My First Book Cover!

Hi All,

I’m excited to share with you my cover for the book I’ve written called “Dare to Bird - Exploring the Joy and Healing Power of Birds”

It won’t be on sale until May, 14-2024 (next year) but for now you can see the cover and read more about it at the publisher’s website Rocky Mountain Books (RMB) HERE

I am so grateful for this opportunity and thankful to RMB but so sad my parents aren’t alive to read it. They were my main inspiration for this book, so my greatest thank you goes to them for supporting me in everything I did and loving me so deeply. My father knew the book was coming but never got to read it or see the cover art sadly.

Thanks to all my friends and the young birders as well for their support, inspiration and encouragement in writing this book. I truly hope it will help anyone going through similar challenges of loss and adversity. I also hope that for those who have thankfully not experienced loss like this, that one can relate to the main message of how birds bring us joy and can enhance and change our lives for the better. 

Atlantic Puffin on the cover of my book "Dare to Bird" - Photo: Melissa Hafting

Comments

  1. Steve HamptonAugust 14, 2023 at 9:58 PM

    Gorgeous cover! Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Toby YeAugust 14, 2023 at 11:30 PM

    Congratulations on such an amazing cover and fantastic ATPU pic! I'm looking forward to reading it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. LonelytravellerAugust 15, 2023 at 8:32 AM

    I am so proud of you writing this book. This is an absolutely amazing accomplishment and it is beautiful to see all your hard work and dedication to the birding community and conservation being recognized and realized in the development of this book. Mom and Dad would be so proud and I’m sorry they don’t get to see it in person. How you honour the grief journey and healing through birding will be a beautiful honour to their memory. Your photography skills are impeccable, clearly seen in the stunning cover for this book. I will be first in line when it is released!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa HaftingAugust 18, 2023 at 10:06 PM

      Thank you I miss them with my whole heart. Still feels like the dr ripped my heart out without anesthetic at their losses. I so wish they could of read it but hope they see it from heaven.

      Delete
  4. EricAugust 15, 2023 at 9:55 AM

    I am so proud of you Melissa. Your parents are looking down on you and very proud. Good things happen to good people and you really deserve this honour. I will be at chapters the day it comes out. The community is so grateful for the time and energy you give in helping us all. I haven't met a nicer person who has been more welcoming than you in this hobby. You made me love birds even more. The cover artwork is so eye catching and beautiful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa HaftingAugust 18, 2023 at 10:07 PM

      Thank you Eric for your kind words it really is kind of you to say that. I really am touched.

      Delete
  5. DebbiAugust 15, 2023 at 11:23 PM

    Very striking and vivid contrasting colours on this bird head photograph! Your recent comment on Atlantic bird trip write-up is indeed that ""puffins have a very interesting face"! ".Envisioning many copies will be sold Melissa- congratulations!. The UBC Botanical Garden bookstore will certainly want to order this heartfelt manuscript of yours which will highlight the power of birdlife that surrounds us thanks to you strong ability to put so many concise thoughts from pen to paper!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa HaftingAugust 18, 2023 at 10:07 PM

      Thank you so much Debbi for your kindness and support

      Delete
  6. MikeAugust 16, 2023 at 10:52 AM

    Mel we are all so proud of you. Your courage and vulnerability in the loss of your beloved parents shows your strength. I don't know how you do all you do for everyone. It is brave and inspirational to share the trials you have had in the community when it comes to racism and sexism. You are helping to make birding safer and more accessible for all thank you. Your cover is stunning cannot wait to read it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa HaftingAugust 18, 2023 at 10:09 PM

      Thank you Mike.I do truly enjoy helping others find rarities and enjoy birding. Losing both my parents like this at my age and so close to one another has been very heartbreaking I am surprised how much pain the human body can handle and I am confident without the birds I probably wouldn't be here today. They have really helped me to keep getting up in the morning with a heart of gut wrenching pain. When I look at them they help me to cope with my devastating loses just a little bit easier

      Delete
    2. Melissa HaftingAugust 18, 2023 at 10:11 PM

      ps also thank you Mike for saying what you did about inclusivity I strive to make birding more accessible and welcoming to birders of all colours, gender expressions and sexual orientations. The benefit to making others feel welcome is also having more people to protect birds and their habitats.

      Delete
    3. Melissa HaftingAugust 18, 2023 at 10:11 PM

      ps also thank you Mike for saying what you did about inclusivity I strive to make birding more accessible and welcoming to birders of all colours, gender expressions and sexual orientations. The benefit to making others feel welcome is also having more people to protect birds and their habitats.

      Delete
  7. Janet W.August 17, 2023 at 4:40 PM

    I lost my sister so I know the grief you speak of and really hope this book will help me to cope better with loss. My heart breaks for you can't imagine losing 2 people who I love more than the world just taken like that. Thinking of you. Hope you know you really inspire me as a woman birder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa HaftingAugust 18, 2023 at 10:14 PM

      Dear Janet I am so sorry you lost your sister. I hope this book does help you a little better. Losing someone like your sister can never be fixed but the birds can help us to heal a little bit, can offer distraction and comfort in our deep sorrow. Yep losing my mom and dad has changed me forever feels like someone stabbed me in the heart. That means a lot that I inspire you. It is so nice to see more women birders out there since when I first stated and in my young birder program too. Thank you so much for thinking of me in my grief. I would give up my eyesight if I could spend one more hour with my father and mother. They were wonderful and I will miss them ever more.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Dowitcher Identification

Image
Birders notoriously find it difficult to tell Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers apart. I have got a request to do an identification explanation on them so here goes, I hope it will be helpful. Short-billed Dowitchers and Long-billed look so similar. Using their habitat is helpful but not diagnostic. Short-billed Dowitchers tend to prefer Salt water and brackish water and Long-billed Dowitchers tend to prefer fresh water. However, I have OFTEN seen Short-billeds in freshwater and Long-billeds in brackish and salt water. Therefore, DO NOT rely on habitat. Another feature many people will tell you to rely on is spotting on the side of the flanks of Short-billeds and barring on the side of Long-billeds. Usually this is a mark that you can use but it is not always as distinct as you like. I have seen Short-billeds with a barred appearance to the flanks. It is only at the side of the breast where you have to look for this diagnostic feature for the spots on a Short-billed and t
Read more

Hawk Identification Tips from every angle (Sharpie vs Cooper and Red-tailed Subspecies)

Image
I get several questions about the difference between accipiters. The most common ones are between Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks and between Cooper's Hawks vs Northern Goshawks (to a lesser degree). Next, I get many questions dealing with a certain race of buteos the Western Red-tailed Hawk and Harlan's. So I thought I would do a post on these to help answer those questions. I will deal with Cooper's and Sharpies and not Goshawks because they are much more common here and look much more alike. My friend John Reynolds inspired me to write this up. COOPER'S AND SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS EYE COLOUR - YELLOW OR ORANGE? RED? Normally a juvenile Cooper's hawk has a bright yellow eye and a Juvie Sharpie has a orange eye but some cooper's can have a dull yellow eye that looks a bit orangish. Cooper's Hawks usually only transition to the orange eye colour when they are sub adults, so in good light, it's a very very reliable feature. However you
Read more

STINT IDENTIFICATION

Image
As per request, here are some tips that I hope will be helpful in identifying and differentiating Red-necked Stint from Little Stint. I will also do a brief intro on Long-toed and Temminck's Stint... if you build it they will come right?😉 Red-necked and Little Stints look very much alike in worn breeding plumage. The amount of Red on the face, throat and breast in Red-necked Stint is vary variable). They look even more alike in non-breeding plumage, that is why it is essential to learn structural differences to separate the two. They are similar to Semipalmated Sandpipers as well as Sanderlings. Both species are often confused for Red-necked Stints. Little Stints rarely get confused with Sanderling because they have a hind toe which helps differentiate it from this species. Sanderlings in breeding or worn breeding are usually confused with Red-necked Stints but they are much larger than Red-necked Stints. Let's first start with Bills in this complicated ID proces
Read more

*Updated - The most famous Red-tailed Hawk is eating fish on the ground just like a Bald Eagle!

Image
Update - There are plans in the works to make a documentary film on this young Red-tailed Hawk who thinks he's an Eagle. You can read the latest news about that on CBC HERE . Watch this incredible footage of the little Red-tailed Hawk who grew up in a family of three Eaglets and 2 Bald Eagle Parents. He is imprinted now on Bald Eagles. He looks and acts just like one, as you can see here in the video below. He is standing over a large salmon carcass, just like a Bald Eagle would and he's eating the decaying flesh. Red-tailed Hawks like to eat voles and rabbits etc. not fish! Imprinting is usually irreversible according to raptor expert David Bird. However, I hope it's reversible so that he doesn't attempt to mate with a Bald Eagle, as the Eagle would kill him because it would view him as a Hawk. Eagle expert David Hancock said that the bird will likely starve and get killed by an eagle. He said this possibly can be prevented if someone grabs it and takes it to O
Read more

*UPDATED* The First Ever Black Birders Week May 31-June 5th

Image
By now you have probably heard about the racist Canadian-born White woman who did a racist attack on a Black birder named Christian Cooper in Central Park in NYC. All he asked was for her to leash her dog in a on-leash dog area. If you haven't heard of this story you can watch the video and read about it HERE . It's a vile video of a vile person who knew her White privilege and used it as a weapon against this man.  We all know that in America many Black people especially Black men are killed by police for no reason at all but the colour of their skin. A good example is George Floyd who was killed by a police officer (while 3 other cops looked on) for what they said was a possible 20$ forged bill. The White police officer put a knee on his neck on camera for over 8 mins until he died, despite having the victim completely restrained, begging for mercy and not being able to breathe. Only one police officer was charged and not for 1st degree murder but third and manslaught
Read more