SHOREBIRDS: THE BIRDS, THE HUNTERS, THE DECOYS

SHOREBIRDS: THE BIRDS, THE HUNTERS, THE DECOYS With both novice and experienced decoy collectors in mind, the authors have created a thorough study of shorebirds and the decoys used to hunt them. The life cycles of the frequently hunted birds are described; matchless color illustrations by Robert Verity Clem depict each species in its usual habitat. There is a discussion of the rise and fall of shorebird hunting, the places the birds were hunted, and the kinds of decoys used. Lastly the book treats the present-day legacy of shorebird hunting: the amazing variety of decoys, fashioned by an unknown number of carver-artists.Because shorebird hunting ended in the early 1900s, many shorebird decoys are quite rare and collectible. Beautiful color photographs of more than two hundred decoys highlight this carefully documented book.ABOUT THE AUTHORS:John M. Levinson is a retired physician. He grew up in Margate City, New Jersey, where he had an opportunity to observe shorebirds firsthand. He has been a hunter of ducks and geese for over forty years, an avid collector of decoys for more than thirty, and a small boat sailor for over fifty years.A past president of The Explorers Club of New York City, he is the founder of Aid for International Medicine, Inc., and former medical director for Quark Expeditions, serving as ship's surgeon in arctic and antarctic waters from 1991 to 1995.Somers G. Headley:, spent his childhood on a small island off the coast of New Jersey where his father directed the local Coast Guard station. The late Somers Headley became a hunter of shorebirds at a very young age and was one of very few collectors who could discuss the phenomenon from personal experience.Retired in 1971 after thirty-seven years with the DuPont Company, Headley spent most of his free time studying and collecting decoys and hunting. His extensive decoy collection has been enjoyed by most of the serious collectors in the country. ISBN: 0-87033-424-7 publish date: 12/31/1991