Adventures in Birdwatching

Picture a mellow, laid-back version of Bill Nye. Now picture him a little older, a little wiser, and a little...bald. Voila! You've got Ken Dial, an Associate Professor of Zoology and Biology at the University of Montana, and a very cool, very funny science guy who loves his work, and can't help but share the news. Viewers tag along with Dial as he visits Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge in Florida (if you think La Guardia Airport is busy during Christmas, you ought to see the air traffic and ground congestion here) to check out beautiful exotic birds such as the Roseate Spoonbill, Black-necked Stilt, Brown Pelican, White Ibil and a variety of egret and heron. In the second half of the program, we follow Dial up the coast to Massachusetts where we meet some die-hard birdwatchers: it's 6:00 a.m., it's raining, and these fans are standing in a cemetery. The excitement they exhibit over sighting a Scarlet Tanager could be momentarily confused with, say, seeing Brad Pitt, but after following the birdwatchers through this heavenly sanctuary and listening to the beautiful song of the Tennessee Warbler, the Solitary Vireo and the Mourning Dove, it begins to make sense why they set their alarms the night before. Throughout, the camerawork in tracking these tiny birds is excellent, the onscreen species identification is extremely helpful, Dial is a superb host, and--thanks to video--I don't have to get up early to catch the birds. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: J, H, P. (N. Plympton)