KEN JANES — PHOTOGRAPHER, NATURALIST, RETIRED SURGEON, TREASURED FRIEND and now …. AUTHOR!

“The reason I decided to do the book was to show friends, family and perhaps some interested strangers what is happening in the natural world around us,” Ken Janes says. “I hope they become more aware of the wonderful wildlife that exists in our backyards and neighborhoods and how rewarding it is to connect with nature.”

Ken Janes needs no introduction to readers of “Wandering.” I’ve tapped his talent numerous times to bolster my blog with exquisite photographs he takes with a Canon 7D and 100-400mm zoom. Now, after nearly a post-retirement decade of trudging at dawn through coastal marshes or lying on his stomach for hours at Parsons Beach to capture the perfect shot of a Piping Plover — “which I totally enjoy doing” —  he’s put together hundreds of his bird photos into a 120-page book: LIFE LIST: Field Notes of a Maine Birdwatcher.

It’s not only a unique, timeless and enjoyable coffee table book, it’s a reference you’ll leaf through over and over, even if (or because!) you can’t differentiate a Blue Jay from a Robin redbreast. In illustrating the diversity of life around us, Ken says, “All we have to do is look. We don’t have to know the names, life histories or anything else to appreciate our encounters with wildlife — and that can be anything from birds to insects to plants or animals.”

Divided into four seasons, each page of LIFE LIST features a bird Ken saw and photographed, plus weather stats and field notes (a short informational paragraph). Sometimes, the bird he was able to photograph was only along the Maine coast for a few days. For example, the Blue Grosbeak he discovered on Strawberry Island: “The Blue Grosbeak is a bird of southern forest edges and grasslands of the midwest, but lately they have been seen more often along the Maine coast. This one appeared on the beach at Great Hill Road in May 2017, stayed a few days and was gone.”

Ken devotes several pages to Warblers, his personal favorites, which migrate from South and Central America in early May. He writes, “They are long distant migrants, some flying many hours without stopping, so I sometimes find them exhausted on the beach when they ‘fall-out’ after a long overnight flight. They’re difficult to photograph because they are so small and nest in treetops, some for only 10 days or so in the Spring.” 

He’s proudest of his Snowy Owl photos. Ken says, “It’s not difficult to photograph them because they have no awareness of humans as potential predators, but there’s an ethical problem for photographers. You don’t want to stress them by getting too close.” 

The majority of Ken’s photographs were taken at Kennebunk Beach, Maine, specifically on the walk down Great Hill Road to the Mousam River where it empties into the Gulf of Maine. “This intertidal zone creates diverse habitats in a small area, perfect for nesting birds and an ideal location to photograph them as they pass through each season,” Ken says. 

Bird photography, Ken says, means “knowing the habits of your subject and spending a lot of time standing in one place waiting for a bird to land on a perch, in the open and in good light. Many days are unsuccessful. That’s why it took nearly a decade to accumulate these photos. There are many birds missing. A decent photo of a Blackburnian Warbler with its bright orange and black plumage has eluded me so far.” 

Ken credits his son Matthew, a graphic designer and artist, for “making this the book you see today.” He hopes LIFE LIST might inspire people to take out their binoculars and a bird guide, then have fun beginning their own list.

“Shorebird populations have dropped 70% since 1973, partly because of coastal development and indiscriminate hunting in the Caribbean and South America,” Ken says. “If LIFE LIST instills an awareness of the diversity of life around us and inspires us to take necessary steps to preserve these species for generations to come, it will be a success.” 

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LIFE LIST: FIELD NOTES OF A MAINE BIRDWATCHER sells for $35 and can be ordered at Fineprint Booksellers, Kennebunkport, Maine and at www.northcountrypress.com