Book excerpt: DIVFrom the editor of the nation’s premier birding magazine, a no-nonsense, no-fluff quick guide to the birds you see every day./divDIV/divDIVOf all the classic American pastimes, perhaps none is as widely accessible as watching birds. Our unusually vast, diverse environmental landscape supports fascinating species and variations exclusive to each region of the country. But while birders often spend their efforts in search of the rarest creatures, some of the most beautiful and intriguing birds are the ones that frequent our backyards (or nearby) daily. For that reason, where other, larger volumes focus on bird types that the casual observer is never likely to encounter, Northeastern Birds concisely celebrates those species living under our very noses. Written by Bill Thompson III, the editor and co-publisher of Bird Watcher’s Digest, this portable 5"x8" book contains the same variety of entertaining and informative entries that make Bird Watcher’s Digest the nation’s most popular birding magazine. Inside, you’ll find profiles of the 55 most common birds in the Northeast, complete with large color photos, gender-specific physical descriptions, nesting and feeding information, bird call particulars, and interesting stories about each species. Thompson also introduces the reader to the basics of bird watching: essential gear, bird-friendly food and plantings, housing tips, and observational techniques./divDIV/divDIVThis guide covers New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine./divDIV/divDIVLook for our other backyard bird guides covering the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, South, and West regions of the United States./div