The Turtle Dove's Journey

Book excerpt: Part hero's journey, part guided tour, this account of the turtle dove's annual migration carries readers' imaginations into unexplored territories. Starting in the prim hedges of Suffolk, England, instinct drives the dove high into the night skies for a 4,000 mile trip to the savannahs of Mali, in West Africa. Along the way there are lonely, moonlit flights above the sea, a cozy hideout in the bushes of Bordeaux, France, a meeting of the birds at Gibraltar, the fountains of Casablanca, winds flowing "like a river" down canyons of the Atlas Mountains, and a Sahara sandstorm churning below. With carefully researched prose and luminous paintings, this book is perfect for anyone who has ever wondered about the mysterious journeys of Earth's feathered creatures.