Pelagic birding expert Michael Tove has a new book coming out that N. Atlantic pelagic birders will be eager to get their hands on. Guide to the Offshore Wildlife of the Northern Atlantic will be available in January (you can pre-order copies online now - see below). Mike took some time out to chat to Surfbirds about his new book, his artwork and even his best day's birding at sea.
Mike is a recognized authority on the identification of pelagic birds and whales and draws from over twenty-five years' experience. His observations have helped "rewrite the book" on several North American species. A Ph.D.-trained biologist who conducts occasional bird- and whale-watching tours, he lives in Cary, North Carolina.
Surfbirds: Has this book been a labor of love for you and just how many hours per year were you out at sea in order to make this book?
Mike: This book was a labor for about 8 years - sometimes love, sometimes hatred but, in the end, I'm pleased with the result and have actually decided to start work on its companion for the Northern Pacific.
Surfbirds: It seems that this is the first book of it's kind that tackles seabird identification and mammals all in one book. As more and more birders take to the sea, there is more interest in the other wildlife out there so it's a great idea to combine everything in one book. Was it your intention to make one comprehensive book so that you can leave all the other books at home?
Mike: That was precisely my intention. One of the things that is so obvious on pelagic trips is that birds are NOT the only "game in town" and sometimes a whale or sea turtle can provide that necessary break from boredom to get everyone scanning again after they've started to fade. Sometimes, the non-bird can even be the highlight of a trip.
Surfbirds: How did you cope with illustrating and writing the book? Were you painting as you went along or did you divide your duties and do all the writing first or vice-versa?
Mike: I painted the plates first, then wrote the text. The fact is that most field guide users look at the pictures before anything else and sometimes exclusively. I wanted to get the images as accurate as I possibly could first, then use the info presented on the plates to guide the text. That way, the text complements the images rather than the other way around. A subtle difference perhaps, but a practical one that I've observed in the field, watching observers watch birds and whales.
Surfbirds: Seabirds are not easy to field sketch. For your plates, do you do much sketching at sea or rely more on photographs when you get back to land?
Mike: I relied almost exclusively on photographs. I don't trust sketches of birds in the field because what happens is by the time you get to painting a plate, you are painting an impression of an impression. One of the great things about scrutinizing photographs is that field marks that were not previously known show up, particularly when trying to understand why a certain part of the bird looks the way it does. For example, I discovered that there were observable differences in the shapes of the pale carpal bars on Wilson's, Leach's and Band-rumped Storm-petrels. Once I became aware of the differences, I started looking it to confirm that in the field they were not only real, but reliable - and found they were.
Surfbirds: Are there any artistic inspirations for you? Particular artists or books that inspired you to make this book and inspire you when you paint?
Mike: In 1983, I had an opportunity to spend some time with Don Eckelberry. Don gave me some philosophical ideas about painting birds that has stuck with me. However, when it came to doing the actual paintings, my greatest inspiration was not what others had done well, but what had not been done well. I wanted to capture enough of the "jizz" of each image that it was useful in an actual field situation. To that end, I asked panels of experts in each field (birds, whales, etc.) to review the plates and make comments. In some cases, based on that input, entire plates were repainted from scratch. In other cases, they were modified accordingly. I even took the repainted plates back to their critics for re-evaluation. My guess is that if any criticism is ever leveled at some of the artwork, it will NOT be the plates which went through this level of scrutiny.
Surfbirds: We've all read many of your articles over the years particularly on Pterodroma petrels. Is this one of your favorite groups of seabirds and one that provides the strongest identification challenge for birders today?
Mike: Actually, the Pterodroma Petrels are my second favorite group of seabirds. The albatrosses are #1 - the big ones in particular. It's hard to describe what it's like looking at a Wandering Albatross for the first time (or even the 100th), especially if the bird is at all close which is pretty common on board a ship. They're that spectacular. This past winter off North Carolina, we had a nearly full adult Yellow-nosed. It was a dream-come-true for me as a North Carolina Seabirder. Later that summer, I had a Bermuda Petrel fly up the wake of the boat and give a quick, but decent look. It was quite exciting, but for me, not as exciting as the Yellow-nosed. However, there might be an element of rarity in all this and possibly if I saw albatrosses as frequently as I see Gadfly Petrels, I might feel differently.
Surfbirds: It seems that there has been a surge of interest in pelagic birding and trips over the last decade or so. In your mind, has there been a catalyst for this?
Mike: I think there are two things driving this. First, the ocean is the last frontier of birding. It is where most of the new discoveries (outside Attu, etc.) are occurring and where a single trip holds the greatest possibility of something really exciting - and not just for the first-timer getting lots of ABA lifers. Second is that there's a sense of adventure which is appealing. It's not as easy as getting in the car and driving to your favorite reservoir. The birds are challenging to see and challenging to identify and because of the unpredictibility of the open ocean there is a slight element of danger. It gets the adrenalin running in ways that little other birding events can match.
Surfbirds: What's been your best day's birding at sea?
Mike: May 29, 1993 but it wasn't a bird that made it the best, it was a whale. Actually, it was a bit of both. About 10 AM (or so) we were chasing an unknown "small all dark bird with long wings" that had long gotten away from us when suddenly, we saw a large dark bird sitting on the water. We pulled up to it, stopped and scratched our heads at this rather "odd-looking" solid chocolate-brown skua. Photos later revealed it to be a juvenal-plumaged Brown Skua - which, if I ever get to writing it up, would prove to be the first record from North America. Two hours later there was a shout of "Whales." Instead of Sperm or even Cuvier's Beaked Whales which I expected, we were looking at a group of three small dolphin-like grayish whales that I immediately recognized as Mesoplodonts (a really rare and largely unknown group). Amazingly, they didn't elude us by deep diving over the next 10 minutes of observation, it became increasingly obvious that they were True's Beaked Whales, a species NEVER previously observed alive anywhere in the world. I can't imagine topping a World First sighting, never mind on the back of a North American first (the skua).
Surfbirds: What's your best remedy for seasicknesss?
Mike: The only certain remedy for seasickness is stay on shore. Apart from that, everyone will have a different answer. However, what I generally recommend is to use the Bonine chewable tablets, starting 24 hours in advance of the trip. Each tablet lasts about 12 hours so by the time you start the trip, you've taken the third dose. It's actually nothing more than an antihistamine so there's no danger of addiction. What happens, though is that the drug builds its effect over the 24 hour period and works a bit better by the time the boat starts rolling. Also, the 24 hour build-up greatly decreases the drowsiness side-effect that some people experience. I used to be a big fan of the Scopolomine patch but I found the side-effects a bit too much and the cost substantial. However, it did work - but I've seen people heaving their guts out with a patch stuck firmly behind their ear.
Surfbirds: What's your next book - is it also on a pelagic theme?
Mike: Since I've already started it, I'll make the really advanced notice: Guide to the Offshore Wildlife of the Northern Pacific. I plan to spend the next 3-4 years doing the field research I feel is necessary (I've already spent a modest amount of time in that body of water). Then perhaps another 2-3 years writing it and then who knows about it's publication date. However, University of Texas Press has already given me the green light for the project - was actually talking about it 2 years ago.
Surfbirds: Thanks Mike and looking forward to getting on one of your pelagics!
