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Birdsong man is coming to Cranbrook

Learn the sounds of Canadian raptors at library presentation
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John Neville

Submitted

John Neville, president of BC Nature and lifelong birder, presents the sounds and images of the raptors of Canada on Monday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. at the Cranbrook Public Library.

John records the sounds of the birds in the wild with great sensitivity and field craft awareness. His major aim is that the production of his art of nature recording will make people more aware of the feathered creatures and their need for a protected habitat. During this Monday's hour-long presentation, with the kind permission of Robert Bateman, John has linked the images of these fabulous paintings with his authentic sound recordings of raptors. He captures the audience's attention with his vivid descriptions of the special biological features that allow raptors to be successful birds of prey.

Known as the Birdsong Man, John has had a lifelong interest in birds which began in England. In 1993 he began serious field recording of birds after studying with the MacAuley Library of Natural Sounds at Cornell University, to which he has since been a regular supplier of nature recordings. He has produced 17 regional sound guides to bird identification, including the recently released two CD set Bird Songs of Eastern Canada, plus Travelling the Dempster, an ebook in which he shares his adventurous trip up the Dempsey Highway from Dawson Creek to Inuvik. He has published articles in journals for the Ontario Federation of Naturalists, BC Field Ornithologists, Wildlife Sound Recording Society, and BC Nature. Recently John's nature recordings have been used by the Canadian Wildlife Service, CBC's The Nature of Things and in Parks Canada interpretive programs. His work is currently on exhibit in the new Robert Bateman Centre in Victoria.

Seating is limited so call 250-426-4063 or drop in at the Cranbrook Public Library at 1212 2nd Street North to sign up for this free program.