Halcyon Journey

Book excerpt: Marina Richie's pursuit of the belted kingfisher is one of curiosity and kinship with a wild creekside community in Missoula, Montana. The first book to feature North America's beloved bird of waterways, Halcyon Journey threads natural history, memoir, and myth. Epiphanies and a citizen science discovery punctuate Richie's seven seasons tracking a skittish pair of birds. The female is more colorful than the male (unusual and puzzling) and the birds' earthen nest holes are fiendishly difficult to locate. Far-flung adventures to other continents in search of kingfisher kin deepen the author's relationship with Montana birds. In winter, she explores tribal stories of the kingfisher as messenger and helper. By the water's edge, she reconciles the loss of her naturalist father and taps into her own powers, inspired by the bird of the headfirst plunge and rattling call. Book jacket.