Dog Days, Raven Nights
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John M. Marzluff and Colleen Marzluff; Original linocut illustrations by Evon Zerbetz; Foreword by Bernd Heinrich
Read an interview with the Marzluffs on the Yale Press Log
The coauthor of the award-winning In the Company of Crows and Ravens and his wife, an animal-behavior expert, offer an engaging account of their days as young field biologists in Maine
Twenty years ago, fresh out of graduate school and recently married, John and Colleen Marzluff left Arizona for a small cabin in the mountains of western Maine. Their mission: to conduct the first-ever extensive study of the winter ecology of the Common Raven under the tutelage of biologist Bernd Heinrich.
Drawing on field notes and personal diaries, they vividly and eloquently chronicle their three-year endeavor to research a mysterious and often misunderstood bird—assembling a gigantic aviary, climbing sentry trees, building bird blinds in the forest, capturing and sustaining 300 ravens as study subjects, and enduring harsh Maine winters in pursuit of their goal. They also shared the unique challenges and joys of raising, training, and racing the sled dogs that assisted them in their work.
Accompanied by Evon Zerbetz's lovely linocut illustrations, Dog Days, Raven Nights is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the adventures of field science and an insightful exploration of the nature of relationships, both animal and human.
From the foreword by Bernd Heinrich:
"One of the great adventures of life...brought back here in often-vivid detail."—Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven, Summer World, and The Nesting Season
"If you want to know exactly what it’s like to begin post-graduate field research on birds and to train a team of sled dogs at the same time, this entertaining book is for you."—Raymond and Lorna Coppinger, authors of Dogs, A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution
“In Dog Days Raven Nights, Colleen and John Marzluff weave an eloquent tale…. Their science comes alive as they take the reader on the journey of their lives. This trip is well worth the read.”—Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D., Director, Dolphin Communication Project; author of Dolphin Mysteries Unlocking the Secrets of Communication
Publication Date: March 26, 2013
56 b/w illus.