of hummingbird species in Trinidad from nineteen to five，” for example。It is actually fortunate that so many people are obsessed with hummingbirds， because they set up feeders for them all up and down the continents。 While some bemoan the new dependency on feeders instead of （or in addition to） harder foraging， it might be the case that manmade feeders have become completely critical to their migrations and survival。Hummingbirds migrate。 This is something Man has only recently discovered， by tagging a leg and examining the same bird up to 3500 miles elsewhere。 From Alaska to Florida， in this case。 They can still do it because feeders along the way are charging stations。 The dearth of natural flora， tied to the steep decline of pollinators as well as industrial takeovers of all useful land， makes their travels iffy without human intervention。The birds need an astonishing amount of such fuel to thrive。 They live in the fast lane。 Their wings beat at 50-200 times per second; their hearts pump at 1200 beats per minute。 To do this， they burn 4000 calories an hour， spending their lives feeding and resting， feeding and resting。 They flick their long tongues at nectar 16 times a second， allowing the snatch and grab feeding that keeps them from being in one exposed place for too long。 They don’t slurp so much as snatch。 Their tongues are actually two pieces， which they purse into a tube to capture nectar。Dunn begins at the top of the world， in Alaska， where he sets the pace。 Birders are very supportive of each other。 They will help if they possibly can。 They will go out of their way to aid a birder in search of his or her holy grail。 Dunn gets to network and meet all kinds of helpful and supportive people along the way， making each country he visits into a successful foray despite the weather， the climate， the terrain or， as in Bolivia， nationwide turmoil over the federal election where Evo Morales tried to cook the books。Dunn’s journey， a trip most of us would consider the adventure of a lifetime， took him down from Alaska through the western American states， through Mexico， over to Cuba， back to Costa Rica， Colombia， Ecuador， Bolivia， Peru， Brazil， Chile and Argentina， where he ended up at the tip of South America， to find a rare hummingbird just as it got too cold for the bird to stay much longer。 Each country has its own story and marvelous people who help。 By then end， readers would be justified in feeling that birders should be running things – everything。He spends time on Robinson Crusoe Island， a rock of terrible weather， festooned with feral cats， rats， and brambles， all of which are invasive species brought in by residents to improve things。 It doesn’t take a genius to predict that the opposite happened， as the cats kill the hummingbirds， the rats eat their eggs and the brambles wreak havoc with the native fauna。 Oh-for-three is a typical score when people tamper with nature。Four rabbits were let loose in Tierra del Fuego in 1936， and at last count， in 1953， there were 30 million。 The government brought in beavers（！） to create a fur industry， which never took off， but the beavers， with no natural enemies to control their numbers， have changed the environment completely。 The result is reduced habitat for hummingbirds， something Dunn finds all over the hemisphere。Hummingbirds are represented by so many species， they are all too often limited to a tiny territory with very specific characteristics。 They are often simply endemic to a tiny area of a country and nowhere else。 Destroy those environmental conditions， and the hummingbirds could vanish。 They migrate to another tiny area in order to satisfy the need for energy food when the seasons dictate。 We can only hope they come back。Fortunately， residents and some whole countries （such as Costa Rica） are noticing the value of ecotourism。 Birders in particular seem to be wealthier， leisurely， friendly， harmless and passionate。 Catering to their needs and whims is proving worthwhile。 Setting out a fenceline full of feeders in the right neighborhood sees flocks of birders assembling daily。 The word spreads fast among them。 Hummingbird-friendly homes become targets of pilgrimages。The birds range in size from tiny – the size of a bumblebee， to dragonfly size， to “gigantic” – finch size。 Some supplement their nectar diet with insects， sucking them out of woodpecker-drilled holes， or catching them in the air like dragonflies do。 For the most part， they come in shockingly brilliant， iridescent colors， often clashingly and obnoxiously so。 （This is how they ended up decorating hats and books， among other things。） Some have furry boots， outrageously long tail feathers， and personalities to match。 One hummingbird was constantly bullied by a fiercer species， to the point where it complained to the feeders’ owner。 It hovered in front of the man’s face until he agreed to go over to a feeder and cup his hands around it so that only the complainer could （finally） feed in peace there。 Now of course， the owner is well trained and has to do this all day。 He complains he can’t go anywhere any more。There are placid hummingbirds， and territorial hummingbirds， that will chase all others away and/or fight them to the death。 Some have serrated beaks for doing battle。 Some will sit on a person’s finger and sip at leisure from a thimbleful of sugar water。 Some will even enter the house to be so fed。 It is a whole society， with every personality we are familiar with。Obsessives today collect memories rather than stuffed bodies。 Dunn makes a point of remembering every aspect of his many sightings， and relates them in terrific detail。 He describes another obsessive， Sandy Komito， who set out to see as many as he could， and logged 725 different species of them in just one year。 That’s two different hummingbirds a day， every day， for a year。 There is much to see in the world of hummingbirds。So the book is part travelogue， part nature study， part history and part trivia， a great combination that keeps it moving， not perhaps at hummingbird speed， but with plenty of zigs and zags to keep readers turning the pages。David Wineberg 。。。more
Lori L （She Treads Softly）
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The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds by Jon Dunn is a highly recommended nature guide and travelogue about hummingbirds。Dunn， a natural history writer， fell in love with hummingbirds as a child。 In The Glitter in the Green， he begins his journey in Alaska and ends it in Argentina in his quest to follow the full length of the range of the over three hundred wildly variable hummingbirds。 As we follow his journey he expounds on all things hummingbirds and how these delicate birds are The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds by Jon Dunn is a highly recommended nature guide and travelogue about hummingbirds。Dunn， a natural history writer， fell in love with hummingbirds as a child。 In The Glitter in the Green， he begins his journey in Alaska and ends it in Argentina in his quest to follow the full length of the range of the over three hundred wildly variable hummingbirds。 As we follow his journey he expounds on all things hummingbirds and how these delicate birds are adapting as well as threatened by climate change， habitat loss， and hunting。 As he describes his travels， he shares many remarkable facts about the migrations， coloring， physiology， adaptability， habitats， mechanics， about the various species of each hummingbird in each location。 In each location he visits he is cognizant of considering the culture， history， folklore， and literature of the region and the place hummingbirds hold in these cultural touchstone areas。 He also discusses the threats they face in each region。Dunn presents his captivating narrative in wildly descriptive， poetic prose， and detailed facts。 He is passionate about everything he presents， whether it is details about a specific species of hummingbird， a story， or the effects of climate change。 This is an admirable study of hummingbirds that will enchant both dedicated birders and those with a casual interest in hummingbirds and natural history。 While I reviewed a digital edition， I am sure the hard cover book is a wonder to behold。Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Basic Books in exchange for my honest opinion。http://www。shetreadssoftly。com/2021/0。。。 。。。more
Rachel
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The Glitter in the Green by Jon Dunn is an excellent nonfiction that was truly a journey of one man’s quest to immerse himself into the fascinating existence of the hummingbird that I will never forget。I have always found hummingbirds so endearing， unique， fierce， and mighty despite their tiny size， and I honestly have wondered more about them。 I stumbled upon this nonfiction， reference， and part memoir of the author’s quest to discover， learn， and experience the full scope （as much as safely po The Glitter in the Green by Jon Dunn is an excellent nonfiction that was truly a journey of one man’s quest to immerse himself into the fascinating existence of the hummingbird that I will never forget。I have always found hummingbirds so endearing， unique， fierce， and mighty despite their tiny size， and I honestly have wondered more about them。 I stumbled upon this nonfiction， reference， and part memoir of the author’s quest to discover， learn， and experience the full scope （as much as safely possible） of the fascinating hummingbird。We readers get to travel along in the author’s widespread journey while he discovers， unearths， and describes so much， not only in regards to the hummingbird， but also about nature， and so many locations themselves。Never has learning so much been so enjoyable。 This is a real gem and I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in not only hummingbirds， but nature， the world， and the journey of life。5/5 stars Thank you NG and Basic Books/Perseus Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication。 。。。more
Elainedav
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I have seen hummingbirds twice in my lifetime - once in a car park on the Californian coast and once in a hotel garden in Las Vegas！ This author has travelled throughout the Americas and has sought out many （not all） species of hummingbird in a multitude of environments including some which are as extraordinary as they are unlikely。The narrative starts in Alaska。 Who knew there were hummingbirds in Alaska！ And it ends at the other end of the Americas in Tierra Del Fuego， Argentina。 In between th I have seen hummingbirds twice in my lifetime - once in a car park on the Californian coast and once in a hotel garden in Las Vegas！ This author has travelled throughout the Americas and has sought out many （not all） species of hummingbird in a multitude of environments including some which are as extraordinary as they are unlikely。The narrative starts in Alaska。 Who knew there were hummingbirds in Alaska！ And it ends at the other end of the Americas in Tierra Del Fuego， Argentina。 In between the author visits multiple locations， treks up mountains， avoids civil unrest and gradually fulfills his quest to see as many hummingbirds as possible。 Of course he sees other birds and animals too - in fact， there is a description of an encounter with a bear early in the Alaska section。I found the book to be part natural history memoir， part travelogue and with a good amount of history thrown into the mix。 The historical facts which are shared are quite shocking in part - not least the numbers of birds killed for early museum displays， private collections or fashion。 There are also many ecological observations ranging from deforestation to the use of neonicotinoids， overpopulation and of course climate change。 Somehow the author has brought all of these things together in a book which reads well， is engaging， educational and as mesmerising as the birds he describes。I actually considered stopping reading before I got to the half way point and waiting for the hardback to be published。 I was fortunate enough to have a review copy of the e-book courtesy of the publishers Bloomsbury and NetGalley。 But I craved some photographs to go alongside the narrative and in this respect I suspect the hardback will be better than the e-book version。 But I couldn't wait！ I did， however， find the author's own website and there is a gallery of hummingbird photos there。This book is highly recommended to anyone who loves natural history and travel。 It is fabulous！ Thankyou to NetGalley for an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Laura
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Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book。The Glitter in the Green is a beautiful adventure about one man's quests to seek out hummingbirds across the world。The book is sectioned into chapters that relate to a different place， and the stories， experiences， and of course hummingbirds， that the author sees。I was totally engrossed in this story and it took me to an awesome place where I often felt as if I was seeing through the very eyes of the writer。 He writes Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book。The Glitter in the Green is a beautiful adventure about one man's quests to seek out hummingbirds across the world。The book is sectioned into chapters that relate to a different place， and the stories， experiences， and of course hummingbirds， that the author sees。I was totally engrossed in this story and it took me to an awesome place where I often felt as if I was seeing through the very eyes of the writer。 He writes incredibly vividly， describing the birds in their immaculate and fantastic plumage。I also loved learning about hummingbirds themselves， how fast their hearts beat and the incredible biology of how their feeding works。Overall， this book was an absolute joy for me to read and took me to another world filled with nature and beautiful birds。 I would really recommend to anyone just seeking a bit of escape right now， and especially to anyone interested in the natural world。 。。。more
Brenda
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Miniscule and intensely colourful powerhouses， hummingbirds are the reason for the author's quest to travel from Alaska to Argentina。 What a quest it is and oh， the results！ Hummingbirds have entranced me for ages， since I was a child， so was excited to see this invaluable information in print。 Jon Dunn discovers more than hummingbirds on his journey including danger zones， close-up wildlife， hummingbird rescuers and garden projects， friendships， Aztec mythology， availability for purchase in mar Miniscule and intensely colourful powerhouses， hummingbirds are the reason for the author's quest to travel from Alaska to Argentina。 What a quest it is and oh， the results！ Hummingbirds have entranced me for ages， since I was a child， so was excited to see this invaluable information in print。 Jon Dunn discovers more than hummingbirds on his journey including danger zones， close-up wildlife， hummingbird rescuers and garden projects， friendships， Aztec mythology， availability for purchase in marketplaces and lush rain forests。 He writes reflectively， introspectively and with passion。That these tiny birds can travel 20 hours without stopping is incredible。 The longest recorded migration of a hummingbird is 3，500！ Learning about their wingbeats， flower recognition， size from the tiniest to the largest， the importance of feathers to culture， nest building， extinction， ecology， pesticides， hummingbird lovers in history， hummingbird mites food requirements and the number of species Dunn saw in a two-day span。 The author writes about his findings in a chapter for each country/region and always includes an abundance of other information such as history and those he meets。 What a range of characters！ The descriptions are so beautifully written and detailed。 The only drawback to this book is the lack of photographs。Bird lovers and bird watchers should be clamoring to get this inspiring book。 The information is superbly rich and prompted me to do an entire day of research on these dazzling iridescent and intoxicating creatures。 And if we are unable to travel again this year we will definitely buy more feeders！My sincere thank you to Perseus Books， Basic Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this fascinating book in exchange for an honest review。 Much appreciated。 。。。more
Literary Redhead
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A mesmerizing account of nature writer Jon Dunn’s trek from the Arctic to near Antarctica to follow hummingbirds。 His language is as lush as these jewels of nature， and I longed to trade my life for his。 My fave book yet this year — perfect for birders， nature lovers and anyone who digs adventure！ 5 of 5Pub Date 20 Apr 2021 #TheGlitterInTheGreen #NetGalleyThanks to the author， Perseus Books， Basic Books ， and NetGalley for the ARC， in exchange for my honest review。
Jeff
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Love Letter To Hummingbirds。 This is a travel/ bird spotting book following the author's adventures as he seeks to see as many hummingbirds as possible in their natural （ish） settings， from pole to pole。 The narrative structure follows the author as he starts in Alaska chasing down a particular bird that was reportedly seen there - that had been originally tagged in Tallahassee， Florida。 A bird that weighs just a few ounces， making a flight that many of its far larger brethren would never imagin Love Letter To Hummingbirds。 This is a travel/ bird spotting book following the author's adventures as he seeks to see as many hummingbirds as possible in their natural （ish） settings， from pole to pole。 The narrative structure follows the author as he starts in Alaska chasing down a particular bird that was reportedly seen there - that had been originally tagged in Tallahassee， Florida。 A bird that weighs just a few ounces， making a flight that many of its far larger brethren would never imagine。 We continue to follow the hummingbirds into the US， spending a fair amount of time in Arizona and Mexico， and we continue all the way down to Tiego Del Fuego - the bottom of the world （as far as hummingbirds go， where here they share their habitat with penguins！）。 Part ornithological expedition， part history， part current events commentary， this is a solidly written - if a bit esoteric - book perfect for bird watchers and related enthusiasts。 Even as a generic travel book， this still works well as Dunn so completely describes the environs he finds himself in - including an up close and personal encounter with a puma！ Very well done， and very much recommended。 。。。more
Glenda
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Having grown up in Washington state， I grew up with hummingbirds。 We always had two full feeders in the spring and summer， and I have to say I pretty much started to take for granted these glimmering jewels of nature。 After reading The Glitter in the Green， not anymore！ Dunn's enthusiasm is infectious as he travels from Alaska to the most southern point of South America in search of not only the "common" varieties but the elusive rare species as well。 Between the nature commentaries and trav Having grown up in Washington state， I grew up with hummingbirds。 We always had two full feeders in the spring and summer， and I have to say I pretty much started to take for granted these glimmering jewels of nature。 After reading The Glitter in the Green， not anymore！ Dunn's enthusiasm is infectious as he travels from Alaska to the most southern point of South America in search of not only the "common" varieties but the elusive rare species as well。 Between the nature commentaries and travelogues， Dunn offers historical notes on hummingbird mythology， early scientific research， and the sad historical facts of humans destroying these birds for， ironically， the sake of beauty。 My only major critique: Dunn's concluding comments felt abrupt and unfinished compared to the rest of the book。 Highly recommend for everyone。 Thanks to NetGalley， Basic Books， and Jon Dunn for offering an early e-copy for review。 Be sure to look for this title in April 2021！！ 。。。more
jeremy
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