Like many of you, I carry a Smart phone with a couple of birding
‘apps’. This wizardry lets one see instant renderings and photographs of birds;
hear their various vocalizations; consult range maps; and learn helpful facts
about habitats, breeding habits, and migration. Pretty amazing stuff, yet even
with this dazzling technology, I almost
always also carry my beat-up, water logged, heavily bandaged 4th edition
Peterson Guide on my walks. With inconveniently placed maps, no
recordings, no photographs, the cover faded to near invisiblity, and smudged
marginal notes, it remains my gold
standard, and the reference used to check the other references. It’s not that
I’m some kind of 21st century Luddite, but just to be sure. . . Today,
August 28, is the 104th anniversary of the birth of Roger Tory
Peterson. We have listed Peterson’s contributions to our pastime on previous
birthday cards so there is no need to repeat them. But I have noticed that I
am not the only one
on a walk who will quietly refer to their Peterson guide . . . just to be sure.
Harry Glasgow
Friends of Huntley Meadows park
