Wild Alabama: American Robin

By Matt Zeigler

Wild Alabama: American Robin is a thrilling look at the interesting habits of the species in natural settings. Award-winning author and photographer Matt Zeigler’s passion to capture robins in flight unexpectedly revealed how they interact with each other and alone to accomplish objectives. With ninety-five images Zeigler illustrates how robins accomplish rudimentary but vital tasks such as eating, drinking, and defending themselves from predators. Spectacular photos of robins taking off for flight and gliding-in for a landing are also featured. Zeigler also unveils a collection of mysterious images showing how a robins’ eyes will sometimes become ’cloudy’ momentarily. In addition, Zeigler delves into unusual places where robins roam in their daily lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matt Zeigler
• Release date: Nov 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311237019

Matt Zeigler

Former Marine Matt Zeigler worked eight years as a writer and photojournalist in the newspaper industry before embarking on an author's path. During the 1990s he traveled extensively throughout the Southeast covering the greatest athletes of American sports. Zeigler, a 1993 graduate of Troy University, has also published College Football Schemes and Techniques; Wild Alabama; Wild Alabama: Winter Haven; Wild Alabama: The American Robin; Sports Shooter: A Photographer's Story; and 1990s NFL Flashback.

Book preview

Flight; the ultimate conquest of space, time and freedom, has fascinated humankind for all eternity. Insects, a few mammals and several species of fish can fly; and humankind’s fascination with flight is fulfilled across many spectrums. From hot air balloons to airplanes and supersonic jets man flew and then sought to go farther and faster. We even drop from the sky in parachutes or hang glide on thin air to simulate flying. But birds are the only true masters of flight; which catapults them into their own dimension of space and time.

My own fascination with flight, nature and photography collided to bring me afield in central Alabama during the late fall and winter of 2010-11. From October 2010 to March 2011 I methodically probed a 10-square mile tract of land consisting of pine and hardwood forests. It was situated near an apartment complex where I both lived and worked; affording me the time and opportunity to go afield during morning hours and again during afternoons and evenings, even lunchtime on occasion.

Part of what I referred to as my AO, or area of observation, was owned by the real estate company I worked for and I was free to roam the bush as I pleased. Other portions are either vacant open grassy fields or right of ways owned by the city of Clanton, which afforded public access. The AO lies within a small metropolis and was my personal sanctuary of woodlands to explore. Local city dwellers almost never ventured into the AO, which gave me the privacy that I needed to observe nature. The AO looks just like any other hardwood or loblolly pine forest; however, it also has several other natural land features that attract birds and other wildlife. Its most important feature is a year-round supply of fresh water; sourced by a small stream that runs clear and cool from north to south. There are also several types of vegetation, such as blackberry