This series of essays follows Winn and her cohorts over a decade spent observing the wildlife of an urban place, New York City's Central Park. Winn tells of encounters with red-tailed hawks, grackles, moths, slugs, robins, and owls and brings to life the excitement of waiting patiently to be there for the fly out of your favorite bird. The title comes from the need to be in the park before dawn or after sunset to observe the natural goings-on, something that is perceived as a dangerous thing to do. There are a lot of elements to this book that make is natural for me to like - New York, Central Park, quirky people with unusual hobbies, discovering the unexpected in a very accessible place - and yet I didn't like the book as much as I want to. Perhaps its the heavy detail offered by one who's into intensive scrutiny whereas I just want a general overview or perhaps its the bad jokes that get less funny with repetition. One things for sure, this book is best read like birding - slowly and with great patience over many days, not rushed through. ( )

interesting and informative about birds and bird watching and moths.
i read it because it was about central park. ( )