In their new book, Birding by Impression, Kevin Karlson and his wife, Dale Rosselet, encourage the use of both sides of the brain to strengthen birding skills as well as a greater appreciation of birds as fascinating members of the natural world rather than just personal achievements on one’s life list. Using digitized photos Karlson and Rosselet will encourage us to spot differences between similar species in side-by-side comparisons. This innovative identifying approach focuses on basic impressions of size, body shape, structural features, and motion to form an accurate initial impression of a bird seen in the field, with analysis of plumage details and bare parts to follow. The resulting holistic identification is more comprehensive, Karlson observes, than just using traditional details to describe a bird. Kevin Karlson is a professional tour leader and wildlife photographer, and Dale Rosselet is vice president for education for New Jersey Audubon.
