Description
Whoo is Calling. A humour-filled account of Edward McNabb’s adventures getting to know owls, marsupial gliders and other creatures of the night.
I am delighted to see that Ed has written this book about his varied adventures with owls and the great variety of people and strange situations he has encountered along the way. Its cast includes a diverse range of people: birders, biologists, train robbers, farmers, foresters, film stars, shadowy armed figures in the night, and a wonderfully enigmatic Chinese lantern lady.
Owls, marsupial gliders and other creatures of the night are mysteriously fascinating to many people. But just a few people have the skills, curiosity, passion, stamina and ability to stay awake all night and get to know them well. Ed McNabb is one of those special people. That was obvious when I met him in the 1970s. We went on some memorable birding and spotlighting trips to remote places in the mountains, and in Gembrook Forest he showed me my first Sooty Owl, one of the most enigmatic of Australian owls. I had heard the spine-tingling whistle of Sooty Owls before, but not set eyes on this then-little-known inhabitant of wet forests. Ed took me to where he had heard one, played his recording of its amazing call and we were privileged to see this wonderful bird fly into land in a nearby tree and trill quietly at us in apparent conversation. Wow! Ed perfected the call playback technique and has used it very effectively in scientific surveys, but sparingly for other reasons to minimise disturbance. With similar interests in the natural environment, we have now been friends for 45 years.
This book is a delightfully light-hearted, humour-filled account of his adventures, with many surprises even for those who know him well. It opens a window into what is involved in nocturnal wildlife surveys. I hope many people read and enjoy it.
Dr Richard Loyn. M.A. (Cambridge); DSc (Melbourne).
Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne & Charles Sturt University
Fellow of the International Ornithologists Union
D.L. Serventy Medal 2014
Always in stock. “Printed On Demand” in Australia by Intertype
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