Last Minute Gifts

Are you looking for any last minute gifts for someone or yourself who likes to observe nature in the field and wants basic identification and facts without having to carry a full set of field guides?  Flash guides, flash cards, and mini field guides are easy to carry, contain basic information for identifying the most common species, and often have observation tips or facts that will get you started on learning more.

Flash guides are one of my favorites to use outdoors.  They are laminated, fold-out packets that contain full color illustrations and basic identification information for a specific group of species and their habitats.  Small format field guides are paperback books with laminated covers to help protect them in the field.  They cover only the most common species and facts for each.  They are not meant to replace full field guides, but are excellent for quick information.  Both guides can be used in all weather conditions including when wet or muddy, and are easy to clean with a damp cloth.  Guides are lightweight and will easily fit in a vest pocket or shoulder bag.  Flash cards are a similar format, with illustrations on one side and basic information on the other.  Printed mainly as a learning tool, you may still find them useful in the field.

Questions you may want to use to help evaluate a resource may include:

• Do I want to take it out into the field?  Is it easy to carry? Weather-proof?
• Does the guide cover the wildlife or habitats I want to observe?
• Does it contain the most common species I am likely to see?
• Are illustrations, photos, and drawings easy & sufficient for me to use?  Are field marks noted?
• Do you only want information on ID, or should it include natural history information also?

Many guides are available through local museums, arboretums, or zoos.  Much of the information on these guides has not changed over the years, so shopping the internet for used guides that may not be currently in print is always a good option.  I use them often in the field for basic ID and to begin learning about the species I am observing as well as the habitats they reside in.  I hope you get out and have fun observing and learning during your own outdoor adventures in the coming months.

A selection of possible guides includes:

• The Pocket Naturalist Guide Series, from Waterford Press (https://www.waterfordpress.com/products/series/pocket-naturalist/)  includes many groups of species and habitats such as trees, animal tracks, mushrooms, pond life, reptiles & amphibians, beetles, medicinal plants, butterflies & moths, and several more topics
• Peterson Flash Guides, from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (https://www.hmhbooks.com/peterson/) has several bird related guides with illustration by Roger Tory Peterson, but also contains guides to other topics including plants, mammals, reptiles & amphibians, ecology, earth & sky, insects, etc.
• Sibley Flash Guides, from David Allen Sibley (https://www.sibleyguides.com/about/) are all about birds and their habitat
• Bur Oak Guides, from University of Iowa Press (https://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/search/browse-series/browse-BOG.htm) cover species and habitat topics from the Great Plains area including frogs & toads, wildflowers, birds, forest & shade trees, prairie, woodland and more
• Golden Nature Guides, from St. Martin’s Press (https://us.macmillan.com/series/agoldenguidefromstmartinspress) cover science and nature from around the world including bats, stars, seashells, geology, pond life, spiders, snakes and additional topics closer to our region