Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 18, 1990 TAG: 9005220321
SECTION: SMITH MT. LAKE GUIDE PAGE: SML-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PATRICIA C. HELD SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Listed below are some of my favorite books that I refer to for identification of and additional information on wildlife.
"Southern Wildflowers" by Laura C. Martin. Longstreet Press, 272 pages. $29.95.
The South's favorite wildflowers are described in this book. Included are the origins of their names, their history, myths and practical uses. Full-color paintings illustrate this book and the plants included are many found in the Smith Mountain Lake area. While this may not be the book to take on a field trip to the lake, it is an excellent reference and provides much of the colorful history of our local wildflowers.
"Wetlands," An Audubon Society Nature Guide by William A. Neiring, Chanticleer Press. 638 pages. $14.95.
This field guide includes wildlife found throughout the wetlands of North America. It is impossible to include every wildflower, tree, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian, insect, spider, mammal, and mushroom. But this book does provide readers with an overview of what they might expect to see in bogs, marshes, swamps, the Everglades, along rivers and streams, and around ponds and lakes. While "Wetlands" may be too big to fit in one's pocket, it its a compilation of several different field guides. It is a book worth carrying in your car for reference.
"Fall Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains" by Oscar W. Gupton and Fred C. Swope. University Press of Virginia. 208 pages. $12.95.
While some of the wildflowers included in this guide may not be found at Smith Mountain Lake, there are a sufficient number that do grow in the area. The excellent photographs describe the plants in autumn, often without their characteristic blossom but with their fruit. To aid the reader in finding the appropriate plant, the book is indexed according to the fruit color. There also are are comments about the plants' general appearance, value, habitat and other information.
"Pond Life," A Golden Guide by George K. Reid, Ph.D. Golden Press, 160 pages, $2.25.
This is one of the Golden Guide series, which is a group of tiny pocket-sized books that provide an introduction to various nature subjects. It briefly describes the common plants and animals of our ponds and lakes. While it will never replace a good field guide, it is an excellent book, especially for the beginner who wants an introduction to the lake environment.
"Wildflowers of the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains" by Oscar W. Gupton and Fred. C. Swope. University Press of Virginia. 208 pages. $12.95.
The photographs are invaluable as an aid to identification of our local wildflowers. While some of the flowers mentioned in this guide grow exclusively in the mountains, a sufficient number can be found in the lake region. To aid in quick reference the plants are divided by color and the book is color-coded along the margin.
"A Field Guide to the Mammals," A Peterson Field Guide by William H. Burt and Richard P. Grossenheider. Houghton Mifflin Company. 289 pages. $12.95.
No nature library is complete without a collection of Peterson Field Guides and this one is no exception. Excellent color plates, clear descriptions and maps which point out the habitat ranges all combine to make this book one of the best there is. There also are drawings of tracks and skull photographs to aid the reader in identification.
"A Field Guide to the Birds," A Peterson Field Guide by Roger Tory Peterson. Houghton Mifflin Company. 230 pages. $12.95.
This book is a must for anyone who has an interest in the outdoors. It is considered the standard book of avian field identification, The description of the birds' field marks are excellent and each entry includes interesting and characteristic traits that one should look for when identifying a bird.
"The Birds of Lynchburg, Virginia and Vicinity" edited by Charles J. Hansrote Jr. The Lynchburg Bird Club. 70 pages. $5.00.
"Birds of the Roanoke Valley" by Barry L. Kinzie. 76 pages, $5.00.
Both of these booklets are lists of the birds sighted in their given areas. The information on each species includes their status, whether the particular bird is common or rare, if it breeds in the area, migrates through or stays year-round. Both of these books are good references for the serious bird-watchers.
The following books are ones that I often take into the field with me.
"Birds of North America," A Golden Field Guide by Chandler S. Robbins, Bertel Bruun, and Herbert S. Zim. Golden Press, 340 pages. $9.95.
Everyone has their favorite field guide to birds and this one is mine. Each bird is pictured on a page and opposite its picture is a description and range map that tells the reader at a glance whether the bird inhabits the area year-round, in winter, summer, or not at all. There is also a sonagram for each species which helps identify the bird by its song.
"A Field Guide to Wildflowers" of Northeastern and North-central North America, A Peterson Field Guide by Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny. Houghton Mifflin Company, 420 pages. $12.95.
I would not think of taking a walk through the woods without this book. While there are many field guides to wildflowers few provide so much information about so many wildflowers as this book. The pictures and descriptions are very clear and the book is divided into sections and separated by the color of the blossoms.
"Non-Flowering Plants" a Golden Nature Guide by Floyde S. Shuttleworth and Herbert S. Zim. Golden Press. 160 pages. $2.25.
This is one of the simplest and easiest to understand guides to a very complex area of botany, the study of non-flowering plants. Mushrooms, lichens, algae, ferns and moss are all included in this tiny pocket-sized book. While it may not be necessary to bring along this guide on every field trip it is a great reference during the mushroom season or if you plan to study the mosses, lichens and ferns.
"Trees of North America," A Golden Field Guide by Frank C. Brockman. Golden Press. 280 pages. $9.95.
A combination of excellent drawings, including the leaf structure, bark, tree shape, fruit and flower enable even the novice to easily identify trees. A complete description of each species along with a locator map depicting where the tree grows in the wild makes this my favorite guide for tree identification.
There are several series of field guides available that cover wildflowers, trees, ferns fungi, mammals, fish amphibians, reptiles, birds, insects, spiders. They include the Audubon Society Series (Alfred Knopf) The Peterson Field Guides (Houghton Mifflin Company), The Golden Nature Guides (Golden Press) and The Golden Field Guide Series (Golden Press).
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