SCOTT SHALAWAY Books on outdoor topics are plentiful

Fortunately for those who love books, writers never seem to run out of ideas. Here are a few titles that have caught my attention recently.
Outback: Reflections from the Appalachian Outdoors by Ben Moyer (2002, Raven Rock Books, P.O. Box 223, Farmington, PA 15437; $19 ppd; order directly from the publisher) heads the list. It's a well-written collection of 50 essays on a wide variety of outdoor topics that is simply a pleasure to read. Most of these essays originally appeared as columns in the Pennsylvania Sportsman magazine and a few in the Sunday Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Though an avid hunter and fisherman, Ben is a naturalist at heart. He enjoys finding a patch of morels, or "murgles" as he calls them, as much as a good hunt.
After reading an early draft of the book, I wrote a blurb that now appears on Outback's back cover: "Ben Moyer is not your father's outdoor writer. His intelligent blend of science, lore, ethics, tradition, and adventure inspires young readers and satisfies even seasoned outdoorsmen. Outdoor lovers of every sort -- hunters, birders, hikers, and anglers -- will enjoy these essays, Ben's answer to the call of the wild."
On birds: Birds of Eastern and Central North America (Fifth Edition) by Roger Tory Peterson (2002, Houghton Mifflin, $22) is the master's last hurrah. In fact, the day he died in 1996, he was working on this classic field guide's final color plate. How appropriate that the crowning achievement of 60 years of birding, painting, and writing would be a revision of the field guide that launched Peterson's career. Among the most welcome of many changes included in this 5th edition, small updated range maps now appear throughout the book.
Hummingbirds of North America by Sheri Williamson (2001, Houghton Mifflin, $22) is the newest addition to the Peterson field guide series. Williamson knows hummingbirds as well as anyone, and here she covers 31 North American species. Because hummingbird identification can be tricky, Williamson uses more than 220 color photos to depict every detail of body, head, throat and tail. And each species account includes much more natural history than most field guides. Details of behavior, habitat, status, and conservation add immeasurably to the book.
Attracting and Feeding Hummingbirds (2000,TFH Publications; $7.95) is another book by Sheri Williamson that escaped my notice when it was published two years ago. I apologize for that oversight because it is a beautifully illustrated guide to attracting backyard hummers.
If you're not interested in the details of identification that Hummingbirds of North America provides, this book is for you. And though it's only 64 pages, it's packed with more information than some books twice that size.
Herptiles: Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast by Arthur Hulce, C.J. McCoy, and Ellen Censky (2002, Cornell University Press, $39.95) marks the publication of the most comprehensive guide to northeastern herptiles.
Though a bit too big to be considered a "field" guide, this reference book now enjoys a conspicuous perch on my desk. What also distinguishes this book from other field guides is the detailed natural history provided for each species. Each time I pick up this book I learn something new, even about familiar species such as box turtles and bullfrogs. If someone in the house loves herps, buy this book.
Insects and Gardens by Eric Grissell (2001, Timber Press, $29.95) will appeal to gardeners and thrill anyone with a passion for insects. Just a few opening entomological tidbits will hook any curious reader. Early on, for example, we learn that science has described nearly one million species of insects to date, that millions more await discovery, and, closer to home, an entomologist once identified nearly 1,500 species of insects in a small suburban back yard.
And in Chapter 2, Grissell explains that the weight of the earth's insects exceeds the weight of the world's human population by about six times.
We ignore insects at our own peril. This book, illustrated with absolutely stunning color photos by Carll Goodpasture, compels the reader to learn that insects are largely beneficial, beautiful and fascinating.
sshalaway@aol.com