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Watching Warblers by Michael Male and Judy Fieth Blue Earth Films, 1996 60 Minutes, VHS Videotape Fire up your VCR and sit back, because you're in for a treat with this video of the warblers of eastern North America. The introduction whets your appetite with brief snips of several species, images so close that you can see feathers on the throat vibrate as each male belts out his song. Images gets closer and closer, until you can actually see the tongue of a Swainson's Warbler as he exchanges songs with a rival male. There is no human voice for several minutes, when there is a brief introduction to the tape. Treatment of individual species is organized by geographic distribution and nesting habitat, and the narrative focuses on behavior and breeding strategy. A typical species account includes a panorama of preferred habitat, with a description of the bird's behavior. For example, the ovenbird "spends most of the time on the ground, not hopping like most warblers, but walking." For the beginning birder, this can be invaluable information as they learn how to look for different species. This behavior information is followed by superb images of a singing male, although coverage of the females is a bit weak. Many species accounts include intimate images of nests and young. The birds show no signs of discomfort, so it must be assumed that the authors were exceptionally careful in setting up blinds to avoid disturbance. The voiceovers are done by the authors, who describe breeding habitat, nest construction, and behavior. These narratives are fairly brief, but nonetheless provide good information, and the authors allow many moments of uninterrupted footage of these birds moving about and singing. There is a brief discussion of fall migration, with a handful of images of these migrants. If I were pressed to find fault, I would have wished for a fuller treatment of the fall plumages. From the point of view of field identification, these are obviously the most problematic. This is followed by a discussion by the authors about the threats posed to warblers by human actions, such as destruction of habitat, and the creation of conditions favorable to predators. While somewhat preachy, it is clear that the authors feel passionately, and if the watcher is not aware of these threats, it is useful instruction. The tape finishes off with snippets of each singing male, with the species printed over the image. To my ear, this appears to be loosely organized by the similarity of the songs. This is a handy warbler review, just the thing for a quick preparation for a field trip. The quality of both video and audio is exceptional, and highlights are many. A male Chat in courtship display with full audio, is followed by a close-up showing him singing his bizarre song, throat throbbing with enthusiasm. A Blue-winged Warbler struggles to feed a nestling an oversized insect pupa, as its mate leans in now and again to help. When it is finally successful, it picks up a fecal sac and flies off. The authors have truly captured the magic of these little avian jewels, and this video will undoubtedly be treasured by anyone who watches it. There is nothing like watching a bird singing to learn its song, and this video will be a first-rate learning tool for beginning and intermediate birders. For the experienced birder, it is simply a joy to watch.

Marjorie Rines "If it perches, I'll look at it" is Marj Rines's birding philosophy. She holds a special affection for warblers, and has seen 40 different species (not including hybrids) in Massachusetts. She is looking forward to number 41. She is also president of Bird Observer of Eastern Massachusetts and webmaster of massbird.org.