What to buy a wildlife fan this year? Here's a list

Thanks to a seemingly endless supply of new books and gadgets, giving gifts to wildlife watchers gets easier every year.
Here are my recommendations for this holiday season.
"The Songs of Wild Birds" by Lang Elliot (2006, Houghton Mifflin, 19.95) is a book/CD combination. Elliot covers 50 favorite birds, each illustrated with a gorgeous photograph and discussed in a one-page essay. The CD features the voice of all 50 species, including the ivory-billed woodpecker.
"Unsafe Harbor" (2006, Avon, 6.99) is Jessica Speart's 10th wildlife mystery thriller featuring intrepid U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Rachel Porter. This time Rachel is back in her native New York City battling wildlife crimes in Port Elizabeth, NJ. I love these books because they're great reads, and I always something new about wildlife law enforcement.
"Letters from Eden: A Year at Home, in the Woods" by Julie Zickafoose (2006, Houghton Mifflin, 26) is a collection of illustrated essays that describes the natural world that lies just beyond the author's doorstep. What makes this book particularly appealing is that Zickafoose provides both the words and the artwork.
Ten years after Roger Tory Peterson's death, "All Things Reconsidered: My Birding Adventures" (2006, Houghton Mifflin, 30.00) assembles 42 of his columns from BirdWatcher's Digest. Each essay is illustrated with Peterson's own photographs. I can't imagine a better water to get to know the father of American birdwatching.
Speaking of BirdWatcher's Digest, any birder would enjoy a gift subscription to this popular bimonthly magazine ([800] 879-2473, www.birdwatchersdigest.com; 19.99).
Coffee industry
After oil, coffee is the most traded commodity on earth. That's why it's so important to growers, traders, wholesalers, retailers, environmentalists and birders. "Birdsong & amp; Coffee: A Wakeup Call" (2006, 30.00, DVD, www.olddogdocumentaries.com) explains the economic and environmental implications of the coffee industry. Then perhaps you'll be inspired to switch to shade-grown coffee, which is available at many wild bird stores and nature centers.
"An Inconvenient Truth: A Global Warning" (2006, DVD now in stores; 29.99) is Al Gore's take on global warming. Regardless of your political bent, this documentary pulls together a body of information that everyone should hear.
If you're looking for something lighter and bit more entertaining, "Hoot" and "Duma" are two PG-rated films suitable for the entire family. "Hoot" (DVD, 19.98) tells the story of a group of kids determined to save a local population of burrowing owls. "Duma" (DVD, 14.98), set in South Africa, is the tale of a 12-year old boy's determination to return a captive-reared cheetah to the wild.
Many state wildlife agencies sell calendars, embroidered patches, magazines, videos, artwork and conservation stamps, but curiously, finding these items on agency Web sites can be a challenge. The best and most user-friendly agency Web site I've found is the Pennsylvania Game Commission's, www.pgc.state.pa.us.gov. Just click on "The Outdoor Shop."
For stargazers
Celestron's SkyScout ( 398, www.celestron.com/skyscout) is a bit pricey for my budget, but it seems the ultimate gadget for stargazers. I've never recommended something I haven't used, but the SkyScout sounds too good to ignore. Basically, you find a star, planet or constellation in the viewfinder, press a button and the SkyScout identifies the object. The Celestron Web site indicates that demand is high, so delivery by Christmas may be a problem.
Finally, if you've been thinking about switching to a digital camera, "Digital Nature Photography, From Capture to Output" ( 29.95, McDonald Wildlife Photography, Inc., 73 Loht Road, McClure, Pa. 17841, (717) 543-6423; www.hoothollow.com), is a book on a CD that addresses virtually everything you need to know to use digital imagery.
Written by two well-known professional wildlife photographers, Joe and Mary Ann McDonald, and an Adobe Certified Expert, Rick Holt, this book describes in easy to understand terms all facets of digital photography, from taking the photograph to the final making of a print.
The text is written on a CD in a PDF format, readable by any computer, and it can be easily downloaded onto your laptop. For a hard copy, the book can also be printed from any home computer printer or from any office supply store.
Send questions and comments to Dr. Scott Shalaway, RD 5, Cameron, WV 26033 or via e-mail to sshalaway@aol.com.