Bibliograph

Flight lines, across the globe on a journey with the astonishing ultramarathon birds, Andrew Darby

Type

Label

Flight lines, across the globe on a journey with the astonishing ultramarathon birds, Andrew Darby

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 278-315) and index

Illustrations

maps

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Flight lines

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1142330812

Responsibility statement

Andrew Darby

Sub title

across the globe on a journey with the astonishing ultramarathon birds

Summary

An trans-world journey with an extraordinary shorebird--from Australia's southern ocean to the Arctic and back--that explores the mysteries of the natural world and its power to heal. As the sun lowered and turned Gulf St Vincent fiery, they each called a high-pitched 'peeooowiii!', flashed their black wing-pits, spread their tail skirts and took flight... In a luminous new book, Andrew Darby follows the odysseys of two outwardly-humble Grey Plovers, little-known migratory shorebirds, as they take previously uncharted ultramarathon flights from the southern coast of Australia to Arctic breeding grounds. On these death-defying flights they dodge predators, typhoons, exhaustion, and countless other dangers before they can breed... and then survive the journey all over again and return south to their feeding grounds. But the greatest threat to these, and other long-distance migrants on the flyway, is China's "dragon economy," which is engulfing their vital Yellow Sea staging spots. In Flight Lines, we meet the dedicated people of all nationalities and backgrounds working to save these intrepid birds, from Russia to Alaska, from the rim of the Arctic Sea to the coasts of the Southern Ocean. Out of their hard-won science Darby finds hope for the birds--an unexpected bright light for our times. But his journey to understand these marvelous birds almost ends when he is suddenly diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Then he finds science coming to his rescue too, as his own story and the journey of these little birds intersect in an unexpected and beautiful way

Table Of Contents

Hunting on a no-good shore -- Three letters will do -- Tiny sparks -- The undertone -- The treasure map -- The treasure house -- Perfectly suited -- The white bear bird -- Beringia -- A portion of their secrets -- Now south -- A flick of the dragon's tail -- Lost flocks -- A spoonful of hope -- Navigating the possible -- In harmony with the sun

Target audience

adult

Classification