The Bird of Light

"Joy Hay is one of our very best essayists on the natural world, and The Bird of Light is a fine example of his work."―Peter Matthiessen

Here is an evocative, closely observed portrait of terns, as the noted naturalist John Hay has watched these "tirelessly flying, excitable, vulnerable birds" for years on Cape Cod. Celebrating their beauty, Hay describes all aspects of the birds' lives, from threats by enemies (including human beings' neglect of the environment) to mating rituals, the wild tumult of a crowded nesting site, and their long-range migrations.